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

lì利zhōu州nán南dù渡

wēn温tíng庭yún筠Wen Tingyun · Tang唐

Crossing the River South of Lizhou

dàn澹rán然kōng空shuǐ水duì对xié斜huī晖

qū曲dǎo岛cāng苍máng茫jiē接cuì翠wēi微

bō波shàng上mǎ马sī嘶kàn看zhào棹qù去

liǔ柳biān边rén人xiē歇dài待chuán船guī归

shù数cóng丛shā沙cǎo草qún群ōu鸥sàn散

wàn万qǐng顷jiāng江tián田yí一lù鹭fēi飞

shuí谁jiě解chéng乘zhōu舟xún寻fàn范lǐ蠡

wǔ五hú湖yān烟shuǐ水dú独wàng忘jī机

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 text writes the word for oar in the third line in an older variant form; the common form is used here.

底本第三句的“櫂”是“棹”的异体字，这里用通行写法“棹”。

Line by line逐句翻译

澹然空水对斜晖The calm, wide river faces the slanting evening sun;平静空阔的江水，正对着西斜的夕阳，
曲岛苍茫接翠微a winding island, hazy and dim, joins the green hills far away.弯曲的小岛模模糊糊，和远处青山连在一起。
波上马嘶看棹去On the water a horse neighs, as people watch the ferry row away;渡船上马儿嘶叫，人们看着船划向对岸，
柳边人歇待船归by the willows people rest, waiting for the boat to come back.柳树边有人歇着，等渡船回来。
数丛沙草群鸥散From a few clumps of grass on the sandbar, a flock of gulls scatters;几丛沙洲上的草边，一群鸥鸟四散飞开，
万顷江田一鹭飞over the endless riverside fields, a single egret takes flight.一望无际的江边田野上，一只白鹭飞起。
谁解乘舟寻范蠡Who understands how to take a boat like Fan Li and sail away,谁能懂得像范蠡那样，坐着小船去远方，
五湖烟水独忘机to forget all scheming, alone, on the misty water of the Five Lakes?在烟雾迷蒙的五湖上，独自忘掉世间的算计？

Words字词注释

澹然dàn rán: dàn rán: calm and still, as water is.澹然：水面平静的样子。
空水kōng shuǐ: kōng shuǐ: wide, clear, open water.空水：空阔明净的江水。
斜晖xié huī: xié huī: the slanting light of the low sun, the evening sun.斜晖：太阳西斜时的光，就是夕阳。
曲岛qū dǎo: qū dǎo: a winding little island in the river.曲岛：弯弯曲曲的江中小岛。
苍茫cāng máng: cāng máng: hazy and vast, with no clear edge.苍茫：一片模糊、看不清边的样子。
翠微cuì wēi: cuì wēi: green, misty hills; here, the hills in the distance.翠微：青绿色的山，这里指远处的山。
嘶sī: sī: the neigh of a horse.嘶：马叫。
棹zhào: zhào: an oar; here, the ferry boat.棹：划船的桨，这里指渡船。
歇xiē: xiē: to rest, to stop and wait.歇：休息，停下来等。
数丛shù cóng: shù cóng: a few clumps.数丛：几丛。
沙草shā cǎo: shā cǎo: grass growing on a sandbar.沙草：长在沙洲上的草。
鸥ōu: ōu: the gull, a water bird.鸥：鸥鸟，一种水鸟。
万顷wàn qǐng: wàn qǐng: ten thousand qing, a huge area. A qing is a measure of land.万顷：形容面积非常大。顷是土地面积单位。
鹭lù: lù: the egret, a white water bird with long legs and a long neck.鹭：白鹭，一种腿长、颈长的白色水鸟。
谁解shuí jiě: shuí jiě: who understands, who is able to.谁解：谁懂得，谁能够。
范蠡fàn lǐ: Fàn Lǐ: a minister of the state of Yue in the Spring and Autumn period. After he helped King Goujian defeat Wu, he left in a small boat to live in hiding on the Five Lakes.范蠡：春秋时越国的大臣，帮越王勾践打败吴国后，坐着小船离开，到五湖隐居。
五湖wǔ hú: wǔ hú: the Five Lakes, usually taken as Lake Tai and the lakes around it.五湖：一般指太湖一带的湖泊。
烟水yān shuǐ: yān shuǐ: water covered in mist.烟水：雾气笼罩的水面。
忘机wàng jī: wàng jī: to forget all scheming, to stop chasing fame and gain and feel calm and free.忘机：忘掉心机，不再算计名利，心里清静自在。

How to read it读音

澹dàn: Here the character describes calm, still water and is read dàn.“澹然”的“澹”是水波平静的样子，读 dàn。
曲qū: Here the character means winding, so it is read qū, not qǔ.“曲岛”的“曲”是弯弯曲曲的意思，读 qū，不读 qǔ。
数shù: Here the character means several, so it is read shù.“数丛”的“数”是几、好几的意思，读 shù。
蠡lǐ: In the name Fan Li, this character is read lǐ.“范蠡”是人名，“蠡”读 lǐ。

Background创作背景

Lizhou was around today's Guangyuan in Sichuan, where the Jialing River flows past the town. Crossing south means taking the ferry across the river to go south. Waiting at the ferry one evening, the poet watched the scenes on the river and its banks and wrote this poem. We do not know the exact year it was written.

利州在今天四川广元一带，嘉陵江从城边流过。“南渡”就是坐渡船过江往南去。诗人在傍晚的渡口等船，看到江上和岸边的景色，写下了这首诗。具体写作年份不能确定。

The poet作者

Wen Tingyun (about 812 to about 866; some say born about 801) was a late Tang poet and lyric writer. He was very gifted: a story says he could finish a long rhymed piece in the time it took to fold his hands eight times, so people called him Eight-Folds Wen. But he kept failing the civil exams, held only minor posts, and was often on the road. The wish in this poem to leave fame and gain behind has to do with his own disappointments.

温庭筠（约812—约866，一说约801—约866），晚唐诗人、词人。他很有才华，据说叉八次手就能作成一首八韵的赋，人称“温八叉”。但他一生考试不顺，只做过小官，常常在各地奔波。这首诗里想要远离名利的心情，也和他不得志的经历有关。

The mood意境

This poem is like a painting of a ferry at dusk. First the far view: the calm river reflects the setting sun, and the island and green hills blur into one. Then the near view, full of sound and color: a horse neighs on the boat, and people wait under the willows on the bank. Some are leaving and some are waiting, and the daily life of the ferry comes alive. Next the poet's eye turns to the birds: a flock of gulls scatters, and one egret flies alone over the wide fields. The flock and the single bird make the scene both busy and open. Watching these free birds, the poet thinks of Fan Li, who sailed off to the Five Lakes. All the people coming and going are busy making a living. Who can truly let go of scheming and live freely? The last line asks others, and it also asks himself.

这首诗像一幅傍晚的渡口图。先是远景：平静的江面映着夕阳，小岛和青山连成一片，模模糊糊。再是近景，而且有声有色：船上马在叫，岸边柳树下有人在等船。一边是走，一边是等，渡口的日常一下子活了。接着诗人的目光被鸟吸引：一群鸥鸟飞散，一只白鹭独自飞过大片田野。“群”和“一”对比，画面又热闹又空阔。看着这些自由的鸟，诗人想起了坐船去五湖的范蠡。来来往往的人都在为生活奔忙，有谁能真正放下心机、自在地过日子呢？最后一句是在问别人，也是在问自己。