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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

无题四首·其四

The, Untitled, Poems, Four, Poems, No. 4

李商隐

Li Shangyin

无题Theme 感慨Theme

何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸。
东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半。
溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看。
归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹。

Where, the, mournful, zither, following, the, swift, flute,
The, cherry, blossom, lanes, of, the, long, the, hanging, willow, banks.
The, old, daughter, of, the, eastern, neighbor, married, off, not, sold,
The, white, sun, high, in, the, sky, the, middle, of, the, third, month, half.
The, princess, of, the, Liyang, fourteen, years, old,
After, the, clear, and, warm, together, at, the, wall, viewing.
Returning, home, tossing, and, turning, until, the, fifth, watch,
The, swallows, of, the, beams, hearing, the, long, sighs.

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Meaning

A poem of the music and the pity, written by Li Shangyin. Where the mournful zither following the swift flute, the cherry blossom lanes of the long the hanging willow banks — the scene of the opening. The old daughter of the eastern neighbor married off not sold, the white sun high in the sky the middle of the third month half — the pity of the middle. The princess of the Liyang fourteen years old, after the clear and warm together at the wall viewing — the viewing of the middle. And the close's returning home tossing and turning until the fifth watch, the swallows of the beams hearing the long sighs — the close's sighs. The poem is the music and the pity: the zither, the daughter, and the close's sighs.

何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸。东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半。溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看。归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Where, the, mournful, zither, following, the, swift, flute, the, cherry, blossom, lanes, of, the, long, the, hanging, willow, banks. The, old, daughter, of, the, eastern, neighbor, married, off, not, sold, the, white, sun, high, in, the, sky, the, middle, of, the, third, month, half. The, princess, of, the, Liyang, fourteen, years, old, after, the, clear, and, warm, together, at, the, wall, viewing. Returning, home, tossing, and, turning, until, the, fifth, watch, the, swallows, of, the, beams, hearing, the, long, sighs. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the scene of the zither and the flute with the lanes of the cherry blossom, through the pity of the old daughter with the viewing of the princess, to the close's the sighs of the night. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the pity: the old daughter married off not sold, and the close's returning home tossing and turning until the fifth watch the swallows hearing the long sighs — the music gathered in the pity and the close's sighs. [Emotional Tone] Mournful, pitiful, and lonely: the poem is the zither, the daughter and the close's sighs.

【白话串讲】李商隐写《无题四首·其四》：“何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸”——“东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半”——“溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看”——“归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹”——他写老女不嫁的哀叹。【意象与手法】此诗写感慨，以身世写感慨，是李商隐的名篇。前四句写老女：「何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸。东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半」写何处哀筝随急管、樱花永巷垂杨岸——写尽哀筝的急管；后四句写感慨：「溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看。归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹」写溧阳公主年十四、清明暖后同墙看——写尽年少的公主。全诗以身世写感慨，写尽哀筝的急管与年少的公主，是李商隐的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写感慨，以身世写感慨，是李商隐的名篇。此诗为《无题四首》之四，写东家老女嫁不出去的悲哀，寄寓李商隐自身怀才不遇的身世之感。李商隐仕途失意，此诗借老女不嫁写寒士不遇。此诗写何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸；东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半；溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看；归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹。此诗写老女：何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸——写何处哀筝随急管、樱花永巷垂杨岸，写尽哀筝的急管；东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半——写东家老女嫁不售、白日当天三月半，写尽老女的嫁不售；溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看——写溧阳公主年十四、清明暖后同墙看，写尽年少的公主；归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹——写归来展转到五更、梁间燕子闻长叹，写尽燕子的长叹。全诗以身世写感慨——那「东家老女嫁不售」写尽老女的嫁不售，「梁间燕子闻长叹」写尽燕子的长叹，写尽哀筝的急管与年少的公主，是理解李商隐感慨诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸」写哀筝的急管；「东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半」写老女的嫁不售；以及全诗以身世写感慨、以对照写不遇的手法。

Background

Li Shangyin (c. 813-858), the poet of the late Tang, wrote this 'The, Untitled, Poems, No. 4' of the music and the pity — the grief of the old daughter. The zither with the flute, the old daughter with the princess, and the close's the sighs of the night — the poem gathers the pity of the poet, the loneliness of the unattained. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the untitled.

