Tang poem · yuefu song with lines of mixed length唐诗 · 乐府·杂言

cháng长xiāng相sī思·qí其èr二

lǐ李bái白Li Bai · Tang唐

Endless Longing, No. 2

rì日sè色yù欲jìn尽huā花hán含yān烟

yuè月míng明yù欲sù素chóu愁bù不mián眠

zhào赵sè瑟chū初tíng停fèng凤huáng凰zhù柱

shǔ蜀qín琴yù欲zòu奏yuān鸳yāng鸯xián弦

cǐ此qǔ曲yǒu有yì意wú无rén人chuán传

yuàn愿suí随chūn春fēng风jì寄yān燕rán然

yì忆jūn君tiáo迢tiáo迢gé隔qīng青tiān天

xī昔shí时héng横bō波mù目

jīn今zuò作liú流lèi泪quán泉

bú不xìn信qiè妾cháng肠duàn断

guī归lái来kàn看qǔ取míng明jìng镜qián前

Underlined words have notes: tap one. The Pinyin button below shows or hides all pinyin. 一 and 不 are marked with the tone you actually say.字下有虚线的，点开有注释。下方的“拼音”按钮可以显示或隐藏全部拼音。“一”“不”标的是实际读出来的变调。

The source titles it "Miscellaneous Songs: Endless Longing, Three Poems, No. 2"; the shorter usual title is used here. Common editions such as Three Hundred Tang Poems differ from the source in a few words. In line 1 the source has "the daylight is gone" where they have "is almost gone". In lines 8 and 9 the source has slightly different words for "once" and "has become", with the same meaning. The common text is used here.

原始资料题作“杂曲歌辞·长相思三首·二”，这里按通行的说法题作“长相思·其二”。通行本（如《唐诗三百首》）与原始资料有几处不同：第一句原作“日色已尽”，通行本作“日色欲尽”；第八、九句原作“昔日横波目，今成流泪泉”，通行本作“昔时横波目，今作流泪泉”。这里从通行本。

Line by line逐句翻译

日色欲尽花含烟The daylight is nearly gone, and the flowers are wrapped in mist.太阳快落山了，花儿被暮色的雾气笼罩，
月明欲素愁不眠The moon grows white as silk, and I am too sad to sleep.月光像白绢一样，我心里发愁，睡不着觉。
赵瑟初停凤凰柱I have just stopped playing the se with its phoenix bridges,刚刚停下弹奏刻着凤凰的赵瑟，
蜀琴欲奏鸳鸯弦and now I want to play the paired strings of the qin.又想拨动蜀琴上成双的琴弦。
此曲有意无人传This tune is full of feeling, but no one will carry it,这曲子里满含情意，却没有人替我传送，
愿随春风寄燕然so I wish it could ride the spring wind to faraway Mount Yanran.但愿它随着春风，送到远方的燕然山。
忆君迢迢隔青天I miss you, but you are far away, beyond the blue sky.想念你，你却远在天的那一边。
昔时横波目These eyes that once shone like rippling water从前那双水波一样明亮的眼睛，
今作流泪泉have now become springs of tears.如今成了流泪的泉眼。
不信妾肠断If you do not believe my heart is broken,你要是不相信我伤心欲绝，
归来看取明镜前come home and look at me in front of the bright mirror.回来到明镜前看一看我吧。

