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南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 诗 Poem

玉阶怨

Lament of the Jade Steps

谢朓

Xie Tiao

爱情/相思Love/Longing 离别/抒情Parting/Lyricism

夕殿下珠帘，流萤飞复息。
长夜缝罗衣，思君此何极。

At dusk the palace lets down pearl screens,
Fireflies flit, then stop and start.
In the long night she sews a silk robe,
Thinking of you—when will it end?

Listen

Meaning

At dusk, the palace lowers its pearl curtains. Fireflies flicker on and off. Through the long night, she sews a silk robe, thinking of her lord—when will this longing end?

傍晚宫殿垂下珠帘，流萤飞起又停息。长夜独自缝制罗衣，思念君王何时是极。

Appreciation

This poem is a masterpiece of palace resentment from the Southern Dynasties. In just twenty words, it conveys endless sorrow without ever stating the word 'resentment'. The poet uses sparse, refined language to depict a deserted palace lady's sleepless night, sewing a robe and yearning for her lord. The emotion is deep, restrained, and poignant.

【白话串讲】夜色里珠帘垂下，流萤飞飞停停。宫女在长夜里缝衣服，“思君此何极”——思念一个人，什么时候才是尽头？谢朓用四个字，写尽深宫的等待。【意象与手法】全诗仅二十字而含蓄无尽。首句“夕殿下珠帘”点时间地点，“流萤飞复息”以飞萤之动静衬长夜之静【情感与主旨】《玉阶怨》为乐府吴声歌曲旧题，写宫怨。谢朓此作为南朝咏宫怨名篇。诗以失宠宫人口吻，写长夜不眠、缝衣思君之景【名句点睛】常考“不著一字，尽得风流”的含蓄艺术。考点一：分析“流萤飞复息”的衬托作用。考点二

Background

The poem uses the old yuefu theme 'Jade Steps Lament', a standard topic for palace resentment. Xie Tiao's version is a famous example from the Southern Dynasties. Written from the perspective of a neglected palace lady, it depicts her sleepless night sewing a robe and longing for the emperor. Unlike typical palace-style poems of the period, it uses extremely concise language to convey infinite sorrow, never directly mentioning resentment but making it deeply felt. It exemplifies Xie Tiao's 'clear and beautiful' style.

《玉阶怨》为乐府《相和歌辞·楚调曲》旧题，原题写宫中女子的幽怨，属「宫怨」一类。谢朓（464—499），字玄晖，陈郡阳夏（今河南太康）人，南齐著名诗人，「永明体」的代表人物，世称「小谢」，与谢灵运并称「二谢」，又曾与沈约、王融、范云等游于竟陵王萧子良西邸，共创讲究声律的「永明体」。谢朓出身高门，仕宦于南齐宫廷与藩邸之间，对宫闱生活有所接触，此诗即以失宠宫人的口吻，写长夜不眠、缝衣思君的情景，是南朝咏宫怨的名篇。诗题「玉阶」指宫中玉石砌成的台阶，是帝王居处的象征；「怨」则点明主题——宫人失宠之后，独守空闺，唯有绵长的思念与无尽的幽怨。此诗的具体创作时地难以确考，然其写宫怨而不着一「怨」字、纯以景物与动作暗示情思的含蓄笔法，正是谢朓「永明体」清丽流转、含蓄隽永风格的典型体现。版本方面，此诗收入《谢宣城集》，文字诸本基本一致，无重大异文。全诗二十字，写尽一个失宠宫人长夜的孤寂与相思，是五言乐府中「以少胜多」的典范，对后世宫怨诗影响深远。

Art

The entire poem is only twenty characters yet profoundly suggestive. The first line sets the time and place; 'fireflies flit and stop' contrasts motion with the stillness of the long night. 'Sewing a silk robe' through the night is an action that reveals her state of mind, and 'thinking of you—when will it end?' expresses her obsession. Without describing her appearance or tears, the poem conveys her feelings purely through action and circumstance, achieving a tone of restrained sorrow that is neither bitter nor sentimental.

