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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

题汉祖庙

Inscribed, on, the, Temple, of, the, Founder, of, the, Han

李商隐

Li Shangyin

咏史History

乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍。
君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡。

Riding, the, fortune, one, should, dwell, in, the, eight, wilds,
The, brave, man, how, can, he, cling, to, the, pools, and, the, moats.
Since, the, king, himself, raised, the, Xinfeng,
Xiang, Yu, how, could, he, have, ever, been, in, the, hometown.

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Meaning

A poem of the history and the praise, written by Li Shangyin. Riding the fortune one should dwell in the eight wilds, the brave man how can he cling to the pools and the moats — the ambition of the opening. Since the king himself raised the Xinfeng, Xiang Yu how could he have ever been in the hometown — the praise of the close. The poem is the history and the praise: the fortune, the ambition, and the close's Xinfeng.

乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍。君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Riding, the, fortune, one, should, dwell, in, the, eight, wilds, the, brave, man, how, can, he, cling, to, the, pools, and, the, moats. Since, the, king, himself, raised, the, Xinfeng, Xiang, Yu, how, could, he, have, ever, been, in, the, hometown. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the ambition of the eight wilds with the pools and the moats, through the riding of the fortune, to the close's the Xinfeng of the king. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the praise: riding the fortune one should dwell in the eight wilds, and the close's since the king himself raised the Xinfeng — the history gathered in the ambition and the close's Xinfeng. [Emotional Tone] Bold, praising, and historical: the poem is the fortune, the ambition and the close's Xinfeng.

【白话串讲】李商隐写《题汉祖庙》：“乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍”——“君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡”——他写刘邦——男儿应当志在四方——项羽至死恋着故乡。【意象与手法】此诗写咏史，以感慨写咏史，是李商隐的名篇。前二句写男儿：「乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍」写乘运应须宅八荒、男儿安在恋池隍——写尽男儿的豪情；后二句写汉祖：「君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡」写君王自起新丰后、项羽何曾在故乡——写尽故乡的感慨。全诗以感慨写咏史，写尽男儿的豪情与故乡的感慨，是李商隐的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写咏史，以感慨写咏史，是李商隐的名篇。此诗为李商隐题汉高祖刘邦庙之作，借咏史抒发豪情与感慨。汉高祖刘邦统一天下，定都长安；其父思乡，刘邦乃于长安附近仿故乡丰县建新丰，使父安居。此诗写乘运应须宅八荒（以四海为家），男儿安在恋池隍（恋着故乡的护城河）；君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡（项羽兵败自刎，从未能衣锦还乡）。此诗写男儿：乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍——写乘运应须宅八荒、男儿安在恋池隍，写尽男儿的豪情；君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡——写君王自起新丰后、项羽何曾在故乡，写尽故乡的感慨。全诗以感慨写咏史——那「乘运应须宅八荒」写尽男儿的豪情，「项羽何曾在故乡」写尽故乡的感慨，写尽男儿的豪情与故乡的感慨，是理解李商隐咏史诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍」写男儿的豪情；「君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡」写故乡的感慨；以及全诗以感慨写咏史、以对照写感慨的手法。

Background

Li Shangyin (c. 813-858), the poet of the late Tang, wrote this 'Inscribed, on, the, Temple, of, the, Founder, of, the, Han' of the history and the praise — the admiration for the Liu Bang. The fortune of the eight wilds with the pools and the moats, and the close's the Xinfeng of the king — the poem gathers the praise of the poet, the reflection of the ambition. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the history.

