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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

浣溪沙·绣面芙蓉一笑开

Huan Xi Sha: The Embroidered Face, the Lotus in Bloom

李清照

Li Qingzhao

爱情Love 闺情Love in the boudoir

绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮。
眼波才动被人猜。
一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀。
月移花影约重来。

The embroidered face opens like a lotus at a single smile;
A duck-shaped ornament flies askew against the fragrant cheek.
Only her eyes stir, and people already guess.
One side of her bearing holds a deep charm;
Half a sheet of paper carries a tender grudge and sends it to the hidden places of her heart.
The moon shifts, the flower's shadow stirs — she has promised to come again.

Listen

Meaning

A young woman's morning and her evening: her face is made up like a lotus, a duck ornament sits crooked against her cheek, and a glance from her is enough to be read by everyone in the room. She sends half a sheet of paper carrying a soft complaint into the secret parts of her heart, and the last line slips back to the tryst itself — the moon moving, the flower's shadow stirring, an agreed return. The poem is about the pleasure of being read, and also about the fact that a woman's feelings are a public matter whether she wants them to be or not.

绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮。眼波才动被人猜。一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀。月移花影约重来。

Appreciation

[Structure] The upper stanza is a portrait: make-up, ornament, glance, all watched by others. The lower stanza goes inward — 'a deep charm' no one can name, then a letter half written and half withheld — and closes by returning to the moon and the shadow, that is, to the meeting. The movement is from being looked at to looking for someone. [Image] 'The embroidered face opens like a lotus' makes the whole poem in two characters: the face is a flower that opens. From that single comparison the poem borrows its vocabulary — bloom, petals, folding — and the duck ornament, a real cosmetic case of the period, grounds the luxury in something you can hold. [Tone] What keeps the poem from being aaunch advertisement is the last line. The tryst is not described; it is inferred from the moon and the shadow moving, which is why the poem feels like an overheard fragment rather than a confession.

【白话串讲】李清照写《浣溪沙·绣面芙蓉一笑开》：“绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮”——“眼波才动被人猜”——“一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀”——“月移花影约重来”——她写少女的娇羞与约期——“眼波才动被人猜”。【意象与手法】此词写闺情，以恋情写闺情，是李清照的名篇。上片写容貌：「绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮。眼波才动被人猜」写绣面芙蓉一笑开、斜飞宝鸭衬香腮——写尽芙蓉的一笑；下片写幽怀：「一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀。月移花影约重来」写一面风情深有韵、半笺娇恨寄幽怀——写尽娇恨的幽怀。全词以恋情写闺情，写尽芙蓉的一笑与娇恨的幽怀，是李清照的代表作。【情感与主旨】此词写闺情，以恋情写闺情，是李清照的名篇。此词写少女初恋的娇羞与约会的期待，是李清照早期词作。此词写绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮；眼波才动被人猜；一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀；月移花影约重来。此词写容貌：绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮——写绣面芙蓉一笑开、斜飞宝鸭衬香腮，写尽芙蓉的一笑；眼波才动被人猜——写眼波才动被人猜，写尽眼波的才动；一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀——写一面风情深有韵、半笺娇恨寄幽怀，写尽娇恨的幽怀；月移花影约重来——写月移花影约重来，写尽花影的重来。全词以恋情写闺情——那「眼波才动被人猜」写尽眼波的才动，「月移花影约重来」写尽花影的重来，写尽芙蓉的一笑与娇恨的幽怀，是理解李清照闺情词的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮」写芙蓉的一笑；「一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀」写娇恨的幽怀；以及全词以恋情写闺情、以细节写娇羞的手法。

Background

Li Qingzhao (1084 – c. 1155), courtesy name Yi'an Jushi, was born in Zhangqiu, Ji Province (modern Jinan), and is called the first woman poet of the Song. She married early and happily, and these lyrics of the boudoir are usually placed among her earliest work, before the loss of her husband, her family and her collection of antiquities in the south. Her reputation rests almost entirely on the lyrics, and the grace and wit of this one — a young woman who knows exactly what she is doing — is central to the image of her that later readers carried into the twentieth century.

