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南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 诗 Poem

玉树后庭花

Jade Tree and the Flower in the Back Court

陈叔宝

Chen Shubao

咏物Object poem 感怀memory

丽宇芳林对高阁，新妆艳质本倾城。
映户凝娇乍不进，出帷含态笑相迎。
妖姬脸似花含露，玉树流光照后庭。

Fair pavilions and fragrant groves face the high tower; new rouge and stunning beauty were born to ruin cities.
By the door she gathers her charm, halting, loath to advance; from the curtain she steps forth, all grace, smiling to welcome.
The enchanting beauty's face like a flower with dew; the jade tree's flowing light illumines the back court.

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Meaning

Splendid halls and fragrant gardens face the lofty tower; the beauty in her new makeup was born to overturn cities. By the door she gathers her charm, hesitating, loath to come near; from the curtain she steps out, full of grace, smiling to welcome. The enchanting concubine's face is like a flower bearing dew; the jade tree's flowing light shines upon the back court.

华丽的屋宇、芬芳的园林对着高耸的楼阁，新妆艳质的佳人本就倾国倾城。映着门户、凝聚娇羞、迟迟不肯近前，出了帷帐、含情带态、含笑相迎。妖冶的姬妾脸庞似带露的花朵，玉树流光映照着后庭。

Appreciation

This poem writes of beauties alone, its composition like a fine-brush courtesan painting. The first line 'Fair pavilions and fragrant groves face the high tower' sets the gorgeous setting; the next 'new rouge and stunning beauty were born to ruin cities' sums the loveliness. The middle couplet 'By the door she gathers her charm, halting, loath to advance; from the curtain she steps forth, all grace, smiling to welcome' writes the beauty's coquetry in living detail—the shyness of 'halt, loath to advance' and the allure of 'smiling to welcome', form and spirit both caught; the last couplet 'The enchanting beauty's face like a flower with dew' likens face to flower, and 'the jade tree's flowing light illumines the back court' puns the 'jade tree' with the tune's name and the beauty's bearing, closing in perfume and splendour. Every line sets colour, every word is lush—a typical 'over-delicate' palace-style poem, and the extreme of Chen Shubao's 'ornate' manner.

【白话串讲】陈后主写《玉树后庭花》：“妖姬脸似花含露，玉树流光照后庭”。他沉迷歌舞，很快亡了国。从此“后庭花”成了亡国之音的代名词。【意象与手法】此诗纯写美人，章法如工笔仕女图。首句「丽宇芳林对高阁」布设华丽环境；次句「新妆艳质本倾城」总写姿色；中二联「映户凝娇乍不进，出帷含态笑相迎」以动态细节写美人之娇态——「乍不进」的含羞与「笑相迎」的媚态，形神兼备；末联「脸似花含露」以花喻面，「玉树流光照后庭」以「玉树」双关曲名与美人风姿，光照后庭，收束香艳。全诗句句设色、字字秾丽，是宫体诗「伤于轻艳」的典型。【情感与主旨】陈叔宝（553—604），即陈后主，南朝陈末代皇帝，荒于酒色声乐，怠政亡国。《玉树后庭花》为其自制的新声乐曲，约作于祯明初年，与宠妃张丽华等游宴后庭时所制。此诗极写宫中美人姿容，绮靡香艳。隋开皇九年（589）隋军破建康，陈亡，此曲遂被后人目为「亡国之音」。【名句点睛】中高考常将其作为「亡国之音」的文化符号考查。命题方向：①「玉树」一词的双关之妙（曲名与美人）；②「花含露」的以花喻人；③「乍不进」「笑相迎」的细节描写；④宫体诗「轻艳」风格与亡国之音的历史联想。

Background

Chen Shubao (553–604), known as the Last Ruler of Chen, the final emperor of the Chen dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, was given to wine, women and music and neglected rule until his state fell. 'Jade Tree and the Flower in the Back Court' is a new tune he composed himself (a Music Bureau piece), written about the Zhengming early years, when he roamed and feasted in the back court with his favourite concubine Zhang Lihua. The poem dwells on the beauty of the palace women, lush and seductive. In the ninth year of Kaihuang (589) the Sui army took Jiankang and Chen fell; this tune was afterwards seen as the 'sound of a fallen state'. Tang Du Mu's 'The singing girls know not the grief of a lost realm, still singing across the river the Back-Court Flower' refers exactly to this, making it a cultural sign of warning against luxury and ruin.

