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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

望庐山五老峰

Gazing, at, the, Five, Old, Men, Peaks, of, the, Mount, Lu

李白

Li Bai

山水Landscape

庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉。
九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松。

To, the, southeast, of, the, Mount, Lu, the, Five, Old, Men, Peaks,
The, blue, sky, carved, forth, the, golden, hibiscus.
The, fair, scenes, of, the, nine, rivers, can, be, gathered, and, tied,
I, will, here, nest, in, the, clouds, and, the, pines.

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Meaning

A poem of the peaks and the desire, written by Li Bai. To the southeast of the Mount Lu the Five Old Men Peaks, the blue sky carved forth the golden hibiscus — the peaks of the opening. The fair scenes of the nine rivers can be gathered and tied, I will here nest in the clouds and the pines — the desire of the close. The poem is the peaks and the desire: the peaks, the sky, and the close's nesting.

庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉。九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] To, the, southeast, of, the, Mount, Lu, the, Five, Old, Men, Peaks, the, blue, sky, carved, forth, the, golden, hibiscus. The, fair, scenes, of, the, nine, rivers, can, be, gathered, and, tied, I, will, here, nest, in, the, clouds, and, the, pines. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the peaks of the southeast and the blue sky with the golden hibiscus, through the fair scenes of the nine rivers, to the close's the desire of the nesting in the clouds and the pines. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the desire: the fair scenes of the nine rivers can be gathered and tied, and the close's I will here nest in the clouds and the pines — the peaks gathered in the fair scenes and the close's nesting. [Emotional Tone] Grand, fresh, and desiring: the poem is the peaks, the sky and the close's nesting.

【白话串讲】李白写《望庐山五老峰》：“庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉”——“九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松”——他说九江的秀色可以揽在手里，我要在这里巢居——他写庐山的秀美。【意象与手法】此诗写山水，以写景写山水，是李白的名篇。前二句写峰形：「庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉」写庐山东南五老峰、青天削出金芙蓉——写尽五老峰的形胜；后二句写归志：「九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松」写九江秀色可揽结、吾将此地巢云松——写尽归隐的向往。全诗以写景写山水，写尽五老峰的形胜与归隐的向往，是李白的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写山水，以写景写山水，是李白的名篇。此诗写李白望庐山五老峰而欲归隐于此。五老峰在庐山东南，五峰并立如五位老人，李白望其青天削出的金芙蓉般的山峰，见九江秀色，遂生在此结巢云松、隐居终老之志。此诗写峰形：庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉——写庐山东南五老峰、青天削出金芙蓉，写尽五老峰的形胜；九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松——写九江秀色可揽结、吾将此地巢云松，写尽归隐的向往。全诗以写景写山水——那「青天削出金芙蓉」写尽五老峰的形胜，「吾将此地巢云松」写尽归隐的向往，写尽五老峰的形胜与归隐的向往，是理解李白山水诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉」写五老峰的形胜；「九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松」写归隐的向往；以及全诗以写景写山水、以比喻写峰形的手法。

Background

Li Bai (701-762), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'Gazing, at, the, Five, Old, Men, Peaks, of, the, Mount, Lu' of the peaks and the desire — the admiration for the Mount Lu. The peaks with the golden hibiscus, the fair scenes of the nine rivers, and the close's the nesting in the clouds and the pines — the poem gathers the admiration of the poet, the desire of the reclusion. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the Mount Lu.

