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

wú无tí题（lái来shì是kōng空yán言qù去jué绝zōng踪）

lǐ李shāng商yǐn隐Li Shangyin · Tang唐

Untitled (You Said You Would Come)

lái来shì是kōng空yán言qù去jué绝zōng踪

yuè月xié斜lóu楼shàng上wǔ五gēng更zhōng钟

mèng梦wèi为yuǎn远bié别tí啼nán难huàn唤

shū书bèi被cuī催chéng成mò墨wèi未nóng浓

là蜡zhào照bàn半lǒng笼jīn金fěi翡cuì翠

shè麝xūn熏wēi微dù度xiù绣fú芙róng蓉

liú刘láng郎yǐ已hèn恨péng蓬shān山yuǎn远

gèng更gé隔péng蓬shān山yí一wàn万chóng重

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 original title is "Four Untitled Poems"; this is the first.

原题《无题四首》，这是第一首。

Line by line逐句翻译

来是空言去绝踪Your coming was only empty words; once gone, you left no trace.说要来只是一句空话，走了就再没有踪影。
月斜楼上五更钟The moon sinks low, and the dawn bell sounds from the tower.月亮西斜，楼上传来五更的钟声。
梦为远别啼难唤In my dream we were parted far apart, and my tears could not call you back.梦里和你远远分别，我哭着也唤不回你；
书被催成墨未浓Awake, I rushed to write you a letter, before the ink was even thick.醒来急着给你写信，墨还没磨浓就写好了。
蜡照半笼金翡翠The candlelight half covers the curtains stitched with golden kingfishers.烛光半照着绣金翡翠的帐子，
麝熏微度绣芙蓉The scent of musk drifts faintly through the lotus-embroidered quilt.麝香的香气轻轻透过绣着荷花的被子。
刘郎已恨蓬山远Young Liu already grieved that the fairy mountain was far away,刘郎已经怨恨蓬莱仙山太远，
更隔蓬山一万重but between you and me lie ten thousand more mountains than that.可我和你之间，比蓬山还要远上一万重。

Words字词注释

空言kōng yán: kōng yán: empty words, a promise not kept.空言：空话，说了却没有做到的话。
绝踪jué zōng: jué zōng: leaving no trace.绝踪：没有了踪影。
月斜yuè xié: yuè xié: the moon is sinking in the west; dawn is near.月斜：月亮已经偏西，天快亮了。
五更钟wǔ gēng zhōng: wǔ gēng zhōng: the bell of the fifth watch. The night was split into five watches, and the fifth came just before dawn.五更钟：五更时敲的钟。古代把一夜分成五更，五更就是天快亮的时候。
梦为远别mèng wèi yuǎn bié: mèng wèi yuǎn bié: in a dream, parted because they are far apart.梦为远别：在梦里因为相隔很远而分别。
啼难唤tí nán huàn: tí nán huàn: crying, yet unable to call the other back.啼难唤：哭着也叫不回来。
书被催成shū bèi cuī chéng: shū bèi cuī chéng: the letter was written in a rush, pushed by eager feelings.书被催成：信是在急切的心情催促下写成的。
墨未浓mò wèi nóng: mò wèi nóng: written before the ink was even ground thick.墨未浓：墨还没磨浓就写了。
蜡照là zhào: là zhào: candlelight.蜡照：烛光。
半笼bàn lǒng: bàn lǒng: half covering; the candlelight reaches only part of it.半笼：半遮半照，烛光只照到一半。
金翡翠jīn fěi cuì: jīn fěi cuì: bed curtains or a screen embroidered with kingfishers in gold thread. The kingfisher is a bird with beautiful feathers.金翡翠：用金线绣着翡翠鸟的帐子或屏风。翡翠，一种羽毛很美的鸟。
麝熏shè xūn: shè xūn: the scent of musk, a precious perfume.麝熏：麝香的香气。麝香是一种名贵的香料。
微度wēi dù: wēi dù: drifting through faintly.微度：轻轻地透过来。
绣芙蓉xiù fú róng: xiù fú róng: a quilt or curtain embroidered with lotus flowers.绣芙蓉：绣着荷花的被子或帐子。
刘郎liú láng: liú láng: young Liu. Legend says Liu Chen of the Eastern Han went into the Tiantai Mountains for herbs, met fairy maidens, and later could never find them again. The poet compares himself to Liu. Another view says it is Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, who searched for immortals.刘郎：传说东汉刘晨和阮肇进天台山采药，遇到仙女，后来再也找不到她们了。这里诗人用刘郎自比。一说指寻仙的汉武帝刘彻。
蓬山péng shān: péng shān: Mount Penglai, a fairy mountain in the sea in legend. Here it means where the loved one lives.蓬山：蓬莱山，传说中海上的仙山，这里指心爱的人住的地方。
一万重yí wàn chóng: yī wàn chóng: ten thousand layers, meaning very, very far.一万重：一万层，形容极远极远。

