宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
少年游·参差烟树灞陵桥
Wandering While Young: The Ragged Misty Trees of the Baling Bridge
参差烟树灞陵桥。
风物尽前朝。
衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰。
夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋。
一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡。
The scenes and things are all of the former dynasties.
The withered willows, the ancient trees,
So often broken and plucked —
Withered and weary, like the waists of the Chu palace ladies.
The setting sun is idle and faint, the autumn light is old,
The parting thoughts fill the fragrant isle.
One song of the Yang Pass,
When the heart-breaking sound is done —
Alone I lean on the orchid oar.
Meaning
A lyric of the parting at the Baling Bridge, the classic place of farewell, written by Liu Yong. The ragged misty trees of the Baling Bridge carry the scenes and things of the former dynasties — the place where so many have parted. The withered willows and the ancient trees, so often broken and plucked — the broken willow branch being the token of the farewell — are withered and weary like the waists of the Chu palace ladies. The setting sun is idle and faint, the autumn light is old, and the parting thoughts fill the fragrant isle. And the close: one song of the Yang Pass — the song of the farewell — when the heart-breaking sound is done, alone he leans on the orchid oar. The lyric is the classic parting at the classic place: the old willows of the farewell and the single song of the Yang Pass.
参差烟树灞陵桥。风物尽前朝。衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰。夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋。一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The ragged misty trees of the Baling Bridge — the scenes and things are all of the former dynasties. The withered willows, the ancient trees, so often broken and plucked — withered and weary, like the waists of the Chu palace ladies. The setting sun is idle and faint, the autumn light is old, the parting thoughts fill the fragrant isle. One song of the Yang Pass, when the heart-breaking sound is done — alone I lean on the orchid oar. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the place — the Baling Bridge of the farewells — through the withered willows and the parting thoughts, to the close on the single song of the Yang Pass and the lone leaning on the oar. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the continuity of the parting: the bridge of the former dynasties, the willows broken for the farewells, the sun and the autumn grown old, and the single song that ends in the lone leaning. [Emotional Tone] Desolate, idle, and parting: the lyric is the record of the farewell at the classic place, the heart-broken sound of the Yang Pass fading into the lone figure on the boat.
【白话串讲】 柳永写《少年游·参差烟树灞陵桥》：“参差烟树灞陵桥。风物尽前朝”——“衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰”——“夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋”——“一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡”——他写灞陵送别——离思满蘅皋。 【意象与手法】 “参差烟树灞陵桥。风物尽前朝”写灞陵烟树；“衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰”以楚宫腰写古柳憔悴；“夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋”写离思；结以“一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡”以阳关写断肠。清丽深婉。 【情感与主旨】 柳永写灞陵送别之作，写灞桥烟柳、秋光与离思，以“一曲阳关”“独自凭兰桡”写别后孤寂，是柳永送别词的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰”以楚宫腰写古柳憔悴；“一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡”以阳关凭桡写别后孤寂。
Background
Liu Yong (c. 987–c. 1053) was the great master of the Song lyric of the parting and the wanderer, famous for his long, fluent ci that spread through the cities and the taverns. The Baling Bridge — the bridge outside the capital where travelers parted, the willows broken for the farewell — is the classic place of the parting, and this lyric is one of its most famous songs. The 'Wandering While Young' tune is one of the short lyric forms Liu Yong practiced with his characteristic fluency.
