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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

念奴娇·梅

Plum Blossoms (Niannu Jiao)

辛弃疾

Xin Qiji

咏梅Ode to Plum Blossoms

疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色。
笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白。
雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力。
骨清春嫩，迥然天与奇绝。
尝记宝篽寒轻，琐窗人睡起，玉纤轻摘。
漂泊天涯空瘦损，犹有当年标格。
万里风烟，一溪霜月，未怕欺他得。
不如归去，阆苑有个人惜。

Sparse and pale, I ask who can match its innocent, heavenly hue.
The Spring God is mocked for vainly claiming all—how many reds and whites!
Tender in the snow, bright and fair by the water, owing nothing to spring's artisans.
Pure in bone, fresh in youth, it is wondrously gifted by Heaven itself.
I still recall the light cold of the jewelled garden; from the latticed window one woke from sleep and lightly plucked it with a jade-white hand.
Adrift at the world's end, it has wasted away in vain, yet keeps the character of former years.
Ten thousand miles of wind and mist, one stream of frost-white moon—it fears no wrong done to it.
Better to return—in the fairy isle there is one who cherishes it.

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Meaning

This lyric uses the plum blossom as a self-portrait of the poet's integrity. Light, pure, and untended by spring's artisans, the plum stands for a noble character that endures drifting hardship without losing its original spirit. Its final withdrawal to a fairy isle voices a quiet, uncompromised resignation.

疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色。笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白。雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力。骨清春嫩，迥然天与奇绝。尝记宝篽寒轻，琐窗人睡起，玉纤轻摘。漂泊天涯空瘦损，犹有当年标格。万里风烟，一溪霜月，未怕欺他得。不如归去，阆苑有个人惜。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The poem opens by asking who can rival the plum's natural, innocent colour, then mocks the Spring God for vainly monopolising the reds and whites of ordinary flowers. The plum is tender in snow and fair by water, owing nothing to any gardener, and is gifted by Heaven with pure bone and fresh youth. A remembered scene of a lady plucking it from a jewelled garden gives way to its present wasted state at the world's end—yet it keeps its former character. [Structure] The first stanza describes the plum's innate nobility; the second traces its remembered grace, its endurance, and its final return to a fairy isle where it is cherished. [Imagery] Snow, water, frost-white moon and the jade hand together frame a flower both fragile and imperishable. Through the plum Xin Qiji figures his own refusal to be shaped by court favour, his steadfastness amid political exile, and his dignified retreat.

【白话串讲】辛弃疾写《念奴娇·梅》：“疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色”——“雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力”——“骨清春嫩，迥然天与奇绝”——“漂泊天涯空瘦损”——他写梅——雪里温柔，水边明秀。【意象与手法】此词咏梅，以梅写志，是辛弃疾的名篇。上阕写梅品：「疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色」写疏疏淡淡、问阿谁堪比天真颜色——写尽梅的天真；「雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力」写雪里温柔、水边明秀、不借春工力——写尽梅的高洁；下阕写梅格：「尝记宝篽寒轻，琐窗人睡起，玉纤轻摘」写尝记宝篽寒轻、琐窗人睡起、玉纤轻摘——写尽梅的回忆；「不如归去，阆苑有个人惜」写不如归去、阆苑有个人惜——写尽梅的归宿。全词以梅写志，写尽梅的高洁与坚守，是辛弃疾的代表作。【情感与主旨】此词咏梅，以梅写志，是辛弃疾的名篇。此词借咏梅以写志。辛弃疾一生力主抗金，却屡遭排挤，退居林下。此词以梅写志，正是借梅之高洁自喻。此词写梅品：疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色——写疏疏淡淡、问阿谁堪比天真颜色，写尽梅的天真；笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白——写笑杀东君虚占断、多少朱朱白白，写尽梅的孤高；雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力——写雪里温柔、水边明秀、不借春工力，写尽梅的高洁；骨清春嫩，迥然天与奇绝——写骨清春嫩、迥然天与奇绝，写尽梅的奇绝。下阕写梅格：尝记宝篽寒轻，琐窗人睡起，玉纤轻摘——写尝记宝篽寒轻、琐窗人睡起、玉纤轻摘，写尽梅的回忆；漂泊天涯空瘦损，犹有当年标格——写漂泊天涯空瘦损、犹有当年标格，写尽梅的坚守；万里风烟，一溪霜月，未怕欺他得——写万里风烟、一溪霜月、未怕欺他得，写尽梅的坚贞；不如归去，阆苑有个人惜——写不如归去、阆苑有个人惜，写尽梅的归宿。全词以梅写志——那「雪里温柔」写尽梅的高洁，「犹有当年标格」写尽梅的坚守，写尽梅的高洁与坚守，是理解辛弃疾咏物词的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色」写梅的天真；「雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力」写梅的高洁；「漂泊天涯空瘦损，犹有当年标格」写梅的坚守；以及全词以梅写志、以咏物写身世的手法。

