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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

舟夜赠内

The, Night, on, the, Boat, Presented, to, the, Wife

白居易

Bai Juyi

羁旅Theme 思乡Homesickness

三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身。
莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人。

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Meaning

A poem of the night and the consolation, written by Bai Juyi. After the three cries of the apes the tears of the homesickness falling, a single leaf of the boat carrying the body of the illness — the sorrow of the opening. Do not lean on the water window looking the north and the south, the moon bright the moon dim always the sorrow of the man — the consolation of the close. The poem is the night and the consolation: the tears, the moon, and the close's consolation.

三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身。莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] After, the, three, cries, of, the, apes, the, tears, of, the, homesickness, falling, a, single, leaf, of, the, boat, carrying, the, body, of, the, illness. Do, not, lean, on, the, water, window, looking, the, north, and, the, south, the, moon, bright, the, moon, dim, always, the, sorrow, of, the, man. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the sorrow of the tears with the boat, through the body of the illness, to the close's the consolation of the moon. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the consolation: do not lean on the water window looking the north and the south, and the close's the moon bright the moon dim always the sorrow of the man — the night gathered in the sorrow and the close's consolation. [Emotional Tone] Sorrowful, tender, and consoling: the poem is the tears, the moon and the close's consolation.

【白话串讲】白居易写《舟夜赠内》：“三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身”——“莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人”——他在病中乘舟，写给妻子——他说别凭窗远望，月明月暗都愁人。【意象与手法】此诗写羁旅，以思亲写羁旅，是白居易的名篇。前二句写舟中：「三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身」写三声猿后垂乡泪、一叶舟中载病身——写尽舟中的愁病；后二句写劝慰：「莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人」写莫凭水窗南北望——写尽劝慰的深情。全诗以思亲写羁旅，写尽舟中的愁病与劝慰的深情，是白居易的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写羁旅，以思亲写羁旅，是白居易的名篇。此诗写白居易旅舟之上赠内子（妻子）之作。白居易宦游在外，舟中闻猿啼而垂乡泪，一叶扁舟载着病身；因劝内子莫凭窗南望北望，无论月明月暗，望乡总是愁人。此诗写羁旅，兼有劝慰，正是白居易伉俪情深的写照。此诗写舟中：三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身——写三声猿后垂乡泪、一叶舟中载病身，写尽舟中的愁病；莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人——写莫凭水窗南北望、月明月暗总愁人，写尽劝慰的深情。全诗以思亲写羁旅——那「一叶舟中载病身」写尽舟中的愁病，「月明月暗总愁人」写尽劝慰的深情，写尽舟中的愁病与劝慰的深情，是理解白居易羁旅诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身」写舟中的愁病；「莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人」写劝慰的深情；以及全诗以思亲写羁旅、以劝慰写深情的手法。

Background

Bai Juyi (772-846), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Night, on, the, Boat, Presented, to, the, Wife' of the night and the consolation — the consolation of the night on the boat with the wife. The sorrow of the tears with the boat, and the close's the consolation of the moon — the poem gathers the tenderness of the poet, the consolation of the wife. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the love.