《少年游·参差烟树灞陵桥》为北宋词人柳永所作词。柳永（约984—约1053），字耆卿，原名三变，崇安（今福建武夷山）人，北宋词人，「婉约派」代表。此词写送别感怀，为灞陵桥送别之作。词中「参差烟树灞陵桥。风物尽前朝」写参差烟树灞陵桥，风物尽前朝；「衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰」写衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰；「夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋」写夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋；「一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡」写一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡。柳永此词以送别感怀、独自凭兰桡写其感怀之情，清丽深婉，是柳永词中的名篇。此篇《少年游·参差烟树灞陵桥》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《少年游·参差烟树灞陵桥》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。
Art
The lyric's art is the art of the continuous parting. The place is given first — the Baling Bridge, with the ragged misty trees carrying the scenes of the former dynasties, the immemorial place of the farewell. The willows of the bridge are the willows of all the partings: so often broken and plucked — the broken branch the token of the farewell — that they are withered and weary like the waists of the Chu palace ladies. The sun and the autumn are old, and the parting thoughts fill the fragrant isle. And the close gathers the whole into the single act: one song of the Yang Pass — the song of the farewell — and when the heart-breaking sound is done, alone he leans on the orchid oar. The lyric is the whole tradition of the parting concentrated in the bridge, the willows, and the song.
此词艺术上以「清丽深婉、以景写情」见长。全词共十句，由参差烟树灞陵桥而衰杨古柳而夕阳闲淡秋光老。起「参差烟树灞陵桥。风物尽前朝」写参差烟树灞陵桥：参差烟树灞陵桥，风物尽前朝；「衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰」写衰杨古柳：衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰；「夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋」写夕阳闲淡秋光老：夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋；结「一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡」写一曲阳关：一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡。全词以景写情，由参差烟树灞陵桥而独自凭兰桡，清丽深婉，是柳永词中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。
Allusions
'The Baling Bridge' (Balingqiao) is the bridge of the farewells outside the Tang capital, where the parting willow branches were broken for the travelers. 'The waists of the Chu palace ladies' (Chugong yao) alludes to the legend of the King of Chu's palace ladies with the willowy waists — the willow branches withered and weary like the slender waists of the ancient ladies. 'The Yang Pass' (Yang Guan) is the song of the farewell, from Wang Wei's 'the west of the Yang Pass there are no old friends' — the standard parting song of the tradition.
词中「参差烟树灞陵桥风物尽前朝」「衰杨古柳几经攀折憔悴楚宫腰」「夕阳闲淡秋光老离思满蘅皋」「一曲阳关断肠声尽独自凭兰桡」等语，皆含典故故实。「参差烟树灞陵桥风物尽前朝」用灞陵桥之典（灞桥为送别之地），写参差烟树灞陵桥风物尽前朝；「衰杨古柳几经攀折憔悴楚宫腰」用楚宫腰之典（楚王好细腰），写衰杨古柳几经攀折憔悴楚宫腰；「夕阳闲淡秋光老离思满蘅皋」写夕阳闲淡秋光老离思满蘅皋；「一曲阳关断肠声尽独自凭兰桡」用阳关之典（阳关为送别曲），写一曲阳关断肠声尽独自凭兰桡。词人以灞桥、楚宫腰、阳关等典入词，不着痕迹，而把送别感怀之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。
Commentary
This lyric is one of Liu Yong's most famous parting songs, quoted for its treatment of the classic place of the farewell. The withered willows of the Baling Bridge and the single song of the Yang Pass are among the most beloved images of the parting in the Chinese lyric. Critics praise the lyric's fluency and desolation: the immemorial place of the farewell, and the lone figure leaning on the oar when the song is done.
这首《少年游·参差烟树灞陵桥》，是柳永写送别感怀之作，写参差烟树灞陵桥、衰杨古柳、夕阳闲淡秋光老、一曲阳关之情，清丽深婉。起「参差烟树灞陵桥。风物尽前朝」——参差烟树灞陵桥（用灞陵桥之典），风物尽前朝。写参差烟树灞陵桥：参差烟树灞陵桥、风物尽前朝——烟树灞陵桥、尽前朝；「衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰」——衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰（用楚宫腰之典）。写衰杨古柳：衰杨古柳、几经攀折、憔悴楚宫腰——古柳攀折、楚宫腰；「夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋」——夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋。写夕阳闲淡秋光老：夕阳闲淡秋光老、离思满蘅皋——秋光老、满蘅皋；结「一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡」——一曲阳关（用阳关之典），断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡。写一曲阳关：一曲阳关、断肠声尽、独自凭兰桡——阳关、声尽、凭兰桡。这「一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡」，是全词之结：以独自凭兰桡写其感怀。全词清丽深婉，以景写情，正是柳永词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
参差烟树灞陵桥。
The ragged misty trees of the Baling Bridge —
参差烟树灞陵桥。
The tangled misty trees at Baling Bridge.
