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诉衷情·清晨帘幕卷轻霜

Telling the Heart: In the Early Morning, the Curtain Rolled Up the Light Frost

欧阳修

Ouyang Xiu

清晨帘幕卷轻霜。
呵手试梅妆。
都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长。
思往事，惜流芳。
易成伤。
拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠。

In the early morning, the curtain rolls up the light frost.
Breathing on my hands, I try the plum make-up.
All because of the parting grief within —
I draw the brows long as the distant hills.
Thinking of the past,
Cherishing the flowing fragrance,
Easily it turns to sorrow.
About to sing, I first draw in,
About to smile, I still knit the brows,
Most breaking of the heart.

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Meaning

A lyric of the parting grief of the fair one, written by Ouyang Xiu. In the early morning, the curtain rolls up the light frost — breathing on her hands, she tries the plum make-up — the cold morning and the careful make-up. All because of the parting grief within — she draws the brows long as the distant hills — the long brows of the parting grief. Thinking of the past, cherishing the flowing fragrance, easily it turns to sorrow — the past and the passing years, the sorrow. About to sing, she first draws in; about to smile, she still knits the brows — most breaking of the heart — the drawn-in singing and the knitted smile, the breaking sorrow. The lyric is the parting grief of the fair one: the morning frost, the long brows, and the close's knitted smile.

清晨，帘幕卷起，带着轻霜。呵着双手，试着梅妆。都因为自有离恨，所以把眉画作远山那样长。思往事，惜流年。容易成伤。想唱歌先收敛，想笑又先颦眉，最是断人肝肠。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] In the early morning, the curtain rolls up the light frost. Breathing on my hands, I try the plum make-up. All because of the parting grief within, I draw the brows long as the distant hills. Thinking of the past, cherishing the flowing fragrance, easily it turns to sorrow. About to sing, I first draw in; about to smile, I still knit the brows, most breaking of the heart. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the cold morning and the careful make-up, through the long brows of the parting grief, and the turning sorrow of the past, to the close's broken gesture: about to sing, first drawn in; about to smile, still knitting the brows — the breaking of the heart. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the gesture of the grief: the long brows drawn because of the parting grief — the make-up given the grief; and the close's about to sing, first drawn in; about to smile, still knitting — the gestures of the grief, the breaking of the heart gathered in the drawn-in and the knitted. [Emotional Tone] Delicate, sorrowful, and breaking: the lyric is the parting grief of the fair one, the long brows and the close's knitted smile.

【白话串讲】欧阳修写《诉衷情·清晨帘幕卷轻霜》：“清晨帘幕卷轻霜。呵手试梅妆”——“都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长”——“思往事，惜流芳。易成伤”——“拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠”——他写女子离恨——故画作远山长。【意象与手法】 “清晨帘幕卷轻霜。呵手试梅妆”写清晨妆饰之景；“都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长”以远山眉写离恨；“思往事，惜流芳。易成伤”写怀人之伤；结以“拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠”写欲歌欲笑而先敛先颦之态。含蓄婉转。【情感与主旨】欧阳修写女子离恨之作，写闺中女子清晨妆饰而心系离人，以“画作远山长”写离恨之深，是欧阳修婉约词中的名篇。【名句点睛】常考“都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长”以远山眉写离恨；“拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠”以欲笑还颦写断肠。

Background

Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072), the great master of the Song, wrote this 'Telling the Heart' of the parting grief of the fair one — the early morning, the light frost, the plum make-up tried with the breathing hands. The long brows drawn because of the parting grief, the turning sorrow of the past, and the close's about to sing, first drawn in; about to smile, still knitting the brows — the lyric gathers the delicate grief of the fair one, the gestures of the breaking heart. The lyric is one of the delicate works of the master's lyrics.

《诉衷情·清晨帘幕卷轻霜》为北宋词人欧阳修所作词。欧阳修（1007—1072），字永叔，号醉翁、六一居士，吉州永丰（今江西永丰）人，北宋政治家、文学家，「唐宋八大家」之一，诗文革新的领袖。此词写女子离恨。词中「清晨帘幕卷轻霜，呵手试梅妆」写清晨妆饰之景；「都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长」写画眉之由；「思往事，惜流芳。易成伤」写怀人之伤；「拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠」写欲歌欲笑而先敛先颦之态。古以远山喻眉，「画作远山长」写女子因离恨而画长眉（黛眉如远山）。欧阳修此词以女子画眉、怀人之态写离恨，含蓄婉转，是欧阳修婉约词中的名篇，也是其「深婉不迫」词风的典型体现。此篇《诉衷情·清晨帘幕卷轻霜》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 delicate gesture. The morning opens: in the early morning, the curtain rolls up the light frost — breathing on her hands, she tries the plum make-up — the cold of the morning and the careful make-up. The brows follow: all because of the parting grief within — she draws the brows long as the distant hills — the long brows of the parting grief, the make-up carrying the grief. The turning: thinking of the past, cherishing the flowing fragrance, easily it turns to sorrow — the past and the passing years, the sorrow. And the close gathers the broken gestures: about to sing, she first draws in; about to smile, she still knits the brows — most breaking of the heart — the drawn-in singing and the knitted smile, the gestures of the grief, the breaking of the heart gathered in the close.

