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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

天上谣

The, Song, of, the, Sky

李贺

Li He

游仙Theme 想象Theme

天河夜转漂回星，银浦流云学水声。
玉宫桂树花未落，仙妾采香垂珮缨。
秦妃卷帘北窗晓，窗前植桐青凤小。
王子吹笙鹅管长，呼龙耕烟种瑶草。
粉霞红绶藕丝裙，青洲步拾兰苕春。
东指羲和能走马，海尘新生石山下。

The, celestial, river, in, the, night, turning, floating, the, circling, stars,
The, silver, stream, the, flowing, clouds, learning, the, sound, of, the, water.
The, cassia, trees, of, the, jade, palace, the, flowers, not, yet, fallen,
The, immortal, maids, picking, the, fragrance, hanging, the, tasseled, pendants.
The, imperial, concubine, rolling, the, curtain, at, the, north, window, the, dawn,
Before, the, window, planted, the, paulownia, the, green, phoenix, small.
The, prince, blowing, the, panpipes, the, goose, pipes, long,
Calling, the, dragon, to, plow, the, mist, to, plant, the, herb, of, the, jade, hill.
The, skirts, of, the, pink, haze, and, the, red, tassels, the, lotus, silk,
On, the, Green, Islet, step, picking, the, orchid, herbs, of, the, spring.
Pointing, to, the, east, the, Xihe, can, drive, the, galloping, horses,
The, dust, of, the, sea, newly, born, below, the, stone, mountain.

Listen

Meaning

A poem of the sky and the wonder, written by Li He. The celestial river in the night turning floating the circling stars, the silver stream the flowing clouds learning the sound of the water — the sky of the opening. The cassia trees of the jade palace the flowers not yet fallen, the immortal maids picking the fragrance hanging the tasseled pendants — the palace of the middle. The imperial concubine rolling the curtain at the north window the dawn, before the window planted the paulownia the green phoenix small — the court of the middle. And the close's pointing to the east the Xihe can drive the galloping horses, the dust of the sea newly born below the stone mountain — the close's wonder. The poem is the sky and the wonder: the river, the immortals, and the close's Xihe.

天河夜转，漂着回旋的星；银浦的流云，学着流水的声音。玉宫的桂树花未落，仙妾采香垂着珮缨。秦妃卷帘北窗晓，窗前植桐青凤小。王子吹笙鹅管长，呼龙耕烟种瑶草。粉霞红绶藕丝裙，青洲步拾兰苕春。东指羲和能走马，海尘新生石山下。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, celestial, river, in, the, night, turning, floating, the, circling, stars, the, silver, stream, the, flowing, clouds, learning, the, sound, of, the, water. The, cassia, trees, of, the, jade, palace, the, flowers, not, yet, fallen, the, immortal, maids, picking, the, fragrance, hanging, the, tasseled, pendants. The, imperial, concubine, rolling, the, curtain, at, the, north, window, the, dawn, before, the, window, planted, the, paulownia, the, green, phoenix, small. The, prince, blowing, the, panpipes, the, goose, pipes, long, calling, the, dragon, to, plow, the, mist, to, plant, the, herb, of, the, jade, hill. The, skirts, of, the, pink, haze, and, the, red, tassels, the, lotus, silk, on, the, Green, Islet, step, picking, the, orchid, herbs, of, the, spring. Pointing, to, the, east, the, Xihe, can, drive, the, galloping, horses, the, dust, of, the, sea, newly, born, below, the, stone, mountain. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the sky of the celestial river and the silver stream, through the palace of the cassia trees with the court of the concubine and the prince, to the close's the Xihe and the dust of the sea. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the wonder: the prince blowing the panpipes calling the dragon to plow the mist, and the close's the dust of the sea newly born below the stone mountain — the sky gathered in the wonder and the close's Xihe. [Emotional Tone] Wondrous, bright, and immortal: the poem is the river, the immortals and the close's Xihe.

