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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

同李十一醉忆元九

Drunk, with, Li, the, Eleventh, Remembering, Yuan, the, Ninth

白居易

Bai Juyi

怀友friendship / memory 春景spring

花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹。
忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州。

In, the, time, of, the, flowers, drunk, together, breaking, the, spring, sorrow,
Drunk, breaking, the, flower, branches, as, the, wine, tallies.
Suddenly, remembering, the, old, friend, gone, to, the, edge, of, the, sky,
Counting, the, journey, today, he, should, reach, the, Liangzhou.

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Meaning

A poem of the drinking and the memory, written by Bai Juyi. In the time of the flowers drunk together breaking the spring sorrow, drunk breaking the flower branches as the wine tallies — the drinking of the opening. Suddenly remembering the old friend gone to the edge of the sky, counting the journey today he should reach the Liangzhou — the memory of the close. The poem is the drinking and the memory: the flowers, the wine, and the close's Liangzhou.

花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹。忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] In, the, time, of, the, flowers, drunk, together, breaking, the, spring, sorrow, drunk, breaking, the, flower, branches, as, the, wine, tallies. Suddenly, remembering, the, old, friend, gone, to, the, edge, of, the, sky, counting, the, journey, today, he, should, reach, the, Liangzhou. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the drinking of the flowers and the wine with the breaking of the spring sorrow, through the drunk breaking of the branches, to the close's the counting of the journey. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the memory: suddenly remembering the old friend gone to the edge of the sky, and the close's counting the journey today he should reach the Liangzhou — the drinking gathered in the memory and the close's counting. [Emotional Tone] Cheerful, remembering, and warm: the poem is the flowers, the wine and the close's Liangzhou.

【白话串讲】白居易写《同李十一醉忆元九》：“花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹”——“忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州”——他和李十一喝酒，忽然想起元稹——算算路程，今天该到梁州了——他写对友人的惦记。【意象与手法】此诗写怀友，以春日写怀友，是白居易的名篇。前二句写同醉：「花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹」写花时同醉破春愁、醉折花枝当酒筹——写尽花时的同醉；后二句写忆友：「忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州」写忽忆故人天际去、计程今日到梁州——写尽忆友的深情。全诗以春日写怀友，写尽花时的同醉与忆友的深情，是白居易的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写怀友，以春日写怀友，是白居易的名篇。此诗写白居易与李十一（李健）同游醉饮时，忽然忆及远行的故人元九（元稹），计算行程知他今日当到梁州。白居易与元稹为至交，此诗写花时同醉、折枝为筹，忽忆故人行踪，正是友情的自然流露，相传元稹当日至梁州确有诗记其事，可见两人心灵相通。此诗写同醉：花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹——写花时同醉破春愁、醉折花枝当酒筹，写尽花时的同醉；忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州——写忽忆故人天际去、计程今日到梁州，写尽忆友的深情。全诗以春日写怀友——那「醉折花枝当酒筹」写尽花时的同醉，「计程今日到梁州」写尽忆友的深情，写尽花时的同醉与忆友的深情，是理解白居易怀友诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹」写花时的同醉；「忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州」写忆友的深情；以及全诗以春日写怀友、以细节写友情的写法。

Background

Bai Juyi (772-846), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'Drunk, with, Li, the, Eleventh, Remembering, Yuan, the, Ninth' of the drinking and the memory — the friendship of the drinking with the memory of the absent friend. The flowers with the wine, the breaking of the spring sorrow, and the close's the counting of the journey — the poem gathers the warmth of the poet, the friendship of the Yuan Zhen. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the friendship.