此诗写羁旅，以思亲写羁旅，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。此诗写白居易旅舟之上赠内子（妻子）之作。白居易宦游在外，舟中闻猿啼而垂乡泪，一叶扁舟载着病身；因劝内子莫凭窗南望北望，无论月明月暗，望乡总是愁人。此诗写羁旅，兼有劝慰，正是白居易伉俪情深的写照。此诗写舟中：「三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身」写三声猿后垂乡泪、一叶舟中载病身——写尽舟中的愁病（三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身）；「莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人」写莫凭水窗南北望、月明月暗总愁人——写尽劝慰的深情（莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人）。全诗以思亲写羁旅，写尽舟中的愁病与劝慰的深情，是理解白居易羁旅诗的重要篇章。白居易早年宦游四方，多有思亲念家之作。此诗写于旅舟之上，或因出使或贬谪途中。白居易与夫人杨氏伉俪情深，此诗虽写乡愁，却以劝慰收束——劝内子莫望乡以免愁，正是反写己愁而体贴对方的深婉笔法。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the consolation. The sorrow opens: after, the, three, cries, of, the, apes, the, tears, of, the, homesickness, falling — the tears of the falling; a, single, leaf, of, the, boat, carrying, the, body, of, the, illness — the boat of the carrying the illness. The consolation follows: do, not, lean, on, the, water, window, looking, the, north, and, the, south — the water window of the not leaning; the, moon, bright, the, moon, dim, always, the, sorrow, of, the, man — the moon of the always the sorrow — the sorrow, the night and the close's consolation, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以用典写乡愁。「三声猿后垂乡泪」以用典写乡愁——那「三声猿」用猿鸣之典写乡愁，以用典写尽舟中的愁病。其二，以小写大。「一叶舟中载病身」以小写大——那「一叶舟」写尽扁舟之小，以小写尽羁旅的孤苦。其三，以劝慰写深情。「莫凭水窗南北望」以劝慰写深情——那「莫凭」写尽劝慰的叮嘱，以劝慰写尽伉俪的深情。其四，以对举写愁人。「月明月暗总愁人」以对举写愁人——那「月明」「月暗」写尽明暗的对举，以对举写尽望乡的愁人。此外，此诗前二句写舟中的愁病，后二句写劝慰的深情，由病及劝，正是羁旅诗「以情写愁」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以思亲写羁旅，写尽舟中的愁病与劝慰的深情，是白居易的代表作。此诗还善于以「三声猿后垂乡泪」的典后写泪——那「三声猿后」用《水经注》猿鸣三声泪沾裳之典，正见闻猿而泪的愁苦，以用典写尽舟中的愁病。又善以「月明月暗总愁人」的对举写望乡——月明月暗总愁人，正见无论明暗皆愁的深情，以对举写尽望乡的愁人。

Allusions

'The three cries of the apes' (san sheng yuan) are the three cries of the apes — the cries of the three, the tears of the opening — the allusion of the Three Gorges: 'the cries of the apes of the Three Gorges, the tears of the dress of the traveler'; 'the single leaf of the boat' (yi ye zhou) is the single leaf of the boat — the boat of the single leaf, the carrying of the middle.

此诗的用语深植于羁旅与思亲传统。「三声猿」典出北魏郦道元《水经注·江水》——「巴东三峡巫峡长，猿鸣三声泪沾裳」，猿鸣三声令人落泪，白居易以「三声猿」写乡愁；「乡泪」令人想到「乡泪」写思乡的意象——也令人想到「近乡情更怯」的意象；「一叶舟」令人想到「一叶舟」写扁舟的意象——也令人想到「一叶扁舟」的意象；「病身」令人想到「病身」写病体的意象——也令人想到「多病故人疏」（孟浩然）的意象；「水窗」令人想到「水窗」写舟窗的意象——也令人想到「船舷暝戛云际寺」的意象；「月明月暗」令人想到「月明月暗」写明月的意象——也令人想到「月是故乡明」（杜甫）的意象。全诗化用三声猿、乡泪、一叶舟、病身、水窗、月明月暗的意象典故，以思亲写羁旅，正是白居易「平易」而善写情、承羁旅传统写乡愁之本领。「垂乡泪」令人想到「泪垂」的意象——也令人想到崔颢《黄鹤楼》「日暮乡关何处是」的乡愁意象；「水窗」令人想到「船窗」的意象——也令人想到「夜雨闻铃」之外的舟窗意象，以水窗写舟中的孤寂。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Bai Juyi's poems of the love, quoted for the sorrow of its opening and the tenderness of its close. The tears of the falling, and the moon of the always the sorrow, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's consolation: the night gathered in the sorrow, to the close's tenderness.

此诗历来被推为白居易羁旅诗的名篇，也是唐诗写伉俪情深与羁旅乡愁的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以思亲写羁旅，真挚深婉」；近人更指出「月明月暗总愁人」写劝慰的深情，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舟中的愁病与劝慰的深情——那三声猿，那乡泪，那一叶舟，那病身，那水窗，那南北望，那月明，那月暗，那总愁人，都写尽了白居易笔下的舟夜；那「莫凭水窗南北望」更以劝慰写尽伉俪的深情。此诗与白居易《邯郸冬至夜思家》（「想得家中夜深坐」）同为思亲名篇，一写「还应说着远行人」的家中（邯郸冬至夜思家），一写「一叶舟中载病身」的舟中（舟夜赠内）；又与杜甫《月夜》「香雾云鬟湿」的思内传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写伉俪的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解白居易羁旅诗的窗口，也是唐诗写伉俪的经典——那望月愁人的心，穿越千年，仍在诉说着舟中的深情。

