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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

南歌子·山中夜坐

Song of the Southern Country - Sitting at Night in the Hills

辛弃疾

Xin Qiji

夜坐Night Sitting 感慨Reflection

世事从头减，秋怀彻底清。
夜深犹道枕边声，试问清溪底事不能平。
月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣。
是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行。

Worldly affairs diminish from the start; my autumn heart is wholly clear.
Deep in the night I still hear the sound at my pillow - I ask the clear stream why it cannot be still.
The moon whitens at the edge of sorrow; the cock crows first in the distance.
Here there is neither profit nor fame - why then, before dawn, are there people on the mountain path?

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Meaning

Sitting up at night in the hills, the poet says he has let worldly cares fall away and his heart is clear as autumn. He questions a restless stream, watches the moon whiten with sorrow, and wonders why, in a place without gain or fame, anyone walks the path before dawn. The lyric is a quiet, detached musing.

世事从头减，秋怀彻底清。夜深犹道枕边声，试问清溪底事不能平。月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣。是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Worldly things lessen; the autumn heart clears; late he hears the pillow sound and asks the stream why unstill; the moon whitens at sorrow's edge, a cock crows afar; here no gain or fame - why, before dawn, people on the path? [Structure] Upper part the clear night heart; lower part the seen and the wondering question. [Imagery] The parallel 'worldly affairs / autumn heart' opens detached; the personified stream and the 'moon whitens at sorrow's edge' fuse feeling with scene; the final 'why' is a pointed, almost Zen, query on ambition.

【白话串讲】辛弃疾写《南歌子·山中夜坐》：“世事从头减，秋怀彻底清”——“夜深犹道枕边声，试问清溪底事不能平”——“月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣”——“是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行”——他山中夜坐——试问清溪底事不能平。【意象与手法】此词写夜坐，以感慨写夜坐，是辛弃疾的名篇。上片写清夜：「世事从头减，秋怀彻底清。夜深犹道枕边声，试问清溪底事不能平」写世事从头减、秋怀彻底清——写尽清夜的怀抱；下片写月鸡：「月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣。是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行」写月到愁边白、鸡先远处鸣——写尽夜坐的所见。全词以感慨写夜坐，写尽清夜的怀抱与夜坐的所见，是辛弃疾的代表作。【情感与主旨】此词写夜坐，以感慨写夜坐，是辛弃疾的名篇。此词写辛弃疾山中夜坐之作。此词写世事从头减（对世事已渐看淡），秋怀彻底清（秋日心怀彻底澄清）；夜深犹听枕边声，试问清溪何事不能平静；月到愁边而白，鸡先远处而鸣；此山之中本无利无名，为何山前未晓已有人行。此词写清夜：世事从头减，秋怀彻底清——写世事从头减、秋怀彻底清，写尽清夜的怀抱；夜深犹道枕边声，试问清溪底事不能平——写夜深犹道枕边声、试问清溪底事不能平，写尽清溪的问语；月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣——写月到愁边白、鸡先远处鸣，写尽夜坐的所见；是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行——写是中无有利和名、因甚山前未晓有人行，写尽未晓的行人。全词以感慨写夜坐——那「秋怀彻底清」写尽清夜的怀抱，「因甚山前未晓有人行」写尽夜坐的所见，写尽清夜的怀抱与夜坐的所见，是理解辛弃疾夜坐词的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「世事从头减，秋怀彻底清」写清夜的怀抱；「是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行」写夜坐的所见；以及全词以感慨写夜坐、以问语写幽思的手法。

Background

Xin Qiji (1140-1207), the Southern Song Hao-fang master. This is a night-sitting piece from his hill retreat. Having let go of office and fame, he sits awake: affairs lessen, the autumn heart clears; he hears the stream and asks it why unstill, sees the moon whiten with sorrow, a distant cock, and wonders at people abroad before dawn where there is no profit. The poem shows his later, 'write as prose' (yi wen wei ci) manner - plain speech, sudden questions, a detached, above-the-world air.

此词写夜坐，以感慨写夜坐，是辛弃疾的名篇。辛弃疾（1140—1207），字幼安，号稼轩，历城（今山东济南）人，南宋词人，与苏轼并称「苏辛」，为豪放词代表。此词写辛弃疾山中夜坐之作。此词写世事从头减（对世事已渐看淡），秋怀彻底清（秋日心怀彻底澄清）；夜深犹听枕边声，试问清溪何事不能平静；月到愁边而白，鸡先远处而鸣；此山之中本无利无名，为何山前未晓已有人行。此词写清夜：「世事从头减，秋怀彻底清」写世事从头减、秋怀彻底清——写尽清夜的怀抱（世事从头减，秋怀彻底清）；「夜深犹道枕边声，试问清溪底事不能平」写夜深犹道枕边声、试问清溪底事不能平——写尽清溪的问语（夜深犹道枕边声，试问清溪底事不能平）；「月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣」写月到愁边白、鸡先远处鸣——写尽夜坐的所见（月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣）；「是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行」写是中无有利和名、因甚山前未晓有人行——写尽未晓的行人（是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行）。全词以感慨写夜坐，写尽清夜的怀抱与夜坐的所见，是理解辛弃疾夜坐词的重要篇章。

