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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

苏轼·春宵

Spring Night

苏轼

Su Shi

哲理Philosophical 惜时Cherishing Time

春宵一刻值千金，花有清香月有阴。
歌管楼台声细细，秋千院落夜沉沉。

A moment on a spring night is worth a thousand gold.
Flowers have a faint fragrance, the moon casts a shade.
From the terrace, soft sounds of songs and flutes are told.
In the courtyard with swing, the night is deep and still.

Listen

Meaning

A moment on a spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Flowers exude a faint fragrance, and the moon casts a hazy shadow. From the terrace come soft sounds of song and flute; in the courtyard where the swing stands still, the night is deep and quiet.

春天的夜晚哪怕只有片刻，也价值千金；花儿散发着淡淡的清香，月亮在花影中投下朦胧的阴翳。楼台上传来隐隐约约的歌乐管弦之声，秋千静立的院落里，夜色一片深沉。

Appreciation

This poem opens with a famous aphorism praising the preciousness of a spring night. The second line depicts the beauty of fragrance and moonlight. The last two lines contrast soft music with deep night, using reduplicative words to enhance the tranquil atmosphere. The poem conveys a sense of cherishing time while appreciating the beauty of the moment.

【白话串讲】 “春宵一刻值千金”——苏轼说春天的夜晚，一刻就值千金。现在这句话被用在婚礼和表白里，原来一千年前苏轼就告诉我们：好时光，要抓紧享受。【意象与手法】全诗起以警策议论“一刻值千金”，破空而来；继而以“花有清香月有阴”五字写尽春夜之幽美，视听兼备【情感与主旨】此诗约作于宋仁宗嘉祐年间苏轼初入仕途、留居汴京之时。诗中写春宵楼台歌管、院落秋千，带有都市上元前后的富贵气象【名句点睛】常考：一、“春宵一刻值千金”的修辞与哲理意蕴；二、“细细”“沉沉”叠字之妙与以动衬静手法

Background

This poem was written around the Jiayou era of Emperor Renzong of Song, when Su Shi first entered officialdom and lived in the capital Bianjing. The poem describes a spring night with music from terraces and a swing in the courtyard, reflecting the opulent atmosphere of the capital around the Lantern Festival. Ostensibly praising the beauty of the spring night, it actually contains advice to cherish time.

苏轼《春宵》一诗的创作时地历来有嘉祐、元丰两说。嘉祐年间，苏轼与其弟苏辙随父苏洵赴汴京应试，嘉祐二年兄弟同登进士第，此后苏轼初入仕途，曾留居汴京。此诗写春夜楼台歌管、院落秋千，带有都市上元前后的富贵气象，故旧说多系于嘉祐年间苏轼初至京师之时。然亦有学者据诗中「秋千院落」的意象，联系苏轼元祐年间在汴京任职的阅历，以为亦可作于其再入京师的时期。二说均指向汴京，因诗中所写「歌管楼台」「秋千院落」分明是都市里巷的繁华景象。此诗在《苏轼诗集》中编次不显，长期被视为寻常写景之作，后因「春宵一刻值千金」一句广为传诵而获得经典地位。「一刻」为古代计时单位，一昼夜为一百刻，则一刻约合十四分余，极言其短。苏轼此诗虽仅二十八字，却将春夜之珍贵、花月之幽美、歌管之隐约、院落之沉寂层层写出，是其七绝中以简驭繁、以景寓理的佳作。此诗在苏轼集中不编次显赫，其经典地位多由首句「春宵一刻值千金」的传诵而确立。「一刻」为古代计时单位，一昼夜分一百刻，一刻约合十四分余，极言其短促；以「千金」喻之，则春夜光阴之贵可见。诗中「歌管楼台」写都市夜生活的余韵，「秋千院落」写庭院春日的痕迹，二景并置，构成一幅汴京春夜的立体图景。苏轼此诗虽题「春宵」，实为惜时之作，其于春夜美景的流连中暗寓光阴易逝之叹，是宋诗「以理入景」的早期范例。

Art

The poem starts with a striking aphorism, then depicts beauty with fragrance and moonlight. The last two lines use 'sound delicate' and 'night deep' to contrast movement with stillness. The reduplicative words are artfully used, and the refined imagery conveys a philosophical interest.

