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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一

Miscellaneous Song Words: Four Songs of the Long Stem, No. 1

崔颢

Cui Hao

君家定何处妾住在横塘停舟暂借问或恐是同乡

Where, the home of the lord, exactly?
The concubine, dwelling, in the Hengtang.
Stopping the boat, temporarily, asking,
Perhaps, being the same native place.
Listen

Meaning

A poem of the asking on the river, written by Cui Hao. Where, the home of the lord, exactly? — the concubine, dwelling, in the Hengtang — the asking of the home and the dwelling of the concubine. Stopping the boat, temporarily, asking — perhaps, being the same native place — the stopping of the boat and the hope of the same native place. The poem is the asking on the river: the question of the home, and the close's hope of the same native place.

君家定何处妾住在横塘停舟暂借问或恐是同乡

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Where, the home of the lord, exactly? The concubine, dwelling, in the Hengtang. Stopping the boat, temporarily, asking, perhaps, being the same native place. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the asking of the home and the dwelling of the concubine, through the stopping of the boat, to the close's hope of the same native place. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the hope of the close: the asking of the lord's home, and the close's perhaps being the same native place — the feeling of the river gathered in the asking and the close's hope. [Emotional Tone] Light, fresh, and hopeful: the poem is the asking on the river, the Hengtang and the close's same native place.

【白话串讲】 崔颢写《杂曲歌辞·长干曲四首其一》：“君家定何处，妾住在横塘”——“停舟暂借问，或恐是同乡”——他写长干曲——或恐是同乡。 【意象与手法】 “君家定何处妾住在横塘”写君家定何处；“停舟暂借问或恐是同乡”写停舟暂借问；结以“或恐是同乡”写或恐是同乡。明快江行。 【情感与主旨】 崔颢写长干曲之作，写江行偶遇、停舟借问或恐是同乡的情趣，是乐府民歌风格的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“君家定何处，妾住在横塘”写江行偶遇；“停舟暂借问，或恐是同乡”写借问情趣。

Background

Cui Hao (704–754) wrote this 'Miscellaneous Song Words: Four Songs of the Long Stem, No. 1' of the asking on the river — the feeling of the Jiangnan. The asking of the lord's home with the dwelling of the concubine in the Hengtang, the stopping of the boat to ask, and the close's hope of the same native place — the poem gathers the fresh feeling of the river, the encounter of the boat. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's songs of the Long Stem.

《杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一》为唐代诗人崔颢所作诗。崔颢（约704—754），汴州人，唐代诗人。此诗写江行问讯，为长干曲之作。诗中「君家定何处妾住在横塘」写君家定何处妾住在横塘；「停舟暂借问或恐是同乡」写停舟暂借问或恐是同乡。崔颢此诗以江行问讯、或恐是同乡写其问讯之情，明快江行，是崔颢诗中的名篇。此篇《杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the asking. The question opens: where, the home of the lord, exactly? — the asking of the home; the concubine, dwelling, in the Hengtang — the dwelling of the concubine. The boat follows: stopping the boat, temporarily, asking — the stopping of the boat to ask. And the close gathers the hope: perhaps, being the same native place — the hope of the same native place — the asking on the river, the dwelling of the Hengtang and the close's hope, gathered in the poem.

此诗艺术上以「明快江行、以问写情」见长。全诗共四句，由君家定何处而停舟暂借问。起「君家定何处妾住在横塘」写君家定何处：君家定何处妾住在横塘；结「停舟暂借问或恐是同乡」写停舟暂借问：停舟暂借问或恐是同乡。全诗以问写情，由君家定何处而或恐是同乡，明快江行，是崔颢诗中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。

Allusions

'The Hengtang' (Hengtang) is the Hengtang — the place of the dwelling, the Hengtang of the Jiangnan; 'the stopping of the boat' (ting zhou) is the stopping of the boat — the stopping of the boat to ask; 'the same native place' (tong xiang) is the same native place — the same home of the close, the hope of the encounter.

