南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 乐府 Yuefu ballad
西洲曲
The Xizhou Song
忆梅下西洲，折梅寄江北。
单衫杏子红，双鬓鸦雏色。
西洲在何处？
两桨桥头渡。
日暮伯劳飞，风吹乌臼树。
树下即门前，门中露翠钿。
开门郎不至，出门采红莲。
采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头。
低头弄莲子，莲子清如水。
置莲怀袖中，莲心彻底红。
忆郎郎不至，仰首望飞鸿。
鸿飞满西洲，望郎上青楼。
楼高望不见，尽日栏杆头。
栏杆十二曲，垂手明如玉。
卷帘天自高，海水摇空绿。
海水梦悠悠，君愁我亦愁。
南风知我意，吹梦到西洲。
I break a plum and send it to the north shore.
A single shirt apricot-red,
My twin locks black as a young crow.
Where is Xizhou?
Two oars at the bridge-head ferry.
At dusk the shrike flies,
The wind blows the tallow tree.
Beneath the tree is the gate;
Through the gate shows a green hairpin.
I open the door — my love has not come;
I go out to gather red lotus.
In autumn I gather lotus by the south pond;
The lotus flowers tower above my head.
I lower my head and play with the lotus seeds;
The lotus seeds are clear as water.
I tuck the lotus in my sleeve;
The lotus heart is red through and through.
Thinking of my love, my love does not come;
I raise my head and watch the flying geese.
Geese fill all Xizhou;
I climb the tower to watch for my love.
The tower is high, I cannot see;
All day long at the rail's end.
The rail curves in twelve turns;
My hanging hands white as jade.
I roll up the curtain — the sky is its own height;
The river water shakes an empty green.
The river water, a dream endless;
You are grieved and I am grieved too.
The south wind knows my heart,
And blows my dream to Xizhou.
Meaning
A southern folk song in a woman's voice tracing her year-round longing for a far-off lover, from sending plum blossoms to gathering lotus, watching geese, and leaning on the rail, closing with a wish that the south wind carry her dream to him.
忆梅时走下西洲，折梅寄给江北的情人。单衫杏红，双鬓乌黑如鸦雏。西洲在何处？两桨即到桥头渡。日暮伯劳飞，风吹乌臼树。树下便是门前，门中露出翠钿。开门郎未至，出门去采红莲。秋日采莲南塘，莲花高过人头。低头拨弄莲子，莲子清如水。把莲藏入怀袖，莲心红到底。忆郎郎不至，仰首望飞鸿。鸿飞满西洲，上青楼望郎。楼高望不见，整日倚栏。栏杆十二曲，垂手白如玉。卷帘天自高，海水摇空绿。海水梦悠悠，君愁我亦愁。南风知我意，吹梦到西洲。
Appreciation
The whole poem, in a woman's voice, writes her four-season longing for the lover on the north shore: from breaking plum to send afar, gathering lotus and playing with seeds, to watching geese and climbing the tower, leaning on the rail, closing with 'the south wind knows my heart, and blows my dream to Xizhou,' pushing the endless longing into dream. It strings the feeling with the flowing seasons, cleverly using anadiplosis (Xizhou—Xizhou, love—love) and circling structure, a spiral advancing. 'I lower my head and play with the lotus seeds; the lotus seeds are clear as water' writes devotion by pun, a typical stroke of southern love songs. The poem speaks not one word of 'love' directly, yet love flows through breaking plum, gathering lotus, watching geese, leaning on the rail — the highest peak of southern yuefu folk song.
【白话串讲】 “忆梅下西洲，折梅寄江北”——南朝民歌《西洲曲》：她折梅寄给江北的情郎。“采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头。低头弄莲子，莲子清如水”——“置莲怀袖中，莲心彻底红”——“南风知我意，吹梦到西洲”——她让南风把梦吹到西洲。南朝最长的情歌。 【意象与手法】通篇以“莲”谐“怜”、“鸿”传书、四季景物流转串联情思，巧用顶真（西洲—西洲、郎—郎）与回环，章法如螺旋递进；“低头弄莲子，莲子清如水”以双关写痴情，是南朝情歌的典型笔法。 【情感与主旨】抒写民间女子对远方情人的炽热而执着的相思，纯真、绵长、哀婉。诗无一句直说“爱”，而爱意流转于折梅、采莲、望鸿、倚栏之间，是南朝乐府民歌的最高代表。 【名句点睛】“南风知我意，吹梦到西洲。”——将无可寄托的相思托付南风，要它把梦吹到情人所在的西洲。结句空灵奇绝，把人间不能的相聚，交付给风与梦，余韵无尽。
Background
The Xizhou Song is in the Yuefu Collection: Miscellaneous Songs. It is generally taken as a southern folk song of the late Southern Dynasties (or a literati imitation of yuefu), author anonymous. The whole poem writes a woman's four-season longing for her lover, the peak of southern love song.