首句写参差烟树灞陵桥，起笔即见其景。「参差烟树灞陵桥」用灞陵桥之典写参差烟树灞陵桥，「参差烟树」写参差烟树、「灞陵桥」写灞陵桥。一句写参差烟树灞陵桥，以参差烟树写参差烟树、以灞陵桥写灞陵桥，写尽参差烟树灞陵桥之情。以桥起兴，清丽而深婉，是「以桥起兴」的妙笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。
The opening writes the tangled misty trees at Baling Bridge, the scene present at the first stroke. The tangled misty trees at Baling Bridge uses the Baling Bridge allusion, the tangled misty trees writing the tangled trees, Baling Bridge the bridge. One line, the tangled trees through the tangled misty trees, the bridge through the Baling Bridge, exhausting the misty trees and the bridge. Rising on the bridge, fair and graceful, a wondrous brush of rising-on-bridge. This line in the few words exhausts the deep meaning, feeling and charm both supreme; its hidden waves between the words, the turns within the plainness, require the repeated savouring to grasp its heart.
衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰。
The withered willows, the ancient trees, so often broken and plucked — withered and weary, like the waists of the Chu palace ladies.
衰杨古柳，几经攀折，憔悴楚宫腰。
The withered poplars and ancient willows, after so many breakings, are haggard as the Chu palace waist.
此句写衰杨古柳，是全词写杨柳之态的关键。「衰杨古柳」写衰杨古柳，「衰杨」写衰杨、「古柳」写古柳；「几经攀折」写几经攀折，「几经」写几经、「攀折」写攀折；「憔悴楚宫腰」用楚宫腰之典写憔悴楚宫腰，「憔悴」写憔悴、「楚宫腰」写楚宫腰。三句一写衰杨古柳、一写几经攀折、一写憔悴楚宫腰，以衰杨古柳写古柳、以几经攀折写攀折、以憔悴楚宫腰写楚宫腰，写尽衰杨古柳、几经攀折、憔悴楚宫腰之情。以柳写情，清丽而深婉，是「以柳写情」的点睛之笔。
This line writes the withered poplars and ancient willows, the ci's willow-state key. The withered poplars and ancient willows writes the withered poplar and the ancient willow; after so many breakings writes the so-many and the breaking; haggard as the Chu palace waist uses the Chu palace waist allusion, the haggard and the Chu waist. Three lines, the ancient willow through the withered poplar, the breaking through the after-so-many, the Chu waist through the haggard, exhausting the poplar and willow, the breakings, and the haggard Chu waist. Writing feeling through the willow, fair and graceful, a telling stroke of feeling-through-willow.
夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋。
The setting sun is idle and faint, the autumn light is old, the parting thoughts fill the fragrant isle.
夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋。
The setting sun is idle and pale, the autumn light old; the parting longing fills the fragrant isle.
此句写夕阳闲淡秋光老，是全词写夕阳之态的关键。「夕阳闲淡秋光老」写夕阳闲淡秋光老，「夕阳闲淡」写夕阳闲淡、「秋光老」写秋光老；「离思满蘅皋」写离思满蘅皋，「离思」写离思、「满蘅皋」写满蘅皋。两句一写夕阳闲淡秋光老、一写离思满蘅皋，以夕阳闲淡秋光老写秋光老、以离思满蘅皋写满蘅皋，写尽夕阳闲淡秋光老、离思满蘅皋之情。以秋写情，清丽而深婉，是「以秋写情」的点睛之笔。
This line writes the setting sun's idle paleness, the ci's setting-sun-state key. The setting sun is idle and pale, the autumn light old writes the idle pale sun and the old autumn light; the parting longing fills the fragrant isle writes the parting longing and the filled fragrant isle. Two lines, the autumn light's oldness through the idle pale sun, the fragrant isle through the filled longing, exhausting the idle pale sun and the longing-filled isle. Writing feeling through autumn, fair and graceful, a telling stroke of feeling-through-autumn.
