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魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem

悼亡诗

Elegy for the Deceased Wife

潘岳

Pan Yue

离别/抒情Parting/Lyric 爱情/相思Love/Longing

荏苒冬春谢，寒暑忽流易。
之子归穷泉，重壤永幽隔。
私怀谁克从，淹留亦何益。
僶俛恭朝命，回心反初役。
望庐思其人，入室想所历。
帏屏无仿佛，翰墨有余迹。
流芳未及歇，遗挂犹在壁。
怅恍如或存，回惶忡惊惕。
如彼翰林鸟，双栖一朝只。
如彼游川鱼，比目中路析。
春风缘隙来，晨霤承檐滴。
寝息何时忘，沈忧日盈积。
庶几有时衰，庄缶犹可击。

Time slips away, winter and spring fade,
Cold and heat suddenly shift.
That person has returned to the deep spring,
Heavy soil forever separates us.
Whom can I share my private grief with?
Staying on, what good does it do?
Forced to obey the court's command,
I turn my heart back to my former post.
Seeing the house, I think of her,
Entering the room, I recall her ways.
No shadow lingers by the curtain and screen,
Only traces remain of her brush and ink.
The lingering fragrance has not yet faded,
Her hanging scrolls still on the wall.
In a daze, I feel she might still be here,
Perturbed, startled, and afraid.
Like a bird in the forest grove,
Once paired, now alone.
Like a fish swimming in the stream,
A sole pair broken midway.
The spring wind comes through the crevices,
Morning rain drips from the eaves.
When can I forget her in sleep?
Deep sorrow daily accumulates.
Perhaps someday it will fade,
I may yet strike the earthen pot like Zhuangzi.

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Meaning

The poet mourns his wife who died a year ago. As he prepares to return to official duty, he revisits their home and is overwhelmed by memories. The poem traces his grief from the passage of time to the pain of seeing her belongings, ending with a forced attempt at philosophical consolation.

时光荏苒冬去春逝，寒来暑往忽已变易。亡妻归于黄泉之下，重土永隔幽明两分。私心哀怀谁人能体，淹留空房又有何益。勉力恭承朝廷之命，回心重返旧日职役。望见旧庐便思念其人，入室如见生前行迹。帷屏间已无仿佛身影，笔墨间犹存余迹。余香未及消散，遗挂仍悬壁间。怅然恍惚如见其存，回惶忧忡惊惕难安。如林中翰林之鸟，双栖一朝只剩孤只。如游川之比目鱼，中路分离各西东。春风沿窗隙吹来，晨雨承檐滴落。寝息之时何时能忘，沉忧终日盈积满怀。或许哀情终有衰减时，庄周鼓盆之达犹可效击。

Appreciation

Pan Yue's elegy is the first of its kind in Chinese literature, initiating a tradition of mourning poems. It moves from seasonal change to visceral grief over objects, using vivid comparisons (paired birds, sole fish) to express loss, and concludes with a strained attempt at detachment, making the sorrow deeper.

【白话串讲】潘岳的妻子去世一年，他写下《悼亡诗》：“望庐思其人，入室想所历”——望着屋子想起她，进到房间回想往事。“帏屏无仿佛，翰墨有余迹”——屏风上找不到她的影子，只有她留下的笔墨。“流芳未及歇，遗挂犹在壁”——她的衣裳还挂在墙上。【意象与手法】此诗以时光为经、以物为纬织成哀音。开篇“荏苒冬春谢”以节候流转反衬哀思难歇【情感与主旨】潘岳（潘安）妻杨氏早亡，其作《悼亡诗》三首，此为其一，为中国文学史上“悼亡”一体之滥觞【名句点睛】 “望庐思其人，入室想所历”以白描写睹物怀人，于琐细动作中见锥心之痛，为悼亡诗经典笔法。

Background

Pan Yue's wife, née Yang, died young. This is the first of three elegies he wrote, marking the beginning of the 'elegy' genre in Chinese poetry. Written a year after her death, as he was ordered back to the capital, the poem records his pain upon leaving their home. Despite the social pressure for remarriage, Pan never did, showing his deep attachment.

