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

xíng行jīng经huà华yīn阴

cuī崔hào颢Cui Hao · Tang唐

Passing Through Huayin

tiáo岧yáo峣tài太huà华fǔ俯xián咸jīng京

tiān天wài外sān三fēng峰xuē削bù不chéng成

wǔ武dì帝cí祠qián前yún云yù欲sàn散

xiān仙rén人zhǎng掌shàng上yǔ雨chū初qíng晴

hé河shān山běi北zhěn枕qín秦guān关xiǎn险

yì驿lù路xī西lián连hàn汉zhì畤píng平

jiè借wèn问lù路páng旁míng名lì利kè客

hé何rú如cǐ此chù处xué学cháng长shēng生

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 first line the corpus uses an old variant form of yao. The corpus reads yi shu (post-road trees) in line six, lu bang in line seven, and wu ru in the last line. Most common editions read yi lu (post road), lu pang, and he ru. Bang here means the same as pang, the roadside. Wu ru means nothing is better than; he ru means how could it compare with. The meaning is close.

语料首句作“岧嶤”，“嶤”是“峣”的异体字。语料第六句作“驿树”，第七句作“路傍”，末句作“无如”；通行本多作“驿路”“路旁”“何如”。“傍”在这里同“旁”。“无如”是“不如”，“何如”是“哪里比得上”，意思相近。

Line by line逐句翻译

岧峣太华俯咸京Towering Mount Hua looks down on the capital.高高的华山，俯视着京城长安。
天外三峰削不成Its three peaks rise beyond the sky; no human hand could carve them.高入天外的三座山峰，不是人力能削出来的。
武帝祠前云欲散In front of Emperor Wu's shrine, the clouds are about to part.武帝祠前，云彩快要散开了。
仙人掌上雨初晴Over the Immortal's Palm, the rain has just stopped and the sky clears.仙人掌峰上，雨刚停，天放晴了。
河山北枕秦关险To the north, river and mountain rest against the steep passes of Qin.黄河和华山北边靠着险要的秦关。
驿路西连汉畤平To the west, the post road runs flat to the old Han altars.驿路向西，平平地通到汉代的祭坛。
借问路旁名利客Let me ask the people on this road who chase fame and money:请问路边那些追名逐利的人，
何如此处学长生how could that compare with staying here to learn the way of living forever?哪里比得上在这里学道求长生呢？

Words字词注释

岧峣tiáo yáo: tiáo yáo: towering high.岧峣：山高高耸立的样子。
太华tài huà: tài huà: Mount Hua, in today's Huayin in Shaanxi, the Western one of the Five Great Mountains.太华：华山，在今天陕西华阴，是五岳中的西岳。
俯fǔ: fǔ: to look down from above.俯：从高处往下看。
咸京xián jīng: xián jīng: Xianyang, the capital of the Qin. Here it stands for the Tang capital Chang'an.咸京：咸阳，秦朝的都城。这里指唐朝的都城长安。
天外tiān wài: tiān wài: as if beyond the sky, meaning very high.天外：好像在天的外边，形容极高。
三峰sān fēng: sān fēng: the three most famous peaks of Mount Hua.三峰：华山上最有名的三座山峰。
削不成xuē bù chéng: xuē bù chéng: no person could carve it. The peaks are as steep as if cut by a knife, and only nature could make them.削不成：不是人能削出来的。说山峰陡得像刀削的一样，只有大自然才做得出。
武帝祠wǔ dì cí: wǔ dì cí: a shrine built at the foot of Mount Hua by Emperor Wu of Han.武帝祠：汉武帝在华山脚下建的祠庙。
云欲散yún yù sàn: yún yù sàn: the clouds are about to part. Yù means about to.云欲散：云快要散开了。欲，将要。
仙人掌xiān rén zhǎng: xiān rén zhǎng: the Immortal's Palm, a cliff on the east peak of Mount Hua with marks like a giant hand.仙人掌：华山东峰的一处崖壁，上面的痕迹像一只巨大的手掌，叫仙人掌。
雨初晴yǔ chū qíng: yǔ chū qíng: the rain has just stopped and the sky is clearing.雨初晴：雨刚停，天刚放晴。
河山hé shān: hé shān: the Yellow River and Mount Hua.河山：黄河和华山。
北枕běi zhěn: běi zhěn: resting against the north, like a head on a pillow.北枕：北边靠着。枕，靠着，像头枕在枕头上。
秦关qín guān: qín guān: a pass of the old Qin land. Some say it is Hangu Pass, others Tong Pass.秦关：秦地的关口。一说指函谷关，一说指潼关。
驿路yì lù: yì lù: the post road. In old times it had stations where messengers and officials changed horses and rested.驿路：大路。古时路上设有驿站，供送信的人和官员换马、休息。
汉畤hàn zhì: hàn zhì: the altars where the Han dynasty worshipped heaven and earth.汉畤：汉代祭祀天地的祭坛。
借问jiè wèn: jiè wèn: may I ask.借问：请问。
名利客míng lì kè: míng lì kè: people chasing fame and wealth.名利客：追求名声和利益的人。
何如hé rú: hé rú: how could it compare with.何如：哪里比得上。
学长生xué cháng shēng: xué cháng shēng: to learn the arts of living forever. People in old times thought immortals lived on Mount Hua.学长生：学习长生不老的道术。古人认为华山是神仙住的地方。

