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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

清平乐·题上卢桥

Qing Ping Yue — Written at the Shanglu Bridge

辛弃疾

Xin Qiji

山水Landscape 哲理Philosophy

清溪奔快,不管青山碍。
千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带。
古今陵谷茫茫,市朝往往耕桑。
此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡。

The clear stream rushes swift,
Heeding not the green hills that block it.
A thousand li of coiled, coiled level world —
Further adorned with stream and hills as sash and belt.
From ancient to now, mounds and valleys vast and vague;
The market and court so often turn to plough and mulberry.
This place is indeed a strategic glory —
As if it had known small risings and fallings.
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Meaning

The poet contemplates the landscape at Shanglu Bridge: a clear stream defying the hills, a vast level plain girdled by stream and mountain. He then reflects that through the ages hills become valleys and markets become farms — yet this very spot, seemingly, has witnessed its own small risings and fallings. A meditation on nature's permanence versus human transience.

清溪奔快,不管青山碍。千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带。古今陵谷茫茫,市朝往往耕桑。此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Xin Qiji's 'Qing Ping Yue — Written at the Shanglu Bridge': 'The clear stream rushes swift, heeding not the green hills that block it' — 'a thousand li of coiled, coiled level world — further adorned with stream and hills as sash and belt' — 'from ancient to now, mounds and valleys vast and vague; the market and court so often turn to plough and mulberry' — 'this place is indeed a strategic glory; as if it had known small risings and fallings.' He writes the Shanglu Bridge — this place is indeed a strategic glory, as if it had known small risings and fallings. [Imagery] The lyric writes stream-and-hills through historical meditation. The upper part writes the stream-and-hills: the clear stream rushes swift, heeding not the green hills; a thousand li coiled level world, further adorned with stream and hills — exhausting the stream's swiftness. The lower writes the historical meditation: from ancient to now mounds and valleys vast and vague, the market and court turn to plough and mulberry, this place a strategic glory, as if small risings and fallings — exhausting the stream-and-hills' historical meditation. The whole writes stream-and-hills through historical meditation, exhausting the stream's swiftness and the historical meditation. [Feeling] Xin Qiji wrote this on the stream-and-hills at Shanglu Bridge in Shangrao, Jiangxi. Idle there, he saw the clear stream rushing swift and the landscape's strategic glory, and felt the rise-fall of ages.

【白话串讲】 辛弃疾写《清平乐·题上卢桥》:“清溪奔快,不管青山碍”——“千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带”——“古今陵谷茫茫,市朝往往耕桑”——“此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡”——他写上卢桥——此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡。 【意象与手法】 此词写溪山,以怀古写溪山,是辛弃疾的名篇。上片写溪山:「清溪奔快,不管青山碍。千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带」写清溪奔快、不管青山碍、千里盘盘平世界——写尽溪山的奔快;下片写怀古:「古今陵谷茫茫,市朝往往耕桑。此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡」写古今陵谷茫茫、市朝往往耕桑、似曾小小兴亡——写尽溪山的怀古。全词以怀古写溪山,写尽溪山的奔快与溪山的怀古,是辛弃疾的代表作。 【情感与主旨】 此词写溪山,以怀古写溪山,是辛弃疾的名篇。此词写辛弃疾题咏上卢桥一带的溪山。上卢桥在江西上饶境内,溪山形胜。辛弃疾闲居上饶时游此,见清溪奔快、江山形胜,而生古今兴亡之慨。此词写溪山:清溪奔快,不管青山碍——写清溪奔快、不管青山碍,写尽溪水的奔快;千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带——写千里盘盘平世界、更著溪山襟带,写尽溪山的襟带;古今陵谷茫茫,市朝往往耕桑——写古今陵谷茫茫、市朝往往耕桑,写尽溪山的变迁;此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡——写此地居然形胜、似曾小小兴亡,写尽溪山的怀古。全词以怀古写溪山——那「清溪奔快」写尽溪山的奔快,「似曾小小兴亡」写尽溪山的怀古,写尽溪山的奔快与溪山的怀古,是理解辛弃疾写景词的重要篇章。 【名句点睛】 常考「清溪奔快,不管青山碍」写溪水的奔快;「此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡」写溪山的怀古;以及全词以怀古写溪山、以景写兴亡的手法。