《悼亡诗》为西晋潘岳所作，是悼念亡妻的诗。潘岳（247—300），字安仁，荥阳中牟人，西晋文学家。此诗：荏苒冬春谢，寒暑忽流易；之子归穷泉，重壤永幽隔；私怀谁克从，淹留亦何益；僶俛恭朝命，回心反初役；望庐思其人，入室想所历；帏屏无仿佛，翰墨有余迹；流芳未及歇，遗挂犹在壁；怅恍如或存，回惶忡惊惕；如彼翰林鸟，双栖一朝只；如彼游川鱼，比目中路析；春风缘隙来，晨溜承檐滴；寝息何时忘，沉忧日盈积；庶几有时衰，庄缶犹可击。全诗写悼亡之痛，是潘岳悼亡诗的代表作，也是后世悼亡诗的典范。

Art

The poem interweaves time (seasons passing) and objects (curtains, ink, fragrance) to create a tapestry of grief. The depiction of specific items like the scroll on the wall humanizes the loss. The similes—paired birds becoming solitary, sole fish separated—are simple yet poignant. The final allusion to Zhuangzi's drumming on a pot, a gesture of philosophical equanimity, only accentuates his inability to let go.

《悼亡诗》艺术上以睹物思人的层递与比喻的沉痛见长。全诗二十句，层层写来：前四句写时序之速与永隔之痛——“荏苒冬春谢，寒暑忽流易”写时序之速，“之子归穷泉，重壤永幽隔”写永隔之痛；中八句写回任与睹物——“僶俛恭朝命，回心反初役”写回任，“望庐思其人，入室想所历”写望庐思人，“帏屏无仿佛，翰墨有余迹”写帏屏翰墨，“流芳未及歇，遗挂犹在壁”写遗挂在壁；后八句写怅恍与沉忧——“怅恍如或存，回惶忡惊惕”写怅恍如存，“如彼翰林鸟，双栖一朝只”写双栖成只，“如彼游川鱼，比目中路析”写比目中路析，“春风缘隙来，晨溜承檐滴”写春风晨溜，“寝息何时忘，沉忧日盈积”写沉忧盈积，“庶几有时衰，庄缶犹可击”写庄缶自解。全诗以睹物思人写悼亡之痛，正是潘岳悼亡诗的笔法。

Allusions

The line 'I may yet strike the earthen pot like Zhuangzi' references the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi, who after his wife's death sang and beat a pot, claiming it was the natural cycle. Pan Yue invokes this to show his awareness of philosophical detachment, but the words 'perhaps' and 'yet' betray his lingering grief, making the allusion a foil for his true feelings.

《悼亡诗》用典在“比目”“翰林鸟”“庄缶”。“比目”用比目鱼之典，写夫妻相依；“翰林鸟”写双栖之鸟；“庄缶”用庄子妻死鼓盆而歌之典，写自解达观。全诗以这些典故写悼亡之痛与自解，用典自然而沉痛自深，正是潘岳悼亡诗的笔法。

Commentary

Sun Chuo praised Pan Yue's literary grace, and Zhong Rong ranked him in the highest grade, saying his talent 'spreads like brocade.' The Wen Xuan included this poem, and later elegies by Yuan Zhen and Su Shi follow its style. Chen Zuoming said, 'An Ren (Pan Yue) had deep feelings; every touch of the pen poured out his heart.' The poem's strength lies in sincerity rather than ornamentation.

《悼亡诗》是潘岳的代表作，也是中国悼亡诗的典范。此诗悼念亡妻，向为论者称道。论者多赏其睹物思人的写法——“望庐思其人，入室想所历”写望庐思人，悼亡之痛尽在其中；“如彼翰林鸟，双栖一朝只”写双栖成只，更见其痛。潘岳首创以“悼亡”为题的诗，此诗正是其代表——以睹物思人写悼亡之痛，为后世悼亡诗之祖。

Prosody

Form Five-character old-style poem (Western Jin literati elegy)五言古诗

Rhyme Old-style with shifting rhymes, entering tone (zhi, mo) and level tones mixed《悼亡诗》为五言古诗，二十句，押平声韵。此诗用韵：易、隔（锡部）、役、历、迹、壁（锡部）、惕、析（锡部）、滴、积、击（锡部），一韵到底，音节低回。

Tone pattern Old style, free tonal patterns五言古诗以音节低回、情致沉痛见长。此诗由时序之速写到沉忧盈积，音节低回而沉痛。全诗一韵到底，声调与悼亡的内容相合，是魏晋悼亡诗中的一路。

Reading note This poem established the elegy genre; its direct emotion contrasts with the prevalent metaphysical poetry of the time.《悼亡诗》为西晋潘岳所作，是悼念亡妻的诗。此诗以“荏苒冬春谢，寒暑忽流易”写时序之速，以“之子归穷泉，重壤永幽隔”写永隔之痛，以“望庐思其人，入室想所历”写睹物思人，以“如彼翰林鸟，双栖一朝只”以鸟鱼写丧偶之痛，以“庄缶犹可击”写自解。以睹物思人写悼亡之痛，为后世悼亡诗之祖。

Line by line

荏苒冬春谢，寒暑忽流易。之子归穷泉，重壤永幽隔。

Gently winter and spring pass; cold and heat suddenly change. She has gone to the deep springs; layer on layer of earth forever separates us.

