All poems

清 Qing · 词 Ci lyric

金缕曲·酬容若见赠次原韵

Gold Thread Song: Replying to Rongruo, Matching His Rhyme

顾贞观

Gu Zhenguan

友情Friendship 酬赠Theme 满清词坛Theme

且住为佳耳。
任相猜、驰笺紫阁，曳裾朱第。
不是世人皆欲杀，争显怜才真意。
容易得、一人知己。
惭愧王孙图报薄，只千金、当洒平生泪。
曾不直，一杯水。
歌残击筑心欲醉。
忆当年、侯生垂老，始逢无忌。
亲在许身犹未得，侠烈今生已已。
但结托、来生休悔。
俄顷重投胶在漆，似旧曾、相识屠沽里。
名预籍，石函记。

Better to stay a while. Let them suspect, sending notes to the purple tower, trailing hems in vermilion halls.
Were it not that the world all wished to kill me, how could his true care for talent show?
How rare it is to gain - one bosom friend.
I am ashamed my repayment to the noble youth is slight; only a thousand gold could spill the tears of a lifetime. It was not worth - a cup of water.
The song ended, striking the zhu I am near drunk. I recall those years: old Hou Sheng, late in life, first met Wuji.
With parents living I could not yet give myself; this life's gallant ardor is now spent.
But bind our pledge - in the next life, no regret.
In a moment we are again as glue to lacquer - as if of old we had known each other among the butchers and wine-sellers.
Our names are enrolled in the register; in the stone casket recorded.

Listen

Meaning

Gu Zhenguan thanks his patron Nalan Xingde for true friendship, swearing brotherhood to the next life.

暂且留下为好罢了。任凭旁人猜疑、往来书信于紫禁宫阁、奔走于朱门府第。若不是世人都想要加害于你，又怎显出你怜才的一片真意。轻易便得、一位知心知己。可叹我愧对王孙厚恩、报答太薄，唯有以千金、抛洒平生的感激之泪。这点情意，竟抵不过一杯清水。歌声唱残、击筑之声中心已醉。追忆当年、侯生垂老，方才逢遇信陵无忌。双亲健在、许身报国犹未能，侠烈之志此生已矣。只愿托付来生、莫教后悔。顷刻间又成胶漆相投，好似旧时、曾相识于屠狗卖浆的市井里。姓名已预入知己之籍，铭记于石函之中。

Appreciation

Gu answers rank with gratitude: the world's suspicion only proves Rongruo's sincerity, and one true friend outweighs a thousand gold. Glue and lacquer now, and - he prays - still among the tavern folk in a next life.

【白话串讲】顾贞观和纳兰性德：“且住为佳耳。任相猜、驰笺紫阁，曳裾朱第”。“不是世人皆欲杀，争显怜才真意”——“容易得、一人知己”——他叹知音难得。“歌残击筑心欲醉”——两人以词相交，是清代词坛的佳话。【意象与手法】上片从“且住为佳耳”的劝留起笔，点出世人猜忌与容若独怜才士的真心，“一人知己”四字道尽布衣士子对权门公子的最高认可；下片用侯生、无忌典故，将纳兰比作礼贤下士的信陵君，自比老而遇主的侯嬴，又以“亲在许身未得”写尽忠孝难两全的隐痛，结以“投胶在漆、相识屠沽”的平等相知。不作绮语，以散文之气行乎长调，慷慨磊落。【情感与主旨】依纳兰《金缕曲·赠梁汾》原韵奉答之作，写二人跨越门第的生死知己之情，有苏轼、辛弃疾之遗风，是清词中抒写友情的一篇至情之作。【名句点睛】常考“容易得、一人知己”以四字写知音难觅；“不是世人皆欲杀，争显怜才真意”以反差写容若独怜才士。

Background

Gu Zhenguan (1637-1714) wrote this in answer to Nalan Xingde (Rongruo), who had befriended and patronized him despite rank. The two became the most famous 'bosom friends' of Qing letters.

