题大庾岭[1]北驿[2]
宋之问
阳月[3]南飞雁,
传闻至此回[4]。
我行殊未已[5],
何日复归来?
江静潮初落,
林昏瘴[6]不开。
明朝望乡处,
应见陇头梅[7]。
注释:
[1] 大庾(yǔ)岭:五岭之一。在今江西省大庾县境内,唐时是通向岭南的要道。
[2] 驿:驿舍、亭驿的简称。古代官办的交通站,邮递人员与官员来往可于此停宿。北驿就是大庾岭北面的驿站。
[3] 阳月:阴历十月。《尔雅》:“十月为阳。”故称十月为“阳月”。
[4] 至此回:古代相传到了冬天,北雁南飞,到了大庾岭这个地方便止息下来折回。
[5] 殊未已:还没有停止。殊,还。
[6] 瘴(zhànɡ):瘴气。旧指南方山林间的热空气,从前人们认为湿热蒸气能使人得疟疾等传染病。
[7] 陇头梅:岭头梅。大庾岭地处亚热带,十月即见梅花。旧时岭上多梅,故又称“梅岭”。沈德潜在《唐诗别裁集》中说:“陇头疑是岭头。”据南朝宋盛弘之《荆州记》记载,陆凯和范晔相善,自江南寄梅花一枝,诣长安,与晔,并赠诗曰:“折梅逢驿使,寄与陇头人。江南无所有,聊赠一枝眷。”诗中的“陇头梅”,当即用其事,形容思乡更切。
At the Northern Post of the Peak of Mumes
Song Zhiwen
In the tenth moon wild geese south fly;
They will turn back at this peak high.
But I must farther southward go.
When may I come back? Do you know?
The river’s calm when ebbs the tide;
Dense fog darkens the forest wide.
Tomorrow looking for my homeland,
I can only see mume trees stand.
It was believed that the south-going wild geese would not pass the Peak of Mumes. The banished poet thinks he is not so fortunate as the wild geese for he must go farther south.