Background

Xin Qiji (1140–1207), style name You'an, literary name Jiaxuan, was a native of Licheng (modern Jinan, Shandong) and the greatest lyric poet of the Southern Song, ranked with Su Shi as a founder of the 'Su-Xin' (heroic-abandon) school. A patriot who as a young man rose in arms against the Jin and then spent his maturity sidelined by the peace faction, he poured his frustrated ambition into song-lyrics. This piece belongs to his cycle of plum odes written in retirement, using the flower to emblematise the unbending integrity of a committed man excluded from power.

此词咏梅，以梅写志，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，南宋伟大的词人，与苏轼并称「苏辛」。此词借咏梅以写志。辛弃疾生于沦陷区，青年时起义抗金，南归后力主北伐，却遭主和派排挤，长期投闲置散，退居带湖、瓢泉。此词以梅写志，正是借梅之高洁自喻。上阕写梅品：「疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色」写疏疏淡淡、问阿谁堪比天真颜色——写尽梅的天真（疏疏淡淡，问阿谁堪比天真颜色）；「笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白」写笑杀东君虚占断、多少朱朱白白——写尽梅的孤高（笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白）；「雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力」写雪里温柔、水边明秀、不借春工力——写尽梅的高洁（雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力）；「骨清春嫩，迥然天与奇绝」写骨清春嫩、迥然天与奇绝——写尽梅的奇绝（骨清春嫩，迥然天与奇绝）。下阕写梅格：「尝记宝篽寒轻，琐窗人睡起，玉纤轻摘」写尝记宝篽寒轻、琐窗人睡起、玉纤轻摘——写尽梅的回忆；「漂泊天涯空瘦损，犹有当年标格」写漂泊天涯空瘦损、犹有当年标格——写尽梅的坚守；「万里风烟，一溪霜月，未怕欺他得」写万里风烟、一溪霜月、未怕欺他得——写尽梅的坚贞；「不如归去，阆苑有个人惜」写不如归去、阆苑有个人惜——写尽梅的归宿。全词以梅写志，写尽梅的高洁与坚守，是理解辛弃疾咏物词的重要篇章。

Art

The artistry works on four levels. First, it opens with a question—'who can match its innocent hue?'—that immediately personifies and elevates the flower. Second, it sets the plum against the Spring God's vain claim over 'reds and whites', a contrast that exposes the vulgar brilliance of ordinary blooms and throws the plum's naturalness into relief. Third, it declares the plum 'owes nothing to spring's artisans', a direct statement of inherent nobility rather than acquired ornament. Fourth, it seals the character with 'keeps the character of former years', a metaphor comparing the flower's constancy to a person's integrity. The upper stanza treats the plum's quality; the lower moves from quality to constancy, the classic 'use the object to write the self' structure of Song object-odes. The lady-and-jade-hand memory binds flower and person into one, while the vast 'wind and mist' and 'frost-white moon' situate the solitary plum within the whole cosmos.

此词的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以问起写天真。「问阿谁、堪比天真颜色」以问起写天真——那「问阿谁」写尽发问，以问起写尽梅的天真。其二，以对照写孤高。「笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白」以对照写孤高——那「东君虚占断」「朱朱白白」写尽春工的虚占，以对照写尽梅的孤高。其三，以直写写高洁。「雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力」以直写写高洁——那「雪里温柔」「不借春工力」写尽梅的天然，以直写写尽梅的高洁。其四，以比拟写坚守。「犹有当年标格」以比拟写坚守——那「标格」写尽品格，以比拟写尽梅的坚守。此外，此词上阕写梅品之洁，下阕写梅格之坚，由品及格，正是咏物词「借物写志」的写法。四重手法，使此词以梅写志，写尽梅的高洁与坚守，是辛弃疾的代表作。此词尤可注意其用典而不滞、写物而兼人的分寸：上阕「笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白」以春神拟人，讥其徒占春光而百花艳俗，衬出梅之「不借春工力」的天然；下阕「尝记宝篽寒轻，琐窗人睡起，玉纤轻摘」忽写闺中玉人轻摘梅花之往事，将梅与玉人绾合，正是词中「人梅合一」的写法——梅之瘦损即人之飘零，梅之标格即人之品格；而那「万里风烟，一溪霜月」的苍茫远景，更将梅置于天地间，愈见其孤峭。全词由梅品、梅格、梅史、梅境四层展开，层层加厚，正是稼轩咏物「写物而见人」的深意。

