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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

舟中读元九诗

The, Reading, the, Poems, of, the, Yuan, the, Nine, on, the, Boat

白居易

Bai Juyi

怀友friendship / memory 羁旅Theme

把君诗卷灯前读，诗尽灯残天未明。
眼痛灭灯犹闇坐，逆风吹浪打船声。

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Meaning

A poem of the reading and the longing, written by Bai Juyi. Holding the scroll of your poems before the lamp reading, the poems ended the lamp dim the heaven not yet bright — the reading of the opening. The eyes aching the extinguishing the lamp still sitting in the dark, the wind against blowing the waves the sound of the beating the boat — the longing of the close. The poem is the reading and the longing: the scroll, the lamp, and the close's longing.

把您的诗卷拿到灯前诵读，诗读完了，灯油将尽，天还未明。眼痛了，吹灭灯，还是独自坐着，只听见逆风吹浪拍打船身的声音。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Holding, the, scroll, of, your, poems, before, the, lamp, reading, the, poems, ended, the, lamp, dim, the, heaven, not, yet, bright. The, eyes, aching, the, extinguishing, the, lamp, still, sitting, in, the, dark, the, wind, against, blowing, the, waves, the, sound, of, the, beating, the, boat. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the reading of the scroll with the lamp, through the poem ended and the heaven not bright, to the close's the longing of the beating the boat. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the longing: the eyes aching the extinguishing the lamp still sitting in the dark, and the close's the wind against blowing the waves the sound of the beating the boat — the reading gathered in the dark and the close's longing. [Emotional Tone] Lonely, tender, and longing: the poem is the lamp, the dark and the close's longing.

【白话串讲】白居易写《舟中读元九诗》：“把君诗卷灯前读，诗尽灯残天未明”——“眼痛灭灯犹闇坐，逆风吹浪打船声”——他在船上读元稹的诗，读到灯残天未明——他写对友人的思念。【意象与手法】此诗写舟中夜读友人诗卷的深情，是白居易怀友诗的名篇。前两句「把君诗卷灯前读，诗尽灯残天未明」写灯前夜读友人诗卷——「把君诗卷」写捧读友人诗卷的郑重，「灯前读」写灯下夜读，「诗尽灯残天未明」写诗读完了、灯油将尽、天还未明，写尽彻夜苦读；后两句「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐，逆风吹浪打船声」写读完后的独坐——「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」写眼痛灭灯、仍独坐黑暗，「逆风吹浪打船声」写只听逆风吹浪拍船，以景写情。全诗以朴素的语言写深挚的友情，于舟中夜读的细节中见深情，正是白居易「平易近人」诗风的代表。【情感与主旨】此诗约作于唐宪宗元和十年（815）前后。元九即元稹，白居易的挚友。元和年间，白居易与元稹同在长安为官，唱和甚多，世称「元白」。元和五年（810），元稹被贬江陵士曹参军；元和十年（815），白居易也因宰相武元衡被刺事直言进谏，被贬江州司马。此诗写于白居易被贬途中或贬所舟中，夜读元稹的诗卷，怀念远方的友人。诗中的「逆风吹浪打船声」，既是舟行的实景，也是诗人贬谪途中心境的写照。全诗以舟中夜读的细节写怀友之情，寄寓了诗人贬谪中的孤寂与对友人的思念。【名句点睛】常考「把君诗卷灯前读，诗尽灯残天未明」写彻夜夜读的深情；「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」写独坐的细节；结句「逆风吹浪打船声」以景写情、以声写寂的妙处；以及全诗朴素自然、平易近人、于细节中见深情的诗风。

Background

Bai Juyi (772-846), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Reading, the, Poems, of, the, Yuan, the, Nine, on, the, Boat' of the reading and the longing — the longing of the reading the poems of the friend on the boat. The reading of the scroll with the lamp, and the close's the longing of the beating the boat — the poem gathers the longing of the poet, the friendship of the exile. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the friendship.