Background

This lyric writes stream-and-hills through historical meditation, a famous piece by Xin Qiji. Xin Qiji (1140–1207), styled You-an, hao Jia-xuan, from Licheng (modern Jinan, Shandong), was a Southern Song lyricist, paired with Su Shi as 'Su-Xin,' representative of the bold lyric. The lyric was written on the stream-and-hills at Shanglu Bridge in Shangrao, Jiangxi. Idle there, Xin saw the clear stream rushing swift and the landscape's strategic glory, and felt the rise-fall of ages. The upper part writes the stream's swiftness; the lower the historical meditation — from scene to antiquity, exactly the historical-meditation lyric's 'mediate on antiquity from the scene.'

此词写溪山,以怀古写溪山,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」,为豪放词派代表。此词写辛弃疾题咏上卢桥一带的溪山。上卢桥在江西上饶境内,溪山形胜。辛弃疾闲居上饶时游此,见清溪奔快、江山形胜,而生古今兴亡之慨。此词写溪山:「清溪奔快,不管青山碍」写清溪奔快、不管青山碍——写尽溪水的奔快(清溪奔快,不管青山碍);「千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带」写千里盘盘平世界、更著溪山襟带——写尽溪山的襟带(千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带);「古今陵谷茫茫,市朝往往耕桑」写古今陵谷茫茫、市朝往往耕桑——写尽溪山的变迁(古今陵谷茫茫,市朝往往耕桑);「此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡」写此地居然形胜、似曾小小兴亡——写尽溪山的怀古(此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡)。全词以怀古写溪山,写尽溪山的奔快与溪山的怀古,是理解辛弃疾写景词的重要篇章。

Art

The lyric's art can be read in four aspects. First, swiftness for the stream: 'the clear stream rushes swift, heeding not the green hills that block it' writes the stream's rushing. Second, exposition for the strategic form: 'a thousand li of coiled, coiled level world — further adorned with stream and hills as sash and belt' writes the landscape's form. Third, contrast for the change: 'the market and court so often turn to plough and mulberry' writes the change through contrast. Fourth, direct statement for the historical meditation: 'as if it had known small risings and fallings' writes the rise-fall feeling directly. Moreover the upper part writes the stream's swiftness, the lower the historical meditation, from scene to antiquity — the historical-meditation lyric's 'mediate on antiquity from the scene.' Especially notable is 'heeding not' writing the stream's stubbornness — 'heeding not the green hills that block it' personifies the stream defying the hills' obstruction, one 'heeding not' exhausting the stream's unrestrained boldness, alsoimplies the poet's own breast. And the stacked characters 'coiled, coiled,' 'vast and vague,' 'so often' — 'a thousand li coiled' writes the plain's extension, 'mounds and valleys vast and vague' writes the change's distance, 'market and court so often' writes the world's recurrence, stacked characters layering the exposition's depth.

此词的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一,以奔快写溪水。「清溪奔快,不管青山碍」以奔快写溪水——那「奔快」「不管青山碍」写尽溪水的奔流,以奔快写尽溪山的动感。其二,以铺陈写形胜。「千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带」以铺陈写形胜——那「千里盘盘」「溪山襟带」写尽溪山的形势,以铺陈写尽溪山的形胜。其三,以对照写变迁。「市朝往往耕桑」以对照写变迁——那「市朝」「耕桑」写尽市朝成田,以对照写尽溪山的变迁。其四,以直抒写怀古。「似曾小小兴亡」以直抒写怀古——那「小小兴亡」写尽兴亡的感慨,以直抒写尽溪山的怀古。此外,此词上片写溪山的奔快,下片写溪山的怀古,由景及古,正是怀古词「即景怀古」的写法。四重手法,使此词以怀古写溪山,写尽溪山的奔快与溪山的怀古,是辛弃疾的代表作。此词还善于以「不管」二字写溪水的倔强——那「不管青山碍」以拟人写溪水不顾青山之阻,一个「不管」写尽溪水的奔放不羁,也暗含词人自写怀抱的意味。又善以「盘盘」「茫茫」「往往」的叠字写景象——「千里盘盘」写原野的绵延,「陵谷茫茫」写变迁的渺远,「市朝往往」写世事的反复,叠字层出,正见其铺陈的深致。