Allusions

The language draws on a long tradition of plum and purity imagery. 'Innocent hue' echoes the 'natural, uncarved' ideal of 'lotus from clear water'. 'Spring God' (Dongjun) reaches back to the Chu Ci hymn to the sun deity, later borrowed for the god of spring. 'Reds and whites' recalls the cliché of gaudy flowers, here dismissed. 'Jewelled garden' (baoyu) alludes to the screened flower-beds of Han palaces, and 'jade hand' to the Tang convention of a lady's slender fingers plucking blossoms (as in Wen Tingyun). 'Fairy isle' (Langyuan) comes from the Liexian Zhuan as the immortals' dwelling, answering Li Bai's 'unless seen atop the Jade Mountain'. Xin Qiji dissolves all these allusions into his own unforced, 'salt-in-water' manner.

此词的用语深植于咏梅与高洁的传统。「天真颜色」令人想到「天真」写本色的意象——「疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色」正是辛弃疾的名句，也令人想到「清水出芙蓉」的天真意象；「东君」令人想到「东君」写春神的典故——《楚辞》有《东君》篇，为日神，后世以借指春神，也令人想到「东君」写春天的意象；「朱朱白白」令人想到「朱朱白白」写花色的意象——「笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白」正是辛弃疾的名句，也令人想到「红紫芳菲」的意象；「宝篽寒轻」令人想到「宝篽」写花栏的意象——也令人想到「金屋贮娇」的典故；「阆苑」令人想到「阆苑」写仙境的典故——《神仙传》载阆苑为仙人所居，也令人想到「阆苑仙葩」的意象。全词化用东君、朱朱白白、阆苑的意象典故，以梅写志，正是辛弃疾「雄深雅健」而善用典、承咏梅传统写身世的本领。又「宝篽」之典可细说：宝篽即精美的护花栏，典出《西京杂记》汉上林苑护花事；「玉纤轻摘」暗用闺人簪花、摘花之俗，唐宋诗词中多以「玉纤」写女子纤指，如温庭筠「玉纤弹处珍珠落」；「阆苑」则本《神仙传》西王母所居，以仙苑喻梅花归宿，正承李白「若非群玉山头见」的仙苑意象。全词熔《楚辞》东君、汉苑护花、仙苑阆苑于一炉，而皆为我写梅所用，正是稼轩使典「如盐入水」的化用功夫。

Commentary

This lyric is reckoned among Xin Qiji's finest plum odes and a representative Southern Song object-lyric. Critics praise it for 'writing the self through the plum, sparse yet bony'. Its line 'yet keeps the character of former years' is cited as the poem's peak. Together with Lu You's 'Bu Suanzi: Plum Blossoms' ('only its fragrance remains') and Su Shi's 'Xijiang Yue: Plum Blossoms' ('jade bone fears no miasma'), it forms a triad of Song plum poems that turn a flower into a testament of integrity. For modern readers it is a window onto Xin's object-lyrics and a classic of the Chinese tradition of figuring resolve through the plum.

此词历来被推为辛弃疾咏梅词的名篇，也是南宋咏梅词的代表。历代论者对此词评价极高：清人评此词「以梅写志，疏淡而有骨力」；近人更指出「漂泊天涯空瘦损，犹有当年标格」写梅的坚守，是此词的名句。在词史上，此词的特殊价值在于：它以八韵的长调写尽梅的高洁与坚守——那疏疏淡淡，那天真颜色，那东君，那朱朱白白，那雪里温柔，那水边明秀，那宝篽寒轻，那玉纤轻摘，那漂泊天涯，那当年标格，都写尽了辛弃疾笔下的梅；那「犹有当年标格」更以比拟写尽梅的坚守。此词与陆游《卜算子·咏梅》（「零落成泥碾作尘」）同为咏梅名篇，一写「只有香如故」的坚守（卜算子·咏梅），一写「犹有当年标格」的标格（念奴娇·梅）；又与苏轼《西江月·梅花》「玉骨那愁瘴雾」的咏梅传统一脉相承，可见中国咏梅词写志的传统。对于今日读者，此词是理解辛弃疾咏物词的窗口，也是中国咏梅词写志的经典——那雪里的温柔，穿越千年，仍在诉说着梅的坚守。

