Tang poem · five-character old-style poem唐诗 · 五言古诗

jùn郡zhāi斋yǔ雨zhōng中yǔ与zhū诸wén文shì士yàn燕jí集

wéi韦yìng应wù物Wei Yingwu · Tang唐

A Feast with Scholars at My Office on a Rainy Day

bīng兵wèi卫sēn森huà画jǐ戟

yàn宴qǐn寝níng凝qīng清xiāng香

hǎi海shàng上fēng风yǔ雨zhì至

xiāo逍yáo遥chí池gé阁liáng凉

fán烦kē疴jìn近xiāo消sàn散

jiā嘉bīn宾fù复mǎn满táng堂

zì自cán惭jū居chù处chóng崇

wèi未dǔ睹sī斯mín民kāng康

lǐ理huì会shì是fēi非qiǎn遣

xìng性dá达xíng形jì迹wàng忘

xiān鲜féi肥shǔ属shí时jìn禁

shū蔬guǒ果xìng幸jiàn见cháng尝

fǔ俯yǐn饮yì一bēi杯jiǔ酒

yǎng仰líng聆jīn金yù玉zhāng章

shén神huān欢tǐ体zì自qīng轻

yì意yù欲líng凌fēng风xiáng翔

wú吴zhōng中shèng盛wén文shǐ史

qún群yàn彦jīn今wāng汪yáng洋

fāng方zhī知dà大fān藩dì地

qǐ岂yuē曰cái财fù赋qiáng强

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。

Common editions, such as the Three Hundred Tang Poems, end with cai fu qiang (rich in money and taxes); the source text has a different last character, jiang. The source also uses older variant forms of two characters, written here in their usual forms. In the title, the character yan means a feast.

通行本（如《唐诗三百首》）末句作“岂曰财赋强”，这里的底本作“财赋疆”。底本的“慙”“覩”是“惭”“睹”的异体字，这里用通行写法。题目中的“燕”同“宴”。

Line by line逐句翻译

兵卫森画戟At the gate, guards stand among rows of painted halberds.门口守卫的士兵排列着彩绘的画戟，
宴寝凝清香In the inner rooms, a clear scent of incense hangs in the air.休息的内室里聚着清清的香气。
海上风雨至Wind and rain have come in from the sea,海上吹来了风雨，
逍遥池阁凉and the pavilion by the pond is cool and easy.池边楼阁里凉爽，人也自在。
烦疴近消散My restlessness and sickness have lately cleared,最近烦闷和病痛刚刚消散，
嘉宾复满堂and honoured guests fill the hall once more.尊贵的客人又坐满了大堂。
自惭居处崇I am ashamed to hold so high a post我惭愧自己身居高位，
未睹斯民康while I have not yet seen the people here live in comfort.却还没看到百姓过上安康的日子。
理会是非遣Understanding the way of things, I let go of right and wrong;懂了道理，就放下了是是非非，
性达形迹忘with an open heart, I forget rank and stiff manners.心胸开阔，就忘了身份和拘束。
鲜肥属时禁Fish and meat are forbidden this season,鱼肉正赶上时令禁止，
蔬果幸见尝so I hope you will taste the vegetables and fruit.只有蔬菜水果，希望大家尝一尝。
俯饮一杯酒I bow my head and drink a cup of wine,低头喝下一杯酒，
仰聆金玉章then raise it to hear poems as precious as gold and jade.抬头听大家吟诵金玉般的好诗。
神欢体自轻My spirit is glad and my body feels light,精神愉快，身体也觉得轻了，
意欲凌风翔and I wish I could ride the wind and fly.真想乘着风飞上天去。
吴中盛文史The Suzhou region is rich in writing and learning,苏州一带文章学问兴盛，
群彦今汪洋and today its talents are as many as the sea.今天的人才像大海一样多。
方知大藩地Now I know that this great prefecture这才知道，这个大州
岂曰财赋强is not only rich in money and taxes!哪里只是财富赋税多呢！