此诗的艺术特色在于以议论领起、以写景收束，理与景相生相发。首句「春宵一刻值千金」破空而来，纯用议论，以「千金」之重比「一刻」之短，极言春夜光阴之宝贵，先声夺人，为全诗立骨。次句「花有清香月有阴」以五字写尽春夜之幽美，花香、月影，一嗅一视，不著「春」字而春意满纸，是承上「值千金」的具体展开——春宵之所以宝贵，正因其有花之清香、月之阴翳。三句「歌管楼台声细细」转写听觉，楼台歌管之声隐隐传来，以动衬静；四句「秋千院落夜沉沉」转写视觉与体感，秋千静立、院落沉沉，愈见夜深人静。后二句一远一近、一闹一静，声之「细细」与夜之「沉沉」两相对映，以都市的余韵反衬春夜的静谧。全诗先理后景，理不空发、景不虚设，短短四句层次井然，是苏轼七绝熔议论、写景、抒情于一炉的典范。此诗章法之妙，在于先立警句、后铺景语，理与景相生相发。首句的议论是全诗之骨，次句以「花」「月」之景证之，三、四句再以「歌管」「秋千」之景拓之，由理入景、由景生情，环环相扣。炼字上，「清香」之「清」写花气之淡雅，「阴」写月影之朦胧，「细细」「沉沉」两组叠字一写声之微、一写夜之深，尤为警策。意象上，花、月、歌管、秋千、院落诸物，皆春夜所习见，而一经点染，遂成春宵的典型画面。后世论绝句「以一句立骨、以三句敷景」的章法，此诗堪为范本。

Allusions

The phrase 'a moment worth a thousand gold' derives from the Huainanzi saying 'a sage values an inch of shadow more than a foot of jade' and the ancient proverb on cherishing time. The whole poem has no obscure allusions, making the message accessible.

此诗用典不显，而「春宵」「千金」「秋千」诸语各有来历。「一刻千金」的说法后世通用，苏轼此句实为其最著者，其思想可溯至古人惜时之说。《淮南子·原道训》有「圣人不贵尺之璧而重寸之阴，时难得而易失也」之语，以璧玉之贵衬光阴之重，苏轼以「千金」代「尺璧」，承此意而更精炼。「千金」本言财物之重，司马迁《史记·货殖列传》屡见，此处以财货喻光阴，愈见春夜之可宝。「秋千」乃古代寒食、清明前后的节令游戏，唐人诗中已多咏之，如王维「蹴鞠屡过飞鸟上，秋千竞出垂杨里」，秋千遂成春日庭院之典型意象。「月有阴」的「阴」指花木投下的月影，苏轼《水调歌头》「转朱阁，低绮户」同写月影，可见其对月影的偏爱。全诗不事用典，而语语皆从传统意象中来，见出苏轼化古为今、了无痕迹的功力。「秋千」意象在唐宋诗词中屡见，本为寒食、清明前后的节令游戏，冯延巳「泪眼问花花不语，乱红飞过秋千去」、欧阳修「绿杨楼外出秋千」皆以秋千写春景，苏轼此处以「秋千院落」写春夜的庭院，正承此传统而更添静谧。「歌管楼台」写都市的歌舞笙歌，可溯至古诗十九首「弹筝奋逸响」以来对宴乐之盛的描写。苏轼以「声细细」状之，化繁华的喧嚣为春夜的隐约，是化俗为雅的一例。全诗不事显性用典，而花月、秋千、歌管诸意象皆有深厚的传统根柢，其「一刻千金」的惜时之思，更与《淮南子》「不贵尺璧而重寸阴」一脉相承。

Commentary

This poem's first line has become a famous saying. Critics praise its simple language and profound meaning. Though it depicts opulent scenes, the advice to cherish time is clear, making 'spring night' a classic symbol for precious moments.