此诗写怀友，以春日写怀友，是白居易的名篇。白居易（772—846），字乐天，号香山居士，又号醉吟先生，下邽（今陕西渭南）人，唐代诗人，与元稹并称「元白」，与新乐府运动相关，为唐代存诗最多的诗人。此诗写白居易与李十一（李健）同游醉饮时，忽然忆及远行的故人元九（元稹），计算行程知他今日当到梁州。白居易与元稹为至交，此诗写花时同醉、折枝为筹，忽忆故人行踪，正是友情的自然流露，相传元稹当日至梁州确有诗记其事，可见两人心灵相通。此诗写同醉：「花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹」写花时同醉破春愁、醉折花枝当酒筹——写尽花时的同醉（花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹）；「忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州」写忽忆故人天际去、计程今日到梁州——写尽忆友的深情（忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州）。全诗以春日写怀友，写尽花时的同醉与忆友的深情，是理解白居易怀友诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the memory. The drinking opens: in, the, time, of, the, flowers, drunk, together, breaking, the, spring, sorrow — the flowers of the breaking the spring sorrow; drunk, breaking, the, flower, branches, as, the, wine, tallies — the wine tallies of the flower branches. The memory follows: suddenly, remembering, the, old, friend, gone, to, the, edge, of, the, sky — the old friend of the edge of the sky; counting, the, journey, today, he, should, reach, the, Liangzhou — the Liangzhou of the counting — the drinking, the memory and the close's counting, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以直抒写同醉。「花时同醉破春愁」以直抒写同醉——那「同醉破春愁」写尽同醉的欢愉，以直抒写尽花时的同醉。其二，以细节写酒筹。「醉折花枝当酒筹」以细节写酒筹——那「折花枝当酒筹」写尽折枝代筹的细节，以细节写尽花时的同醉。其三，以转折写忆友。「忽忆故人天际去」以转折写忆友——那「忽忆」写尽忽然的忆念，以转折写尽忆友的深情。其四，以计算写思念。「计程今日到梁州」以计算写思念——那「计程」写尽计算行程的牵挂，以计算写尽忆友的深情。此外，此诗前二句写花时的同醉，后二句写忆友的深情，由醉及忆，正是怀友诗「以乐写忆」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以春日写怀友，写尽花时的同醉与忆友的深情，是白居易的代表作。此诗还善于以「破春愁」的「破」字写同醉之功——那「破」写尽破愁的快意，正是「同醉破春愁」的破愁，以「破」字写尽花时同醉的欢愉。又善以「醉折花枝当酒筹」的「当」字写随意之趣——折花枝以当酒筹，正见醉中的随意，一个「当」字写尽花时同醉的酒兴。

Allusions

'The spring sorrow' (chun chou) is the spring sorrow — the sorrow of the spring, the breaking of the opening; 'the wine tallies' (jiu chou) are the wine tallies — the tallies of the wine, the branches of the counting; 'the Liangzhou' (liang zhou) is the Liangzhou — the prefecture of the Liang, the journey of the close.

此诗的用语深植于怀友与春日传统。「花时」令人想到「花时」写花季的意象——也令人想到「花时同醉」的意象；「春愁」令人想到「春愁」写春愁的意象——也令人想到「问君能有几多愁」的意象；「酒筹」令人想到「酒筹」写行酒令筹的意象——也令人想到「飞花令」的意象；「天际」令人想到「天际」写天边的意象——也令人想到「孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流」（李白）的意象；「梁州」令人想到「梁州」写梁州的意象——今陕西汉中一带，也令人想到「梁州梦」的意象。全诗化用花时、春愁、酒筹、天际、梁州的意象，以春日写怀友，正是白居易「平易」而善写情、承怀友传统写友情之本领。「花时」令人想到「花时同醉」承唐代文人春日宴集的传统——也令人想到李白《春日独酌》的独酌花下之意；「酒筹」令人想到「酒筹」行酒令之筹——也令人想到「飞觞走斝」的宴饮意象。又「故人」令人想到王维《送元二使安西》「劝君更尽一杯酒，西出阳关无故人」的故人之意；「天际去」令人想到李白《送孟浩然之广陵》「孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流」的天际意象，一送友一忆友，同写别后的深情。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Bai Juyi's poems of the friendship, quoted for the cheer of its opening and the warmth of its close. The wine tallies of the flower branches, and the counting of the journey, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's warmth: the drinking gathered in the memory, to the close's counting.

此诗历来被推为白居易怀友诗的名篇，也是唐诗写元白友谊的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以春日写怀友，真挚自然」；近人更指出「忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州」写忆友的深情，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花时的同醉与忆友的深情——那花时，那同醉，那春愁，那醉折，那花枝，那酒筹，那忽忆，那故人，那天际去，那计程，那今日，那梁州，都写尽了白居易笔下的同李十一醉忆元九；那「计程今日到梁州」更以计算写尽忆友的深情。此诗与白居易《蓝桥驿见元九诗》（「蓝桥春雪君归日」）同为怀元九名篇，一写「计程今日到梁州」的同醉（同李十一醉忆元九），一写「循墙绕柱觅君诗」的觅诗（蓝桥驿见元九诗）；又与王维《九月九日忆山东兄弟》「每逢佳节倍思亲」的怀人传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写怀友的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解白居易怀友诗的窗口，也是中国诗写元白友谊的经典——那计程到梁州的心，穿越千年，仍在诉说着忆友的深情。

