登楼

花近高楼伤客心，

繁花靠近高楼，反而使客居他乡的诗人伤心。‘客’指杜甫自己，流寓西南。此处以乐景写哀情，春花本应悦目，却因国难家愁而更触动漂泊之痛。

Flowers near the high tower only wound the sojourner's heart. 'Guest' is the poet himself, far from home. This is a case of using joyful scenery to express sorrow: spring blossoms should delight, but national crisis and exile make them pierce the heart.

万方多难此登临。

万方：四面八方，指天下。多难：灾难重重。此：此时此地。登临：登高望远。句意：正是天下动荡、灾难频仍之际，我登上高楼远望。点明全诗忧国伤时的背景。

'All quarters' means the whole realm; 'many troubles' refers to unending calamities. 'Here' means at this time and place. 'Climb and gaze' means ascending a height to look afar. The line states that the poet mounts the tower amid nationwide upheaval, setting the poem's mood of anxiety for country and times.

锦江春色来天地，

锦江：成都锦江，濯锦之江。来天地：春色自天地间涌来，弥漫无际。以夸张和动态写法，把眼前春景扩展到天地宇宙，反衬人事艰难。与下句对仗工整。

Jin River is the Jinjiang in Chengdu, once used for washing brocade. 'Comes to heaven and earth' means spring colors surge in from the whole cosmos, filling boundless space. Hyperbole and dynamic phrasing expand the spring scene to a cosmic scale, contrasting with human hardship. It forms a neat couplet with the next line.

玉垒浮云变古今。

玉垒：玉垒山，在成都西北。浮云：飘浮的云。变古今：从古至今不断变幻。以浮云变幻比喻世事和朝代的兴亡更替，与上句‘春色来天地’形成时空对照。

Yulei is Mount Yulei northwest of Chengdu. Floating clouds change from ancient times to the present. The shifting clouds symbolize the rise and fall of dynasties and the mutability of human affairs, contrasting in time and space with the previous line's spring filling heaven and earth.

北极朝廷终不改，

北极：北极星，古人喻指皇帝或朝廷，如众星拱卫北极。终不改：终究不会改变。句意：大唐朝廷如北极星般稳固，终不会被颠覆。用比喻表达对唐王朝正统的信念。

The Northern Pole is the Pole Star, traditionally a metaphor for the emperor or imperial court, around which all stars revolve. 'Will never change' means the Tang court, like the Pole Star, remains steadfast and cannot be overthrown. The metaphor expresses faith in the legitimacy and endurance of the Tang dynasty.

西山寇盗莫相侵。

西山：指成都西面的山，当时吐蕃常从西山一带入侵。寇盗：入侵者，指吐蕃。莫相侵：不要来侵犯。此句直斥外敌，亦含对朝廷守边不力的忧虑。

'West Mountain' refers to the mountains west of Chengdu, from which Tibetan forces often invaded. 'Bandits and invaders' refers to the Tibetans. 'Do not invade' is a direct warning to the enemy and implies anxiety over the court's failure to defend the frontier.

可怜后主还祠庙，

可怜：可叹。后主：蜀汉后主刘禅，昏庸亡国。还：仍然。祠庙：祭祀的庙宇。刘禅昏庸误国，在成都却仍有祠庙享祭，令人慨叹。诗人借古讽今，暗刺唐代宗宠信宦官、招致祸乱。

'Pitiable' or 'alas' introduces lament. The Later Lord is Liu Shan of Shu Han, a foolish ruler who lost his state. 'Still' means he still has a temple. It is lamentable that such a ruler is still worshipped in Chengdu. The poet uses the past to satirize the present, alluding to Emperor Daizong's trust in eunuchs, which brought disaster.

日暮聊为梁甫吟。

日暮：天色将晚，也隐喻唐王朝衰颓和个人迟暮。聊：姑且、勉强。梁甫吟：古乐府曲名，相传诸葛亮躬耕南阳时好为此吟，寄寓政治抱负与忧愤。句意：日暮时分，我姑且吟唱《梁甫吟》，抒发报国无门的悲慨。用典收束全诗。

'Dusk' literally means evening and metaphorically suggests the decline of the Tang and the poet's own late years. 'Merely' or 'reluctantly' modifies the action. 'Liangfu Yin' is an ancient yuefu title; tradition says Zhuge Liang, while farming in Nanyang, loved to chant it, expressing political ambition and grief. At dusk the poet chants it to voice his sorrow at having no way to serve his country. The allusion closes the poem.