Words字词注释

日色欲尽rì sè yù jìn: rì sè yù jìn: the daylight is almost gone.日色欲尽：太阳的光快要没了，天快黑了。
花含烟huā hán yān: huā hán yān: the flowers are wrapped in evening mist.花含烟：花被傍晚的雾气笼罩着。
欲素yù sù: yù sù: the moonlight is turning white as silk. Sù is plain white silk.欲素：月光白得像白绢一样。素，白色的绸子。
赵瑟zhào sè: Zhào sè: the se, a zither with many strings. People of the old state of Zhao were said to play it well.赵瑟：瑟是一种多弦的乐器。传说古代赵国人擅长弹瑟。
凤凰柱fèng huáng zhù: fèng huáng zhù: string bridges carved with phoenixes.凤凰柱：刻着凤凰的弦柱。
蜀琴shǔ qín: Shǔ qín: the qin, a seven-string zither. Shu, today's Sichuan, was said to make fine ones.蜀琴：琴是一种七弦乐器。传说古代蜀地（今天的四川）出好琴。
鸳鸯弦yuān yāng xián: yuān yāng xián: strings in pairs. Mandarin ducks always go in pairs, so they stand for a loving couple.鸳鸯弦：成双成对的琴弦。鸳鸯总是成对出现，这里比喻夫妻相爱。
有意yǒu yì: yǒu yì: full of feeling.有意：含着情意。
燕然yān rán: Yān rán: Mount Yanran, in today's Mongolia, here meaning the far frontier where her husband is.燕然：燕然山，在今天的蒙古国境内，这里指丈夫远在边塞的地方。
迢迢tiáo tiáo: tiáo tiáo: far, far away.迢迢：遥远的样子。
横波目héng bō mù: héng bō mù: eyes as bright and lively as rippling water.横波目：眼睛像流动的水波一样明亮动人。
流泪泉liú lèi quán: liú lèi quán: tears flowing like a spring that never stops.流泪泉：眼泪像泉水一样不停地流。
妾qiè: qiè: a humble word a woman used for herself in old times, meaning "I".妾：古代女子谦虚地称自己，就是“我”。
肠断cháng duàn: cháng duàn: heartbroken, sad beyond words.肠断：形容伤心到了极点。
看取kàn qǔ: kàn qǔ: take a look. Qǔ adds no meaning here.看取：看看。取，助词，没有实际意思。

How to read it读音

曲qǔ: Here it means a tune, so it is read qǔ.这里是“曲子”的意思，读 qǔ。
传chuán: Here it means to pass on, so it is read chuán.这里是“传送”的意思，读 chuán。
燕yān: In the mountain name Yanran it is read yān.“燕然”是山名，读 yān。
看kàn: Kàn qǔ just means "take a look"; here it is read kàn.“看取”就是看看，这里读 kàn。

Background创作背景

This poem also uses the old yuefu title "Endless Longing". A woman misses her husband far away at the frontier. Mount Yanran was on the northern frontier where wars were fought long ago, so it is usually read that her husband is a soldier there. We do not know when it was written. One view is that it also carries Li Bai's own feelings: talent left unused, and longing for the court.

这首诗也是用乐府旧题《长相思》写的，写一位女子思念远在边塞的丈夫。燕然山在北方边塞，是古代打仗的地方，所以一般理解为她的丈夫在那里从军。写作时间不清楚。一说诗里也寄托着李白自己怀才不遇、思念朝廷的心情。

The poet作者

Li Bai (701–762) was a great Tang poet, called the Immortal of Poetry. He wrote several poems titled "Endless Longing", and this one speaks in a woman's voice. He was good at showing the feelings of a wife left at home, and these lines are soft and delicate, very different from his usual bold style.

李白（701—762），唐代大诗人，人称“诗仙”。他写过好几首《长相思》，这一首是用女子的口气写的。他很会写思妇的心情，诗句柔和细腻，和他平时豪放的诗风很不一样。

The mood意境

It moves from evening into night. The sun sets, the flowers sink into mist, the moon grows whiter, and she cannot sleep. She tries music to ease her sorrow. She has just finished on the se, then turns to the qin. Phoenixes and mandarin ducks both come in pairs, yet she is alone. No one can carry the feeling in her tune, so she asks the spring wind to take it to Mount Yanran. The last lines move us most. Those eyes, once bright as rippling water, have become springs of tears. She says: if you do not believe how sad I am, come home and see me in the mirror. It is not a cry, but a hurt and stubborn line that makes your heart ache for her.

开头是傍晚到夜里：太阳落了，花在雾里，月亮越来越白，她却睡不着。她想用音乐解愁，刚弹完瑟，又去弹琴，“凤凰”“鸳鸯”都是成双的，偏偏她是一个人。曲子里的心意没人送，她只好请春风带到燕然山。最后几句最动人：从前那双水波一样的眼睛，现在成了泪泉。她说，你不信我有多伤心，就回来看看镜子里的我吧。这不是哭喊，而是一句又委屈又倔强的话，让人心疼。