此诗仅二十字，却含蓄无尽，深得「不著一字，尽得风流」之妙。首句「夕殿下珠帘」点出时间与地点：傍晚时分，宫殿里垂下了珠帘。「夕」是黄昏，「殿」是深宫，「下珠帘」则是一个寻常而富有意味的动作——珠帘既下，宫门已闭，白日的一切喧闹随之落幕，深宫归于沉寂，而宫人的寂寞长夜才刚刚开始。次句「流萤飞复息」以动写静：流萤在夜色中飞起又停息，忽明忽暗、起起落落，这「飞复息」的动态，恰恰反衬出长夜的死寂与宫人的无聊——唯有那一点点流萤，陪伴着不眠的人。第三句「长夜缝罗衣」写宫人的动作：漫漫长夜，独自缝制罗衣。「缝」是一个重复而单调的动作，它既是消磨长夜的方式，也是思念的寄托——一针一线，缝的是衣，也是那无望的等待。末句「思君此何极」点出主旨：思念君王，何时才是尽头？全诗四句，由景（珠帘、流萤）到人（缝衣），由动作（缝）到情（思君），层层推进，含蓄而不直露，把宫怨写得哀而不伤、怨而不怒，是谢朓含蓄风格的极致体现。

Allusions

The title comes from a yuefu old theme. 'Jade Steps' alludes to Ban Jieyu's 'Lament of a Discarded Concubine' and her 'Song of Resentment', symbolizing estrangement from imperial favor. Xie Tiao follows the tradition of expressing resentment without stating it directly. The 'silk robe' echoes the ancient poem 'Wearing silk garments, she plays a clear tune by the window', using sewing to convey longing. The allusions are seamlessly integrated.

「玉阶」一象，源出宫中玉石台阶，汉代宫殿多砌玉阶，故「玉阶」「玉墀」常代指宫廷与帝王，班婕妤《自悼赋》有「华殿尘兮玉阶苔」之句，即以玉阶生苔写失宠后的冷落，此「玉阶」之意象传统，谢朓正承其脉。「珠帘」亦为宫中景物，写黄昏下帘，暗含闭门独处、与外界隔绝之意。「流萤」为夏秋之夜常见的飞虫，其光忽明忽灭、其行时飞时止，古人多以之写秋夜之寂寥，杜甫《倦夜》「暗飞萤自照」即其例，谢朓「流萤飞复息」则以流萤的微光与动静，衬长夜之深静。「缝罗衣」这一意象，可上溯至《诗经》——「缝衣」与「思远人」的结合，是古代思妇诗的常见母题，如《诗经·卫风·氓》「抱布贸丝」、汉乐府中缝衣寄远之作；谢朓以宫人缝衣写思君，正是这一母题在宫怨题材中的变奏。至于「思君此何极」的设问，承《诗经》「如之何勿思」的句式传统，以问句收束，情思无尽。学界对此诗的评价，多引司空图「不著一字，尽得风流」之语，谓其全篇无一「怨」字，而幽怨自见，此正是谢朓宫怨诗高出同侪之处。

Commentary

Yan Yu in his Canglang Poetry Talks said Xie Tiao's poems 'already have entire pieces resembling Tang poets', and this poem is an example. Hu Yinglin praised 'Xie Tiao's 'long night sewing silk robe' as deeply capturing the spirit of the 'Airs of the States'. Li Bai's poem on the same theme was clearly influenced. Wang Fuzhi commented: 'In twenty words, there is the power of ten thousand miles.'

谢朓此诗在宫怨诗史上地位极高，历代评家多所称赏。唐代李白即有《玉阶怨》一首（「玉阶生白露，夜久侵罗袜。却下水晶帘，玲珑望秋月」），专拟谢朓此题，且青出于蓝，成为唐代宫怨诗的名篇，足见谢朓此题在后世的影响。宋人论诗，多推谢朓诗之「清丽」，此诗正是其「清丽含蓄」风格的代表。明人胡应麟《诗薮》论五言绝句源流，谓谢朓诸作已开唐绝先声。清人王夫之《古诗评选》评谢朓诗，谓其「疏宕而含情不尽」，此诗正可当之。历代古诗选本如《古诗源》《古诗笺》等多收录此诗。从接受史看，此诗的意义在于：其一，它确立了「玉阶怨」这一题目的宫怨基调，李白等唐人皆循此脉而作；其二，其「以景写情、以动衬静」的含蓄笔法，上承《诗经》比兴、下启唐诗宫怨，是「不著一字，尽得风流」这一美学理想的早期典范；其三，其「流萤」意象，更为后世杜牧《秋夕》「轻罗小扇扑流萤」等名句所化用，影响绵延不绝。

