初唐17首绝唱信达雅英译传世典藏集

本辑汇集虞世南、李世民、魏征、刘希夷、沈佺期、宋之问、张若虚、贺知章、王之涣九家经典诗作。选录包含庙堂言志、咏物抒怀、闺怨羁旅、生命咏叹与边塞绝唱。完整呈现诗歌由齐梁宫廷绮丽文风脱胎，向着风骨刚健的方向演进的全过程：沈佺期、宋之问完成近体律诗声律体制的定型；刘希夷、张若虚拓展七言歌行的抒情与哲思境界；贺知章、王之涣以绝句书写山河与时代胸襟，共同为璀璨的盛唐诗歌奏响先声。

Thisanthology gathers classic verses by nine poets: Yu Shinan, Li Shimin, WeiZheng, Liu Xiyi, Shen Quanqi, Song Zhiwen, Zhang Ruoxu, He Zhizhang and WangZhihuan. It includes court‑themed aspirations,object‑chanting pieces,boudoir laments, exile meditations, existential reflections and frontiermasterworks. These poems trace poetry’s evolution away from ornate Southern‑Dynasty court taste toward robustpoetic integrity. Shen Quanqi and Song Zhiwen standardized the metrical rulesof regulated verse; Liu Xiyi and Zhang Ruoxu expanded the emotional andphilosophical scope of seven‑character ballads. HeZhizhang and Wang Zhihuan shaped quatrains with grand visions of landscape andage, laying vital groundwork for the brilliant flowering of High‑Tang poetry.

17Timeless Poems of Early‑Tang: A BilingualTreasured Collection

Translatedby Wang Yongli

虞世南

虞世南（558‑638），字伯施，越州余姚人，历仕陈、隋、唐三朝。入唐为秦府十八学士，官至秘书监，封永兴县公，凌烟阁二十四功臣之一。太宗誉其德行、忠直、博学、文辞、书翰为 “五绝”。他性情刚正，敢于直谏。既是初唐书法四大家，亦工诗，诗风清雅冲淡，多咏物言志，《蝉》为其传世名篇。

YuShinan (558‑638), courtesy nameBoshi, was born in Yuyao. He served successively the Chen, Sui and Tangdynasties. In early‑Tang, he was one of theEighteen Scholars of Prince Qin’s mansion, rose to Director of the PalaceLibrary, and ranked among the Twenty‑Four MeritoriousOfficials of Lingyan Pavilion. Emperor Taizong praised him for “fiveexcellences”: virtue, loyalty, erudition, literary gift and calligraphy.Upright and outspoken, he was one of the Four Great Calligraphers of Early‑Tang. His poems are elegant andrestrained, with Cicada as his best‑known work.

《蝉》

垂緌饮清露，流响出疏桐。

居高声自远，非是藉秋风。

【校注】緌，古本亦作“绥”，中华书局底本作“緌”。

Tothe Cicada

ByYu Shinan

Itstassels sip the dewdrops pure and clear,

Throughsparse parasol trees its ringing song doth appear.

Perchedhigh, its voice travels afar of its own might,

Itneeds no autumn wind to bear its sound in height.

虞世南《咏萤》

的历流光小，飘飖弱翅轻。

恐畏无人识，独自暗中明。

【校注】飖，异体作“摇”。

Odeto the Firefly

ByYu Shinan

Atiny spark, a feeble light,

Onflimsy wings it flutters in flight.

Lestnone should see its gleam in the night,

Itshines alone in the dark, so bright.

李世民

李世民（599‑649），即唐太宗，唐朝第二位皇帝。少年征战，助唐平定天下；登基后开创 “贞观之治”，虚心纳谏，安民怀远，被尊为 “天可汗”。他雅好文学，虽未完全摆脱齐梁余风，但诗作多写征战阅历与帝王襟怀，笔力雄健开阔，骨气昂扬。以帝王身份提携文士，引领贞观诗坛，为唐诗兴盛启开先声，存诗见于《全唐诗》。

LiShimin (599‑649), Emperor Taizong,was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty. A seasoned warrior, he helped unifythe realm. On the throne, he launched the Zhenguan Reign‑of‑Good‑Governance, accepted frankremonstrance, pacified border peoples and was hailed as “Heavenly‑Khan”. Though still influenced by theornate Southern‑Dynasty literaryfashion, his poems draw on war experience and imperial vision, marked by vigourand magnanimity. As patron of letters, he shaped the Zhenguan poetic circle andlaid groundwork for Tang poetry, with his verses preserved in The Complete TangPoems.

