Tang poem · five-character regulated verse唐诗 · 五言律诗

liáng凉sī思

lǐ李shāng商yǐn隐Li Shangyin · Tang唐

Cool Thoughts

kè客qù去bō波píng平jiàn槛

chán蝉xiū休lù露mǎn满zhī枝

yǒng永huái怀dāng当cǐ此jié节

yǐ倚lì立zì自yí移shí时

běi北dǒu斗jiān兼chūn春yuǎn远

nán南líng陵yù寓shǐ使chí迟

tiān天yá涯zhān占mèng梦shuò数

yí疑wù误yǒu有xīn新zhī知

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

客去波平槛Since my friend left, the water has risen to the railing;朋友走后，水涨到和栏杆一样高；
蝉休露满枝the cicadas are still, and dew covers the branches.蝉不叫了，露水挂满了树枝。
永怀当此节In this season I miss you all the time,在这样的秋天，我一直想念着你，
倚立自移时and leaning on the rail I stand there, while the time slips by.靠着栏杆站着，不知不觉过了很久。
北斗兼春远Far from the capital, another spring has gone;离开京城，又过了一个春天，越来越远；
南陵寓使迟the messenger from Nanling is slow to bring a letter.南陵的书信，使者迟迟送不到。
天涯占梦数At the edge of the world I read my dreams again and again,在天涯一次又一次用梦来占卜，
疑误有新知and wonder if you have found a new friend and forgotten me.怀疑你是不是有了新的朋友，忘了我。

Words字词注释

客kè: kè: the guest, here the poet's friend.客：客人，这里指诗人的朋友。
波平槛bō píng jiàn: bō píng jiàn: the water has risen level with the railing. Jiàn means railing.波平槛：水涨到和栏杆一样高。槛，栏杆。
蝉休chán xiū: chán xiū: the cicadas have stopped singing.蝉休：蝉不叫了。
永怀yǒng huái: yǒng huái: to miss someone for a long time.永怀：长久地思念。
当此节dāng cǐ jié: dāng cǐ jié: at this time of year, that is, autumn.当此节：在这个时节，指秋天。
移时yí shí: yí shí: a long time passes.移时：过了很久。
北斗běi dǒu: běi dǒu: the Big Dipper, here standing for the capital, Chang'an.北斗：北斗星，这里指京城长安。
兼春jiān chūn: jiān chūn: another spring has passed, so more than a year.兼春：又过了一个春天，就是一年多。
南陵nán líng: nán líng: Nanling, a place in today's Anhui Province.南陵：地名，在今天安徽省。
寓使yù shǐ: yù shǐ: a messenger who carries letters.寓使：捎信的人。寓，寄托。
占梦数zhān mèng shuò: zhān mèng shuò: again and again reading dreams for signs of good or bad luck.占梦数：多次用梦来算卦，想知道吉凶。
新知xīn zhī: xīn zhī: a new close friend.新知：新交的知心朋友。

How to read it读音

槛jiàn: When it means a railing, this is read jiàn. It is read kǎn only when it means a doorsill.“槛”指栏杆时读 jiàn；指门槛时才读 kǎn。
数shuò: Here this means "again and again", so it is read shuò.“数”在这里是“屡次、多次”的意思，读 shuò。

Background创作背景

Li Shangyin wrote this poem in autumn while missing someone far away. We do not know for sure who the guest was, or when and where it was written. The usual reading is this: the friend left long ago, the poet has been away from the capital for over a year, and letters are slow to come, so he feels uneasy. One view says the poet was living in Nanling then. Some think the person he misses is his wife.

这首诗是李商隐在秋天思念远方的朋友时写的。诗里的“客”是谁，写作的时间和地点，都没有确定的说法。一般理解为：朋友走了很久，诗人离开京城已一年多，书信又迟迟不来，所以很不安。一说诗人当时住在南陵，也有人认为诗里思念的是他的妻子。

The poet作者

Li Shangyin (about 813–about 858) was a poet of the late Tang. He was as famous as Du Mu, and the two were called "the Little Li and Du". His poems use rich words and deep feeling, but their meaning is often hidden and hard to pin down. People read many of his poems in different ways, and this one too.

李商隐（约813—约858），晚唐诗人，和杜牧齐名，人称“小李杜”。他的诗用词华美，感情深，意思却常常含蓄难懂，所以后人对他很多诗的理解都不一样，这首也是。

The mood意境

The title means thoughts in the cool of autumn. It opens with the scene. Since the friend left, the water has risen, the cicadas are silent, and dew covers the branches. Everything feels cool and clear. The poet leans on the railing for a long time, just because he misses his friend. Then he says he has been away from the capital for over a year, and letters are slow to come. The last two lines are the most touching. Again and again he reads his dreams for signs, and even wonders if his friend has a new close friend and has forgotten him. Missing someone, worrying, and feeling a little unsure, all at once: the poem shows it with real, delicate truth.

题目叫“凉思”，就是秋天凉意里的思念。开头先写景：朋友走后，水涨高了，蝉不叫了，露水满枝，一片清冷。诗人靠着栏杆站了很久，只因为想念。接着说离开京城一年多，书信迟迟不来。最后两句最打动人：他一次又一次占卜自己的梦，甚至怀疑朋友有了新的知己，把他忘了。这种又想念、又担心、又有点不放心的心情，写得非常真实细腻。