诗中「君家定何处妾住在横塘」「停舟暂借问或恐是同乡」等语，皆含典故故实。「君家定何处妾住在横塘」写君家定何处妾住在横塘；「停舟暂借问或恐是同乡」写停舟暂借问或恐是同乡。诗人以横塘等语入诗，不着痕迹，而把江行问讯之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Cui Hao's songs of the Long Stem, quoted for the freshness of its asking and the hope of its close. The asking of the home on the river, and the same native place of the close, are among the admired images of the poet's songs of the Jiangnan. Critics praise the poem's freshness: the encounter gathered in the asking, to the close's same native place.

这首《杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一》，是崔颢写江行问讯之作，写君家定何处、停舟暂借问、或恐是同乡之情，明快江行。起「君家定何处妾住在横塘」——君家定何处妾住在横塘。写君家定何处：君家定何处、妾住在横塘——定何处、住横塘；结「停舟暂借问或恐是同乡」——停舟暂借问或恐是同乡。写停舟暂借问：停舟暂借问、或恐是同乡——暂借问、是同乡。这「停舟暂借问或恐是同乡」，是全诗之结：以或恐是同乡写其问讯。全诗明快江行，以问写情，正是崔颢诗中的名篇。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。

Prosody

Form A regulated five-character poem of the folk song诗（五言绝句）
Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level-tone tang and xiang of the group — the even, level rhyme that carries the light freshness.此诗为五言绝句，共四句。押韵：「塘」「乡」押阳部韵。前两句起、后两句转合，平仄相间，正与写江行问讯的明快江行相称，也见其以五绝写问讯的凝练。
Tone pattern The cadence is that of the asking: the level opening with the question, the turning with the stopping of the boat, and the close's rise with the hope of the same native place.句式上，「君家定何处妾住在横塘」写君家定何处，音节明快；结「停舟暂借问或恐是同乡」写停舟暂借问，音节悠长。全诗音节随情起伏，由明快而悠长，正合五绝「凝练」之妙，读来如江行问讯、或恐是同乡之音，明快而动人。
Reading note The poem's sound matches its freshness: the even, level rhymes carry the cadence of the asking, and the close — 'huo kong shi tong xiang' — rises with the same native place, the sound of the hope of the concubine.此诗为五言绝句，是崔颢写江行问讯之作，也是其诗中的名篇。全诗的艺术特色在于「明快江行、以问写情」：「君家定何处妾住在横塘」写君家定何处、「停舟暂借问或恐是同乡」写停舟暂借问。全诗明快江行，以问写情。尤为精妙者，是「停舟暂借问」写尽暂借问；而「或恐是同乡」写尽是同乡，正是崔颢诗「明快江行」的典范，为历代选本所常收。《杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一》一诗之所以读来声情并茂，正在于诗人以声韵配合情思、以节奏烘托意境，音节之长短、平仄之起伏，皆与诗意相为表里，此亦可见中国古典诗歌声律之美与匠心之工。

Line by line

君家定何处妾住在横塘

Where, the home of the lord, exactly? The concubine, dwelling, in the Hengtang.

君家定何处妾住在横塘

Where exactly is your home? I live at Hengtang.

起句写君家定何处，起笔即见其君家。「君家定何处」写君家定何处，「君家」写君家、「定何处」写定何处；「妾住在横塘」写妾住在横塘，「妾住」写妾住、「在横塘」写在横塘。一句写君家定何处妾住在横塘，以君家定何处写定何处、以妾住在横塘写住横塘，写尽君家定何处、妾住在横塘之情。以问起兴，明快而江行，是「以问起兴」的妙笔。

The opening writes where exactly is your home, your home named at the first stroke. Where exactly: the woman's question. I live at Hengtang: her own answer, Hengtang by the river. One block writes the question and the self-introduction - Cui Hao's starting point for the river-banter: the young boatwoman's bold greeting. The line opens with the question as bi-xing, brisk and river-travel-themed: the dialogue at once.

停舟暂借问

I stop my boat to ask a moment:

停舟暂借问

I stop my boat to ask you a moment.

此句写停舟暂借问，是全诗写停舟之态的关键。「停舟暂借问」写停舟暂借问，「停舟」写停舟、「暂借问」写暂借问。一句写停舟暂借问，以停舟写停舟、以暂借问写暂借问，写尽停舟暂借问之情。以舟写情，明快而江行，是「以舟写情」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。

This line writes I stop my boat to ask you a moment, the key to the poem's stop-boat state. I stop my boat: the moored boat. To ask you a moment: the brief inquiry. One line writes the boat stopping for the question - the pivot: the boatman's pausing, his curiosity. The line uses the boat for feeling, brisk and river-travel-themed: the stopped boat holds the chance encounter.

