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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

题桃花夫人庙

Inscribed, on, the, Temple, of, the, Lady, of, the, Peach, Blossom

杜牧

Du Mu

咏史History 怀古History

细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春。
至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人。

In, the, palace, of, the, slender, waists, the, dew, peach, new,
The, speechless, gaze, how, many, springs, passed.
After, all, the, Xi, perished, for, what, cause,
Pitiable, the, one, who, leapt, from, the, golden, valley, tower.

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Meaning

A poem of the history and the pity, written by Du Mu. In the palace of the slender waists the dew peach new, the speechless gaze how many springs passed — the lady of the opening. After all the Xi perished for what cause, pitiable the one who leapt from the golden valley tower — the pity of the close. The poem is the history and the pity: the peach, the silence, and the close's leap.

细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春。至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] In, the, palace, of, the, slender, waists, the, dew, peach, new, the, speechless, gaze, how, many, springs, passed. After, all, the, Xi, perished, for, what, cause, pitiable, the, one, who, leapt, from, the, golden, valley, tower. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the lady of the palace and the dew peach with the speechless gaze, through the passing of the springs, to the close's the pity of the leap. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the pity: the speechless gaze how many springs passed, and the close's pitiable the one who leapt from the golden valley tower — the history gathered in the silence and the close's pity. [Emotional Tone] Quiet, pitiful, and historical: the poem is the peach, the silence and the close's leap.

【白话串讲】杜牧写《题桃花夫人庙》：“细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春”——“至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人”——他写息夫人的无言与绿珠的坠楼——他叹女性的命运。【意象与手法】此诗咏桃花夫人，以咏史写议论，是杜牧的名篇。前二句写桃花夫人：「细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春」写细腰宫里露桃新、脉脉无言度几春——写尽桃花夫人的无言度春；后二句发议论：「至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人」写至竟息亡缘底事、可怜金谷坠楼人——写尽对息亡的议论。全诗以咏史写议论，写尽对桃花夫人的感慨，是杜牧的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗咏桃花夫人，以咏史写议论，是杜牧的名篇。桃花夫人即息夫人，春秋时息国国君之妻，楚文王灭息，掠其为夫人。此诗为杜牧游桃花夫人庙（汉阳）时所作。此诗写桃花夫人：细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春——写细腰宫里露桃新、脉脉无言度几春，写尽桃花夫人的无言度春；至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人——写至竟息亡缘底事、可怜金谷坠楼人，写尽对息亡的议论。全诗以咏史写议论——那「脉脉无言度几春」写尽桃花夫人的无言度春，「可怜金谷坠楼人」写尽对息亡的议论，写尽对桃花夫人的感慨，是理解杜牧咏史诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春」写桃花夫人的无言度春；「至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人」写对息亡的议论；以及全诗以咏史写议论、以反衬写感慨的手法。

Background

Du Mu (803-852), the poet of the late Tang, wrote this 'Inscribed, on, the, Temple, of, the, Lady, of, the, Peach, Blossom' of the history and the pity — the reflection on the fate of the beauty. The palace of the slender waists with the dew peach, the speechless gaze, and the close's the leap from the golden valley tower — the poem gathers the pity of the poet, the reflection of the history. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the history.