此诗写山水，以写景写山水，是李白的名篇。李白（701—762），字太白，号青莲居士，祖籍陇西成纪（今甘肃秦安），生于碎叶，唐代诗人，与杜甫并称「李杜」，为浪漫主义诗人。此诗写李白望庐山五老峰而欲归隐于此。五老峰在庐山东南，五峰并立如五位老人，李白望其青天削出的金芙蓉般的山峰，见九江秀色，遂生在此结巢云松、隐居终老之志。此诗写峰形：「庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉」写庐山东南五老峰、青天削出金芙蓉——写尽五老峰的形胜（庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉）；「九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松」写九江秀色可揽结、吾将此地巢云松——写尽归隐的向往（九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松）。全诗以写景写山水，写尽五老峰的形胜与归隐的向往，是理解李白山水诗的重要篇章。庐山位于今江西九江市南，自古为道教名山与隐逸胜地，五老峰为庐山五峰并立之处，因形似五位老人并坐而得名，峰下即鄱阳湖与长江。李白一生多次往来庐山，其《望庐山瀑布》写香炉峰瀑布之奇，此诗则写五老峰之秀，并起「巢云松」之归隐之志，可见李白对庐山山水的情有独钟。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the desire. The peaks open: to, the, southeast, of, the, Mount, Lu, the, Five, Old, Men, Peaks — the Five Old Men Peaks of the southeast; the, blue, sky, carved, forth, the, golden, hibiscus — the golden hibiscus of the blue sky. The desire follows: the, fair, scenes, of, the, nine, rivers, can, be, gathered, and, tied — the fair scenes of the nine rivers; I, will, here, nest, in, the, clouds, and, the, pines — the nesting of the clouds and the pines — the peaks, the fair scenes and the close's desire, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以白描写峰形。「庐山东南五老峰」以白描写峰形——那「东南五老峰」写尽五老峰的位置，以白描写尽五老峰的形胜。其二，以比喻写山峰。「青天削出金芙蓉」以比喻写山峰——那「金芙蓉」写尽山峰如金莲，以比喻写尽五老峰的形胜。其三，以夸饰写秀色。「九江秀色可揽结」以夸饰写秀色——那「可揽结」写尽秀色的可掬，以夸饰写尽九江的秀色。其四，以直抒写归志。「吾将此地巢云松」以直抒写归志——那「巢云松」写尽栖居云松的归志，以直抒写尽归隐的向往。此外，此诗前二句写五老峰的形胜，后二句写归隐的向往，由景及志，正是山水诗「以景写志」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以写景写山水，写尽五老峰的形胜与归隐的向往，是李白的代表作。此诗还善于以「削出」二字写青天与山峰的关系——那「青天削出金芙蓉」写山峰似从青天中削出，正是以天为背景、以削写峭的夸张笔法，见出五老峰的突兀奇绝。又善以「可揽结」写秀色之可掬——以「揽结」写秀色如可伸手揽取，正是化抽象为具体的通感手法。

Allusions

'The Five Old Men Peaks' (wu lao feng) are the Five Old Men Peaks — the peaks of the five old men, the peaks of the opening; 'the golden hibiscus' (jin fu rong) is the golden hibiscus — the hibiscus of the gold, the peaks of the carved; 'the nine rivers' (jiu jiang) are the nine rivers — the waters of the nine rivers, the fair scenes of the middle.

此诗的用语深植于山水与归隐传统。「五老峰」令人想到「五老峰」写庐山五峰的意象——五峰并立如五老，也令人想到「五老」的意象；「青天」令人想到「青天」写青天的意象——也令人想到「青天削出金芙蓉」的意象；「金芙蓉」令人想到「金芙蓉」写金莲的意象——庐山莲花峰，也令人想到「芙蓉出水」的意象；「九江」令人想到「九江」写九江的意象——九江为庐山下的长江流域，也令人想到「九江秀色」的意象；「巢云松」令人想到「巢云松」写巢居云松的意象——也令人想到「松下问童子」（贾岛）的意象。全诗化用五老峰、青天、金芙蓉、九江、巢云松的意象，以写景写山水，正是李白「豪放」而善比喻、承山水传统写归隐之本领。「金芙蓉」令人想到庐山又名「芙蓉峰」之说，又令人想到谢灵运《登江中孤屿》「云日相辉映，空水共澄鲜」的山水意象，更令人想到《后汉书·郡国志》庐山「上有三石梁」的仙山传说；李白以「金芙蓉」写五老峰，正见其以仙山之笔写山水之奇。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Li Bai's poems of the Mount Lu, quoted for the grandeur of its opening and the desire of its close. The golden hibiscus of the blue sky, and the nesting in the clouds and the pines, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's desire: the peaks gathered in the fair scenes, to the close's nesting.

