All poems

南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 诗 Poem

采莲曲

Song of Picking Lotus

萧纲

Xiao Gang

爱情Love 山水Landscape

晚日照空矶，采莲承晚晖。
风起湖难渡，莲多采未稀。
棹动芙蓉落，船移白鹭飞。
荷丝傍绕腕，菱角远牵衣。

The evening sun lights the empty rock;
She gathers lotus in the twilight glow.
Wind billows, crossing the lake is hard;
Lotus blooms are many, yet picking never slows.
Oars stir, and hibiscus petals fall;
The boat moves, and white egrets take flight.
Lotus threads twine around her wrists;
Water caltrops, far off, tug at her clothes.

Listen

Meaning

The poem depicts a lotus-picking scene at dusk, focusing on the natural beauty and the gentle interaction between the picker and the surroundings, hinting at underlying romantic longing through subtle imagery.

夕阳照着空寂的石矶，采莲人趁着晚霞。风起湖面难以渡过，莲子虽多采了仍未稀。桨动惊落芙蓉，船行惊起白鹭飞。荷丝傍着缠绕手腕，菱角远处牵扯衣襟。

Appreciation

This poem by Xiao Gang, a representative of the Palace Style, uses clear and delicate white strokes to portray the lotus picker’s work and the evening lake scenery. The vivid couplet 'Oars stir, and hibiscus petals fall; the boat moves, and white egrets take flight' captures dynamic motion, while the closing lines employ wordplay to suggest hidden emotions. The style bridges folk song traditions and literati poetry.

【白话串讲】 “棹动芙蓉落，船移白鹭飞”——萧纲写采莲：船桨一动，荷花落；船一移，白鹭飞。南朝宫廷诗人的采莲曲，美得轻快又清凉。【意象与手法】诗以「晚日」「晚晖」起笔，铺写采莲暮景。「风起湖难渡，莲多采未稀」写采莲之勤与湖风之阻；「棹动芙蓉落，船移白鹭飞」一联最为灵动，以动写动，桨落花飞、船行鹭起，画面鲜活动感；「荷丝傍绕腕，菱角远牵衣」收以细节，以荷丝菱角之「绕」「牵」暗喻情思缠绵，于景语中藏相思之趣，含蓄有味。【情感与主旨】萧纲即梁简文帝，宫体诗代表。《采莲曲》为乐府清商曲辞旧题，多写采莲女子的劳动与情思。此诗约作于萧纲为太子或藩王时，写傍晚采莲之景与采莲女的轻盈姿态，诗风清丽婉转，虽属宫体而少绮靡，以白描写水乡风光与人物，体现南朝乐府民歌向文人诗转化的痕迹。【名句点睛】常考「棹动芙蓉落，船移白鹭飞」的动静描写与「落」「飞」二字；「荷丝傍绕腕，菱角远牵衣」的谐音双关（丝谐思、菱谐怜）；以及全诗白描清丽、以景藏情的特点。

Background

Xiao Gang, Emperor Jianwen of Liang, was a leading figure of the Palace Style poetry. 'Song of Picking Lotus' is an old yuefu title from the Qing-Shang melodies, often used to depict the labor and emotions of lotus-picking women. This poem was likely written when Xiao Gang was a prince or crown prince, portraying an evening lotus-picking scene with a light, graceful touch. It reflects the transition from Southern Dynasty folk songs to literati poetry.

萧纲（503—551），梁武帝萧衍第三子，南朝梁第二位皇帝，庙号太宗，谥号简文，世称梁简文帝。他雅好文学，以太子身份开「文德省」广纳文士，与徐摛、庾肩吾等人倡导「宫体诗」，主张「文章且须放荡」，诗风轻艳绮靡，是宫体诗的代表作家。《采莲曲》为乐府《清商曲辞》旧题，源于江南民间采莲歌谣，汉乐府《江南》「江南可采莲，莲叶何田田」已开其端，六朝以来多写采莲女子的劳动与情思。此诗约作于萧纲为太子或藩王时，写傍晚湖上采莲之景：晚日照矶、采莲承晖、桨动花落、船移鹭飞、荷丝绕腕、菱角牵衣，一派明丽的水乡暮景。诗风清丽婉转，虽属宫体而少绮靡之气，以白描之笔写人物与风物，正体现了南朝乐府民歌向文人诗转化的痕迹，是宫体诗中清婉一格的代表。南朝社会以采莲为江南风物之最，帝王文士竞相题咏，梁武帝父子、陈后主皆有采莲之作，此诗正是这一风尚中文艺化最成功的篇章之一，亦可见宫体诗于绮靡之外尚有清新之一面。

Art

The poem excels in white sketching with dynamic interplay. The first two couplets set the scene, the last two focus on the figure. The verbs 'fall', 'fly', 'twine', and 'tug' are vivid. Natural scenes carry subtle longing, implicit in the imagery, directly influencing later Tang poets like Wang Changling.