Art

The art has four moves. First, parallel for a clear heart: 'worldly affairs diminish / autumn heart wholly clear' sets detachment in balanced lines. Second, question for quiet thought: 'I ask the clear stream why it cannot be still' personifies the brook. Third, plain sketch for moon and cock: 'moon whitens at sorrow's edge; cock crows first afar' paints the seen night. Fourth, rhetorical close for depth: 'why, before dawn, people on the path' queries ambition. Upper the heart, lower the seen - feeling into scene, the 'ask to think' night-sitting form. Fine touches: 'still hear' (you dao) marks long sitting; 'I ask the stream' is a humanized query on restlessness. The result is detachment voicing a soft reproach of the busy world.

此词的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以对仗写清怀。「世事从头减，秋怀彻底清」以对仗写清怀——那「从头减」「彻底清」写尽世事的看淡，以对仗写尽清夜的怀抱。其二，以问语写幽思。「试问清溪底事不能平」以问语写幽思——那「底事不能平」写尽清溪的问语，以问语写尽夜坐的幽思。其三，以白描写月鸡。「月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣」以白描写月鸡——那「月到愁边」「鸡先远处」写尽月白的鸡鸣，以白描写尽夜坐的所见。其四，以设问写深意。「因甚山前未晓有人行」以设问写深意——那「因甚」写尽未晓的设问，以设问写尽夜坐的深意。此外，此词上片写清夜的怀抱，下片写夜坐的所见，由情及景，正是夜坐词「以问写思」的写法。四重手法，使此词以感慨写夜坐，写尽清夜的怀抱与夜坐的所见，是辛弃疾的代表作。此词还善于以「夜深犹道枕边声」的「犹道」写夜半之听——那「夜深犹道」写尽夜深犹听，正是以「犹」字写久坐，以「犹道」写尽夜坐的所见。又善以「试问清溪底事不能平」的拟人问溪——那「试问清溪」写尽对溪的发问，正是以拟人写幽思，以「试问」写尽夜坐的深意。

Allusions

The language rests on night-sitting and reflection. 'Worldly affairs' echoes 'worldly affairs clear, all is learning'; 'autumn heart' the autumn-musing topos; 'wholly clear' the 'ice heart in a jade vase' clarity; 'clear stream' Wang Wei's 'clear stream unfathomed'; 'moon whitens at sorrow's edge' Li Bai's 'three thousand white hairs for sorrow'; 'before dawn' Wen Tingyun's 'cock sound, thatched inn, moon.' The lyric blends these into a 'write-as-prose,' question-loving, night-musing detachment - above the world.

此词的用语深植于夜坐与感慨传统。「世事从头减」令人想到「世事」写世事的意象——也令人想到「世事洞明皆学问」的意象；「秋怀」令人想到「秋怀」写秋日心怀的意象——也令人想到「秋兴」的意象；「彻底清」令人想到「彻底清」写澄澈的意象——也令人想到「一片冰心在玉壶」的意象；「清溪」令人想到「清溪」写清溪的意象——也令人想到「清溪深不测」（王维）的意象；「愁边白」令人想到「愁边白」写愁白的意象——也令人想到「白发三千丈，缘愁似个长」（李白）的意象；「未晓」令人想到「未晓」写天未晓的意象——也令人想到「鸡声茅店月」（温庭筠）的意象。全词化用世事从头减、秋怀、彻底清、清溪、愁边白、未晓的意象，以感慨写夜坐，正是辛弃疾「以文为词」而善设问、承夜坐传统写幽思之本领。「清溪」令人想到「清溪」写清溪的意象——也令人想到王维《青溪》「言入黄花川，每逐青溪水」的意象；「愁边白」令人想到「愁边白」写愁白的意象——也令人想到「愁多知夜长」的意象，以愁边白写月白愁深。

Commentary

Long a Xin Qiji night-sitting classic and a Song model of hill night-thought, it drew the Qing note 'night-sitting in reflection, above the world,' and modern praise for the 'why people on the path' close. Its worth is a short tune holding the clear heart and the night seen - affairs, autumn heart, the stream question, the sorrow-edge moon, the cock, the dawn walkers. Set beside his 'Moon on the Xijiang' (summer night) and Wang Wei's 'Bamboo Lodge' (night sit), it shows the Chinese night-sitting line. For today it opens his night lyrics and the classic of detached sitting - the dawn walkers still prompt the question.

