Tang poem · old-style poem in seven-character lines唐诗 · 七言古诗

jīn金tóng铜xiān仙rén人cí辞hàn汉gē歌

lǐ李hè贺Li He · Tang唐

Song of the Bronze Immortal Leaving Han

mào茂líng陵liú刘láng郎qiū秋fēng风kè客

yè夜wén闻mǎ马sī嘶xiǎo晓wú无jì迹

huà画lán栏guì桂shù树xuán悬qiū秋xiāng香

sān三shí十liù六gōng宫tǔ土huā花bì碧

wèi魏guān官qiān牵chē车zhǐ指qiān千lǐ里

dōng东guān关suān酸fēng风shè射móu眸zǐ子

kōng空jiāng将hàn汉yuè月chū出gōng宫mén门

yì忆jūn君qīng清lèi泪rú如qiān铅shuǐ水

shuāi衰lán兰sòng送kè客xián咸yáng阳dào道

tiān天ruò若yǒu有qíng情tiān天yì亦lǎo老

xié携pán盘dú独chū出yuè月huāng荒liáng凉

wèi渭chéng城yǐ已yuǎn远bō波shēng声xiǎo小

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。

Line by line逐句翻译

茂陵刘郎秋风客Young Liu of Maoling, Emperor Wu, was only a guest in the autumn wind;茂陵里葬着的汉武帝，不过是秋风里的一位过客，
夜闻马嘶晓无迹At night his horses neigh, at dawn there is no trace.夜里还能听到他的马在叫，天亮了却什么都没有。
画栏桂树悬秋香By the painted railings, osmanthus still hangs its autumn scent;彩画栏杆旁的桂树，香气还在秋风中飘荡，
三十六宫土花碧But in all thirty-six palaces, green moss grows over the ground.可是所有的宫殿里，都长满了绿色的青苔。
魏官牵车指千里Wei officials drag the cart toward a place a thousand li away;魏国的官员拉着车，要把铜人运到千里之外，
东关酸风射眸子At the east gate, a bitter wind shoots into the bronze figure's eyes.出了长安东门，冷风像箭一样刺着铜人的眼睛。
空将汉月出宫门It leaves the palace gate with only the Han moon for company;铜人只带着汉朝的月亮走出宫门，
忆君清泪如铅水Remembering its lord, it weeps tears heavy as melted lead.想起汉武帝，流下像铅水一样沉重的眼泪。
衰兰送客咸阳道Withered orchids see the traveler off on the Xianyang road;枯萎的兰草在咸阳路边为它送行，
天若有情天亦老If Heaven had feelings, Heaven too would grow old.老天如果也有感情，也会因为伤心而变老。
携盘独出月荒凉Holding its plate, it goes out alone under a bleak, cold moon;铜人捧着露盘独自上路，月色一片荒凉，
渭城已远波声小Weicheng falls far behind, and the sound of its waves grows faint.长安越来越远，渭水的波浪声越来越小。

Words字词注释

茂陵刘郎mào líng liú láng: Màolíng Liú láng: Emperor Wu of Han, whose family name was Liu. Maoling is his tomb. Calling him "young Liu" is a casual, bold way to name an emperor.茂陵刘郎：指汉武帝刘彻。茂陵是他的陵墓。称他“刘郎”，是带点随意的叫法。
秋风客qiū fēng kè: qiū fēng kè: Emperor Wu wrote a famous "Song of the Autumn Wind". The words also mean a guest in the autumn wind, someone who passes quickly.秋风客：汉武帝写过《秋风辞》，所以这样叫他；也是说他像秋风里的过客，一下子就过去了。
夜闻马嘶晓无迹yè wén mǎ sī xiǎo wú jì: yè wén mǎ sī xiǎo wú jì: legend says that after Emperor Wu died, his horses could be heard neighing in the palace at night, but at dawn there was no trace.夜闻马嘶晓无迹：传说汉武帝死后，夜里常有他的马叫声在宫里出现，天亮了却什么痕迹也没有。
画栏huà lán: huà lán: painted railings.画栏：有彩画的栏杆。
悬秋香xuán qiū xiāng: xuán qiū xiāng: the autumn scent of osmanthus hangs in the air.悬秋香：秋天桂花的香味挂在空中。
三十六宫sān shí liù gōng: sān shí liù gōng: the thirty-six palaces, meaning all the palaces of Han Chang'an.三十六宫：汉代长安有很多宫殿，这里泛指所有宫殿。
土花tǔ huā: tǔ huā: moss. No one lives in the palaces now, so green moss covers the ground.土花：青苔。宫里没人了，地上长满了绿色的苔藓。
魏官wèi guān: Wèi guān: officials of the state of Wei. In the Three Kingdoms period, Emperor Ming of Wei had the bronze figure moved from Chang'an to Luoyang.魏官：魏国的官员。三国时魏明帝派人把铜人从长安运往洛阳。
指千里zhǐ qiān lǐ: zhǐ qiān lǐ: the cart sets off toward Luoyang, a thousand li away.指千里：车子朝着千里外的洛阳出发。
东关dōng guān: dōng guān: the east gate of Chang'an.东关：长安东边的城门。
酸风suān fēng: suān fēng: a sharp, cold wind that makes the eyes sting.酸风：刺眼的冷风，吹得眼睛发酸。
眸子móu zǐ: móu zǐ: the eyes.眸子：眼珠，眼睛。
空将kōng jiāng: kōng jiāng: carrying only. Kōng means only, in vain; jiāng means to carry.空将：只带着。空，只、白白地。将，带着。
君jūn: jūn: you, meaning Emperor Wu.君：指汉武帝。
铅水qiān shuǐ: qiān shuǐ: melted lead. The tears are heavy, and as the figure is bronze, they feel like metal tears.铅水：熔化的铅。形容眼泪又重又沉，也让人想到铜人流的是金属的泪。
衰兰shuāi lán: shuāi lán: withered orchids.衰兰：枯萎的兰草。
咸阳道xián yáng dào: Xiányáng dào: the road near Chang'an. Xianyang was the old Qin capital, close by.咸阳道：长安附近通往远方的大路。咸阳是秦代的都城，靠近长安。
天亦老tiān yì lǎo: tiān yì lǎo: even Heaven would grow old from sorrow.天亦老：老天也会因为伤心而变老。
携盘xié pán: xié pán: carrying the dew plate. Emperor Wu's bronze figure held a plate to catch dew, which he hoped would help him live forever.携盘：带着承露盘。汉武帝造的铜人双手捧着一个盘子，用来接露水，他以为喝了能长生。
渭城wèi chéng: Wèi chéng: the old Qin city by the Wei River, here meaning the Chang'an area.渭城：秦代咸阳城，在渭水边，这里指长安一带。