陈叔宝（553—604），字元秀，吴兴长城人，南朝陈末代皇帝，即陈后主。他即位后荒于酒色，不理朝政，大兴土木，广造宫室，与宠妃张丽华、孔贵嫔及狎客文人游宴后庭，纵情声色。《玉树后庭花》为其自制的新声乐曲（教坊曲），约作于祯明初年（587年前后），据《陈书·张贵妃传》载，后主于光照殿前起临春、结绮、望仙三阁，与诸妃游宴，选宫女千余习歌，此曲即其自制的艳曲之一，多写美人姿容，绮靡香艳。隋开皇九年（589）正月，隋军攻破建康，陈后主与张丽华藏匿于枯井中（胭脂井）被俘，陈亡。此曲遂被后人目为「亡国之音」，唐代杜牧《泊秦淮》「商女不知亡国恨，隔江犹唱后庭花」即本此，使《玉树后庭花》成为历代戒奢亡国的文化符号。此诗正是研究宫体诗与六朝亡国之鉴的重要文本。又陈后主宠妃张丽华，发长七尺，光可鉴人，后主于临春阁与之共听政事，以至「宦官近习，内外连结」，朝政日非，此诗虽只写美人姿容，然其背景正是这种「君荒于上、臣乱于下」的末世气象，读此诗而想见其时事，方知「亡国之音」非徒虚语；又陈亡后此曲传入隋唐，遂成为历代咏史讽喻的常用母题，其影响由宫闱而及庙堂，由南朝而及后世。

Art

This poem writes of beauties alone, its composition like a fine-brush courtesan painting. The first line 'Fair pavilions and fragrant groves face the high tower' sets the gorgeous setting; the next 'new rouge and stunning beauty were born to ruin cities' sums the loveliness; the middle couplet 'By the door she gathers her charm, halting, loath to advance; from the curtain she steps forth, all grace, smiling to welcome' writes the beauty's coquetry in living detail—the shyness of 'halt, loath to advance' and the allure of 'smiling to welcome', form and spirit both caught; the last couplet 'The enchanting beauty's face like a flower with dew' likens face to flower, and 'the jade tree's flowing light illumines the back court' puns the 'jade tree' with the tune's name and the beauty's bearing, closing in perfume and splendour. Every line sets colour, every word is lush—a typical 'over-delicate' palace-style poem, and the extreme of Chen Shubao's 'ornate' manner.

此诗纯写美人，章法如一幅工笔仕女图，层层展开。首句「丽宇芳林对高阁」布设环境：华丽的屋宇、芬芳的园林，对着高耸的楼阁，先以环境之华美为美人出场铺排背景；次句「新妆艳质本倾城」总写姿色：新妆艳质，倾国倾城，「本」字写其天生丽质，不假外求。中二联写美人动态：「映户凝娇乍不进」写其映着门户、凝聚娇羞、迟迟不肯近前——「乍不进」写欲进还止的娇态，如惊鸿乍见；「出帷含态笑相迎」写出帷之后、含情带态、含笑相迎——「含态」写神情之饱满蕴藉，一笑之间，媚态毕现。一进一迎，一羞一媚，形神兼备。末联「妖姬脸似花含露，玉树流光照后庭」以花喻面，以「玉树」双关曲名与美人风姿，收束香艳。全诗句句设色、字字秾丽，正合宫体诗「伤于轻艳」的典型风格，是南朝艳情诗的殿军之作。全诗六句，由环境而总貌而动态而特写，如仕女图之层层渲染，句句设色、字字秾丽，而无一字及于国事，恰是「商女不知亡国恨」的文本注脚，其艺术之工与内容之空，正构成宫体诗「美而无骨」的典型特征；然就其写人之工而言，亦可视为六朝以来人物描写技艺的集大成之作，艺术与政治的评价在此形成有趣的张力。

Allusions

'Ruin cities' comes from Li Yannian's song 'In the north there is a beauty, peerless, alone... one glance overturns a city', describing absolute beauty; 'the flower in the back court' means both the tune's name and, by flower, the beauty, a clever pun; 'jade tree' originally names a fairy tree in legend, here both fits the tune 'Jade Tree and the Flower in the Back Court' and figures the beauty's erect, jade-like grace. Though the poem uses few obscure allusions, it is deep in the palace-style 'flower-for-person' tradition; its 'back-court flower' image was later fixed by Du Mu's poem as the sign of 'fallen-state music', lifting the piece beyond the text into a perennial motif of historical satire.

