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汉 Han · 辞 Ci verse

怨歌行

Song of Resentment

班婕妤

Ban Jieyu

咏物Object poem 宫怨Palace sorrow 爱情Love

新裂齐纨素，皎洁如霜雪。
裁为合欢扇，团团似明月。
出入君怀袖，动摇微风发。
常恐秋节至，凉飙夺炎热。
弃捐箧笥中，恩情中道绝。

Newly cut from Qi's white silk, pure as frost and snow.
Fashioned into a fan of joy, round as the bright moon.
It comes and goes in my lord's sleeve, stirring a gentle breeze.
Yet I fear when autumn arrives, cool winds will drive the heat away.
Then it will be cast into a box, and love be cut off midway.

Listen

Meaning

Using a round fan as a metaphor, the poem expresses a woman's fear of losing favor and being abandoned, just as a fan is discarded when autumn comes.

新近裁开的齐国白色丝绢，洁白得像霜雪。裁制成合欢团扇，圆圆好似明月。出入在君王的怀袖之间，摇动时微风轻发。常常担心秋天节令一到，凉风夺去炎热。便被弃置在竹箱之中，恩情在半途断绝。

Appreciation

This poem uses the fan as a metaphor for the poetess herself. The first four lines describe the fan's newness, purity, and roundness, symbolizing her beauty and favored status. The latter four lines turn to fear of autumn and eventual abandonment, reflecting the poetess's anxiety and sorrow after losing the emperor's favor. The poem is subtle and restrained, setting a tradition of palace lament poetry.

【白话串讲】班婕妤把自己比作一把团扇：夏天被带在身边，秋天凉了就收进箱子里。“弃捐箧笥中，恩情中道绝”——一个失宠女子的自怜，都在这把扇子里。【意象与手法】全诗纯用比体，却不露痕迹：起二句写质（纨素皎洁）与形（团团明月），喻己之容德兼美；三四句写承宠（「出入君怀袖」）；五六句写忧惧（「常恐秋节至」）；末二句写见弃。由盛转衰，章法井然。以扇之「团圆」反衬恩之「中道绝」，物我交融，含蓄蕴藉。【情感与主旨】班婕妤为汉成帝初宠之妃，后因赵飞燕姊妹入宫而失宠，退居长信宫。此诗托秋扇以自伤，旧题班氏作，《文选》列入「怨」类。其「秋扇见捐」遂成中国文学中弃妇（或失宠者）的经典意象，影响及于历代宫怨诗。【名句点睛】常考：①全诗如何「句句写扇、处处写人」；②「常恐秋节至」的心理刻画；③「秋扇见捐」意象的文学史意义；④「合欢」「团团」双关与「中道绝」的反差。

Background

Ban Jieyu was a favored concubine of Emperor Cheng of Han. After Zhao Feiyan and her sister entered the palace, Ban lost favor and retreated to the Changxin Palace. This poem, attributed to Ban, uses the autumn fan as a metaphor for her own abandonment. Included in the 'Wenxuan' under the 'Resentment' category, the image of the 'autumn fan discarded' became a classic symbol of the deserted wife or the out-of-favor courtier, influencing later palace lament poetry.

班婕妤，西汉女文学家，楼烦（今山西宁武一带）人，班固、班超之祖姑。汉成帝初即位时入宫，以才德受宠，封婕妤（妃嫔位号），曾得专宠。后赵飞燕、赵合德姊妹入宫，班婕妤渐失宠；又遭赵氏构陷「挟邪诅祝」，她以对答自明，得免于罪，然自此失势，遂自请退居长信宫侍奉太后，在冷宫中度过余生。此诗旧题班婕妤作，一名《怨诗》，又作《团扇诗》，载于《文选》卷二十七「怨」类，钟嵘《诗品》亦有著录；后世虽有学者疑为他人拟托，但多数学者仍从旧说，且不论作者真伪，其「托扇自伤」的写法与「秋扇见捐」的意象，已成为中国文学史上弃妇之怨的经典。诗中「新裂齐纨素」写扇之原料，「齐纨」是齐国出产的细绢，为天下名产；「合欢扇」是绘有合欢花纹的团扇，古代男女定情常用合欢扇；「箧笥」是竹编的箱子。全诗以团扇的一生为喻：新裁、制扇、承宠、忧惧、见弃，正是一个宫妃（或弃妇）由盛宠到冷落的一生，是汉代「感于哀乐，缘事而发」的乐府精神与文人「托物言志」传统结合的典范。