此诗历来被推为李白山水诗的名篇，也是唐人写庐山五老峰的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以写景写山水，奇丽豪放」；近人更指出「青天削出金芙蓉」写五老峰的形胜，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五老峰的形胜与归隐的向往——那庐山东南，那五老峰，那青天，那削出，那金芙蓉，那九江，那秀色，那可揽结，那吾将，那此地，那巢云松，都写尽了李白笔下的五老峰；那「吾将此地巢云松」更以直抒写尽归隐的向往。此诗与李白《望庐山瀑布》（「日照香炉生紫烟」）同为庐山名篇，一写「飞流直下三千尺」的瀑布（望庐山瀑布），一写「青天削出金芙蓉」的五老峰（望庐山五老峰）；又与陶渊明「采菊东篱下」的归隐传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写山水的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李白山水诗的窗口，也是中国诗写庐山的经典——那巢云松的归志，穿越千年，仍在诉说着五老峰的形胜。

Prosody

Form A quatrain of the mountains (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 grand desire.七绝，押「峰」「蓉」「松」韵（上平二冬），一韵到底，音节豪放

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the desire: the level opening with the peaks, the turning with the fair scenes, and the close's fall with the nesting.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节豪放，正合山水的豪放。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its grandeur: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'wu jiang ci di chao yun song' — falls with the pines, the sound of the desire of the mountain poet.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「庐山东南五老峰，青天削出金芙蓉。九江秀色可揽结，吾将此地巢云松」，押「冬」韵（峰、蓉、松），一韵到底，音节豪放。全诗以写景写山水：前二句写五老峰的形胜（庐山东南五老峰、青天削出金芙蓉），后二句写归隐的向往（九江秀色可揽结、吾将此地巢云松）。四句短章，前写形胜，后写归志，以「吾将此地巢云松」写尽归隐的向往，正见李白「豪放」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以豪放的语调读「青天削出金芙蓉」的形胜，以超逸的语调读「吾将此地巢云松」的归志，结句要读得豪放而有余韵，方能传达出李白的奇丽豪放。李白绝句以「豪放」著称，此诗正是其山水绝句的典范。

Line by line

青天削出金芙蓉

From the blue sky is hewn a golden lotus.

青天削出金芙蓉。

From the azure sky rises a hewn golden lotus.

此句是全诗写峰形的核心，以青天削出金芙蓉写金芙蓉，以九江秀色可揽结写可揽结，写尽五老峰的形胜与九江的秀色，是千古名句。「青天削出金芙蓉」写青天削出金芙蓉——那「青天」写青天，「削出金芙蓉」写削出金芙蓉，写尽青天的削出；「九江秀色可揽结」写九江秀色可揽结——那「九江秀色」写九江秀色，「可揽结」写可揽结，写尽九江的可揽结。这句的深意在于：它以「青天削出金芙蓉」的金芙蓉与「九江秀色可揽结」的可揽结，写尽五老峰的形胜——青天削出金芙蓉，那「青天削出金芙蓉」写尽青天的削出——青天削出，正是山峰如削的写照，那「金芙蓉」写尽五老峰的形胜；九江秀色可揽结，那「九江秀色可揽结」写尽九江的可揽结——九江秀色，正是秀色可掬的写照，那「可揽结」写尽九江的秀色；那「青天削出金芙蓉」写尽青天的削出，那「九江秀色可揽结」写尽九江的可揽结，一写峰，一写水，写尽五老峰的形胜——金芙蓉削于青天而九江秀色可揽，正是山水双美的写照；此二句以金芙蓉、可揽结写尽五老峰的形胜，也为下文的巢云松作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写形胜的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「五老峰很好看，九江风景也好」，则失其奇丽；唯以「青天削出金芙蓉」写金芙蓉、「九江秀色可揽结」写可揽结，写尽五老峰的形胜，也让此二句成为全诗写形胜的核心。

This line is the poem's core in writing the peak's shape, famous through the ages. From the blue sky is hewn a golden lotus: blue-sky names the background, hewn-golden-lotus names the peak - Wulao Peak is like a golden lotus flower carved out of the sky. The deeper pathos lies in the hewn character: the peak is not grown but cut, as if by a knife; the golden color names the sunset light on the stone. Li Bai's image makes the mountain at once sculptural and radiant. This line and the next (the Jiangnan beauty one) give the peak both its shape and the vast waters around it. Compared with a plain saying Wulao Peak looks like a golden lotus, the hewn-from-the-sky gives the peak both sharpness and grandeur, making this the poem's core in writing the peak's form.

