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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

条山苍

The, Green, of, the, Tiao, Mountain

韩愈

Han Yu

写景Scenery

条山苍，河水黄。
浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈。

The, Tiao, mountain, green,
The, river, water, yellow.
The, waves, the, rolling, waves, flowing, away,
The, pines, and, the, cypresses, on, the, mountain, ridge.

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Meaning

A poem of the mountain and the river, written by Han Yu. The Tiao mountain green, the river water yellow — the colors of the opening. The waves the rolling waves flowing away, the pines and the cypresses on the mountain ridge — the scene of the close. The poem is the mountain and the river: the green, the yellow, and the close's pines.

条山苍，河水黄。浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, Tiao, mountain, green, the, river, water, yellow. The, waves, the, rolling, waves, flowing, away, the, pines, and, the, cypresses, on, the, mountain, ridge. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the colors of the mountain and the river with the green and the yellow, through the waves flowing away, to the close's the pines and the cypresses on the ridge. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the contrast: the waves the rolling waves flowing away, and the close's the pines and the cypresses on the mountain ridge — the mountain gathered in the contrast and the close's pines. [Emotional Tone] Plain, fresh, and enduring: the poem is the green, the yellow and the close's pines.

【白话串讲】韩愈写《条山苍》：“条山苍，河水黄。浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈”——他写条山与黄河。【意象与手法】此诗写条山黄河，以写景写品格，是韩愈的名篇。前二句写山河：「条山苍，河水黄」写条山苍、河水黄——写尽山河的苍黄；后二句写松柏：「浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈」写浪波沄沄去、松柏在山冈——写尽松柏的坚贞。全诗以写景写品格，写尽条山的苍翠与松柏的坚贞，是韩愈的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写条山黄河，以写景写品格，是韩愈的名篇。条山即中条山，在山西境内，黄河自其旁流过。此诗写条山的苍翠、河水的黄浊，而以松柏之坚贞自勉。此诗写山河：条山苍，河水黄——写条山苍、河水黄，写尽山河的苍黄；浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈——写浪波沄沄去、松柏在山冈，写尽松柏的坚贞。全诗以写景写品格——那「条山苍，河水黄」写尽山河的苍黄，「松柏在山冈」写尽松柏的坚贞，写尽条山的苍翠与松柏的坚贞，是理解韩愈言志诗的重要篇章。还需探究此诗的时代背景：此诗或作于韩愈早年赴京应试、途经中条山之时，或作于其仕途受挫、归途经此之时。中条山在河阳（韩愈故里）一带，诗人行经故里山河，见条山苍翠、黄河奔涌，遂以松柏自勉——浪波易逝而松柏长存，正是诗人虽历坎坷而志节不改的自我期许，也可见韩愈早年即具刚毅不屈的性格。【名句点睛】常考「条山苍，河水黄」写山河的苍黄；「浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈」写松柏的坚贞；以及全诗以写景写品格、以松柏自勉的比兴手法。

Background

Han Yu (768-824), the great writer of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Green, of, the, Tiao, Mountain' of the mountain and the river — the contrast of the colors. The green of the Tiao mountain with the yellow of the river, the waves flowing away, and the close's the pines and the cypresses on the ridge — the poem gathers the freshness of the poet, the contrast of the scene. The poem is one of the works of the poet's short poems of the scene.