顾贞观，字华峰，号梁汾，无锡人，清初重要词人，与纳兰性德、曹贞吉并称京华三绝。纳兰性德，字容若，大学士明珠之子，出身相门却厌弃富贵、倾心文士。康熙十五年，二十二岁的纳兰初识已届中年的顾贞观，一见恨晚，遂填《金缕曲·赠梁汾》以题其小像，极道知己之契。顾贞观此词即为次韵奉答。彼时顾贞观正为营救流放宁古塔的挚友吴兆骞奔走，纳兰慨然承诺援手，二人遂结下超越年龄与门第的深厚交谊。词中一人知己、王孙图报等语，正是对纳兰不以贵凌贱、倾心相待的由衷感念，亦可视为清初满汉士人相知的一段佳话。有清一代，满汉畛域甚严，而二人交契纯以文章气节相许，尤为难得，故后世读此词，每为门第之外的真性情所动。梁汾此词在当时即已传诵，时人比之钟期伯牙之遇，以为布衣得此相门知己，足慰平生。其后纳兰果践援救吴兆骞之诺，出资输力，终使汉槎生还，更见二人之契非徒文字，乃生死以之。清词中酬赠之作夥矣，能如此真切磊落者鲜。纳兰于顾贞观初见即许以生死交，且终其一生践之，此种门第之外的赤诚，在清代满汉之间尤显珍贵，故词虽酬答，实已开一代知己之风。

Art

A letter in lyric form: defends the friendship against gossip, declares the rarity of one true friend, and closes on the 'glue and lacquer' bond reaching even into taverns - class dissolved by loyalty.

此词艺术之妙，首在长调中运以散文之气，不事雕琢而势如转丸。上片起句且住为佳耳，以浅近口语截然而住，似对纳兰殷勤相留的应答，亲切如面谈；继以任相猜领起三句，于对比中见容若待士之诚。不是世人皆欲杀，争显怜才真意，用反跌法，以世人之忌衬一人之真，笔力矫健。下片歌残击筑心欲醉，忽作苍凉之调，借荆轲、高渐离击筑悲歌的意象定下慷慨底色。全词用典密而化之无痕，侯生无忌、投胶在漆皆随手驱遣，却血脉贯通。结句名预籍、石函记，以虚写实，把知己之情托于金石之誓，余味邈然。其风格嵚崎磊落，诚如时人所评不啻坡老稼轩，于清词绮靡之风外别开一生面。顾词之妙，尤在情与笔相称：以疏宕之笔写沉挚之情，故虽用侯生无忌、投胶在漆诸典，读来仍觉肝膈毕露，不落书袋。上片多对面劝留之语，下片多自家身世之慨，由客及主、由今及古，章法暗合赠答之体，而气脉直如奔泉，是长调中难能之畅。长调最忌散漫，此词却以且住、不是、容易、惭愧、歌残、忆当年、亲在、但、俄顷、名预诸语如串珠，读来一气旋折，是驾驭篇幅的老手手段。

Allusions

Hou Sheng and Wuji recall the loyal retainer Hou Ying and Lord Xinling of the Warring States. 'Purple tower, vermilion halls' the noble's mansion. 'Glue and lacquer' the classical image of inseparable friends. Butchers and wine-sellers, the common world where true bond feels ancient.

词中故实多关战国养士之风。侯生垂老始逢无忌，用《史记·魏公子列传》侯嬴事：侯嬴为魏都夷门监者，年已老，信陵君无忌执辔迎之，尊为上客，后为之策划窃符救赵，北乡自刭以报。顾贞观以此自况，以纳兰比信陵之能下士，谦己为老而遇主之侯生。亲在许身犹未得，化用《史记·刺客列传》豫让士为知己者死，然以双亲在堂、许身报国未能，道出忠孝两难之实境，较古人之决绝更多一重人子之诚。投胶在漆用《古诗》以胶投漆中，谁能别离此，喻交契之密。相识屠沽里则呼应上片曳裾朱第，表明二人相知不在朱门而在屠狗卖浆的平等心性。故实皆围绕知己主题，渊源有自而运用一新，诚为用典之善者。词用战国养士故实，而精神实近春秋然诺之义。豫让国士之报、侯嬴北乡之刭、荆高击筑之悲，皆古人重然诺、轻生死之证；顾贞观引以自况，正欲表明受恩必报、来生犹结之志。屠沽一语尤可玩，不以贵贱论交，乃此词骨子里最平等、最珍贵处。投胶在漆喻交契，相识屠沽言平等，二者一雅一俗而同归于真，正见顾词不避市井语、转以真率胜绮靡的取向，与纳兰之雅恰成互补。

Commentary

A central document of Qing friendship poetry; its sincerity and the pair's story made it famous. The 'one bosom friend' line is oft-quoted.