吾将此地巢云松

Here will I nestle among the clouds and pines.

吾将此地巢云松。

Here will I make my nest among clouds and pines.

此句是全诗写归志的核心，以庐山东南五老峰写五老峰，以吾将此地巢云松写巢云松，写尽归隐的向往，是千古名句。「庐山东南五老峰」写庐山东南五老峰——那「庐山东南」写庐山东南，「五老峰」写五老峰，写尽五老峰的位置；「吾将此地巢云松」写吾将此地巢云松——那「吾将此地」写吾将此地，「巢云松」写巢云松，写尽此地的巢云松。这句的深意在于：它以「庐山东南五老峰」的五老峰与「吾将此地巢云松」的巢云松，写尽归隐的向往——庐山东南五老峰，那「庐山东南五老峰」写尽五老峰的位置——庐山东南，正是五老峰所在，那「五老峰」写尽归隐的去处；吾将此地巢云松，那「吾将此地巢云松」写尽巢云松的归志——吾将巢云松，正是栖居松云的写照，那「巢云松」写尽归隐的向往；那「庐山东南五老峰」写尽五老峰的位置，那「吾将此地巢云松」写尽巢云松的归志，一写峰，一写志，写尽归隐的向往——五老峰下而巢云松，正是归隐的写照；此二句以五老峰、巢云松写尽归隐的向往，也让此二句成为全诗写归志的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我想住在这山上」，则失其超逸；唯以「庐山东南五老峰」写五老峰、「吾将此地巢云松」写巢云松，写尽归隐的向往，也让此二句成为全诗写归志的核心。

This line is the poem's core in writing the retirement wish, famous through the ages. Here will I nestle among clouds and pines: here-this-place names Wulao Peak, nestle-among-clouds-pines writes the wish to dwell in the mountain's clouds and pines. The deeper pathos lies in the nestle character: not live, not dwell, but nestle - like a bird among pines, among clouds. Li Bai's retirement wish is not a settled reclusion but a bird's nesting, temporary and free. The line closes the short poem with the poet's decision: the peak is beautiful, the waters are vast, and here he will stay. Compared with a plain saying I want to live on this mountain, the nestle and the clouds-and-pines give the wish both lightness and freedom, making this the poem's core in writing the retirement wish.

Study

Word focus

削 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「青天削出金芙蓉」之「削」字是写峰形的关键词，一个「削」字写尽青天的削出。削者，刀削、陡峭也。李白以「青天削出金芙蓉」写峰形，这个「削」字至少有双重意味：其一，写峰之削——那「青天削出金芙蓉」写青天削出金芙蓉，那「削」字写尽山峰的陡峭——削出，正是山峰如削的写照，那「削」字写尽五老峰的形胜；其二，写势之奇——那「削」字更是写奇——削，正见造化之奇，那「削」字写尽五老峰的奇丽。以「削」字写峰形，正是李白写山水的枢纽——若换作「立」「挺」等字，则或失其与「青天」「出金芙蓉」的配合，或失其写削的意味；唯「削」字，以青天削出金芙蓉写尽山峰的陡峭与造化之奇，与「九江秀色可揽结」的可揽结相合，写尽五老峰的形胜，也让「青天削出金芙蓉」成为全诗写峰形的名句。

巢 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「吾将此地巢云松」之「巢」字是写归志的关键词，一个「巢」字写尽巢云松的归志。巢者，筑巢、栖居也。李白以「吾将此地巢云松」写归志，这个「巢」字至少有双重意味：其一，写居之巢——那「吾将此地巢云松」写吾将此地巢云松，那「巢」字写尽巢云松的栖居——巢云松，正是栖居松云的写照，那「巢」字写尽归隐的向往；其二，写志之逸——那「巢」字更是写逸——巢，正见归隐的超逸，那「巢」字写尽李白的超脱。以「巢」字写归志，正是李白写山水的枢纽——若换作「居」「住」等字，则或失其与「云松」「此地」的配合，或失其写巢的意味；唯「巢」字，以吾将此地巢云松写尽巢云松的栖居与归隐的超逸，与「青天削出金芙蓉」的削出相合，写尽归隐的向往，也让「吾将此地巢云松」成为全诗写归志的名句。