【白话串讲】李贺写《天上谣》：“天河夜转漂回星，银浦流云学水声”——“玉宫桂树花未落，仙妾采香垂珮缨”——“王子吹笙鹅管长，呼龙耕烟种瑶草”——他想象天上的仙界。【意象与手法】此诗写天上仙境的瑰丽想象，以游仙写向往，是李贺的名篇。前四句写天河仙境：「天河夜转漂回星」写天河夜转、漂着回星，「银浦流云学水声」写银浦流云学着水声，「玉宫桂树花未落」写玉宫桂树花未落，「仙妾采香垂珮缨」写仙妾采香垂珮缨；中四句写仙人的活动：「秦妃卷帘北窗晓」写秦妃卷帘北窗晓，「窗前植桐青凤小」写窗前青凤栖桐，「王子吹笙鹅管长」写王子吹笙，「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」写呼龙耕烟种瑶草；后四句写仙境的美好与感慨：「粉霞红绶藕丝裙」写仙女的粉霞藕丝裙，「青洲步拾兰苕春」写青洲步拾兰苕春，「东指羲和能走马」写东指羲和能走马，「海尘新生石山下」写海尘新生石山下。全诗以游仙写向往，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽，正是李贺「瑰奇」诗风的本领。【情感与主旨】此诗以游仙写天上仙境的瑰丽想象，是李贺的名篇。李贺想象瑰奇，好写神仙鬼怪，其游仙诗多写天上仙境的瑰丽。此诗写天上：天河夜转，漂着回旋的星；银浦的流云，学着流水的声音；玉宫的桂树花未落，仙妾采香垂着珮缨；秦妃（弄玉，秦穆公之女，乘凤成仙）卷帘北窗晓，窗前植桐青凤小；王子（王子乔，周灵王太子，乘鹤成仙）吹笙鹅管长，呼龙耕烟种瑶草；粉霞红绶藕丝裙，青洲步拾兰苕春；东指羲和（驾日的神）能走马，海尘新生石山下。全诗以天河、玉宫、仙妾、秦妃、王子、青凤、龙、羲和等仙境的想象，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽与永恒——那「海尘新生石山下」写沧海桑田，而天上仙境永恒。此诗以游仙写向往，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽，正是李贺「瑰奇」诗风的本领，也是理解李贺游仙诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「银浦流云学水声」写流云如水的奇想；「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」写呼龙耕烟的瑰奇想象；「海尘新生石山下」写沧海桑田；「秦妃卷帘」「王子吹笙」用弄玉、王子乔成仙之典；以及全诗以游仙写向往、想象瑰奇的手法。

Background

Li He (c. 790-816), the poet of the mid Tang, wrote this 'The, Song, of, the, Sky' of the sky and the wonder — the imagination of the celestial realm. The celestial river with the silver stream, the jade palace with the immortal maids, and the close's the Xihe with the dust of the sea — the poem gathers the wonder of the poet, the brightness of the fantasy. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the immortals.

