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

sòng送lǐ李shào少fǔ府biǎn贬xiá峡zhōng中wáng王shào少fǔ府biǎn贬cháng长shā沙

gāo高shì适Gao Shi · Tang唐

Seeing Off Sheriff Li, Banished to the Gorges, and Sheriff Wang, Banished to Changsha

jiē嗟jūn君cǐ此bié别yì意hé何rú如

zhù驻mǎ马xián衔bēi杯wèn问zhé谪jū居

wū巫xiá峡tí啼yuán猿shù数háng行lèi泪

héng衡yáng阳guī归yàn雁jǐ几fēng封shū书

qīng青fēng枫jiāng江shàng上qiū秋fān帆yuǎn远

bái白dì帝chéng城biān边gǔ古mù木shū疏

shèng圣dài代jí即jīn今duō多yǔ雨lù露

zàn暂shí时fēn分shǒu手mò莫chóu踌chú躇

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 line five the database text has "autumn sky far", while the common text has "autumn sails far". The database also uses old variant forms of the characters for cup and sparse. This page follows the common text.

资料库本第五句作“秋天远”，通行本作“秋帆远”；“桮”是“杯”的异体字，“疎”是“疏”的异体字。这里用通行本。

Line by line逐句翻译

嗟君此别意何如Alas, how do you feel about this parting?唉，你们这次分别，心里是什么滋味？
驻马衔杯问谪居We stop our horses, raise our cups, and ask about the places you are banished to.我们停下马，举起酒杯，问问你们要被贬去的地方。
巫峡啼猿数行泪The cries of the apes in Wu Gorge will bring streams of tears to your eyes.巫峡的猿声，会让你流下好几行眼泪。
衡阳归雁几封书How many letters will the geese of Hengyang carry back for you?衡阳的大雁，能帮你捎回几封书信？
青枫江上秋帆远On the Qingfeng River, the autumn sails go far away.青枫江上，秋天的船帆渐渐远去。
白帝城边古木疏By the walls of Baidi, the old trees have grown thin.白帝城边，古树的叶子已经稀疏了。
圣代即今多雨露We live in a wise age, and the emperor's kindness falls like rain and dew.当今是圣明的时代，皇恩会像雨露一样多。
暂时分手莫踌躇This parting is only for a while, so do not be downcast.这只是暂时分手，不要难过犹豫。

Words字词注释

嗟jiē: jiē: alas, a sound of sighing.嗟：唉，叹气的声音。
意何如yì hé rú: yì hé rú: how do you feel?意何如：心情怎么样。
驻马zhù mǎ: zhù mǎ: to stop the horses.驻马：让马停下来。
衔杯xián bēi: xián bēi: to raise a wine cup and drink.衔杯：端起酒杯喝酒。
谪居zhé jū: zhé jū: the place where a banished official must live. Banishment meant being demoted and sent to a far-off place.谪居：被贬后住的地方。贬，就是官员犯了错被降职、派到偏远地方去。
巫峡wū xiá: wū xiá: one of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze, near where Sheriff Li was sent. The cries of the apes there sound very sad.巫峡：长江三峡之一，李少府要去的峡中就在那一带。那里猿猴的叫声很凄凉。
衡阳归雁héng yáng guī yàn: héng yáng guī yàn: Hengyang lies south of Changsha. It has a Returning Geese Peak, and legend says geese flying south go no farther. It means Sheriff Wang in Changsha will have to send letters by the geese.衡阳归雁：衡阳在长沙南边。衡阳有座回雁峰，传说大雁南飞到这里就不再往南了。这里是说王少府到长沙后，要靠大雁带信。
青枫江qīng fēng jiāng: qīng fēng jiāng: a river in the Changsha area, where Sheriff Wang was going.青枫江：长沙一带的江，指王少府要去的地方。
白帝城bái dì chéng: bái dì chéng: a town on the Yangtze at today's Fengjie in Chongqing, where Sheriff Li was going.白帝城：在今天重庆奉节，长江边上，指李少府要去的地方。
疏shū: shū: thin and sparse, with few leaves left.疏：稀疏，叶子少了。
圣代shèng dài: shèng dài: a wise and good age, a polite name for the present reign.圣代：圣明的时代，对当时朝代的美称。
雨露yǔ lù: yǔ lù: rain and dew, which nourish all things. It stands for the emperor's kindness.雨露：雨和露水滋润万物，比喻皇帝的恩泽。
踌躇chóu chú: chóu chú: hesitating. Here, feeling down and unable to let go.踌躇：犹豫不决，这里指难过、放不下。

How to read it读音

数shù: Here it means several, so it is read shù.数行是“几行”，“数”读 shù。
行háng: Here it counts lines or streaks of tears, so it is read háng.数行泪的“行”是量词，一行一行的意思，读 háng。

Background创作背景

In the Tang, "shào fǔ" was a name for a county sheriff, the official in charge of keeping order. Two of Gao Shi's friends, one surnamed Li and one surnamed Wang, were banished at the same time. Sheriff Li was sent to the Gorges area along the Yangtze, near today's Chongqing and Hubei. Sheriff Wang was sent to Changsha. Gao Shi saw them both off by the road and wrote this poem. We no longer know the two friends' full names or why they were banished, and the year of the poem is not certain.

少府是唐代对县尉的称呼，县尉是县里管治安的官。高适的两位朋友，一位姓李，一位姓王，同时被贬：李少府被贬到峡中（今重庆、湖北一带的长江三峡附近），王少府被贬到长沙。高适在路边为他们俩送行，写了这首诗。两位朋友的名字和被贬的原因，都已经不清楚了，写作年代也不能确定。

The poet作者

Gao Shi (about 704–765) was a Tang poet famous for poems about the frontier. He and Cen Shen are called Gao and Cen. He was poor when young but later rose to high office. An old history says that of all Tang poets, he was the only one who did truly well as an official. So when he sees off banished friends, he urges them to look on the bright side.

高适（约704—765），唐代诗人，以写边塞诗出名，和岑参合称“高岑”。他年轻时很穷，后来却做了大官。古书上说，唐代诗人里官运最好的就是他。所以他送别被贬的朋友时，会劝他们往好处想。

The mood意境

Seeing off two people in one poem, when they are going to two different places, is hard to write. Gao Shi uses a clever trick: the middle four lines take turns. Line three, Wu Gorge, and line six, Baidi, are about where Sheriff Li is going. Line four, Hengyang, and line five, the Qingfeng River, are about where Sheriff Wang is going, near Changsha. Crying apes, returning geese, autumn sails and old trees all carry the sadness of parting. The poem opens with a sigh, asking how his friends feel, full of care. But the last two lines are warm. These are good times, the emperor will show mercy, and this parting is only for a while, so do not grieve too much. Sad first, warm at the end, the friendship feels true.

一首诗同时送两个人，两个人又去两个不同的地方，这很难写。高适用了一个巧办法：中间四句交错着写。第三句巫峡、第六句白帝城，写李少府要去的峡中；第四句衡阳、第五句青枫江，写王少府要去的长沙。猿声、归雁、秋帆、古木，都带着离别的凄凉。开头一声“嗟”，问朋友心情如何，满是关心。最后两句却很温暖：现在是好时代，皇帝会开恩，这次只是暂时分开，别太难过。前面悲，后面暖，情意很真。