Tang poem · seven-character regulated verse唐诗 · 七言律诗

hè和jiǎ贾shè舍rén人zǎo早cháo朝dà大míng明gōng宫zhī之zuò作

wáng王wéi维Wang Wei · Tang唐

Replying to Secretary Jia's Poem on the Morning Audience at Daming Palace

jiàng绛zé帻jī鸡rén人bào报xiǎo晓chóu筹

shàng尚yī衣fāng方jìn进cuì翠yún云qiú裘

jiǔ九tiān天chāng阊hé阖kāi开gōng宫diàn殿

wàn万guó国yī衣guān冠bài拜miǎn冕liú旒

rì日sè色cái才lín临xiān仙zhǎng掌dòng动

xiāng香yān烟yù欲bàng傍gǔn衮lóng龙fú浮

cháo朝bà罢xū须cái裁wǔ五sè色zhào诏

pèi佩shēng声guī归dào到fèng凤chí池tóu头

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 commonly taught text has bào, to announce, in the first line, and guī dào, to return to, in the last line. The source text has sòng, to bring, and guī xiàng, to go back toward. The meaning is about the same.

通行本第一句作“绛帻鸡人报晓筹”，最后一句作“佩声归到凤池头”。这里的底本作“送晓筹”“归向凤池头”，意思差不多。

Line by line逐句翻译

绛帻鸡人报晓筹The rooster man in his red headscarf calls out that dawn has come,戴着红头巾的报时人，高声报告天亮了，
尚衣方进翠云裘and the keeper of the wardrobe brings in the emperor's fur robe embroidered with green clouds.管衣服的官员正把绣着翠云的皮袍送给皇帝。
九天阊阖开宫殿Gate after gate of the palace, high as the gates of heaven, swings open,像天门一样高大的宫门一层层打开，
万国衣冠拜冕旒and envoys and officials from many lands bow to the emperor in his jade-bead crown.各国使者和百官一起朝拜戴着冕旒的皇帝。
日色才临仙掌动As soon as the sunlight reaches the hall, the great palm fans begin to move,阳光刚刚照到宫殿，仪仗的大扇子开始摆动，
香烟欲傍衮龙浮and incense smoke drifts close around the dragon robe.香炉的烟想要靠近龙袍，在四周轻轻飘浮。
朝罢须裁五色诏When the audience ends, Secretary Jia must go and draft orders on five-colored paper,朝会结束后，贾舍人还要去起草五色纸上的诏书，
佩声归到凤池头and with his jade pendants tinkling, he returns to the Phoenix Pool.一路玉佩叮当，回到中书省去。

Words字词注释

绛帻jiàng zé: jiàng zé: a deep red headscarf.绛帻：红色的头巾。
鸡人jī rén: jī rén: the rooster man, a palace servant who called out the time. He wore a red headscarf like a rooster's comb and called out at dawn.鸡人：宫里负责报时的人。他们戴着红头巾，像公鸡的红冠子，天亮时高声报晓。
报晓筹bào xiǎo chóu: bào xiǎo chóu: to announce that dawn has come. Xiǎo chóu were bamboo slips used for keeping time.报晓筹：报告天亮的时刻。晓筹，古代计时用的竹签。
尚衣shàng yī: shàng yī: the official in charge of the emperor's clothes.尚衣：专门给皇帝管理衣服的官。
方进fāng jìn: fāng jìn: just now bringing in.方进：正在送上。
翠云裘cuì yún qiú: cuì yún qiú: a fur robe embroidered with green clouds, the emperor's grand garment.翠云裘：绣着绿色云纹的皮袍，指皇帝的华丽衣服。
九天jiǔ tiān: jiǔ tiān: the highest heaven; here it shows how deep and grand the palace is.九天：天的最高处，这里比喻皇宫深远高大。
阊阖chāng hé: chāng hé: the gate of heaven in legend; here, the main gate of the palace.阊阖：传说中天宫的大门，这里指皇宫的大门。
万国wàn guó: wàn guó: ten thousand countries, meaning envoys from many lands.万国：很多国家，这里指各国派来的使者。
衣冠yī guān: yī guān: people in court robes and hats, meaning officials and envoys.衣冠：穿着礼服、戴着礼帽的人，指官员和使者。
冕旒miǎn liú: miǎn liú: the emperor's ceremonial crown, with strings of jade beads hanging in front and behind; here it means the emperor.冕旒：皇帝戴的礼帽，前后挂着玉串。这里指皇帝。
临仙lín xiān: xiān zhǎng: one reading says these are large palm-shaped fans carried in the emperor's procession to shade him.仙掌：一说指宫里仪仗用的大扇子，样子像手掌，用来给皇帝遮挡。
傍bàng: bàng: to stay close to, to drift around.傍：靠近，围绕着。
衮龙gǔn lóng: gǔn lóng: a robe embroidered with dragons, meaning the emperor in his dragon robe.衮龙：绣着龙的礼服，指穿着龙袍的皇帝。
须裁xū cái: xū cái: must go and draft. Cái here means to write out.须裁：要去起草。裁，写、拟。
五色诏wǔ sè zhào: wǔ sè zhào: an imperial order written on paper of five colors.五色诏：皇帝的诏书，写在五种颜色的纸上。
佩声pèi shēng: pèi shēng: the tinkling of jade pendants hanging from the belt as one walks.佩声：身上挂的玉佩走路时碰出的声音。
凤池fèng chí: fèng chí: Phoenix Pool, a name for the Secretariat, the office that drafted the emperor's orders.凤池：凤凰池，指中书省，是替皇帝起草诏书的官署。