此诗以游仙写天上仙境的瑰丽想象，是李贺的名篇。李贺（790—816），字长吉，福昌（今河南宜阳）人，中唐著名诗人，人称「诗鬼」。李贺想象瑰奇，好写神仙鬼怪、天上地下，其游仙诗多写天上仙境的瑰丽与永恒，正是其对现实的不满与对理想世界的向往。此诗写天上仙境：「天河夜转漂回星」写天河在夜中流转，漂着回旋的星斗；「银浦流云学水声」写银浦（银河）的流云，学着流水的声音——以流云拟水，奇想；「玉宫桂树花未落」写玉宫（月宫）的桂树花未落；「仙妾采香垂珮缨」写仙妾采香、垂着珮缨；「秦妃卷帘北窗晓」写秦妃（弄玉，秦穆公之女，嫁萧史，乘凤成仙）卷帘、北窗晓；「窗前植桐青凤小」写窗前植桐、青凤栖于其上（青凤喻弄玉所乘之凤）；「王子吹笙鹅管长」写王子（王子乔，周灵王太子，好吹笙，乘鹤成仙）吹笙、鹅管长；「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」写呼龙耕烟、种植瑶草——以龙耕烟种瑶草，瑰奇想象；「粉霞红绶藕丝裙」写仙女的粉霞红绶藕丝裙；「青洲步拾兰苕春」写在青洲（仙境）漫步拾取兰苕（仙草）；「东指羲和能走马」写东指羲和（驾日之神）能走马——羲和御日，日行如走马，写天上时光；「海尘新生石山下」写海尘新生于石山下——沧海变桑田，写人间时光流转，而天上仙境永恒。全诗以天河、玉宫、仙妾、秦妃、王子、青凤、龙、羲和等仙境的想象，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽与永恒，是理解李贺游仙诗与中唐浪漫想象的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the wonder. The sky opens: the, celestial, river, in, the, night, turning, floating, the, circling, stars — the celestial river of the circling stars; the, silver, stream, the, flowing, clouds, learning, the, sound, of, the, water — the silver stream of the flowing clouds. The palace follows: the, cassia, trees, of, the, jade, palace, the, flowers, not, yet, fallen — the cassia trees of the jade palace; the, immortal, maids, picking, the, fragrance, hanging, the, tasseled, pendants — the immortal maids of the tasseled pendants; the, imperial, concubine, rolling, the, curtain, at, the, north, window, the, dawn — the imperial concubine of the dawn; before, the, window, planted, the, paulownia, the, green, phoenix, small — the green phoenix of the paulownia; the, prince, blowing, the, panpipes, the, goose, pipes, long — the prince of the panpipes; calling, the, dragon, to, plow, the, mist, to, plant, the, herb, of, the, jade, hill — the dragon of the plowing the mist. And the close gathers the wonder: the, skirts, of, the, pink, haze, and, the, red, tassels, the, lotus, silk — the skirts of the pink haze; on, the, Green, Islet, step, picking, the, orchid, herbs, of, the, spring — the orchid herbs of the Green Islet; pointing, to, the, east, the, Xihe, can, drive, the, galloping, horses — the Xihe of the galloping horses; the, dust, of, the, sea, newly, born, below, the, stone, mountain — the dust of the sea of the stone mountain — the sky, the palace and the close's wonder, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以奇想写天河。起句「天河夜转漂回星，银浦流云学水声」以奇想写天河——那「天河夜转漂回星」写天河夜转、漂着回星，「银浦流云学水声」写流云学着水声，以流云拟水，奇想开篇，写尽天河仙境的瑰丽。其二，以仙事写仙境。「玉宫桂树花未落，仙妾采香垂珮缨」写玉宫仙妾采香，「秦妃卷帘北窗晓，窗前植桐青凤小」用弄玉成仙之典写秦妃卷帘，「王子吹笙鹅管长，呼龙耕烟种瑶草」用王子乔成仙之典写王子吹笙、呼龙耕烟，以仙事写尽仙境的活动。其三，以服饰写仙女。「粉霞红绶藕丝裙，青洲步拾兰苕春」以粉霞红绶藕丝裙写仙女的服饰，以青洲步拾兰苕春写仙女的闲适，写尽仙女的华美与仙境的祥和。其四，以对照写永恒。「东指羲和能走马，海尘新生石山下」写羲和走马、海尘新生——那「羲和能走马」写天上时光如走马，「海尘新生石山下」写人间沧海桑田，以天上时光与人间变迁的对照，写尽天上仙境的永恒。四重手法，使此诗以游仙写向往，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽，正是李贺「瑰奇」诗风的本领。

Allusions

'The celestial river' (tian he) is the celestial river — the river of the sky, the turning of the night; 'the silver stream' (yin pu) is the silver stream — the stream of the silver, the Milky Way; 'the Xihe' (Xihe) is the Xihe — the driver of the sun of the myth, the galloping of the close; 'the Green Islet' (qing zhou) is the Green Islet — the islet of the green, the picking of the herbs.

此诗的用语深植于游仙与神话的传统。「天河」令人想到「天河」写银河的意象——「迢迢牵牛星，皎皎河汉女」，也令人想到「银河」的神话传统；「银浦」令人想到「银浦」写银河的意象，也令人想到「银汉」的银河；「流云学水声」令人想到「云」写流云的意象，也令人想到「流水」的声音——以流云拟水，正是李贺的奇想；「玉宫桂树」令人想到「桂树」写月中桂树的意象——「吴质不眠倚桂树」（李贺《李凭箜篌引》），也令人想到「月宫」的神话；「仙妾采香」令人想到「仙妾」写仙女的意象，也令人想到「采香」的仙境；「秦妃卷帘」用弄玉之典——秦穆公之女弄玉，嫁萧史，萧史善吹箫，夫妇乘凤成仙，令人想到「弄玉吹箫」的典故，也令人想到「秦楼」的仙家；「青凤」令人想到「青凤」写青色凤凰的意象——「青鸟殷勤为探看」，也令人想到「凤凰」的神鸟；「王子吹笙」用王子乔之典——周灵王太子晋（王子乔），好吹笙，后乘鹤成仙，令人想到「王子乔」的成仙传说，也令人想到「乘鹤」的仙家；「鹅管长」令人想到「鹅管」写笙管的意象；「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」令人想到「龙」写神龙的意象，也令人想到「瑶草」写仙草的意象——「瑶草琪花」的仙境；「粉霞红绶藕丝裙」令人想到「粉霞」「藕丝裙」写仙女服饰的意象，也令人想到「霓裳羽衣」的仙衣；「青洲」令人想到「青洲」写仙境的意象，也令人想到「十洲三岛」的仙山；「兰苕」令人想到「兰苕」写仙草的意象——「振衣千仞冈，濯足万里流」的仙家；「羲和」令人想到「羲和」写驾日之神的意象——「羲和驭日」，也令人想到「夸父逐日」的日神传说，更令人想到「六龙回日之高标」（李白《蜀道难》）的羲和；「海尘新生石山下」令人想到「沧海桑田」的意象——「沧海变桑田」，也令人想到「麻姑三见沧海」的神话。全诗化用天河、桂树、弄玉、王子乔、青凤、龙、瑶草、羲和、沧海桑田的神话意象与典故，以游仙写向往，正是李贺「瑰奇」而善用神话、承游仙传统写瑰丽的本领。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Li He's poems of the immortals, quoted for the wonder of its imagination and the brightness of its scene. The silver stream of the flowing clouds, and the dust of the sea of the stone mountain, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's wonder: the sky gathered in the immortals, to the close's Xihe.

