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清 Qing · 词 Ci lyric

采桑子·塞上咏雪花

Tune: 'Cai Sang Zi' — Snowflakes at the Frontier

纳兰性德

Nalan Xingde

非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳。
别有根芽，不是人间富贵花。
谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯。
寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙。

It is not from a fondness for your light form—you are best in the cold.
You have other roots and shoots; you are no worldly flower of wealth and honor.

Since the Lady Xie departed, who could cherish you? Adrift at the world's end.
Cold moon, plaintive reed-pipes; ten thousand miles of west wind, desert sand.
Listen

Meaning

The poet uses snowflakes to describe himself: unlike showy garden flowers, they belong to the cold and have their own pure origin. Cast adrift like the gifted Lady Xie after her parting, the snow drifts at the world's end beneath a cold moon and mournful pipes—a self-portrait of nobility and exile.

非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳。别有根芽，不是人间富贵花。谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯。寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The upper stanza says it is not a taste for the snow's light shape but its excellence in cold; it has its own roots, no worldly flower of wealth. The lower stanza asks who can cherish it since the Lady Xie left, drifting at the world's end, closed by cold moon, plaintive pipes, west wind, and desert sand. [Structure] The lyric first defines the snow's character (upper), then projects the poet's own drifting fate onto it (lower), the object and self merging. [Imagery] 'Best in the cold' and 'no flower of wealth' assert the snow's noble plainness; the 'Lady Xie' allusion turns the snow into a neglected talent, and the frontier close—cold moon, pipes, west wind, desert—widens personal exile to the boundless border. Nalan's 'object-uttering with intent' (tuo wu yan zhi) is restrained and deep, joining nature description with self-feeling, a model of his frontier object-poems.

【白话串讲】 纳兰性德写《采桑子·塞上咏雪花》：“非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳。别有根芽，不是人间富贵花”——“谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯”——“寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙”——他咏雪花——不是人间富贵花。 【意象与手法】 “非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳”以“冷处偏佳”写雪花品格；“别有根芽，不是人间富贵花”以“别有根芽”写雪花超凡；“谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯”以谢娘典写无人怜惜；结以“寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙”以边塞之景写飘零。托物言志、清冷深婉。 【情感与主旨】 咏雪花而自况，以雪花“不是人间富贵花”暗喻自身的高洁与漂泊，将咏物与身世之感结合，是纳兰词中咏物言志的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“别有根芽，不是人间富贵花”以别有根芽写雪花超凡；“寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙”以西风瀚海写飘泊天涯。

Background

Nalan Xingde (1655–1685), original name Chengde, style Rongruo, literary name Lengjia Shanren, was a Manchu of the Plain Yellow Banner and a Qing lyricist, author of 'Yin Shui Ci.' This lyric sings snow at the frontier. Written in a spare, deep manner, it uses 'best in the cold' and 'no flower of wealth' to assert the snow's transcendence, and 'since the Lady Xie departed, adrift at the world's end' with 'cold moon, plaintive pipes, west wind, desert sand' to write drifting. Frequently anthologized, it shows his art of 'restrained and deep, feeling through snow.'

《采桑子·塞上咏雪花》为清代词人纳兰性德所作词。纳兰性德（1655—1685），原名成德，字容若，号楞伽山人，满洲正黄旗人，清代词人，著有《饮水词》。此词写咏物写景，为塞上咏雪花之作。词中「非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳」写非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳；「别有根芽，不是人间富贵花」写别有根芽，不是人间富贵花；「谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯」写谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯；「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」写寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙。纳兰性德此词以咏物写景、万里西风瀚海沙写其写景之情，含蓄深婉，是纳兰性德词中的名篇。此篇《采桑子·塞上咏雪花》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《采桑子·塞上咏雪花》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。

Art

The art is 'restrained and deep, feeling through snow.' Eight lines move from 'not a fondness for light form' to 'no flower of wealth' to 'adrift at the world's end.' The opening denies mere fondness, asserting the snow's excellence in cold; 'other roots' denies worldly wealth; the Lady Xie line writes neglect; the close widens to frontier desolation. The whole uses snow to convey feeling, from denial to exile, restrained and deep, a celebrated piece. Achieving much with few, its tight structure and condensed images make it a rare fine work of its kind.