《西洲曲》为南北朝乐府民歌（佚名），是写江南女子忆郎、相思之情的诗。此诗：忆梅下西洲，折梅寄江北。单衫杏子红，双鬓鸦雏色。西洲在何处？两桨桥头渡。日暮伯劳飞，风吹乌臼树。树下即门前，门中露翠钿。开门郎不至，出门采红莲。采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头。低头弄莲子，莲子清如水。置莲怀袖中，莲心彻底红。忆郎郎不至，仰首望飞鸿。鸿飞满西洲，望郎上青楼。楼高望不见，尽日栏杆头。栏杆十二曲，垂手明如玉。卷帘天自高，海水摇空绿。海水梦悠悠，君愁我亦愁。南风知我意，吹梦到西洲。全诗写江南女子忆郎、相思之情，是南朝乐府的名篇。
Art
It strings the feeling with the flowing seasons, cleverly using anadiplosis ('thinking of my love, my love does not come,' 'geese fill all Xizhou'), pun ('lotus' sounds 'love'), and a circling structure. 'The lotus seeds are clear as water' and 'the lotus heart is red through and through' write feeling through objects, with the richest folk flavor.
《西洲曲》艺术上以江南忆郎的描摹与相思之情的婉转见长。全诗三十二句，层层相因：首写忆梅折梅——“忆梅下西洲，折梅寄江北”写忆梅下西洲、折梅寄江北，“单衫杏子红，双鬓鸦雏色”写单衫杏子红、双鬓鸦雏色；中写采莲相思——“开门郎不至，出门采红莲”写开门郎不至、出门采红莲，“采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头”写采莲南塘秋、莲花过人头，“低头弄莲子，莲子清如水”写低头弄莲子、莲子清如水，“置莲怀袖中，莲心彻底红”写置莲怀袖中、莲心彻底红，“忆郎郎不至，仰首望飞鸿”写忆郎郎不至、仰首望飞鸿；末写南风寄梦——“楼高望不见，尽日栏杆头”写楼高望不见、尽日栏杆头，“海水梦悠悠，君愁我亦愁”写海水梦悠悠、君愁我亦愁，“南风知我意，吹梦到西洲”写南风知我意、吹梦到西洲。全诗以江南忆郎写相思之情，正是南朝乐府婉转的笔法。
Allusions
'Xizhou' is where the lover lives in the poem (a generic southern water town). 'Shrike' comes from the 'East-flying shrike' song, a metaphor for parting. 'Lotus' puns on 'love' (lian). 'Tallow tree,' 'green hairpin,' 'tower' are all southern sights and boudoir images. 'Flying geese' carrying letters uses the Su Wu wild-goose-foot allusion.
《西洲曲》用典在“西洲”“折梅寄江北”“伯劳”“乌臼”“采莲”“莲子”“飞鸿”“南风”。“西洲”写西洲（地名）；“折梅寄江北”用折梅寄远之典；“伯劳”写伯劳（鸟）；“乌臼”写乌臼（树）；“采莲”写采莲；“莲子”用莲（怜）之双关；“飞鸿”写飞鸿（传书）；“南风”写南风。全诗以这些意象写江南忆郎、相思之情，用典自然而婉转自见，正是南朝乐府的笔法。
Commentary
Shen Deqian said this poem 'continues and continues, linking pod to calyx,' its structure spiraling forward; its clear phrases and lovely lines, seemingly broken yet truly connected, make it the swan song of southern yuefu.
《西洲曲》是南朝乐府的名篇，也是南北朝民歌中写相思的代表作。此诗写江南女子忆郎、相思之情，向为论者称道。论者多赏其江南忆郎的描摹与相思之情的婉转——“忆梅下西洲，折梅寄江北”写忆梅下西洲、折梅寄江北，婉转之极；“采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头”写采莲南塘秋、莲花过人头，更见其美；“低头弄莲子，莲子清如水”用莲子（怜子）双关写低头弄莲子、莲子清如水，尤见其巧；“南风知我意，吹梦到西洲”写南风知我意、吹梦到西洲，尤见其妙。此诗为南朝乐府民歌之冠，正是其代表——以江南忆郎写相思之情，正是其婉转的笔法。
Prosody
Line by line
忆梅下西洲，折梅寄江北。
Thinking of the plum, I go down to West Islet; I break a sprig and send it north of the river.
忆梅下西洲，折梅寄江北。
Remembering the plum, I go down to West Islet; break a sprig and send it north of the river.
