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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

蝶恋花·伫倚危楼

Butterfly in Love with Flowers: Leaning on the Tall Tower

柳永

Liu Yong

婉约Graceful and Restrained 离愁Parting Sorrow

伫倚危楼风细细，望极春愁，黯黯生天际。
草色烟光残照里，无言谁会凭阑意。
拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味。
衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。

Long I stand on the tall tower in the gentle breeze,
Gazing far into the spring sorrow, darkly rising from the horizon.
In the misty grass and sunset glow,
Silent, who understands my railing thoughts?

I try to drown my sorrows in wine and song,
But forced joy is tasteless and long.
My belt grows loose, yet I won't regret;
For her I waste away, and I'll be set.

Listen

Meaning

The poet stands long on the high tower, feeling the spring sorrow rising from the horizon. In the twilight landscape, no one understands his feelings. He tries to seek oblivion in drinking and singing, but finds no taste in forced pleasure. Yet he declares that he will not regret his wasting away for his beloved.

久久伫立在极高的楼台上，微风细细吹拂，极目远望，春日的愁绪从天边黯然升起。在草色青烟、落日余晖里，我默默无言，有谁能领会我倚栏的心意？本想放浪疏狂、图谋一醉，对着酒当着歌，勉强寻欢却仍觉无味。衣带渐渐宽松我也终不后悔，为了她，值得让人这般憔悴消瘦。

Appreciation

The first stanza depicts the poet leaning on the railing, spring sorrow rising from the horizon, and no one understanding his feelings. The second stanza describes his attempt to drown sorrow in wine, but forced joy is tasteless. The ending couplet 'My belt grows loose, yet I won't regret; for her I waste away' expresses unwavering devotion. The poem uses imagery of misty grass, sunset glow, and the lonely tower to convey deep longing. The famous line is quoted by Wang Guowei as the second realm for those pursuing great achievements.

【白话串讲】 “衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴”——柳永在楼上望春愁，人一天天瘦下去，却一点也不后悔。为一个人憔悴到衣带渐宽，是宋词里最深情的告白。【意象与手法】上片写景起情，「伫倚危楼」定点，「风细细」「望极」铺展空间，「黯黯生天际」将无形春愁化为有形、自天际弥漫，炼字精绝；「草色烟光残照里」以暮景烘愁，「无言谁会」写孤独。下片「拟把疏狂图一醉」三句以「强乐无味」反跌，愈见愁深；结以「衣带渐宽终不悔」二句，由抑转扬，以形销写情坚，刚健收束，余味无穷。【情感与主旨】此词为柳永婉约词代表作，约作于其漂泊异乡、怀念情人（或指代理想）之时。柳永一生困顿科场，长期流连市井、羁旅天涯，词多写离愁别恨与羁旅之思，此篇借登楼望远的春愁，抒写对远方所爱之人的刻骨相思，亦可视为才士不遇、执着理想之寄托。【名句点睛】常考「衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴」的痴情与执着（王国维引为人生三境界之第二境）；「黯黯生天际」将愁绪化虚为实的手法；「强乐还无味」的反衬作用。

Background

This poem is a representative work of Liu Yong's graceful and restrained ci poetry, written when he was wandering abroad, missing his beloved (or perhaps symbolizing his ideals). Liu Yong was frustrated in the imperial examinations, spending much of his time among the common people and traveling, so his ci often express parting sorrow and homesickness. This piece uses the spring sorrow from a tower view to express deep longing for a distant love, and can also be seen as a metaphor for the poet's persistence in his ideals. Liu Yong's style is known for blending popular language with elegance, but this poem is particularly subtle and profound.

此词为柳永婉约词代表作，约作于其漂泊异乡、怀念情人（或指代理想）之时。柳永（约987—1053），字耆卿，崇安人，出身仕宦之家而屡试不第，晚年方中进士，一生困顿科场，长期流连市井勾栏、羁旅天涯，自称「奉旨填词柳三变」。他的词多写离愁别恨与羁旅之思，善用铺叙白描，把市井细民的悲欢写得婉转细腻，故当时有「凡有井水饮处，即能歌柳词」之说。此篇借登楼望远的春愁，抒写对远方所爱之人的刻骨相思；亦有论者认为，词中「伊人」可视为才士不遇之叹的寄托，衣带渐宽、终不后悔的执着，正是柳永一生穷愁潦倒而痴心不改的写照。全词于缠绵悱恻之中见出刚健之力，是柳词中清空深婉、别具一格的名篇。又柳永词多作于漂泊羁旅之际，此词「危楼」「天际」「天涯」等意象反复出现，正见其一生辗转南北、有家难归的身世；而「衣带渐宽终不悔」的痴情，既可读作对情人的相思，亦可视为对功名理想的执着，双重意蕴正是柳词雅俗共赏的奥妙所在，也是此词历千载而传诵不衰的根本原因。

