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

tīng听ān安wàn万shàn善chuī吹bì觱lì篥gē歌

lǐ李qí颀Li Qi · Tang唐

Song on Hearing An Wanshan Play the Bili Pipe

nán南shān山jié截zhú竹wéi为bì觱lì篥

cǐ此yuè乐běn本zì自qiū龟cí兹chū出

liú流chuán传hàn汉dì地qǔ曲zhuǎn转qí奇

liáng凉zhōu州hú胡rén人wèi为wǒ我chuī吹

bàng傍lín邻wén闻zhě者duō多tàn叹xī息

yuǎn远kè客sī思xiāng乡jiē皆lèi泪chuí垂

shì世rén人jiě解tīng听bù不jiě解shǎng赏

cháng长biāo飙fēng风zhōng中zì自lái来wǎng往

kū枯sāng桑lǎo老bǎi柏hán寒sōu飕liú飗

jiǔ九chú雏míng鸣fèng凤luàn乱jiū啾jiū啾

lóng龙yín吟hǔ虎xiào啸yì一shí时fā发

wàn万lài籁bǎi百quán泉xiāng相yǔ与qiū秋

hū忽rán然gèng更zuò作yú渔yáng阳càn掺

huáng黄yún云xiāo萧tiáo条bái白rì日àn暗

biàn变diào调rú如wén闻yáng杨liǔ柳chūn春

shàng上lín林fán繁huā花zhào照yǎn眼xīn新

suì岁yè夜gāo高táng堂liè列míng明zhú烛

měi美jiǔ酒yì一bēi杯shēng声yì一qǔ曲

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

南山截竹为觱篥Bamboo from the southern hills is cut to make the bili pipe.把南山的竹子截下来，做成觱篥，
此乐本自龟兹出This music first came from Qiuci.这种乐器本来是从龟兹传来的。
流传汉地曲转奇Passed down in the Central Plains, its tunes grew ever more wondrous.流传到中原以后，曲子变得更奇妙了，
凉州胡人为我吹A man from Liangzhou plays it for me.凉州来的胡人安万善为我吹奏。
傍邻闻者多叹息The neighbors who hear it mostly sigh.旁边的邻居听了，大多在叹气，
远客思乡皆泪垂Travellers far from home all shed tears, thinking of home.远离家乡的客人想家，都流下了眼泪。
世人解听不解赏People can listen, but they do not know how to appreciate.世上的人只会听，不懂得欣赏，
长飙风中自来往The music is like a great wind, coming and going on its own.乐声像远方来的大风，自己在风里来来去去。
枯桑老柏寒飕飗Now it is like cold wind whistling through withered mulberries and old cypresses.一会儿像寒风吹过枯桑和老柏，飕飕作响，
九雏鸣凤乱啾啾Now like a phoenix and her nine chicks chirping all at once.一会儿像凤凰带着九只小凤凰，叽叽喳喳乱叫。
龙吟虎啸一时发Dragon cries and tiger roars burst out together.像龙吟，像虎啸，一下子都响起来，
万籁百泉相与秋All the sounds of nature and a hundred springs join in an autumn sigh.像自然界的各种声音和百条泉水，一起发出秋天的萧瑟。
忽然更作渔阳掺Suddenly it turns to the drum tune Yuyang Can.忽然又换成悲壮的《渔阳掺》，
黄云萧条白日暗Yellow clouds hang bleak, and the sun grows dim.好像黄云冷冷清清，太阳也暗了下来。
变调如闻杨柳春The tune changes, and it is like hearing a spring song of willows.曲调一变，又像听到了春天的《折杨柳》，
上林繁花照眼新As if the flowers of the royal park bloomed, fresh and dazzling.好像上林苑里繁花盛开，鲜艳得让人眼前一亮。
岁夜高堂列明烛On New Year's Eve, rows of bright candles line the tall hall.除夕夜，高大的厅堂里点着一排排明亮的蜡烛，
美酒一杯声一曲One cup of fine wine, and one tune to hear.喝一杯美酒，听一支曲子。