此词写闺情，以恋情写闺情，是李清照的名篇。李清照（1084—约1155），号易安居士，齐州章丘（今山东济南）人，宋代婉约派词人，有「千古第一才女」之称。此词写少女初恋的娇羞与约会的期待，是李清照早期词作。此词写绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮；眼波才动被人猜；一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀；月移花影约重来。此词写容貌：「绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮」写绣面芙蓉一笑开、斜飞宝鸭衬香腮——写尽芙蓉的一笑（绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮）；「眼波才动被人猜」写眼波才动被人猜——写尽眼波的才动（眼波才动被人猜）；「一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀」写一面风情深有韵、半笺娇恨寄幽怀——写尽娇恨的幽怀（一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀）；「月移花影约重来」写月移花影约重来——写尽花影的重来（月移花影约重来）。全词以恋情写闺情，写尽芙蓉的一笑与娇恨的幽怀，是理解李清照闺情词的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's technique is the controlled glance. In the first stanza everything is external and observed: the powder, the crooked ornament, the eyes moving, and crucially 'people guess', which inserts a third party into a private moment and makes shame into a pleasure. The middle of the second stanza then shows the ineffectiveness of language — the letter carries only 'a tender grudge' (a half-feeling, in half a sheet) to a place she calls hidden, so even her own message does not reach her. The closing line is the master-stroke: the appointment is given as physical evidence (the moon has moved, the shadow has shifted) rather than as an intention, so the reader reconstructs the last line's meaning from scenery and is rewarded with more than was said.

此词的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以比喻写容貌。「绣面芙蓉一笑开」以比喻写容貌——那「芙蓉一笑开」写尽芙蓉的一笑，以比喻写尽芙蓉的一笑。其二，以细节写娇羞。「斜飞宝鸭衬香腮」以细节写娇羞——那「衬香腮」写尽宝鸭的香腮，以细节写尽宝鸭的香腮。其三，以直抒写情韵。「一面风情深有韵」以直抒写情韵——那「深有韵」写尽风情的情韵，以直抒写尽娇恨的幽怀。其四，以期待写约会。「月移花影约重来」以期待写约会——那「约重来」写尽花影的重来，以期待写尽花影的重来。此外，此词上片写芙蓉的一笑，下片写娇恨的幽怀，由貌及情，正是闺情词「以貌写情」的写法。四重手法，使此词以恋情写闺情，写尽芙蓉的一笑与娇恨的幽怀，是李清照的代表作。此词还善于以「眼波才动被人猜」的「才动」写眼波之微动——那「眼波才动」写尽眼波的才动，正是以才写微，以「才动」写尽眼波的才动。又善以「半笺娇恨寄幽怀」的「半笺」写娇恨之半笺——半笺娇恨寄幽怀，正见娇恨难书的写照，以「半笺」写尽娇恨的幽怀。

Allusions

The lotus opening at a smile sets up the poem's whole floral vocabulary. 'Embroidered face' belongs to the cosmetic register, and 'duck' — the duck-shaped box that carried lip-rounding powder — is a real object of the Northern Song toilet. 'Tender grudge' (jiao hen) is a stock emotional word meaning a minor resentful feeling kept alive on purpose. The moon and flower shadows of the last line follow the Tang convention of the meeting at night under moving shadow. And the whole boudoir scene continues the line of poems about a woman's room opened by Wen Tingyun, which Li Qingzhao here animates with actual feeling rather than with objects.

此词的用语深植于闺情与恋情传统。「绣面」令人想到「绣面」写绣面的意象——也令人想到「绣面芙蓉」的意象；「芙蓉」令人想到「芙蓉」写芙蓉的意象——也令人想到「出水芙蓉」的意象；「宝鸭」令人想到「宝鸭」写鸭形饰物的意象——也令人想到「宝鸭香」的意象；「香腮」令人想到「香腮」写香腮的意象——也令人想到「红腮」的意象；「眼波」令人想到「眼波」写眼波的意象——也令人想到「眼波横」的意象；「花影」令人想到「花影」写花影的意象——也令人想到「花影重重」的意象。全词化用绣面、芙蓉、宝鸭、香腮、眼波、花影的意象，以恋情写闺情，正是李清照「婉约」而善白描、承闺情传统写娇羞之本领。「绣面」令人想到「绣面」写绣面的意象——也令人想到「绣面芙蓉」的意象；「宝鸭」令人想到「宝鸭」写鸭形饰物的意象——也令人想到「宝鸭炉」的意象；「眼波」令人想到「眼波」写眼波的意象——也令人想到「横波目」的意象，以眼波写娇羞。

Commentary

Qing readers praised the poem as 'charming and natural' (jiao mei tian ran); modern anthologies quote 'only her eyes stir, and people already guess' as the line that gives it its modern resonance, because it describes the condition of a woman's emotion being public property. In the history of Chinese lyric it is often paired with her own 'Tune: Dian Jiang Chun' after a game of swing, where the same girl runs away and then looks back by the door — two pictures of the same psychology, one of terror and one of flirtation. It also defines, more than most of her work, the 'graceful' mode at its least gorgeous and most human.