Art

The first stanza starts with scenery to evoke emotion: 'Leaning on the tall tower' sets the scene, 'gentle breeze' and 'gazing far' expand the space, 'darkly rising from the horizon' turns the intangible spring sorrow into a tangible mass spreading from heaven. 'Misty grass and sunset glow' uses twilight scenery to heighten the sorrow, 'no one understands' expresses loneliness. The second stanza uses 'try to drown sorrow in wine' three lines to contrast the deepening sorrow, then ends with the powerful couplet 'My belt grows loose...' which shifts from depression to strength. The poem is rich in emotional depth.

此词章法曲折，情景相生。上片写景起情：「伫倚危楼」先定点，一个「伫」字见久立之姿；「风细细」以微物写静，「望极」二字把视野推向天边；「春愁，黯黯生天际」是全片警策，将无形的春愁化为有形之物，仿佛愁绪自天际悄然升起、弥漫而来，炼字精绝；「草色烟光残照里」以暮景烘愁，「无言谁会凭阑意」直写孤独。下片转写排遣：「拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味」三句，欲醉而醉不成、强乐而乐无味，以反跌之法愈见愁深；结句「衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴」由抑转扬，以形销骨立写情坚志笃，语语斩钉截铁，刚健收束。全词由景入情、由情入志，层层推进，缠绵处见其婉，决绝处见其刚，是婉约词中难得的风骨兼备之作。全词上片以景起、下片以情结，中间以「拟把」「强乐」两度转折，欲醉而醉不成、欲乐而乐无味，层层反跌，把愁推到无可排遣的境地，然后以「终不悔」三字猛然翻起，如堤坝溃决，情感倾泻而出，章法之妙，直如一波三折，正是柳永长于铺叙、善写层次的本色。

Allusions

'My belt grows loose' alludes to the ancient poem 'Going on and on' from the Nineteen Old Poems: 'The days are far apart, my belt grows daily looser.' 'For her I pine' echoes the Chu Ci. 'Facing wine and song' borrows from Cao Cao's 'Short Song Style'. Liu Yong weaves classical allusions into popular ci, creating a masterpiece.

此词熔铸古诗乐府，而浑然无痕。「衣带渐宽」化用《古诗十九首·行行重行行》「相去日已远，衣带日已缓」及古乐府「离家日趋远，衣带日趋缓」之意，以衣带渐宽写相思消瘦，承其神而新其句；「为伊消得人憔悴」则把「消得」（值得、甘愿）二字注入痴情，翻出新境。「对酒当歌」直用曹操《短歌行》「对酒当歌，人生几何」成句，然曹诗以慷慨言志，柳词以强乐遣愁，用意迥异。「危楼」用李白《夜宿山寺》「危楼高百尺」之意，写楼之高峻。「黯黯」写愁云暗生，暗合楚辞「黯黯」之迷惘。柳永熔经史乐府入俚词，化用古句而不露痕迹，遂使全词既有民歌的明快，又有文人的深婉。又「草色烟光残照里」一句，草色、烟光、残照三景叠映，皆为暮色中迷离之象，与「黯黯生天际」的愁云上下呼应，写出春愁弥漫天地、无远弗届的况味；「残照」又暗含「夕阳西下」的迟暮之感，为下片「为伊消得人憔悴」的执着平添一层时光易逝的紧迫，意象经营，细密入微，非寻常言情之作可比。

Commentary

Wang Guowei in his 'Poetic Talks in the Human World' cites these lines as the second realm for those who achieve great deeds, symbolizing persistent pursuit. Song dynasty critics noted that Liu Yong's ci were sung everywhere. Modern critics often praise this poem for its depth of emotion within a restrained style.