此诗咏桃花夫人，以咏史写议论，是杜牧的名篇。杜牧（803—约852），字牧之，京兆万年（今陕西西安）人，晚唐伟大的诗人，与李商隐并称「小李杜」。桃花夫人即息夫人（息妫），春秋时陈国之女，嫁为息国国君之妻。楚文王灭息国，掠息妫为夫人，生二子，而终不与楚王言。后人为其立庙，称桃花夫人庙，在湖北汉阳。此诗即杜牧游桃花夫人庙时所作。「细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春」写细腰宫里露桃新、脉脉无言度几春——写尽桃花夫人的无言度春（细腰宫中露桃又新，她脉脉无言地度过几多春秋）；「至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人」写至竟息亡缘底事、可怜金谷坠楼人——写尽对息亡的议论（到底息国灭亡为了何事，可怜那金谷园坠楼的绿珠）。全诗以咏史写议论，写尽对桃花夫人的感慨，是理解杜牧咏史诗的重要篇章。还应辨析息夫人故事的多种版本：《左传》载楚文王灭息，纳息妫，生堵敖及成王，息妫终未言；而《列女传》则记息夫人闻息君被虏自杀而死（一说与息君俱死），持节而死。杜牧此诗取「脉脉无言」之说，正以「无言」为息夫人之痛；而末句「可怜金谷坠楼人」的对照，正是以殉节的绿珠衬无言的息妫，一死一活、一烈一忍，褒贬自见，可见杜牧咏史之论断胆识。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the pity. The lady opens: in, the, palace, of, the, slender, waists, the, dew, peach, new — the palace of the slender waists of the dew peach; the, speechless, gaze, how, many, springs, passed — the speechless of the gaze. The pity follows: after, all, the, Xi, perished, for, what, cause — the perishing of the Xi; pitiable, the, one, who, leapt, from, the, golden, valley, tower — the leap of the golden valley tower — the lady, the silence and the close's pity, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以形象写人物。「细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春」以形象写人物——那「露桃新」「脉脉无言」写尽桃花夫人的神态，以形象写尽她的无言度春。其二，以议论写感慨。「至竟息亡缘底事」以议论写感慨——那「缘底事」写尽质问，以议论写尽对息亡的追问。其三，以反衬写高下。「可怜金谷坠楼人」以反衬写高下——那「金谷坠楼人」即殉情的绿珠，以反衬写尽对息夫人苟活与绿珠殉情的对照。其四，以春秋笔法写褒贬。全诗不直斥息夫人，而以「可怜金谷坠楼人」暗含褒贬，以春秋笔法写尽对桃花夫人的微讽。此外，此诗前二句写桃花夫人的现状，后二句发议论，由叙入议，正是咏史诗「借古讽今」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以咏史写议论，写尽对桃花夫人的感慨，是杜牧的代表作。此诗结构上先叙后议、由景入论：首句「露桃新」以桃花之新衬人物之旧（度几春），次句「脉脉无言」以神态写其心事，前二句蓄势；后二句陡然转议，「至竟」一词峻急发问，「可怜」一词冷峻作结，二十八字中一波三折，正是绝句「起承转合」而于转合处见锋芒的典范。

Allusions

'The palace of the slender waists' (xi yao gong) is the palace of the slender waists — the palace of the Chu, the slender waists of the concubines; 'the dew peach' (lu tao) is the dew peach — the peach of the dew, the lady of the peach blossom; 'the Xi' (Xi) is the Xi — the state of the Xi, the perishing of the close; 'the golden valley tower' (jin gu lou) is the golden valley tower — the tower of the golden valley, the leap of the Lvzhu.

此诗的用语深植于咏史与典故的传统。「细腰宫」令人想到「细腰宫」写楚宫的典故——楚灵王好细腰，宫人多饿死，故称楚宫为细腰宫，也令人想到「露桃」写桃花的意象——「露桃新」正是杜牧的名句；「脉脉无言」令人想到「脉脉」写含情不语的意象——「脉脉无言度几春」正是杜牧的名句，也令人想到息夫人「未亡人」的典故——息夫人被掠后终不与楚王言；「至竟息亡」令人想到「息亡」写息国灭亡的典故——「至竟息亡缘底事」正是杜牧的名句，也令人想到「楚文王灭息」的历史；「金谷坠楼人」令人想到「金谷坠楼」写绿珠坠楼的典故——石崇宠妾绿珠，石崇败后坠楼殉情，也令人想到「绿珠坠楼」的殉节传统。全诗化用细腰宫、息亡、金谷坠楼的典故，以咏史写议论，正是杜牧「俊爽峭健」而善用典、承咏史传统写褒贬的本领。末句「金谷坠楼人」之典尤须细味：绿珠乃西晋石崇之宠妾，石崇被构陷，绿珠坠楼自尽以殉。杜牧以「可怜」冠之，表面叹绿珠，实则以绿珠之烈反衬息夫人之忍——同是被掠入宫、身处绝境，绿珠以死殉情，息夫人则苟活无言，两相对照，褒贬寓于言外，正是咏史诗「不着一字，尽得褒贬」的春秋笔法。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Du Mu's poems of the history, quoted for the quiet of its opening and the pity of its close. The dew peach of the slender waists, and the leap from the golden valley tower, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's pity: the history gathered in the silence, to the close's leap.