此诗历来被推为李贺游仙诗的名篇，也是中唐浪漫想象的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以游仙写仙境，瑰奇华美」；近人更指出「银浦流云学水声」「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」想象瑰奇，是此诗的妙处。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以十二句的短歌写尽天上仙境的瑰丽与永恒——那天河夜转的回星，那学着水声的流云，那未落的桂树，那采香的仙妾，那卷帘的秦妃，那吹笙的王子，那呼龙耕烟的瑶草，那藕丝裙的仙女，那走马的羲和，那新生的海尘，都写尽了天上仙境的瑰丽；那「海尘新生石山下」更写尽天上永恒与人间变迁的对照。此诗与李贺的《李凭箜篌引》同为瑰奇想象的名篇，一写天上的音乐，一写天上的仙境；又与屈原《离骚》的游仙想象一脉相承，可见中国游仙诗的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李贺游仙诗与中唐浪漫想象的窗口，也是中国诗写仙境的经典——那呼龙耕烟种瑶草的奇想，穿越千年，仍在诉说着诗人对永恒仙境的向往。

Prosody

Form An old song of the immortals (qi yan gu shi)诗·七言古诗（游仙）

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the old song that carries the bright wonder.七言古体，转韵（星/声、落/缨、晓/小、长/草、裙/春、马/下），随情转韵

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the wonder: the level opening with the sky, the turning with the palace, and the close's fall with the Xihe.此诗为七言古诗，十二句，两句一韵转韵，音节流转，正合仙境瑰丽的流转。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its wonder: the cadences of the old song, and the close — 'hai chen xin sheng shi shan xia' — falls with the mountain, the sound of the wonder of the immortal sky.此诗为七言古诗，十二句，两句一韵转韵——「漂回星」的「星」与「学水声」的「声」，「花未落」的「落」与「垂珮缨」的「缨」，「北窗晓」的「晓」与「青凤小」的「小」，「鹅管长」的「长」与「种瑶草」的「草」，「藕丝裙」的「裙」与「拾兰苕春」的「春」，「能走马」的「马」与「石山下」的「下」，随情转韵，音节流转。全诗以游仙写仙境：前四句写天河仙境（天河夜转漂回星，银浦流云学水声；玉宫桂树花未落，仙妾采香垂珮缨），中四句写仙事（秦妃卷帘北窗晓，窗前植桐青凤小；王子吹笙鹅管长，呼龙耕烟种瑶草），后四句写仙女与永恒（粉霞红绶藕丝裙，青洲步拾兰苕春；东指羲和能走马，海尘新生石山下）。诵读此诗，宜以瑰丽的语调读「银浦流云学水声」的奇想，以悠扬的语调读「王子吹笙鹅管长」的仙事，结句「海尘新生石山下」要读得深远而有余韵，方能传达出李贺的瑰奇想象。李贺古体以「瑰奇」著称，此诗正是其游仙古体的典范。

Line by line

银浦流云学水声

Clouds drift on the Silver Ford, learning the sound of running water.

银浦的流云学着流水的声音。

The drifting clouds by the Silver Ford mimic the sound of flowing water.