此词历来评价极高。近人王国维《人间词话》谓「古今之成大事业、大学问者，必经过三种之境界」，而以「衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴」为第二境，喻执着追求、虽九死其犹未悔的精神，使此二句超出儿女私情，成为励志名言，其义蕴之深可见。宋人叶梦得《避暑录话》称柳词「凡有井水饮处，即能歌柳词」，可见其传播之广；然柳词自来被目为俚俗，此篇却清空深婉、骨力内含，论者遂推为柳永婉约词中「深婉中含刚健」的代表作。全词以登楼望远的寻常场景，写出刻骨铭心的相思与矢志不渝的执着，情真语挚，故能雅俗共赏、传诵不衰，是宋词中爱情题材的千古名篇。又此词结句「为伊消得人憔悴」自宋以来即脍炙人口，清人王士祯《花草蒙拾》称柳词「极哀艳」，王国维更引为人生三境界之第二境，由儿女情长升华为治学为业的执着精神，可见名句的生命力在于其意蕴的开放与多义；此词正是以情真语挚而赢得千古读者的共鸣，也是理解柳永「婉约」词风不可或缺的篇目。

Prosody

Form Ci, tune 'Butterfly in Love with Flowers', double stanza, 60 characters, each stanza four oblique rhymes词·《蝶恋花》，双调六十字，上下片各四仄韵。

Rhyme 细, 际, 里, 意, 醉, 味, 悔, 悴 (oblique tone, from rhyme groups zhi, wei, qi, hui)押仄声韵，细、际、里、意、醉、味、悔、悴，支微齐灰等部通押，一韵到底。

Tone pattern First stanza: emotion in scenery; second stanza: aspiration in emotion; the couplet 'My belt grows loose' is the highlight.《蝶恋花》又名《鹊踏枝》《凤栖梧》，双调六十字，上下片各五句四仄韵，句式以七、四、五字为主，长短错落。

Reading note A representative graceful and restrained ci; 'For her I waste away' is cited by Wang Guowei as the second realm.《蝶恋花》本为唐教坊曲，后用作词调，又名《鹊踏枝》《凤栖梧》，双调六十字，上下片各五句四仄韵，句式以七字句领起、四字句承接、五字句收束，长短错落，宜于婉转抒情。此词一韵到底，押仄声韵，细、际、里、意、醉、味、悔、悴八字皆仄声，声调低沉短促，恰合春愁压人、相思憔悴的情境。上片以「伫倚危楼」的七字句起，气势凝重，接以四字「望极春愁」顿挫，再以五字「黯黯生天际」徐徐展开，节奏由重而轻；下片「拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味」以七、四、五句式错落推进，如一波三折；结句「衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴」以七字对七字收束，音节铿锵，如金石掷地。全词声情相谐：低回处如泣如诉，决绝处斩钉截铁，婉约而不失骨力，是《蝶恋花》词调中最脍炙人口的佳作之一，王国维更引其结句为人生三境界之第二境，足见此词声情并茂的艺术魅力。

Line by line

伫倚危楼风细细，望极春愁，黯黯生天际。

Long I lean on the high tower, the breeze so fine; gaze to the end — the spring grief rises, dim, from the sky's edge.

久久伫立在极高的楼台上，微风细细吹拂，极目远望，春日的愁绪从天边黯然升起。

Long I stand leaning on the high tower, the fine breeze blowing; gazing to the farthest verge, the spring-sorrow rises dimly from the sky's edge.

起拍写登楼望远，点出全词的场景与情思。「伫倚危楼」写久久伫立、倚栏眺望的姿态，「伫」字见出时间之久、心绪之凝；「风细细」以微风点出春日氛围，也暗写登楼者内心的空寂。「望极春愁，黯黯生天际」是全片警策：极目远望，本欲遣怀，谁知那春愁竟自天边黯然升起，向心头弥漫——「黯黯」叠字写愁云暗生之态，「生天际」把无形的愁绪写得仿佛有来处、有去处，化虚为实，炼字精绝。以登楼望远的寻常动作，引出春愁自天际弥漫的奇想，起笔即见大家手段，为全词定下渺远浓重的基调。