此诗在历代选本中，因「春宵一刻值千金」而广为流布。清代孙洙《唐诗三百首》不收宋诗，然苏轼此句早已超越选本而成为民间熟语。后世诗话、笔记多举此句论「以俗语入诗而自高」。沈德潜《说诗晬语》论绝句贵「含蓄不尽」，此诗正以结句「秋千院落夜沉沉」的余韵合之。今人钱锺书《宋诗选注》评苏轼七绝，谓其「善用浅语写深致」，此诗可为印证。在传播史上，「春宵一刻值千金」一句渐从原诗「惜时」的本义被后世戏曲、小说引作「洞房花烛」之喻，语义发生了偏离，这一接受史现象本身即说明此句的生命力。此诗也常被拿来与苏轼《海棠》「只恐夜深花睡去，故烧高烛照红妆」对读，二诗同写春夜惜时惜景，一以议论立骨、一以痴情取胜，是苏轼春夜诗的双璧，同列其七绝名篇之林。此诗因首句而家喻户晓，「春宵一刻值千金」早已脱离原诗的惜时本义，成为日常熟语，甚至被戏曲小说引作洞房花烛之喻，其语义的演变本身即是接受史的佳例。历代选本如《宋诗别裁集》《宋诗精华录》皆收此篇。沈德潜《说诗晬语》论绝句贵含蓄，此诗以「秋千院落夜沉沉」作结，正合其旨。近人钱锺书《宋诗选注》评苏轼诗「善用浅语写深致」，此诗可为印证。就传播而言，此诗与《海棠》同列苏轼春夜诗双璧，而「一刻千金」四字的流传度，则远在《海棠》之上，几至识字者皆知，足见一首绝句能以一句而传千载的特殊魅力。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain七言绝句

Rhyme Pingshui rhyme, lower level 12 qin平水韵下平十二侵韵，押「金」「阴」「沉」三韵，首句入韵

Tone pattern First line enters rhyme, level tone starting with rhyme首句「春宵一刻值千金」平平仄仄仄平平，次句「花有清香月有阴」平仄平平仄仄平，三句「歌管楼台声细细」平仄平平平仄仄，末句「秋千院落夜沉沉」平平仄仄仄平平。为仄起首句入韵的七绝正格，平仄合律。

Reading note Four lines with three rhymes, melodious and gentle此诗为七绝仄起首句入韵的正格，格律精严。韵脚「金、阴、沉」同属下平十二侵韵，侵韵为闭口韵（收-m），发音时双唇闭合，气流内敛，音色低沉绵长，恰与诗中所写「夜沉沉」的静谧深沉的氛围相合，声情互发，是苏轼选韵的用心之处。四句平仄工整，无一处拗救，读来流畅圆转；而「细细」「沉沉」两组叠字，一为齿音、一为舌音，一轻清、一重浊，在声调上形成细腻的对照，使末二句在听觉上先扬后抑，余韵悠长。苏轼七绝多不拘格律细部，此诗却严整如此，可见其于近体并非不能工，只是不为工所缚。清人论绝句声律，尝举此诗为「平仄谐和、声情相副」之例，其「侵」韵的闭口收束，尤为此诗声韵之美增色，使读者吟咏之际，自觉有春夜沉沉、余音袅袅之感。此诗音律之谐、声情之洽，在苏轼七绝中尤称精整，堪为近体声律的教科书式范例。