《赐萧瑀》

疾风知劲草，板荡识诚臣。

勇夫安识义，智者必怀仁。

ToXiao Yu

By Li Shimin

Whenfierce winds blow, stout grasses stand the test;

Intimes of chaos, loyal men stand manifest.

Howcan the bold true righteousness discern?

Thewise heart must with benevolence burn.

《经破薛举战地》

昔年怀壮气，提戈初仗节。

心随朗日高，志与秋霜洁。

移锋惊电起，转战长河决。

营碎落星沉，阵卷横云裂。

一挥氛沴静，再举鲸鲵灭。

于兹俯旧原，属目驻华轩。

沉沙无故迹，减灶有残痕。

浪霞穿水净，峰雾抱莲昏。

世途亟流易，人事殊今昔。

长想眺前踪，抚躬聊自适。

【校注】沴，底本不作“戾”；抱，一作“抱”，异本有“抱作“拖””。

Bythe Old Battle‑Field Where Xue Ju Was Defeated

ByLi Shimin

Inbygone years my youthful spirit burned;

Igrasped the spear, my sacred mission learned.

Myheart soared high as sun's unclouded ray;

Mywill stayed pure as autumn frost's cold grey.

Ourmoving front struck swift as lightning's flare;

Bythe long river we waged many a warfare.

Camp‑ruins fell like shooting stars toground;

Battle‑lines rolled, through ridge‑like clouds they wound.

Onesweep, all baleful vapours ceased to be;

Asecond stroke, the monsters sank in sea.

Nowon this ancient plain I bend my sight,

Myroyal chariot halts, my gaze alight.

Beneathsunk sands no old footprints remain;

Yetreduced stoves leave marks on the terrain.

Wave‑tinted sunbeams through clear watersgleam;

Peak‑mists embrace the lotus‑hills in dream.

Theworld's course shifts with ever‑hastening tide;

Men'sfortunes change, no more as once they bide.

Igaze far back on tracks of former days,

Andsoothe my heart in self‑reflective ways.

魏征

魏征（580‑643），字玄成，唐初名臣。早年辗转割据势力，后归太宗，官至侍中。以敢于犯颜直谏闻名，屡上书匡正君过，是贞观之治的核心辅臣。其诗存世不多，代表作《述怀》风骨刚健，寄寓身世抱负，一扫浮华绮靡之气。身为谏臣，他重务实理义，诗文多慷慨沉郁，开启初唐诗歌尚实重志的风气。

英文

WeiZheng (580‑643), courtesy nameXuancheng, was a distinguished early‑Tang statesman. Afterserving warlords, he joined Emperor Taizong and rose to Palace Secretary.Renowned for fearless remonstrance, he repeatedly corrected imperial faults andwas a key architect of the Zhenguan era. Few of his poems survive. Hismasterpiece Reflections is forceful and aspirational, free from florid affectation.As a loyal advisor, he valued pragmatism; his verse, impassioned and sombre,fostered the early‑Tang poetic ethos ofsincerity and resolve.

《述怀》（一作出关）

中原初逐鹿，投笔事戎轩。

纵横计不就，慷慨志犹存。

杖策谒天子，驱马出关门。

请缨系南粤，凭轼下东藩。

郁纡陟高岫，出没望平原。

古木鸣寒鸟，空山啼夜猿。

既伤千里目，还惊九逝魂。

岂不惮艰险，深怀国士恩。

季布无二诺，侯嬴重一言。

人生感意气，功名谁复论。

【校注】南粤，一作“南越”。

Reflections(Also titled On Leaving the Pass)

ByWei Zheng

Whenrival lords for Central Plains began to strive,

Icast my writing‑brush to serve the war‑camp life.