Prosody

Form A quatrain of the love (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 tender consolation.七绝，押「身」「人」韵（上平十一真），一韵到底，音节沉挚

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the consolation: the level opening with the sorrow, the turning with the window, and the close's fall with the man.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节沉挚，正合羁旅的沉挚。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its tenderness: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'yue ming yue an zong chou ren' — falls with the man, the sound of the consolation of the love poet.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身。莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人」，押「真」韵（身、人），一韵到底，音节沉挚。全诗以思亲写羁旅：前二句写舟中的愁病（三声猿后垂乡泪、一叶舟中载病身），后二句写劝慰的深情（莫凭水窗南北望、月明月暗总愁人）。四句短章，前写愁病，后写劝慰，以「月明月暗总愁人」写尽望乡的愁人，正见白居易「平易」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以沉挚的语调读「一叶舟中载病身」的愁病，以深情的语调读「莫凭水窗南北望」的劝慰，结句要读得沉挚而有余韵，方能传达出白居易的真挚深婉。白居易绝句以「平易」著称，此诗正是其羁旅诗的典范。

Line by line

莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人

Do not lean on the water-window and gaze north and south; whether the moon shines or is dim, it always makes one grieve.

莫凭水窗南北望，月明月暗总愁人。

Do not lean on the water-window and gaze north or south; whether the moon is bright or hidden, it always brings grief.

此二句是全诗写劝慰的核心，以莫凭水窗南北望写莫望，以月明月暗总愁人写愁人，写尽劝慰的深情，是千古名句。「莫凭水窗南北望」写莫凭水窗南北望——那「莫凭水窗」写莫凭水窗，「南北望」写南北望，写尽劝慰的莫望；「月明月暗总愁人」写月明月暗总愁人——那「月明」「月暗」写月明月暗，「总愁人」写总愁人，写尽明暗的愁人。这句的深意在于：它以「莫凭水窗南北望」的莫望与「月明月暗总愁人」的愁人，写尽劝慰的深情——莫凭水窗南北望，那「莫凭水窗南北望」写尽劝慰的莫望——莫凭水窗，正是劝其莫望的写照，那「南北望」写尽劝慰的深情；月明月暗总愁人，那「月明月暗总愁人」写尽明暗的愁人——月明月暗，正是无论明暗的写照，那「总愁人」写尽望乡的愁人；那「莫凭水窗南北望」写尽劝慰的莫望，那「月明月暗总愁人」写尽明暗的愁人，一写莫望，一写愁人，写尽劝慰的深情——莫凭窗望而月总愁人，正是为对方着想的写照；此二句以莫望、愁人写尽劝慰的深情，也让此二句成为全诗写劝慰的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「你别看窗外了，看了更想家」，则失其深情；唯以「莫凭水窗南北望」写莫望、「月明月暗总愁人」写愁人，写尽劝慰的深情，也让此二句成为全诗写劝慰的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's comfort, 'do not lean on the water-window and gaze north and south' the forbidding to gaze, 'whether the moon shines or is dim, it always makes one grieve' the grief, writing the deep comfort, a famous line. 'Do not lean on the water-window and gaze north and south' - the 'do not lean' the urging her not to gaze, the 'north and south' writing the depth of the comfort; 'whether the moon shines or is dim, it always makes one grieve' - bright or dim the moon, 'always makes one grieve' the homesickness whoever looks. Not leaning to gaze and the moon always grieving, the portrait of thinking for the other; one line the forbidding, one the grief, the comfort complete. If one said plainly 'don't look out the window, you'll only miss home more,' the depth would be lost; only the not leaning on the water-window to gaze and the moon's brightness or darkness always grieving hold the tenderness.

三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身

After the three calls of the apes, homesick tears fall; in a leaf of a boat, a sick body is carried.

三声猿后垂乡泪，一叶舟中载病身。

After the apes' three cries, homesick tears fall; in a leaf of a boat, a sick body is carried.