How to read it读音

子zǐ: In everyday speech the zi in móuzi is often unstressed. Here it ends the line and rhymes, so it is read zǐ.“眸子”的“子”平时常读轻声，这里在句末，和“里、水”押韵，读 zǐ。

Background创作背景

Emperor Wu of Han wanted to live forever. In his palace in Chang'an he set up a bronze immortal holding a plate to catch dew. In the Three Kingdoms period, Emperor Ming of Wei ordered the figure taken down and moved to Luoyang. Legend says that as it was being taken away, the bronze figure wept. Li He told this story in a short preface, and called himself a descendant of the Tang royal family. The poem is usually thought to date from when he gave up a minor post because of illness and left Chang'an, around 813.

汉武帝想长生不老，在长安宫中立了一个铜铸的仙人，双手捧着盘子接露水。到了三国时，魏明帝下令把铜人拆下来，运到洛阳去。传说拆的时候，铜人竟然流下了眼泪。李贺在诗前的小序里讲了这件事，还说自己是“唐诸王孙”，就是唐朝皇族的后代。一般认为，这首诗写于他因病辞去小官、离开长安的时候，大约是唐宪宗元和八年（813年）。

The poet作者

Li He (790–816) came from a distant branch of the Tang royal family. He was very gifted, but his father's name sounded like the word for the top civil exam degree, so people said he could not take that exam out of respect. He only ever held small posts and died in his mid-twenties. His poems are strange and full of imagination, often about ghosts, spirits and cold, eerie scenes, so he is called the Ghost of Poetry.

李贺（790—816），字长吉，唐朝皇族远支的后代。他很有才华，却因为父亲名叫“晋肃”，“晋”和进士的“进”同音，被人说不能考进士，一生只做过小官，二十多岁就去世了。他的诗想象奇特，常写鬼神、幽冷的景象，被称为“诗鬼”。

The mood意境

The poet turns a bronze statue into a being with feelings. The first four lines show the empty Han palace. Mighty Emperor Wu is now only the sound of horses at night. The osmanthus still smells sweet, but moss covers the palace floors. Then Wei officials drag the figure away. At the city gate the cold wind stings its eyes. It leaves with only the Han moon, thinks of its old lord, and weeps tears heavy as lead. "If Heaven had feelings, Heaven too would grow old" is the most famous line. Even Heaven, if it could feel, would age from this sorrow, so we sense how painful the parting is. At the end the figure walks alone in bleak moonlight. Chang'an grows far, the river grows quiet, and the picture slowly fades. The poem grieves for the rise and fall of dynasties, and also carries Li He's own sadness at leaving Chang'an.

诗人把一个铜像写成了有感情的人。前四句先写汉宫的冷清：当年那么强大的汉武帝，如今只剩下夜里的马叫声；桂花还香，宫殿里却长满了青苔。接着铜人被魏国官员拉走，出城时冷风刺眼，它只能带着汉朝的月亮离开，想起旧主，流下铅一样重的眼泪。“天若有情天亦老”是全诗最有名的一句：连老天如果有感情，也会伤心得变老，可见这种离别有多痛。最后，铜人捧着盘子独自走在荒凉的月光下，长安越来越远，渭水的声音越来越小，画面慢慢淡出。诗里有对朝代兴亡的感叹，也有李贺自己离开长安时的悲伤。