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明 Ming · 诗 Poem

越歌

Song of Yue

宋濂

Song Lian

爱情Love 山水Landscape

恋郎思郎非一朝，好似并州花剪刀。
一股在南一股北，几时裁得合欢袍？

Loving you, missing you, not just for a day—
Like the Bingzhou flower scissors, they say.
One blade in the south, the other in the north,
When will they cut the robe of union forth?

Listen

Meaning

The poem expresses a woman's deep and enduring longing for her lover, using the metaphor of a pair of scissors whose two blades are separated, symbolizing their physical distance. She wonders when they can be reunited, as the scissors cut a robe that represents their union.

恋着你思着你不是一朝一夕，就好比那并州出产的花剪刀。一把剪刀一股在南方一股在北方，什么时候才能裁出那件合欢的衣袍？

Appreciation

This folk-style poem by Song Lian is written in a woman's voice. It opens with a direct declaration of long-term longing, then introduces a fresh metaphor: the famous Bingzhou scissors, whose two blades are separated in the south and north. The final line puns on 'cutting the robe of union' to express a heartfelt wish for reunion. The language is simple yet clever, capturing the essence of folk songs.

【白话串讲】宋濂写情歌：想郎不是一朝一夕的事，就像并州的花剪刀，一股在南一股在北，什么时候才能裁出合欢袍？——民歌的俏皮，被文人写得如此可爱。【意象与手法】此诗艺术在民歌手法与奇妙比喻。首句「恋郎思郎非一朝」直抒胸臆，开门见山；次句「好似并州花剪刀」忽出奇喻，以剪刀两股喻二人分处；三四句顺喻推进，「一股在南一股北」写离散之实，「几时裁得合欢袍」以「裁袍」双关「团圆（合欢）」，由物及情，痴绝而巧，深得乐府民歌真趣。【情感与主旨】宋濂（1310—1381），明初文臣之首，誉为「开国文臣之首」。《越歌》为其拟越地民间歌谣之作，写女子思夫之词，借并州剪刀喻离别，以合欢袍之愿写乱世离人寻常之盼，本事无考而情真可感。【名句点睛】此诗短小，若入赏析，重点：一、比喻的妙处（以并州剪刀两股分处喻离别）；二、「合欢袍」的双关与情感。

Background

Song Lian (1310–1381) was a leading scholar-official in the early Ming dynasty, known as the 'foremost literary minister of the founding era.' This poem imitates the folk songs of Yue (modern eastern Zhejiang), a region with a rich tradition of love songs. Bingzhou (modern Shanxi) was famous for its scissors, as noted in Du Fu's poetry. The poem reflects the common desire for reunion in a time of separation and turmoil.

宋濂（1310—1381），字景濂，号潜溪，浙江浦江人，元末明初著名文学家、史学家，官至翰林学士承旨，总裁《元史》，被誉为明朝「开国文臣之首」。其文醇正典雅，为明初文坛领袖，与刘基、高启并称明初诗文三大家。《越歌》为其拟越地民间歌谣之作：越地（今浙东一带）古多情歌，自春秋越国以来，越女采莲、泛舟之曲不绝于民间，宋濂以文人笔墨仿民歌体，写女子思念情郎之词。诗以并州剪刀喻离别相思：并州（今山西太原一带）自古以产剪刀闻名，杜甫《戏题王宰画山水图歌》即有「焉得并州快剪刀，剪取吴淞半江水」之句，以并州剪为快利之代表，后为诗词常语。此诗借剪刀两股分处南北之形，喻恋人两地相隔之实，又借「裁合欢袍」之愿写团圆之盼，为元明间拟乐府民歌的常见手法。诗虽短小，而情真可感，是明人学习民间歌谣的成功尝试。此诗虽短，而情思婉转，足见宋濂兼擅雅俗之才。

Art

The art lies in its folk-song techniques and ingenious metaphor. The first line is straightforward, the second introduces the startling image of the scissor blades, and the last two develop the metaphor, ending with a pun. The poem uses everyday objects to express deep emotion, achieving a natural and sincere tone that echoes the yuefu tradition.

