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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

除夜雪

New Year's Eve Snow

陆游

Lu You

春节Spring Festival 雪Snow

北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除。
半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符。

The north wind blows snow at the first hour of the fourth watch;
Heaven grants this auspicious omen to meet the year's end.
Half a cup of Tusu wine not yet raised;
By the lamp I write the peach-charm scrolls in small script.

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Meaning

On New Year's Eve, snow falls at the fourth watch and Lu You, still keeping vigil, has not yet drunk his cup of Tusu wine but is already writing the peach-charms by lamplight. The poem captures the gentle, intimate customs of a Song dynasty New Year's night.

北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除。半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] At the fourth watch the north wind drives the snow; Heaven sends this lucky snow just as the old year ends. The poet's half-cup of Tusu is not yet lifted, and by the lamp he writes the peach-charms in fine small script. [Structure] The first couplet sets the snow and its auspicious omen; the second turns to the intimate household act of writing charms, moving from sky to hearth. [Imagery] 'Fourth watch' fixes the deep hour of vigil; 'auspicious' names the snow a good sign for the harvest. The unraised cup and the small-script charms make a quiet, luminous scene — the wine waits while the pen moves, and the New Year is welcomed not with noise but with a brush. The plain detail of writing charms by lamplight turns custom into tenderness.

【白话串讲】陆游写《除夜雪》：“北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除”——“半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符”——除夕夜大雪——他灯下写桃符——他写除夜的喜气。【意象与手法】此诗写春节，以雪写春节，是陆游的名篇。前二句写岁除雪：「北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除」写北风吹雪四更初、嘉瑞天教及岁除——写尽岁除的瑞雪；后二句写除夕事：「半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符」写半盏屠苏犹未举、灯前小草写桃符——写尽除夕的温馨。全诗以雪写春节，写尽岁除的瑞雪与除夕的温馨，是陆游的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写春节，以雪写春节，是陆游的名篇。此诗写陆游除夕夜守岁、写桃符的情景。除夕之夜，四更时分北风吹雪，天降瑞雪正逢岁除，陆游半盏屠苏未饮，先在灯前以小楷书写桃符（春联的前身），正是传统年俗的生动写照。此诗写岁除雪：北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除——写北风吹雪四更初、嘉瑞天教及岁除，写尽岁除的瑞雪；半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符——写半盏屠苏犹未举、灯前小草写桃符，写尽除夕的温馨。全诗以雪写春节——那「嘉瑞天教及岁除」写尽岁除的瑞雪，「灯前小草写桃符」写尽除夕的温馨，写尽岁除的瑞雪与除夕的温馨，是理解陆游年俗诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除」写岁除的瑞雪；「半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符」写除夕的温馨；以及全诗以雪写春节、以细节写年俗的手法。

Background

Lu You (1125–1210), style name Wuguan, pen name Fangweng, was a Southern Song patriot poet of Shaoxing. This poem depicts his New Year's Eve vigil and the writing of peach-charms. On the last night of the year, at the fourth watch, the north wind brings snow; Heaven seems to send the auspicious snow right at the year's end. Lu You, his half-cup of Tusu wine still untasted, writes the peach-charms (forerunners of spring couplets) in small regular script by the lamp — a vivid record of Song New Year custom. Tusu was the medicinal wine drunk on New Year's day to ward off pestilence; peach-charms were inscribed on peach wood and hung at the gate, later evolving into written auspicious phrases.