Allusions

The lyric's language is deep in the stream-and-hills and historical-meditation tradition. 'Clear stream rushes swift' recalls the clear-stream image — also 'the stream flows east'; 'green hills block' recalls the green-hills image — also Xin's 'green hills cannot bar it, after all it flows east'; 'sash and belt' recalls the strategic-form image — the ancients took hills-and-rivers as sash and belt; 'mounds and valleys' recalls the change image — the Shi jing 'high banks become valleys, deep valleys become hills,' also 'the sea becomes mulberry fields'; 'market and court' recalls the market-and-court image — the Zhan Guo Ce 'those who contend for fame are at the court, those for profit at the market'; 'plough and mulberry' the farming image. The whole transforms clear stream, green hills, sash and belt, mounds and valleys, market and court, plough and mulberry imagery — Xin's 'bold yet skilled at historical meditation' with the stream-and-hills tradition. 'Mounds and valleys' comes from the Shi jing 'high banks become valleys, deep valleys become hills,' writing terrain's violent change, later used for the world's vicissitudes; Xin's 'from ancient to now mounds and valleys vast and vague' writes the stream-and-hills' change, continuing this allusion. And 'market and court' from the Zhan Guo Ce, writing the human arena of fame and gain; 'the market and court so often turn to plough and mulberry' writes that former markets and courts are now farms — exactly the 'sea becomes mulberry fields' portrait.

此词的用语深植于溪山与怀古的传统。「清溪奔快」令人想到「清溪奔快」写溪水的意象——也令人想到「溪水东流」的意象;「青山碍」令人想到「青山碍」写青山的意象——也令人想到「青山遮不住,毕竟东流去」(辛弃疾)的意象;「襟带」令人想到「襟带」写形势的意象——古人以山河为襟带,也令人想到「山河襟带」的意象;「陵谷」令人想到「陵谷」写变迁的意象——《诗经》「高岸为谷,深谷为陵」,也令人想到「沧海桑田」的意象;「市朝」令人想到「市朝」写市朝的意象——《战国策》「争名者于朝,争利者于市」,也令人想到「市朝变迁」的意象;「耕桑」令人想到「耕桑」写农桑的意象——也令人想到「春耕秋收」的意象。全词化用清溪、青山、襟带、陵谷、市朝、耕桑的意象,以怀古写溪山,正是辛弃疾「豪放」而善怀古、承溪山传统写兴亡的本领。「陵谷」出自《诗经·小雅·十月之交》「高岸为谷,深谷为陵」,写地形的剧变,后用以喻世事沧桑;辛弃疾以「古今陵谷茫茫」写溪山的变迁,正承此典。又「市朝」出自《战国策》「争名者于朝,争利者于市」,以市朝写人间名利之场,而「市朝往往耕桑」写当年的市朝今成耕桑之地,正是「沧海桑田」的写照。

Commentary

This lyric has long been praised as a famous scenic lyric by Xin Qiji and a representative Southern Song lyric on stream-and-hills historical meditation. Critics rate it highly: a Qing reader called it 'stream-and-hills through historical meditation, deep and grave yet broad'; a modern notes 'this place is indeed a strategic glory; as if it had known small risings and fallings' as a famous line. Its special value: in the double-tune Qing Ping Yue it exhausts the stream's swiftness and the historical meditation — the clear stream, the green hills, the thousand-li coiled, the sash and belt, the mounds and valleys, the market and court, the plough and mulberry, the strategic glory, the small risings and fallings — all Xin's Shanglu Bridge; 'as if it had known small risings and fallings' ends the historical meditation with direct statement. It pairs with Xin's 'Yong Yu Le (Beigu Pavilion, Jingkou, on historical meditation)' ('a thousand years of rivers and hills') as historical-meditation masterpieces — one writes 'golden armor and iron horse, qi swallows ten-thousand-li like a tiger' at Beigu Pavilion (Yong Yu Le), one writes 'as if it had known small risings and fallings' at Shanglu Bridge (Qing Ping Yue); one heroes, one hills-and-rivers. It continues Zhang Ruo-xu's 'river-side, who first saw the moon' time-space thinking — showing the Chinese literary tradition of writing hills-and-rivers and rise-fall. For today's reader it is a window onto Xin's scenic lyrics and a classic of Chinese stream-and-hills verse — that rushing clear stream still speaks, across millennia, the small risings and fallings.

