Li Bai (701–762), also known as Li Po, was a Chinese poet living during the Tang Dynasty.

 

登金陵凤凰台[1]

凤凰台上凤凰游,

凤去台空江自流。

吴宫[2]花草埋幽径,

晋代衣冠[3]成古丘。

三山[4]半落青天外,

二水[5]中分白鹭洲。

总为浮云能蔽日[6],

长安[7]不见使人愁。

《登金陵凤凰台》是李白不多的七律中传诵最广的一首。凤凰形如孔雀,凤的出现表示祥瑞。现在凤去台空,引起了诗人怅然若失的感觉。第三、四句怀古:东吴和东晋都建都金陵,吴国的繁华宫苑只剩下了废墟小径,晋代的风流人物也进入了坟墓,令人顿生兴衰之感。第五、六句写景:三山半隐半现,若有若无,白鹭洲却把滔滔长江一分为二。这两句气势壮丽,对仗工整,是难得的佳句。最后两句抒怀:浮云蔽日暗示奸佞当道,皇帝受到蒙蔽,使自己报国无门。这样把典故、景物、感受交织在一起,抒发了诗人忧国忧时的怀抱,意旨深远。

注释:

[1]凤凰台:在金陵凤凰山上。

[2]吴宫:指三国时孙吴于金陵建都筑宫。

[3]衣冠:原指衣服和礼帽,这里借指世族士绅、达官贵人、社会名流。

[4]三山:山名,在金陵西南长江边上,三峰并列,南北相连。

[5]二水:指秦淮河流经南京后,西入长江,被横截其间的白鹭洲分为二支。

[6]浮云蔽日:比喻谗臣当道,障蔽贤良。

[7]长安:这里指代朝廷和皇帝。

On Phoenix Terrace at Jinling[1]

On Phoenix Terrace once phoenixes came to sing,

The birds are gone but still roll on the river’s waves.

The ruined palace’s buried’neath the weeds in spring;

The ancient sages in caps and gowns all lie in graves.

The three-peak’d mountain is half lost in azure sky;

The two-fork’d stream by Egret Isle is kept apart.

As floating clouds can veil the bright sun from the eye,

Imperial Court now out of sight saddens my heart.

注释:

[1]Present-day Nanjing,capital of Jiangsu Province.