此诗写感慨，以身世写感慨，是李商隐的名篇。李商隐（约813—约858），字义山，号玉谿生，又号樊南生，怀州河内（今河南沁阳）人，晚唐著名诗人，与杜牧并称「小李杜」，与温庭筠并称「温李」。此诗为《无题四首》之四，写东家老女嫁不出去的悲哀，寄寓李商隐自身怀才不遇的身世之感。李商隐仕途失意，此诗借老女不嫁写寒士不遇。此诗写何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸；东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半；溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看；归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹。此诗写老女：「何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸」写何处哀筝随急管、樱花永巷垂杨岸——写尽哀筝的急管（何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸）；「东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半」写东家老女嫁不售、白日当天三月半——写尽老女的嫁不售（东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半）；「溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看」写溧阳公主年十四、清明暖后同墙看——写尽年少的公主（溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看）；「归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹」写归来展转到五更、梁间燕子闻长叹——写尽燕子的长叹（归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹）。全诗以身世写感慨，写尽哀筝的急管与年少的公主，是理解李商隐感慨诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the pity. The scene opens: where, the, mournful, zither, following, the, swift, flute — the mournful zither of the swift flute; the, cherry, blossom, lanes, of, the, long, the, hanging, willow, banks — the cherry blossom lanes of the hanging willow banks. The pity follows: the, old, daughter, of, the, eastern, neighbor, married, off, not, sold — the old daughter of the not sold; the, white, sun, high, in, the, sky, the, middle, of, the, third, month, half — the white sun of the third month half; the, princess, of, the, Liyang, fourteen, years, old — the princess of the fourteen; after, the, clear, and, warm, together, at, the, wall, viewing — the viewing of the clear and warm. And the close gathers the sighs: returning, home, tossing, and, turning, until, the, fifth, watch — the tossing of the fifth watch; the, swallows, of, the, beams, hearing, the, long, sighs — the long sighs of the swallows — the scene, the pity and the close's sighs, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以设问写哀筝。「何处哀筝随急管」以设问写哀筝——那「樱花永巷垂杨岸」写尽樱花的永巷，以设问写尽哀筝的急管。其二，以直抒写不售。「东家老女嫁不售」以直抒写不售——那「白日当天三月半」写尽三月的春半，以直抒写尽老女的嫁不售。其三，以对照写身世。「溧阳公主年十四」以对照写身世——那「清明暖后同墙看」写尽年少的公主，以对照写尽年少的公主。其四，以托物写长叹。「梁间燕子闻长叹」以托物写长叹——那「闻长叹」写尽燕子的长叹，以托物写尽燕子的长叹。此外，此诗前四句写哀筝的急管，后四句写年少的公主，由老及少，正是感慨诗「以老写少」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以身世写感慨，写尽哀筝的急管与年少的公主，是李商隐的代表作。此诗还善于以「樱花永巷垂杨岸」的「永巷」「垂杨岸」写樱花之街景——那「樱花永巷」写尽樱花的永巷，正是以永写巷，以「垂杨岸」写尽哀筝的急管。又善以「清明暖后同墙看」的「同墙看」写少女之同看——溧阳公主与老女同墙看，正见墙头同看的写照，以「同墙看」写尽年少的公主。

Allusions

'The mournful zither' (ai zheng) is the mournful zither — the zither of the mournful, the music of the opening; 'the old daughter' (lao nü) is the old daughter — the daughter of the old, the pity of the middle; 'the princess of the Liyang' (li yang gong zhu) is the princess of the Liyang — the princess of the Liyang, the fourteen of the middle; 'the fifth watch' (wu geng) is the fifth watch — the watch of the fifth, the tossing of the close.

此诗的用语深植于感慨与身世传统。「哀筝」令人想到「哀筝」写哀筝的意象——也令人想到「哀筝一曲」的意象；「急管」令人想到「急管」写急促管乐的意象——也令人想到「急管繁弦」的意象；「永巷」令人想到「永巷」写长巷的意象——《史记》「永巷」，也令人想到「长门永巷」的意象；「嫁不售」令人想到「嫁不售」写嫁不出的意象——宋玉《登徒子好色赋》东家之子，也令人想到「东家之子」的意象；「溧阳公主」令人想到「溧阳公主」写溧阳公主的意象——《南史》溧阳公主，也令人想到「公主」的意象；「梁间燕」令人想到「梁间燕」写梁间燕子的意象——也令人想到「旧时王谢堂前燕」（刘禹锡）的意象。全诗化用哀筝、急管、永巷、嫁不售、溧阳公主、梁间燕的意象典故，以身世写感慨，正是李商隐「深婉」而善用典、承感慨传统写身世之本领。「急管」令人想到「急管」写急促管乐的意象——也令人想到「繁弦急管」的意象；「展转」令人想到「展转」写辗转的意象——也令人想到「辗转反侧」（《诗经》）的意象，以展转写无眠。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Li Shangyin's poems of the untitled, quoted for the melancholy of its scene and the pity of its close. The old daughter of the not sold, and the sighs of the fifth watch, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's pity: the music gathered in the daughter, to the close's sighs.