How to read it读音

更gēng: In wu geng, this character is a watch of the night, read gēng.“五更”的“更”是夜里的时间单位，读 gēng。
为wèi: Here it means because of, so it is read wèi.“梦为远别”是因为远别而做梦，“为”读 wèi。
笼lǒng: Here it means half covering, read lǒng; some read it lóng.“半笼”是半遮半罩，读 lǒng；也有人读 lóng。
更gèng: Here it means even more, so it is read gèng.“更隔”是更加隔着，读 gèng。
重chóng: Here it means layers, so it is read chóng, not zhòng.“一万重”是一万层，读 chóng，不读 zhòng。

Background创作背景

This is the first of Li Shangyin's "Four Untitled Poems". It is about longing for a loved one far away. The poet and this person had agreed to meet, but the other never came, and no word followed. In the night he dreamed of the person, woke near dawn, and quickly wrote a letter. When it was written and to whom, no one knows. One view says it is not only about love, but also carries the poet's frustration at his failed career.

这是李商隐《无题四首》的第一首，写的是对一个远方心上人的思念。诗人和那个人约好见面，对方却没有来，从此音信全无。半夜他梦见了对方，醒来天快亮了，就急忙写信。这首诗写于什么时候、写给谁，都不知道。一说它不只是写爱情，也寄托了诗人做官不顺、得不到赏识的苦闷。

The poet作者

Li Shangyin (about 813 to about 858) was a poet of the late Tang. Most of his untitled poems are about love. Their words are rich and their feelings deep, yet he leaves unclear who they are about or why he wrote them, so for over a thousand years people have kept guessing. He was especially good at making small things like dreams, candlelight and scents beautiful.

李商隐（约813—约858），字义山，晚唐诗人。他的《无题》诗大多写爱情，用词华美，情感深沉，又故意不说清楚写的是谁、为什么写，所以千百年来人们一直在猜。他特别会把梦、烛光、香气这些细节写得很美。

The mood意境

The first line is a complaint: you said you would come, but it was only words, and once you left there was not even a shadow of you. The second line shows the poet waiting all night. The moon has sunk, the dawn bell has rung, and still no one comes. The second couplet tells of a dream and a letter. In the dream they parted, and his tears could not call the other back. Waking, he wrote at once, in such a hurry that the ink was not even thick. The third couplet shows the room. Candlelight falls on golden kingfishers, and the scent of musk drifts softly. It feels as if the person is still nearby, or as if it was only a dream. The last two lines say: long ago young Liu thought the fairy mountain too far, but between you and me lie ten thousand more such mountains. The deeper the longing, the greater the distance, and the reader is left with an empty heart.

第一句就是埋怨：说好要来，却是空话，走了连影子都没有。第二句写诗人等了一夜，月亮斜了，五更钟响了，人还是没来。第二联写梦和信：梦里分别，哭着也叫不回；醒来马上写信，急得墨都没磨浓。第三联写屋里：烛光照着金线绣的翡翠鸟，麝香的味道淡淡飘着，好像那个人还在身边，又好像只是梦。最后两句说：古时候的刘郎已经嫌仙山太远，我和你之间还要再隔一万座仙山。思念越深，距离越远，读完让人心里空空的。