All poems

宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

六州歌头·长淮望断

Liu Zhou Ge Tou: Gazing into the Long Huai

张孝祥

Zhang Xiaoxiang

爱国patriotic 豪放heroic 南宋Southern Song

长淮望断，关塞莽然平。
征尘暗，霜风劲，悄边声。
黯销凝。
追想当年事，殆天数，非人力，洙泗上，弦歌地，亦膻腥。
隔水毡乡，落日牛羊下，区脱纵横。
看名王宵猎，骑火一川明。
笳鼓悲鸣。
遣人惊。
念腰间箭，匣中剑，空埃蠹，竟何成。
时易失，心徒壮，岁将零。
渺神京。
干羽方怀远，静烽燧，且休兵。
冠盖使，纷驰骛，若为情。
闻道中原遗老，常南望、翠葆霓旌。
使行人到此，忠愤气填膺。
有泪如倾。

Gazing into the Long Huai, the passes lie vast and level.
The march dust is dim, the frost-wind keen, border sound hushed.
I stand darkly fixed in thought.
Recalling those former days—it was the will of Heaven, beyond men's power—
Even by the Zhu and Si, where songs were sung, now reeks of filth.
Across the water, felt tents of the foe; at sunset the sheep and cattle descend, watchtowers crisscross.
See the chieftain hunt by night, his riders' torches light a whole river.
The pipes and drums mourn—startling to behold.
Think of the arrow at my waist, the sword in its case, idle with dust and moths—what have they achieved?
Time easily lost, the heart in vain is bold, the year will fade.
The divine capital is distant.
They wave the shield and feathers to mollify the far, quiet the beacon fires, and rest the troops.
Envoys with caps and canopies rush to and fro—how can one bear it?
I hear the old folk of the Central Plain often gaze south, toward the imperial banners.
Let a traveler come here, and loyal wrath fills his breast.
His tears pour like a flood.

Listen

Meaning

Set on the northern front after the defeat at Fuliang, the lyric contrasts the lost heartland and the enemy's arrogance with the court's cowardly appeasement, voicing the loyal wrath and helpless grief of a patriot who sees no road to recover the realm.

极目长淮，关塞一片苍茫平阔。征尘昏暗，霜风凌厉，边地悄然无声。我黯然出神。回想当年的往事，大抵是天意，非人力可回，连洙泗之滨、弦歌所在的礼乐之地，也染上了腥膻。隔水便是敌占的毡帐之乡，落日下牛羊归栏，敌堡交错纵横。看敌酋夜间出猎，骑兵火把照亮一川，笳鼓悲鸣，令人生惊。念及腰间弓箭、匣中宝剑，空自蒙尘生蠹，究竟成就了什么。时机容易失去，心志徒然雄壮，年岁又将凋零。神京渺远。朝廷正用干羽怀柔远人，息了烽烟，暂且休兵。使臣冠盖往来驰驱，教人何以为情。听说中原的遗民父老，常向南眺望、盼着翠葆霓旌的皇家仪仗。让行经此地的人，忠愤之气填满胸臆，泪水如倾。

Appreciation

The first part spreads scene like a fu, the second pours feeling like a tide; it uses leading characters (think, see, I hear) to lift the whole, and clusters short phrases so the breath turns sharply—heroic like Su Shi yet more heart-rending. The enemy's watchtowers and night hunt show their pride; the shield-and-feathers and envoys show the court's weakness, in sharp contrast. The broken, jumpy lines force out a gloomy, arrested power. This is among the most unbending works of Southern Song patriotic lyric.

【白话串讲】张孝祥写中原沦陷：“长淮望断，关塞莽然平”——“洙泗上，弦歌地，亦膻腥”——孔子的家乡，也被敌人践踏。“看名王宵猎，骑火一川明”——敌人的骑兵在打猎。“笳鼓悲鸣。遣人惊”——南宋爱国词里最悲愤的一首。【意象与手法】上景下情，景中寓愤。以区脱、名王宵猎写敌势之骄，以干羽、冠盖写朝廷之懦，对照强烈。句式短促跳荡，三、四、五字句交错，逼出沉郁顿挫之气。【情感与主旨】痛斥南宋屈辱求和、坐失恢复的苟安，倾吐爱国志士请缨无路、忠愤填膺的悲慨。张孝祥此词作于符离之败后，是南宋爱国词中气骨凛然之作。【名句点睛】使行人到此，忠愤气填膺。有泪如倾——以直叙收煞，将家国之痛倾泻无余，读之令人扼腕。