Prosody

Form A quatrain of the friendship (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 warm memory.七绝，押「愁」「筹」「州」韵（下平十一尤），一韵到底，音节明快

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the memory: the level opening with the drinking, the turning with the memory, and the close's fall with the counting.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节明快，正合怀友的明快。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its warmth: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'ji cheng jin ri dao liang zhou' — falls with the prefecture, the sound of the care of the remembering poet.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹。忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州」，押「尤」韵（愁、筹、州），一韵到底，音节明快。全诗以春日写怀友：前二句写花时的同醉（花时同醉破春愁、醉折花枝当酒筹），后二句写忆友的深情（忽忆故人天际去、计程今日到梁州）。四句短章，前写同醉，后写忆友，以「计程今日到梁州」写尽忆友的深情，正见白居易「平易」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以明快的语调读「醉折花枝当酒筹」的同醉，以真挚的语调读「计程今日到梁州」的忆友，结句要读得明快而有余韵，方能传达出白居易的真挚自然。白居易绝句以「平易」著称，此诗正是其怀友绝句的典范。

Line by line

忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州

Suddenly, remembering, the, old, friend, gone, to, the, edge, of, the, sky, counting, the, journey, today, he, should, reach, the, Liangzhou.

忽忆故人天际去，计程今日到梁州。

Suddenly I remembered my old friend gone to the edge of the sky; counting the stages, today he should reach Liangzhou.

此二句是全诗写忆友的核心，以忽忆故人天际去写忽忆，以计程今日到梁州写计程，写尽忆友的深情，是千古名句。「忽忆故人天际去」写忽忆故人天际去——那「忽忆」写忽忆，「故人天际去」写故人天际去，写尽忽忆的故人；「计程今日到梁州」写计程今日到梁州——那「计程」写计程，「今日到梁州」写今日到梁州，写尽计程的今日。这句的深意在于：它以「忽忆故人天际去」的忽忆与「计程今日到梁州」的计程，写尽忆友的深情——忽忆故人天际去，那「忽忆故人天际去」写尽忽忆的故人——故人天际去，正是远行天涯的写照，那「忽忆」写尽忆友的深情；计程今日到梁州，那「计程今日到梁州」写尽计程的今日——计程到梁州，正是计算行程的写照，那「计程」写尽忆友的深情；那「忽忆故人天际去」写尽忽忆的故人，那「计程今日到梁州」写尽计程的今日，一写忽忆，一写计程，写尽忆友的深情——忽忆故人而计程梁州，正是心心相印的写照；此二句以忽忆、计程写尽忆友的深情，也让此二句成为全诗写忆友的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我想元稹了，他今天该到梁州」，则失其词情；唯以「忽忆故人天际去」写忽忆、「计程今日到梁州」写计程，写尽忆友的深情，也让此二句成为全诗写忆友的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in remembering a friend, famous through the ages. Suddenly I remembered my old friend gone to the edge of the sky: suddenly remembers, old-friend-gone-to-the-edge-of-the-sky names Yuan Zhen's far departure. Counting the stages, today he should reach Liangzhou: counting-the-journey writes the calculation, today-he-should-reach-Liangzhou names the estimated arrival. The deeper pathos lies in the exactness of the thought: Bai Juyi is drinking with Li Shen in Chang'an when the thought strikes him - not when reminded, not at a set hour, but suddenly - and at once he calculates the road. The line is famous for this instant of mental meeting: two friends, separated by a thousand li, yet one of them knows exactly where the other is today. This is the poetry of friendship as shared consciousness. Compared with a plain saying I missed Yuan Zhen and figured he reached Liangzhou today, the suddenness and the counting give the memory both spontaneity and precision, making this the poem's core in remembering a friend.

花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹

In, the, time, of, the, flowers, drunk, together, breaking, the, spring, sorrow, drunk, breaking, the, flower, branches, as, the, wine, tallies.

花时同醉破春愁，醉折花枝当酒筹。

In flower time we drank together to break spring sorrow; drunk, we broke flower branches for wine tallies.