此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、以雪写情」见长。全词共八句，由非关癖爱轻模样而别有根芽而谢娘别后谁能惜。起「非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳」写非关癖爱轻模样：非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳；「别有根芽，不是人间富贵花」写别有根芽：别有根芽，不是人间富贵花；「谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯」写谢娘别后谁能惜：谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯；结「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」写万里西风瀚海沙：寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙。全词以雪写情，由非关癖爱轻模样而万里西风瀚海沙，含蓄深婉，是纳兰性德词中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。

Allusions

The allusions are light yet meaningful. 'Best in the cold' and 'no flower of wealth' contrast the snow with showy blooms; 'since the Lady Xie departed' uses Xie Daoyun, the gifted 'catkin' poetess of the Eastern Jin, to figure a neglected talent—who now could cherish such purity? The frontier close 'cold moon, plaintive pipes, west wind, desert sand' evokes the border's bleak music and wind. Nalan fuses these unobtrusively, making the object-lyric's feeling tangible—an instance of his skill in smelting allusion into fresh restraint.

词中「非关癖爱轻模样冷处偏佳」「别有根芽不是人间富贵花」「谢娘别后谁能惜飘泊天涯」「寒月悲笳万里西风瀚海沙」等语，皆含典故故实。「非关癖爱轻模样冷处偏佳」写非关癖爱轻模样冷处偏佳；「别有根芽不是人间富贵花」写别有根芽不是人间富贵花；「谢娘别后谁能惜飘泊天涯」用谢娘之典（谢娘写咏絮才女谢道韫），写谢娘别后谁能惜飘泊天涯；「寒月悲笳万里西风瀚海沙」写寒月悲笳万里西风瀚海沙。词人以谢娘之典入词，不着痕迹，而把咏物写景之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。

Commentary

This 'Snowflakes at the Frontier' is Nalan's restrained object-lyric on light form, other roots, cold moon, and desert sand. The opening denies mere fondness, asserting cold-excellence; 'other roots' denies worldly wealth; the Lady Xie line (using her catkin allusion) writes neglect and drifting; the close 'cold moon, plaintive pipes, west wind, desert sand' is the lyric's pivot, writing the frontier's snow. Restrained and deep, feeling through snow, it is a celebrated piece of his.

这首《采桑子·塞上咏雪花》，是纳兰性德写咏物写景之作，写非关癖爱轻模样、别有根芽、寒月悲笳、万里西风瀚海沙之情，含蓄深婉。起「非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳」——非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳。写非关癖爱轻模样：非关癖爱轻模样、冷处偏佳——癖爱轻模样、冷处偏佳；「别有根芽，不是人间富贵花」——别有根芽，不是人间富贵花。写别有根芽：别有根芽、不是人间富贵花——别有根芽、非人间富贵花；「谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯」——谢娘别后谁能惜（用谢娘咏絮之典），飘泊天涯。写谢娘别后谁能惜：谢娘别后谁能惜、飘泊天涯——别后谁能惜、飘泊天涯；结「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」——寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙。写万里西风瀚海沙：寒月悲笳、万里西风瀚海沙——寒月悲笳、西风瀚海沙。这「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」，是全词之结：以万里西风瀚海沙写其写景。全词含蓄深婉，以雪写情，正是纳兰性德词中的名篇。