此诗写春节，以雪写春节，是陆游的名篇。陆游（1125—1210），字务观，号放翁，越州山阴（今浙江绍兴）人，南宋爱国诗人。此诗写陆游除夕夜守岁、写桃符的情景。除夕之夜，四更时分北风吹雪，天降瑞雪正逢岁除，陆游半盏屠苏未饮，先在灯前以小楷书写桃符（春联的前身），正是传统年俗的生动写照。此诗写岁除雪：「北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除」写北风吹雪四更初、嘉瑞天教及岁除——写尽岁除的瑞雪（北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除）；「半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符」写半盏屠苏犹未举、灯前小草写桃符——写尽除夕的温馨（半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符）。全诗以雪写春节，写尽岁除的瑞雪与除夕的温馨，是理解陆游年俗诗的重要篇章。除夜（除夕）守岁、饮屠苏、写桃符是宋代重要的年俗。屠苏为古人元日所饮的药酒，相传可辟疫气；桃符为除夕书于桃木板上、悬挂门旁的神荼、郁垒之名，为春联的前身。陆游此诗作于其晚年居乡时，写除夕四更落雪、灯前写桃符的温馨场景，正是宋代年俗的真实写照。

Art

The art works on four fronts. First, plain description for the snow: 'The north wind blows snow at the first hour of the fourth watch' sets the cold night in bare strokes. Second, a reflective note on the omen: 'Heaven grants this auspicious omen' reads the snow as timely blessing. Third, intimate detail for custom: 'Half a cup of Tusu wine not yet raised' captures the unlifted cup. Fourth, a visual scene for the charms: 'By the lamp I write the peach-charm scrolls in small script' paints the lamplit writing. The first half gives the sky's snow, the second the hearth's custom, moving from snow to deed — the 'write the year through snow' manner. The 'fourth watch' marks the deep vigil, and 'small script' shows the calm, deliberate composure of the poet keeping the year.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以白描写瑞雪。「北风吹雪四更初」以白描写瑞雪——那「北风」「吹雪」写尽雪夜的寒风，以白描写尽岁除的瑞雪。其二，以议论写瑞兆。「嘉瑞天教及岁除」以议论写瑞兆——那「嘉瑞」「天教」写尽瑞雪的应时，以议论写尽岁除的瑞雪。其三，以细节写年俗。「半盏屠苏犹未举」以细节写年俗——那「屠苏」「未举」写尽屠苏未饮的细节，以细节写尽除夕的温馨。其四，以画面写桃符。「灯前小草写桃符」以画面写桃符——那「灯前」「小草写桃符」写尽灯前写符的画面，以画面写尽除夕的温馨。此外，此诗前二句写岁除的瑞雪，后二句写除夕的温馨，由雪及事，正是年俗诗「以雪写年」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以雪写春节，写尽岁除的瑞雪与除夕的温馨，是陆游的代表作。此诗还善于以「四更初」的时辰写守岁的深夜——那「四更初」写四更天将明未明之际，正是守岁将尽的时刻，以此写除夕之夜的漫长与温馨。又善以「灯前小草」的细节写书法的随意——「小草」即小楷，写桃符用端正的小楷，正是郑重其事又不失从容的守岁情态。

Allusions

The language is rooted in the Spring Festival and custom tradition. 'North wind' recalls frontier snow lines; 'auspicious' evokes 'timely snow promises a good harvest.' 'Year's end' echoes Wang Anshi's 'amid firecrackers one year departs.' 'Tusu' alludes to the New Year wine of Wang Anshi's 'spring wind sends warmth into the Tusu.' 'Peach-charms' recall the peach-wood names of the gods Shentu and Yuluo, later the forerunners of couplets in Wang Anshi's 'new peach for old.' The poem weaves north wind, omen, year's end, Tusu, peach-charms into a snow-bound New Year scene, showing Lu You's warm, gentle side beside his usual gravity, and his mastery of customary tradition.