Prosody

Form Ci lyric, to the tune 'Niannu Jiao' (long form, 100 characters).词·念奴娇

Rhyme The tune uses a single entering-tone (ru sheng) rhyme—se, bai, li, jue, zhai, ge, de, xi—sustained throughout for a crisp, resilient music.《念奴娇》双调一百字，押「色」「白」「力」「绝」「摘」「格」「得」「惜」韵（入声），一韵到底，音节清劲

Tone pattern Set to entering-tone rhymes kept unbroken, the metre sounds clear and bracing, exactly suiting the plum's clean fortitude.此词为《念奴娇》调，押入声韵，一韵到底，音节清劲，正合梅的清劲。

Reading note A hundred-character 'Niannu Jiao' in two stanzas, rhyming on entering-tone words (se, bai, li, jue, zhai, ge, de, xi) without a break. The upper stanza paints the plum's quality (sparse hue, snow tenderness, no debt to spring); the lower moves through memory, drifting, and final return, building from quality to constancy. Read the opening with a clean, firm voice, the line on 'former character' with resolved steadfastness, and the close with lingering distance to convey Xin Qiji's bone and strength.此词为《念奴娇》双调一百字，上阕——「疏疏淡淡，问阿谁、堪比天真颜色。笑杀东君虚占断，多少朱朱白白。雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力。骨清春嫩，迥然天与奇绝」，下阕——「尝记宝篽寒轻，琐窗人睡起，玉纤轻摘。漂泊天涯空瘦损，犹有当年标格。万里风烟，一溪霜月，未怕欺他得。不如归去，阆苑有个人惜」，押入声韵（色、白、力、绝、摘、格、得、惜），一韵到底，音节清劲。全词以梅写志：上阕写梅品之洁（疏疏淡淡、雪里温柔、不借春工力），下阕写梅格之坚（漂泊天涯、犹有当年标格、不如归去）。两阕由品及格，层层写尽梅的高洁与坚守，正是辛弃疾咏物词借物写志的典型结构。诵读此词，宜以清劲的语调读「疏疏淡淡」的梅品，以坚贞的语调读「犹有当年标格」的标格，结句要读得悠远而有余韵，方能传达出辛弃疾的骨力。辛弃疾词以「雄深雅健」著称，此词正是其咏物词的典范。

Line by line

漂泊天涯空瘦损，犹有当年标格

Adrift at the world's end, it has wasted away in vain, yet keeps the character of former years.

漂泊天涯空自瘦损，犹有当年标格。

Drifting to the world's end, wasted in vain, still she keeps her old bearing.

此二句是全词写坚守的核心，以漂泊天涯写飘零，以犹有当年标格写坚守，写尽梅的坚守，是千古名句。「漂泊天涯空瘦损」写漂泊天涯空自瘦损——那「漂泊天涯」写漂泊天涯，「空瘦损」写空自瘦损，写尽梅的飘零；「犹有当年标格」写犹有当年标格——那「犹有」写尚有，「当年标格」写当年标格，写尽梅的坚守。这句的深意在于：它以「漂泊天涯空瘦损」的飘零与「犹有当年标格」的坚守，写尽梅的坚守——漂泊天涯空自瘦损，那「漂泊天涯空瘦损」写尽梅的飘零——漂泊天涯，空自瘦损，正是梅花飘零的写照，那「空瘦损」写尽梅的飘零；犹有当年标格，那「犹有当年标格」写尽梅的坚守——虽瘦损而标格犹存，正是坚贞不移的写照，那「标格」写尽梅的品格；那「漂泊天涯空瘦损」写尽梅的飘零，那「犹有当年标格」写尽梅的坚守，一写飘零，一写坚守，写尽梅的坚守——飘零而不改其格，正是梅花的写照；此二句以飘零、坚守写尽梅的坚守，也让此二句成为全词写坚守的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「梅花虽然飘零但还是很美」，则失其骨力；唯以「漂泊天涯空瘦损」写飘零、「犹有当年标格」写坚守，写尽梅的坚守，也让此二句成为全词写坚守的核心。

The plum. Drifting to the world's end, wasted in vain, still she keeps her old bearing. The drifting-world's-end-wasted and the still-keeps-old-bearing are the fortitude. To have drifted to the world's end would be a drifting; the drifting-to-the-world's-end-wasted-in-vain-still-she-keeps-her-old-bearing is the drifting.

雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力

Tender in the snow, bright and fair by the water, owing nothing to spring's artisans.

雪里温柔，水边明秀，不借春工力。

Tender in the snow, bright and fair by the water, she borrows nothing from spring's workmanship.

此三句是全词写高洁的核心，以雪里温柔写柔，以水边明秀写秀，以不借春工力写天然，写尽梅的高洁，是千古名句。「雪里温柔」写雪里温柔——那「雪里」写雪中，「温柔」写温柔，写尽梅的柔美；「水边明秀」写水边明秀——那「水边」写水边，「明秀」写明秀，写尽梅的清秀；「不借春工力」写不借春工力——那「不借」写不依赖，「春工力」写春工之力，写尽梅的天然。这句的深意在于：它以「雪里温柔」的柔与「水边明秀」的秀与「不借春工力」的天然，写尽梅的高洁——雪里温柔，那「雪里温柔」写尽梅的柔美——雪中愈见其温柔，那「雪里」写尽梅的凌寒；水边明秀，那「水边明秀」写尽梅的清秀——水边愈见其明秀，那「明秀」写尽梅的清秀；不借春工力，那「不借春工力」写尽梅的天然——不借春工之力，正是天然而成，那「不借春工力」写尽梅的天然；那「雪里温柔」写尽梅的柔美，那「水边明秀」写尽梅的清秀，那「不借春工力」写尽梅的天然，三句写尽梅的高洁——雪水之间，天然独秀，正是梅的写照；此三句以柔、秀、天然写尽梅的高洁，也让此三句成为全词写高洁的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「梅花很美很自然」，则失其神韵；唯以「雪里温柔」写柔、「水边明秀」写秀、「不借春工力」写天然，写尽梅的高洁，也让此三句成为全词写高洁的核心。

The snow. Tender in the snow, bright and fair by the water, she borrows nothing from spring's workmanship. The tender-snow and the bright-fair-water and the borrows-nothing-spring are the purity. To have been tender in the snow would be a being; the tender-in-the-snow-bright-and-fair-by-the-water-she-borrows-nothing-from-spring's-workmanship is the being.

Study

Word focus

标格 Character or noble bearing. In 'yet keeps the character of former years' it names the plum's (and the poet's) unchanging integrity—a worth that persists through time and trial, the pivotal word of the self-portrait. 「犹有当年标格」之「标格」是写品格的关键词，一个「标格」写尽梅的品格。标格者，风范、品格也。辛弃疾以「犹有当年标格」写梅，这个「标格」至少有双重意味：其一，写品格之高——那「犹有当年标格」写犹有当年标格，那「标格」写尽梅的品格——标格，正是风范品格，那「标格」写尽梅的高格；其二，写坚持之久——那「标格」更是写坚持——当年标格犹存，正见历久弥坚，那「标格」写尽梅的坚守。以「标格」写品格，正是辛弃疾写志的枢纽——若换作「品格」「风骨」等词，则或失其与「犹有当年」的配合，或失其写标格的意味；唯「标格」二字，以犹有当年标格写尽梅的品格与坚持，与「漂泊天涯空瘦损」的空瘦损相合，写尽梅的坚守，也让「犹有当年标格」成为全词写坚守的名句。

空 In vain; emptily. In 'wasted away in vain' it marks the fruitlessness of the plum's drifting, a quiet lament over unrecognised worth that sharpens the contrast with its retained character. 「漂泊天涯空瘦损」之「空」字是写飘零的关键词，一个「空」字写尽梅的徒然。空者，徒然、白白也。辛弃疾以「漂泊天涯空瘦损」写梅，这个「空」字至少有双重意味：其一，写飘零之惜——那「漂泊天涯空瘦损」写漂泊天涯空自瘦损，那「空」字写尽飘零的惋惜——漂泊天涯，瘦损徒然，正是无人赏识的写照，那「空」字写尽梅的飘零；其二，写坚守之叹——那「空」字更是写叹——空瘦损，正是坚守之叹，那「空」字写尽梅的孤寂。以「空」字写飘零，正是辛弃疾写身世的枢纽——若换作「枉」「白」等字，则或失其与「漂泊天涯」的配合，或失其写空的意味；唯「空」字，以漂泊天涯空瘦损写尽飘零的惋惜与坚守的孤寂，与「犹有当年标格」的标格相合，写尽梅的坚守，也让「漂泊天涯空瘦损」成为全词写飘零的名句。