Tang poem · old-style poem, seven characters a line唐诗 · 七言古诗

sòng送chén陈zhāng章fǔ甫

lǐ李qí颀Li Qi · Tang唐

Seeing Off Chen Zhangfu

sì四yuè月nán南fēng风dà大mài麦huáng黄

zǎo枣huā花wèi未luò落tóng桐yè叶zhǎng长

qīng青shān山zhāo朝bié别mù暮hái还jiàn见

sī嘶mǎ马chū出mén门sī思jiù旧xiāng乡

chén陈hóu侯lì立shēn身hé何tǎn坦dàng荡

qiú虬xū须hǔ虎méi眉réng仍dà大sǎng颡

fù腹zhōng中zhù贮shū书yí一wàn万juàn卷

bù不kěn肯dī低tóu头zài在cǎo草mǎng莽

dōng东mén门gū酤jiǔ酒yìn饮wǒ我cáo曹

xīn心qīng轻wàn万shì事jiē皆hóng鸿máo毛

zuì醉wò卧bù不zhī知bái白rì日mù暮

yǒu有shí时kōng空wàng望gū孤yún云gāo高

cháng长hé河làng浪tóu头lián连tiān天hēi黑

jīn津kǒu口tíng停zhōu舟dù渡bù不dé得

zhèng郑guó国yóu游rén人wèi未jí及jiā家

luò洛yáng阳xíng行zǐ子kōng空tàn叹xī息

wén闻dào道gù故lín林xiāng相shí识duō多

bà罢guān官zuó昨rì日jīn今rú如hé何

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。

In the corpus text, line two says the shade of the paulownia trees grows long. Most common editions say the paulownia leaves grow long instead, and that is followed here.

原始文本第二句作“枣花未落桐阴长”。通行本多作“枣花未落桐叶长”，这里用通行本。

Line by line逐句翻译

四月南风大麦黄In the fourth month the south wind blows and the barley turns gold.四月里吹着南风，大麦已经黄了，
枣花未落桐叶长The jujube flowers have not yet fallen, and the paulownia leaves have grown.枣花还没落，梧桐树的叶子已经长大。
青山朝别暮还见You leave the green hills in the morning and can still see them at dusk.早上告别了青山，傍晚还能望见它，
嘶马出门思旧乡Your horse neighs as you ride out the gate, longing for your old home.马儿嘶叫着出了门，你想念着故乡。
陈侯立身何坦荡Lord Chen, how open and honest you are!陈先生做人多么光明磊落，
虬须虎眉仍大颡A curly beard, tiger brows, and a broad forehead.卷曲的胡子，老虎一样的眉毛，还有宽宽的额头。
腹中贮书一万卷Ten thousand scrolls of books are stored in your belly.肚子里装着上万卷书，
不肯低头在草莽You will not bow your head, though you live among common folk.不肯在民间对人低头。
东门酤酒饮我曹At the east gate you buy wine and treat us all.在东门买来酒请我们喝，
心轻万事皆鸿毛In your heart all worldly things weigh no more than a goose feather.心里把万事都看得像鸿毛一样轻。
醉卧不知白日暮Drunk, you lie down and never notice the day has ended.喝醉了躺下，连天黑了都不知道，
有时空望孤云高Sometimes you gaze idly at a lonely cloud high in the sky.有时出神地望着高空里的一朵孤云。
长河浪头连天黑On the Yellow River the waves reach the sky, dark and heavy.黄河上的浪头连着天，黑沉沉的，
津口停舟渡不得At the ferry the boats have stopped; no one can cross.渡口的船都停下了，过不了河。
郑国游人未及家The traveller from Zheng has not reached home yet.郑地来的游子还没能回到家，
洛阳行子空叹息The traveller in Luoyang can only sigh in vain.洛阳的过客只能白白叹气。
闻道故林相识多I hear you have many old friends back home.听说你老家有很多老朋友，
罢官昨日今如何You lost your post just yesterday; how will they treat you now?昨天刚丢了官，现在他们会怎么待你呢？