此诗的用语深植于春节与年俗传统。「北风」令人想到「北风」写北风的意象——也令人想到「北风卷地白草折」（岑参）的意象；「嘉瑞」令人想到「嘉瑞」写瑞兆的意象——也令人想到「瑞雪兆丰年」的意象；「岁除」令人想到「岁除」写除夕的意象——也令人想到「爆竹声中一岁除」（王安石）的意象；「屠苏」令人想到「屠苏」写屠苏酒的意象——古俗正月初一饮屠苏酒，也令人想到「春风送暖入屠苏」（王安石）的意象；「桃符」令人想到「桃符」写桃符的意象——古俗除夕以桃木写神荼郁垒，为春联前身，也令人想到「总把新桃换旧符」（王安石）的意象。全诗化用北风、嘉瑞、岁除、屠苏、桃符的意象，以雪写春节，正是陆游「沉郁」之外亦见温润、承年俗传统写除夕之本领。「屠苏」典出唐代韩鄂《岁华纪丽》所载元旦饮屠苏酒之俗——以屠苏草入酒，元日饮之可避瘟疫，由幼及长依次而饮；「桃符」典出《山海经》神荼、郁垒二神执苇索以御鬼魅之说，后世遂于除夕画二神于桃木以驱邪，至宋代演为写吉祥联语的桃符。

Commentary

The poem is praised as a fine New Year piece by Lu You and a typical Song Eve-snow scene. Later readers admire its 'warm and natural' tone; the line 'Half a cup of Tusu wine not yet raised; by the lamp I write the peach-charm scrolls' is often cited as its best. Its worth lies in compressing the Eve's snow and the hearth's warmth into four lines: the north wind, the snow, the fourth watch, the omen, the half-cup, the Tusu, the unraised wine, the lamp, the small script, the charms — all Lu You's New Year. Read beside Wang Anshi's 'New Year's Day,' one writes the first dawn, the other the snowy eve; together they show two moments of the Song New Year. For modern readers it is a window onto his customary verse and a classic of Chinese New Year poetry.

此诗历来被推为陆游年俗诗的名篇，也是宋人写除夕雪夜的典型。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以雪写春节，温馨自然」；近人更指出「半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符」写除夕的温馨，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四句的绝句写尽岁除的瑞雪与除夕的温馨——那北风，那吹雪，那四更初，那嘉瑞，那天教，那及岁除，那半盏，那屠苏，那未举，那灯前，那小草，那写桃符，都写尽了陆游笔下的除夕；那「灯前小草写桃符」更以画面写尽除夕的温馨。此诗与王安石《元日》（「爆竹声中一岁除」）同为除夕新年名篇，一写「总把新桃换旧符」的元日（元日），一写「灯前小草写桃符」的除夜（除夜雪）；又与范成大《祭灶词》的年俗传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写年俗的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解陆游年俗诗的窗口，也是中国诗写除夕的经典——那灯前写桃符的暖意，穿越千年，仍在诉说着除夕的温馨。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (qijue)诗·七言绝句

Rhyme Rhymes on 'first' (chu), 'end' (chu), 'charm' (fu), all in the Yu rhyme group; one rhyme throughout, with a warm, gentle music.七绝，押「初」「除」「符」韵（上平七虞），一韵到底，音节温润

Tone pattern A seven-character quatrain in level-tone rhyme, one rhyme throughout; its warm, even syllables suit the tender New Year mood.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节温润，正合除夕的温润。

Reading note This is a seven-character quatrain rhyming on the Yu group (chu, chu, fu), one rhyme throughout, with a warm music. The first half paints the Eve's snow, the second the hearth's custom; the closing 'by the lamp I write the peach-charm scrolls' lands the New Year's warmth, showing Lu You's gentle side beside his usual gravity. Read it with a warm tone on the omen and a peaceful tone on the charms.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除。半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符」，押「虞」韵（初、除、符），一韵到底，音节温润。全诗以雪写春节：前二句写岁除的瑞雪（北风吹雪四更初、嘉瑞天教及岁除），后二句写除夕的温馨（半盏屠苏犹未举、灯前小草写桃符）。四句短章，前写瑞雪，后写年俗，以「灯前小草写桃符」写尽除夕的温馨，正见陆游「沉郁」之外亦见温润的本色。诵读此诗，宜以温润的语调读「嘉瑞天教及岁除」的瑞雪，以平和的语调读「灯前小草写桃符」的年俗，结句要读得温润而有余韵，方能传达出陆游的温馨自然。陆游绝句以「沉郁」著称，此诗正是其年俗绝句的典范。

Line by line

半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符

Half a cup of Tusu wine not yet lifted; before the lamp, in small script I write the peach-charms.