Background

In the first year of Emperor Xiaozong's Longxing reign (1163), Zhang Xiaoxiang served as defender of Jiankang. After the defeat at Fuliang the court favored peace; this lyric was written on a boat past the front while feasting with friends—a bold, sad song laying bare the pain of hopeless recovery and the indignation of men of purpose.

张孝祥字安国，南宋初年爱国词人，绍兴二十四年状元，才气纵横而志在恢复，因主张抗金屡遭主和派排抑。六州歌头长淮望断约作于宋孝宗隆兴元年（一一六三年）符离之败后，时宋金战事失利，朝廷复倡和议，张孝祥悲愤难抑，遂作此词。六州歌头本为鼓吹曲辞，声调悲壮，最宜抒写兴亡之慨，张孝祥用以写望淮所见与胸中忠愤，沉郁顿挫，淋漓痛快。南宋自绍兴和议以来，偏安江左，中原沦于异族，志士每以恢复为念而终被苟安之局所扼。此词正写于这一历史夹缝：一边是长淮以北尽陷敌手、毡乡纵横，一边是朝廷干羽怀远、冠盖驰骛以求苟安。张孝祥以状元之身、主战之志，将家国之痛倾泻于长短句间，故能于南宋爱国词中独标风骨，闻者为之泣下。张孝祥以状元之身、主战之志，于符离之败后作此词，将家国之痛倾泻于长短句间，故能于南宋爱国词中独标风骨，闻者为之泣下。

Art

The upper part spreads scene like a fu; the lower part pours feeling like a tide. It uses leading characters (think, see, I hear) to lift the sections, and clusters short lines so the breath turns sharply—heroic like Su Shi yet more heart-rending.

此词上片写望淮所见，下片抒忠愤之怀，上景下情而景中寓愤，章法严整而气脉奔涌。上片起笔长淮望断、关塞莽然平，先以苍茫平阔之境定调；继以征尘暗、霜风劲、悄边声三短句逼出边地死寂，黯销凝一顿蓄势。其后追想当年事至亦膻腥，由今溯昔，痛礼乐之地染于腥膻；隔水毡乡以下写敌占区落日牛羊、区脱纵横、名王宵猎、骑火一川，敌势之骄纵横纸上，笳鼓悲鸣、遣人惊收束上片之惊心。下片念腰间箭、匣中剑，空埃蠹竟何成，转写志士请缨无路；时易失、心徒壮、岁将零三短句如鼓点催逼；渺神京后揭朝廷干羽怀远、冠盖使纷驰的苟安，末以中原遗老南望、行人忠愤气填膺、有泪如倾作结。全词以三、四、五字短句交错，句式跳荡，逼出沉郁顿挫、不可遏抑之气。全词以三、四、五字短句交错，句式跳荡，上片景中寓愤、下片忠愤倾泻，逼出沉郁顿挫、不可遏抑之气，最得六州歌头鼓吹之体。

Allusions

Zhu and Si: where Confucius taught, standing for the Central Plain's rites and music. Reeking filth: a slur on alien rule. Qu tuo: Xiongnu watchtowers, here enemy forts. Shield and feathers: dancing with them to subdue the far, meaning appeasement. Green canopy and neon banners: the emperor's procession.

长淮指淮河，自绍兴和议后成宋金边界，望断写极目北望而中原不可见，暗含恢复无期的悲怆。洙泗上、弦歌地，洙水泗水为孔子讲学之所，弦歌指礼乐教化，此处代指中原礼乐之邦，亦膻腥则以游牧腥膻之气写沦陷后的文化之辱，语带春秋笔法。毡乡、区脱皆敌占区意象，毡乡指游牧帐幕，区脱本匈奴语称边境哨堡，此处写敌堡交错。名王宵猎指金人贵族夜猎耀武。干羽方怀远用尚书舞干羽于两阶、七旬有苗格之典，本指以德远人，此处反讽朝廷以怀柔为名行屈辱休兵。翠葆霓旌指皇帝仪仗，中原遗老常南望、盼王师，化用杜甫、陆游中原父老望旌旗之意。国殇、填膺皆承楚辞与孟子浩然之气传统。干羽方怀远用尚书舞干羽之典反讽朝廷屈辱休兵，翠葆霓旌指皇帝仪仗，中原遗老常南望盼王师，化用杜甫陆游中原父老之思。干羽冠盖诸语用于讽切，遗老南望之写更见家国同悲，用典之切于此见其沉郁顿挫之致。