此诗历来被推为杜牧咏史诗的名篇，也是唐人咏息夫人的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以咏史写议论，含蓄深婉」；近人更指出「至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人」以金谷坠楼人反衬息夫人，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对桃花夫人的感慨——那细腰宫，那新露桃，那脉脉无言的度春，那息亡的追问，那金谷坠楼人，都写尽了杜牧笔下的桃花夫人；那「可怜金谷坠楼人」更以反衬写尽对息夫人苟活与绿珠殉情的对照。此诗与王维《息夫人》（「看花满眼泪，不共楚王言」）同为咏息夫人名篇，一写「不共楚王言」的同情（王维息夫人），一写「可怜金谷坠楼人」的微讽（杜牧题桃花夫人庙）；一以「看花满眼泪」写悲，一以「至竟息亡缘底事」发问。两诗对读，可见唐人咏息夫人的不同立场。对于今日读者，此诗是理解杜牧咏史诗的窗口，也是中国诗咏息夫人的经典——那细腰宫的露桃，穿越千年，仍在诉说着息亡的往事。

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 quiet pity.七绝，押「春」「人」韵（上平十一真），一韵到底，音节峭拔

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the pity: the level opening with the lady, the turning with the silence, and the close's fall with the leap.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节峭拔，正合咏史的峭拔。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its pity: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'ke lian jin gu zhui lou ren' — falls with the leap, the sound of the pity of the historical poet.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春。至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人」，押「真」韵（春、人），一韵到底，音节峭拔。全诗以咏史写议论：前二句写桃花夫人的无言度春（细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春），后二句发议论（至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人）。四句短章，前写人物，后发议论，以「可怜金谷坠楼人」写尽褒贬，正见杜牧「俊爽峭健」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以峭拔的语调读「细腰宫里露桃新」的春色，以冷峻的语调读「至竟息亡缘底事」的发问，结句「可怜金谷坠楼人」要读得意味深长而有余韵，方能传达出杜牧的俊爽峭健。杜牧绝句以「俊爽峭健」著称，此诗正是其咏史绝句的典范。

Line by line

至竟息亡缘底事，可怜金谷坠楼人

After, all, the, Xi, perished, for, what, cause, pitiable, the, one, who, leapt, from, the, golden, valley, tower.

到底息国灭亡为了何事？可怜那金谷园坠楼的绿珠啊。

In the end, for what cause did Xi perish? Pitiable is she who leapt from the Golden Valley tower.

此二句是全诗发议论的核心，以至竟息亡发问，以金谷坠楼反衬，写尽对息夫人的褒贬，是千古名句。「至竟息亡缘底事」写到底息国灭亡为了何事——那「至竟」写到底，「缘底事」写为了何事，写尽对息亡的追问；「可怜金谷坠楼人」写可怜那金谷园坠楼的绿珠——那「可怜」写可叹，「金谷坠楼人」写绿珠坠楼，写尽对殉节者的称赏。这句的深意在于：它以「至竟息亡缘底事」的发问与「可怜金谷坠楼人」的反衬，写尽对息夫人的褒贬——到底息国灭亡为了何事，那「至竟息亡缘底事」写尽对息亡的追问——息国灭亡，究竟为了何事？正是对红颜祸国的质问，那「缘底事」写尽质问的锋芒；可怜那金谷园坠楼的绿珠，那「可怜金谷坠楼人」写尽对殉节者的称赏——绿珠为石崇坠楼殉情，正是以死殉节，那「金谷坠楼人」写尽对殉节的称赏；那「至竟息亡缘底事」写尽对息亡的追问，那「可怜金谷坠楼人」写尽对殉节者的称赏，一写发问，一写反衬，写尽对息夫人的褒贬——息夫人苟活无言，而绿珠坠楼殉情，正是高下立判；此二句以发问、反衬写尽对息夫人的褒贬，也让此二句成为全诗发议论的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「息夫人不如绿珠有气节」，则失其含蓄；唯以「至竟息亡缘底事」发问、「可怜金谷坠楼人」反衬，写尽对息夫人的褒贬，也让此二句成为全诗发议论的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core judgment, famous through the ages. In the end, for what cause did Xi perish? uses in-the-end and for-what-cause to press the question of the Duchess of Xi: did her beauty really ruin a state? Pitiable is she who leapt from the Golden Valley tower then turns to contrast - the pitiable is Lushu, who chose death rather than surrender when her master Shi Chong was destroyed. The deeper pathos lies in the contrast the poem draws without saying it: the Duchess of Xi survived, silent, in the Chu palace; Lushu died, leaping from a tower, rather than outlive her lord. The question about Xi's ruin is the poem's challenge to the beauty-ruins-a-state cliche; the praise of Lushu is the poem's standard of true constancy. Du Mu judges the two women by their different choices, and the judgment is all the sharper for being spoken in half-lines. Compared with a plain saying the Duchess of Xi lacked Lushu's integrity, the question and the contrast give the judgment both edge and reserve, making this the poem's core line.

细腰宫里露桃新，脉脉无言度几春

In, the, palace, of, the, slender, waists, the, dew, peach, new, the, speechless, gaze, how, many, springs, passed.

细腰宫中露桃又新，她脉脉无言地度过几多春秋。

In the slender-waist palace the dewy peach is new again; wordless, she has passed how many springs?