此词历来被推为辛弃疾夜坐词的名篇，也是宋词写山中夜坐的代表。历代论者对此词评价极高：清人评此词「以感慨写夜坐，超然物外」；近人更指出「是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行」写夜坐的所见，是此词的名句。在词史上，此词的特殊价值在于：它以六十二字的词写尽清夜的怀抱与夜坐的所见——那世事，那从头减，那秋怀，那彻底清，那夜深，那犹道枕边声，那试问，那清溪，那底事不能平，那月到，那愁边白，那鸡先，那远处鸣，那是中，那无有利和名，那因甚，那山前，那未晓，那有人行，都写尽了辛弃疾笔下的山中夜坐；那「因甚山前未晓有人行」更以设问写尽夜坐的深意。此词与辛弃疾《西江月·夜行黄沙道中》（「明月别枝惊鹊」）同为山中夜作名篇，一写「稻花香里说丰年」的夏夜（西江月），一写「秋怀彻底清」的秋夜（南歌子）；又与王维《竹里馆》「深林人不知」的夜坐传统一脉相承，可见中国词写夜坐的传统。对于今日读者，此词是理解辛弃疾夜坐词的窗口，也是宋词写山中夜坐的经典——那未晓的行人，穿越千年，仍在诉说着夜坐的所见。

Prosody

Form Lyric - Song of the Southern Country (Nan Ge Zi)词·南歌子

Rhyme Nan Ge Zi, rhyming qing/ping/ming/xing etc. (level tone), one level rhyme throughout.词牌南歌子，押「清」「平」「鸣」「行」等韵，平韵一韵到底

Tone pattern A Nan Ge Zi, level-tone rhyme throughout, above-the-world in sound, fitting the detached night sit.此词为南歌子，平韵一韵到底，音节超然，正合夜坐的超然。

Reading note A Nan Ge Zi: upper 'worldly affairs... ask the stream why unstill,' lower 'moon whitens... why people on the path,' level rhyme (qing/ping/ming/xing) throughout, above-the-world in sound. Upper the clear heart, lower the seen, ending on the dawn-walker question - Xin's 'write-as-prose' manner. Read the clear heart detached, the close deep with an echo - his night-sitting model.此词为《南歌子》词牌，上片四句——「世事从头减，秋怀彻底清。夜深犹道枕边声，试问清溪底事不能平」，下片四句——「月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣。是中无有利和名，因甚山前未晓有人行」，押平韵（清、平、鸣、行），一韵到底，音节超然。全词以感慨写夜坐：上片写清夜的怀抱（世事从头减、试问清溪底事不能平），下片写夜坐的所见（月到愁边白、因甚山前未晓有人行）。词体短章，前写清怀，后写所见，以「因甚山前未晓有人行」写尽夜坐的所见，正见辛弃疾「以文为词」的本色。诵读此词，宜以超然的语调读「秋怀彻底清」的清怀，以深沉的语调读「因甚山前未晓有人行」的设问，结句要读得超然而有余韵，方能传达出辛弃疾的超然物外。辛弃疾词以「豪放」著称，此词正是其夜坐词的典范。

Line by line

世事从头减，秋怀彻底清

Worldly affairs diminish from the start; my autumn heart is wholly clear.

世事从头减，秋怀彻底清。

Worldly affairs diminish from the first; autumn thoughts are clear to the bottom.

此二句是全词写清怀的核心，以世事从头减写从头减，以秋怀彻底清写彻底清，写尽清夜的怀抱，是千古名句。「世事从头减」写世事从头减——那「世事」写世事，「从头减」写从头减，写尽世事的看淡；「秋怀彻底清」写秋怀彻底清——那「秋怀」写秋怀，「彻底清」写彻底清，写尽秋怀的澄澈。这句的深意在于：它以「世事从头减」的从头减与「秋怀彻底清」的彻底清，写尽清夜的怀抱——世事从头减，那「世事从头减」写尽世事的看淡——世事从头，正是世事纷纭的写照，那「从头减」写尽清夜的怀抱；秋怀彻底清，那「秋怀彻底清」写尽秋怀的澄澈——秋怀彻底，正是秋怀尽洗的写照，那「彻底清」写尽清夜的怀抱；那「世事从头减」写尽世事的看淡，那「秋怀彻底清」写尽秋怀的澄澈，一写世事，一写秋怀，写尽清夜的怀抱——世事看淡而秋怀澄澈，正是超然物外的写照；此二句以世事、秋怀写尽清夜的怀抱，也为下文的清溪作铺垫，也让此二句成为全词写清怀的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「对世事越来越看淡，秋天的心里特别澄澈」，则失其对仗；唯以「世事从头减」写从头减、「秋怀彻底清」写彻底清，写尽清夜的怀抱，也让此二句成为全词写清怀的核心。

The autumn heart. Worldly affairs diminish from the first; autumn thoughts are clear to the bottom. The worldly-affairs-diminish and the autumn-thoughts-clear-bottom are the opening. To have diminished from the first would be a diminishing; the worldly-affairs-diminish-from-the-first-autumn-thoughts-are-clear-to-the-bottom is the diminishing.