此诗艺术之妙，在民歌手法与奇妙比喻的结合。首句「恋郎思郎非一朝」直抒胸臆，开门见山：「恋」与「思」并置，写爱恋之深与思念之切；「非一朝」三字写相思由来已久，非一朝一夕，为全篇情感定下深挚的基调。次句「好似并州花剪刀」忽出奇喻：以并州名产的剪刀喻相思，出人意表——剪刀与相思本不相干，而诗人抓住了剪刀「两股」的特性，为三、四句的顺喻推进埋下伏笔。三句「一股在南一股北」写剪刀两股分处南北，喻恋人与自己两地相隔，由物及人，比喻落实；四句「几时裁得合欢袍」以「裁袍」双关「团圆」，合欢袍为夫妻合体之服，裁得合欢袍即盼得团圆日。四句短章，比兴自然，语如口语而情韵深长，由直抒而设喻而双关，层层推进，痴绝而巧，深得乐府民歌真趣，是文人拟民歌而能得其神韵的佳作。四句之间，起承转合浑然一体，由直抒而设喻而落实而双关，层层推进，正见民歌短章以小见大的妙处。

Allusions

The 'Bingzhou flower scissors' alludes to the renowned scissors of Bingzhou, mentioned in Du Fu's poem 'The Song of Painting Landscape' as a symbol of sharpness. The 'robe of union' evokes the Han yuefu tradition of 'union quilts' and 'union fans,' symbolizing marital harmony. The poet seamlessly integrates these allusions, enriching the poem's cultural resonance.

「并州花剪刀」用并州产剪刀之典实：并州（今山西太原）自古以剪刀锋利闻名，杜甫《戏题王宰画山水图歌》「焉得并州快剪刀，剪取吴淞半江水」已以并州剪刀为快利之代表，此后并州剪便成诗词中写快利、写剪裁的常语；宋濂此处以并州剪刀喻相思，取其「两股」之形，翻新了旧典的用法。「合欢袍」化用「合欢」意象：合欢本为植物名，因叶子朝开暮合，古人取夫妇和合之义，制成合欢被、合欢扇、合欢结，汉乐府《客从远方来》「文彩双鸳鸯，裁为合欢被」即以合欢被写夫妻团聚之愿，宋濂之「合欢袍」正承此传统，以合体之服喻夫妇团圆。诗人借剪刀之「裁」与合欢袍之「合」，把相思、离别、团圆三层意思绾合在一物之中，用典融化无痕，正是文人拟民歌而能化俗为雅、化典为新之妙。宋濂以并州剪之典写相思，以合欢之象写团圆，两典一物一衣，皆取日常之物而赋予深情，正是文人拟民歌「化典于无形」的妙处。

Commentary

Song Lian's poem is praised for its naturalness and clever imagery. Later critics often cite 'One blade in the south, the other in the north' as an exemplary metaphor. It is seen as a successful literary imitation of folk songs, combining elegance with simplicity and emotional depth.

明人拟乐府，多失之模拟而少真趣，宋濂此诗却能以民歌之体、白话之语、奇巧之喻，写出真切的民间情思，诚为明初拟乐府中的翘楚。沈德潜《明诗别裁集》选明诗，于拟民歌一体多取天然之作；后世论民歌体者，亦多引「一股在南一股北」为巧喻范例，谓其以剪刀两股喻两地相思，构思新奇而贴切自然。近人视此诗为明人学习民间歌谣的成功尝试，谓其「似谣似雅，情致嫣然」——似谣，言其语言浅白如民歌；似雅，言其用典设喻有文人功夫；情致嫣然，言其于短章之中写尽相思之痴。在宋濂以古文名世之外，此诗别开真率一格，可见其才力之广。就文学史而言，此诗代表明初文人向民间文学取法的动向，与刘基拟乐府、高启竹枝词同为中国诗歌雅俗交融传统在明初的延续。其以民歌之体入文人笔端，雅俗交融，正见明初文坛向民间文学敞开胸怀的时代气息。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (imitation yuefu folk style)诗·七言绝句（拟乐府民歌体）

Rhyme Pingshui rhyme scheme, entering rhyme on the first line; rhymes: 朝 (cháo), 刀 (dāo), 袍 (páo) — all under the xia ping er xiao category押平水韵下平二萧韵：朝、刀、袍，首句入韵，一韵到底。

Tone pattern Level-tone pattern, with the first line in level-tone entering rhyme平起平收，首句入韵；四句皆七言，节奏流丽，语如口语，民歌风味浓郁。