Prosody

Form Five-character quatrain (Southern Dynasties yuefu old theme 'Jade Steps Lament')五言古诗（乐府旧题《玉阶怨》）

Rhyme Level and oblique tones in Middle Chinese rhyme groups (xi and ji both in entering tone, rhyme category 'zhi'). It is a classical-style quatrain, not regulated verse.古体用韵，二、四句押入声职韵（「息」「极」），首句「帘」、三句「衣」不入韵

Tone pattern Classical quatrain, no strict tonal pattern古体五言，不循近体平仄，声调自然流转，末句以入声「极」字收束，顿挫而有余味。

Reading note A famous palace resentment poem from the Southern Dynasties. In twenty characters, it is endlessly suggestive, paving the way for Tang dynasty quatrains on palace themes.此诗为五言古诗，属乐府旧题，不受近体格律束缚。用韵上，四句之中，二、四句「息」「极」押入声职韵，首句「帘」为平声盐韵、三句「衣」为平声微韵，皆不入韵，形成「平起仄收、隔句入声相叶」的古体用韵法。入声韵短促而顿挫，读来如泣如诉，正与宫人幽怨压抑、欲言又止的情感声情相合——末句「思君此何极」以入声「极」字收束，声短而情长，恰似一声压抑的叹息，余音在喉。声调上，此诗不设平仄之律，纯以自然流转，然「夕殿下珠帘」的平稳、「流萤飞复息」的起伏、「长夜缝罗衣」的舒缓、「思君此何极」的沉抑，四句声情各异而气脉连贯，读来如闻宫人的低语，怨而不怒、哀而不伤。谢朓是「永明体」的倡导者，讲究「四声八病」，此诗虽为古体，然其声韵的调配，已暗含声律之美的追求，正是「永明体」由古体向近体过渡时期的典型风貌，为后世五绝的声律奠定了基础。

Line by line

夕殿下珠帘

At dusk the palace lets down pearl screens. This sets the time and place, beginning the scene of the long night.

傍晚宫殿垂下珠帘

At dusk in the palace, the pearl curtain is let down.

「夕殿」二字，点出时间（黄昏）与空间（深宫），一个「殿」字，暗示这是帝王之居、禁地深严。「下珠帘」是一个极富暗示性的动作：珠帘既下，意味着白日已尽、宫门将闭，也意味着宫人与外界的隔绝，以及她那无人问津的处境的开始。这五个字无一「怨」字，却句句是怨——深宫之中，日复一日，黄昏下帘，等待她的又是一个寂寞的长夜。谢朓以最平淡的动作，写出最深沉的寂寞，起句之含蓄，已为全诗定下了「怨而不怒」的基调，也为下文的「流萤」「缝衣」铺设了背景。

The curtain. At dusk in the palace, the pearl curtain is let down. The dusk-palace-pearl-curtain-down is the opening. To have let down the curtain would be a letting-down; the at-dusk-in-the-palace-the-pearl-curtain-is-let-down is the letting-down.

流萤飞复息

Fireflies flit, then stop and start. The motion of the fireflies contrasts with the stillness of the night, emphasizing its quiet length.

流萤飞起又停息

The wandering fireflies fly and rest again.

此句以「流萤」的动，衬长夜的静，是全诗写景的妙笔。「流萤」在夜色中飞起又停息，忽明忽暗、时飞时止，这微弱的、闪烁的光点，是深宫里唯一的活物，也是宫人唯一的伴侣。「飞复息」三字，写尽了流萤的起落无定，也暗示了时间的漫长——唯有盯着这流萤的飞与息，宫人才数得清长夜的每一寸。此句不写人，而人自见：那痴望着流萤、一夜无眠的失宠宫人，宛在目前。谢朓以「飞复息」的动，反衬夜的死寂，以流萤的微光，反衬宫人的孤影，正是「以动写静、以有衬无」的高妙手法。

The fireflies. The wandering fireflies fly and rest again. The wandering-fireflies-fly-rest-again is the scene. To have flown and rested would be a flying; the the-wandering-fireflies-fly-and-rest-again is the flying.

长夜缝罗衣

In the long night she sews a silk robe. This action conveys her longing and distraction, subtly revealing her inner state.

长夜独自缝制罗衣

Through the long night she sews a gauze robe.