此诗写咏史，以感慨写咏史，是李商隐的名篇。李商隐（约813—约858），字义山，号玉谿生，怀州河内（今河南沁阳）人，唐代诗人，与杜牧并称「小李杜」，与温庭筠合称「温李」。此诗为李商隐题汉高祖刘邦庙之作，借咏史抒发豪情与感慨。汉高祖刘邦统一天下，定都长安；其父思乡，刘邦乃于长安附近仿故乡丰县建新丰，使父安居。此诗写乘运应须宅八荒（以四海为家），男儿安在恋池隍（恋着故乡的护城河）；君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡（项羽兵败自刎，从未能衣锦还乡）。此诗写男儿：「乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍」写乘运应须宅八荒、男儿安在恋池隍——写尽男儿的豪情（乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍）；「君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡」写君王自起新丰后、项羽何曾在故乡——写尽故乡的感慨（君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡）。全诗以感慨写咏史，写尽男儿的豪情与故乡的感慨，是理解李商隐咏史诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the praise. The ambition opens: riding, the, fortune, one, should, dwell, in, the, eight, wilds — the eight wilds of the dwelling; the, brave, man, how, can, he, cling, to, the, pools, and, the, moats — the pools and the moats of the clinging. The praise follows: since, the, king, himself, raised, the, Xinfeng — the Xinfeng of the raising; Xiang, Yu, how, could, he, have, ever, been, in, the, hometown — the hometown of the Xiang Yu — the fortune, the ambition and the close's praise, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以议论写豪情。「乘运应须宅八荒」以议论写豪情——那「乘运应须」写尽乘运的应须，以议论写尽男儿的豪情。其二，以反问写豪情。「男儿安在恋池隍」以反问写豪情——那「安在」写尽安在的反问，以反问写尽男儿的豪情。其三，以用典写新丰。「君王自起新丰后」以用典写新丰——那「新丰」用刘邦建新丰典写新丰，以用典写尽新丰的起建。其四，以对照写感慨。「项羽何曾在故乡」以对照写感慨——那「何曾」写尽何曾的反问，以对照写尽故乡的感慨。此外，此诗前二句写男儿的豪情，后二句写故乡的感慨，由豪及慨，正是咏史诗「以论写慨」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以感慨写咏史，写尽男儿的豪情与故乡的感慨，是李商隐的代表作。此诗还善于以「乘运应须宅八荒」的「应须」写论理之必然——那「乘运应须」写尽乘运的必然，正是以论写理，以「应须」写尽男儿的豪情。又善以「君王自起新丰后」的「自起」写新丰之自建——君王自起新丰，正见刘邦自建新丰的孝心，以「自起」写尽新丰的起建。

Allusions

'The eight wilds' (ba huang) are the eight wilds — the wilds of the eight, the world of the dwelling; 'the pools and the moats' (chi huang) are the pools and the moats — the pools and the moats of the home, the clinging of the small; 'the Xinfeng' (xin feng) is the Xinfeng — the town of the new Feng, the raising of the Liu Bang; 'Xiang Yu' (Xiang Yu) is Xiang Yu — the overlord of the Chu, the hometown of the close.

此诗的用语深植于咏史与感慨传统。「八荒」令人想到「八荒」写八方荒远之地的意象——也令人想到「并吞八荒」（贾谊）的意象；「池隍」令人想到「池隍」写护城河的意象——也令人想到「城池」的意象；「新丰」令人想到「新丰」写新丰县的意象——刘邦仿丰县建新丰，也令人想到「新丰美酒斗十千」（王维）的意象；「君王」令人想到「君王」写刘邦的意象——也令人想到「大风起兮云飞扬」（刘邦）的意象；「项羽」令人想到「项羽」写项羽的意象——也令人想到「力拔山兮气盖世」（项羽）的意象；「故乡」令人想到「故乡」写家乡的意象——也令人想到「富贵不归故乡，如衣绣夜行」（项羽）的意象。全诗化用八荒、池隍、新丰、君王、项羽、故乡的意象典故，以感慨写咏史，正是李商隐「沉博」而善用典、承咏史传统写感慨之本领。「八荒」令人想到「八荒」写八方极远之地的意象——也令人想到《说苑》「八荒之内有四海」的意象；「池隍」令人想到「池隍」写护城河的意象——也令人想到「池鱼故渊」的意象，以池隍写恋乡之情。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Li Shangyin's poems of the history, quoted for the boldness of its ambition and the praise of its close. The Xinfeng of the raising, and the hometown of the Xiang Yu, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's praise: the history gathered in the ambition, to the close's Xinfeng.

此诗历来被推为李商隐咏史诗的名篇，也是唐诗写汉祖咏史的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以感慨写咏史，雄浑豪健」；近人更指出「君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡」写故乡的感慨，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四句的绝句写尽男儿的豪情与故乡的感慨——那乘运，那应须，那宅八荒，那男儿，那安在，那恋池隍，那君王，那自起新丰后，那项羽，那何曾在故乡，都写尽了李商隐笔下的题汉祖庙；那「项羽何曾在故乡」更以对照写尽故乡的感慨。此诗与李商隐《贾生》（「宣室求贤访逐臣」）同为咏史名篇，一写「不问苍生问鬼神」的贾生（贾生），一写「乘运应须宅八荒」的汉祖（题汉祖庙）；又与项羽「富贵不归故乡」的典故传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写咏史感慨的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李商隐咏史诗的窗口，也是唐诗写汉祖的经典——那何曾在故乡的项羽，穿越千年，仍在诉说着故乡的感慨。