Reading note A Ming imitation of Yue folk song, natural and unadorned.此诗为七言绝句，拟乐府民歌体，押平水韵下平二萧韵，「朝、刀、袍」三字一韵到底，首句入韵，一韵到底而不换，正合民歌短章一唱三叹的单纯明快。绝句体制短小，四句二十八字，此诗四句正好完成起承转合：首句「恋郎思郎非一朝」直抒起，次句「好似并州花剪刀」设喻承，三句「一股在南一股北」落实转，末句「几时裁得合欢袍」双关合，由情入喻、由喻及物、由物及愿，环环相扣，一气呵成。语言上全用白话口语，「恋郎思郎」「好似」「一股南一股北」皆如话家常，无一处文言雕琢，正是民歌体的本色；然其中暗藏并州剪之典与合欢袍之典，白话之中见文人功夫，俗而不俚，雅而不涩，正是文人拟民歌「似谣似雅」的理想境界。音节上七言句流丽畅达，「朝、刀、袍」皆平声韵，声调悠长，正合相思之绵长、期盼之悠远，声情与辞情相得益彰，读之朗朗上口，是明人拟乐府中声情俱佳的短章。

Line by line

恋郎思郎非一朝，

Loving you, longing for you—this is not a day's or a morning's work,

恋着你思着你不是一朝一夕，

My love for you, my longing for you, is not from a single day,

首句以女子口吻直抒胸臆，开门见山，是民歌体最本色的起句。「恋郎思郎」四字叠用「郎」字，恋之爱慕与思之挂念并置，一往情深溢于言表；「非一朝」写这份情思由来已久，不是一时兴起、不是朝暮之恋，而是经年累月的积淀，为全篇定下深挚的基调。此句的民歌风味，正在其直与真：文人写相思多托物寄意、含蓄委婉，民歌却敢于把「恋你思你」直说出口；而「非一朝」三字又在直白中见出深情，把相思的时间维度轻轻一点，为后文以剪刀喻相思之长埋下伏笔。起句愈直，后文愈巧，直与巧相映成趣，正是民歌起兴与文人设喻结合的高明处。

The love. Loving you, longing for you—this is not a day's or a morning's work. The loving and longing that is not one day are the folk opening. To have loved and longed not for a day would be a love; the loving-you-longing-for-you-this-is-not-a-day's-or-a-morning's-work is the love.

好似并州花剪刀。

it is like the flower-scissors of Bingzhou.

就好比那并州出产的花剪刀。

it is just like the flowered scissors made in Bingzhou.

次句忽出奇喻，是全诗构思最见巧思之处。以并州剪刀喻相思，出人意表：并州剪刀以锋利著称，此处却取其「两股」之形——剪刀由两股合成，喻恋人本为一体；而两股分处，喻恋人两地相隔，一个物象，两层意思。「花剪刀」之「花」字，既写剪刀饰有花纹之美，又暗含情爱之花、花丛之花的联想，使冰冷之物带上了温情的色彩。此句之妙，在以熟悉的物象写陌生的情感：剪刀是日常之物，相思是寻常之情，一经结合，便成奇喻。杜甫以并州剪刀剪吴淞江水，写其快利；宋濂以并州剪刀写两地相思，取其形制，翻用旧典而自出新意，正见文人拟民歌而能化陈为新之妙。

The scissors. it is like the flower-scissors of Bingzhou. The Bingzhou flower scissors are the bold simile. To have compared love to Bingzhou scissors would be a simile; the it-is-like-the-flower-scissors-of-Bingzhou is the simile.

一股在南一股北，

One blade is in the south, the other in the north,

一把剪刀一股在南方一股在北方，

One blade lies in the south, the other in the north,

第三句把比喻落到实处，是全诗由物及人的关键转折。剪刀两股，本应并合如一，如今却一股在南、一股在北，正是恋人两地相隔的写照——南与北极言相距之远，两股分处极言相思之切。此句的妙处在把抽象的离别具象化为剪刀的分股：不说天各一方，而说一股在南一股北，以最具体的事物写最抽象的情感，正是民歌比兴的本色；而剪刀两股本为一体却被迫分离，恰如恋人本应相守却天各一方，物与情的对应丝丝入扣。更妙的是，两股虽分，终究是同一把剪刀，正如南北虽远，终究是同一对恋人——分离之中暗含终将复合的期待，为末句「合欢袍」的团圆之愿铺平了道路。

The blades. One blade is in the south, the other in the north. The one-blade-south one-blade-north are the separation. To have split the blades south and north would be a split; the one-blade-is-in-the-south-the-other-in-the-north is the split.

几时裁得合欢袍？

When will they cut the robe of union?

什么时候才能裁出那件合欢的衣袍？

When shall we cut the love-uniting robe?