此诗写条山黄河，以写景写品格，是韩愈的名篇。韩愈（768—824），字退之，河南河阳（今河南孟州）人，自谓郡望昌黎，世称韩昌黎，唐代伟大的文学家、思想家，古文运动的倡导者，位列「唐宋八大家」之首。条山即中条山，位于山西南部，黄河自其旁流过。此诗写条山的苍翠、河水的黄浊，而以松柏之坚贞自勉，盖韩愈早年仕途坎坷而志节不改，遂借松柏言志。「条山苍，河水黄」写条山苍、河水黄——写尽山河的苍黄（条山苍翠，河水浑黄）；「浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈」写浪波沄沄去、松柏在山冈——写尽松柏的坚贞（浪波沄沄流去，松柏挺立在山冈）。全诗以写景写品格，写尽条山的苍翠与松柏的坚贞，是理解韩愈言志诗的重要篇章。还应指出「条山」在中唐文学中的意义：中条山地处蒲州、河阳之间，是韩愈故乡一带的山脉，亦为唐代文士往来长安洛阳之必经。此诗以「条山苍，河水黄」写故里山河，正是以故土之景抒怀——诗人见山河之永恒而叹人生之须臾，遂以松柏自勉，可见韩愈虽一生汲汲于功名，而其心底自有对故土的深情与对志节的坚守，此诗正是其早年胸襟的写照。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the contrast. The colors open: the, Tiao, mountain, green — the green of the Tiao mountain; the, river, water, yellow — the yellow of the river water. The contrast follows: the, waves, the, rolling, waves, flowing, away — the rolling waves of the flowing; the, pines, and, the, cypresses, on, the, mountain, ridge — the pines and the cypresses of the ridge — the mountain, the river and the close's contrast, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以对偶写山河。「条山苍，河水黄」以对偶写山河——那「条山苍」「河水黄」写尽山苍水黄，以对偶写尽山河的色彩。尤须玩味「条山苍，河水黄」的设色：山苍水黄，一青一黄，正是中原山河的本色；而「浪波沄沄去」写河之动，「松柏在山冈」写山之静，动静相形，更显松柏之稳固。全诗短短数句，写山、写水、写浪、写柏，四者相映，正是「尺幅千里」的画境。其二，以动静写永恒。「浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈」以动静写永恒——那「浪波沄沄去」写水之流逝，「松柏在山冈」写山之静立，以动静写尽松柏的永恒。其三，以比兴写品格。「松柏在山冈」以比兴写品格——那「松柏」写尽松柏的坚贞，以比兴写尽诗人的品格。其四，以松柏自勉。全诗以松柏自勉，以自勉写尽志节的不移。此外，此诗前二句写条山河水的苍黄，后二句写松柏的坚贞，由景入志，正是言志诗「托物言志」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以写景写品格，写尽条山的苍翠与松柏的坚贞，是韩愈的代表作。

Allusions

'The Tiao mountain' (tiao shan) is the Tiao mountain — the mountain of the Tiao, the green of the opening; 'the rolling waves' (yun yun) are the rolling waves — the waves of the rolling, the flowing of the middle; 'the pines and the cypresses' (song bai) are the pines and the cypresses — the pines and the cypresses, the enduring of the close.

此诗的用语深植于山河与松柏的传统。「条山苍」令人想到「条山」写中条山的意象——「条山苍」正是韩愈的名句，也令人想到「太行之阳」写中条山一带的意象；「河水黄」令人想到「河水黄」写黄河的意象——「河水黄」正是韩愈的名句，也令人想到「黄河之水天上来」（李白）的黄河意象；「浪波沄沄去」令人想到「沄沄」写水流汹涌的意象——「浪波沄沄去」正是韩愈的名句，也令人想到「逝者如斯夫」的流水意象；「松柏在山冈」令人想到「松柏」写松柏的意象——「松柏在山冈」正是韩愈的名句，也令人想到《论语》「岁寒，然后知松柏之后凋也」的松柏意象，也令人想到「郁郁涧底松」（左思）的松柏意象。全诗化用条山、河水、松柏的意象，以写景写品格，正是韩愈「雄奇奔放」而善比兴、承松柏传统写志节的本领。又「在山冈」三字尤堪玩味：松柏本生于山冈高处，不与泥沙俱下，正是「居高而不随流」的象征；而「浪波沄沄去」之「去」字，写河水之逝，与「在山冈」之「在」字相对，一去一在，正见流水无常而松柏恒在，是韩愈以自然规律写人生信念的妙笔。

Commentary

This poem is one of the works of Han Yu's short poems of the scene, quoted for the plainness of its colors and the contrast of its close. The rolling waves flowing away, and the pines and the cypresses on the ridge, are among the admired passages of the poet's short poems. Critics praise the poem's contrast: the river gathered in the flowing, to the close's pines.