How to read it读音

尚shàng: Here the word is the title of the official in charge of the emperor's clothes; the first character is read shàng.“尚衣”是管皇帝衣服的官，“尚”读 shàng。
傍bàng: Here the character means to stay close to, so it is read bàng, not páng.“傍”是靠近、依附的意思，读 bàng，不读 páng。
朝cháo: Here the character means the court audience, so it is read cháo, not zhāo.“朝罢”是上朝结束，“朝”读 cháo，不读 zhāo。

Background创作背景

In 758, not long after Tang armies had won back Chang'an during the An Lushan Rebellion, the court again held its morning audiences. Jia Zhi, a secretary who drafted the emperor's orders, wrote a poem about the early morning court audience at Daming Palace. Wang Wei, Du Fu and Cen Shen each wrote a reply poem on the same subject. This is Wang Wei's. Daming Palace was the main palace where the Tang emperors held court.

唐肃宗乾元元年（758），唐军收复长安后不久，朝廷又恢复了上朝的礼仪。中书舍人贾至写了一首《早朝大明宫呈两省僚友》，描写清早上朝的情景。王维、杜甫、岑参都写了和诗，也就是按同一个题目回应他。这首是王维的和诗。大明宫是唐朝皇帝处理政事的主要宫殿。舍人是替皇帝起草诏书的官。

The poet作者

Wang Wei (701–761; some say 699–761), also called Mojie, was a Tang poet and painter who also knew music well. His nature poems are calm and quiet; people say his poems hold paintings. He served at court for many years and knew palace ceremony well, which is why he could describe the morning audience so grandly.

王维（701—761，一说699—761），字摩诘，唐代诗人、画家，也精通音乐。他的山水诗清淡安静，人称“诗中有画”。他在朝中做官多年，熟悉宫廷礼仪，所以能把上朝的场面写得这样庄重华丽。

The mood意境

This poem is like a short film of the morning audience, shot step by step in time order. First the camera shows the break of day: the rooster man calls out, and an official brings the emperor his splendid robe. Then the camera pulls back: gate after gate opens, and envoys and officials from many lands bow together in a vast scene. Then it moves close: sunlight reaches the hall, the great fans sway, and incense smoke drifts around the dragon robe. At the end the audience is over, and Jia Zhi walks back, jade pendants tinkling, to draft the emperor's orders. This also praises his rank and talent. The poem is full of bright colors, sounds, light and scent, and shows the grandeur of the Tang court.

这首诗像一部记录早朝的短片，按时间一步一步拍下来。镜头先拍天刚亮：报时人高声报晓，官员给皇帝送上华丽的衣服。接着镜头拉远：宫门一层层打开，来自各国的使者和百官一起下拜，场面非常宏大。然后镜头推近：阳光照到殿上，大扇子摆动，香烟绕着龙袍飘浮。最后写朝会结束，贾至带着玉佩的叮当声回去起草诏书，也是在夸赞他的身份和才能。全诗颜色鲜亮，声音、光线、香气都有，写出了大唐宫廷的气派。