岁月荏苒，冬春交替；寒暑忽然流变。你归于九泉之下，层层土壤永远幽隔。

Time slips by, winter gives way to spring; cold and heat have suddenly changed. She has returned to the deep springs; layer upon layer of earth forever keeps us apart.

前四句写时序之速与永隔之痛，是全诗悼亡之痛的起点。“荏苒冬春谢，寒暑忽流易”写时序之速——“荏苒冬春谢”写岁月荏苒、冬春交替，“寒暑忽流易”写寒暑忽然流变——冬春代谢，寒暑流易；“之子归穷泉，重壤永幽隔”写永隔之痛——“之子归穷泉”写你归于九泉，“重壤永幽隔”写层层土壤永远幽隔——你归穷泉，重壤永隔。四句写时序之速与永隔之痛：荏苒冬春谢、寒暑忽流易，之子归穷泉、重壤永幽隔。以“荏苒冬春谢”写时序之速，以“之子归穷泉，重壤永幽隔”写亡妻之去、幽明永隔，正是潘岳写悼亡之痛的起点——岁月流逝，而亡者永隔。

These four lines open the poem on time's speed and eternal separation, the starting point of Pan Yue's mourning. Gently winter and spring pass; cold and heat suddenly change writes time's slipping away. She has gone to the deep springs; layer on layer of earth forever separates us writes the wife's death and the eternal divide. The four lines set the quick passing of the year against the permanent silence of the grave. Time moves fast, yet the dead do not return - this is the poem's opening contrast, establishing the mourning's ground.

望庐思其人，入室想所历。帏屏无仿佛，翰墨有余迹。

Seeing the house, I think of her; entering the room, I recall all we lived. Curtains and screens show no faint trace; brush and ink still hold her remains.

望见屋庐，思念其人；走进内室，回想其经历。帏屏间不见她的仿佛之影，翰墨间还留有她的余迹。

Seeing the house, I think of her; entering the room, I recall all we lived. Curtains and screens show no faint shape; brush and ink still bear her traces.

此四句写睹物思人，是全诗悼亡之痛的核心。“望庐思其人，入室想所历”写望庐思人——“望庐思其人”写望见屋庐思念其人，“入室想所历”写走进内室回想其经历——望庐思人，入室想历；“帏屏无仿佛，翰墨有余迹”写帏屏翰墨——“帏屏无仿佛”写帏屏间不见其仿佛之影，“翰墨有余迹”写翰墨间还留有她的余迹——帏屏无影，翰墨有迹。四句写睹物思人：望庐思其人、入室想所历，帏屏无仿佛、翰墨有余迹。以“望庐思其人，入室想所历”写思之深，以“帏屏无仿佛，翰墨有余迹”写人亡而迹存，正是潘岳写悼亡之痛的核心——人已亡，而旧迹犹在，睹物愈增其悲。

These four lines write seeing things and thinking of the person, the poem's core. Seeing the house, I think of her; entering the room, I recall all we lived writes the house and room as triggers of memory. Curtains and screens show no faint trace; brush and ink still hold her remains writes the contrast: no face in the curtains, yet her writing still on paper. The absence is visible where she should be; the trace is visible where she no longer is. This is the core of Pan Yue's mourning poetry - the dead gone, yet her things remain, and seeing them deepens the grief.

如彼翰林鸟，双栖一朝只。如彼游川鱼，比目中路析。

Like that bird in the forest, once paired, now in one morning alone. Like that fish in the river, the pair-eyed fish split mid-stream.

像那林中之鸟，双栖的如今一朝成单。像那游川之鱼，比目鱼中路分离。

Like that bird of the grove, once roosting in pairs, now alone in one morning. Like that fish of the stream, the pair-eyed fish split on the way.