How to read it读音

华huà: Tai Hua is Mount Hua. As the name of the mountain, this character is read huà.太华就是华山。作山名和姓的时候，“华”读 huà。
削xuē: Used alone this character is read xiāo; in written phrases like this one, textbooks today usually read it xuē.“削”单用读 xiāo，在“削不成”这样的书面词语里，现在课本一般读 xuē。
畤zhì: This character is read zhì. It means an altar for worshipping heaven and earth.畤读 zhì，是古代祭祀天地的地方。

Background创作背景

Huayin is today's Huayin City in Shaanxi, right at the foot of Mount Hua. It lay on the main road to Chang'an from the east. Cui Hao passed by, saw Mount Hua after the rain, and wrote this poem. Many people on this road were going to Chang'an to seek office and fame, so at the end the poet asks them: why not stay here and learn the Way? The exact year it was written is no longer known.

华阴在今天陕西华阴市，就在华山脚下，是从东边去长安的必经之路。崔颢经过这里，看到雨后的华山，写下这首诗。很多人走这条路是去长安求官、求名，所以诗人最后问他们：何不留下来学道？这首诗具体写于哪一年，已经不清楚了。

The poet作者

Cui Hao (about 704 to 754) came from Bianzhou, around today's Kaifeng in Henan, and passed the imperial exam in the Kaiyuan years. His most famous poem is "Yellow Crane Tower". It is said that even Li Bai found it so good that he dared not write his own. Cui Hao's poems feel broad and grand, and this poem about Mount Hua is like that too.

崔颢（约704—754），汴州人，就是今天河南开封一带，开元年间考中进士。他最有名的诗是《黄鹤楼》，据说李白看了都说写得太好，自己不敢再写。他的诗气势开阔，这首写华山的诗也是这样。

The mood意境

First the poet looks from far away. Mount Hua stands tall, as if bending down to look at Chang'an. Its three peaks pierce the sky, as steep as if cut by a knife, yet no person could have cut them. Then he looks closer. The clouds before the shrine are parting, the rain over the Immortal's Palm has just stopped, and the mountain turns bright and clear. Then he looks into the distance. To the north are the Yellow River and steep passes; to the west a flat road leads to ancient altars. The land is so vast, and its history so long. At last the poet asks the people hurrying to Chang'an: how can chasing fame and money compare with seeking long life here, where immortals live? A poem about scenery ends as a piece of advice.

诗人先从远处看：华山高高地站着，好像在低头看长安；三座山峰插进云天，陡得像刀削的，却不是人能削出来的。接着走近了看：祠庙前云快散了，仙人掌峰上雨刚停，山色一下子清亮起来。然后把眼光放远：北边是黄河、险关，西边是一条平平的大路通向古老的祭坛。山河这么大，历史这么长。最后诗人对路上忙着赶去长安的人发问：争名争利，哪里比得上在这神仙住的地方求长生？一首写景的诗，最后变成一声劝告。