Thoughbold stratagems won no decisive gain,

Myardent aspirations still would not wane.

Withwhip in hand I sought the Son of Heaven’s face;

Irode my steed and left the mountain‑pass’s place.

Ibegged to go as envoy to bind the southern tribes’ domain,

Andfrom my chariot tame the eastern princes' reign.

Bywinding paths I climbed the lofty mountain crest;

Theplain would now emerge, now sink from mortal quest.

Beneathold trees the wintry birds their cries outpour;

O’erempty hills night‑apes their mournfulwails upsoar.

Myfar‑reaching gaze stirsgrief that cannot cease;

Mywandering soul is shaken by unrest’s increase.

DoI not dread the perils on my rugged way?

Ihold the noble‑subject’s debt deep inmy breast for aye.

LikeJi Bu, whose word no second thought could bend;

LikeHou Ying, who prized one promise till the end.

Man’sheart is moved by honour’s fire from deepwithin;

Whyweigh the worldly fame and glory one may win?

李峤

李峤（645‑714），字巨山，赵州赞皇（今河北赞皇）人，“文章四友”之一，武后、中宗朝三任宰相。少年博学，工于咏物，所作《杂咏》百二十首，一物一咏，辞采精练。其小诗不著一字而得其神，《风》为千古传诵的咏物绝唱，以物象侧面烘托物性，构思精巧含蓄。

LiQiao (645‑714), courtesy‑name Jushan, hailed from Zanhuang ofZhaozhou, one of the “Four Men of Letters”. He served three terms as chancellorunder Empress Wu and Emperor Zhongzong. Erudite in youth, he excelled at object‑chanting verse. His 120 MiscellaneousOdes each depict one single thing with concise diction. His masterpiece TheWind, a celebrated quatrain, hints at its subject only through phenomena, withsubtle, ingenious conception.

解落三秋叶，能开二月花。

过江千尺浪，入竹万竿斜。

TheWind

ByLi Qiao (Early‑Tang Dynasty)

Translatedby Wang Yongli

Itstrips the autumn leaves from boughs of grey,

Itmakes the early‑spring blooms burst inplay.

O’erriver‑reaches it rearsbillows high,

Throughbamboo groves ten thousand stems bend nigh.

刘希夷

刘希夷（约 651‑约 680），一名庭芝，汝州人，上元二年进士，善弹琵琶。一生落魄不遇，年未三十而亡。擅长七言歌行，多写闺情，辞藻华美，情调哀婉感伤，善于借落花、白发咏叹青春消逝、世事无常。代表作《代悲白头翁》名句传诵千古，将个体悲欢升华为生命哲思，拓展了歌行的抒情境界，对张若虚等诗人亦有启发。

英文

LiuXiyi (c.651‑c.680), also namedTingzhi, hailed from Ruzhou. He passed the imperial examination in 675 andexcelled at playing the pipa. He lived a frustrated life and died beforethirty. Master of seven‑character ballads, heoften dwelt on feminine themes in ornate, melancholy verse. His masterpieceLament for a White‑Haired Elder ponderstransience of youth and mortal fortunes. Elevating personal sorrow intophilosophical reflection on life, his work broadened the expressive scope ofballad poetry and influenced later poets such as Zhang Ruoxu.

《代悲白头翁》

洛阳城东桃李花，飞来飞去落谁家。

洛阳女儿惜颜色，坐见落花长叹息。

今年花落颜色改，明年花开复谁在。

已见松柏摧为薪，更闻桑田变成海。

古人无复洛城东，今人还对落花风。

年年岁岁花相似，岁岁年年人不同。

寄言全盛红颜子，应怜半死白头翁。

此翁白头真可怜，伊昔红颜美少年。

公子王孙芳树下，清歌妙舞落花前。

光禄池台文锦绣，将军楼阁画神仙。

一朝卧病无相识，三春行乐在谁边。

宛转蛾眉能几时，须臾鹤发乱如丝。

但看古来歌舞地，惟有黄昏鸟雀悲。

Lamentfor the White-Haired Elder (On His Behalf)

ByLiu Xiyi (Early Tang)

Eastof Luoyang peach and plums unfold,

Whereshall their drifting petals alight untold?