Line by line

春宵一刻值千金

A moment on a spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

春天的夜晚哪怕只有片刻，也价值千金。

One moment of a spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

首句以议论破空而来，是全诗的诗眼。「一刻」与「千金」，一极短一极重，反差之间道出春夜光阴之宝贵。此句不写景、不抒情，纯以判断立骨，却因其警策而千古传诵。它承续了古人「重寸阴」的惜时传统，而能出之以最通俗的语言，妇孺可解。苏轼以「值」字系「一刻」与「千金」，把抽象的时间价值坐实为可感的财富，正是宋人「以理入诗」而能成功的范例——理不枯槁，反因新奇醒目而动人。其议论不涉理障，反以新奇之喻动人，是宋诗理趣的成功示范。

The opening line using the argument's sudden arrival, the whole poem's poetic eye. The one-moment and the thousand-pieces-of-gold, one extremely short one extremely heavy, the contrast uttering the spring-night time's preciousness. This line's no scene, no feeling, purely on judgment for the bone, and yet because of the alert's through-the-ages fame. It inherits the ancients' value-the-inch-gold time-prizing tradition, and yet able to utter in the plainest language, women-and-children understandable. Su Shi using the value word for the one-moment-and-thousand-gold, turning the abstract time-value into the palpable wealth, precisely the Song-poem's reason-into-poem's successful example — the reason not dry, and yet because of the new-and-alert's moving. Its argument not touching the reason-obstacle, and yet using the new-metaphor's moving, the Song-poem's reason-delight successful demonstration.

花有清香月有阴

Flowers have a faint fragrance; the moon casts a shadow.

花儿散发着淡淡的清香，月亮在花影中投下朦胧的阴翳。

Flowers breathe faint fragrance, the moon casts a soft shadow.

次句承上句之「值」，具体写出春宵的可贵之处。花香、月影，一属嗅觉，一属视觉；「清香」言其淡而幽，「阴」言其朦胧而柔。两个「有」字并列，仿佛把春夜的美好一一陈列眼前，举重若轻。此句只写景，不着一字议论，却天然是首句「值千金」的注脚——春宵之所以宝贵，正在于它有如此清幽的花与月。以五字而写尽春夜之神，是苏轼炼句的极致，也见其以景证理的高明。五字写尽春夜之幽，与首句的「值千金」互为表里。

The second line inheriting the above's value, concretely writing the spring-night's preciousness. The flower fragrance and the moon shadow, one smell, one sight; the faint-fragrance meaning its light-and-hidden, the shadow meaning its hazy-and-soft. The two have words in parallel, as if the spring night's beauties one by one displayed before the eye, the heavy-weight-lifted-light. This line's pure scene, not landing one commentary, and yet naturally the opening line's worth-a-thousand-gold's annotation — the spring night's preciousness, precisely in its having such quiet flowers and moon. Five characters exhausting the spring night's spirit, Su Shi's line-refining extreme, and seeing his scene-proves-reason's craft. Five characters exhausting the spring night's quiet, with the opening's worth-a-thousand-gold's inner-outer mutual support.

歌管楼台声细细

From the terrace, soft sounds of songs and flutes are heard.

楼台上传来隐隐约约的歌乐管弦之声。

From the towers and terraces, songs and pipes drift thin and faint.

第三句转写听觉，将笔触由自然的春夜引向人间的楼台。歌管之声从远处楼台隐隐传来，「细细」二字写其微弱、断续、若有若无。这既是都市富贵之家的夜生活余音，又因其「细」而不喧，反而衬托出春夜的静谧。以动写静、以声衬寂，是古典诗词的常用手法，苏轼此处用之而不觉，仿佛信手拈来。此句与次句同写春宵之景，一自然一人事，一动一静，层次井然，为末句的收束蓄势。以「细细」写声，愈见其静，正得「鸟鸣山更幽」之趣。

The third line turning to hearing, moving the brush from the natural spring night to the human towers. The song-and-pipe sound from the far towers' faintly coming, the xixi two words writing its faint, intermittent, as-if-there-and-yet-not. This at once the city wealthy household's night-life aftertone, and yet because of its thin's no noise, instead setting off the spring night's quiet. Using motion for stillness and sound for silence, the classical poetry's common method, Su Shi here using it unnoticed, as if the casual picking. This line and the second line jointly writing the spring-night scene, one natural one human, one motion one stillness, the layers orderly, storing the ground for the closing line's gathering. Using the xixi for the sound, the stillness the clearer, precisely the birds-sing-and-the-mountain-the-quieter delight.