末句以问句收束，是全诗情感的升华，也是双关之妙的总汇。「合欢袍」为夫妻合体之服，裁得合欢袍即盼得与情郎团圆成婚；而剪刀两股既分，唯有两股复合，方能裁衣，故「几时裁得」之间，既是问剪刀何时合股，更是问情人何时相聚，一问双关，痴绝而巧。此句的情感是深挚而天真的：女子不怨离别，不诉苦楚，只盼着有一天能裁成合欢之袍，以最家常的愿望写最深切的期待，正见民歌写情的本色。全诗由直抒而设喻而落实而双关，四句层层推进，末句以问作结，余韵不尽；以合欢袍的团圆之愿收束两地相思之苦，哀而不伤，正是这首小诗情致嫣然、令人低回的原因。

The robe. When shall we cut the love-uniting robe? The when-shall-we-cut-the-hehuan-robe question is the close. To have asked when the hehuan robe would be cut would be a question; the when-shall-we-cut-the-love-uniting-robe is the question.

Study

Word focus

非一朝 Not just for one day — emphasizes the long duration of longing. 「恋郎思郎非一朝」之「非一朝」三字，是首句直抒胸臆的关键，也是全诗情感的基石。「非一朝」犹言不是一朝一夕，以否定句式写相思之久：不是初见之怦然，不是热恋之冲动，而是经年累月、日积月累的深情。此三字之妙，在以时间写深度：情之深浅本不可量，诗人却以时间的长短暗示情感的厚重，「非一朝」三字，把相思之久的绵绵无尽一笔写尽。若直说「恋郎思郎已多年」，则平铺直叙，韵味全无；着一「非」字，以否定写肯定，以反衬写深情，正是民歌语浅而意深的本色。此三字又为后文蓄势：正因相思非一朝一夕，才需要以剪刀之喻来描摹其形，也才更盼合欢袍之早日裁成，起句之情深，正是全篇之巧思的情感根据。

花剪刀 Patterned scissors, specifically the famous Bingzhou scissors, whose two blades hint at separation. 「好似并州花剪刀」之「花剪刀」三字，是全诗奇喻的核心，也是炼字见巧的所在。「花」字写剪刀之美：并州剪刀本以锋利实用著称，着一「花」字，便添了装饰之美与情爱之暖——剪刀不再是冰冷的铁器，而成了精巧可爱的定情之物，正如相思虽有分离之苦，亦有相恋之甜。「花」字又暗含多重联想：花为爱情之花、青春之花，花剪刀以花名之，正与恋郎思郎的少女情怀相映。若去「花」字直作「并州剪刀」，则比喻虽存而情味顿减；着「花」字，则物之美与情之美交融，奇喻之中见温婉。此三字以物象之美写情思之痴，正是文人拟民歌而能炼字入微的体现，也是全诗由直抒转入奇喻的过渡枢纽。

合欢袍 Robe of union; '合欢' (union/happiness) puns on marital reunion, symbolizing the couple's desired togetherness. 「几时裁得合欢袍」之「合欢袍」三字，是全诗情感的归宿，也是双关之妙的总汇。「合欢」本为植物名，叶子朝开暮合，古人取夫妇和合之义，制成合欢被、合欢扇以寄团圆之愿，汉乐府《客从远方来》「文彩双鸳鸯，裁为合欢被」已开其端；「合欢袍」承此传统，指夫妻合体共著之袍，裁成合欢袍即意味着与情郎团圆成婚。此三字之妙，在以物寄情：女子不直说「几时与你团圆」，而说「几时裁得合欢袍」，把团圆的期盼寄托在一件具体的衣袍上，痴语之中见深情；合欢二字又双关和合、欢好，字面上已含美满之意，读之令人心暖。以最家常的衣袍写最深切的期盼，正是民歌以小见大、以俗见真的本色，也是全诗由分离之叹转入团圆之愿的情感高潮。

几时 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「几时裁得合欢袍」之「几时」二字，是末句问句的灵魂，也是全诗情感的出口。「几时」犹言何时，是女子对团圆的急切追问：不是不知何时，而是盼之甚切、问之甚急，明知答案渺茫，仍要一问再问，正见相思之痴。此词之妙，在以问写盼：若直说「盼与郎团圆」，则情虽切而味不足；着一问句，则把期盼、焦虑、天真的执着一齐写出——问剪刀几时合股，实问情人几时相聚；问合欢袍几时裁成，实问婚礼几时得办，一问之中，多少心事。民歌多用以问句写情，如《子夜歌》「何日见许人」，此诗之「几时」正是民歌这一传统的延续；末句以问作结，余韵袅袅，把两地相思的怅惘与团圆的期盼都留在这一问之中，令人低回不已。

越歌