《云居寺孤桐》作者本人把它归于“讽喻诗”，但它更象一首托物寓人的哲理诗。诗中写寺中的孤桐，拔从萌芽，始自毫末，无所依附，但由于“中心有通理”就长成亭亭五丈有余，而且仍继续生长，更反映了作者当时的心理状态。

《云居寺孤桐》 白居易

一株青玉立，千叶绿云委。
亭亭五丈余，高意犹未已。
山僧年九十，清静老不死。
自云手种时，一棵青桐子。
直从萌芽拔，高自毫末始。
四面无附枝，中心有通理。
寄言立身者，孤直当如此。

The Tong Tree at Yunju Temple
Bai Juyi

Inside the courtyard of Yunju Temple
there stands an ancient Tong tree, tall
and green, in many leaves
shining brilliantly; already
fifty feet high, it continues to grow;
in the temple there lives a monk
ninety years old who shows not his age;
when he first planted the tree,
it was a tiny seed; it then grew into
a tender shoot as fine as a hair;
with nothing to protect it, and
independent of all things, it
grew up straight and tall;
you who live in this world
should be this way, raising
yourselves as straight and true
as this tree.