此词艺术上以「以态写情、含蓄深婉」见长。全词上片写清晨妆饰之景与画眉之由，下片写怀人之伤与欲歌欲笑之态。上片「清晨帘幕卷轻霜，呵手试梅妆」写清晨妆饰之景：清晨，帘幕卷起，带着轻霜；呵着双手，试着梅妆。「都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长」写画眉之由：都因为自有离恨，所以把眉画作远山那样长。下片「思往事，惜流芳。易成伤」写怀人之伤：思往事，惜流年，容易成伤。「拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠」写欲歌欲笑之态：想唱歌先收敛，想笑又先颦眉，最是断人肝肠。全词以态写情，含蓄深婉，是欧阳修婉约词中的名篇。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 plum make-up' (mei zhuang) is the make-up of the plum blossom — the make-up tried in the morning, the 'plum blossom make-up' of the tradition; 'the distant hills' (yuan shan) are the brows drawn long as the distant hills — the make-up of the long brows; 'the flowing fragrance' (liu fang) is the passing years — the flowing fragrance of the youth, cherished; 'to draw in' (lian) is the drawing in of the singing — the about-to-sing, first drawn in.

词中「梅妆」「远山」「流芳」等语，皆含典故故实。「梅妆」即梅花妆，相传南朝宋武帝女寿阳公主卧于含章殿下，梅花落于额上成五出之花，拂之不去，宫女效之，遂成梅花妆，「呵手试梅妆」写女子呵手画梅妆；「远山」以远山喻眉，葛洪《西京杂记》载卓文君「眉色如望远山」，故「画作远山长」写女子画眉如远山；「流芳」指流逝的青春年华，「惜流芳」写惜青春之逝。词人以梅妆、远山、流芳等典入词，不着痕迹，而把女子妆饰、画眉、怀人之情写得真切可感，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。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 the delicate works of Ouyang Xiu, quoted for the gesture of its close. The long brows of the parting grief, and the about to smile, still knitting the brows, are among the admired passages of the master's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's delicacy: the parting grief gathered in the gestures, the drawn-in and the knitted of the close.

这首《诉衷情·清晨帘幕卷轻霜》，是欧阳修写女子离恨之作，写闺中女子清晨妆饰、思念离人之情，含蓄深婉。上片写清晨妆饰之景与画眉之由：「清晨帘幕卷轻霜，呵手试梅妆」——清晨，帘幕卷起，带着轻霜；呵着双手，试着梅妆。写清晨之景：帘幕卷起轻霜，天气清寒，呵手画梅妆。一个清晨对镜妆饰的女子形象跃然纸上；「都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长」——都因为自有离恨，所以把眉画作远山那样长。点出画眉之由：因为心中自有离恨，所以把眉画作远山那样长——远山长，正是离恨长，以画长眉写离恨之长。这「都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长」，是全词之眼，以画眉写离恨，含蓄而巧妙。下片写怀人之伤与欲歌欲笑之态：「思往事，惜流芳。易成伤」——思往事，惜流年，容易成伤。思往事而惜流年，容易成伤，写其怀人之伤；「拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠」——想唱歌先收敛，想笑又先颦眉，最是断人肝肠。欲歌而先敛、欲笑而先颦，写其因离恨而欲歌不能、欲笑不能之态——心中有事，纵欲歌欲笑，亦先敛先颦，这欲敛欲颦之态，最是断人肝肠。全词以态写情，含蓄深婉，正是欧阳修「深婉不迫」词风的典型，也是其婉约词中的名篇。