Art

The entire poem uses metaphor without trace: the first two lines describe the material (white silk) and shape (round like the moon), alluding to the poetess's virtue and beauty; the next two lines depict her service to the lord; lines five and six express fear of autumn's arrival; the final two lines describe her abandonment. The structure moves from prosperity to decline, and the roundness of the fan contrasts sharply with the cut-off love, achieving a seamless fusion of object and self.

此诗艺术之妙，在「纯用比体而不露痕迹」的咏物言志。全诗十句，句句写扇而句句自喻，物我之间不着一点黏合的痕迹，浑然天成。首二句「新裂齐纨素，皎洁如霜雪」写扇之质：新裁的齐纨洁白如霜雪——「新」字写其新鲜光洁，「皎洁」写其纯白无瑕，喻己之容德兼美、清白无玷。次二句「裁为合欢扇，团团似明月」写扇之形：裁成合欢扇，圆圆似明月——「合欢」暗喻男女欢好，「团团」写团圆之形，喻己之承宠时的圆满。三、四句「出入君怀袖，动摇微风发」写扇之用：出入君王的怀袖，摇动时微风轻发——写承宠之得意，也暗含依附之危（怀袖之间，去留由人）。五、六句「常恐秋节至，凉飙夺炎热」写扇之忧：常常担心秋天一到，凉风夺走炎热——「常恐」二字写尽忧谗畏讥的心理，是全诗最传神处：盛宠之时已怀见弃之惧，居安思危，正是失宠者的宿命式预感。末二句「弃捐箧笥中，恩情中道绝」写扇之弃：被弃置竹箱之中，恩情半途断绝——以「团圆」之扇反衬「中道绝」之恩，物我同悲。全诗由盛转衰，章法井然，以物写人、以扇喻己，哀而不怨，怨而不怒，含蓄蕴藉，是「比体诗」的最高境界。

Allusions

'Fan of joy' refers to a round fan painted with a 'joyful union' pattern, symbolizing marital bliss. 'Basket' (qiesi) is a bamboo box, where the abandoned fan is cast. The phrase 'autumn fan discarded' later became a set phrase referring to a middle-aged woman being deserted. The poem uses common objects to create a lasting symbol.

此诗以团扇为喻体，全用物象本身的意义，几乎不用典故，而其意象却成为后世最著名的文学典故之一。「合欢扇」指绘有合欢花纹的团扇——合欢本为植物名，其叶昼开夜合，古人以之象征夫妻恩爱、和合欢好（如《诗经》「合欢」之木、汉乐府「合欢襦」），班婕妤以「合欢扇」写承宠时的圆满，而「合欢」之名与「中道绝」之实形成刺目的反差：扇名合欢而恩情断绝，物我之间，悲剧自见。「齐纨素」出典于齐国以产细绢闻名（《左传》「齐纨鲁缟」），「纨素」遂成洁白丝绢的代称，后世「纨绔」「纨扇」皆源于此。「秋扇见捐」四字，后成为专指女子年长色衰而被抛弃的成语（如「秋扇之捐」「纨扇之悲」），杜甫《秋兴》「纨扇恩情日日疏」、王昌龄《长信秋词》「奉帚平明金殿开，且将团扇共徘徊」皆承此典。全诗托物起兴、化物为典，把一己之怨升华为普泛的弃妇之悲，是「用典」的最高形态——不引经据典而自成典故。全诗以扇写人、以物为典，其影响之深远，正是『秋扇见捐』成为中国文学经典意象的原因。

Commentary

Li Shan's commentary in the Wenxuan cites Ban Jieyu's preface to this poem, saying she feared danger and requested to serve the Empress Dowager in the Changxin Palace. Zhong Rong in the Shipin placed Ban Jieyu in the lower grade but praised her 'clear and sharp diction, deep resentment with refined writing.' Later poets like Wang Jian and Du Mu continued this tradition in palace lament poetry.