此二句是全诗写同醉的核心，以花时同醉破春愁写同醉，以醉折花枝当酒筹写酒筹，写尽花时的同醉，是千古名句。「花时同醉破春愁」写花时同醉破春愁——那「花时同醉」写花时同醉，「破春愁」写破春愁，写尽同醉的破愁；「醉折花枝当酒筹」写醉折花枝当酒筹——那「醉折花枝」写醉折花枝，「当酒筹」写当酒筹，写尽折枝的酒筹。这句的深意在于：它以「花时同醉破春愁」的同醉与「醉折花枝当酒筹」的酒筹，写尽花时的同醉——花时同醉破春愁，那「花时同醉破春愁」写尽同醉的破愁——花时同醉，正是花开时共饮的写照，那「破春愁」写尽花时的同醉；醉折花枝当酒筹，那「醉折花枝当酒筹」写尽折枝的酒筹——醉折花枝，正是折枝代筹的写照，那「当酒筹」写尽花时的同醉；那「花时同醉破春愁」写尽同醉的破愁，那「醉折花枝当酒筹」写尽折枝的酒筹，一写同醉，一写酒筹，写尽花时的同醉——花时同醉而折枝为筹，正是赏春宴饮的写照；此二句以同醉、酒筹写尽花时的同醉，也为下文的忆友作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写同醉的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「花开的时候和朋友喝酒很开心」，则失其细节；唯以「花时同醉破春愁」写同醉、「醉折花枝当酒筹」写酒筹，写尽花时的同醉，也让此二句成为全诗写同醉的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in writing the shared drunkenness, famous through the ages. In flower time we drank together to break spring sorrow: flower-time, drunk-together, break-spring-sorrow name the occasion and its purpose. Drunk, we broke flower branches for wine tallies: drunk-broke-flower-branches names the action, as-wine-tallies explains it. The deeper pathos lies in the small concrete detail: instead of wine tallies, they used flower branches - drunk, playful, in flower time. The detail makes the shared drink vivid and intimate, and it is this memory that makes the next line's sudden recollection of Yuan Zhen (who is absent) so poignant. The two friends of this night - Bai and Li Shen - are drinking together; the absent friend is the one being remembered. Compared with a plain saying we drank happily among the flowers, the flower-branches-as-tallies detail gives the drinking both playfulness and specificity, making this the poem's core in writing the shared drunkenness.

Study

Word focus

忽 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「忽忆故人天际去」之「忽」字是写忆友的关键词，一个「忽」字写尽忽忆的深情。忽者，忽然、蓦然也。白居易以「忽忆故人天际去」写忆友，这个「忽」字至少有双重意味：其一，写忆之忽——那「忽忆故人天际去」写忽忆故人天际去，那「忽」字写尽忽忆的忽然——忽忆故人，正是蓦然想起的写照，那「忽」字写尽忆友的深情；其二，写情之真——那「忽」字更是写真——忽，正见忆念的自然，那「忽」字写尽友情的深挚。以「忽」字写忆友，正是白居易写怀友的枢纽——若换作「遥」「常」等字，则或失其与「忆故人」「天际去」的配合，或失其写忽的意味；唯「忽」字，以忽忆故人天际去写尽忽忆的忽然与忆念的自然，与「计程今日到梁州」的计程相合，写尽忆友的深情，也让「忽忆故人天际去」成为全诗写忆友的名句。

计 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「计程今日到梁州」之「计」字是写牵挂的关键词，一个「计」字写尽计程的牵挂。计者，计算、推算也。白居易以「计程今日到梁州」写牵挂，这个「计」字至少有双重意味：其一，写程之计——那「计程今日到梁州」写计程今日到梁州，那「计」字写尽计程的推算——计程到梁州，正是推算行程的写照，那「计」字写尽忆友的深情；其二，写心之系——那「计」字更是写系——计，正见牵挂的用心，那「计」字写尽友情的深挚。以「计」字写牵挂，正是白居易写怀友的枢纽——若换作「算」「度」等字，则或失其与「程」「今日到梁州」的配合，或失其写计的意味；唯「计」字，以计程今日到梁州写尽计程的推算与牵挂的用心，与「忽忆故人天际去」的忽忆相合，写尽忆友的深情，也让「计程今日到梁州」成为全诗写牵挂的名句。