此诗约作于唐宪宗元和十年（815）前后，时白居易被贬江州途中或谪居江州之际。白居易（772—846），字乐天，号香山居士，唐代伟大的现实主义诗人，与元稹并称「元白」。元九即元稹，字微之，是白居易的挚友与诗友。元和年间，二人同在长安为官，唱和甚多，共同倡导新乐府运动，世称「元白」。元和五年（810），元稹因弹劾不法官吏，被贬为江陵士曹参军；元和十年（815），平卢节度使李师道派人刺杀宰相武元衡，白居易上书请捕刺客，被认为越职言事，被贬为江州司马。此诗即写于白居易被贬途中或谪居江州时，舟中夜读元稹的诗卷。诗题「舟中读元九诗」，点明写作地点（舟中）与事件（读元九诗）。诗中「把君诗卷灯前读，诗尽灯残天未明」写灯前夜读元稹诗卷直至灯残，「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」写眼痛灭灯仍独坐，皆写彻夜读诗的深情；「逆风吹浪打船声」以舟行江上的逆风浪声写当时的处境。元稹此时亦在贬所（江陵），白居易此诗既是怀友，也是同病相怜——两位同倡新乐府的诗友，此时皆遭贬谪，天各一方，白居易舟中夜读元稹的诗，正如读知己之心声，遂有此作。此诗是理解白居易与元稹深厚友情的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the longing. The reading opens: holding, the, scroll, of, your, poems, before, the, lamp, reading — the scroll of the reading; the, poems, ended, the, lamp, dim, the, heaven, not, yet, bright — the lamp of the not yet bright. The longing follows: the, eyes, aching, the, extinguishing, the, lamp, still, sitting, in, the, dark — the eyes of the sitting in the dark; the, wind, against, blowing, the, waves, the, sound, of, the, beating, the, boat — the wind of the beating the boat — the reading, the dark and the close's longing, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以动作写深情的起笔。「把君诗卷灯前读」写捧读友人诗卷——那「把」字写双手捧起诗卷的郑重，「灯前读」写灯下夜读，以动作写对友人诗作的珍重。其二，以时间写彻夜。「诗尽灯残天未明」写诗读完了、灯油将尽、天还未明——那「诗尽」「灯残」「天未明」三个短句，写尽彻夜苦读——诗读完了，灯油将尽，天还未亮，以时间的流逝写读诗之久与思念之深。其三，以细节写独坐。「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」写眼痛灭灯、仍独坐黑暗——那「眼痛」写读到眼痛，「灭灯」写吹灭油灯，「犹闇坐」写仍坐在黑暗中，以「犹」字写读完后不舍离去、独坐沉思，细节真切。其四，以景写情收束。「逆风吹浪打船声」写只听逆风吹浪拍船——那「逆风」写逆风而行，「浪打船声」写浪打船身的声响，以听觉写孤寂，以景写情，声在景中，情在声外。四重手法，使此诗以朴素的语言写深挚的友情，正是白居易「平易近人」而情味深长诗风的代表。

Allusions

'The lamp dim' (deng can) is the lamp dim — the lamp of the dim, the ending of the opening; 'the beating the boat' (da chuan) is the beating the boat — the beating of the boat, the sound of the close — the waves of the beating the boat, the sound of the wind.

此诗虽用语平易，其怀友之情却深植于「元白」唱和的传统。白居易与元稹同年登科，同倡新乐府，唱和数十载，诗简往来不绝，「元白」并称传为文坛佳话；此诗「把君诗卷灯前读」，正是这种以诗为媒、以诗传情友情的写照，令人想到「心有灵犀一点通」的知音意象，也令人想到「海内存知己，天涯若比邻」的相知传统。舟中夜读，灯前展卷，更有「孤舟蓑笠翁」的江上孤影与「一盏秋灯夜读书」的文人夜读意象交叠其间，为平实的叙述平添苍茫；末句「逆风吹浪打船声」更与「长恨人心不如水，等闲平地起波澜」（刘禹锡《竹枝词》）的世路感慨相通，暗写诗人贬谪江州、逆风而行的身世。全诗以怀友写身世，以家常语写真性情，正是白居易「以俗为雅」的本领。此诗虽用语平易，其怀友之情却深植于「元白」唱和的传统。白居易与元稹同年登科，同倡新乐府，唱和数十载，诗简往来不绝，「元白」并称传为文坛佳话；此诗「把君诗卷灯前读」，正是这种以诗为媒、以诗传情友情的写照，令人想到「心有灵犀一点通」的知音意象，也令人想到「海内存知己，天涯若比邻」的相知传统。舟中夜读，灯前展卷，更有「孤舟蓑笠翁」的江上孤影与「一盏秋灯夜读书」的文人夜读意象交叠其间，为平实的叙述平添苍茫；末句「逆风吹浪打船声」更与「长恨人心不如水，等闲平地起波澜」（刘禹锡《竹枝词》）的世路感慨相通，暗写诗人贬谪江州、逆风而行的身世。全诗以怀友写身世，以家常语写真性情，正是白居易「以俗为雅」的本领。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Bai Juyi's poems of the friendship, quoted for the tenderness of its opening and the depth of its close. The lamp of the not yet bright, and the beating the boat of the wind, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's longing: the reading gathered in the dark, to the close's waves.