此诗历代评家极多，皆许其「怨而不怒、哀而不伤」的温厚品格。《文选》李善注引班婕妤《怨诗》序，谓其「恐久见危，求供养太后长信宫」，明其作意；钟嵘《诗品》列班姬于下品，而称其「词旨清捷，怨深文绮」——「怨深」写其情感之深挚，「文绮」写其文辞之华美，八字评语极为精当。清人沈德潜《古诗源》评此诗「措词微婉，怨而不怒」，以为其「全在『常恐』二字，所谓居安思危」；近人论汉诗，多以「团扇诗」与《白头吟》《怨歌行》并称汉乐府弃妇诗三大名篇，而此诗以「物我交融」的比体艺术为最胜——它不直接写弃妇之怨，而以团扇之命运写之，读者只见扇之蒙尘，而弃妇之泪已在扇影之中。此诗的文学史意义在于：「秋扇见捐」自此成为中国文学中弃妇（失宠者）的经典意象，王建《宫词》、杜牧《秋夕》、王昌龄《长信秋词》等历代宫怨诗皆承此调，而「以物写人」的比体手法更开启了后世咏物诗（如骆宾王《在狱咏蝉》、于谦《石灰吟》）的先声，其影响之深远，已超出宫怨题材本身。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient verse (attributed to Ban Jieyu, in the yuefu mode of 'Song of Resentment')五言古诗（旧题班婕妤作，属乐府《怨歌行》调）

Rhyme xue, yue, fa, re, jue; all rhyme in the ancient -ue/-ie category, through-rhymed.雪、月、发、热、绝五字押韵，属上古音月部与质部通押（今读入声），一韵到底，入声收束短促，正合怨情之沉痛。

Tone pattern Unknown (old-style poetry does not adhere to tonal rules)古体诗不究平仄黏对，以五言短句写物写情，音节舒缓而见顿挫；「常恐秋节至」句内仄声密集，读来沉郁，「恩情中道绝」以入声「绝」字收束，如弦断音绝。

Reading note Each line describes the fan and simultaneously the poetess herself; the metaphorical technique is seamless.此诗为五言古诗，旧题班婕妤作，后世或题《怨诗》《团扇诗》，属汉乐府「怨歌行」一系的歌诗。全诗十句，章法上可析为四层：首二句写质（纨素皎洁）、次二句写形（合欢明月）、三四句写用（怀袖微风）、五六句写忧（常恐秋节）、末二句写弃（弃捐箧笥），由质而形、由用而忧、由忧而弃，层层递进，如扇之一生，亦即妇之一生。用韵上，全诗一韵到底，押入声韵（雪、月、发、热、绝），入声字音短促、沉郁、决绝，与「恩情中道绝」的悲剧收束高度相合，读来如击节而叹。体制上，此诗兼具乐府「感于哀乐，缘事而发」的叙事性与文人「托物言志」的象征性：它以团扇为喻体，句句写扇而句句写人，是比体诗的典范，也是后世咏物诗的直接源头。钟嵘《诗品》称其「词旨清捷，怨深文绮」，正是就其声情与文采的统一而言。此诗在五言诗发展史上的地位，在于它以成熟的五言句式完成了「托物言志」的完整表达，上承《古诗十九首》的抒情传统，下启建安咏物、魏晋宫怨诸体，是中国诗歌史上「咏物」一体的奠基之作。

Line by line

新裂齐纨素，皎洁如霜雪

Newly cut Qi white silk, pure as frost and snow. Symbolizes the poetess's virtue and beauty, with a fresh start.