此诗历来被推为韩愈言志诗的名篇，也是唐人写景言志的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以写景写品格，苍劲简远」；近人更指出「浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈」以松柏言志，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以六句的短篇写尽条山的苍翠与松柏的坚贞——那苍翠的条山，那浑黄的河水，那沄沄去的浪波，那在山冈的松柏，都写尽了韩愈笔下的山河与志节；那「松柏在山冈」更以松柏写尽坚贞的品格。此诗与韩愈《晚春》（「草木知春不久归」）同为写景名篇，一写「百般红紫斗芳菲」的晚春（晚春），一写「松柏在山冈」的条山（条山苍）；又与《论语》「岁寒松柏」的传统一脉相承，可见中国诗以松柏写坚贞的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解韩愈言志诗的窗口，也是中国诗写松柏的经典——那山冈的松柏，穿越千年，仍在诉说着坚贞的志节。还需指出，此诗在韩愈集中尤为别致：韩愈诗多以雄奇奔放、奇崛拗折著称，而此诗却以杂言短章、清丽简远出之，三言、四言、五言参差错落而气势贯注，正见韩愈驾驭各种诗体的功力，也可见其「以文为诗」之外，亦有清丽简远的一面。

Prosody

Form A short song of the scene (za yan duan ge)诗·杂言短章（三四五言）

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the short song that carries the plain contrast.杂言，押「黄」「冈」韵（下平七阳），音节苍劲

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the contrast: the level opening with the colors, the turning with the flowing, and the close's fall with the pines.此诗为杂言短章，三、四、五言相间，押平声韵，音节苍劲，正合言志的苍劲。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its plainness: the cadences of the short song, and the close — 'song bai zai shan gang' — falls with the ridge, the sound of the contrast of the mountain and the river.此诗为杂言短章，六句——「条山苍，河水黄。浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈」，押「阳」韵（黄、冈），音节苍劲。全诗以写景写品格：前二句写山河的苍黄（条山苍，河水黄），后四句写松柏的坚贞（浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈）。六句短章，前写山河，后写松柏，以「松柏在山冈」写尽坚贞的志节，正见韩愈「雄奇奔放」的本色。此诗三言、四言、五言相间，句式参差而气势一贯，正是韩愈「以文为诗」的表现。诵读此诗，宜以苍劲的语调读「条山苍，河水黄」的山河，以坚定的语调读「松柏在山冈」的松柏，结句要读得斩截而有余韵，方能传达出韩愈的雄奇奔放。韩愈诗以「雄奇奔放」著称，此诗正是其言志短章的典范。

Line by line

浪波沄沄去，松柏在山冈

The, waves, the, rolling, waves, flowing, away, the, pines, and, the, cypresses, on, the, mountain, ridge.

浪波沄沄流去，松柏挺立在山冈。

Waves roll on, flowing away; pines and cypresses stand on the mountain ridge.

此二句是全诗写品格的核心，以浪波沄沄去写流逝，以松柏在山冈写坚贞，写尽松柏的坚贞，是千古名句。「浪波沄沄去」写浪波沄沄流去——那「浪波沄沄」写浪波汹涌，「去」写流去，写尽河水的流逝；「松柏在山冈」写松柏挺立在山冈——那「松柏」写松柏，「在山冈」写挺立山冈，写尽松柏的坚贞。这句的深意在于：它以「浪波沄沄去」的流逝与「松柏在山冈」的坚贞，写尽松柏的坚贞——浪波沄沄流去，那「浪波沄沄去」写尽河水的流逝——浪波沄沄，一去不返，正是时光流逝的写照，那「沄沄去」写尽河水的奔流；松柏挺立在山冈，那「松柏在山冈」写尽松柏的坚贞——浪波逝去而松柏长存，正是松柏的坚贞，那「在山冈」写尽松柏的挺立；那「浪波沄沄去」写尽河水的流逝，那「松柏在山冈」写尽松柏的坚贞，一写流逝，一写长存，写尽松柏的坚贞——逝者如斯而松柏常在，正是志节不移的写照；此二句以流逝、长存写尽松柏的坚贞，也让此二句成为全诗写品格的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「松柏很坚贞」，则失其对照；唯以「浪波沄沄去」写流逝、「松柏在山冈」写长存，写尽松柏的坚贞，也让此二句成为全诗写品格的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in writing character, using rolling waves for flowing-away, pines and cypresses on the ridge for steadfastness, exhausting the pines-and-cypresses' constancy. Waves roll on, flowing away: rolling-waves writes the surging current, away writes the departure, exhausting the river's flowing. Pines and cypresses stand on the mountain ridge: pines-cypresses names the evergreens, on-the-ridge writes their firm standing. The deeper pathos lies in the contrast: waves roll away, never to return - the very image of time's passage; the pines and cypresses stand on the ridge - the image of constancy within that passage. The river is gone yet the trees remain; this is the figure for unswerving principle. Han Yu uses the simplest parallel - flowing water against standing trees - to make the philosophical point without statement. Compared with a plain saying pines are steadfast, the waves' departure and the trees' standing give the contrast both motion and permanence, making this the poem's core in writing character.