此词历来被推为辛弃疾写景词的名篇,也是南宋词写溪山怀古的代表。历代论者对此词评价极高:清人评此词「以怀古写溪山,沉郁之中有旷达」;近人更指出「此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡」写溪山的怀古,是此词的名句。在词史上,此词的特殊价值在于:它以双调的清平乐写尽溪山的奔快与溪山的怀古——那清溪,那青山,那千里盘盘,那襟带,那陵谷,那市朝,那耕桑,那形胜,那小小兴亡,都写尽了辛弃疾笔下的上卢桥;那「似曾小小兴亡」更以直抒写尽溪山的怀古。此词与辛弃疾《永遇乐·京口北固亭怀古》(「千古江山」)同为怀古名篇,一写「金戈铁马,气吞万里如虎」的北固亭(永遇乐),一写「似曾小小兴亡」的上卢桥(清平乐);又与张若虚「江畔何人初见月」的时空之思一脉相承,可见中国文学写山水兴亡的传统。对于今日读者,此词是理解辛弃疾写景词的窗口,也是中国词写溪山的经典——那奔快的清溪,穿越千年,仍在诉说着小小的兴亡。

Prosody

Form Lyric (ci) — Qing Ping Yue (Pure Serene Music)词·清平乐
Rhyme The upper stanza rhymes on ai, dai — oblique tone; the lower on sang, wang — level tone; level-oblique tone-switch, a spacious, undulating music.上片押仄韵「碍」「带」,下片押平韵「桑」「亡」,平仄换韵,音节疏宕
Tone pattern This is the Qing Ping Yue tune; the upper stanza rhymes oblique, the lower level — level-oblique tone-switch, a spacious music fitting the historical meditation's expansiveness.此词为清平乐词牌,上片押仄韵、下片押平韵,平仄换韵,音节疏宕,正合怀古的疏宕。
Reading note Qing Ping Yue is a double-tune of 46 characters. Upper: 'The clear stream rushes swift, heeding not the green hills that block it. A thousand li of coiled, coiled level world — further adorned with stream and hills as sash and belt.' Lower: 'From ancient to now, mounds and valleys vast and vague; the market and court so often turn to plough and mulberry. This place is indeed a strategic glory; as if it had known small risings and fallings.' The upper rhymes oblique (ai, dai), the lower level (sang, wang) — level-oblique tone-switch, a spacious music. The whole writes stream-and-hills through historical meditation: upper the stream's swiftness (clear stream rushing swift, further adorned with stream and hills), lower the historical meditation (from ancient to now mounds and valleys vast and vague, as if small risings and fallings). The double short lyric first writes swiftness, then historical meditation, ending with 'as if it had known small risings and fallings' to exhaust the stream-and-hills' historical meditation — exactly Xin's 'bold yet able to meditate on antiquity' nature. Read it with a spacious tone on 'the clear stream rushes swift,' a low, returning tone on 'as if it had known small risings and fallings,' the closing line spacious with lingering resonance, to convey Xin's deep, broad detachment. Xin's lyrics are famed for 'bold'; this is a model of his scenic historical-meditation lyrics.此词为《清平乐》双调,上片四句、下片四句,共四十六字——「清溪奔快,不管青山碍。千里盘盘平世界,更著溪山襟带。古今陵谷茫茫,市朝往往耕桑。此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡」,上片押仄韵(碍、带),下片押平韵(桑、亡),平仄换韵,音节疏宕。全词以怀古写溪山:上片写溪山的奔快(清溪奔快、更著溪山襟带),下片写溪山的怀古(古今陵谷茫茫、似曾小小兴亡)。双调短章,上写奔快,下写怀古,以「似曾小小兴亡」写尽溪山的怀古,正见辛弃疾「豪放」而能怀古的本色。诵读此词,宜以疏宕的语调读「清溪奔快」的溪山,以低回的语调读「似曾小小兴亡」的怀古,结句要读得疏宕而有余韵,方能传达出辛弃疾的沉郁旷达。辛弃疾词以「豪放」著称,此词正是其写景怀古词的典范。

Line by line

此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡

This place is indeed a strategic glory — / As if it had known small risings and fallings.