Luoyangmaidens cherish their youthful bloom,

Andsigh to watch the blossoms meet their doom.

Thisyear blooms fall and rosy charms decay;

Whoshall survive when spring unfurls array

Ofbright fresh blossoms for another year?

Pinesand cypresses are hewn for firewood clear.

Mulberryfields transform to boundless seas;

Nomen of old haunt Luoyang’s eastern trees.

Yetmortals of today still stand to face

Thewind that scatters blooms across the place.

Yearafter year the blossoms keep their face;

Yearafter year mankind shifts mortal place.

Aword to youths who wear unwaning glow:

Pitythe elder worn, his head in silver snow.

Piteousthe elder’s locks of silver hue;

Oncehe bore fair bright youthful looks and view.

Beneathfragrant boughs the lords would oft convene,

Softsongs and dances midst the petal‑strewn scene.

Magnates’terraces hang with brocade refined,

Generals’towers where painted immortals shine.

Sicknessstrikes him; no old friends draw near his bed;

Towhom shall spring’s three months of joybe led?

Howlong can soft curved brows retain their charm?

Sooncrane‑white hair tangles likedisordered yarn.

Beholdthe grounds where songs and dances held their sway;

Atdusk lone birds pour forth their mournful lay.

沈佺期

沈佺期（约 656‑约 714），字云卿，相州内黄人。进士及第，武后时任职宫廷，曾受牵连遭流放。他与宋之问并称 “沈宋”，是初唐律诗定型的关键人物。其诗多应制之作，流放后增添羁旅愁思。工于七言，《独不见》为唐代七律成熟的标志性作品，对仗精工、声律严谨，为近体诗发展奠定重要基础。

ShenQuanqi (c.656‑c.714), courtesy nameYunqing, was born in Neihuang. After passing the jinshi examination, he servedat court under Empress Wu and was later exiled amid political turmoil. Togetherwith Song Zhiwen, known as “Shen‑Song”, he was pivotalin shaping regulated verse of early‑Tang. Many of his poemsare court‑commissioned; exileinfused his works with homesick sorrow. His seven‑character poem She Sees Him Not marksthe maturity of Tang heptasyllabic regulated verse, distinguished by neatantithesis and strict prosody, laying solid foundations for modern‑style poetry.

《独不见》

卢家少妇郁金堂，海燕双栖玳瑁梁。

九月寒砧催木叶，十年征戍忆辽阳。

白狼河北音书断，丹凤城南秋夜长。

谁谓含愁独不见，更教明月照流黄。

【校注】谓，异本亦作“为”。

SheSees Him Not

ByShen Quanqi

YoungLu’s bride dwells in saffron‑scented hall,

Wheresea‑swallows pair ontortoiseshell beam and wall.

Inninth‑month chill, the malletstrikes; leaves drift away;

Forhim at Liaoyang she pines ten weary years today.

Northof White‑Wolf Stream allmessages are gone;

Southof Red‑Phoenix Tower autumnnights drag on.

Whosays she grieves unseen in sorrow’s heavy thrall?

Thebright moon pours its light upon her woven silken shawl.

《杂诗三首·其三》

闻道黄龙戍，频年不解兵。

可怜闺里月，长在汉家营。

少妇今春意，良人昨夜情。

谁能将旗鼓，一为取龙城。

FromThree Miscellaneous Poems, No.3

ByShen Quanqi

Ihear at Yellow‑Dragon Fort the warsstill rage,

Yearafter year no truce the border can engage.

Pitythat moon which shines within her bower room,

O’erHan camps far away it casts its constant gloom.

Theyoung wife’s spring‑born longing stirs thisvery hour;

Herwarrior’s fond affectionlingers from nights of yore.

Whoshall lead banners, drums and troops to strike the foe,

Andseize Dragon‑City in one victoriousblow?