此四句以鸟鱼写丧偶之痛，是全诗悼亡之痛的比喻。“如彼翰林鸟，双栖一朝只”写双栖成只——“如彼翰林鸟”写像那林中之鸟，“双栖一朝只”写双栖的如今一朝成单——如林中鸟，双栖成只；“如彼游川鱼，比目中路析”写比目中路析——“如彼游川鱼”写像那游川之鱼，“比目中路析”写比目鱼中路分离——如游川鱼，比目中路析。四句以鸟鱼写丧偶之痛：如翰林鸟、双栖一朝只，如游川鱼、比目中路析。以“双栖一朝只”写鸟之失偶，以“比目中路析”写鱼之失侣，正是潘岳以鸟鱼比喻写丧偶之痛的笔法——双栖之鸟、比目之鱼，一旦失偶，其痛可知。

These four lines use bird and fish to write the loss of a mate, the poem's metaphor. Like that bird in the forest, once paired, now in one morning alone writes the paired bird's sudden solitude. Like that fish in the river, the pair-eyed fish split mid-stream writes the pair-eyed fish's mid-journey separation. Both images - bird and fish, paired creatures - write the bereavement of one half of a pair. The couplet is the poem's most famous comparison, converting personal loss into the language of natural imagery.

寝息何时忘，沉忧日盈积。庶几有时衰，庄缶犹可击。

When in sleep or rest do I forget? Deep grief daily fills and accumulates. Perhaps one day it will fade; like Zhuangzi's bowl, I may yet beat it.

寝卧休息，何时能忘？沉忧日日盈积。希望有时能衰减，如庄子鼓盆而歌犹可击缶。

When do I sleep or rest without remembering? Deep sorrow daily fills and piles up. Perhaps one day it will lessen; like Zhuangzi's bowl, I may still beat it.

末四句写沉忧盈积与自解之愿，是全诗悼亡之痛的归结。“寝息何时忘，沉忧日盈积”写沉忧盈积——“寝息何时忘”写寝卧休息何时能忘，“沉忧日盈积”写沉忧日日盈积——寝息难忘，沉忧盈积；“庶几有时衰，庄缶犹可击”写自解之愿——“庶几有时衰”写希望有时能衰减，“庄缶犹可击”用庄子妻死鼓盆而歌之典写犹可击缶自解——希望忧衰，庄缶可击。四句写沉忧盈积与自解之愿：寝息何时忘、沉忧日盈积，庶几有时衰、庄缶犹可击。以“寝息何时忘，沉忧日盈积”写沉忧之深，以“庄缶犹可击”写以庄子自解，正是潘岳写悼亡之痛的归结——沉忧难释，姑以庄缶自解。

These four lines close on deep grief and the wish for self-consolation, the poem's resolution. When in sleep or rest do I forget? writes the absence of forgetting. Deep grief daily fills and accumulates writes the grief's daily growth. Perhaps one day it will fade; like Zhuangzi's bowl, I may yet beat it uses the Zhuangzi allusion of beating the bowl when his wife died, the wish for philosophical acceptance. The closing is tentative - perhaps it will fade, perhaps I can beat the bowl - yet the grief itself is stated as unescapable. Pan Yue's mourning closes on this fragile hope.

Study

Word focus

荏苒 Time passing gradually; sets a slow, mournful tone, contrasting with 'sudden shift' (忽流易). “荏苒冬春谢”之“荏苒”，写岁月渐渐流逝，是全诗写时序之速的关键词。“荏苒”写光阴渐逝——荏苒之间，冬春交替。这一词写岁月之流逝：不是骤变之速，而是荏苒；不是可留之时，而是渐逝之光。以“荏苒”写时序，正是潘岳写悼亡、感岁月之速的笔法——荏苒之间，已是一年。

幽隔 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “重壤永幽隔”之“幽隔”，写幽明永隔，是全诗写永隔之痛的关键词。“幽”写幽冥，“隔”写隔绝——层层土壤，永远幽隔。这一词写生死之隔：不是暂时之别，而是幽隔；不是可通之隔，而是永隔幽冥。以“重壤永幽隔”写生死之隔，正是潘岳写悼亡之痛的笔法——一坏黄土，幽明永隔。

无仿佛 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “帏屏无仿佛”之“无仿佛”，写不见其仿佛之影，是全诗写睹物思人的关键词。“无”写没有，“仿佛”写依稀之影——帏屏之间，不见其仿佛之影。这一词写人亡影消：不是可见之影，而无仿佛；不是旧容犹在，而影踪俱无。以“帏屏无仿佛”写睹物而不见人，正是潘岳写悼亡之痛的核心——帏屏犹在，而人无仿佛。

比目 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “比目中路析”之“比目”，用比目鱼之典，写夫妻相依，是全诗以鱼写丧偶之痛的关键词。“比目”写比目鱼，古谓其相并而行——如比目鱼，中路分离。这一词以“比目”写夫妻：不是可分之人，而是比目；不是一时相依，而是共生之物。以“比目中路析”写丧偶，正是潘岳以鱼之失侣写己之丧偶的笔法——比目析而中路分，其痛可知。

悼亡诗