Prosody

Form A quatrain of the history (qi yan jue ju)诗·七言绝句

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the quatrain that carries the bold praise.七绝，押「隍」「乡」韵（下平七阳），一韵到底，音节雄浑

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the praise: the level opening with the ambition, the turning with the raising, and the close's fall with the hometown.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节雄浑，正合咏史的雄浑。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its boldness: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'Xiang Yu he zeng zai gu xiang' — falls with the hometown, the sound of the praise of the historical poet.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍。君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡」，押「阳」韵（隍、乡），一韵到底，音节雄浑。全诗以感慨写咏史：前二句写男儿的豪情（乘运应须宅八荒、男儿安在恋池隍），后二句写故乡的感慨（君王自起新丰后、项羽何曾在故乡）。四句短章，前写豪情，后写感慨，以「项羽何曾在故乡」写尽故乡的感慨，正见李商隐「沉博」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以雄浑的语调读「乘运应须宅八荒」的豪情，以感叹的语调读「项羽何曾在故乡」的感慨，结句要读得雄浑而有余韵，方能传达出李商隐的雄浑豪健。李商隐绝句以「沉博绝丽」著称，此诗正是其咏史诗的典范。

Line by line

君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡

Since, the, king, himself, raised, the, Xinfeng, Xiang, Yu, how, could, he, have, ever, been, in, the, hometown.

君王自起新丰后，项羽何曾在故乡。

Since the king built Xinfeng for his father, Xiang Yu never once returned to his home.

此二句是全诗写感慨的核心，以君王自起新丰后写新丰后，以项羽何曾在故乡写在故乡，写尽故乡的感慨，是千古名句。「君王自起新丰后」写君王自起新丰后——那「君王自起」写君王自起，「新丰后」写新丰后，写尽新丰的起建；「项羽何曾在故乡」写项羽何曾在故乡——那「项羽何曾」写项羽何曾，「在故乡」写在故乡，写尽项羽的故乡。这句的深意在于：它以「君王自起新丰后」的新丰后与「项羽何曾在故乡」的故乡，写尽故乡的感慨——君王自起新丰后，那「君王自起新丰后」写尽新丰的起建——君王自起新丰，正是刘邦建新丰的写照，那「新丰后」写尽故乡的感慨；项羽何曾在故乡，那「项羽何曾在故乡」写尽项羽的故乡——项羽何曾在故乡，正是项羽未归故乡的写照，那「在故乡」写尽故乡的感慨；那「君王自起新丰后」写尽新丰的起建，那「项羽何曾在故乡」写尽项羽的故乡，一写新丰，一写故乡，写尽故乡的感慨——君王思父建丰而项羽未归故乡，正是成败的写照；此二句以新丰、故乡写尽故乡的感慨，也让此二句成为全诗写感慨的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「刘邦建了新丰让父亲安居，项羽却从未能衣锦还乡」，则失其雄浑；唯以「君王自起新丰后」写新丰后、「项羽何曾在故乡」写故乡，写尽故乡的感慨，也让此二句成为全诗写感慨的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in writing reflection, using the king-built-Xinfeng episode for the one case, Xiang-Yu-never-in-his-home for the other, exhausting the homesickness contrast. Since the king built Xinfeng for his father: the king-himself-raised refers to Liu Bang, who built Xinfeng for his retired father to recreate their old village; after names the episode. Xiang Yu never once returned to his home: Xiang-Yu-how-ever names the rival, in-his-hometown writes the contrast - Xiang Yu, who vowed to return home in glory, in fact died by the Wu River and never returned. The deeper pathos lies in the contrast between the two heroes' relations to home: Liu Bang, the winner, could even recreate his hometown for his father; Xiang Yu, the loser, could not set foot in his own. The poem uses the temple of Han Gaozu to turn a quiet line into a quiet judgment on success and failure. Compared with a plain saying Liu Bang built Xinfeng and Xiang Yu never returned, the two historical cases give the reflection both narrative force and moral weight, making this the poem's core.

乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍

Riding, the, fortune, one, should, dwell, in, the, eight, wilds, the, brave, man, how, can, he, cling, to, the, pools, and, the, moats.

乘运应须宅八荒，男儿安在恋池隍。

Riding the times, one should make the eight wilds one's home; how can a brave man cling to city walls and moats?