条山苍，河水黄

The, Tiao, mountain, green, the, river, water, yellow.

条山苍翠，河水浑黄。

Tiao Mountain is green; the river water is yellow.

此二句是全诗写山河的核心，以条山苍写山，以河水黄写水，写尽山河的苍黄，是千古名句。「条山苍」写条山苍翠——那「条山」写中条山，「苍」写苍翠，写尽条山的苍翠；「河水黄」写河水浑黄——那「河水」写黄河，「黄」写浑黄，写尽河水的浑黄。这句的深意在于：它以「条山苍」的苍翠与「河水黄」的浑黄，写尽山河的苍黄——条山苍翠，那「条山苍」写尽条山的苍翠——中条山苍翠欲滴，正是山的本色，那「苍」写尽条山的苍翠；河水浑黄，那「河水黄」写尽河水的浑黄——黄河水浑黄，正是黄河的本色，那「黄」写尽河水的浑黄；那「条山苍」写尽条山的苍翠，那「河水黄」写尽河水的浑黄，一写山，一写水，写尽山河的苍黄——山苍水黄，正是山河的本色，那「苍」「黄」写尽山河的苍茫；此二句以山苍、水黄写尽山河的苍黄，也为后二句的松柏作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写山河的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「条山和黄河很壮观」，则失其简练；唯以「条山苍」写山、「河水黄」写水，写尽山河的苍黄，也让此二句成为全诗写山河的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in writing mountains and river, using Tiao Mountain green for the mountain, river water yellow for the water, exhausting the landscape's green and yellow. Tiao Mountain is green: Tiao Mountain names the Zhongtiao range, green writes its deep verdure. The river water is yellow: river water names the Yellow River, yellow writes its turbid color. The deeper pathos lies in the pure color contrast - green against yellow, mountain against river, each in its native hue, no ornament. The green mountain and the yellow river are the landscape's ground, before any figure is drawn upon it; the苍 and黄 colors exhaust the landscape's vastness. This two-line opening prepares the pines-and-cypresses couplet that follows: the mountain's green and the river's yellow set the stage on which constancy will stand. Compared with a plain saying Tiao Mountain and the Yellow River are grand, the two colors give the landscape both simplicity and scope, making this the poem's core in writing mountains and river.

Study

Word focus

苍 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「条山苍」之「苍」字是写山的字眼，一个「苍」字写尽条山的苍翠。苍者，苍翠、青翠也。韩愈以「条山苍」写山，这个「苍」字至少有双重意味：其一，写山之翠——那「条山苍」写条山苍翠，那「苍」字写尽条山的苍翠——苍翠之色，正是山的本色，那「苍」字写尽条山的翠绿；其二，写山之古——那「苍」字更是写古——苍，正含苍茫古远之意，那「苍」字写尽条山的苍茫。以「苍」字写山，正是韩愈写山河的枢纽——若换作「青」「翠」等字，则或失其与「河水黄」的对偶，或失其写苍的意味；唯「苍」字，以条山苍写尽条山的苍翠与苍茫，与「河水黄」的黄相合，写尽山河的苍黄，也让「条山苍」成为全诗写山河的名句。

沄沄 'The, rolling, waves' — the waves of the rolling, the flowing of the middle. 「浪波沄沄去」之「沄沄」是写河水的关键词，一个「沄沄」写尽河水的奔流。沄沄者，水流汹涌之貌也。韩愈以「浪波沄沄去」写河水，这个「沄沄」至少有双重意味：其一，写水势之猛——那「浪波沄沄去」写浪波沄沄流去，那「沄沄」写尽河水的奔流——沄沄之波，正是汹涌之势，那「沄沄」写尽水势的汹涌；其二，写时光之逝——那「沄沄」更是写逝——沄沄去，正见时光如流水，那「沄沄」写尽时光的流逝。以「沄沄」写河水，正是韩愈写流逝的枢纽——若换作「滚滚」「滔滔」等词，则或失其与「松柏在山冈」的配合，或失其写沄沄的意味；唯「沄沄」二字，以浪波沄沄去写尽河水的奔流与时光的流逝，与「松柏在山冈」的松柏相合，写尽松柏的坚贞，也让「浪波沄沄去」成为全诗写流逝的名句。

条山苍