新近裁开的齐国白色丝绢，洁白得像霜雪。

Newly cut Qi white silk, bright and pure as frost and snow.

首二句写扇之质，是全诗「以扇喻人」的起笔。「新裂」写裁制之新——「裂」即裁割，「新」字见纨素之鲜洁，刚刚裁开，质地全新，暗喻女子初入宫时的新鲜美好；「齐纨素」写原料之名贵——齐国产的白色细绢，为天下名产，暗喻出身（或品质）之高华；「皎洁如霜雪」写其洁白——纨素之白，如霜似雪，光洁无瑕。此二句的妙处在于「以质写人」：纨素之皎洁，正是女子之清白的象征——容德兼美、冰清玉洁，是承宠前（或失宠时自明）的自我写照。「新」字尤其关键：新的纨素终会旧，新的恩宠终会衰，「新」字在开篇即埋下「旧」的伏笔，为全诗由盛转衰的章法定下基调。起笔清丽纯净，如素绢展开，是全诗最明亮的开端。

The silk. Newly cut Qi white silk, bright and pure as frost and snow. The fresh-cut white silk (the finest Qi product) is the fan's material, and the lady's own purity. The fresh already foreshadows the worn. To have described white silk would be a material; the newly cut Qi silk bright as frost and snow is the material.

裁为合欢扇，团团似明月

Fashioned into a round fan of joy, round as the bright moon. 'Round' implies reunion and happiness, contrasting with later abandonment.

裁制成合欢团扇，圆圆好似明月。

Cut into a fan of joined joy, round and round like the bright moon.

次二句写扇之形，是全诗「圆满」意象的确立。「裁为合欢扇」写其名——合欢扇，绘有合欢花纹的团扇，合欢象征夫妻和合，扇名合欢，暗喻承宠时的两情欢好；「团团似明月」写其形——扇圆如月，「团团」叠字写其圆整之形，「明月」写其洁白之辉，月圆象征团圆，扇圆如月，正是「圆满」的极致意象。此二句的深意在于「以满写缺」：合欢、团圆、明月，三个「圆满」的意象层层叠加，把承宠时的幸福写到极致——而极致的圆满，正是残缺的开始。读者看到「合欢」「团团」，自会想到后文的「中道绝」：扇名合欢而终被弃，形如明月而终蒙尘，圆满与残缺的巨大反差，正是全诗悲剧性的根源。此二句与首二句连读，质洁形圆，是承宠时的全盛写照，为「出入君怀袖」的得意作了铺垫。

The fan. Cut into a fan of joined joy, round and round like the bright moon. The joined-joy fan (the marriage symbol) and the round moon are the perfection of the favored days. The roundness will be the later rejection's contrast. To have described a round fan would be an object; the joined-joy fan, round as the bright moon, is the object.

出入君怀袖，动摇微风发

Goes in and out of my lord's bosom and sleeve, stirring a gentle breeze. Depicts the favor and closeness, implying dependence.

出入在君王的怀袖之间，摇动时微风轻发。

It goes in and out of your breast and sleeve; when stirred, a light breeze rises.

三、四句写扇之用，是全诗「承宠」的写照。「出入君怀袖」写扇之贴身受宠——团扇出入于君王的怀袖之间，时时携带、片刻不离，正写女子承宠时与君王形影不离的恩宠；「动摇微风发」写扇之效用——摇动时微风轻发，为君王送去清凉。此二句表面写扇的功用与宠爱，深层却暗含「依附之危」：扇之受宠，全系于「君怀袖」之间——君王怀之则出入随身，君王弃之则弃捐箧笥，扇的命运完全掌握在君王手中，正如女子的命运完全系于君王的恩宠。这种「出入」之荣与「怀袖」之危的一体两面，正是失宠者特有的敏感与忧惧。「动摇」二字写扇之尽职，也暗喻女子之殷勤侍奉——越是尽心，越见其患得患失之心。此二句是全诗唯一的「得意」之笔，而其得意之下的危机，已为「常恐秋节至」的忧惧蓄势。

The service. It goes in and out of your breast and sleeve; when stirred, a light breeze rises. The fan carried in the sleeve and fanning the lord is the lady's close service, and its dependence. To have described the fan's use would be a use; the in-and-out-of-the-breast-sleeve and the stirred-up light breeze are the use.