半盏屠苏犹未举，灯前小草写桃符。

The half cup of tusu wine is not yet raised; before the lamp, in running script, I write the peach-wood charms.

此二句是全诗写温馨的核心，以半盏屠苏犹未举写屠苏，以灯前小草写桃符写桃符，写尽除夕的温馨，是千古名句。「半盏屠苏犹未举」写半盏屠苏犹未举——那「半盏屠苏」写半盏屠苏，「犹未举」写犹未举，写尽屠苏的未举；「灯前小草写桃符」写灯前小草写桃符——那「灯前」写灯前，「小草写桃符」写小草写桃符，写尽灯前的桃符。这句的深意在于：它以「半盏屠苏犹未举」的屠苏与「灯前小草写桃符」的桃符，写尽除夕的温馨——半盏屠苏犹未举，那「半盏屠苏犹未举」写尽屠苏的未举——屠苏未举，正是先事桃符的写照，那「犹未举」写尽除夕的温馨；灯前小草写桃符，那「灯前小草写桃符」写尽灯前的桃符——灯前小草，正是灯下写符的写照，那「写桃符」写尽除夕的温馨；那「半盏屠苏犹未举」写尽屠苏的未举，那「灯前小草写桃符」写尽灯前的桃符，一写未饮，一写写符，写尽除夕的温馨——屠苏未饮而先写桃符，正是守岁的写照；此二句以屠苏、桃符写尽除夕的温馨，也让此二句成为全诗写温馨的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「除夕夜喝着酒写春联」，则失其画面；唯以「半盏屠苏犹未举」写屠苏、「灯前小草写桃符」写桃符，写尽除夕的温馨，也让此二句成为全诗写温馨的核心。

Lu You's New Year's Eve is domestic. The half cup of tusu, the medicinal New Year wine, sits there not yet raised—he has postponed the toast. Instead, before the New Year lamp, he is writing the peach-wood door charms in rapid running script. The picture is the whole festival: wine waiting, brush moving, the lamp lit, the small handwritten couplets ready to paste on the door. The running script, written quickly, conveys the ease of the evening. To have said I drank and wrote couplets on New Year's Eve would be an account; the untouched cup and the quick brush before the lamp are the warmth.

北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除

The north wind blows snow at the onset of the fourth watch; this lucky sign Heaven sends to meet the old year's close.

北风吹雪四更初，嘉瑞天教及岁除。

The north wind drives snow at the start of the fourth watch; heaven sends this auspicious sign right on New Year's Eve.

此二句是全诗写瑞雪的核心，以北风吹雪四更初写吹雪，以嘉瑞天教及岁除写嘉瑞，写尽岁除的瑞雪，是千古名句。「北风吹雪四更初」写北风吹雪四更初——那「北风」写北风，「吹雪四更初」写吹雪四更初，写尽四更的吹雪；「嘉瑞天教及岁除」写嘉瑞天教及岁除——那「嘉瑞」写嘉瑞，「天教及岁除」写天教及岁除，写尽天教的嘉瑞。这句的深意在于：它以「北风吹雪四更初」的吹雪与「嘉瑞天教及岁除」的嘉瑞，写尽岁除的瑞雪——北风吹雪四更初，那「北风吹雪四更初」写尽四更的吹雪——四更吹雪，正是雪夜的写照，那「吹雪」写尽岁除的瑞雪；嘉瑞天教及岁除，那「嘉瑞天教及岁除」写尽天教的嘉瑞——天教及岁除，正是瑞雪应时的写照，那「嘉瑞」写尽岁除的瑞雪；那「北风吹雪四更初」写尽四更的吹雪，那「嘉瑞天教及岁除」写尽天教的嘉瑞，一写吹雪，一写嘉瑞，写尽岁除的瑞雪——四更吹雪而天教及岁，正是瑞雪兆丰年的写照；此二句以吹雪、嘉瑞写尽岁除的瑞雪，也为下文的桃符作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写瑞雪的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「除夕夜下雪了，是好兆头」，则失其诗意；唯以「北风吹雪四更初」写吹雪、「嘉瑞天教及岁除」写嘉瑞，写尽岁除的瑞雪，也让此二句成为全诗写瑞雪的核心。