此词历来被推为李清照闺情词的名篇，也是宋词写少女初恋的代表。历代论者对此词评价极高：清人评此词「以恋情写闺情，娇媚天然」；近人更指出「眼波才动被人猜」写眼波的才动，是此词的名句。在词史上，此词的特殊价值在于：它以两片的小令写尽芙蓉的一笑与娇恨的幽怀——那绣面，那芙蓉，那一笑开，那斜飞，那宝鸭，那衬香腮，那眼波，那才动，那被人猜，那一面，那风情，那深有韵，那半笺，那娇恨，那寄幽怀，那月移，那花影，那约重来，都写尽了李清照笔下的浣溪沙；那「月移花影约重来」更以期待写尽花影的重来。此词与李清照《点绛唇·蹴罢秋千》（「见客入来，袜刬金钗溜」）同为少女词，一写「和羞走，倚门回首」的荡秋千（点绛唇），一写「眼波才动被人猜」的绣面（浣溪沙）；又与温庭筠《菩萨蛮》「懒起画蛾眉」的闺情传统一脉相承，可见中国词写闺情的传统。对于今日读者，此词是理解李清照闺情词的窗口，也是宋词写少女初恋的经典——那才动的眼波，穿越千年，仍在诉说着娇恨的幽怀。

Prosody

Form Ci to the tune 'Huan Xi Sha' (浣溪沙), two stanzas, a short lyric词·浣溪沙

Rhyme Level-tone rhymes in the -ai group: kai, sai, cai, huai, lai — one unbroken chain浣溪沙，押「开」「腮」「猜」「怀」「来」韵（平声），平韵到底

Tone pattern Bright, open level vowels; the cadence is light and quick, which suits a poem about courtship rather than grief.此词为浣溪沙词调，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节轻快，正合闺情的轻快。

Reading note The tune is a forty-two-character short lyric, and its fixed shape here is handed a subject that might have been far heavier. The rhyme on -ai is open and forward-moving, so the verse tends forward into the last line and stops — an effect that suits an ending built on something about to happen. Read 'only her eyes stir, and people already guess' with a light lift, and let 月移花影约重来 be spoken quietly: the charm of the poem depends on the reader supplying the meeting that the scenery only hints at.此词为浣溪沙词调，两片——上片「绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮。眼波才动被人猜」；下片「一面风情深有韵，半笺娇恨寄幽怀。月移花影约重来」，押平韵（开、腮、猜、怀、来），一韵到底，音节轻快。全词以恋情写闺情：上片写芙蓉的一笑（绣面芙蓉一笑开、眼波才动被人猜），下片写娇恨的幽怀（一面风情深有韵、月移花影约重来）。两片短章，前写容貌，后写幽怀，以「月移花影约重来」写尽花影的重来，正见李清照「婉约」的本色。诵读此词，宜以轻快的语调读「眼波才动被人猜」的娇羞，以期待的语调读「月移花影约重来」的重来，结句要读得轻快而有余韵，方能传达出李清照的娇媚天然。李清照词以「婉约」著称，此词正是其闺情词的典范。

Line by line

眼波才动被人猜

Only her eyes stir, and people already guess what she is thinking.

眼波才动被人猜。

Her eye-waves have just stirred, and someone has guessed.

此句是全词写娇羞的核心，以眼波才动写才动，以被人猜写人猜，写尽眼波的才动，是千古名句。「眼波才动被人猜」写眼波才动被人猜——那「眼波才动」写眼波才动，「被人猜」写被人猜，写尽眼波的才动。这句的深意在于：它以「眼波才动」的才动与「被人猜」的人猜，写尽眼波的才动——眼波才动被人猜，那「眼波才动被人猜」写尽眼波的才动——眼波才动，正是眼波微动的写照，那「才动」写尽眼波的才动；被人猜，那「被人猜」写尽眼波的人猜——被人猜，正是被人猜中的写照，那「人猜」写尽眼波的才动；那「眼波才动被人猜」写尽眼波的才动，那「被人猜」写尽眼波的人猜，一写才动，一写人猜，写尽眼波的才动——眼波才动而被人猜中，正是娇羞的写照；此句以才动、人猜写尽眼波的才动，也为下文的幽怀作铺垫，也让此句成为全词写娇羞的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「眼波刚一动就被人猜中了心事」，则失其娇媚；唯以「眼波才动被人猜」写才动、「被人猜」写人猜，写尽眼波的才动，也让此句成为全词写娇羞的核心。

The glance. Her eye-waves have just stirred, and someone has guessed. The eyes' slightest movement, already guessed, is the shyness of the young couple. To have said her eyes gave her away would be a moment; the eye-waves-just-stirred against the been-guessed is the moment.

绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮

The embroidered face opens like a lotus at a single smile; a duck-shaped ornament flies askew against the fragrant cheek.

绣面芙蓉一笑开，斜飞宝鸭衬香腮。

The embroidered face: a lotus opens in a smile; the slanting flying duck pins set off her fragrant cheeks.