此句由写景转入写人，写宫人在漫漫长夜中的动作——缝制罗衣。「长夜」二字，既写夜之漫长，又写等待之无期；「缝罗衣」则是一个重复、单调、无休无止的动作，它既是消磨长夜的方式，也是思念的寄托。缝衣本是为所爱之人，然这深宫之中，缝好的罗衣又寄与谁？「缝」字下得极妙，它把抽象的思念，化为具体的一针一线——针针线线，缝的是衣，更是那剪不断、理还乱的相思。此句承上文的「流萤」之景，落到人的动作上，由静入动，然这「动」（缝衣）却是更深一层的「静」（寂寞），愈见其哀。

The sewing. Through the long night she sews a gauze robe. The long-night-sews-gauze-robe is the action. To have sewn the robe would be a sewing; the through-the-long-night-she-sews-a-gauze-robe is the sewing.

思君此何极

Thinking of you—when will it end? The phrase 'when will it end' expresses infinite longing, ending the poem with lingering sorrow.

思念君王何时是极

Longing for you—when will it ever end?

末句点出主旨，以设问收束全篇。「思君」二字，直揭前文一切景物、动作的根源——珠帘、流萤、缝衣，都因「思君」而起；「此何极」三字，则以问句写出思念的无尽无休：这思念，何时才是尽头？此句是全诗唯一直接言情之处，却仍以「何极」的疑问出之，含蓄而不直露。「何极」二字，既是对思念无休的慨叹，又暗含一种无望的悲凉——君恩已断，这思念注定没有尽头。全诗二十字，至此收束，前文的含蓄铺垫，都在这最后的设问中倾泻而出，然又「问而不答」，言有尽而意无穷，正是谢朓「含蓄隽永」风格的极致。

The longing. Longing for you—when will it ever end? The longing-for-you-when-ever-end is the close. To have longed for you would be a longing; the longing-for-you-when-will-it-ever-end is the longing.

Study

Word focus

复 In 'fly and stop again', this word shows the repeated flickering of fireflies, accentuating the sleepless night. 「复」字用在「流萤飞复息」，是全句写景的枢纽。「飞复息」是飞起又停息，「复」字写出了流萤一飞一停、起起落落的反复状态——不是一次性的飞起，而是飞了又停、停了又飞的循环往复。这个「复」字，至少有三层妙用：其一，实写流萤的习性，萤火虫飞行确是一明一灭、时飞时止；其二，以「飞复息」的反复，暗示时间的漫长——正因为夜太长、人无眠，才会注意到流萤这飞了又停、停了又飞的细节；其三，「复」字的回环往复，与下文「长夜缝罗衣」的「一针一线、反复缝制」相呼应，共同写出一种无休无止的寂寞。一字之微，写尽了长夜的难捱与宫人的无聊。

缝 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「缝」字用在「长夜缝罗衣」，是全诗写人的核心动词。缝衣是一个具体的、重复的、需要耐心与时间的动作，谢朓以「缝」字写宫人的长夜，妙处有三：其一，以「缝」写「思」——一针一线地缝，正是一点一滴地思，缝衣的单调与思念的绵长，在「缝」字中合而为一；其二，以「缝」写「等待」——缝衣是等待者的典型姿态，古代思妇多借缝衣打发等待的时光，一个「缝」字，便带出了「思妇」的传统；其三，「缝」字暗含无望——罗衣缝成，又寄与谁？这缝衣的动作越专注，越反衬出君恩已断、无人可寄的悲凉。一字而兼写「动作」「思念」「等待」「无望」数层意蕴，正是谢朓炼字的功力。

极 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「极」字用在「思君此何极」，是末句设问的落点，也是全诗情感的顶点。「极」有尽头、顶点之意，「此何极」意谓这思念何时才是尽头。「极」字本身暗含一种张力——思念本是无形的，谢朓却以「极」字给它划出一个追问的边界，问它何时到「极」、何时能止。这追问是绝望的：因为答案不言自明——这思念没有「极」，君恩一去，长夜无尽，思念便也无穷。以「极」字收束全诗，既呼应了前文「长夜」的无尽，又点破了宫怨的宿命——那是一种没有尽头、没有出路的等待。一字收束，力重千钧，使全诗的含蓄在此处化为一声沉痛的叹息。

玉阶怨