The opening is a snowfall timed for the holiday. The north wind drives snow at the start of the fourth watch—the dead of night on New Year's Eve—and heaven, he says, has sent this auspicious omen right onto the turning year. The agricultural proverb says a snow on New Year's Eve foretells a bumper harvest, and Lu You, the exile, claims the sign as a personal gift. The word heaven sends makes the weather an event. To have said it snowed on New Year's Eve, which was a good sign would be a weather report; the fourth watch and the heaven-sent timing are the celebration.

Study

Word focus

瑞 Auspicious omen. In 'Heaven grants this auspicious omen' (rui) names the snow a good sign, implying 'timely snow promises a good harvest' and the New Year's blessing — the key word turning weather into fortune. 「嘉瑞天教及岁除」之「瑞」字是写瑞雪的关键词，一个「瑞」字写尽瑞雪的吉兆。瑞者，祥瑞、吉兆也。陆游以「嘉瑞天教及岁除」写瑞雪，这个「瑞」字至少有双重意味：其一，写雪之瑞——那「嘉瑞天教及岁除」写嘉瑞天教及岁除，那「瑞」字写尽瑞雪的吉兆——嘉瑞及岁，正是瑞雪兆丰年的写照，那「瑞」字写尽岁除的瑞雪；其二，写岁之吉——那「瑞」字更是写吉——瑞，正见新年的吉祥，那「瑞」字写尽除夕的温馨。以「瑞」字写瑞雪，正是陆游写年俗的枢纽——若换作「祥」「兆」等字，则或失其与「嘉」「天教及岁除」的配合，或失其写瑞的意味；唯「瑞」字，以嘉瑞天教及岁除写尽瑞雪的吉兆与新年的吉祥，与「灯前小草写桃符」的桃符相合，写尽岁除的瑞雪，也让「嘉瑞天教及岁除」成为全诗写瑞雪的名句。

犹 Still / yet. In 'half a cup of Tusu not yet raised' (you) marks that the wine remains untasted, showing the poet writes the charms before drinking and thus conveying the calm order of the vigil. 「半盏屠苏犹未举」之「犹」字是写温馨的关键词，一个「犹」字写尽屠苏的未举。犹者，尚且、还也。陆游以「半盏屠苏犹未举」写温馨，这个「犹」字至少有双重意味：其一，写未举之犹——那「半盏屠苏犹未举」写半盏屠苏犹未举，那「犹」字写尽屠苏的未举——犹未举，正是酒未及饮的写照，那「犹」字写尽除夕的温馨；其二，写先事之急——那「犹」字更是写急——犹，正见写符先于饮酒的次序，那「犹」字写尽除夕的温馨。以「犹」字写温馨，正是陆游写年俗的枢纽——若换作「尚」「仍」等字，则或失其与「半盏屠苏」「未举」的配合，或失其写犹的意味；唯「犹」字，以半盏屠苏犹未举写尽屠苏的未举与写符先于饮酒的次序，与「灯前小草写桃符」的写桃符相合，写尽除夕的温馨，也让「半盏屠苏犹未举」成为全诗写温馨的名句。

除夜雪