清 Qing · 词 Ci lyric
点绛唇·夜宿临洺驿
Rouged Lips: Night at Linming Post
点绛唇·夜宿临洺驿晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪。
稗花盈亩，一寸霜皮厚。
赵魏燕韩，历历堪回首。
悲风吼，临洺驿口，黄叶中原走。
The Taihang Mountains wriggle like tadpoles.
Barnyard grass flowers fill the fields,
An inch thick, like a coat of frost.
Zhao, Wei, Yan, Han—
Clearly visible, yet can I bear to look back?
The mournful wind howls,
At Linming Station's gate,
Yellow leaves scurry across the Central Plain.
Meaning
Under a clear sky, peaks stand distinct like a beauty's hair buns; the Taihang Mountains wind like tadpoles. Barnyard flowers cover the fields, thick as a layer of frost. The ancient states of Zhao, Wei, Yan, and Han lie before the eyes, memories too painful to recall. A bleak wind howls; at Linming Station, yellow leaves fly across the Central Plain.
晴日里峰峦像美人的发髻历历分明，太行山的山势蜿蜒起伏如同蝌蚪游动。稗花开满田亩，像凝霜堆积了寸许厚。昔日赵、魏、燕、韩的古国大地，往事历历在目，令人不堪回首。悲凉的西风怒吼着，在临洺驿口，枯黄的落叶在中原大地上飞走。
Appreciation
Written in 1668 when Chen Weisong first traveled north to Beijing after eight years in Rugao, this poem captures his feelings at Linming Post. The first stanza describes the majestic Taihang Mountains and bleak fields; the second recalls ancient kingdoms, ending with the howling wind and flying leaves to express his wanderer's sorrow. The imagery is fresh and the scope vast, typical of the bold Yangxian school.
【白话串讲】 “晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪”——陈维崧夜宿临洺驿：太行山像发髻。“赵魏燕韩，历历堪回首”——战国旧地。“悲风吼，临洺驿口，黄叶中原走”——悲风吼，黄叶在中原飞。清词里最有气势的写景。 【意象与手法】 上片写登览：'晴髻离离'以美人发髻喻晴峰，'太行山势如蝌蚪'以蝌蚪喻山势蜿蜒，比喻新奇而雄阔 【情感与主旨】 陈维崧（1625—1682），字其年，号迦陵，宜兴人，清初阳羡派词领袖 【名句点睛】 本词为陈维崧代表作。考点：一、'晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪'的比喻新奇与雄阔意境
Background
Chen Weisong (1625–1682), style name Qinian, was a leading ci poet of the Yangxian school in early Qing. This poem was written in 1668 (Kangxi 7), when he ended his eight-year stay in Rugao and first traveled north to the capital, spending the night at Linming Station (modern Yongnian, Hebei, a historical battlefield and transport hub). It was early autumn, the northern lands bleak and cold. Faced with the history of Yan and Zhao, the poet felt a surge of emotion, writing this travel and nostalgia poem, blending his own wandering fate with historical vicissitudes.
《点绛唇·夜宿临洺驿》为清代陈维崧所作，是写夜宿临洺驿、怀古之悲的词。陈维崧（1625—1682），字其年，号迦陵，宜兴人，清代词人。此词：晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪。稗花盈亩，一寸霜皮厚。赵魏燕韩，历历堪回首。悲风吼，临洺驿口，黄叶中原走。全词写夜宿临洺驿、怀古之悲，是陈维崧词的名篇。
Art
The first stanza depicts the view: '晴髻离离' compares peaks to a beauty's hair buns; '太行山势如蝌蚪' compares mountain ranges to tadpoles, fresh and majestic. '稗花盈亩，一寸霜皮厚' shifts from far to near, using frost to describe barnyard flowers, creating a bleak scene with gentle imagery. The second stanza recalls history: '赵魏燕韩' evokes the ancient kingdoms; '历历堪回首' is a rhetorical question implying unbearable memory. The closing lines '悲风吼' and '黄叶中原走' use dynamic images to conclude, vigorous and desolate. A short lyric with grand scope, vigorous and bleak.
《点绛唇·夜宿临洺驿》艺术上以山势的描摹与怀古之悲的苍凉见长。全词分两片：上片写山势稗花——“晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪”写晴髻离离、山势如蝌蚪，“稗花盈亩，一寸霜皮厚”写稗花盈亩、霜皮厚；下片写怀古之悲——“赵魏燕韩，历历堪回首”写赵魏燕韩、历历回首，“悲风吼，临洺驿口，黄叶中原走”写悲风吼、黄叶中原走。全词以山势写怀古之悲，正是陈维崧词苍凉的笔法。
Allusions
Though not heavily allusive, the poem carries deep meaning. '赵魏燕韩' refers to the four warring states, hinting at the ancient heroes of the Yan-Zhao region, echoing Han Yu's 'Preface to Seeing Dong Shaonan Off to Hebei' about the land of passionate men. '晴髻' draws on the poetic tradition of comparing peaks to hair buns, as in Su Shi's poems. '临洺驿' is a real historical site, naturally implying rise and fall. The whole poem uses geographical references to wrap the sorrow of travel, typical of Chen's bold style.