宋之问

宋之问（约 656‑712），字延清，汾州人。进士出身，武后、中宗朝供职宫廷，多作应制诗。后因政治牵连屡遭贬谪，最终赐死。他与沈佺期合称 “沈宋”，完成唐代律诗格律规范化。贬谪生涯拓宽其诗歌境界，羁旅怀乡之作情真意切。《渡汉江》《题大庾岭北驿》是其代表，语言凝练，情景交融，对近体诗的成熟贡献卓著。

SongZhiwen (c.656‑712), courtesy nameYanqing, was born in Fenzhou. Having passed the jinshi examination, he served at court under Empress Wuand Emperor Zhongzong. After political upheavals, he was repeatedly exiled andfinally ordered to take his own life during Emperor Xuanzong's reign. AlongsideShen Quanqi, known as “Shen‑Song”, he standardizedthe metrics of Tang regulated verse. Exile deepened his poetic vision; hishomesick verses are sincere and touching. Works such as Crossing the Han Riverand At the Northern Post of Dayuling feature concise language and blended scene‑and‑sentiment, greatly advancing maturemodern‑style poetry.

《渡汉江》

岭外音书断，经冬复历春。

近乡情更怯，不敢问来人。

Crossingthe Han River

BySong Zhiwen

Beyondthe ridges, all news and letters died;

Throughwinter’s frost and then through spring I bide.

Drawingnear home, my heart grows fraught with fear;

Idare not ask the travellers drawing near.

《题大庾岭北驿》

阳月南飞雁，传闻至此回。

我行殊未已，何日复归来。

江静潮初落，林昏瘴不开。

明朝望乡处，应见陇头梅。

【校注】陇，一作“垅”，异体字。

Atthe Northern Post of Dayu Ridge

BySong Zhiwen

Inlunar tenth month wild geese southward fly;

’Tis said beyond thisridge their flights die.

Yetmy long journey still must carry on;

Whenshall I return to my homeland, now far gone?

Thetide ebbs low, the river lies at rest;

Mist‑choked woods hang in noxious vapour’snest.

Tomorrowwhen I gaze toward native ground,

Plumblooms upon the ridge shall greet my sight around.

张若虚

张若虚（约 660‑约 720），扬州人，初唐诗人。传世诗作仅两首，却凭《春江花月夜》光耀诗史。此篇以春江月夜为背景，把游子思妇的离愁升华为对宇宙、人生的哲思，意境空灵阔大，语言清丽流转。这首七言歌行洗去宫体诗的绮靡，融情、景、理于一体，被后世誉为 “孤篇盖全唐”，对盛唐诗歌影响深远。

ZhangRuoxu (c.660‑c.720), a poet fromYangzhou in early‑Tang Dynasty, hasmerely two poems extant. Yet The Spring River and Moonlit Night secures hisplace in literary history. Set against spring‑river moonrise, the ballad elevatestravellers’ and ladies’ longing into philosophical meditation on cosmos andhuman life, with ethereal, expansive imagery and fluid elegant diction. Freefrom the frivolity of palace‑style verse, it blendssentiment, scenery and reflection. Hailed as “one poem outweighing all Tangverses”, it exerted far‑reaching influence onHigh‑Tang poetry.