此二句是全诗写愁病的核心，以三声猿后垂乡泪写乡泪，以一叶舟中载病身写病身，写尽舟中的愁病，是千古名句。「三声猿后垂乡泪」写三声猿后垂乡泪——那「三声猿后」写三声猿后，「垂乡泪」写垂乡泪，写尽猿后的乡泪；「一叶舟中载病身」写一叶舟中载病身——那「一叶舟中」写一叶舟中，「载病身」写载病身，写尽舟中的病身。这句的深意在于：它以「三声猿后垂乡泪」的乡泪与「一叶舟中载病身」的病身，写尽舟中的愁病——三声猿后垂乡泪，那「三声猿后垂乡泪」写尽猿后的乡泪——三声猿后，正是闻猿落泪的写照，那「垂乡泪」写尽舟中的愁病；一叶舟中载病身，那「一叶舟中载病身」写尽舟中的病身——一叶舟中，正是扁舟载身的写照，那「载病身」写尽羁旅的孤苦；那「三声猿后垂乡泪」写尽猿后的乡泪，那「一叶舟中载病身」写尽舟中的病身，一写乡泪，一写病身，写尽舟中的愁病——闻猿落泪而病身载舟，正是羁旅孤苦的写照；此二句以乡泪、病身写尽舟中的愁病，也为下文的劝慰作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写愁病的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我在船上又病又想家」，则失其凄楚；唯以「三声猿后垂乡泪」写乡泪、「一叶舟中载病身」写病身，写尽舟中的愁病，也让此二句成为全诗写愁病的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's grief and illness, 'after the three calls of the apes, homesick tears fall' the homesick tears, 'in a leaf of a boat, a sick body is carried' the sick body, writing the grief and illness in the boat, a famous line. 'After the three calls of the apes, homesick tears fall' - the apes' three cries (the classic sound that draws tears, from the Three Gorges), the tears at the ape's cry, the 'homesick tears' writing the boat's grief; 'in a leaf of a boat, a sick body is carried' - a leaf of a boat carrying the body, the lone boat bearing the man, the 'carries a sick body' writing the exile's loneliness. Tears at the ape's cry and the sick body in the boat, the portrait of the lonely exile; one line the tears, one the sick body, the grief and illness complete. If one said plainly 'I'm sick on the boat and homesick,' the pathos would be lost; only the tears after the apes' three cries and the sick body carried in a leaf of a boat hold the desolation.

Study

Word focus

莫 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「莫凭水窗南北望」之「莫」字是写劝慰的关键词，一个「莫」字写尽劝慰的深情。莫者，不要、勿也。白居易以「莫凭水窗南北望」写劝慰，这个「莫」字至少有双重意味：其一，写望之莫——那「莫凭水窗南北望」写莫凭水窗南北望，那「莫」字写尽劝慰的莫望——莫凭水窗，正是劝其莫望的写照，那「莫」字写尽劝慰的深情；其二，写情之护——那「莫」字更是写护——莫，正见为对方着想的呵护，那「莫」字写尽伉俪的深情。以「莫」字写劝慰，正是白居易写羁旅的枢纽——若换作「勿」「休」等字，则或失其与「凭水窗南北望」「月明月暗总愁人」的配合，或失其写莫的意味；唯「莫」字，以莫凭水窗南北望写尽望之劝阻与情之呵护，与「月明月暗总愁人」的愁人相合，写尽劝慰的深情，也让「莫凭水窗南北望」成为全诗写劝慰的名句。

总 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「月明月暗总愁人」之「总」字是写愁人的关键词，一个「总」字写尽明暗的愁人。总者，总是、一概也。白居易以「月明月暗总愁人」写愁人，这个「总」字至少有双重意味：其一，写明暗之总——那「月明月暗总愁人」写月明月暗总愁人，那「总」字写尽无论明暗的愁人——月明月暗，正是不论明暗的写照，那「总」字写尽望乡的愁人；其二，写愁之深——那「总」字更是写深——总，正见愁之无法避免，那「总」字写尽思乡的深愁。以「总」字写愁人，正是白居易写羁旅的枢纽——若换作「皆」「尽」等字，则或失其与「月明月暗」「愁人」的配合，或失其写总的意味；唯「总」字，以月明月暗总愁人写尽无论明暗之愁与无法避免之深，与「莫凭水窗南北望」的莫望相合，写尽望乡的愁人，也让「月明月暗总愁人」成为全诗写愁人的名句。