此地居然形胜,似曾小小兴亡。

This place, unexpectedly, is a site of strategic beauty; it seems to have known its little rises and falls.

此二句是全词写怀古的核心,以此地居然形胜写形胜,以似曾小小兴亡写兴亡,写尽溪山的怀古,是千古名句。「此地居然形胜」写此地居然形胜——那「此地居然」写此地居然,「形胜」写形胜,写尽此地的形胜;「似曾小小兴亡」写似曾小小兴亡——那「似曾」写似曾,「小小兴亡」写小小兴亡,写尽似曾的兴亡。这句的深意在于:它以「此地居然形胜」的形胜与「似曾小小兴亡」的兴亡,写尽溪山的怀古——此地居然形胜,那「此地居然形胜」写尽此地的形胜——此地居然形胜,正是对溪山的惊叹,那「形胜」写尽溪山的形势;似曾小小兴亡,那「似曾小小兴亡」写尽似曾的兴亡——似曾经历过小小的兴亡,正是对历史的遥想,那「小小兴亡」写尽溪山的变迁;那「此地居然形胜」写尽此地的形胜,那「似曾小小兴亡」写尽似曾的兴亡,一写形胜,一写兴亡,写尽溪山的怀古——形胜之地而似曾兴亡,正是对山川兴废的感慨;此二句以形胜、兴亡写尽溪山的怀古,也让此二句成为全词写怀古的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「这里以前也打过仗」,则失其含蓄;唯以「此地居然形胜」写形胜、「似曾小小兴亡」写兴亡,写尽溪山的怀古,也让此二句成为全词写怀古的核心。

The two lines are the core of the ci's meditation on the past, writing the scenic site through this place, unexpectedly, is a site of strategic beauty and the rise and fall through it seems to have known its little rises and falls, exhausting the stream-and-hill nostalgia, an immortal line. This place, unexpectedly, is a site of strategic beauty writes the surprise at this place and its strategic beauty. It seems to have known its little rises and falls writes the seeming and the small rise and fall. The deep meaning: through the scenic site and the rise and fall, the nostalgia of the stream and hills is exhausted — this place, unexpectedly, is a site of strategic beauty is precisely the wonder at the stream and hills; it seems to have known its little rises and falls is precisely the distant imagining of history, the small rise and fall writing the change of the hills. One writing the scenic site, one the rise and fall, exhausting the nostalgia of the stream and hills — a site of beauty that seems to have known its rise and fall, precisely the sigh over the rise and fall of mountains and rivers. The two lines write the nostalgia of the stream and hills through the scenic site and the rise and fall, making the lines the core of the nostalgia and an immortal line. Were it said plainly there was fighting here before, the restraint would be lost; only by writing the site through this place, unexpectedly, is a site of strategic beauty and the rise and fall through it seems to have known its little rises and falls, is the stream-and-hill nostalgia exhausted, making the lines the core of the nostalgia.

清溪奔快,不管青山碍

The clear stream rushes swift, / Heeding not the green hills that block it.

清溪奔快,不管青山碍。

The clear stream races on fast, not caring that the green mountains bar its way.

此二句是全词写溪水的核心,以清溪奔快写溪水,以不管青山碍写青山,写尽溪水的奔快,是千古名句。「清溪奔快」写清溪奔快——那「清溪」写清溪,「奔快」写奔快,写尽溪水的奔流;「不管青山碍」写不管青山碍——那「不管」写不管,「青山碍」写青山碍,写尽溪水的无碍。这句的深意在于:它以「清溪奔快」的溪水与「不管青山碍」的青山,写尽溪水的奔快——清溪奔快,那「清溪奔快」写尽溪水的奔流——清溪奔快,正是溪水湍急的写照,那「奔快」写尽溪水的动感;不管青山碍,那「不管青山碍」写尽溪水的无碍——不管青山阻碍,正是溪水奔流的写照,那「不管」写尽溪水的倔强;那「清溪奔快」写尽溪水的奔流,那「不管青山碍」写尽溪水的无碍,一写水,一写山,写尽溪水的奔快——清溪奔快而不顾青山,正是溪水奔流的写照;此二句以溪水、青山写尽溪水的奔快,也为下片的怀古作铺垫,也让此二句成为全词写溪水的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「溪水很快」,则失其气势;唯以「清溪奔快」写溪水、「不管青山碍」写青山,写尽溪水的奔快,也让此二句成为全词写溪水的核心。

