唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
早秋
The Early Autumn
遥夜泛清瑟,西风生翠萝。
残萤委玉露,早鴈拂银河。
高树晓还密,远山晴更多。
淮南一叶下,自觉老烟波。
The west wind, born, the green creeping vines.
The remaining fireflies, cast down, the jade dew,
The early geese, brushing the Milky Way.
The tall trees, in the dawn, still dense,
The far mountains, in the clear, more many.
The Huainan, one leaf, falling down,
Feeling myself, old, the misty waves.
Meaning
A poem of the early autumn and the old feeling, written by Xu Hun. In the far night, the clear zither, floating — the west wind, born, the green creeping vines — the clear zither of the night and the west wind. The remaining fireflies, cast down, the jade dew — the early geese, brushing the Milky Way — the fireflies of the dew and the geese of the Milky Way. The tall trees, in the dawn, still dense — the far mountains, in the clear, more many — the dense trees and the many mountains. The Huainan, one leaf, falling down — feeling myself, old, the misty waves — the one leaf of the Huainan and the old feeling of the close. The poem is the early autumn and the old feeling: the clear zither, the geese of the Milky Way, and the close's one leaf and the old feeling.
漫长的秋夜,泛着清瑟的琴音,西风生起于翠绿的藤萝。残留的萤火,委落于如玉的露珠,早来的大雁,拂过银河。高树在拂晓还显得茂密,远山在晴日更见层叠。淮南一叶落下,自己顿觉已在烟波之中老去。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] In the far night, the clear zither, floating, the west wind, born, the green creeping vines. The remaining fireflies, cast down, the jade dew, the early geese, brushing the Milky Way. The tall trees, in the dawn, still dense, the far mountains, in the clear, more many. The Huainan, one leaf, falling down, feeling myself, old, the misty waves. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the clear zither of the far night and the west wind, through the fireflies and the geese, and the dense trees with the many mountains, to the close's one leaf and the old feeling of the misty waves. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the early of the autumn: the one leaf of the Huainan falling, and the close's old feeling of the misty waves — the early autumn gathered in the one leaf and the close's old feeling. [Emotional Tone] Clear, far, and slightly sorrowful: the poem is the early autumn, the one leaf and the close's old feeling.
【白话串讲】 许浑写《早秋》:“遥夜泛清瑟,西风生翠萝”——“残萤委玉露,早鴈拂银河”——“高树晓还密,远山晴更多”——“淮南一叶下,自觉老烟波”——他写早秋——淮南一叶下。 【意象与手法】 首联以“遥夜泛清瑟,西风生翠萝”写秋夜清瑟、西风生萝之景;颔联以“残萤委玉露,早鴈拂银河”写残萤委露、早雁拂河之景;颈联以“高树晓还密,远山晴更多”写高树远山的秋色;尾联以“淮南一叶下,自觉老烟波”由“一叶知秋”转到“自觉老烟波”的羁旅感慨。层层写景而归于羁旅之感。 【情感与主旨】 许浑写早秋的景物与羁旅的感慨,意境清远,是许浑“工于写景”的代表作。 【名句点睛】 常考“残萤委玉露,早鴈拂银河”写早秋之景;“淮南一叶下,自觉老烟波”由一叶知秋写羁旅。
Background
Xu Hun (c. 791–858), the poet of the late Tang, wrote this 'The Early Autumn' of the early autumn and the old feeling — the autumn of the far night. The clear zither of the far night with the west wind, the remaining fireflies with the early geese of the Milky Way, the dense trees with the far mountains, and the close's one leaf of the Huainan with the old feeling of the misty waves — the poem gathers the early autumn, the clear scene and the close's old feeling. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the autumn.