《春江花月夜》

春江潮水连海平，海上明月共潮生。

滟滟随波千万里，何处春江无月明。

江流宛转绕芳甸，月照花林皆似霰。

空里流霜不觉飞，汀上白沙看不见。

江天一色无纤尘，皎皎空中孤月轮。

江畔何人初见月，江月何年初照人。

人生代代无穷已，江月年年只相似。

不知江月待何人，但见长江送流水。

白云一片去悠悠，青枫浦上不胜愁。

谁家今夜扁舟子，何处相思明月楼。

可怜楼上月徘徊，应照离人妆镜台。

玉户帘中卷不去，捣衣砧上拂还来。

此时相望不相闻，愿逐月华流照君。

鸿雁长飞光不度，鱼龙潜跃水成文。

昨夜闲潭梦落花，可怜春半不还家。

江水流春去欲尽，江潭落月复西斜。

斜月沉沉藏海雾，碣石潇湘无限路。

不知乘月几人归，落月摇情满江树。

【校注】只相似，部分古本一作“望相似”。

AMoonlit Night on Spring River

ByZhang Ruoxu

Inspring the river brims level with the sea;
The bright moon with the tide arises free.
She spreads her rippling light for countless miles;
On spring river where'er she flows, her light beguiles.
The winding stream around flower‑strewn banks goes;
The moonlight turns the blooming grove to snow‑white glows.
No frost in air is felt, though gauze‑like light;
White sand on sandbars melts from sight in night.
The water blends with sky, no speck of dust in blue;
A lonely moon wheel hangs in the void, bright in view.
Who by the riverside first saw the moon on high?
When did the moon first shine on mortals' mortal eye?
From age to age men come and go, an endless line;
Year after year the moon looks similar in design.
None knows for whom she waits on the river's breast;
One only sees the long stream send the spring to rest.
A wisp of white cloud drifts slowly, slowly away;
On green maple strands grief piles up day by day.
Whose little boat tonight upon the river plies?
Where lovesickness dwells in moonlit tower sighs?
Poor moon, you linger on the tower where she stays;
You should light her mirror stand in the dim‑lit haze.
She rolls the jade‑bead screen, but you won't go away;
She washes on the fulling block, on it you stay.
They gaze afar but cannot hear each other's lays;
She longs to follow moonbeams where he stays.
Wild geese fly far, yet cannot outstrip her light;
Fish and dragons dive, leaping in water shimmers bright.
Last night he dreamed the idle pool with petals strewn;
Poor spring half gone, yet he cannot return so soon.
The river's spring will soon run out and disappear;
The setting moon is slanting west, the hour clear.
The sinking moon hides in the fog of the vast sea;
From northern cape to southern stream—how far 'twould be.
How many travelers ride the moonlit row?
The sinking moon shakes parting grief where trees o'ergrow.

《代答闺梦还》

关塞年华早，楼台别望违。

试衫著暖气，开镜觅春晖。

燕入窥罗幕，蜂来上画衣。

情催桃李艳，心寄管弦飞。

妆洗朝相待，风花暝不归。

梦魂何处入，寂寂掩重扉。

Replyin a Woman’s Dream‑longing

ByZhang Ruoxu

Atfrontier forts his youthful years are spent;

Frombower height her gaze in vain is bent.

Shetries soft robes where gentle warmth resides,

Beforethe glass she seeks spring’s glowing tides.

Swallowsslip in to peep through silken screen;

Beesalight on her painted garment sheen.

Affectionstirs the peach‑plum blooms to glow;

Herheart soars forth where flute and lute‑notes flow.

Fresh‑coiffedat dawn she waits his step to hear;

Wind‑blownflowers fall — he comes not when night’s near.

Whereshall her dreaming soul his presence trace?

Sheshuts the layered doors in silent space.

贺知章

贺知章（659‑744），字季真，号四明狂客，越州永兴人，“吴中四士”之首，历仕武后至玄宗朝。晚年辞官归乡。其诗清新通俗，生机盎然，兼具初唐余韵与盛唐气象。《咏柳》以奇妙譬喻写春日生机；《回乡偶书》写久客归乡，世事变迁的沧桑感慨。语言浅白而情味醇厚，是初盛唐之交极具代表性的诗人。

HeZhizhang (659‑744), courtesy nameJizhen, sobriquet “Madman of Siming”, led the “Four Scholars of Wuzhong”.Serving successive courts, he retired in old age to his hometown. His poems arefresh and lively, blending early‑Tang grace with nascentHigh‑Tang spirit. Ode to theWillow uses vivid metaphor for spring vitality. Homecoming Impromptu conveyspoignant nostalgia after long exile, plain‑spoken yet deeply touching.

《咏柳》

碧玉妆成一树高，万条垂下绿丝绦。

不知细叶谁裁出，二月春风似剪刀。

Odeto the Willow

ByHe Zhizhang

Cladin jade‑green the willow standsupright and tall;

Tenthousand threads hang down like green silk shawl.

Whocut these slender leaflets so fine and neat?

Theearly‑spring breeze acts asscissors sweet.