此诗历来被推为李商隐感慨诗的名篇，也是唐诗写寒士不遇的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以身世写感慨，沉哀入骨」；近人更指出「东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半」写老女的嫁不售，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的七律写尽哀筝的急管与年少的公主——那何处，那哀筝，那随急管，那樱花，那永巷，那垂杨岸，那东家，那老女，那嫁不售，那白日，那当天，那三月半，那溧阳公主，那年十四，那清明暖后，那同墙看，那归来，那展转，那到五更，那梁间，那燕子，那闻长叹，都写尽了李商隐笔下的无题四首其四；那「梁间燕子闻长叹」更以托物写尽燕子的长叹。此诗与宋玉《登徒子好色赋》「东家之子」的典故传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写不遇的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李商隐感慨诗的窗口，也是唐诗写寒士不遇的经典——那梁间的燕子，穿越千年，仍在诉说着老女的长叹。

Prosody

Form An old poem of the untitled (qi yan gu shi)诗·七言律诗

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the old poem that carries the mournful pity.七律，押「管」「岸」「半」「看」「叹」韵（去声十五翰），仄韵到底

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the pity: the level opening with the scene, the turning with the daughter, and the close's fall with the sighs.此诗为七言律诗，押去声仄韵，一韵到底，音节沉哀，正合感慨的沉哀。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its pity: the cadences of the old poem, and the close — 'liang jian yan zi wen chang tan' — falls with the sighs, the sound of the pity of the sleepless night.此诗为七言律诗，八句——「何处哀筝随急管，樱花永巷垂杨岸。东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半。溧阳公主年十四，清明暖后同墙看。归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹」，押「翰」韵（管、岸、半、看、叹），仄韵到底，音节沉哀。全诗以身世写感慨：前四句写哀筝的急管（何处哀筝随急管、白日当天三月半），后四句写年少的公主（溧阳公主年十四、梁间燕子闻长叹）。八句短章，前写老女，后写公主，以「梁间燕子闻长叹」写尽燕子的长叹，正见李商隐「深婉」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以沉哀的语调读「东家老女嫁不售」的感慨，以低回的语调读「梁间燕子闻长叹」的长叹，结句要读得沉哀而有余韵，方能传达出李商隐的沉哀入骨。李商隐律诗以「深婉」著称，此诗正是其感慨诗的典范。

Line by line

东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半

The old maid next door remains unwed; the sun stands overhead, mid-third-month.

东家老女嫁不售，白日当天三月半。

The old daughter of the eastern household cannot find a husband; the sun is high in the sky, and it is mid-March.

此二句是全诗写不售的核心，以东家老女嫁不售写嫁不售，以白日当天三月半写三月半，写尽老女的嫁不售，是千古名句。「东家老女嫁不售」写东家老女嫁不售——那「东家老女」写东家老女，「嫁不售」写嫁不售，写尽老女的嫁不售；「白日当天三月半」写白日当天三月半——那「白日当天」写白日当天，「三月半」写三月半，写尽三月的春半。这句的深意在于：它以「东家老女嫁不售」的嫁不售与「白日当天三月半」的三月半，写尽老女的嫁不售——东家老女嫁不售，那「东家老女嫁不售」写尽老女的嫁不售——东家老女嫁不售，正是老女难嫁的写照，那「嫁不售」写尽老女的嫁不售；白日当天三月半，那「白日当天三月半」写尽三月的春半——白日当天三月半，正是春半日暖的写照，那「三月半」写尽老女的嫁不售；那「东家老女嫁不售」写尽老女的嫁不售，那「白日当天三月半」写尽三月的春半，一写老女，一写春半，写尽老女的嫁不售——老女难嫁而春半日暖，正是身世的写照；此二句以老女、春半写尽老女的嫁不售，也为下文的公主作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写不售的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「东家的老女儿嫁不出去，白天当空正是三月半」，则失其感慨；唯以「东家老女嫁不售」写嫁不售、「白日当天三月半」写三月半，写尽老女的嫁不售，也让此二句成为全诗写不售的核心。

These two lines are the core of the whole poem on 'remaining unwed,' writing the old maid's unmarried plight and the mid-spring noon, an age-old celebrated couplet. 'The old daughter of the eastern household cannot find a husband' writes the old maid of the next house whom no one will marry, exhausting the plight of the aging spinster. 'The sun stands overhead, mid-third-month' writes the sun at its height and the middle of the third month, the peak of spring. The deep meaning lies in setting the old maid's unwed lot against the mid-spring warmth—the old maid hard to marry while the spring day is warm, precisely the portrait of a lot; it paves the way for the princess below, and made these two lines the core and the celebrated verse of the whole.