Prosody

Form Suzhongqing (Telling the Heart), a short lyric词（诉衷情，双调）

Rhyme The lyric rhymes on the level-tone shuang, chang, shang and chang of the group — the even, level rhyme that carries the delicate grief.此词为《诉衷情》调，双调四十四字，上片下片各四句。押平声韵：上片「霜」「妆」「长」押阳部韵；下片「芳」「伤」「肠」押阳部韵。词体依词谱而定，句式长短错落，音节随情起伏，正与写闺情离恨的含蓄深婉相称，也见其以词写闺情的自然。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the delicate grief: the level opening with the morning frost and the make-up, the turning with the long brows and the sorrow, and the close's fall with the drawn-in and the knitted.句式上，上片「清晨帘幕卷轻霜，呵手试梅妆」写清晨妆饰，音节清婉；「都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长」写画眉之由，音节婉转；下片「思往事，惜流芳。易成伤」写怀人之伤，音节低回；「拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠」写欲歌欲笑之态，音节深婉。全词音节随情起伏，由清婉而婉转、由低回而深婉，正合词体「长短句」之妙，读来如见闺中女子清晨画眉、欲笑还颦之态，含蓄而动人。

Reading note The lyric's sound matches its delicacy: the short, level rhymes carry the cadence of the grief, and the close — 'ni ge xian lian, yu xiao huan pin, zui duan ren chang' — falls with the most breaking of the heart, the sound of the drawn-in singing and the knitted smile.此词为《诉衷情》调，是欧阳修婉约词中的名篇，也是其「深婉不迫」词风的典型体现。全词的艺术特色在于「以态写情、含蓄深婉」：上片「清晨帘幕卷轻霜，呵手试梅妆」写清晨妆饰之景，「都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长」以画长眉写离恨之长，是全词之眼；下片「思往事，惜流芳。易成伤」写怀人之伤，「拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠」以欲歌欲笑而先敛先颦之态写断肠之情。全词以态写情，含蓄深婉。尤为精妙者，是「都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长」以画眉写离恨，把女子因离恨而画长眉的心理写得含蓄而巧妙；而「拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠」以欲敛欲颦之态写欲歌欲笑而不能之情，不着一字言情而其情自见，正是欧阳修婉约词「深婉不迫」的典范，为历代词选所常收。

Line by line

清晨帘幕卷轻霜。

In the early morning, the curtain rolls up the light frost.

清晨，帘幕卷起，带着轻霜；呵着双手，试着梅妆。

At dawn the curtains are rolled up, light frost upon them.

首二句写清晨妆饰之景，起笔即见其人。「清晨帘幕卷轻霜」写清晨帘幕卷起、带着轻霜，「清晨」点出时令，「帘幕卷轻霜」写帘幕卷起时轻霜凝结，见天气之清寒；「呵手试梅妆」写呵着双手试着梅妆，「呵手」写其呵气暖手，见天气之寒，「试梅妆」写其画梅花妆，见其妆饰之用心。两句一写景之清寒、一写人之妆饰，在清寒的清晨，一个呵手画梅妆的女子形象跃然纸上，起笔即见其人，为后文写其离恨作铺垫，是「以景写人」的妙笔。

The opening two lines write the dawn-toilette scene, the first stroke at once seeing the person. The at-dawn-the-curtains-are-rolled-up-light-frost-upon-them writing the dawn and the rolled curtains' light frost, the dawn pointing out the season, the rolled-curtains-light-frost writing the light frost's forming on the curtain's rolling, seeing the weather's cool; the breathing-on-her-hands-and-trying-the-plum-blossom-makeup writing her warming the hands and painting the plum makeup, the breathing-on-hands seeing the cold, the trying-the-plum-makeup seeing the toilette's care. Two lines one writing the scene's cool, one the person's toilette, in the cool dawn, a woman's warming-hands-and-painting-plum-makeup image leaping on the paper, the first stroke at once seeing the person, storing the ground for the below's parting-grief, the scene-writes-person wondrous brush.

都缘自有离恨，故画作远山长。

All because of the parting grief within — I draw the brows long as the distant hills.

都因为自有离恨，所以把眉画作远山那样长。

Because there is parting grief, she paints her brows long as distant hills.

此二句写画眉之由，是全词之眼。「都缘自有离恨」写都因为自有离恨，「都缘」写其画眉之由，「离恨」点出其心中之恨；「故画作远山长」写所以把眉画作远山那样长，「画作远山长」以远山喻眉、画作长眉，「长」写其眉之长。两句一写其因离恨而画、一写其画作远山长，以「都缘」与「故」相连，点出画眉之由——因为心中有离恨，所以把眉画得如远山般长，这远山长，正是离恨长。以画眉写离恨，含蓄而巧妙，是全词之眼，也是「以妆写情」的点睛之笔。

These two lines write the brow-painting reason, the whole ci's eye. The because-there-is-parting-grief writing the brow-painting's cause, the parting-grief pointing out the inner grief; she-paints-her-brows-long-as-distant-hills writing the distant-hills metaphor for the brows, the long word writing the brow's length. Two lines one writing the grief's-painting, one the long-distant-hills, using the because and hence's linkage, pointing out the brow-painting reason — because the inner parting grief, hence the brows painted like distant hills long, this distant-hills-long precisely the parting-grief-long. Using the brow-painting for the parting-grief-writing, reserved and clever, the whole ci's eye, and the toilette-writes-feeling telling stroke.