此句写天上的奇想，以流云拟水，写尽银河仙境的瑰丽。「银浦流云学水声」写银浦的流云学着流水的声音——那「银浦」写银河，「流云学水声」写流云学着流水的声音，以流云拟水，奇想写尽银河仙境的瑰丽。这句的深意在于：它以「银浦流云学水声」的拟物，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽——银浦的流云，学着流水的声音，那「流云学水声」以流云拟水，写尽银河流云如水的瑰丽想象——云本无形、本无声，却学着流水的声音，正见仙境之奇、万物有灵；那「银浦」写尽银河的璀璨，那「流云学水声」写尽流云如水的奇想，一写银浦，一写流云，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽想象，也为下文的仙境活动作铺垫。若换作直说「天河很美」，则失其瑰奇；唯以「银浦流云学水声」的拟物写流云如水，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽，也让此句成为全诗写奇想的开篇。天河本无声，而「流云学水声」却让流云发出水声，以人间之声拟天上之景，正是李贺奇想的特色。

This line writes the celestial fantasy, using drifting clouds to mimic water, exhausting the Silver River paradise's splendor. Clouds drift on the Silver Ford, learning the sound of running water: the Silver Ford names the Milky Way; drifting-clouds-learning-water-sound uses clouds to mime water, and the fantasy exhausts the galaxy paradise's splendor. The deeper wonder lies in the personification of mute clouds: clouds are formless and soundless, yet here they learn the sound of running water, precisely showing the paradise's strangeness, all things' sentience. The Silver Ford exhausts the galaxy's brilliance; drifting clouds learning water sound exhausts the fantasy of clouds-as-water. This line opens the poem's celestial fantasy with an image borrowed from the human world - the river's sound in the sky - and prepares the later paradise activities. Compared with a plain saying the Milky Way is beautiful, the clouds learning water sound gives the image both the strangeness and the animation, making this the poem's opening stroke of fantasy.

呼龙耕烟种瑶草

He calls the dragons to plough the mist and plant the jade herb.

呼龙耕烟，种植瑶草。

Calling the dragons to plough the mist and sow the jade herb.

此句写仙境的活动，以呼龙耕烟种瑶草的奇想写尽仙境的瑰奇。「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」写呼龙耕烟、种植瑶草——那「呼龙」写呼唤神龙，「耕烟种瑶草」写耕烟种瑶草，以龙耕烟种瑶草的奇想写尽仙境的活动。这句的深意在于：它以「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」的奇想，写尽天上仙境的瑰奇——呼龙耕烟、种植瑶草，那「呼龙耕烟」写神龙在云烟中耕作，那「种瑶草」写种下仙草，以龙耕烟种瑶草的奇想写尽仙境的活动——神龙耕烟，种下瑶草，正是仙境才有的景象；那「呼龙」写尽仙境的神异，那「耕烟种瑶草」写尽仙境的闲雅，一写神异，一写闲雅，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽与祥和；此句与「银浦流云学水声」的拟物相映，一写银河之奇，一写仙境之奇，共同写尽天上仙境的瑰丽想象，也寄托了诗人对仙境永恒、美好生活的向往。若换作直说「仙境里种仙草」，则失其瑰奇；唯以「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」的奇想写仙境的活动，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽，也让此句成为全诗写仙境奇想的代表。

This line writes paradise activity, using calling-the-dragons-to-plough-the-mist-and-sow-the-jade-herb fantasy to exhaust the paradise's wonder. Calling the dragons to plough the mist and sow the jade herb: calling-the-dragons names summoning the divine dragon; ploughing-the-mist-sowing-the-jade-herb writes the dragon ploughing among clouds and mist, sowing the immortal herb. The deeper wonder lies in the scale and ease: dragons are not ridden but summoned to plough; mist is not scenery but soil; the jade herb is not a metaphor but a crop. This is the paradise's only possible agriculture - cultivation in cloud, sowing of jade. The line's serenity, with dragons at labor, gives the paradise both divine strangeness and gentle leisure; paired with the previous clouds-learning-water-sound, one writes the galaxy's strangeness, one writes the paradise's wonder, and together they project the poet's yearning for a celestial realm of timeless, gentle beauty. Compared with a plain saying immortal herbs are planted in paradise, the dragon-ploughing-mist image gives the activity both mythic scale and pastoral calm, making this the poem's representative stroke of celestial fantasy.

东指羲和能走马，海尘新生石山下

Pointing, to, the, east, the, Xihe, can, drive, the, galloping, horses, the, dust, of, the, sea, newly, born, below, the, stone, mountain.