归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹

Home again, tossing until the fifth watch; the swallows between the beams hear the long sigh.

归来展转到五更，梁间燕子闻长叹。

Returning home, I toss and turn until the fifth watch; the swallows under the eaves hear my long-drawn sigh.

此二句是全诗写长叹的核心，以归来展转到五更写到五更，以梁间燕子闻长叹写闻长叹，写尽燕子的长叹，是千古名句。「归来展转到五更」写归来展转到五更——那「归来展转」写归来展转，「到五更」写到五更，写尽展转的五更；「梁间燕子闻长叹」写梁间燕子闻长叹——那「梁间燕子」写梁间燕子，「闻长叹」写闻长叹，写尽燕子的长叹。这句的深意在于：它以「归来展转到五更」的到五更与「梁间燕子闻长叹」的闻长叹，写尽燕子的长叹——归来展转到五更，那「归来展转到五更」写尽展转的五更——归来展转到五更，正是展转难眠的写照，那「到五更」写尽燕子的长叹；梁间燕子闻长叹，那「梁间燕子闻长叹」写尽燕子的长叹——梁间燕子闻长叹，正是燕子闻叹的写照，那「闻长叹」写尽燕子的长叹；那「归来展转到五更」写尽展转的五更，那「梁间燕子闻长叹」写尽燕子的长叹，一写展转，一写燕叹，写尽燕子的长叹——展转到五更而燕子闻叹，正是身世的写照；此二句以展转、燕叹写尽燕子的长叹，也让此二句成为全诗写长叹的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「归来辗转反侧直到五更，梁间的燕子也听到我的长叹」，则失其沉哀；唯以「归来展转到五更」写到五更、「梁间燕子闻长叹」写闻长叹，写尽燕子的长叹，也让此二句成为全诗写长叹的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem on the 'long sigh,' writing the tossing until dawn and the swallows hearing the sigh, an age-old couplet. 'Home again, tossing until the fifth watch' writes the restless turning home until the fifth watch, exhausting the sleeplessness. 'The swallows between the beams hear the long sigh' writes the swallows on the beam overhearing the deep sigh, exhausting the bird's witness. The deep meaning lies in setting the restless dawn tossing against the swallows hearing the sigh—the turning until dawn while the swallows hear, precisely the portrait of a lot; it made these two lines the core and celebrated verse on the long sigh, the沉哀 of which is fully present.

Study

Word focus

哀 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「何处哀筝随急管」之「哀」字是写感慨的关键词，一个「哀」字写尽哀筝的急管。哀者，悲哀、哀怨也。李商隐以「何处哀筝随急管」写感慨，这个「哀」字至少有双重意味：其一，写筝之哀——那「何处哀筝随急管」写何处哀筝随急管，那「哀」字写尽哀筝的急管——哀筝，正是哀怨之筝的写照，那「哀」字写尽哀筝的急管；其二，写情之悲——那「哀」字更是写悲——哀，正见身世凄凉的悲哀，那「哀」字写尽李商隐的深婉。以「哀」字写感慨，正是李商隐写身世的枢纽——若换作「悲」「愁」等字，则或失其与「何处」「筝随急管」的配合，或失其写哀的意味；唯「哀」字，以何处哀筝随急管写尽筝声之哀怨与身世之凄凉，与「东家老女嫁不售」的老女相合，写尽哀筝的急管，也让「何处哀筝随急管」成为全诗写感慨的名句。

叹 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「梁间燕子闻长叹」之「叹」字是写长叹的关键词，一个「叹」字写尽燕子的长叹。叹者，叹息、感叹也。李商隐以「梁间燕子闻长叹」写长叹，这个「叹」字至少有双重意味：其一，写叹之长——那「梁间燕子闻长叹」写梁间燕子闻长叹，那「叹」字写尽燕子的长叹——长叹，正是长长叹息的写照，那「叹」字写尽燕子的长叹；其二，写情之深——那「叹」字更是写深——叹，正见身世之悲的深长，那「叹」字写尽李商隐的深婉。以「叹」字写长叹，正是李商隐写身世的枢纽——若换作「息」「泣」等字，则或失其与「梁间燕子」「长叹」的配合，或失其写叹的意味；唯「叹」字，以梁间燕子闻长叹写尽叹息之绵长与身世之悲深，与「归来展转到五更」的五更相合，写尽燕子的长叹，也让「梁间燕子闻长叹」成为全诗写长叹的名句。