上片且住为佳耳至曳裾朱第，写纳兰虽处紫阁朱第之贵，却肯驰笺相招、屈尊交士，而世人或相猜忌，反衬出这份交情的不易。不是世人皆欲杀，争显怜才真意，以杜甫世人皆欲杀，吾意独怜才之句反用其意，说明正因举世猜嫌，才愈显容若怜才之真。容易得、一人知己，是布衣对相门公子的最高回报，平淡语中藏深沉感激。惭愧王孙图报薄数句，自谦报恩无术，惟以平生泪酬千金义，曾不直一杯水更以杯水之轻反衬情义之重。下片歌残击筑心欲醉，转入悲壮，借荆高击筑之象写知己相逢的痛快与苍凉。忆当年侯生垂老始逢无忌，明揭用典本旨。亲在许身犹未得，侠烈今生已已，写壮志未酬、忠孝难全之恨。但结托来生休悔，俄顷重投胶在漆，则由恨转笃，谓此生虽憾，来世仍结，顷刻间便如胶漆相投、如旧识屠沽。名预籍、石函记收束，把情谊托于金石永誓，情至而文老。细味全篇，上片之且住为佳是劝，不是世人皆欲杀是慰，容易得一人知己是谢，惭愧王孙图报薄是愧，四层语意环转相生；下片歌残击筑是慨，侯生垂老是忆，亲在许身是恨，结托来生是笃，名预籍石函记是誓。一劝一慰、一谢一愧、一慨一忆、一恨一笃，情致层叠而无冗沓，诚为至情之文。全词以真字为髓：真意、真知己、真泪、真愧、真结托，层层皆真，故能不为典实所掩。后世读之，但觉纸上犹有肝胆之气，是酬赠词中稀有之格。

Prosody

Reading note A lyric-epistle of rare emotional frankness; cornerstone of the Nalan-Gu friendship legend.《金缕曲》即《贺新郎》，双调一百十六字，上下片各十句六仄韵，此词依纳兰原韵次韵而作，用韵严整。上片韵脚耳、第、意、己、泪、水，下片韵脚醉、忌、已、悔、里、记，皆押仄声韵，多属上声与去声相间的激越之调，与词中慷慨磊落的情感相协。句式以三、四、五、六言错落组合，长句如任相猜、驰笺紫阁，曳裾朱第以领字带逗，短句如且住为佳耳、名预籍、石函记斩截有力。次韵之难在于韵字既定而文意须畅，顾贞观能于拘束中挥洒自如，上片多议论而下片多叙事，张弛有度，可见其驾驭长调的功力。清词之长调至此，已脱明人粗率，而复归苏辛沉郁。

Line by line

不是世人皆欲杀，争显怜才真意。

Were it not that the world all wished to kill me, how could his true care for talent show?

Were it not that the world would have killed him outright, how would his true feeling for talent have stood so clearly revealed?

这两句以反跌之法写尽纳兰性德的可贵。世人皆欲杀本出杜甫赠李白诗句，原写李白遭际，此处借指世俗对才士的猜忌排挤；正因举世如此，容若独能怜才、不以门第骄人，其真意才愈发显豁。争字作怎、如何解，带出反问的劲气。顾贞观作为久处下位、屡遭白眼的文人，对此体会极深：真正的知己不在顺境中锦上添花，而在众皆侧目时雪中送炭。这两句表面写容若，实则也是布衣士子对权门中罕见真心的由衷礼赞，是全词情感的逻辑支点。

The two lines, by way of a reversal, write to the full what is rare in Nalan Xingde. The world would have killed him comes from Du Fu's poem to Li Bai, originally of Li Bai's lot; here it borrows the world's suspicion and exclusion of the gifted. Precisely because all the world is so, Rongneng's alone ability to cherish talent, never arrogant with his rank, makes his true feeling shine the clearer. The word how reads as how, in what way, carrying the force of the rhetorical question. Gu Zhenguan, a scholar long in low station, repeatedly spurned, knows this to the bone: the true friend does not add flowers to the brocade in fair weather, but sends charcoal in snow when all the world looks askance. The two lines write Rongruo on the surface, yet in truth are the commoner scholar's heartfelt tribute to the rare sincerity found in a great house; they are the logical fulcrum of the ci's feeling.