此诗用典不多而深植传统。「倾城」出西汉李延年歌「北方有佳人，绝世而独立。一顾倾人城，再顾倾人国」，以「倾国倾城」写绝代佳人，此处用之，写贵妃（此处为宫中美人之泛指）姿色之绝，典出乐府而自然贴切；「花含露」承《诗经》以来「以花喻人」的传统（《桃夭》「桃之夭夭」），以带露之花写美人容颜之鲜润，花露相映，愈见娇艳；「玉树」本指传说中的仙树，亦为宫体诗常用意象（曹植「玉树扶道生」），此处既切曲名《玉树后庭花》，又喻美人之亭亭如玉树临风，双关巧妙；「后庭」点明游宴之地，亦暗合「后庭花」曲名。「玉树流光照后庭」七字，把曲名、美人、后庭、流光织成一片，是此诗用意的核心。至于「后庭花」意象，后因杜牧《泊秦淮》而定型为「亡国之音」的符号，使此诗超越文本，成为后世咏史讽喻的母题。又「映户凝娇乍不进，出帷含态笑相迎」两句，一进一迎之间，写出美人欲迎还拒、欲拒还迎的娇态，其「乍」「含」二字，写尽动作将发未发、情态将露未露的微妙，正合宫体诗「体物写貌，穷情尽态」之旨，是六朝以来描写女性神态的集大成之笔；「凝娇」之「凝」写娇羞凝于眉目，与「含态」之「含」相映，一凝一含，皆以静态写动态，炼字精到。

Commentary

The Book of Chen records the Last Ruler 'especially prized music, sending palace women to learn songs', composing 'Jade Tree and the Flower in the Back Court' himself. Wei Zheng's commentary on the Chen emperor's annals in the Book of Chen reproves him 'addicted to excess, the long night's drink... making the Jade Tree and the Flower in the Back Court'. Tang Du Mu's 'still singing across the river the Back-Court Flower' made it the sign of a fallen state. Song Sima Guang's Comprehensive Mirror also records his licentiousness. Shen Deqian's Source of Ancient Poetry records it yet remarks 'extreme in beauty; the sound of a fallen state is sad in its thought'. Modern talk of palace-style mostly takes Chen Shubao as its last flower, saying his poetry 'is ornate yet formed, but its bone is spent'.

《玉树后庭花》历来作为「亡国之音」的典型而被评说。《陈书·后主本纪》载后主「躭荒为长夜之饮……奏伎纵酒」，魏徵在《陈书·后主本纪论》中斥其「作《玉树后庭花》」，以为亡国之征；唐杜牧《泊秦淮》「隔江犹唱后庭花」使其成为亡国符号，历经千载而不衰；宋司马光《资治通鉴》亦载后主之荒淫，视其为鉴戒。清代沈德潜《古诗源》录此诗而评「艳丽极矣，亡国之音哀以思」，既赏其辞之艳，又叹其音之哀，一针见血。近人论宫体诗，多以陈后主为殿军，谓其诗「绮而有致，然气骨已尽」，正指出宫体诗美则美矣、而内容空虚、气格卑弱的通病。此诗的价值，一在文学史：是宫体艳情诗的典型标本；二在政治史：是亡国之君以声色误国的绝好注脚，杜牧以后，「后庭花」三字已成为中国文学中警示奢靡亡国的经典意象。又唐代以降，「后庭花」屡入诗咏，除杜牧外，李商隐「地下若逢陈后主，岂宜重问后庭花」、王安石「至今商女，时时犹唱，后庭遗曲」皆沿此意象，可见《玉树后庭花》作为亡国符号的深远影响；要之，此诗作为宫体诗的殿军之作与「亡国之音」的始作俑者，在文学史与政治史上皆有标本意义，是理解南朝绮靡文风与六朝兴亡之鉴的绝佳文本。

Prosody

Form Seven-character ancient poem (Southern-Dynasty palace-style yuefu / new tune)七言古诗（南朝宫体新声）

Rhyme Level-tone geng-qing rhyme (tower / cities / welcome / court, ancient mixed rhyme)平声庚青韵：阁、城、迎、庭，古体通押，一韵到底。