Prosody

Form Mid-tune lyric, 'Cai Sang Zi'词（中调·采桑子）
Rhyme A mid-tune in the 'Cai Sang Zi' pattern, eight lines, four per stanza. It rhymes on 'jia' (佳), 'hua' (花), 'ya' (涯), 'sha' (沙), in the jia-ma category; the varied line lengths follow the tune, suiting its restrained, deep object-lyric mood.此词为中调，调名《采桑子》，共八句，上下阕各四句。押韵：「佳」「花」「涯」「沙」押家麻部韵。词体依中调而定，句式长短错落，音节随情起伏，正与写咏物写景的含蓄深婉相称，也见其以中调写咏物的自然。
Tone pattern The opening 'not a fondness for light form' is clear and fine; 'other roots' is low and returning; 'since the Lady Xie' is gentle and turning; the close 'cold moon, plaintive pipes' is desolate. The whole follows feeling from fine to low to turning to desolate, matching the mid-tune's restraint.句式上，「非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳」写非关癖爱轻模样，音节清丽；「别有根芽，不是人间富贵花」写别有根芽，音节低回；「谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯」写谢娘别后谁能惜，音节婉转；结「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」写万里西风瀚海沙，音节苍凉。全词音节随情起伏，由清丽而低回、由婉转而苍凉，正合中调「含蓄」之妙，读来如咏物写景、万里西风瀚海沙之音，含蓄而动人。
Reading note A mid-tune and a celebrated piece of Nalan's. Its art is 'restrained and deep, feeling through snow': the opening denies mere fondness, 'other roots' asserts transcendence, the Lady Xie line uses her catkin allusion, and the close writes the frontier snow—a model of his restrained manner, often anthologized.此词为中调，是纳兰性德写咏物写景之作，也是其词中的名篇。全词的艺术特色在于「含蓄深婉、以雪写情」：「非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳」写非关癖爱轻模样、「别有根芽，不是人间富贵花」写别有根芽、「谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯」写谢娘别后谁能惜、「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」写万里西风瀚海沙。全词含蓄深婉，以雪写情。尤为精妙者，是「谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯」用谢娘咏絮之典；而「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」写尽塞上之雪，正是纳兰性德词「含蓄深婉」的典范，为历代选本所常收。《采桑子·塞上咏雪花》一诗之所以读来声情并茂，正在于诗人以声韵配合情思、以节奏烘托意境，音节之长短、平仄之起伏，皆与诗意相为表里，此亦可见中国古典诗歌声律之美与匠心之工。

Line by line

非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳。

It is not from a fondness for your light form—you are best in the cold.

非关癖爱轻模样，冷处偏佳。

It is not that I am fond of your light, frail look; in the cold you are at your best.

起句写非关癖爱轻模样，起笔即见其雪。「非关癖爱轻模样」写非关癖爱轻模样，「非关癖爱」写并非偏爱、「轻模样」写轻模样；「冷处偏佳」写冷处偏佳，「冷处」写冷处、「偏佳」写偏佳。两句一写非关癖爱轻模样、一写冷处偏佳，以非关癖爱轻模样写非爱模样、以冷处偏佳写冷处偏佳，写尽非关癖爱轻模样、冷处偏佳之情。以雪起兴，含蓄而深婉，是「以雪起兴」的妙笔。

The opening at once shows the snow: it is not that I am fond of your light, frail look writes no mere preference for the form; in the cold you are at your best writes excellence in the cold. Rising on the snow, restrained and deep, the finest stroke of rising on an object; the poet declares at once that his praise of the snow is no mere fondness for a pretty shape, but for its flowering where it is coldest.

别有根芽，不是人间富贵花。

You have other roots and shoots; you are no worldly flower of wealth and honor.

别有根芽，不是人间富贵花。

You have your own strange root and bud; you are no flower of this world's wealth and rank.

此二句写别有根芽，是全词写雪之态的关键。「别有根芽」写别有根芽，「别有」写别有、「根芽」写根芽；「不是人间富贵花」写不是人间富贵花，「不是人间」写不是人间、「富贵花」写富贵花。两句一写别有根芽、一写不是人间富贵花，以别有根芽写别有根芽、以不是人间富贵花写非富贵花，写尽别有根芽、不是人间富贵花之情。以雪写态，含蓄而深婉，是「以雪写态」的点睛之笔。

The two lines, you have your own strange root and bud, are the key to the ci's picture of the snow. You have your own strange root and bud writes the other origin; you are no flower of this world's wealth and rank writes no worldliness. Writing the state of the snow, restrained and deep, the crowning stroke of writing form through the snow: the snow's roots are not in soil of fame and fortune, and it disclaims the world of wealth and rank.

谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯。

Since the Lady Xie departed, who could cherish you? Adrift at the world's end.

谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯。

Since Lady Xie departed, who can cherish you? You drift and drift to the world's edge.

此二句写谢娘别后谁能惜，是全词以典写情的关键。「谢娘别后谁能惜」用谢娘咏絮之典写谢娘别后谁能惜，「谢娘别后」写谢娘别后、「谁能惜」写谁能惜；「飘泊天涯」写飘泊天涯，「飘泊」写飘泊、「天涯」写天涯。两句一写谢娘别后谁能惜、一写飘泊天涯，以谢娘别后谁能惜写别后谁惜、以飘泊天涯写飘泊天涯，写尽谢娘别后谁能惜、飘泊天涯之情。以典写情，含蓄而深婉，是「以典写情」的点睛之笔。

The two lines, since Lady Xie departed, who can cherish you?, are the key to the ci's allusion. It uses the allusion to Lady Xie's famous comparison of snow to willow flowers: Lady Xie departed writes after her going, who can cherish asks who will value; you drift and drift to the world's edge writes the wandering. Writing feeling through the allusion, restrained and deep, the crowning stroke: since the lady who once compared snow to willow flowers has gone, who now can cherish the snow? It drifts to the world's edge, a mirror of the poet's own exile at the frontier.

寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙。

Cold moon, plaintive reed-pipes; ten thousand miles of west wind, desert sand.

寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙。

The cold moon, the mournful reed pipe; ten thousand miles of west wind over the desert sands.

结句写万里西风瀚海沙，是全词立意的落点。「寒月悲笳」写寒月悲笳，「寒月」写寒月、「悲笳」写悲笳；「万里西风瀚海沙」写万里西风瀚海沙，「万里西风」写万里西风、「瀚海沙」写瀚海沙。两句一写寒月悲笳、一写万里西风瀚海沙，以寒月悲笳写寒月悲笳、以万里西风瀚海沙写西风瀚海沙，写尽寒月悲笳、万里西风瀚海沙之情。以景写情，含蓄而深婉，是全词最动人处，也是「以景写情」的点睛之笔。

The closing line, ten thousand miles of west wind over the desert sands, is where the ci's meaning comes to rest. The cold moon, the mournful reed pipe writes the frigid moon and the lamenting pipe; ten thousand miles of west wind over the desert sands writes the wind over the sand sea. Writing feeling through scene, restrained and deep, the most moving passage of the ci, the crowning stroke of scene writing feeling: the cold moon, the grieving pipe, and the ten-thousand-mile west wind over the Gobi sand give the snow's loneliness its vast setting.

Study

Word focus

轻模样 Light form. Names the snow's delicate shape; the poet says his regard is 'not from a fondness for' it, deflecting mere aesthetic taste to assert the snow's deeper, cold excellence. 「轻模样」写非关癖爱轻模样，是写轻模样之态的关键。「非关癖爱轻模样」着一「轻模样」，写轻模样——着一「轻模样」，写非关癖爱轻模样，见其雪之轻。三字写尽轻模样之态，是「以词写轻」的妙笔。「轻模样」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
偏佳 Best precisely (there). Means the snow excels exactly in the cold, asserting its noble preference for chill over warmth and distinguishing it from showy garden blooms. 「偏佳」写冷处偏佳，是写偏佳之态的关键。「冷处偏佳」着一「偏佳」，写偏佳——着一「偏佳」，写冷处偏佳，见其雪之佳。两字写尽偏佳之态，是「以词写佳」的点睛之词。「偏佳」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
根芽 Roots and shoots. 'Other roots' denies worldly origin, declaring the snow has its own pure source unlike earthly 'flowers of wealth and honor.' 「根芽」写别有根芽，是写根芽之态的关键。「别有根芽」着一「根芽」，写根芽——着一「根芽」，写别有根芽，见其雪之根。两字写尽根芽之态，是「以词写根」的点睛之词。「根芽」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
瀚海 Desert sea (han hai). The vast desert; with 'ten thousand miles of west wind' it evokes the boundless frontier, widening the snow's drift to cosmic exile. 「瀚海」写万里西风瀚海沙，是写瀚海之态的关键。「万里西风瀚海沙」着一「瀚海」，写瀚海——着一「瀚海」，写万里西风瀚海沙，见其沙之瀚。两字写尽瀚海之态，是「以词写沙」的点睛之词。「瀚海」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