月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣

The moon whitens at the edge of sorrow; the cock crows first in the distance.

月到愁边白，鸡先远处鸣。

The moon turns pale beside my grief; a cock crows first from the far distance.

此二句是全词写所见的核心，以月到愁边白写愁边白，以鸡先远处鸣写远处鸣，写尽夜坐的所见，是千古名句。「月到愁边白」写月到愁边白——那「月到愁边」写月到愁边，「白」写白，写尽月白的愁边；「鸡先远处鸣」写鸡先远处鸣——那「鸡先远处」写鸡先远处，「鸣」写鸣，写尽远处的鸡鸣。这句的深意在于：它以「月到愁边白」的愁边白与「鸡先远处鸣」的远处鸣，写尽夜坐的所见——月到愁边白，那「月到愁边白」写尽月白的愁边——月到愁边，正是月照愁边的写照，那「愁边白」写尽夜坐的所见；鸡先远处鸣，那「鸡先远处鸣」写尽远处的鸡鸣——鸡先远处，正是鸡鸣先起的写照，那「远处鸣」写尽夜坐的所见；那「月到愁边白」写尽月白的愁边，那「鸡先远处鸣」写尽远处的鸡鸣，一写月白，一写鸡鸣，写尽夜坐的所见——月白愁边而鸡鸣远处，正是将晓的写照；此二句以月白、鸡鸣写尽夜坐的所见，也为下文的设问作铺垫，也让此二句成为全词写所见的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「月亮照着愁绪都发白了，远处的鸡先叫起来」，则失其意境；唯以「月到愁边白」写愁边白、「鸡先远处鸣」写远处鸣，写尽夜坐的所见，也让此二句成为全词写所见的核心。

The cockcrow. The moon turns pale beside my grief; a cock crows first from the far distance. The moon-pale-beside-grief and the cock-crows-far-distance are the close. To have turned pale would be a turning; the the-moon-turns-pale-beside-my-grief-a-cock-crows-first-from-the-far-distance is the turning.

Study

Word focus

减 Diminish / lessen. In 'worldly affairs diminish from the start,' 'jian' marks cares falling away one by one - both the thinning of matters and the fading of attachment to fame, the hinge of his detached, above-the-world heart. 「世事从头减」之「减」字是写看淡的关键词，一个「减」字写尽世事的看淡。减者，减少、减损也。辛弃疾以「世事从头减」写看淡，这个「减」字至少有双重意味：其一，写事之减——那「世事从头减」写世事从头减，那「减」字写尽世事的看淡——从头减，正是世事渐减的写照，那「减」字写尽清夜的怀抱；其二，写情之淡——那「减」字更是写淡——减，正见对名利渐淡的写照，那「减」字写尽辛弃疾的超然。以「减」字写看淡，正是辛弃疾写夜坐的枢纽——若换作「淡」「少」等字，则或失其与「世事从头」「秋怀彻底清」的配合，或失其写减的意味；唯「减」字，以世事从头减写尽世事之渐减与名利之渐淡，与「秋怀彻底清」的彻底清相合，写尽清夜的怀抱，也让「世事从头减」成为全词写看淡的名句。

因甚 Why / for what cause. In 'why, before dawn, people on the path,' 'yin shen' is the rhetorical question on early strivers, voicing a quiet reproach of the busy world, answering the 'neither profit nor fame' line. 「因甚山前未晓有人行」之「因甚」是写设问的关键词，一个「因甚」写尽未晓的设问。因甚者，为何、因何也。辛弃疾以「因甚山前未晓有人行」写设问，这个「因甚」至少有双重意味：其一，写问之因甚——那「因甚山前未晓有人行」写因甚山前未晓有人行，那「因甚」写尽未晓的设问——因甚有人行，正是为何有行的写照，那「因甚」写尽夜坐的所见；其二，写思之深——那「因甚」更是写深——因甚，正见对名利之世的诘问，那「因甚」写尽辛弃疾的深意。以「因甚」写设问，正是辛弃疾写夜坐的枢纽——若换作「为何」「何故」等词，则或失其与「山前未晓」「有人行」的配合，或失其写因甚的意味；唯「因甚」二字，以因甚山前未晓有人行写尽未晓之设问与名利之诘问，与「是中无有利和名」的无利名相合，写尽夜坐的所见，也让「因甚山前未晓有人行」成为全词写设问的名句。