Commentary

This lyric shares the tune with Xin Qiji and Lu You's patriotic works, and in its plain, piercing grief resembles the boldness of Su Shi's 'Hunting at Mizhou,' opening the way to Xin's gloom.

此词在南宋爱国词中地位极高，相传张孝祥在建康与抗金老臣张浚等宴集时歌此词，张浚听罢为之罢席而入，悲其志而愧其事，足见其感人之深。前人评此词，谓淋漓痛快、笔饱墨酣，于短句急节中见沉郁顿挫，最得六州歌头鼓吹之体。张孝祥词风近苏轼之旷达、辛弃疾之悲壮，而此篇尤显少年状元不可遏抑的忠愤之气，早于稼轩诸作而开南宋豪放爱国词之先声。近人论南宋词，每以岳飞满江红、张孝祥六州歌头、辛弃疾永遇乐为恢复主题三鼎足，而六州歌头以望淮起、以泪倾收，将家国之痛写得如长江奔泻，尤具震撼。今人读之，犹能于百年之下感受到那份未被时代消纳的赤子忠愤。张孝祥词风近苏轼之旷达、辛弃疾之悲壮，而此篇尤显少年状元不可遏抑的忠愤之气，早于稼轩诸作而开南宋豪放爱国词之先声。闻者泣下之故，正在其忠愤出于至诚而非以辞胜，故能动天下后世之同悲，为南宋爱国词之先声。

Prosody

Form The long tune 'Liu Zhou Ge Tou'词·六州歌头（双调，鼓吹曲）

Rhyme Rhyme category not specified in the source; the tune follows its conventional pattern.全词通押平水韵下平八庚、九青部（平、声、凝、腥、横、明、惊、成、零、京、兵、情、旌、膺、倾），一韵贯通，雄浑激越。

Tone pattern Lines of three, four, five, and six characters interleave, with urgent, impassioned voice.六州歌头句式以三、四、五、六字短句交错，平仄递转急促，多仄起短句与平韵长句相间，声情顿挫奔放，最宜悲壮之怀。

Reading note This tune mixes long and short lines; the upper part spreads the bleak border and the lost heartland's filth, the lower pours loyal wrath, with hurried syllables at the turn—a work of blood and tears among Southern Song patriotic lyric.六州歌头本为唐五代鼓吹曲，入宋后多为将士宴享、抒发壮怀之调，其体式以大量三、四、五字短句密集排比，节奏如羯鼓急催，与慢词之舒缓迥异，故最宜写兴亡激愤。张孝祥此词上、下片皆以一串短句起势，征尘暗、霜风劲、悄边声与时易失、心徒壮、岁将零等三言短句如鼓点层叠，将情绪逼至不能自已；长句如隔水毡乡、看名王宵猎、闻道中原遗老则舒展开合，形成短长相间的跌宕。全词一韵到底，庚青二部音色清亮开阔，与忠愤之气相生，而短句之促、长句之放又使声情在激越中见回旋。此词之声律，正是其内容忠愤填膺的外化，读来如闻金戈、如见涕泪，最见六州歌头一体悲壮促节之妙。

Line by line

长淮望断，关塞莽然平。征尘暗，霜风劲，悄边声。黯销凝。追想当年事，殆天数，非人力，洙泗上，弦歌地，亦膻腥。隔水毡乡，落日牛羊下，区脱纵横。看名王宵猎，骑火一川明。笳鼓悲鸣。遣人惊。

Gazing into the Long Huai, the passes lie vast and level; the march dust dim, frost-wind keen, border sound hushed; I stand fixed in dark thought. Recalling former days—Heaven's will, beyond men—even by the Zhu and Si, the land of songs, now reeks of filth. Across the water, felt tents; at sunset sheep descend, watchtowers cross; see the chieftain night-hunt, torches light the river; pipes mourn—startling.