此二句是全词写容貌的核心，以绣面芙蓉一笑开写一笑开，以斜飞宝鸭衬香腮写衬香腮，写尽芙蓉的一笑，是千古名句。「绣面芙蓉一笑开」写绣面芙蓉一笑开——那「绣面芙蓉」写绣面芙蓉，「一笑开」写一笑开，写尽芙蓉的一笑；「斜飞宝鸭衬香腮」写斜飞宝鸭衬香腮——那「斜飞宝鸭」写斜飞宝鸭，「衬香腮」写衬香腮，写尽宝鸭的香腮。这句的深意在于：它以「绣面芙蓉一笑开」的一笑开与「斜飞宝鸭衬香腮」的衬香腮，写尽芙蓉的一笑——绣面芙蓉一笑开，那「绣面芙蓉一笑开」写尽芙蓉的一笑——绣面芙蓉一笑开，正是芙蓉一笑的写照，那「一笑开」写尽芙蓉的一笑；斜飞宝鸭衬香腮，那「斜飞宝鸭衬香腮」写尽宝鸭的香腮——斜飞宝鸭衬香腮，正是宝鸭衬腮的写照，那「衬香腮」写尽芙蓉的一笑；那「绣面芙蓉一笑开」写尽芙蓉的一笑，那「斜飞宝鸭衬香腮」写尽宝鸭的香腮，一写芙蓉，一写宝鸭，写尽芙蓉的一笑——芙蓉一笑而宝鸭衬腮，正是娇媚的写照；此二句以芙蓉、宝鸭写尽芙蓉的一笑，也为下文的眼波作铺垫，也让此二句成为全词写容貌的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「绣面的脸像芙蓉一笑就开了，斜斜的宝鸭饰物衬着香腮」，则失其娇媚；唯以「绣面芙蓉一笑开」写一笑开、「斜飞宝鸭衬香腮」写衬香腮，写尽芙蓉的一笑，也让此二句成为全词写容貌的核心。

The face. The embroidered face: a lotus opens in a smile; the slanting flying duck pins set off her fragrant cheeks. The lotus-opening smile and the duck-shaped pins are the young Li Qingzhao's bride. To have described the smiling face would be a description; the embroidered-lotus-opening-in-a-smile against the slanting-flying-duck-pins-on-fragrant-cheeks is the description.

Study

Word focus

才 In 眼波才动被人猜, 才 means 'just, merely'. It marks the smallest possible degree — the eyes have barely moved — and yet that movement is enough to be read. The word therefore measures the gap between what she feels and what is visible, and it is the reason the line feels like a confession of a public self she cannot control. 「眼波才动被人猜」之「才」字是写娇羞的关键词，一个「才」字写尽眼波的才动。才者，刚刚、方才也。李清照以「眼波才动被人猜」写娇羞，这个「才」字至少有双重意味：其一，写动之才——那「眼波才动被人猜」写眼波才动被人猜，那「才」字写尽眼波的才动——才动，正是刚动的写照，那「才」字写尽眼波的才动；其二，写情之微——那「才」字更是写微——才，正见心事微露的娇羞，那「才」字写尽李清照的娇媚。以「才」字写娇羞，正是李清照写闺情的枢纽——若换作「刚」「方」等字，则或失其与「眼波」「动被人猜」的配合，或失其写才的意味；唯「才」字，以眼波才动被人猜写尽眼波之才动与心事之微露，与「绣面芙蓉一笑开」的一笑相合，写尽眼波的才动，也让「眼波才动被人猜」成为全词写娇羞的名句。

约 In 月移花影约重来, 约 means 'to appoint, to arrange'. Here it is both the promise she made and the token that it is real: the moon moving and the shadow shifting are the evidence of the appointment rather than its description. The relaxation of the verb into a fact is what makes the ending so light. 「月移花影约重来」之「约」字是写约会的关键词，一个「约」字写尽花影的重来。约者，约定、邀约也。李清照以「月移花影约重来」写约会，这个「约」字至少有双重意味：其一，写约之重来——那「月移花影约重来」写月移花影约重来，那「约」字写尽花影的重来——约重来，正是约定重来的写照，那「约」字写尽花影的重来；其二，写情之期——那「约」字更是写期——约，正见重来相期的期待，那「约」字写尽李清照的恋情。以「约」字写约会，正是李清照写闺情的枢纽——若换作「订」「期」等字，则或失其与「月移花影」「重来」的配合，或失其写约的意味；唯「约」字，以月移花影约重来写尽重来之约定与相期之期待，与「一面风情深有韵」的情韵相合，写尽花影的重来，也让「月移花影约重来」成为全词写约会的名句。