《回乡偶书・其一》

少小离家老大回，乡音无改鬓毛衰。

儿童相见不相识，笑问客从何处来。

HomecomingImpromptu (I)

ByHe Zhizhang

Ileft home young; I come back worn by many a year;

Mynative accent stays, yet my temples turn hoary and sere.

Thechildren meet my face, but know not who I am;

Smiling,they ask: where does this visitor come, good sir?”

王之涣

王之涣（688‑742），字季凌，绛州（今山西新绛）人，盛唐杰出边塞诗人。出身仕宦门第，性情倜傥豪迈，曾任衡水主簿，遭谗言构陷后辞官闲居十五年，游历北方山河；晚年复出为文安县尉，病逝于任上，年仅五十五岁。正史无传记，传世诗作仅六首，却篇篇精绝。

他尤工绝句，诗境开阔雄浑，气象苍茫，音乐性极强，当时多被乐工谱曲传唱。《登鹳雀楼》于登高写景中寄寓哲思；《凉州词》写边塞风光，苍凉悠远，尽显盛唐的胸襟与感怀，是盛唐绝句的典范之作。

WangZhihuan (688‑742), courtesy nameJiling, was an outstanding frontier poet of the High‑Tang Dynasty, born in Jiangzhou(present‑day Xinjiang County,Shanxi Province). Descended from an official family, he was free‑spirited and bold‑hearted. Once appointed administrativeclerk in Hengshui, he resigned under false accusations and lived in seclusionfor fifteen years, travelling across northern lands. In his later years he tookoffice as magistrate of Wen’an County and died in service at fifty‑five.

Noofficial biographical record survives. Merely six of his poems are extant, yeteach is masterly. He excels at quatrains, crafting broad, imposing scenes withremarkable musicality; his verses were widely set to music by court musicians.On the Stork‑Tower blends landscapewith philosophical insight; Song of Liangzhou depicts frontier vistas in sombregrandeur, embodying the spirit of High‑Tang poetic genius.

登鹳雀楼

白日依山尽，黄河入海流。

欲穷千里目，更上一层楼。

异体 / 版本校注

1.题：亦作《登鹳鹊楼》，“鹊” 为异写，中华书局简化本定鹳雀楼。

2.著作权注：本诗《全唐诗》题下注：一作朱斌诗；《国秀集》归于朱斌，通行本归王之涣，本集依从《全唐诗》署名王之涣。

3.末句：古有异文 “更上一重楼”，底本作一层楼，不取 “重”。

Onthe Stork‑Tower

ByWang Zhihuan

Thesun dips low behind the mountain‑crest,

YellowRiver rolls toward ocean’s breast.

Togaze o’er leagues of landbeyond one’s sight,

Climbyet one higher storey of this height.

凉州词二首・其一

黄河远上白云间，一片孤城万仞山。

羌笛何须怨杨柳，春风不度玉门关。

异体 / 版本校注

首句：宋本《文苑英华》《乐府诗集》作黄沙直上白云间；中华书局《全唐诗》底本取通行传世文本黄河远上白云间，校勘记标出 “一作黄沙直上”异文，供版本参考，正文不用 “黄沙”。

末句：宋本有异文 “春光不度玉门关”，底本作春风不度玉门关，不取 “春光”。

杨柳：指乐府曲《折杨柳》，不是实指杨树柳树。

仞：古代长度度量单位，诸本无异文。

Songof Liangzhou (I)

ByWang Zhihuan

TheYellow River ascends afar into the white clouds,

Alonely town stands where towering peaks crowd.

Whyshould Qiang flute breathe willow’s mournful lay?

Springbreeze ne’er crosses Jade Gate’s distant way.

凉州词二首・其二

单于北望拂云堆，杀马登坛祭几回。

汉家天子今神武，不肯和亲归去来。

Songof Liangzhou (II)

ByWang Zhihuan

TheKhan looks north to Cloud‑Sweeping Mound,

Whereoft he slew steeds for the altar’s round.

Butnow our Son of Heaven, with martial sway,

Refusespeace‑by‑marriage—they go back their way.