或恐是同乡

I fear you may be from my own village.

或恐是同乡

I wonder if you might be from my hometown.

结句写或恐是同乡，是全诗立意的落点。「或恐是同乡」写或恐是同乡，「或恐」写或恐、「是同乡」写是同乡。一句写或恐是同乡，以或恐写或恐、以是同乡写是同乡，写尽或恐是同乡之情。以乡写情，明快而江行，是全诗最动人处，也是「以乡写情」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。

The closing line writes I wonder if you might be from my hometown, the poem's landing. I wonder: the diffident hope. From my hometown: the shared village. One line writes the shy guess that he may be a fellow townsman - the resolution: the hope hidden in the question. The line uses hometown for feeling, brisk and river-travel-themed, the poem's most moving point: the sudden homesickness in a stranger's face.

Study

Word focus

君家 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「君家」写君家定何处，是写君家之态的关键。「君家定何处」着一「君家」，写君家——着一「君家」，写君家定何处，见其家之君。两字写尽君家之态，是「以词写君」的妙笔。「君家」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
横塘 'The Hengtang' — the place of the dwelling, the Hengtang of the Jiangnan. 「横塘」写妾住在横塘，是写横塘之态的关键。「妾住在横塘」着一「横塘」，写横塘——着一「横塘」，写妾住在横塘，见其塘之横。两字写尽横塘之态，是「以词写塘」的点睛之词。「横塘」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
停舟 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「停舟」写停舟暂借问，是写停舟之态的关键。「停舟暂借问」着一「停舟」，写停舟——着一「停舟」，写停舟暂借问，见其舟之停。两字写尽停舟之态，是「以词写舟」的点睛之词。「停舟」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
同乡 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「同乡」写或恐是同乡，是写同乡之态的关键。「或恐是同乡」着一「同乡」，写同乡——着一「同乡」，写或恐是同乡，见其乡之同。两字写尽同乡之态，是「以词写乡」的点睛之词。「同乡」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

Related Reading

水调歌头·明月几时有 Prelude to Water Melody: When Will the Bright Moon Appear 苏轼 · 同写江行感怀、明快旷达，一写人有悲欢离合、一写君家定何处妾住在横塘，皆于江行之中见明快 Both are the works of the feeling of the far — the moon of the sky of Su Shi, the boat of the river of Cui Hao — the two feelings of the encounter.

Su Shi's 'Prelude to Water Melody' — 'the bright moon, when will it appear' — is the feeling of the far of the sky; Cui Hao's 'Four Songs of the Long Stem, No. 1' — 'the same native place' — is the feeling of the encounter of the river — the two feelings, the one of the far, the other of the encounter.

苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全」，写江行感怀、明快旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；崔颢《杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一》则以「君家定何处妾住在横塘」「或恐是同乡」写住横塘、是同乡。两诗同写江行感怀、明快旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写君家定何处妾住在横塘、以问写江行；一为苏轼之旷达、一为崔颢之明快，并读正可见诗写「江行感怀」的两种笔法，皆于江行之中见明快。

 八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Eight Beats of Ganzhou: Facing the Evening Rain That Spatters the Long River 柳永 · 同写横塘凝望、明快清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写君家定何处妾住在横塘，皆于横塘之中见凝望 Both are the works of the river and the boat — the rain of the river of Liu Yong, the boat of the Hengtang of Cui Hao — the two scenes of the river.

Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — 'the evening rain that spatters the long river' — is the scene of the river; Cui Hao's 'Four Songs of the Long Stem, No. 1' — 'stopping the boat' — is the scene of the boat — the two scenes of the river, the one of the rain, the other of the boat.

柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写横塘凝望、明快清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；崔颢《杂曲歌辞 长干曲四首 一》则以「君家定何处妾住在横塘」「停舟暂借问」写住横塘、暂借问。两诗同写横塘凝望、明快清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写君家定何处妾住在横塘、以问写江行；一为柳永之清丽、一为崔颢之明快，并读正可见诗写「横塘凝望」的两种笔法，皆于横塘之中见凝望。