此诗为晚唐诗人许浑的《早秋》之作,是写早秋景物与羁旅感慨的名篇。许浑(约788—约858),字用晦,润州丹阳(今江苏丹阳)人,晚唐诗人。他一生大半在江南为官或漫游,其诗多写登临怀古、羁旅秋景,以「水」「山」「秋」为常景,后人谓其诗「工于写景」。《早秋》写早秋之景:「遥夜泛清瑟」,写漫长的秋夜中,泛着清瑟的琴音——「遥夜」写秋夜之漫长,「清瑟」写瑟音之清越,正是秋夜的起兴;「西风生翠萝」,写西风生起于翠绿的藤萝——西风为秋风,翠萝为翠绿的藤萝,西风生于翠萝之间,正是早秋西风初起之景;「残萤委玉露」,写残留的萤火委落于如玉的露珠——残萤为秋夜的流萤,将尽未尽的萤光委落于露珠之上,正是早秋萤老之景;「早鴈拂银河」,写早来的大雁拂过银河——早雁南飞,拂过银河,正是早秋雁来的标志;「高树晓还密」,写高树在拂晓还显得茂密——早秋树木尚茂密,还不曾凋落;「远山晴更多」,写远山在晴日更见层叠——晴日远望,山色层叠,正是秋高气爽之景;「淮南一叶下」,写淮南一叶落下——用「一叶知秋」之典,《淮南子》「见一叶落而知岁之将暮」,淮南一叶下,正是早秋的标志;「自觉老烟波」,写自己顿觉已在烟波之中老去——见一叶而知秋,词人自感岁月流逝,已老于烟波之间,正是羁旅的感慨。全诗由早秋景物写起,层层写景而归于羁旅之感,意境清远,是许浑诗「工于写景」的代表作。
Art
The poem's art is the art of the early autumn. The night opens: in the far night, the clear zither, floating — the clear zither of the far night; the west wind, born, the green creeping vines — the west wind of the creeping vines. The autumn follows: the remaining fireflies, cast down, the jade dew — the fireflies of the jade dew; the early geese, brushing the Milky Way — the geese brushing the Milky Way; the tall trees, in the dawn, still dense — the dense trees of the dawn; the far mountains, in the clear, more many — the many mountains of the clear. And the close gathers the old feeling: the Huainan, one leaf, falling down — the one leaf of the Huainan; feeling myself, old, the misty waves — the old feeling of the misty waves — the early autumn, the one leaf and the close's old feeling, gathered in the poem.
此诗艺术上以「工于写景」与「景中含情」为特色,在早秋景物的描绘中见羁旅的感慨。首联「遥夜泛清瑟,西风生翠萝」,以「遥夜」写秋夜之漫长,以「清瑟」写瑟音之清越,以「西风生翠萝」写早秋西风初起,由听觉而视觉,起笔即见早秋的氛围;颔联「残萤委玉露,早鴈拂银河」,以「残萤委露」写萤老之景,以「早雁拂河」写雁来之景,「残」「早」二字,写尽早秋的季节特征——残萤将尽、早雁初来,正是夏秋之交的标志;颈联「高树晓还密,远山晴更多」,以「晓还密」写高树尚密,以「晴更多」写远山层叠,「还」「更」二字,写早秋树木未凋、秋山渐朗的景象;尾联「淮南一叶下,自觉老烟波」,由「淮南一叶下」的「一叶知秋」,转到「自觉老烟波」的羁旅感慨——见一叶而知秋,词人自感已老于烟波之间,由景入情,正是「景中含情」的写法。全诗由秋夜写起,经萤雁、树山而归于羁旅之感,层层写景而情寓其中,正是许浑诗「工于写景」的极致。
Allusions
'The clear zither' (qing se) is the clear zither — the zither of the night, the clear sound; 'the jade dew' (yu lu) is the jade dew — the dew like the jade, the dew of the autumn; 'the Milky Way' (yin he) is the Milky Way — the river of the sky, brushed by the geese; 'the Huainan' (Huainan) is the Huainan — the one leaf of the Huainan, the first leaf of the autumn; 'the misty waves' (yan bo) are the misty waves — the waves of the mist, the old feeling of the close.
