《琵琶引》不是元和十一年在江州遇到琵琶女作的，而是從貶地回到長安不久的長慶初年作的虛構作品。與紹興本等刊本不同，傳到日本的《白氏文集》舊鈔本所載《琵琶引》序云：「元和十五年秋，予左遷九江郡司馬。明年秋，……聞舟中夜彈琵琶者。」舊鈔本很可靠，我們據此可以推測：一、白居易用此荒誕的數字，意在表示此篇不是在江州時根據實事作的詩歌，而是虛構的作品。二、《琵琶引》作年可能是元和十五年的明年即長慶元年。《琵琶引》是虛構的歌行作品，為作者吸《琵琶引》不是元和十一年在江州遇到琵琶女作的，而是從貶地回到長安不久的長慶初年作的虛構作品。與紹興本等刊本不同，傳到日本的《白氏文集》舊鈔本所載《琵琶引》序云：「元和十五年秋，予左遷九江郡司馬。明年秋，……聞舟中夜彈琵琶者。」舊鈔本很可靠，我們據此可以推測：一、白居易用此荒誕的數字，意在表示此篇不是在江州時根據實事作的詩歌，而是虛構的作品。二、《琵琶引》作年可能是元和十五年的明年即長慶元年。《琵琶引》是虛構的歌行作品，為作者吸收琵琶文學、閨怨文學、貶謫文學等三種文學傳統而作成。而且作者對這三種文學傳統都感興趣乃至進入創作的時間，只有長慶初年。

Many versions of ＂Bai-shi wen-ji＂ say that ＂The Song of Biwa＂ was written when Bai Juyi met a woman who played the biwa at Jiang-zhou in Yuanhe 11. But the truth is it was a fiction written in the first year of Changqing, when Bai Juyi returned to the capital Chang' an. The preface of ＂The Song of Biwa＂ (manuscript version)of Kanazawa library book proves a strong evidence to its true chronological order. ＂The Song of Biwa＂ is a work of an assimilative essences of literature; fiction, biwa music, women' sorrow, and the grief of demotion. Even from his other works, it is quite definite that the first year of Changqing is what he showed strong interest among the four essences. In conclusion, it coincides with the year written in ＂The Song of Biwa＂ of Kanazawa library book.