思往事，惜流芳。

Thinking of the past, cherishing the flowing fragrance.

思往事，惜流年。容易成伤。

She thinks of past days, pities the flowing years.

此三句写怀人之伤，是全词由景入情的转折。「思往事」写思念往事，「思往事」写其追思往日之情事；「惜流芳」写惋惜流年，「流芳」指流逝的青春年华，「惜」写其惋惜；「易成伤」写容易成伤，「易成伤」写其轻易便成感伤。三句一写思往事、一写惜流年、一写易成伤，由思而惜、由惜而伤，层层递进，写其怀人之伤——思念往事而惋惜年华，最容易成伤。以短句写情，含蓄而深挚，是「由景入情」的转折之笔。

These three lines write the longing-person grief, the whole ci's scene-to-feeling turning. The thinks-of-past-days writing the remembrance; the pities-the-flowing-years writing the youth's passing, the pity word writing the regret; the easily-grown-grief writing the ready grief. Three lines one writing the past-remembrance, one the years'-pity, one the grief's ease, from remembrance to pity to grief, layer on layer's advance, writing the longing-person grief — the past-remembrance and years'-pity, the easiest grief. Using the short line for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the scene-to-feeling turning stroke.

拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦，最断人肠。

About to sing, I first draw in; about to smile, I still knit the brows, most breaking of the heart.

想唱歌先收敛，想笑又先颦眉，最是断人肝肠。

About to sing, she first composes herself; about to smile, she frowns again; this most breaks the heart.

尾三句写欲歌欲笑之态，是全词立意的落点。「拟歌先敛」写想唱歌先收敛，「拟歌」写其欲歌，「先敛」写其未歌先敛容；「欲笑还颦」写想笑又先颦眉，「欲笑」写其欲笑，「还颦」写其未笑先颦眉；「最断人肠」写最是断人肝肠。三句以「拟歌先敛，欲笑还颦」写其因离恨而欲歌不能、欲笑不能之态——心中有事，纵欲歌欲笑，亦先敛先颦，这欲敛欲颦之态，最是断人肝肠。以态写情，含蓄深婉，是全词最动人处，也是「以态写情」的点睛之笔。

The closing three lines write the about-to-sing-and-about-to-smile pose, the whole ci's intention landing. The about-to-sing-she-first-composes-herself writing the would-sing and the self-composure before the song; the about-to-smile-she-frowns-again writing the would-smile and the frown before the smile; this-most-breaks-the-heart writing the heart-breaking. Three lines using the would-sing-first-composed and would-smile-again-frowned for the parting-grief's would-sing-impossible and would-smile-impossible pose — the inner matter, though the would-sing-and-would-smile, and yet the first-composed-and-first-frowned, this would-composed-and-would-frowned pose, the most heart-breaking. Using the pose for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the whole ci's most moving place, the pose-writes-feeling telling stroke.

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Word focus

呵手 'Breathing on the hands' — the breathing for the warmth, the cold of the morning and the care of the make-up. 「呵手」写呵气暖手，是写清晨清寒与妆饰之态的关键。「呵手试梅妆」着一「呵手」，写其呵气暖手——着一「呵手」，见天气之清寒，也见其妆饰之用心，呵着双手画梅妆。两字写尽清晨之寒与妆饰之态，是「以细节写景写人」的妙笔。「呵手」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

远山长 'Long as the distant hills' — the brows drawn long as the distant hills, the make-up of the parting grief. 「远山长」写画眉如远山之长，是全词之眼。「故画作远山长」着一「远山长」，以远山喻眉、写其画作长眉——着一「长」，见其眉之长，而这长眉正因离恨而画，远山长正是离恨长。三字以画眉写离恨，含蓄而巧妙，是「以妆写情」的点睛之词。「远山长」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

颦 'To knit the brows' — the knitting of the brows at the smile, the gesture of the grief. 「颦」字写未笑先颦眉，是写欲笑不能之态的关键。「欲笑还颦」着一「颦」，写其想笑又先颦眉——着一「颦」字，写其因离恨而欲笑不能、未笑先颦之态。一字写尽欲笑不能之态，与「拟歌先敛」相对，写其欲歌欲笑而皆不成，是「以一字写态」的点睛之词。「颦」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。