极目长淮，关塞一片苍茫平阔。征尘昏暗，霜风凌厉，边地悄然无声。我黯然出神。回想当年的往事，大抵是天意，非人力可回，连洙泗之滨、弦歌所在的礼乐之地，也染上了腥膻。隔水便是敌占的毡帐之乡，落日下牛羊归栏，敌堡交错纵横。看敌酋夜间出猎，骑兵火把照亮一川，笳鼓悲鸣，令人生惊。

My gaze broken on the long Huai, the border forts leveled in the wildness. The march dust is dark, the frost wind sharp, the border sounds hushed. I am dark, lost in thought. Recalling the events of those years, it seems the will of Heaven, not human power; even the banks of the Zhu and Si, the land of lute and song, is fouled with the tartan stench. Across the water the felt-tent lands; at sunset the cattle and sheep come down, the barbarian outposts sprawl. See the chieftains hunting by night; the riders' torches light the whole river. The horn and drum wail. It makes one start.

上片为全词之骨，以望淮起笔，由景及史、由今溯昔，层层推出惊心之境。长淮望断、关塞莽然平以苍茫平阔之景开卷，暗伏边界之悲；征尘暗、霜风劲、悄边声三短句如鼓点，写边地死寂中暗藏杀机，黯销凝一顿，将诗人出神之态凝住。其后追想当年事至亦膻腥，由眼前之静溯中原沦陷之痛，以洙泗弦歌的礼乐之邦竟染膻腥，写出文化之辱更甚于疆土之失。隔水毡乡以下，落日牛羊、区脱纵横、名王宵猎、骑火一川，以浓墨写敌势之骄纵横，与前面宋边之悄无声形成触目惊心的对照，笳鼓悲鸣、遣人惊收束，把观者（亦即读者）的惊心写得力透纸背。这一片景中有史、静中有惊，为下片的忠愤积蓄了满弓待发之势。

The first stanza is the bone of the ci, opening on the gaze at the Huai, from scene to history, from now to the past, layer on layer unfolding the startling realm. My gaze broken on the long Huai, the border forts leveled in the wildness opens in the vast, level scene, secretly the border grief; the march dust is dark, the frost wind sharp, the border sounds hushed three short phrases like drumbeats, writing the border's deathly stillness hiding the killing intent; I am dark, lost in thought a pause, holding the poet's trance. From recalling the events of those years to fouled with the tartan stench, from the present stillness back to the central plain's fall, writing through the ritual-and-music land of the Zhu and Si fouled, the cultural humiliation greater than the lost land. From across the water the felt-tent lands on, the sunset cattle, the sprawling outposts, the chieftains' night hunt, the riders' torches lighting the river, written in heavy ink the enemy's arrogance, forming the shocking contrast against the Song border's silence; the horn and drum wail. It makes one start. closes, writing the spectator's (and the reader's) shock through the paper. This stanza, history within the scene, the startle within the stillness, stores for the second stanza the drawn bow of loyal anger.

念腰间箭，匣中剑，空埃蠹，竟何成。时易失，心徒壮，岁将零。渺神京。干羽方怀远，静烽燧，且休兵。冠盖使，纷驰骛，若为情。闻道中原遗老，常南望、翠葆霓旌。使行人到此，忠愤气填膺。有泪如倾。

Think of the arrow at my waist, the sword in its case, idle with dust and moths—what achieved? Time lost, heart vainly bold, the year fades; the divine capital distant. They wave shield and feathers to mollify, quiet the fires, rest the troops; envoys rush—how bear it? I hear the old folk of the Central Plain gaze south toward the imperial banners; let a traveler come here, loyal wrath fills his breast, tears pour like a flood.