Words字词注释

兵卫bīng wèi: bīng wèi: soldiers on guard.兵卫：守卫的士兵。
森画戟sēn huà jǐ: sēn huà jǐ: rows of painted halberds. Sēn means standing thick together. Painted halberds were set outside the gates of high officials in the Tang.森画戟：排列着很多画戟。森，排得密密的。画戟，有彩色装饰的戟，唐代高官门前才能摆。
宴寝yàn qǐn: yàn qǐn: the inner rooms where one rests.宴寝：休息的内室。
凝清香níng qīng xiāng: níng qīng xiāng: the scent of burning incense hangs in the air.凝清香：屋里点的香，香气聚着不散。
海上hǎi shàng: hǎi shàng: from the sea. Suzhou is near the sea, so the wind and rain come from there.海上：苏州靠近大海，风雨从海上吹来。
逍遥xiāo yáo: xiāo yáo: free and easy.逍遥：自由自在。
池阁chí gé: chí gé: a pavilion by a pond.池阁：池边的楼阁。
烦疴fán kē: fán kē: restlessness and sickness. Kē means illness.烦疴：烦闷和疾病。疴，病。
嘉宾jiā bīn: jiā bīn: honoured guests.嘉宾：尊贵的客人。
居处崇jū chù chóng: jū chù chóng: living in a grand place, holding a high post.居处崇：住处高大，地位高。
斯民康sī mín kāng: sī mín kāng: the people here living in peace and comfort. Sī means this.斯民康：这里的百姓过上安康的日子。斯，这。
理会是非遣lǐ huì shì fēi qiǎn: lǐ huì shì fēi qiǎn: once you understand the way of things, you let go of arguing over right and wrong. Qiǎn means to send away.理会是非遣：明白了道理，争是争非的念头就放下了。遣，丢开。
性达形迹忘xìng dá xíng jì wàng: xìng dá xíng jì wàng: with an open heart, you forget rank and stiff manners.性达形迹忘：心胸开阔，就忘了身份和礼节的拘束。
鲜肥xiān féi: xiān féi: fish and meat.鲜肥：鱼和肉。
时禁shí jìn: shí jìn: a rule of the season that forbade killing animals for food.时禁：当时禁止宰杀牲畜的规定。
幸见尝xìng jiàn cháng: xìng jiàn cháng: I hope you will taste them. Jiàn here shows the guests are doing the host a favour.幸见尝：希望大家尝一尝。见，表示对我。
俯fǔ: fǔ: to bow the head.俯：低头。
仰yǎng: yǎng: to raise the head.仰：抬头。
聆líng: líng: to listen.聆：听。
金玉章jīn yù zhāng: jīn yù zhāng: writings as precious as gold and jade, meaning the guests' poems.金玉章：像金子玉石一样珍贵的诗文，指客人们作的诗。
凌风翔líng fēng xiáng: líng fēng xiáng: to fly on the wind.凌风翔：乘着风飞翔。
吴中wú zhōng: wú zhōng: the Suzhou area.吴中：苏州一带。
盛文史shèng wén shǐ: shèng wén shǐ: rich in writing and learning.盛文史：文章和学问很兴盛。
群彦qún yàn: qún yàn: a crowd of talented people. Yàn means a gifted person.群彦：一群有才华的人。彦，有才德的人。
汪洋wāng yáng: wāng yáng: as wide as the sea, meaning many talents and rich writing.汪洋：像大海一样广阔，形容人才多、文采盛。
大藩dà fān: dà fān: a large prefecture.大藩：大州、大郡。
财赋强cái fù qiáng: cái fù qiáng: rich in money and taxes.财赋强：财富和赋税多。

How to read it读音

处chù: Here ju chu is a noun, the place one lives or the position one holds, so it is read chù. Some read it chǔ.“居处”在这里是名词，指住的地方、所处的地位，读 chù。一说读 chǔ。
属shǔ: Here it is read shǔ, meaning to happen to fall in.这里读 shǔ，意思是正赶上、属于。
强qiáng: Here it is read qiáng, meaning strong or plentiful.这里读 qiáng，意思是强盛、多。

Background创作背景

Late in life, Wei Yingwu served as governor of Suzhou. This poem is usually thought to have been written there, during the Zhenyuan years of Emperor Dezong. On a rainy day he invited the local scholars to his office for food and poems. The poem shows the cool, happy feast and his shame as an official, and ends by praising how many talented people Suzhou has.

韦应物晚年做过苏州刺史，也就是苏州的长官。这首诗一般认为是他在苏州任上时写的，大约在唐德宗贞元年间。一个下雨的日子，他在官府里请当地的文人们吃饭、作诗。诗里写了宴会的清凉和快乐，也写了他做官的惭愧，最后称赞苏州人才多。

The poet作者

Wei Yingwu (about 737–about 792) was a Tang poet. As a young man he was a reckless palace guard. Later he studied hard and became governor of Chuzhou, Jiangzhou and Suzhou, so people called him Wei Suzhou. His poems are plain and natural, and he often cared about ordinary people. He once wrote that he felt ashamed of his pay while people in his county had fled their homes. The line here about his high post and the people's hardship shows the same feeling.

韦应物（约737—约792），唐代诗人。他年轻时在宫里当侍卫，很任性，后来发愤读书，做过滁州、江州、苏州的刺史，人称“韦苏州”。他的诗清淡自然，常常关心百姓，比如“邑有流亡愧俸钱”。这首诗里“自惭居处崇，未睹斯民康”也是同样的心情。

The mood意境

The opening two lines are famous. Outside the gate stand rows of painted halberds, stern and grand. Inside there is only a thread of clear incense, quiet and refined. Then wind and rain blow in from the sea, the pavilion turns cool, his illness has passed, and guests fill the hall. The host is not proud. Instead he feels ashamed that his post is so high while the people still live hard lives. He lets go of right and wrong and forgets his rank. He serves vegetables and fruit, drinks wine and listens to poems, so happy he wants to fly on the wind. At the end he says what makes Suzhou precious is not its money but its talented people. The poem is cool and graceful, with a heart that cares for ordinary people.

开头两句很有名：门外是排排画戟，威严庄重；屋里却是一缕清香，安静高雅。接着海上风雨吹来，楼阁变得凉爽，病也好了，客人坐满一堂。主人没有得意，反而惭愧自己地位高，百姓却还没过上好日子。他放下是非，忘掉身份，用蔬菜水果招待客人，一边喝酒，一边听大家吟诗，高兴得想乘风飞起来。最后他感叹：苏州的宝贵不只是钱多，更是人才多。整首诗清凉、雅致，又有一颗关心百姓的心。