Words字词注释

桐叶长tóng yè zhǎng: tóng yè zhǎng: the paulownia leaves have grown big.桐叶长：梧桐树的叶子长大了。
朝别暮还见zhāo bié mù hái jiàn: zhāo bié mù hái jiàn: he leaves the green hills in the morning and can still see them at dusk. It shows how slowly, how unwillingly he goes.朝别暮还见：早上告别了青山，到傍晚还能望见它。写一路上依依不舍。
嘶马sī mǎ: sī mǎ: a neighing horse. Sī is a horse's cry.嘶马：叫着的马。嘶，马叫。
旧乡jiù xiāng: jiù xiāng: one's old home.旧乡：故乡，老家。
陈侯chén hóu: chén hóu: a polite way to address Chen Zhangfu, like "Lord Chen".陈侯：对陈章甫的尊称，像说“陈先生”。
立身lì shēn: lì shēn: how one lives and behaves.立身：做人，为人处世。
坦荡tǎn dàng: tǎn dàng: open-hearted and honest.坦荡：心胸宽广，光明磊落。
虬须qiú xū: qiú xū: a curly beard. Qiú is a small horned dragon, used here for something twisting.虬须：卷曲的胡子。虬，传说中有角的小龙，这里形容弯曲。
大颡dà sǎng: dà sǎng: a broad forehead. Sǎng means forehead.大颡：宽大的额头。颡，额头。
贮书zhù shū: zhù shū: holding books. Zhù means to store. It says he has read a great deal.贮书：装着书。贮，存放。这里说他读书很多。
草莽cǎo mǎng: cǎo mǎng: the wild grass, meaning among common people, out of office.草莽：草野，指民间，不做官的地方。
不肯低头bù kěn dī tóu: bù kěn dī tóu: unwilling to bow down to anyone.不肯低头：不愿意向别人低声下气。
东门dōng mén: dōng mén: the east gate of the city, where people saw friends off.东门：洛阳城的东门，一般是送别的地方。
酤酒gū jiǔ: gū jiǔ: to buy wine.酤酒：买酒。
饮我曹yìn wǒ cáo: yìn wǒ cáo: to treat us to drinks. Wǒ cáo means we, us.饮我曹：请我们喝酒。我曹，我们。
鸿毛hóng máo: hóng máo: a wild goose's feather, a picture of something very light, not worth caring about.鸿毛：大雁的羽毛，比喻很轻、不值一提。
空望kōng wàng: kōng wàng: to gaze idly, lost in thought.空望：无事地望着，出神地看。
长河cháng hé: cháng hé: the long river, meaning the Yellow River.长河：指黄河。
津口jīn kǒu: jīn kǒu: a ferry crossing.津口：渡口，坐船过河的地方。
郑国游人zhèng guó yóu rén: zhèng guó yóu rén: the traveller from Zheng. It usually means Chen Zhangfu; another view says the poet himself. Zheng was an ancient state in today's Henan.郑国游人：郑地来的游子。一般认为指陈章甫，一说指诗人自己。郑国，春秋时的国名，在今天的河南。
未及家wèi jí jiā: wèi jí jiā: not yet able to reach home.未及家：还没能回到家。
洛阳行子luò yáng xíng zǐ: luò yáng xíng zǐ: the traveller in Luoyang. Usually the poet himself; another view says Chen Zhangfu.洛阳行子：洛阳的过客。一般认为指诗人自己，一说指陈章甫。
闻道wén dào: wén dào: I hear that.闻道：听说。
故林gù lín: gù lín: the woods of home, meaning one's hometown.故林：老家的树林，指故乡。

How to read it读音

长zhǎng: Here this character means "to grow", so it is read zhǎng, not cháng.“长”这里是生长的意思，读 zhǎng。
朝zhāo: Here this character means "morning", so it is read zhāo.“朝”这里是早晨的意思，读 zhāo。
还hái: This is usually read hái, meaning "still" or "again". Another view reads it huán, "to come back".这里一般读 hái，意思是“还能、又”。一说读 huán，意思是“回来”。
饮yìn: In "giving us drink", this character means to make someone drink, and is read yìn.“饮我曹”是请我们喝酒，“饮”读 yìn。

Background创作背景

Chen Zhangfu was Li Qi's friend. He is usually said to have come from Jiangling, to have lived as a hermit on Mount Song for a time, and to have been very learned. This poem was written when Chen had lost his official post and was about to go home, and Li Qi saw him off. From the poem we can tell it was early summer, in the fourth month, probably near Luoyang, and the Yellow River was too rough for the ferries to cross. The exact year is not recorded.

陈章甫是李颀的朋友，一般说他是江陵人，曾经在嵩山隐居，很有学问。这首诗写的是他丢了官、准备回乡时，李颀为他送行。从诗里看，送别是在初夏四月，地点大概在洛阳一带，碰上黄河风浪大，船过不了河。具体是哪一年，没有确切记载。

The poet作者

Li Qi was a Tang poet who lived during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. He passed the top civil exam but only held small posts such as county officer, and later quit to live quietly at home. He knew poets like Wang Wei and Gao Shi. He was good at portraits in words; with a few strokes he could bring a person to life, as he does with Chen Zhangfu here.

李颀，唐代诗人，生活在唐玄宗开元、天宝年间。他考中过进士，只做过县尉这样的小官，后来辞官回家隐居。他和王维、高适等人都有来往，擅长写人物，几笔就能把一个人写活。这首诗里的陈章甫，就写得很有神气。

The mood意境

This is a farewell poem, but there is no weeping in it. The first four lines show early summer: gold barley, jujube flowers, big paulownia leaves, and a friend riding off. The middle eight lines paint Chen Zhangfu: a curly beard, tiger brows, ten thousand books in his belly, a man who will not bow to anyone, who buys the wine, sleeps when drunk, and stares at a lonely cloud. A bold, slightly proud scholar stands before us. The last six lines return to the moment: the Yellow River is rough, the boats cannot cross, and both men can only sigh. The closing question, how is it now, is full of care and worry: you have lost your post, so will your old friends still treat you as before?

这是一首送别诗，可一点也不哭哭啼啼。开头四句是初夏的风景：麦子黄了，枣花开着，桐叶长大，朋友骑马上路。中间八句给陈章甫画像：胡子卷，眉毛像老虎，肚子里有万卷书，不肯向人低头，喝酒请客，醉了就睡，看着孤云发呆。一个又豪爽又有点傲气的读书人站在我们眼前。最后六句回到眼前：黄河浪大，船过不去，两个人都只能叹气。结尾一问“今如何”，又关心又担心：你丢了官回家，老朋友们还会像从前一样对你吗？