念及腰间弓箭、匣中宝剑，空自蒙尘生蠹，究竟成就了什么。时机容易失去，心志徒然雄壮，年岁又将凋零。神京渺远。朝廷正用干羽怀柔远人，息了烽烟，暂且休兵。使臣冠盖往来驰驱，教人何以为情。听说中原的遗民父老，常向南眺望、盼着翠葆霓旌的皇家仪仗。让行经此地的人，忠愤之气填满胸臆，泪水如倾。

I think of the arrows at my waist, the sword in its case, empty in dust and moth — what has been achieved? The hour slips, the heart is brave in vain, the year near its end. The divine capital is far. They wave the feather shields to soothe the distant, hush the beacons, and rest the armies. The envoys with their caps and canopies bustle to and fro — how can one bear it? They say the old exiles of the central plain look south always, longing for the kingfisher canopies and rainbow banners. When the traveler comes here, loyal anger fills his breast. The tears fall like rain.

下片为全词之心，由景入情，将上片蓄积的惊心化为不可遏抑的忠愤。念腰间箭、匣中剑，空埃蠹竟何成，以武器蒙尘生蠹写志士请缨无路、宝剑空老，何成二字是血泪之问；时易失、心徒壮、岁将零三短句如急鼓催逼，写时不我待而壮志徒悬，岁将零更添迟暮之恐。渺神京一笔宕开，随即揭出朝廷干羽方怀远、冠盖使纷驰的苟安嘴脸，干羽、冠盖本庄重语，此处用于讽切，若为情三字写尽屈辱难堪。末以中原遗老南望王师、行人忠愤气填膺、有泪如倾收束，遗老的盼望与行人的泪水两相映照，将家国之痛倾泻无余。这一片由个人之愤推及天下遗民之望，由请缨无路逼出涕泪交倾，情潮至此达到顶峰，是全词最撼人心魄处。

The second stanza is the heart of the ci, moving from scene to feeling, turning the first stanza's stored startle into the irrepressible loyal anger. I think of the arrows at my waist, the sword in its case, empty in dust and moth — what has been achieved? writes the idealist's no road to volunteer, the sword grown old in vain, the two words what achieved the question of blood and tears; the hour slips, the heart is brave in vain, the year near its end three short phrases like the urgent drums, writing the time's flight and the spirit's hanging in vain, the year's end adding the old-age fear. The divine capital is far one line flung out, then exposes the court's feather-shield soothing of the distant and the envoy bustle, the appeasement face; the feather shields and the caps-and-canopies by nature grave words, here used in satire, the three words how can one bear it exhausting the humiliation. The close gathers on the central plain's old exiles looking south for the royal army, the traveler's loyal anger filling the breast, the tears like rain, the exiles' hope and the traveler's tears mirroring, the national grief poured out without reserve. This stanza pushes from the personal anger to the world's exiles' hope, from the no-road-to-volunteer to the tears pouring, the feeling's tide reaching the peak, the most heart-shaking place of the ci.

Study

Word focus

膻腥 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 膻腥二字在上片写洙泗弦歌之地亦染腥膻，是全词最具文化痛感的炼字。膻本指牛羊等游牧民族食牲之气，腥指血腥，合而言之本状边地异族生活气息，此处却用以写中原礼乐之邦沦陷后的精神屈辱。张孝祥不写城池之失、不写杀戮之惨，而独拈膻腥写文化之辱，正见其士大夫以礼乐文明为命脉的价值取向——疆土可复，而弦歌之地一旦蒙于腥膻，便是文明之殇。二字以极简的感官词汇承载极重的兴亡之悲，与前面洙泗、弦歌的庄严形成惨烈反差，最见南宋遗民词人于夷夏之辨上的深切痛楚。

空埃蠹 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 空埃蠹三字写腰间箭、匣中剑徒自蒙尘生蠹，是下片最沉痛的意象组合。空字点出无用，埃指灰尘堆积，蠹指虫蚀，二者叠加写出武器久置不用的荒废状态，实则是写志士之才与志久被弃置、无以报国的悲凉。箭与剑本是杀敌立功之具，如今却与尘埃、蠹虫为伍，物之空老即是人之空老。张孝祥以状元之身、主战之志，却逢朝廷苟安，此三字正是其自身请缨无路的写照。炼字之妙在于不直说悲，而让尘埃与蠹蚀替诗人说出壮志销磨的残酷，遂使竟何成之问有了沉甸甸的物象依托，读来令人扼腕。