此诗以白描见长，全篇八句纯用赋笔，不着议论而情味自出。起句「晚日照空矶，采莲承晚晖」点明时地：夕阳、空矶、晚晖，三个意象铺开暮色中的湖岸，「空」字写矶之寂，更衬采莲女之勤。三、四句「风起湖难渡，莲多采未稀」写采莲之勤与湖风之阻，一阻一勤，小有波澜。五、六句「棹动芙蓉落，船移白鹭飞」是全诗最灵动的一联：以动写动，桨动而花落、船移而鹭飞，两个动作同时展开，花落鹭飞的画面鲜活动感，色彩明丽。结句「荷丝傍绕腕，菱角远牵衣」收以细节：采莲既久，荷丝缠腕、菱角牵衣，物着人、人依物，人与水乡风物融为一体；「绕」「牵」二字以物拟人，又暗含情思缠绵之意，于景语中藏相思之趣。全诗由远及近、由景及人、由动及静，层层收拢，语言清丽自然，正是「体物入微」的白描高手。全诗八句无一处直写情思，而人物之勤、景色之美、情愫之微，皆从画面与细节中自然流出；暮色、湖风、花落、鹭飞、丝绕、菱牵，物物有情，含蓄蕴藉，读之回味无穷。

Allusions

'Song of Picking Lotus' is a yuefu title inherited from folk songs like 'Jiangnan' (Fish Play among Lotus Leaves). 'Furong' (hibiscus) puns on 'husband's face' (夫容), 'si' (thread) puns on 'longing' (思), and 'ling' (caltrop) puns on 'pity/love' (怜), typical Southern Dynasty harmonic wordplay, as seen in 'Ziye Songs'.

《采莲曲》本乐府旧题，承《江南》「鱼戏莲叶」的民间采莲传统而来，萧纲此作即为此题在南朝文人手中的新变。「芙蓉」即荷花，而「芙蓉」谐音「夫容」，六朝民歌常以莲花莲藕作爱情的双关（如《西洲曲》「开门郎不至，出门采红莲」）；「荷丝」之「丝」谐音「思」，「菱角」之「菱」谐音「怜」（爱怜），皆南朝乐府惯用的谐音双关手法，如《子夜歌》「雾露隐芙蓉，见莲不分明」、《读曲歌》「种莲长江边，藕生黄檗浦」，以莲喻人、以藕喻情。萧纲将民间歌谣的双关手法移入文人诗，不标故实而情味天然：「荷丝绕腕」暗含相思萦绕不去，「菱角牵衣」暗含爱怜牵系难舍，采莲的劳动场景与爱情的委婉表达融为一体，正体现了南朝文人向民歌学习、化俗为雅的造语功夫。此外，起句「采莲承晚晖」暗合《江南》「鱼戏莲叶间」的欢快情调，全诗以乐景写情思，与《西洲曲》「低头弄莲子」的缠绵同一机杼，可见采莲题材在南朝文人笔下由民歌的即兴咏唱走向精工刻画的丰富面向。

Commentary

Among Southern Dynasty yuefu on lotus-picking, Xiao Gang’s version stands out for its plain yet vivid depiction. Ming scholar Hu Yinglin noted Xiao’s style as 'clear and beautiful but weak', yet this poem shows strength in white sketching. Qing scholar Shen Deqian praised the closing couplet for its meticulous observation. This poem directly influenced later Tang poets.

南朝乐府《采莲》一题，萧纲、萧绎（梁元帝）、陈后主叔宝皆有拟作，萧纲此篇为其中白描最工者。明人胡应麟《诗薮》评简文帝诗「清绮而弱」，盖指其宫体之作偏于轻艳；而此诗独以白描清丽见长，清人沈德潜《古诗源》评「荷丝傍绕腕」一联「体物入微」，正指其以细节写人物情态的高妙。在文学史上，此诗的价值有二：其一，它把南朝民歌的清丽与文人诗的工致结合起来，为乐府旧题注入了新的艺术表现力；其二，它对唐代采莲诗有直接影响——王昌龄《采莲曲》「荷叶罗裙一色裁，芙蓉向脸两边开」，即承此采莲题材与明丽笔法而更加浪漫。此诗虽为宫体诗人所作，却以其清新自然的审美品格，成为南北朝乐府诗中上承民歌、下启唐音的重要一环。其以细节写人物、以双关藏情思的手法，更直接启发了唐代闺怨诗与采莲诗的抒情方式，对后世影响深远，至今仍是六朝乐府白描艺术的代表性篇章。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient verse (Southern Dynasty yuefu 'Song of Picking Lotus' theme)五言古诗（南朝乐府《采莲曲》题）