《点绛唇·夜宿临洺驿》用典在“临洺驿”“赵魏燕韩”。“临洺驿”写临洺关（今河北永年，战国赵地）；“赵魏燕韩”写战国四国之地（战乱之地）。全词以这些典故写夜宿临洺驿、怀古之悲，用典自然而苍凉自见，正是陈维崧词的笔法。
Commentary
Chen Weisong was the leader of the early Qing Yangxian school, known for his bold style learning from Su Shi and Xin Qiji. This poem, with its unique imagination and bleak atmosphere, is said to 'use grand language to write autumn sorrow, making a short lyric have the scale of a long piece'. Among his vast work, this 41-character piece vividly captures the desolation of Yan-Zhao and historical grief, often anthologized and considered a masterpiece of early Qing bold ci.
《点绛唇·夜宿临洺驿》是陈维崧词的名篇，也是清词中写怀古之悲的代表作。此词写夜宿临洺驿、怀古之悲，向为论者称道。论者多赏其山势的描摹与怀古之悲的苍凉——“晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪”写晴髻离离、山势如蝌蚪，苍凉之极；“稗花盈亩，一寸霜皮厚”写稗花盈亩、霜皮厚，更见其秋；“赵魏燕韩，历历堪回首”写赵魏燕韩、历历回首，尤见其慨；“悲风吼，临洺驿口，黄叶中原走”写悲风黄叶、中原走，尤见其悲。陈维崧为阳羡词派领袖，其词以豪放苍凉著称，此词正是其代表——以山势写怀古之悲，正是其词风。
Prosody
Line by line
晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪。
In the clear sky the hilltops stand like coiled hairpins, ridge on ridge; the range of the Taihang Mountains writhes like tadpoles.
晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪。
Under the clear sky the peaks stand out like coiled hairpins, ridge upon ridge; the Taihang range stretches on like tadpoles swimming.
首写晴髻离离、山势如蝌蚪，是全词写山势的起点。“晴髻离离”写晴髻离离——“晴髻离离”写晴日山峰如髻、离离可见——晴髻离离；“太行山势如蝌蚪”写山势如蝌蚪——“太行山势如蝌蚪”写太行山势如蝌蚪（连绵如蝌蚪游动）——太行山势如蝌蚪。二句写晴髻离离、山势如蝌蚪：晴髻离离，太行山势如蝌蚪。以“晴髻离离”写晴日山峰如髻、离离可见，以“太行山势如蝌蚪”写太行山势连绵如蝌蚪，正是陈维崧词写山势的起点——太行如髻，山势连绵。
The opening writes peaks like coiled hairpins and the range like tadpoles, the starting point of the ci's mountain scenery. In the clear sky the hilltops stand like coiled hairpins, ridge on ridge: hairpins the peaks under the sun, ridge on ridge their visible ranks. The range of the Taihang Mountains writhes like tadpoles: the Taihang range stretching like swimming tadpoles. Two lines: the peaks like hairpins in clear light, the Taihang range like tadpoles. Writing the sunlit peaks as hairpins and the writhing Taihang range, is the starting point of Chen Weisong's mountain writing: the Taihang like hairpins, the range stretching on.
稗花盈亩，一寸霜皮厚。
Barnyard grass flowers fill the fields; an inch of frost lies thick as rind.
稗花盈亩，一寸霜皮厚。
Barnyard grass bloom covers the acres; an inch of frost lies thick as a rind on the ground.
此二句写稗花盈亩、霜皮厚，是全词写秋野之景的深化。“稗花盈亩”写稗花盈亩——“稗花盈亩”写稗花盈满田亩——稗花盈亩；“一寸霜皮厚”写一寸霜皮厚——“一寸霜皮厚”写一寸霜皮之厚（秋霜）——一寸霜皮厚。二句写稗花盈亩、霜皮厚：稗花盈亩，一寸霜皮厚。以“稗花盈亩”写稗花盈田、田野荒芜，以“一寸霜皮厚”写秋霜一寸、霜皮之厚，正是陈维崧词写秋野之景的深化——稗花满地，霜厚如皮。
The two lines write barnyard flowers filling the acres and the thick frost, the deepening of the ci's autumn wilds. Barnyard grass flowers fill the fields: the flowers covering the acres. An inch of frost lies thick as rind: the autumn frost an inch deep, thick as a skin. Two lines: barnyard flowers over the fields, frost an inch thick. Writing the flowering weeds covering the wild, and the frost thick as rind, is the deepening of the autumn scene: weeds on every acre, frost thick as skin.