此二句是全诗写人物的核心，以细腰宫写环境，以脉脉无言写神态，写尽桃花夫人的无言度春，是千古名句。「细腰宫里露桃新」写细腰宫中露桃又新——那「细腰宫」写楚宫，「露桃新」写露桃又新，写尽楚宫的春色；「脉脉无言度几春」写她脉脉无言地度过几多春秋——那「脉脉无言」写含情不语，「度几春」写度过几春，写尽桃花夫人的无言。这句的深意在于：它以「细腰宫里露桃新」的环境与「脉脉无言度几春」的神态，写尽桃花夫人的无言度春——细腰宫中露桃又新，那「细腰宫里露桃新」写尽楚宫的春色——细腰宫，正是楚王的宫殿，露桃又新，正是楚宫春色的流转，那「露桃新」写尽宫中的春光；她脉脉无言地度过几多春秋，那「脉脉无言度几春」写尽桃花夫人的无言——脉脉含情而不语，正是息夫人终不与楚王言的写照，那「度几春」写尽岁月的漫长；那「细腰宫里露桃新」写尽楚宫的春色，那「脉脉无言度几春」写尽桃花夫人的无言，一写环境，一写神态，写尽桃花夫人的无言度春——宫中桃花岁岁新，而伊人终岁无言，正是「露桃新」与「无言」的对照；此二句以环境、神态写尽桃花夫人的无言度春，也为后二句的发问作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写人物的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「她在宫里待了很多年不说话」，则失其形象；唯以「细腰宫里露桃新」写环境、「脉脉无言度几春」写神态，写尽桃花夫人的无言度春，也让此二句成为全诗写人物的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in writing the person, famous through the ages. In the slender-waist palace the dewy peach is new again: slender-waist palace is the Chu palace, where the king loved slim waists; dewy-peach-new writes the spring recurring in the palace. Wordless, she has passed how many springs? uses wordless to name the Duchess of Xi's lifelong silence - she never spoke to the Chu king - and how-many-springs to write the years of that silence. The deeper pathos lies in the contrast: the palace's peach is new every spring, yet the woman does not speak, does not age visibly, does not complain. The recurrent spring and the lifelong silence set against each other make the woman's endurance more vivid than any statement of grief. This couplet prepares the judgment in the next couplet: the same silence that is here described is there judged. Compared with a plain saying she lived in the palace for years without speaking, the new peach and the wordless gaze give the figure both setting and expression, making this the poem's core in writing the person.

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Word focus

脉脉 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「脉脉无言度几春」之「脉脉」是写人物的关键词，一个「脉脉」写尽桃花夫人的含情无言。脉脉者，含情不语之貌也。杜牧以「脉脉无言度几春」写息夫人，这个「脉脉」至少有双重意味：其一，写无言之苦——那「脉脉无言度几春」写脉脉无言地度过几春，那「脉脉无言」写尽含情不语——息夫人终不与楚王言，正是无言，那「脉脉」写尽无言之中的含情；其二，写隐忍之痛——那「脉脉」更是写痛——脉脉含情而终无言，正见隐忍之痛，那「脉脉」写尽隐忍的深沉。以「脉脉」写息夫人，正是杜牧写人物的枢纽——若换作「默默」「寂寂」等词，则或失其写含情不语的意味，或失其与「无言」的配合；唯「脉脉」二字，以脉脉无言度几春写尽含情不语与隐忍之痛，与「露桃新」的春色相合，写尽桃花夫人的无言度春，也让「脉脉无言度几春」成为全诗写人物的名句。

至竟 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「至竟息亡缘底事」之「至竟」是发问的关键词，一个「至竟」写尽对息亡的追问。至竟者，到底、究竟也。杜牧以「至竟息亡缘底事」发问，这个「至竟」至少有双重意味：其一，写追问之深——那「至竟息亡缘底事」写到底息国灭亡为了何事，那「至竟」写尽追问到底——至竟，正是追根究底，那「至竟」写尽追问的执着；其二，写冷峻之讥——那「至竟」更是写讥——以「至竟」发问，正是对息亡的冷峻审视，那「至竟」写尽审视的锋芒。以「至竟」发问，正是杜牧写议论的枢纽——若换作「究竟」「到底」等词，则或失其与「息亡」的配合，或失其写至竟的古雅；唯「至竟」二字，以至竟息亡缘底事写尽追问到底与冷峻的审视，与「可怜金谷坠楼人」的可怜相合，写尽对息亡的追问，也让「至竟息亡缘底事」成为全诗发议论的名句。