此二句是全诗写豪情的核心，以乘运应须宅八荒写宅八荒，以男儿安在恋池隍写恋池隍，写尽男儿的豪情，是千古名句。「乘运应须宅八荒」写乘运应须宅八荒——那「乘运应须」写乘运应须，「宅八荒」写宅八荒，写尽乘运的豪情；「男儿安在恋池隍」写男儿安在恋池隍——那「男儿安在」写男儿安在，「恋池隍」写恋池隍，写尽安在的反问。这句的深意在于：它以「乘运应须宅八荒」的宅八荒与「男儿安在恋池隍」的恋池隍，写尽男儿的豪情——乘运应须宅八荒，那「乘运应须宅八荒」写尽乘运的豪情——乘运应须，正是乘时而起的写照，那「宅八荒」写尽男儿的豪情；男儿安在恋池隍，那「男儿安在恋池隍」写尽安在的反问——男儿安在恋池隍，正是男儿岂恋乡的写照，那「恋池隍」写尽男儿的豪情；那「乘运应须宅八荒」写尽乘运的豪情，那「男儿安在恋池隍」写尽安在的反问，一写宅八荒，一写恋池隍，写尽男儿的豪情——乘运宅八荒而不恋池隍，正是大丈夫的写照；此二句以八荒、池隍写尽男儿的豪情，也为下文的新丰作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写豪情的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「大丈夫乘时应以四海为家，怎能恋着故乡」，则失其雄浑；唯以「乘运应须宅八荒」写宅八荒、「男儿安在恋池隍」写恋池隍，写尽男儿的豪情，也让此二句成为全诗写豪情的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in writing heroic feeling, using ride-the-times-make-the-eight-wilds-home for the broad reach, brave-man-clinging-to-city-walls for the narrow attachment, exhausting the brave man's ambition. Riding the times, one should make the eight wilds one's home: ride-the-times names seizing the moment, make-the-eight-wilds-home writes the imperial horizon. How can a brave man cling to city walls and moats? uses how-can for the rhetorical question, clinging-to-walls-and-moats writes the small-town attachment. The deeper pathos lies in the turn from theory to judgment: the first line states the heroic creed - the man of the age dwells in the whole empire; the second line asks whether any true man could cling to his birthplace. The poem then, in the couplet above, applies this creed to Liu Bang and Xiang Yu - and finds both of them, in different ways, judged by it. Compared with a plain saying a true man should make the world his home, the rhetorical question and the eight-wilds-vs-walls contrast give the heroic creed both grandeur and edge, making this the poem's core in writing heroic feeling.

Study

Word focus

宅 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「乘运应须宅八荒」之「宅」字是写豪情的关键词，一个「宅」字写尽宅八荒的豪情。宅者，居、安家也。李商隐以「乘运应须宅八荒」写豪情，这个「宅」字至少有双重意味：其一，写居之宅——那「乘运应须宅八荒」写乘运应须宅八荒，那「宅」字写尽宅八荒的豪情——宅八荒，正是四海为家的写照，那「宅」字写尽男儿的豪情；其二，写气之豪——那「宅」字更是写豪——宅，正见以天下为家的豪气，那「宅」字写尽李商隐的雄浑。以「宅」字写豪情，正是李商隐写咏史的枢纽——若换作「居」「家」等字，则或失其与「乘运应须」「八荒」的配合，或失其写宅的意味；唯「宅」字，以乘运应须宅八荒写尽四海之为家与天下之为家，与「男儿安在恋池隍」的池隍相合，写尽男儿的豪情，也让「乘运应须宅八荒」成为全诗写豪情的名句。

何曾 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「项羽何曾在故乡」之「何曾」是写感慨的关键词，一个「何曾」写尽项羽的故乡。何曾者，何尝、哪里曾也。李商隐以「项羽何曾在故乡」写感慨，这个「何曾」至少有双重意味：其一，写乡之何曾——那「项羽何曾在故乡」写项羽何曾在故乡，那「何曾」写尽项羽的故乡——何曾在故乡，正是未曾归乡的写照，那「何曾」写尽故乡的感慨；其二，写情之叹——那「何曾」更是写叹——何曾，正见成王败寇的感叹，那「何曾」写尽李商隐的咏史。以「何曾」写感慨，正是李商隐写咏史的枢纽——若换作「未曾」「岂曾」等词，则或失其与「项羽」「在故乡」的配合，或失其写何曾的意味；唯「何曾」二字，以项羽何曾在故乡写尽项羽之未归与成败之感叹，与「君王自起新丰后」的君王相合，写尽故乡的感慨，也让「项羽何曾在故乡」成为全诗写感慨的名句。