常恐秋节至，凉飙夺炎热

Often fears autumn's arrival, when cool winds take away the heat. 'Often fears' reveals anxiety about losing favor.

常常担心秋天节令一到，凉风夺去炎热。

I always fear the autumn season's coming, when the cool wind takes away the heat.

五、六句是全诗情感的转折点，也是全诗最传神处。「常恐秋节至」——常常担心秋天到来，「常」字写忧惧之持久，「恐」字写忧惧之深切：不是一时之忧，而是长年之恐，盛宠之时已怀见弃之惧；「凉飙夺炎热」——凉风夺去炎热，扇的用处消失：扇之为用，在于夏日生凉；秋节一到，凉飙夺暑，扇便无用，随之而来的必是弃捐。此二句的妙处在于「以物喻事」：「秋节」是自然界的节令更替，也是人事的恩衰宠替——君王的恩宠如夏日之炎，色衰爱弛则如秋风之凉；「凉飙夺炎热」五字，把「色衰而爱弛，爱弛而恩绝」的宫闱规律写得既是物理又是人事，物我交融，不着痕迹。「常恐」二字更写尽失宠者的宿命式预感：身在盛宠而心知盛宠难久，居安思危，正是千百年来宫中女子（乃至一切依附者）的共同心理，是全诗「怨而不怒」品格的核心。

The fear. I always fear the autumn season's coming, when the cool wind takes away the heat. The constant fear (even in summer) is the lady's foreknowledge: the fan will be shelved, she will be discarded. To have said she feared autumn would be a fear; the constant fear of the autumn season and the cool wind taking the heat are the fear.

弃捐箧笥中，恩情中道绝

Cast into a bamboo box, love cut off midway. The climax, merging object and self in sorrowful resignation.

便被弃置在竹箱之中，恩情在半途断绝。

It is cast aside in the box, and the favor is broken off mid-way.

末二句写扇之弃，是全诗的收束，也是全诗最沉痛处。「弃捐箧笥中」——被弃置在竹箱之中：秋节已至，扇已无用，被随手扔进箱底，与尘灰为伍——「弃捐」二字写弃之轻易，「箧笥」写藏之冷落，物之凄凉，如在眼前；「恩情中道绝」——恩情在半途断绝：扇的恩情（与君王的恩宠）在中途断绝，不待白头，不待终老，戛然而止——「中道」二字写绝之突兀，「绝」字写断之彻底。此二句的妙处在于「物我同悲」：弃扇是实写，弃妇是虚写，扇之被弃与妇之被弃，在「弃捐箧笥中」五字中完全合一；而「恩情中道绝」更由物及人、由扇及情，把咏物的外壳剥开，露出咏人的内核——团圆的扇、绝断的恩，圆满与残缺的对照至此完成，物我交融，含蓄蕴藉。全诗以「绝」字收束，音节短促，如弦断之声，余哀不尽，正是「怨而不怒」的极致。

The shelving. It is cast aside in the box, and the favor is broken off mid-way. The boxed fan is the discarded lady. The middle-way breaking off is the abruptness. To have said the fan was put away would be an ending; the cast-aside-in-the-box and the favor-broken-midway are the ending.