Words字词注释

截竹jié zhú: jié zhú: to cut a length of bamboo.截竹：把竹子截断。
觱篥bì lì: bì lì: a pipe made of a bamboo tube with a reed mouthpiece. Its sound is sad and piercing. It came into China from the Western Regions.觱篥：一种管乐器，用竹管做成，上面插着芦苇做的哨子，声音很悲凉。从西域传进中原。
本自běn zì: běn zì: originally from.本自：本来是从……
龟兹qiū cí: qiū cí: an ancient kingdom in the Western Regions, around today's Kuqa in Xinjiang, famous for its music.龟兹：古代西域的一个国家，在今天新疆库车一带，以音乐出名。
汉地hàn dì: hàn dì: the Central Plains, the Chinese heartland.汉地：中原地区。
曲转奇qǔ zhuǎn qí: qǔ zhuǎn qí: the tunes became even more wonderful.曲转奇：曲子变得更加奇妙。
凉州胡人liáng zhōu hú rén: liáng zhōu hú rén: a man of Central Asian descent from Liangzhou, that is, An Wanshan. Liangzhou is today's Wuwei in Gansu. Hú rén was the old name for peoples of the northwest.凉州胡人：从凉州来的西域人，就是安万善。凉州，在今天的甘肃武威。胡人，古代对西北各族人的称呼。
傍邻bàng lín: bàng lín: neighbors close by.傍邻：旁边的邻居。
远客yuǎn kè: yuǎn kè: people far from home.远客：远离家乡的人。
解听不解赏jiě tīng bù jiě shǎng: jiě tīng bù jiě shǎng: they can listen but cannot truly appreciate. Jiě means to understand.解听不解赏：只会听，不懂得欣赏。解，懂得。
长飙cháng biāo: cháng biāo: a great wind from far away. Biāo is a gale.长飙：远处吹来的大风。飙，暴风。
自来往zì lái wǎng: zì lái wǎng: comes and goes on its own. The music flies free like the wind, and few truly understand it.自来往：自己来来去去。说那乐声像大风一样，在空中自由地飘来飘去，没人真正懂它。
飕飗sōu liú: sōu liú: the sound of wind.飕飗：风吹的声音。
九雏鸣凤jiǔ chú míng fèng: jiǔ chú míng fèng: a phoenix calling with its nine chicks. Chú means a baby bird.九雏鸣凤：一只凤凰带着九只小凤凰在叫。雏，小鸟。
啾啾jiū jiū: jiū jiū: the chirping of birds.啾啾：鸟叫的声音。
龙吟虎啸lóng yín hǔ xiào: lóng yín hǔ xiào: like a dragon's long cry and a tiger's roar.龙吟虎啸：像龙在长吟，像老虎在吼叫。
一时发yì shí fā: yī shí fā: all burst out at once.一时发：同时响起来。
万籁wàn lài: wàn lài: all the sounds of nature. Lài is a sound coming out of a hole or pipe.万籁：自然界的各种声音。籁，从孔里发出的声音。
相与秋xiāng yǔ qiū: xiāng yǔ qiū: together they sound as bleak as autumn.相与秋：一起发出秋天一样萧瑟的声音。
更作gèng zuò: gèng zuò: then plays instead.更作：又吹起，换成吹。
渔阳掺yú yáng càn: yú yáng càn: an old drum tune, stirring and sad. Legend says Mi Heng beat it on a drum when he insulted Cao Cao in the Eastern Han.渔阳掺：古代一首鼓曲，声音悲壮。传说东汉祢衡击鼓骂曹操时打的就是这首。
萧条xiāo tiáo: xiāo tiáo: bleak and lifeless.萧条：冷清，没有生气。
变调biàn diào: biàn diào: the tune changes.变调：曲调一变。
杨柳春yáng liǔ chūn: yáng liǔ chūn: like hearing a spring tune about willows, such as "Breaking Willow Twigs", so that one seems to see willows in spring.杨柳春：像听到了《折杨柳》那样的春天曲子，好像看见春天的杨柳。
上林shàng lín: shàng lín: the Shanglin Park, the great royal garden of the Han.上林：上林苑，汉代皇家的大花园。
照眼新zhào yǎn xīn: zhào yǎn xīn: so fresh and bright it dazzles the eyes.照眼新：鲜艳得让人眼前一亮。
岁夜suì yè: suì yè: New Year's Eve, the last night of the year.岁夜：除夕，一年的最后一夜。
高堂gāo táng: gāo táng: a tall, grand hall.高堂：高大的厅堂。
列明烛liè míng zhú: liè míng zhú: rows of bright candles.列明烛：点着一排排明亮的蜡烛。
声一曲shēng yì qǔ: shēng yī qǔ: and one tune to hear.声一曲：听一支曲子。