The two lines are the core of the ci's writing of the stream, writing the water through the clear stream races on fast and the mountain through not caring that the green mountains bar its way, exhausting the racing of the stream, an immortal line. The clear stream races on fast writes the clear stream's rushing speed. Not caring that the green mountains bar its way writes the mountains' obstruction. The deep meaning: through the rushing stream and the barring mountain, the racing of the stream is exhausted — the clear stream races on fast is precisely the picture of the torrent; not caring that the green mountains bar its way is precisely the picture of the stream's unheeded rush, the not caring writing the stream's stubbornness. One writing the water, one the mountain, exhausting the racing of the stream — the clear stream rushing and not heeding the green mountains, precisely the picture of the torrent. The two lines write the racing stream through the stream and the mountain, and prepare the second stanza's meditation on the past, making the lines the core of the stream and an immortal line. Were it said plainly the water is very fast, the momentum would be lost; only by writing the water through the clear stream races on fast and the mountain through not caring that the green mountains bar its way, is the racing of the stream exhausted, making the lines the core of the stream.

Study

Word focus

奔快 In 'the clear stream rushes swift,' the phrase swift (ben kuai, 'rushing swift') is the key phrase writing the stream's flow. swift means flowing rapidly. Xin uses 'the clear stream rushes swift' to write the stream: the phrase carries two senses — first, the water's rushing: the clear stream rushing swift is the portrait of the torrent's urgency, exhausting the stream's dynamism; second, the speed of momentum: swift shows the current's swiftness, exhausting the stream's vitality. Using swift for the stream is the hinge of Xin's stream-and-hills — swap for torrential (tuan ji) or rushing (ben liu) and it loses thecoordinate with 'clear stream, heeding not the green hills that block it' or the sense of 'rushing swift'; only swift, with 'the clear stream rushes swift,' exhausts the stream's flow and the current's swiftness, joining 'heeding not the green hills that block it' to exhaust the stream's swiftness, making this line a famous stream phrase. 「清溪奔快」之「奔快」是写溪水的关键词,一个「奔快」写尽溪水的奔流。奔快者,奔流迅疾也。辛弃疾以「清溪奔快」写溪水,这个「奔快」至少有双重意味:其一,写水之奔——那「清溪奔快」写清溪奔快,那「奔快」写尽溪水的奔流——清溪奔快,正是溪水湍急的写照,那「奔快」写尽溪水的动感;其二,写势之快——那「奔快」更是写快——奔快,正见水势之迅疾,那「奔快」写尽溪水的生机。以「奔快」写溪水,正是辛弃疾写溪山的枢纽——若换作「湍急」「奔流」等词,则或失其与「清溪」「不管青山碍」的配合,或失其写奔快的意味;唯「奔快」二字,以清溪奔快写尽溪水的奔流与势的迅疾,与「不管青山碍」的不顾相合,写尽溪水的奔快,也让「清溪奔快」成为全词写溪水的名句。
小小 In 'as if it had known small risings and fallings,' the phrase tiny (xiao xiao, 'small / slight') is the key phrase writing the historical meditation. tiny means slight, insignificant. Xin uses 'as if it had known small risings and fallings' to write the historical meditation: the phrase carries two senses — first, the smallness of rise-fall: 'small risings and fallings' is the portrait of rise-fall's slightness, exhausting rise-fall's tininess; second, the lightness of feeling: tiny shows the feeling's light distance, exhausting the stream-and-hills' broad detachment. Using tiny for the historical meditation is the hinge of Xin's rise-fall writing — swap for several times (ji du) or how much (duo shao) and it loses thecoordinate with 'as if, rise-fall' or the sense of 'small'; only tiny, with 'as if it had known small risings and fallings,' exhausts rise-fall's slightness and the feeling's light distance, joining 'this place is indeed a strategic glory' to exhaust the stream-and-hills' historical meditation, making this line a famous historical-meditation phrase. 「似曾小小兴亡」之「小小」是写怀古的关键词,一个「小小」写尽兴亡的轻描淡写。小小者,轻微、不足道也。辛弃疾以「似曾小小兴亡」写怀古,这个「小小」至少有双重意味:其一,写兴亡之微——那「似曾小小兴亡」写似曾小小兴亡,那「小小」写尽兴亡的轻微——小小兴亡,正是以轻写重的写照,那「小小」写尽兴亡的渺小;其二,写感慨之淡——那「小小」更是写淡——小小,正见感慨的淡远,那「小小」写尽溪山的旷达。以「小小」写怀古,正是辛弃疾写兴亡的枢纽——若换作「几度」「多少」等词,则或失其与「似曾」「兴亡」的配合,或失其写小小的意味;唯「小小」二字,以似曾小小兴亡写尽兴亡的轻微与感慨的淡远,与「此地居然形胜」的形胜相合,写尽溪山的怀古,也让「似曾小小兴亡」成为全词写怀古的名句。