Tone pattern Ancient form, yet the antithesis is fine, near regulated七言古诗，然对仗工丽近律：首联「丽宇芳林对高阁，新妆艳质本倾城」、颔联「映户凝娇乍不进，出帷含态笑相迎」、末联「妖姬脸似花含露，玉树流光照后庭」皆骈偶相对，平仄虽不严，而音节流丽。

Reading note Chen Shubao's own tune-text, a palace-style representative, later the sign of 'fallen-state music'《玉树后庭花》为陈后主自制的新声乐曲，属南朝宫体诗一系，其体制与近体诗不同：不讲求严格的平仄格律，而以七言句式、骈偶对仗、秾丽辞藻出之，音节流丽，宜于歌唱，正合「新声」乐曲的本色。全诗六句，押平声庚青韵，阁、城、迎、庭四字一韵到底，韵脚皆响亮绵长，读来流丽华美，恰合宫中游宴、咏美颂艳的内容。三组对仗皆工：首联以环境对美人（丽宇芳林对新妆艳质），颔联以动态对动态（映户凝娇对出帷含态），末联以花喻人对玉树流光，对偶精工而辞采秾丽，具宫体诗「绮错婉媚」之貌。此诗的格律价值不在合律，而在其作为「新声」乐曲的代表，展示了南朝末年宫廷音乐与诗歌结合的风尚：词为曲设，曲因词传，正因曲辞香艳动人，才使《玉树后庭花》传唱不衰，终成亡国之音的文化符号，杜牧「隔江犹唱后庭花」即本此，可见此曲在音乐史上的深远影响。

Line by line

丽宇芳林对高阁，新妆艳质本倾城。

Fair halls and fragrant woods face the high pavilions; newly adorned, her beauty was born to overthrow a city.

华丽的屋宇、芬芳的园林对着高耸的楼阁，新妆艳质的佳人本就倾国倾城。

Fair buildings and fragrant groves face the high pavilions; newly adorned, her beauty was born to overthrow a city.

首联布设环境、总写美人，是全诗的开篇。「丽宇芳林对高阁」写屋宇华丽、园林芬芳，对着高耸的楼阁——「丽」「芳」「高」三字铺陈环境的华美，临春、结绮、望仙三阁的皇家气象宛然在目，先以环境之盛为美人出场营造氛围；「新妆艳质本倾城」由景及人：新妆艳质的佳人，本就倾国倾城——「新妆」写妆饰之新妍，「艳质」写姿质之绝艳，「本」字写其天生丽质、不假雕饰，一个「本」字已暗含「丽质天成」的矜贵。两句一境一人，环境愈华美，愈衬出美人之尊贵；美人愈绝艳，愈见出君王游宴之奢靡，起笔已为「亡国之音」埋下伏笔。

The beauty. Fair halls and fragrant woods face the high pavilions; newly adorned, her beauty was born to overthrow a city. The fair-halls-fragrant-woods and the newly-adorned-beauty-born-overthrow-city are the opening. To have been born to overthrow a city would be a being; the fair-halls-and-fragrant-woods-face-the-high-pavilions-newly-adorned-her-beauty-was-born-to-overthrow-a-city is the being.

映户凝娇乍不进，出帷含态笑相迎。

She lingers by the door, coy and slow to enter; then from behind the curtain she comes, smiling to greet him.

映着门户、凝聚娇羞、迟迟不肯近前，出了帷帐、含情带态、含笑相迎。

Glimmering by the door, coyly she delays her entrance; from the curtain she emerges, all grace, smiling to meet him.

中二联以动态细节写美人，是全诗最见工力处。「映户凝娇乍不进」写美人映着门户，凝聚娇羞，迟迟不肯近前——「凝娇」写娇羞凝结于眉目之间，「乍不进」写欲进还止、欲语还休的娇态，如惊鸿乍见、将飞未飞，把少女（或宫姬）初见君王的矜持与娇怯写得惟妙惟肖；「出帷含态笑相迎」写出帷之后，含情带态，含笑相迎——「含态」写神情之饱满蕴藉，千娇百媚尽在其中，「笑相迎」与「乍不进」对照，一退一进、一羞一媚，写出美人从矜持到亲近的动态过程，如电影镜头般生动。两句以动作写神态，形神兼备，是宫体诗「体物写貌」的典范，也可见陈后主描摹女色的功力。

The entrance. She lingers by the door, coy and slow to enter; then from behind the curtain she comes, smiling to greet him. The lingering-door-coy-slow and the from-curtain-smiling-greeting are the movement. To have lingered by the door would be a lingering; the she-lingers-by-the-door-coy-and-slow-to-enter-then-from-behind-the-curtain-she-comes-smiling-to-greet-him is the lingering.