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Word focus

新裂 Newly cut' suggests freshness and virginity, also hints at the impending change in fate. 「新裂齐纨素」之「新裂」，意为「新近裁割」，是全诗起笔的传神字。「裂」字写裁割丝绢的动作——不是「裁」的温雅，而是「裂」的干脆，一声裂帛，素绢展开，动作感极强；「新」字写时间之新——刚刚裁开，质地全新，光洁鲜亮。二字合用的妙处在于「以新写旧」：「新裂」的纨素是新的，而「新」的反面是「旧」——新的纨素终将蒙尘变旧，新的恩宠终将衰歇断绝，开篇一个「新」字，已为全诗「由盛转衰」的章法埋下伏笔。同时「新裂」还暗含「裂」的分离之意——裂帛之声，暗喻恩情的断裂，未写弃而弃意已萌。此字之妙，在于一个「新」字写尽盛时的光鲜，又暗藏衰时的预兆，是「以一字立全篇」的炼字典范，后世咏物诗起句多学此法。

团团 Round, round' describes the fan's shape and also the hope of reunion; contrasts with 'cut off midway' to highlight the fall. 「团团似明月」之「团团」，叠字状扇之圆，是全诗「圆满」意象的核心字。「团团」写扇的圆整之形——团扇本就以圆为形，叠字「团团」更写其圆之又圆、圆到极致，如一轮满月；「似明月」以月喻扇，月圆象征团圆，扇圆如月，正是「圆满」的象征。「团团」的妙处在于「以满写缺」：团圆之扇，正是后文「恩情中道绝」的反面预兆——扇越圆，越反衬恩之绝；月越满，越预示月之缺（月满则亏）。叠字的使用还造成音律的回环，如珠玉圆转，正合「团圆」的声情。此字与「合欢」相配，把承宠时的圆满写到极致，而极致的圆满正是残缺的开端，物我之间，悲剧自见。后世「团团」写扇者甚多，皆承此字，而班婕妤以叠字写圆满、以圆满写悲剧的匠心，至今无人能及。

常恐 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「常恐秋节至」之「常恐」，意为「常常担心」，是全诗心理刻画的灵魂字。「常」写忧惧之持久——不是一时之忧、一事之惧，而是长年累月的恐惧，如影随形，挥之不去；「恐」写忧惧之深切——不是「忧」（担心），而是「恐」（恐惧），是被抛弃的恐惧，是命运不在自己手中的恐惧。二字合用的妙处在于「居安思危」：此时扇正出入君怀袖，恩宠正隆，而班婕妤却「常恐」秋节之至——盛宠之时已预见失宠之日，正是失宠者（乃至一切依附者）特有的宿命式敏感。沈德潜评此诗「全在『常恐』二字」，确为的论：「常恐」二字写尽宫中女子「色衰爱弛」的共同恐惧，也写尽一切依附者的生存焦虑，把咏物诗的物理（扇畏秋）与咏人诗的心理（人畏衰）完全打通，是「物我交融」的典范，也是全诗「怨而不怒」品格的根基。

中道绝 Cut off midway' poignantly ends the poem, elevating the object's discard to the death of affection. 「恩情中道绝」之「中道绝」，意为「中途断绝」，是全诗收束的沉痛字。「中道」写绝之突然——恩情不是渐渐淡去，而是在中途戛然而止，不待白头，不待终老，正当盛时而恩已绝，突兀之中见残酷；「绝」字写断之彻底——恩情断绝，再无回旋余地，音节短促，如弦断之声。「中道绝」三字的妙处在于「以圆写缺」：前文「合欢」「团团」「明月」三个圆满意象层层铺垫，至此「中道绝」三字一笔收束，圆满与残缺的巨大反差在此完成——扇名合欢而恩情中绝，形如明月而弃捐箧笥，物我交融，悲剧自见。「中道绝」还暗含对命运的质问：为什么恩情要中道而绝？为什么不能相守到老？这无声的质问，正是全诗怨情的源头，也是「怨而不怒」的怨——不怒斥任何人，只是陈述这残酷的事实，而以「中道绝」三字收束，余哀不尽。

怨歌行