此诗历来被推为白居易怀友诗的名篇，也是其「平易近人」诗风的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：宋人评此诗「语浅情深，于细节中见至情」；近人更指出「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」以细节写独坐，「逆风吹浪打船声」以景写情，是白居易怀友诗的典范。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以朴素的语言写尽舟中夜读友人诗卷的深情——那捧读诗卷的郑重，那彻夜苦读的专注，那眼痛独坐的沉思，那逆风浪声的孤寂，都写尽了这位「诗魔」对挚友元稹的思念；那「逆风吹浪打船声」以景写情，更是借景抒情的名句。此诗与白居易的《蓝桥驿见元九诗》（「蓝桥春雪君归日」）同为怀元稹的名篇，一写舟中夜读，一写驿中见诗；又与元稹的唱和诗一脉相承，可见「元白」深厚的情谊。对于今日读者，此诗是理解白居易与元稹友情的窗口，也是中国诗写怀友的经典——那灯残独坐的夜、逆风打船的浪，穿越千年，仍在诉说着一位诗人在贬谪途中对挚友的深情。

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 tender longing.押平声庚韵（明、声），两联皆押韵，平韵悠长，正合怀友的深情

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the longing: the level opening with the reading, the turning with the dark, and the close's fall with the boat.此诗为七言绝句，四句两联，起承转合分明。全诗平起平收，节奏平稳，于平易中见顿挫。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its depth: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'ni feng chui lang da chuan sheng' — falls with the boat, the sound of the longing of the friendship poet.此诗为七言绝句，四句：前两句叙事（把君诗卷灯前读，诗尽灯残天未明），后两句抒情写景（眼痛灭灯犹闇坐，逆风吹浪打船声）。押平声庚韵，韵脚「明、声」皆平声，悠长舒缓，正合怀友的深情。全诗以朴素的语言叙事写景——前两句写灯前夜读至灯残，后两句写眼痛独坐听浪声，起承转合，一气呵成。此诗最见白居易「平易近人」而情味深长的特点：语言不事雕琢，如口语般自然，却于「诗尽灯残天未明」「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」的细节中写尽深情，「逆风吹浪打船声」更以景收束，余味不尽。诵读此诗，宜以平静的语调读前两句的夜读，以低回的语调读「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」的独坐，结句「逆风吹浪打船声」要读得悠远而有余响，方能传达出舟中夜读怀友的深情。白居易绝句以「浅近而有味」著称，此诗正是其怀友七绝的典范。

Line by line

把君诗卷灯前读，诗尽灯残天未明

I take your scroll of poems and read before the lamp; the poems done, the lamp dying, the sky not yet dawn.

把您的诗卷拿到灯前诵读，诗读完了，灯油将尽，天还未明。

Holding your scroll, I read by the lamp; the poems end, the lamp burns low, and the sky is not yet dawn.

此联写灯前夜读友人诗卷的深情，是全诗的起笔。「把君诗卷灯前读」写捧读友人诗卷——那「把」字写双手捧起诗卷的郑重，「君诗卷」写元稹的诗卷，「灯前读」写灯下夜读，以动作写对友人诗作的珍重；「诗尽灯残天未明」写诗读完了、灯油将尽、天还未明——那「诗尽」写诗卷读完，「灯残」写灯油将尽，「天未明」写天还未亮，三个短句写尽彻夜苦读。这句的深意在于：它以「诗尽灯残天未明」的时间描写，写尽白居易彻夜读诗的深情——诗读完了，灯油将尽，天还未明，说明他读了一夜；那「把君诗卷灯前读」的郑重，那「诗尽灯残天未明」的彻夜，写尽对友人诗作的珍视与对友人的思念——读友人的诗，如见友人，一夜读尽，还嫌不够。若换作直说「我读了你一夜的诗」，则失其细节；唯以「灯残天未明」的时间描写，写尽彻夜苦读的深情，也让此联成为写夜读怀友的名句。「把君诗卷灯前读」写灯前读诗之专，「诗尽灯残天未明」写读尽诗卷而灯残天未明，一夜未眠，正见对友人情谊之深。

This couplet writes the deep feeling of reading a friend's poems by lamp at night, the poem's opening. 'I take your scroll of poems and read before the lamp' - the word 'take' holding the scroll with both hands in reverence, 'your scroll' Yuan Zhen's poems, 'before the lamp' the night reading, the action writing the treasuring of the friend's verse; 'the poems done, the lamp dying, the sky not yet dawn' - the scroll finished, the lamp oil spent, the sky not light, three short phrases writing the all-night reading. The line's depth: the time-writing of 'the poems done, the lamp dying, the sky not yet dawn' showing Bai Juyi read all night - the poems done, the lamp low, the sky not dawn, meaning he read through the night; the reverence of 'take your scroll and read before the lamp' and the all-night 'lamp dying, sky not dawn' writing the treasuring of the friend's verse and the longing for the friend - reading the friend's poems is as seeing the friend, the whole night not enough. If one said plainly 'I read your poems all night,' the detail would be lost; only the lamp low and the sky not yet dawn hold the all-night devotion. The 'take your scroll and read before the lamp' the专注 of reading by lamp, 'the poems done, the lamp dying, the sky not yet dawn' the scroll finished and the lamp spent, the night unwaked, showing the depth of the friendship.