赵魏燕韩，历历堪回首。
The lands of Zhao, Wei, Yan, and Han rise clearly, fit for looking back upon.
赵魏燕韩，历历堪回首。
The old lands of Zhao, Wei, Yan, and Han lie clearly before the eyes, fit for looking back on.
此二句写赵魏燕韩、历历回首，是全词写怀古之悲的核心。“赵魏燕韩”写赵魏燕韩——“赵魏燕韩”写战国赵魏燕韩之地——赵魏燕韩；“历历堪回首”写历历回首——“历历堪回首”写历历在目、堪可回首——历历堪回首。二句写赵魏燕韩、历历回首：赵魏燕韩，历历堪回首。以“赵魏燕韩”写此地为战国四国旧地、兵争之地，以“历历堪回首”写历历在目、堪可回首之怀古，正是陈维崧词写怀古之悲的核心——战国旧地，历历回首。
The two lines write Zhao, Wei, Yan, and Han rising clearly, fit for looking back, the core of the ci's meditation on the past. Zhao, Wei, Yan, and Han: the old lands of the four Warring States kingdoms. Rise clearly, fit for looking back: clearly before the eyes, fit for remembrance. Two lines: the four old kingdoms, clearly to be remembered. Writing this place as the old warring lands of Zhao, Wei, Yan, Han, and the clear prospect fit for retrospective thought, is the core of the ci's historical grief: the old battlelands, remembered in every detail.
悲风吼，临洺驿口，黄叶中原走。
The grieving wind roars at the gate of the Linming post station; yellow leaves scurry across the Central Plain.
悲风吼，临洺驿口，黄叶中原走。
The sorrowful wind howls at the gateway of the Linming post; yellow leaves go scudding across the Central Plain.
末写悲风吼、黄叶中原走，是全词写苍凉之悲的归结。“悲风吼，临洺驿口”写悲风吼、临洺驿口——“悲风吼”写悲风怒吼，“临洺驿口”写临洺驿口——悲风吼于临洺驿口；“黄叶中原走”写黄叶中原走——“黄叶中原走”写黄叶在中原飘走——黄叶中原走。三句写悲风吼、黄叶中原走：悲风吼，临洺驿口，黄叶中原走。以“悲风吼，临洺驿口”写悲风怒吼于临洺驿口，以“黄叶中原走”写黄叶在中原飘走之苍凉，正是陈维崧词写苍凉之悲的归结——悲风黄叶，中原苍茫。
The close writes the grieving wind roaring and yellow leaves scudding across the plain, the conclusion of the ci's desolation. The grieving wind roars at the gate of the Linming post station: the sorrowful wind howling, the Linming post the station's gate. Yellow leaves scurry across the Central Plain: the yellow leaves driven across the central land. Three lines: the grieving wind howls at the Linming gate, yellow leaves scud across the plain. Writing the sad wind howling at the post gate, and the yellow leaves driven across the Central Plain, is the conclusion of the desolation: grieving wind and yellow leaves, the plain vast and forlorn.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
陈维崧《醉落魄·咏鹰》咏鹰言志、抒壮志难酬，与本首同为陈维崧词。差异在主题：点绛唇夜宿临洺驿写怀古之悲；醉落魄咏鹰写咏鹰言志。一写“古”之悲，一写“志”之慨。两者并读，可见陈维崧词豪放苍凉的两种主题。
满江红·秋日经信陵君祠 Manjianghong: Passing the Shrine of Lord Xinling on an Autumn Day 陈维崧 · 同为陈维崧词写怀古，一写夜宿临洺驿一写经信陵君祠，皆苍凉 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
陈维崧《满江红·秋日经信陵君祠》写经信陵君祠怀古，与本首同为陈维崧词写怀古。差异在对象：点绛唇夜宿临洺驿写临洺驿；满江红经信陵君祠写信陵君祠。一写“驿”之怀，一写“祠”之慨。两者并读，可见陈维崧词写怀古的两种对象。
贺新郎·纤夫词 Congratulations to the Bridegroom: Song of the Boat Trackers 陈维崧 · 同为陈维崧词写悲慨，一写夜宿怀古一写纤夫之苦，皆苍凉 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
陈维崧《贺新郎·纤夫词》写纤夫拉纤之苦，与本首同为陈维崧词。差异在主题：点绛唇夜宿临洺驿写怀古之悲；贺新郎纤夫词写民瘼之苦。一写“古”之悲，一写“民”之苦。两者并读，可见陈维崧词写悲慨的两种主题。