此诗用典于关键处见深情。「遥夜泛清瑟」,写秋夜的清瑟,暗用「清瑟」的典故——瑟为古代弦乐器,音色清越,《诗·小雅·鹿鸣》「我有嘉宾,鼓瑟吹笙」,又《楚辞》「悲清瑟之激扬」,以清瑟写秋夜的清冷;「泛」字写琴音之流泛。「残萤」,写残落的萤火,暗含萤火秋尽而死的物候——崔豹《古今注》「萤火,腐草为之」,萤为夏末秋初之物,残萤正是早秋的标志。「早鴈拂银河」,写早雁拂过银河,暗含雁飞成字、南飞避寒的物候,也暗含「雁」的羁旅意象——雁南飞而人未归,正是羁旅的对照。「淮南一叶下」,用「一叶知秋」之典——《淮南子·说山训》「见一叶落而知岁之将暮」,又《文子》「一叶落而知天下秋」,淮南一叶下,正是早秋的标志;「自觉老烟波」,以「烟波」写江海的浩渺,暗含「烟波钓徒」的隐逸意象与「烟波江上」的羁旅之感——李白「烟花三月下扬州」、崔颢「日暮乡关何处是,烟波江上使人愁」,皆以烟波写羁旅之愁。这些典故,或写清瑟、或写残萤、或写早雁、或写一叶知秋、或写烟波,皆围绕早秋与羁旅这一核心,织成一张清远的情网,正是许浑诗「工于用典」的特点。
Commentary
This poem is one of the famous works of Xu Hun's poems of the autumn, quoted for the one leaf of its close and the old feeling. The geese brushing the Milky Way, and the one leaf of the Huainan, are among the admired images of the poet's poems of the autumn. Critics praise the poem's clearness: the early autumn gathered in the one leaf, to the close's old feeling.
读此诗,最值得注意的是尾联「淮南一叶下,自觉老烟波」所写出的「由物及我」。前六句全是写景:遥夜清瑟、西风翠萝、残萤玉露、早雁银河、高树远山——那是早秋的种种物候,写得很美,也很静。而尾联忽然一转,「淮南一叶下」——只用「一叶」的落下,写尽早秋的标志;「自觉老烟波」——词人见这一叶之落,忽然自觉:我已老于烟波之间。这一转,是全诗的关键:从「写景」到「写我」,从「物候」到「身世」。那「一叶之落」,不只是秋天的标志,更是时光流逝的象征——一叶落而知秋,一叶落而知老;而「老烟波」的「烟波」,既是江南水乡的实景,也是「宦海浮沉」「江湖漂泊」的虚写——词人一生多在江南为官漫游,那烟波,正是他身世的写照。这一尾联,把全诗写景的清远,忽然收束于羁旅的感慨,正是「景中含情」「由物及我」的写法,也是许浑诗「工于写景而归于感慨」的特点。清远的早秋之景,与苍老的羁旅之感,在一叶之落下融合,正是此诗最动人处。
Prosody
Line by line
残萤委玉露,早鴈拂银河。
The remaining fireflies, cast down, the jade dew, the early geese, brushing the Milky Way.
残留的萤火,委落于如玉的露珠,早来的大雁,拂过银河。
Leftover fireflies settle on jade-like dew; early geese brush the Silver River.
这一联写早秋的物候,是此诗写景最精工的句子。「残萤委玉露」,写残留的萤火委落于如玉的露珠——「残萤」写萤将尽未尽的萤光,「玉露」写露珠之晶莹,「委」字写残萤委落之态,正是夏末秋初萤老之景;「早鴈拂银河」,写早来的大雁拂过银河——「早鴈」写早秋初来的大雁,「拂」字写雁飞之轻掠,「银河」写秋夜之天,正是早秋雁来的标志。一「残」一「早」,写尽早秋的季节特征——残萤将尽、早雁初来,正是夏秋之交;「委」与「拂」,一静一动,写尽秋夜的静谧与雁飞的灵动。这一联,以残萤与早雁相对,以玉露与银河相对,写景精工而意境清远,正是许浑诗「工于写景」的代表,也是此诗写早秋物候最动人的句子。
This couplet writes early autumn phenology, the poem's most refined scenery line. Leftover fireflies settle on jade-like dew writes the remaining firefly light settling on the dew's jade gloss - leftover fireflies write the summer-ending, not-yet-out glow; jade dew writes the dewdrop's glitter; settle writes the settling posture, precisely the late-summer early-autumn old-firefly scene. Early geese brush the Silver River writes the early geese brushing the Milky Way - early geese writes the early-autumn first arrivals; brush writes the light grazing of their flight; the Silver River writes the autumn night sky, precisely the early-autumn goose-arrival mark. One leftover one early write the early-autumn season's features - residual fireflies ending, early geese arriving, precisely the summer-autumn turn. Settle and brush, one stillness one motion, write the autumn night's quiet and the geese's light flight. This couplet sets leftover fireflies against early geese, jade dew against Silver River; scenery refined and realm clear and far - precisely Xu Hun's representative skill at scenery, also this poem's most moving early-autumn line.