容易得、一人知己。

How rare it is to gain - one bosom friend.

So easily gained — one single friend who knows the heart.

仅七字而力重千钧。容易得三字看似轻巧，实则饱含半生寥落的反衬——顾贞观中年才遇纳兰，此前知音零落，故这一人来得何其艰难，偏说容易，是历经沧桑后的释然与珍重。一人知己语本《汇报》知己一人足矣之意，亦近鲁迅人生得一知己足矣之叹。在等级森严的清代，布衣与相门公子的相知本属破格，词人却以淡语出之，愈显其情之醇。这五字既是上片的小结，也是全词题眼，统摄了惭愧图报与投胶在漆的全部感激与契合。

But seven characters, and the weight of a thousand jun. The words so easily gained seem light, yet they carry the contrast of a lifetime's loneliness — Gu Zhenguan met Nalan only in middle age, and before that his kindred spirits had scattered; hence this one man came with what difficulty, and he yet says easily, the relief and treasuring of one who has weathered the years. One single friend who knows the heart descends from the saying that one friend in all the world is enough, and is near Lu Xun's sigh that one true friend in life is enough. In the rank-rigid Qing, the understanding between a commoner and a prime minister's son was itself an exception; the poet speaks it in plain words, and the more the feeling shows its purity. The five characters are at once the summary of the first stanza and the thematic eye of the ci, commanding all the gratitude and attunement of the shame at repayment and the glue in lacquer that follow.

俄顷重投胶在漆，似旧曾、相识屠沽里。

In a moment we are again as glue to lacquer - as if of old we had known each other among the butchers and wine-sellers.

In a moment our bond was glued, lacquer to lacquer again; as if we had known each other of old, among the butchers and wine-sellers.

这两句写二人契合之速与契合之深。投胶在漆用古诗以胶投漆中之喻，言其不可分；俄顷重三字强调这种密契竟在顷刻间重新达成，仿佛久别重逢。似旧曾、相识屠沽里更妙，屠沽指屠狗卖浆的市井之徒，本与朱第紫阁对立，词人却说二人虽分处贵贱，相知却如在屠沽间平等相识般自然坦白。这一笔把跨越门第的知己之情写得毫无牵强，既呼应上片曳裾朱第的贵介场景，又以屠沽的朴野反衬真情之不加文饰，是全词最见性情之处。

The two lines write the speed and depth of the two's attunement. Glue, lacquer to lacquer uses the old poem's metaphor of glue thrown into lacquer, saying the bond cannot be divided; the words in a moment again emphasize that this closeness was re-forged in an instant, as if after a long separation. As if we had known each other of old, among the butchers and wine-sellers is still more exquisite: butchers and wine-sellers mean the market-folk of low trades, properly opposed to the mansions and purple halls; yet the poet says that, though the two stand apart in rank, their understanding was as natural and frank as if they had met as equals among the butchers. The stroke writes the friendship crossing rank without the least strain, answering at once the first stanza's scene of the noble youth in the great house, and setting the rustic plainness of the market against the true feeling unadorned; it is where the ci shows most of the man's heart.

Study

Word focus

怜才 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 怜才二字是理解全词乃至纳兰为人的钥匙。怜非怜悯之哀，而是爱惜、珍重之意；才则指顾贞观辈的文才与风骨。在清代满汉畛域、门第森严的背景下，一位相门公子能不以富贵骄人、反去爱惜沦落才士，实属难得。词人将此置于世人皆欲杀的对照中，使怜才二字分量骤增：它不是泛泛的雅好风雅，而是逆着世俗偏见的选择。也正因容若的怜才出于真心，顾贞观才肯以一生知己、来生结托相报。一词而见人格，一词而系全篇。

图报薄 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 图报薄即图谋报答之心太薄、太轻。王孙指纳兰，顾贞观自惭受纳兰厚遇而无力回报，故云惭愧。此词妙在不说恩重难报的套语，而直剖一己之愧，反显其诚。只千金、当洒平生泪紧承其后，谓惟愿以平生感激之泪酬此千金之义，曾不直一杯水更以杯水之轻反衬情义之重不可称量。图报薄非真薄，而是自谦之辞，正见古人交友重义轻施、受恩知感的分寸。这一组词把受与报、愧与泪写得缠绵而峻洁，是友情词中极少有的坦荡。