Related Reading

永遇乐·京口北固亭怀古 Yong Yu Le (Beigu Pavilion, Jingkou, on historical meditation) 辛弃疾 · 同辛弃疾怀古词,一北固亭一上卢桥 Both Xin historical-meditation lyrics — one at Beigu Pavilion, one at Shanglu Bridge

Xin Qiji's 'Yong Yu Le (Beigu Pavilion, Jingkou, on historical meditation)' — 'a thousand years of rivers and hills, no hero to be found, where Sun Zhong-mou dwelt. The dance pavilions and song terraces, all romanticism beaten by wind and rain' — writes historical meditation, a famous Xin piece. This 'Qing Ping Yue (Written at the Shanglu Bridge)' writes 'as if it had known small risings and fallings' as stream-and-hills historical meditation. Both are Xin historical-meditation lyrics: one writes 'golden armor and iron horse, qi swallows ten-thousand-li like a tiger' at Beigu Pavilion (Yong Yu Le), the other 'as if it had known small risings and fallings' at Shanglu Bridge (Qing Ping Yue); one heroes, one hills-and-rivers. Read together they show the large-and-small distinction of Xin's historical-meditation lyrics.

辛弃疾《永遇乐·京口北固亭怀古》「千古江山,英雄无觅,孙仲谋处。舞榭歌台,风流总被雨打风吹去」写怀古,是辛弃疾的名篇。此词《清平乐·题上卢桥》则「似曾小小兴亡」写溪山怀古。同为辛弃疾怀古词,一写「金戈铁马,气吞万里如虎」的北固亭(永遇乐),一写「似曾小小兴亡」的上卢桥(清平乐);一写英雄,一写山川。两词对读,可见辛弃疾怀古词的大小之别。

念奴娇·赤壁怀古 Nian Nu Jiao (Chibi Huai Gu) 苏轼 · 同写江山怀古,一大江东去一清溪奔快 Both write hills-and-rivers historical meditation — one great river east-flowing, one clear stream rushing swift

Su Shi's 'Nian Nu Jiao (Chibi Huai Gu)' — 'the great river east-flowing, its waves wash away the timeless figures' — writes hills-and-rivers historical meditation, a famous Su Shi piece. This 'Qing Ping Yue (Written at the Shanglu Bridge)' writes 'as if it had known small risings and fallings' as stream-and-hills historical meditation. Both write hills-and-rivers historical meditation: one 'great river east-flowing' at Chibi (Nian Nu Jiao), the other 'clear stream rushing swift' at Shanglu Bridge (Qing Ping Yue); one vast and grand, one clear and secluded. Read together they show two realms of Song lyric historical meditation.

苏轼《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》「大江东去,浪淘尽,千古风流人物」写江山怀古,是苏轼的名篇。此词《清平乐·题上卢桥》则「似曾小小兴亡」写溪山怀古。同为写江山怀古,一写「大江东去」的赤壁(念奴娇),一写「清溪奔快」的上卢桥(清平乐);一写壮阔,一写清幽。两词对读,可见宋词怀古的两种境界。