淮南一叶下,
A single leaf falls south of the Huai,
淮南一叶落下。
A single leaf falls south of the Huai,
这一句是全诗由景入情的枢纽,以「一叶知秋」写早秋的标志,是此诗最凝练的句子。「淮南一叶下」,用「一叶知秋」之典——《淮南子》「见一叶落而知岁之将暮」,淮南一叶下,正是早秋的标志;「一叶」写一片叶子,「下」写叶落,以最细微的物候写秋天的到来——不是满林落叶,而是一片叶子的落下,正是早秋「一叶知秋」的敏感。这一句,把早秋的种种物候,收束于「一叶」的落下,正是「以小见大」的写法——一片叶子的落下,写尽秋天的到来、岁时的流转;而「淮南」二字,又暗含地点的羁旅之意。这一句,是此诗由写景转入感慨的枢纽,也是「自觉老烟波」的铺垫——正因一叶知秋,才自觉老于烟波。
This line is the poem's pivot from scenery to feeling, using one leaf falling to know autumn to write early autumn's mark, the poem's most condensed line. A single leaf falls south of the Huai uses the one leaf falling to know autumn allusion - the Huainanzi's seeing one leaf fall and knowing the year's approaching end; a single leaf falling south of the Huai is precisely early autumn's mark. One leaf writes a single leaf; fall writes the leaf's descent, using the subtlest phenology to write autumn's arrival - not the whole forest shedding, but one leaf's fall, precisely early autumn's one-leaf knowing sensitivity. This line gathers early autumn's many phenologies into one leaf's fall, precisely the small-see-large method: one leaf's descent writes autumn's arrival, the season's circulation. And south of the Huai secretly holds the place's drifting meaning. This line is the pivot from scenery to sigh, also preparing the feeling old on misty waves - precisely because one leaf knows autumn, one feels oneself old on the waves.
自觉老烟波。
and I feel myself growing old on the misty waves.
自己顿觉已在烟波之中老去。
I suddenly feel myself growing old on misty waves.
这一句是全诗的结穴,由「一叶知秋」转入「自觉老烟波」的羁旅感慨,是此诗情感的所在。「自觉」,写自己忽然觉得——见一叶之落,词人忽然自觉;「老烟波」,写老于烟波之间——「烟波」既是江南水乡的实景,也是「宦海浮沉」「江湖漂泊」的虚写,词人一生多在江南为官漫游,那烟波,正是他身世的写照;「老」字,写岁月流逝、年华老去的感慨。这一结句,把全诗写景的清远,忽然收束于羁旅的感慨——一叶落而知秋,一叶落而知老,那「自觉老烟波」的感慨,正是早秋之景触动的身世之感。以「烟波」写身世,以「老」写年华,正是「景中含情」「由物及我」的写法,也是许浑诗「工于写景而归于感慨」的特点。这一句,清远而苍凉,是此诗情感的所在,也是全诗最动人的句子。
This line is the poem's knot, turning from one leaf knowing autumn to the drifting sigh of feeling myself growing old on misty waves, the poem's emotional place. I suddenly feel writes the sudden self-awareness - seeing one leaf fall, the poet suddenly feels. Growing old on misty waves writes aging among misty waves - misty waves is at once the Jiangnan water-town real scene and the void-writing of official-sea drift and rivers-and-lakes wandering; the poet served and wandered in Jiangnan much of his life, and those misty waves are precisely his life-fate's portrait. Old writes the years' flow, the years' aging sigh. This closing line suddenly gathers the whole poem's clear scenery into the drifting sigh - one leaf falls and knows autumn, one leaf falls and knows age; the feeling myself growing old on misty waves sigh is precisely the life-fate feeling touched by early-autumn scenery. Using misty waves for life-fate, old for years, precisely the method of feeling within scenery, from thing to self; also Xu Hun's feature of skilled scenery returning to sigh. This line is clear and vast, the poem's emotional place, also its most moving line.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Du Fu's 'Climbing the Height' — 'the boundless falling trees, the ceaseless rolling river' — is the sorrow of the autumn of the old; Xu Hun's 'The Early Autumn' — 'the Huainan, one leaf, falling down' — is the old feeling of the early autumn — the two old feelings of the autumn, the one of the falling trees, the other of the one leaf.