秋千院落夜沉沉

In the courtyard with swing, the night is deep and still.

秋千静立的院落里，夜色一片深沉。

In the courtyard with the swing, the night lies deep and still.

末句写秋千院落，以「沉沉」二字收束全篇。秋千本是白昼游戏之物，此刻静立院中，暗示白日的喧闹已尽，唯余沉沉夜色。「夜沉沉」与上句「声细细」对映，一写色之浓，一写声之微，共同营造出春夜既深且静的意境。结句不抒情、不议论，纯以景收，却将春宵将尽、光阴难留的怅惘含于言外，余味悠长。全诗由「值千金」的警策起，至「夜沉沉」的静穆结，首尾之间，春夜之美与时光之促交织成一种淡淡的怅然。结句以景收情，不著议论而意自深长。

The closing line writes the swing courtyard, using the chenchen two words for the whole poem's close. The swing originally the daytime plaything, this moment's still-standing in the courtyard, hinting the daytime's noise's ended, only the deep night remaining. The night-lies-deep-and-still and the above's sounds-drift-thin-and-faint's mirror, one writing the color's thickness, one writing the sound's faintness, jointly building the spring night's both deep-and-quiet mood. The closing line's no feeling, no argument, purely on the scene's close, and yet carrying the spring-night's about-to-end and time's hard-to-keep wistfulness within the words, the aftertaste long. The whole poem from the worth-a-thousand-gold's alert opening, to the night-deep-and-still's solemn close, between first-and-last, the spring-night beauty and the time's shortness interwoven into a faint wistfulness. The closing line's scene-closes-feeling, no commentary and yet the meaning's depth.

Study

Word focus

值 The word 'worth' appraises time in monetary terms, making abstract value concrete. 「值」字是首句的枢纽，将「一刻」与「千金」两个本不相干的概念系于一处，使时间的抽象价值获得财货的具体重量。不用「如」「似」等比喻词，而以「值」作判断，语气斩截，不容置疑，见出宋人议论的果决。这一字既承古人「重寸阴」的惜时思想，又以通俗的口吻道出，使整句成为千古警策。后世「一刻千金」凝固为成语，其源头正在此一「值」字，足见一字立骨的力量。后世「一刻千金」凝为成语，正赖此一字之立。

细细 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「细细」叠字写歌管之声，摹其微弱、断续、悠远之态。楼台歌管本可喧阗，词人偏以「细细」写之，说明这声音因距离与夜色而变得隐约，仿佛被春夜的静谧所稀释。以叠字状声，既具音韵的绵长之美，又暗含以动衬静之旨——声愈细，则夜愈静。此字与末句「沉沉」的叠字遥相呼应，两声相叠，一轻一重，一显一隐，构成全诗声情上的精妙对仗，见出苏轼对叠字运用的匠心。两叠字相映，声情上先轻后重，为末句的沉静蓄势。

沉沉 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「沉沉」叠字写夜色，兼摄视觉的浓黑与体感的深重。夜之「沉」，既指夜深如坠、黑暗浓厚，也暗含春宵将尽、不可挽回的凝重之感。与上句「细细」相对，「沉沉」以重浊之音收束全诗，使诗意由轻灵转入沉静，由欣悦转入怅然。秋千院落、沉沉夜色，本是寻常春夜之景，经此二字点染，顿生岁月流转、良宵易逝的微茫之叹。以景结情而情在景中，正在此一「沉」字的分量。夜之沉沉，实亦心之沉沉，景语中暗藏惜时之情。