一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡。
One song of the Yang Pass, when the heart-breaking sound is done — alone I lean on the orchid oar.
一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡。
One tune of the Yangguan, the gut-breaking sound ended; alone I lean on the oar.
结句写一曲阳关，是全词立意的落点。「一曲阳关」用阳关之典写一曲阳关，「一曲」写一曲、「阳关」写阳关；「断肠声尽」写断肠声尽，「断肠」写断肠、「声尽」写声尽；「独自凭兰桡」写独自凭兰桡，「独自」写独自、「凭兰桡」写凭兰桡。三句一写一曲阳关、一写断肠声尽、一写独自凭兰桡，以一曲阳关写阳关、以断肠声尽写声尽、以独自凭兰桡写凭兰桡，写尽一曲阳关、断肠声尽、独自凭兰桡之情。以曲写情，清丽而深婉，是全词最动人处，也是「以曲写情」的点睛之笔。
The close writes one tune of the Yangguan, the landing of the ci's theme. One tune of the Yangguan uses the Yangguan allusion, the one tune and the Yangguan; the gut-breaking sound ended writes the gut-breaking and the sound's end; alone I lean on the oar writes the alone and the oar-leaning. Three lines, the Yangguan through the one tune, the sound's end through the gut-breaking, the oar-leaning through the alone, exhausting the Yangguan tune, the ended sound, and the lone oar. Writing feeling through the tune, fair and graceful, the ci's most moving place.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — 'facing the evening rain that spatters the long river' — is the long lyric of the wanderer's parting and his gazing from the rail; 'Wandering While Young' is the short version — the same parting at the classic bridge, the same lone figure, compressed into the single song of the Yang Pass.
柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「想佳人妆楼颙望，误几回、天际识归舟」，写羁旅送别、凝望天涯，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；柳永《少年游·参差烟树灞陵桥》则以「一曲阳关，断肠声尽，独自凭兰桡」「参差烟树灞陵桥。风物尽前朝」写断肠声尽、烟树灞陵桥。两词同写羁旅送别、凝望天涯：一写误几回天际识归舟、以凝望写思归，一写一曲阳关断肠声尽独自凭兰桡、以阳关写送别；同出柳永手笔而一为长调一为小令，并读正可见词写「羁旅送别」的两种笔法，皆于羁旅之中见送别。
水调歌头·明月几时有 Prelude to Water Melody: When Did the Bright Moon Begin? 苏轼 · 同写感怀送别、超然旷达，一写人有悲欢离合、一写参差烟树灞陵桥风物尽前朝，皆于感怀之中见送别 Both are the great Song lyrics of the parting and the moon — Su Shi's philosophical consolation, Liu Yong's lone song of the farewell.Su Shi's 'Prelude to Water Melody' — 'people have joys and sorrows, partings and reunions' — resolves the parting in the philosophical consolation of the moon; Liu Yong's lyric is the desolate version — the immemorial bridge, the withered willows, and the lone song of the Yang Pass, with no consolation given.
苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全」，写感怀旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；柳永《少年游·参差烟树灞陵桥》则以「参差烟树灞陵桥。风物尽前朝」「夕阳闲淡秋光老，离思满蘅皋」写烟树灞陵桥、离思满蘅皋。两词同写感怀送别、超然旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写参差烟树灞陵桥风物尽前朝、以灞桥写送别；一为苏轼之超然、一为柳永之深婉，并读正可见词写「感怀送别」的两种笔法，皆于感怀之中见送别。