Rhyme Ancient style with rhyme changes (ji, hui, xi, fei, yi in archaic rhyme)古体诗，叶古韵：矶、晖、稀、飞、衣，皆属微齐韵部，隔句押韵，音韵清亮流转。

Tone pattern Ancient style, free tonal patterns古体不拘平仄，五言句式齐整，节奏舒缓；中间两联「风起湖难渡，莲多采未稀」「棹动芙蓉落，船移白鹭飞」对仗工整而不刻意，读来朗朗上口。

Reading note Southern literati imitation of yuefu, clear and plain, precursor to Tang lotus-picking poems此诗为五言古诗，托乐府《采莲曲》旧题而作，体制上承汉魏乐府与南朝民歌：五言八句，句式齐整，古体不拘平仄，而以自然的声韵与节奏取胜。全诗隔句押韵，韵脚矶、晖、稀、飞、衣同属微齐韵部，声韵清亮悠扬，与采莲的明丽画面相谐；中间四句虽有两组对仗，却是「无意于对而对」，如「风起湖难渡，莲多采未稀」以自然语对自然景，「棹动芙蓉落，船移白鹭飞」以动景对动景，工整而不露斧凿痕，正见六朝诗歌由古体向近体过渡的痕迹——对仗渐兴而格律未严，声情自任而节奏天成。此诗的音律之美，正在这种「半古半今」的从容之中，为唐代律诗及采莲诗（如王昌龄、李白同题之作）的成熟提供了直接的范式，是研究南北朝乐府诗声律演变的重要标本。

Line by line

晚日照空矶，采莲承晚晖。

The evening sun shines on the empty rock; the lotus-picker gathers in the afterglow.

夕阳照着空寂的石矶，采莲人趁着晚霞。

The setting sun lights the empty rock; the lotus-pickers work in the evening glow.

起句点明时地，铺开暮色中的湖岸画卷。「晚日」「晚晖」两次写暮色，一层深于一层：先是「晚日照空矶」，夕阳斜照在空寂的石矶上，「空」字写矶之寂寥，暗示采莲人已将尽或犹未至，画面清空；随即「采莲承晚晖」，采莲女正趁着这最后一片晚霞辛勤劳作，「承」字写其承接霞光、趁光而作之态，自然灵动。两句以霞光为背景，人物剪影般立于晚照之中，明丽而宁静；「空」与「承」一静一动，矶之空寂与人之勤勉相映，采莲女的身影在暮色中愈显动人，为全诗定下了清丽悠远的基调。

The glow. The evening sun shines on the empty rock; the lotus-picker gathers in the afterglow. The evening-sun-on-empty-rock and the gatherer-in-afterglow are the opening. To have shone on the rock would be a shining; the the-evening-sun-shines-on-the-empty-rock-the-lotus-picker-gathers-in-the-afterglow is the shining.

风起湖难渡，莲多采未稀。

The wind rises, the lake is hard to cross; lotuses are many, picked yet not thinned.

风起湖面难以渡过，莲子虽多采了仍未稀。

The wind rises and the lake is hard to cross; many lotuses, picked but not thinned.

此联写采莲之勤与湖风之阻，是全诗仅有的直接叙事。「风起湖难渡」写傍晚风起、湖面难渡——既是行船采莲的实际困难，也暗喻采莲之路的不易，一「难」字于朴拙中见真实；「莲多采未稀」更进一层：莲蓬虽多，采了半日却不见稀少，写莲之盛与采之勤，采莲女不知疲倦、一叶扁舟往来湖上的辛勤姿态如在目前。两句一阻一勤，风之难与人之勤形成小小的张力，使画面由静态的点景转入动态的劳动场景；「难」「未」二字质朴无华，正见乐府民歌「语浅情深」的遗风，为下文桨动船移的热闹场面作了铺垫。

The wind. The wind rises, the lake is hard to cross; lotuses are many, picked yet not thinned. The risen-wind-hard-to-cross and the many-lotuses-not-thinned are the labor. To have risen would be a rising; the the-wind-rises-the-lake-is-hard-to-cross-lotuses-are-many-picked-yet-not-thinned is the rising.

棹动芙蓉落，船移白鹭飞。

The oar moves and the hibiscus fall; the boat shifts and the egrets rise.

桨动惊落芙蓉，船行惊起白鹭飞。

The oar stirs the hibiscus down; the boat moves and white egrets fly up.