眼痛灭灯犹闇坐，逆风吹浪打船声

My eyes ache; I put out the lamp and still sit in the dark; the contrary wind drives the waves that beat against the boat.

眼痛了，吹灭灯，还是独自坐着，只听见逆风吹浪拍打船身的声音。

My eyes ache; I snuff the lamp and still sit in the dark; the opposing wind piles up the waves that drum against the boat.

此联写读完后的独坐与孤寂，以景写情，是全诗的高潮。「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」写眼痛灭灯、仍独坐黑暗——那「眼痛」写读到眼痛，「灭灯」写吹灭油灯，「犹闇坐」写仍独自坐在黑暗中，以「犹」字写读完后的不舍与沉思；「逆风吹浪打船声」写只听逆风吹浪拍船——那「逆风」写逆风而行，「浪打船声」写浪打船身的声响，以听觉写孤寂。这句的深意在于：它以「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」的细节与「逆风吹浪打船声」的声响，写尽白居易读完友人诗卷后的心境——诗读完了，灯灭了，人却仍独坐黑暗之中，久久不能入睡，只听逆风吹浪、拍打船身；那「犹闇坐」写尽独坐的沉思与不舍，那「逆风吹浪打船声」以声写寂、以景写情，浪声愈响，孤寂愈深，也暗写诗人贬谪途中的逆风行舟。若换作直说「我睡不着很孤独」，则失其含蓄；唯以「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」的细节与「逆风吹浪打船声」的声响，写尽独坐的孤寂与心境的苍凉，也让此联成为全诗最动人的一笔。

This couplet writes the sitting-alone after the reading and the loneliness, writing feeling through scene, the poem's climax. 'My eyes ache; I put out the lamp and still sit in the dark' - the eyes aching from reading, the lamp snuffed, 'still sit in the dark' the word 'still' writing the reluctance and thought after the reading; 'the contrary wind drives the waves that beat against the boat' - the contrary wind, the sound of waves beating the hull, the hearing writing the solitude. The line's depth: the detail of 'eyes ache, lamp out, still sitting in the dark' and the sound of 'contrary wind waves beating the boat' writing Bai Juyi's mood after reading the friend's scroll - the poems done, the lamp out, yet the man still sitting alone in the dark, long unable to sleep, only hearing the contrary wind drive the waves against the hull; the 'still sitting in the dark' writing the musing and reluctance, the 'contrary wind waves beating the boat' writing the solitude through sound, the louder the waves the deeper the loneliness, darkly writing the poet's boat sailing against the wind on his demotion road. If one said plainly 'I can't sleep and feel lonely,' the reserve would be lost; only the aching eyes snuffing the lamp to sit in the dark and the contrary wind's waves drumming the boat hold the desolation.

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Word focus

闇 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」之「闇」字是写独坐的关键字，一个「闇」字写尽黑暗中的孤寂。闇者，黑暗、昏暗也（同「暗」）。白居易以「犹闇坐」写读完诗后的独坐，这个「闇」字至少有双重意味：其一，写环境之暗——那「闇坐」写坐在黑暗中，灯已吹灭，四周昏黑，写尽环境的幽暗；其二，写心境之暗——那「闇」字更是写心境——读完友人诗卷，思绪万千，独坐黑暗之中，那「闇」写尽心境的幽暗与沉思。以「闇」字写独坐，正是白居易写孤寂的枢纽——若换作「独」「静」等字，则或失其与「灭灯」的照应，或失其黑暗的氛围；唯「闇」字，以一字写尽灭灯后黑暗中的独坐与沉思，与「逆风吹浪打船声」的声响相对，写尽舟中夜读后的孤寂，也让「眼痛灭灯犹闇坐」成为写独坐的名句。

打 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「逆风吹浪打船声」之「打」字是写浪声的关键字，一个「打」字写尽浪拍船身的声响与力度。打者，拍打、撞击也。白居易以「浪打船声」写舟行的声响，这个「打」字至少有双重意味：其一，写浪之有力——那「打」写浪花拍打船身的声响，那「打船声」写浪打船身的声音，写尽风浪的力度；其二，写心之激荡——那「打」字更是写心境——浪打船身，声声入耳，那「打」写尽诗人被贬谪途中心潮的激荡与不得安宁。以「打」字写浪，正是白居易以声写情的妙笔——若换作「拍」「击」等字，则或失其口语的朴素，或失其声响的力度；唯「打」字，以一字写尽浪打船身的声响与心境的激荡，与「逆风」相合，写尽舟行的艰难与贬谪的孤寂，也让「逆风吹浪打船声」成为以景写情的名句。