首用折梅寄远之典写忆梅下西洲、折梅寄江北，是全诗写忆郎相思的起点。“忆梅下西洲”写忆梅下西洲——“忆梅下西洲”写忆着梅花、来到西洲——忆梅下西洲；“折梅寄江北”用折梅寄远之典写折梅寄江北——“折梅寄江北”用折梅寄远之典写折下梅花寄往江北——折梅寄江北。二句写忆梅下西洲、折梅寄江北：忆梅下西洲，折梅寄江北。以“忆梅下西洲”写忆梅而来、下到西洲，以“折梅寄江北”用折梅寄远之典写折梅寄江北、寄情远方，正是西洲曲写忆郎相思的起点——忆梅西洲，折梅江北。
The plum. Thinking of the plum, I go down to West Islet; I break a sprig and send it north of the river. The remembered-plum and the broken-sprig-sent-north are the opening. To have remembered the plum would be a remembering; the thinking-of-the-plum-i-go-down-to-west-islet-i-break-a-sprig-and-send-it-north-of-the-river is the remembering.
采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头。低头弄莲子，莲子清如水。
Picking lotuses south of the pool in autumn, the lotus flowers rise above my head. Bending low, I play with the seedpods; the seeds are clear as water.
采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头。低头弄莲子，莲子清如水。
Gathering lotuses at the south pond in autumn, the flowers rise above my head. Bending low, I play with the lotus seeds; the seeds are clear as water.
中用莲子（怜子）双关写采莲南塘秋、低头弄莲子、莲子清如水，是全诗写相思之情的最妙处。“采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头”写采莲南塘秋、莲花过人头——“采莲南塘秋”写南塘采莲、正当秋时，“莲花过人头”写莲花高过人头——采莲南塘，莲花过人头；“低头弄莲子，莲子清如水”用莲子（怜子）双关写低头弄莲子、莲子清如水——“低头弄莲子”写低头拨弄莲子，“莲子清如水”用莲子（怜子）双关写莲子清润如水——低头弄莲子，莲子清如水。四句写采莲南塘秋、低头弄莲子：采莲南塘秋，莲花过人头。低头弄莲子，莲子清如水。以“采莲南塘秋”写南塘采莲、秋日明净，以“莲花过人头”写莲花过人头、莲塘深深，以“低头弄莲子”写低头弄莲子、怀郎之思，以“莲子清如水”用莲子（怜子）双关写莲子清如水、怜子之心，正是西洲曲写相思之情的最妙处——莲花过人头，莲子清如水。
The seeds. Picking lotuses south of the pool in autumn, the lotus flowers rise above my head. Bending low, I play with the seedpods; the seeds are clear as water. The autumn-lotuses-over-head and the bending-playing-with-clear-seeds are the wordplay. To have played with the seeds would be a playing; the picking-lotuses-south-of-the-pool-in-autumn-the-lotus-flowers-rise-above-my-head-bending-low-i-play-with-the-seedpods-the-seeds-are-clear-as-water is the playing.
忆郎郎不至，仰首望飞鸿。
I think of my love, but he does not come; I lift my head and watch the wild geese.
忆郎郎不至，仰首望飞鸿。
I think of my love, but he does not come; I raise my head and watch the flying geese.
中用飞鸿之典写忆郎郎不至、仰首望飞鸿，是全诗写望郎之切的深化。“忆郎郎不至”写忆郎郎不至——“忆郎郎不至”写思念郎君、郎君不至——忆郎郎不至；“仰首望飞鸿”用飞鸿之典写仰首望飞鸿——“仰首望飞鸿”用鸿雁传书之典写仰头望那飞鸿——仰首望飞鸿。二句写忆郎郎不至、仰首望飞鸿：忆郎郎不至，仰首望飞鸿。以“忆郎郎不至”写忆郎不至、相思难耐，以“仰首望飞鸿”用飞鸿之典写仰首望鸿、盼有音书，正是西洲曲写望郎之切的深化——忆郎不至，仰首望鸿。
The geese. I think of my love, but he does not come; I lift my head and watch the wild geese. The thought-of-him-not-coming and the lifted-head-watching-geese are the longing. To have lifted the head would be a lifting; the i-think-of-my-love-but-he-does-not-come-i-lift-my-head-and-watch-the-wild-geese is the lifting.
南风知我意，吹梦到西洲。
South wind, if you know my longing, blow my dream to West Islet.
南风知我意，吹梦到西洲。
South wind, if you know my heart, blow my dream to West Islet.
末用南风之语写南风知我意、吹梦到西洲，是全诗写相思之梦的归结。“南风知我意”写南风知我意——“南风知我意”写南风知晓我的心意——南风知我意；“吹梦到西洲”写吹梦到西洲——“吹梦到西洲”写把梦吹到西洲——吹梦到西洲。二句写南风知我意、吹梦到西洲：南风知我意，吹梦到西洲。以“南风知我意”写南风知意、物我相知，以“吹梦到西洲”写吹梦西洲、相思入梦，正是西洲曲写相思之梦的归结——南风知意，吹梦西洲。
The dream. South wind, if you know my longing, blow my dream to West Islet. The south-wind-knows and the blown-dream-to-West-Islet are the close. To have known the longing would be a knowing; the south-wind-if-you-know-my-longing-blow-my-dream-to-west-islet is the knowing.
Study
Word focus
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