此联是全诗最灵动的画面，以动写动、声色并作。「棹动芙蓉落」写船桨拨动，惊落了荷花——花本自开自落，此处写为桨声惊落，仿佛花亦有情、闻声而坠；「船移白鹭飞」写小船移行，惊起了栖于洲上的白鹭，双双飞去。两句四个动作——棹动、花落、船移、鹭飞——两两相对，花落与鹭飞同时展开，动静之间画面鲜活欲出；色彩上芙蓉之红与白鹭之白相映，明丽悦目。此联妙在以物之反应写船行之态：不写船如何快、桨如何急，只写花落鹭飞，而采莲船穿行莲丛、惊起万物的生机已跃然纸上，正是「不写之写」的白描高境。

The oar. The oar moves and the hibiscus fall; the boat shifts and the egrets rise. The oar-moves-hibiscus-fall and the boat-shifts-egrets-rise are the liveliness. To have moved the oar would be a moving; the the-oar-moves-and-the-hibiscus-fall-the-boat-shifts-and-the-egrets-rise is the moving.

荷丝傍绕腕，菱角远牵衣。

Lotus threads wind about the wrist; water chestnuts tug the robe from afar.

荷丝傍着缠绕手腕，菱角远处牵扯衣襟。

Lotus fibers wind around the wrist; water chestnuts tug at the robe from afar.

结句收以细节，是全诗情味最深的一联。「荷丝傍绕腕」写采莲时荷茎的细丝缠绕手腕，「傍」字写丝之依傍不离，「绕」字写缠之紧、恋之切；「菱角远牵衣」写远处的菱角勾住衣襟，仿佛菱角也在挽留采莲人。两句以物着人，荷丝、菱角本为水乡寻常之物，经「绕」「牵」二字，竟似有情之物，依依挽留；而「丝」谐音「思」、「菱」谐音「怜」，暗含相思与爱怜之意——荷丝绕腕是情思萦绕不去，菱角牵衣是爱怜牵系难舍，采莲女的隐微心事于景语中含蓄流出。全诗以白描起、以双关收，由景入情而不着一情字，正是南朝民歌「含情之深、寓言之巧」的典范。

The threads. Lotus threads wind about the wrist; water chestnuts tug the robe from afar. The lotus-threads-wrist-wound and the water-chestnuts-robe-tugged are the close. To have wound about the wrist would be a winding; the lotus-threads-wind-about-the-wrist-water-chestnuts-tug-the-robe-from-afar is the winding.

Study

Word focus

承 to receive/to take advantage of; indicating acting under favorable circumstances 「采莲承晚晖」之「承」字，写采莲女与晚霞的关系，是全诗炼字最见意趣处。「承」本义为承受、承接，此处写采莲女趁着晚晖劳作：晚霞将尽，采莲人承接这最后一缕光明赶工，一个「承」字，把「趁光而作」的勤勉与「惜时」的意味写得自然灵动。此字妙在兼有动作与情态：既是身体之承——沐浴、承接霞光；又是心志之承——趁着、把握光阴。若易为「趁」「沐」等字，「趁」偏于功利、「沐」偏于静态，皆不如「承」字之端庄而有情致。晚日、空矶、晚晖，本是一派萧疏暮景，经「承」字一点，采莲女的身影便与霞光融为一体，明丽而不凄清，正是「一字传神」的白描功力。

难 difficult; here implies the challenge and hindrance of the wind 「风起湖难渡」之「难」字，语似质朴而意含多重。「难」字面义写风起波涌、行船渡湖之不易，是写实的劳动困难；深一层，又暗喻采莲之路的艰辛——莲多而采未稀，风阻而舟难进，采莲女的勤苦尽在其中；再深一层，「难渡」与「采未稀」对举，风之难阻不住采之勤，愈见其执着，也隐隐透着一种「好事多磨」的民间情调。此字朴拙无华，正是乐府民歌「语浅情真」的本色；与全诗明丽的画面相对，这一「难」字为诗歌添了一分真实的质感，使采莲不再只是诗意的图景，而有生活的分量，是「平字见奇」的炼字范例。

绕 / 牵 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「荷丝傍绕腕，菱角远牵衣」之「绕」「牵」二字，是全诗炼字与双关的枢纽。「绕」写荷丝缠绕手腕，丝细而柔，缠而不绝，如情思之萦绕心头；「牵」写菱角勾牵衣襟，角锐而坚，牵而不放，如爱怜之系念难舍。二字皆写物着于人，却赋予无情之物以人的情意——荷丝似有意缠绕、菱角似有心挽留，拟人化于不觉之中；更妙在「丝」谐音「思」、「菱」谐音「怜」，绕腕之思、牵衣之怜，正暗写采莲女的心事。两个动词一柔一刚、一缠一勾，把水乡采莲的细节写得活色生香，又于景语中藏相思之趣，含蓄隽永，正是南朝民歌双关手法的文人化运用。

采莲曲