杜甫《登高》「无边落木萧萧下,不尽长江滚滚来。万里悲秋常作客,百年多病独登台」,写秋景的萧瑟与身世的悲凉,是悲秋诗的巅峰之作;许浑此诗「残萤委玉露,早鴈拂银河」「淮南一叶下,自觉老烟波」,同样写秋景与身世的感慨。一写「无边落木」的萧瑟,一写「淮南一叶」的清远;杜甫是「万里悲秋常作客」的沉郁顿挫,许浑是「自觉老烟波」的清远苍凉。并读两作,可见「悲秋」这一母题从盛唐到晚唐的传承,也可见秋景在沉郁与清远之间的两种风格。
秋词·其一 A Song of the Autumn: No. 1 刘禹锡 · 同为写秋之作,一写晴空一鹤的豪迈一写一叶知秋的感慨,秋景一咏一叹互为映照 Both are the poems of the autumn — the crane of the clear sky of Liu Yuxi, the geese of the Milky Way of Xu Hun — the two autumns of the Tang.Liu Yuxi's 'A Song of the Autumn' — 'the clear sky, one crane, soaring above the clouds' — is the autumn of the high spirit; Xu Hun's 'The Early Autumn' — 'the early geese, brushing the Milky Way' — is the autumn of the clear feeling — the two autumns, the one of the soaring crane, the other of the brushing geese.
刘禹锡《秋词·其一》「自古逢秋悲寂寥,我言秋日胜春朝。晴空一鹤排云上,便引诗情到碧霄」,一反悲秋传统,写秋日的豪迈与高远;许浑此诗「残萤委玉露,早鴈拂银河」「淮南一叶下,自觉老烟波」,写早秋的清远与羁旅的感慨。一写「晴空一鹤」的豪迈,一写「一叶知秋」的感慨;刘禹锡是「便引诗情到碧霄」的昂扬,许浑是「自觉老烟波」的苍凉。并读两作,可见唐人写秋的两种心态——刘禹锡的奋发与许浑的感伤,也可见「秋」这一母题在唐诗中的丰富面貌。
山居秋暝 Dwelling in the Mountains, the Autumn Evening 王维 · 同为写秋景之作,一写空山新雨的禅意一写早秋清瑟的清远,秋景之境异代相映 Both are the poems of the autumn scene — the moonlight of the pines of Wang Wei, the zither of the night of Xu Hun — the two scenes of the autumn evening.Wang Wei's 'Dwelling in the Mountains, the Autumn Evening' — 'the bright moon, shining between the pines' — is the calm scene of the autumn; Xu Hun's 'The Early Autumn' — 'the clear zither, floating in the far night' — is the clear scene of the autumn — the two scenes of the autumn, the one of the moonlight, the other of the zither.
王维《山居秋暝》「空山新雨后,天气晚来秋。明月松间照,清泉石上流」,写空山新雨的秋景与禅意;许浑此诗「遥夜泛清瑟,西风生翠萝」「高树晓还密,远山晴更多」,同样写秋景。一写「明月松间照」的禅意,一写「残萤委玉露」的清远;王维是「随意春芳歇,王孙自可留」的安闲,许浑是「自觉老烟波」的感慨。并读两作,可见「秋景」这一母题在盛唐与晚唐的不同风貌——王维的宁静与许浑的苍凉,也可见山水秋景在两代诗人笔下的异趣。