妖姬脸似花含露，玉树流光照后庭。

The bewitching concubine's face is a flower holding dew; the jade tree streams light upon the inner court.

妖冶的姬妾脸庞似带露的花朵，玉树流光映照着后庭。

The enchanting concubine's face is a flower holding dew; the jade tree streams light over the inner court.

末联以花喻人、双关收束，是全诗的警策。「妖姬脸似花含露」写美人脸庞如带露的花朵——「花含露」三字以花之鲜润喻面之娇艳，露珠欲滴、花朵初绽，正写美人容颜之水灵鲜活，是「以花喻人」的妙笔；「玉树流光照后庭」以「玉树」双关：既指曲名《玉树后庭花》，又喻美人之亭亭如玉树，「流光」写玉树（美人）之光彩流动，映照后庭——曲名、美人、后庭、流光四者交织，把游宴之欢写到极致。此联以秾丽之笔写极乐之境，然乐极悲生：后庭之乐愈盛，亡国之祸愈近，「后庭花」三字已暗藏日后「亡国之音」的宿命，是全诗最富历史反讽的一笔。

The jade tree. The bewitching concubine's face is a flower holding dew; the jade tree streams light upon the inner court. The face-flower-holding-dew and the jade-tree-streams-light-inner-court are the close. To have streamed light would be a streaming; the the-bewitching-concubine's-face-is-a-flower-holding-dew-the-jade-tree-streams-light-upon-the-inner-court is the streaming.

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Word focus

乍不进 The word 'halt' writes the shy, lingering hesitation—the coquettish air visible. 「映户凝娇乍不进」之「乍」，意为忽然、刚刚，是全诗写美人娇态最传神的一字。「乍不进」写美人欲进又止、忽然停步的瞬间：映着门户，凝聚娇羞，仿佛正要举步，却又倏然停住——「乍」字捕捉的是动作将发未发、欲行又止的刹那，把少女初见君王时又矜持又好奇、又想近前又不敢近前的微妙心理写得活灵活现。此字以虚写实：不写她如何娇羞，只写她「乍不进」的一顿，那凝在门槛边的身影、那迟疑的脚步，胜过千言万语。若易作「久不进」则失其灵动，唯「乍」字写刹那之态，如惊鸿一瞥，正是宫体诗「体物入微」的典型笔法，也是此诗写美人最见功力的地方。

含态 'All grace' holds a full, reserved feeling, exhausting the alluring manner. 「出帷含态笑相迎」之「含态」，意为蕴含情态、神采内含，是全诗写美人媚态的精髓。「含」字写情态如含苞待放，蕴而不露、满而不溢——不写她如何美，只写她「含态」，那盈盈一笑之间，万千情态尽在其中，仿佛有说不尽的风情含于眉目；「态」字写神情姿态之媚，与「凝娇」的「娇」相对：娇写其羞，态写其媚，一羞一媚，层次分明。两字连用，写出美人含笑相迎时那种似露非露、欲说还休的风韵，比直写「美貌」「妖媚」高明得多，正是「不著一字，尽得风流」的写法。此词亦是宫体诗写女性的惯用笔法，然陈后主用得尤为圆熟，可见其描摹女色手段之精。

玉树 'Jade tree' puns the tune's name with the beauty's bearing, illumining the back court. 「玉树流光照后庭」之「玉树」，是全诗双关的核心意象，一字而兼三层意蕴。其一，玉树为传说中的仙树，喻美人之亭亭玉立、光洁如琢，写其风姿之高贵；其二，玉树即曲名《玉树后庭花》，以树名点曲名，谓此诗此曲正咏此美人；其三，「玉树」暗喻陈氏王朝的繁华，玉树流光，正写陈朝歌舞升平的极盛之象，然盛极必衰，后庭之乐终成亡国之音，玉树流光之日，即王朝倾覆之始。三层意蕴层层叠加，使「玉树」二字由单纯的喻体升华为兼具写人、点题、寓讽的多重意象，是此诗用意的核心，也是理解「后庭花」何以成为亡国符号的关键。