How to read it读音

为wéi: In "cut bamboo to make a bili", this character means "to make into" and is read wéi. In line four, "plays for me", it is read wèi.“截竹为觱篥”是把竹子做成觱篥，“为”读 wéi。下面“为我吹”是替我吹，读 wèi。
乐yuè: Here this character means music, so it is read yuè, not lè.“乐”这里指音乐，读 yuè。
龟qiū: The ancient Western Regions kingdom Qiuci is read qiū cí; these characters are normally read guī zī.“龟兹”是古代西域国名，读 qiū cí。
傍bàng: Here this character means "nearby", as in neighbors next door. It is usually read bàng today; some read it páng, the same as the word for "beside".“傍邻”就是旁边的邻居。今天一般读 bàng；一说这里同“旁”，读 páng。
掺càn: In the drum tune name Yuyang Can, this character is read càn.“渔阳掺”是古代鼓曲名，“掺”读 càn。

Background创作背景

An Wanshan was a musician from Liangzhou who played the bili pipe. His surname suggests his family may have come from the Central Asian state of An. The bili came into China from the kingdom of Qiuci in the Western Regions. One New Year's Eve, in a tall hall full of candles, Li Qi heard An Wanshan play and wrote this poem. The year is not recorded.

安万善是从凉州来的乐人，擅长吹觱篥，从名字看可能是西域安国人的后代。觱篥是从西域龟兹传来的管乐器。一个除夕夜，在点满蜡烛的高大厅堂里，李颀听安万善吹奏，写下了这首诗。具体是哪一年，没有记载。

The poet作者

Li Qi was a Tang poet of Emperor Xuanzong's time. He was especially good at writing about music. Besides this poem, his famous music poems include one on hearing Dong Da play the barbarian reed pipe, and "Song of the Zither". He could turn sounds you cannot see into pictures you can.

李颀，唐代诗人，生活在唐玄宗开元、天宝年间。他特别会写音乐，除了这首，还有《听董大弹胡笳声兼寄语弄房给事》《琴歌》，都是写听音乐的名篇。他能把看不见的声音，写成一幅幅看得见的画。

The mood意境

Sound cannot be seen, so how do you write it? Li Qi's answer is comparison. The pipe sounds now like cold wind through dead trees, now like a flock of baby phoenixes chirping, now like dragons and tigers crying out, now like all of nature sighing in autumn. The tune turns into a stirring drum piece, as if yellow clouds hid the sun. It turns again, and there are spring willows and a garden full of flowers. As you read, close your eyes and walk through these pictures. The last two lines suddenly grow quiet: New Year's Eve, rows of candlelight, one cup of wine, one tune. Behind the lively music lies the homesickness of travellers at the end of the year.

声音是看不见的，怎么写？李颀用的办法是打比方。觱篥的声音一会儿像寒风吹过枯树，一会儿像一群小凤凰乱叫，一会儿像龙吟虎啸，一会儿又像秋天里万物在叹息。曲子一转，变成悲壮的鼓曲，好像黄云遮住了太阳；再一转，又像春天的杨柳和满园鲜花。读的时候，你可以闭上眼睛，跟着这些画面走一遍。最后两句忽然安静下来：除夕夜，烛光一排排，一杯酒，一支曲。热闹的音乐背后，是远方客人在年底想家的心情。