Related Reading

晏殊·蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露 Yan Shu · Tune: 'Die Lian Hua' — Chrysanthemums in the Rail Weep Mist, Orchids Shed Tears of Dew 晏殊 · 同写咏物凝愁、飘泊天涯，一写槛菊愁烟兰泣露、一写谢娘别后谁能惜飘泊天涯，皆于咏物之中见飘泊 Both write object-chanting sorrow and drifting at the world's end; one faces chrysanthemums weeping mist, the other asks who cherishes the snow—both find drifting within the object.

Yan Shu's 'Die Lian Hua' ('Chrysanthemums in the rail weep mist, orchids shed tears of dew; light cold behind the silken screen, swallows fly off in pairs') is a famous Song lyric of object-chanting sorrow; Nalan's 'Snowflakes at the Frontier' uses 'since the Lady Xie, adrift at the world's end' and 'cold moon, plaintive pipes' to write neglect and drifting. Both share object-chanting sorrow: Yan through warm refinement, Nalan through graceful desolation—two manners of writing drifting within the object.

晏殊《蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露》「槛菊愁烟兰泣露。罗幕轻寒，燕子双飞去」，写咏物凝愁、独自凝望，是宋词写愁的名篇；纳兰性德《采桑子·塞上咏雪花》则以「谢娘别后谁能惜，飘泊天涯」「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」写谢娘别后、飘泊天涯。两词同写咏物凝愁、飘泊天涯：一写槛菊愁烟兰泣露、以菊烟写愁，一写谢娘别后谁能惜飘泊天涯、以谢娘写飘泊；一为晏殊之温润、一为纳兰之婉丽，并读正可见词写「咏物飘泊」的两种笔法，皆于咏物之中见飘泊。

 八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Tune: 'Ba Sheng Gan Zhou' — Over the Misty Rain Sweeping River and Sky at Dusk 柳永 · 同写羁旅天涯、悲笳凝望，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写寒月悲笳万里西风瀚海沙，皆于天涯之中见悲笳 Both write travel at the world's end and plaintive pipes in fixed gaze; one faces misty dusk rain, the other cold moon and plaintive pipes over desert sand—both find the pipe within the end of the earth.

Liu Yong's 'Ba Sheng Gan Zhou' ('Over the misty rain sweeping river and sky at dusk, once more it washes the clear autumn') is a famous Song travel lyric; Nalan's lyric uses 'cold moon, plaintive pipes, west wind, desert sand' and 'adrift at the world's end' to write frontier exile. Both share travel at the world's end and plaintive pipes: Liu through clear beauty, Nalan through desolation—two manners of writing travel at the earth's end.

柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写羁旅天涯、登高凝望，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；纳兰性德《采桑子·塞上咏雪花》则以「寒月悲笳，万里西风瀚海沙」「飘泊天涯」写寒月悲笳、飘泊天涯。两词同写羁旅天涯、悲笳凝望：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写寒月悲笳万里西风瀚海沙、以悲笳写羁旅；一为柳永之清丽、一为纳兰之苍凉，并读正可见词写「羁旅天涯」的两种笔法，皆于天涯之中见悲笳。