东指羲和驾车如走马，海尘新生于石山下。

Eastward he points; Xihe drives her horses as if galloping; sea-dust newly rises below the stone hill.

此联是全诗的收束，以羲和写天上时光，以海尘写人间变迁，写尽天上仙境的永恒。「东指羲和能走马」写东指羲和驾车如走马——那「羲和」写驾日之神，「能走马」写驾车如走马，写尽天上时光的流逝；「海尘新生石山下」写海尘新生于石山下——那「海尘新生」写沧海变桑田、尘土新生，「石山下」写石山之下，写尽人间世事的变迁。这句的深意在于：它以「东指羲和能走马」的天上时光与「海尘新生石山下」的人间变迁，写尽天上仙境的永恒——东指羲和，羲和驾车如走马，那「羲和能走马」写尽天上时光的流逝——羲和御日，日行如走马，天上也有时光的流转；海尘新生于石山下，那「海尘新生」写尽沧海变桑田的人间变迁——沧海化为尘土，尘土又新生，正是人间世事的沧桑；天上虽有时光流转，却是不老的仙境；人间沧海桑田、物是人非，那「海尘新生石山下」写尽人间的变迁，也反衬天上仙境的永恒——诗人向往天上仙境，正是因其永恒美好，而那「海尘新生石山下」更暗写诗人对人世变迁、人生短暂的感慨。若换作直说「天上永远美好」，则失其对照；唯以「东指羲和能走马」写天上时光、「海尘新生石山下」写人间变迁，以对照写尽天上仙境的永恒，也让此联成为全诗写永恒与变迁的收束。

This couplet is the poem's close, using Xihe for celestial time, sea-dust for human change, exhausting the paradise's eternity. Eastward he points; Xihe drives her horses as if galloping uses Xihe (the sun-charioteer) and galloping-horses to write celestial time's passage; sea-dust newly rises below the stone hill uses sea-dust (the sea turning to mulberry fields) newly-risen and stone-hill to write human affairs' change. The deeper contrast lies in celestial time versus human change: eastward he points, Xihe drives as if galloping - even the sky has time's motion, yet it is an undying paradise; sea-dust newly rises below the stone hill - the sea has turned to dust, dust newly rises, precisely human affairs' vicissitudes. Though the sky has time's flow, it is an ageless paradise; the human world has sea-to-mulberry, things-changed-people-gone. The sea-dust line further secretly writes the poet's sigh over human change and life's brevity. Compared with a plain saying the sky is forever beautiful, the contrast between celestial time and human vicissitude gives the eternity both force and pathos, making this the poem's close on eternity-and-change.

Study

Word focus

学 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「银浦流云学水声」之「学」字是写奇想的关键字，一个「学」字写尽流云如水的拟物之奇。学者，学习、模仿也。李贺以「流云学水声」写银河，这个「学」字至少有双重意味：其一，写拟物之奇——那「流云学水声」写流云学着流水的声音，那「学」字写尽以流云拟水的奇想——云本无声，却学水声，正见仙境之奇；其二，写仙境之灵——那「学」字更是写仙境——流云学水声，正是仙境万物有灵，那「学」字写尽天上仙境的灵动。以「学」字写奇想，正是李贺开篇的枢纽——若换作「作」「如」等字，则或失其拟人的灵动，或失其与「流云」的配合；唯「学」字，以一字写尽流云学水声的拟物之奇与仙境之灵，与「呼龙耕烟种瑶草」的奇想相合，写尽天上仙境的瑰丽，也让「银浦流云学水声」成为全诗写奇想的开篇。

新 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「海尘新生石山下」之「新」字是写变迁的关键字，一个「新」字写尽沧海桑田的变迁。新者，新生、更新也。李贺以「海尘新生」写沧海桑田，这个「新」字至少有双重意味：其一，写尘土之新——那「海尘新生」写海尘新生，那「新」字写尽沧海化为尘土、尘土又新生的变迁；其二，写人世之变——那「新」字更是写变迁——沧海变桑田，人世更新，那「新」字写尽人间世事的沧桑与更新。以「新」字写变迁，正是李贺收束全诗的枢纽——若换作「生」「起」等字，则或失其与「海尘」的配合，或失其变迁的力度；唯「新」字，以一字写尽海尘新生、沧海桑田的变迁，与「东指羲和能走马」的天上时光相对照，写尽天上仙境的永恒与人间的变迁，也让「海尘新生石山下」成为全诗写变迁的收束。

天上谣