The opening writes the tower-climb and distant gaze, marking the ci's scene and feeling. Long I lean on the high tower writes the long standing, the leaning gaze, the single long showing the time's length and the feeling's fixedness; the breeze so fine marks the spring air, secretly writing the climber's inner emptiness. Gaze to the end — the spring grief rises, dim, from the sky's edge is the stanza's warning stroke: gazing to the end, meaning to unburden the heart, and the spring grief rises dimly from the sky's edge, spreading toward the breast — the doubled dim writes the grief-cloud's secret rising, from the sky's edge writes the formless grief as if having a source and a destination, turning the virtual into the real, the word-craft exquisite. The ordinary action of the tower-climb and distant gaze leading to the wondrous thought of the spring grief spreading from the sky's edge, the master's hand at the opening, fixing the ci's distant, dense tone.

草色烟光残照里，无言谁会凭阑意。

In the grass-green and mist-light of the setting sun, wordless — who understands the thought of my leaning on the rail?

在草色青烟、落日余晖里，我默默无言，有谁能领会我倚栏的心意？

Amid the grass-green and misty light of the setting sun, silent — who can understand my heart as I lean on the rail?

此两句以暮景烘愁、以无言写孤独。「草色烟光残照里」写登楼所见：萋萋芳草、蒙蒙烟光，都笼罩在落日的余晖之中，暮色苍茫，春意将阑，景中已含「春去也」的怅惘；「残照」二字点出黄昏，为愁绪再添一层黯淡。「无言谁会凭阑意」由景入情，直写孤独：凭栏远望，满怀心事，却无人能解，一个「谁」字的反问，道尽知音难觅的悲哀。上句以景衬情，下句以情问天，情景相生，把春愁推到无可排遣的境地，也为下片「拟把疏狂图一醉」的徒劳挣扎蓄足情势。

The two lines set the grief in the evening scene, write the loneliness through the wordless. In the grass-green and mist-light of the setting sun writes the tower's view: the rank grass, the hazy mist, all wrapped in the setting sun's afterglow, the dusk vast, the spring at its end, the scene already carrying the spring has gone regret; the two words setting sun mark the dusk, adding a layer of dimness to the grief. Wordless — who understands the thought of my leaning on the rail? moves from scene to feeling, directly writing the loneliness: leaning on the rail and gazing far, the heart full, and yet none to understand, the single word who's rhetorical question exhausting the grief of no soulmate. The upper line sets the feeling against the scene, the lower questions the heaven, scene and feeling engendering each other, pushing the spring grief to the place beyond unburdening, storing force for the second stanza's planned recklessness and drunkenness.

拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味。

I would be reckless, seek one drunkenness; facing wine, facing song, the forced joy still tasteless.

本想放浪疏狂、图谋一醉，对着酒当着歌，勉强寻欢却仍觉无味。

I plan to cast off restraint and seek a drunkenness; facing wine and song, the forced pleasure still tastes of nothing.

下片转写排遣愁绪的努力，以反跌之法愈见愁深。「拟把疏狂图一醉」写欲借酒消愁：索性放浪形骸、图谋一醉，以酒浇愁；「对酒当歌」化用曹操成句，写举杯对歌的排遣之态；然而「强乐还无味」——勉强寻欢作乐，终究索然无味，愁非酒所能解、非乐所能遣。「强」字写勉强的姿态，「还」字写徒劳的结果，一强一还，把欲遣愁而愁愈深的无奈写得入骨。三句一纵一收：纵是打算疏狂图醉，收是强乐无味，排遣愈努力，愈见愁之深重，为结句「衣带渐宽」的痴情誓言蓄足力量。

The second stanza turns to the effort to unburden the grief, the reverse brush showing the grief the deeper. I would be reckless, seek one drunkenness writes the borrowing of wine to drown the grief: simply casting off the form, seeking one drunkenness, drowning the grief in wine; facing wine, facing song transforms Cao Cao's line, writing the bearing of the wine-cup and song; and yet the forced joy still tasteless — the forced seeking of joy, after all, tasteless, the grief beyond wine's solving, beyond joy's dispelling. The word forced writes the makeshift bearing, the word still writes the vain result, one forced one still, writing the helplessness of the grief's deepening the more it is dispelled, to the bone. Three lines, one release one close: the release the planned recklessness and drunkenness, the close the forced joy's tastelessness, the more the effort to dispel, the deeper the grief, storing force for the closing's devoted vow.

衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。

The belt grows loose, and yet I never repent; for her, I would waste to this haggardness.

衣带渐渐宽松我也终不后悔，为了她，值得让人这般憔悴消瘦。

My belt grows ever looser, and I never regret it; for her, I am willing to waste away to this haggardness.

结拍是全词的点睛之笔，由抑转扬，以形销写情坚。「衣带渐宽」化用《古诗十九首》「衣带日已缓」，以衣带渐宽写相思消瘦，形象可感；「终不悔」三字斩钉截铁，把相思之苦与执着之情一并写出——纵使消瘦憔悴，也终不后悔。「为伊消得人憔悴」点明消瘦之由：「消得」意为值得、甘愿，为了她，这般憔悴也心甘情愿，痴情之语，掷地有声。此二句由前面的愁苦无奈陡然转向决绝坚定，情感由抑转扬，如暗夜中骤现电光，缠绵中见刚健，遂成千古名句；王国维更引为成大事业者的第二境界，其执着追求之意，已超出儿女情长。

The closing is the pointed stroke of the ci, turning from depression to lift, writing the firm feeling through the wasted form. The belt grows loose transforms the Nineteen Old Poems' the belt day by day loosens, writing the longing's wasting through the loosening belt, the image felt; the three words never regret, decisive as cut metal, writing the longing's pain and the devotion together — though wasted and haggard, and yet never regret. For her, I would waste to this haggardness marks the cause of the wasting: would-write means worth, willing, for her, this haggardness also willingly, the devoted words striking the ground. The two lines turn from the former grief and helplessness to the decisive firmness, the emotion from depression to lift, like the sudden lightning in the dark night, the firmness within the lingering, becoming the immortal line; Wang Guowei further cites it as the second realm of the man who achieves the great cause and learning, its meaning of devoted pursuit already beyond the love of lovers.

Study

Word focus

黯黯 Darkly; intensifies the gloom and vastness of spring sorrow. 「春愁，黯黯生天际」之「黯黯」，叠字写愁云暗生、迷惘黯淡之态，是全词化虚为实的关键词。春愁本是无形的情绪，着一「黯黯」便仿佛有了颜色与质地——昏暗、深沉、迷离，如暮色自天际悄然漫起，向心头层层笼罩；「生天际」更给愁绪安上了来处，仿佛那愁自天地尽头生长出来，随目光所及弥漫而至，渺远而浓重。叠字「黯黯」兼有声情之美：读来低沉黯淡，恰合愁绪压人的氛围。若易作「暗暗」则失其色，唯「黯黯」以色写愁，把视觉的昏暗与内心的黯淡打成一片，是柳永炼字精绝的典范，也是全词由景入情、情景交融的枢纽。

会 Understand; conveys the poet's loneliness. 「无言谁会凭阑意」之「会」，意为领会、理解，是全词写孤独的字眼。「无言」写欲说还休、无从说起之态；「谁」字反问，道尽无人能解的悲哀；而「会」字则把这份孤独推向极致——凭栏远望的心意，不是无人听，而是无人能领会。一个「会」字，比「听」「知」「解」更深一层：知者可闻其言，会者方懂其心。词人满怀心事，倚栏不语，唯愿有人能会其意，然而四顾茫茫，竟无一人。「无言谁会」四字，把知音难觅的悲哀与孤芳自赏的矜持写尽，是婉约词中写孤独的千古名句。

消得 Be willing to waste away; shows willingness to suffer for the beloved. 「为伊消得人憔悴」之「消得」，意为值得、甘愿，是结句痴情之语的关键。「消得」本是宋代口语，柳永以之入词，亲切自然：为了她，值得消磨到这般憔悴消瘦——「值得」二字，把相思之苦转化为心甘情愿的付出，痴情之深、志意之坚，尽在此二字。若易作「落得」「变得」则只剩结果、失却态度，唯「消得」兼有「消磨」与「值得」双重意味，既写身体之消瘦，又写心意之甘愿，语语斩钉截铁。此二字与上句「终不悔」呼应，一悔一愿，把「衣带渐宽」的憔悴写成爱的勋章，遂使二句超出儿女私情，成为执着追求的象征，千古传诵。