宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
天香·咏龙涎香
Heavenly Fragrance: On Dragon's Spittle Incense
孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月，骊宫夜采铅水。
汛远槎风，梦深薇露，化作断魂心字。
红瓷候火，还乍识、冰环玉指。
一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气。
几回剪春灯、夜寒花碎。
更好故溪飞雪，小窗深闭。
荀令如今顿老，总忘却、樽前旧风味。
谩惜余熏，空篝素被。
Far tides send the raft on wind; deep in dream the rose-dew; it turns into a soul-breaking heart-shaped word.
In red porcelain it waits the fire; first you recognize an ice-ring, a jade-finger shape.
A wisp curls the curtain in green shadow, faintly the sea-sky cloud-breath.
Several times I trim the spring lamp; the night cold, the lamp-flower breaks.
Better the old brook's flying snow, the small window shut deep.
Lord Xun now suddenly old, always forgets the old flavor before the cup.
In vain I pity the lingering incense; an empty brazier, a plain quilt.
Meaning
A chant on dragon's spittle incense, the lyric moves from the mystical gathering and burning of the incense to the poet's own aged solitude, lodging the loyalist's grief for the fallen Song.
孤礁蟠绕云烟，层涛中月影如蜕，骊龙之宫夜采铅水般的涎。潮汛远送木筏乘风，梦深浸蔷薇露，化作断魂的“心”字香。红瓷候火焙制，初识那冰环玉指般的形状。一缕香烟萦绕帘前翠影，依稀是海天云气。几回半醉娇慵，剪春灯、夜寒灯花碎。更忆故溪飞雪、小窗深闭。荀令如今顿老，总忘却樽前的旧风味。空自怜惜余香，只余空篝素被。
Appreciation
The lyric is from the 'Supplementary Odes to the Yuefu' object-chanting collection, lodging the lost-state grief in praising the incense. The upper stanza writes gathering, making, and burning the incense: a lone islet coiling mist, the black-dragon palace gathering spittle, blended with rose-dew into a 'heart' shape, fired in red porcelain into ice-ring, jade-finger forms, and when burned the green smoke is like sea-sky cloud-breath. The lower turns from incense to man: recalling the spring nights of trimming lamps, the old brook's flying snow and shut window, while now Lord Xun suddenly ages, forgetting the old flavor before the cup, leaving only lingering incense and an empty brazier. Throughout it writes the dragon with mythic fantasy (lone islet, dragon palace, lead-water); the characters 'coil' and 'shed' with the insect radical hint at dragon scales; 'heart-shaped' and 'ice-ring jade-finger' personify the object; the lower's past-present contrast lodges feeling deep. On the surface it chants incense, but in truth it lodges the loyalist's thought of the old country and the past-present lament, the wording subtle and veiled, low and turning.
【白话串讲】 “孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月，骊宫夜采铅水”——王沂孙写龙涎香：写它的采制与来历。“一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气”——“荀令如今憔悴”——他借咏香，暗写故国之思。南宋咏物词的巅峰。 【意象与手法】 通篇以神话奇幻写龙（孤峤、骊宫、铅水），“蟠”“蜕”二字带虫旁暗合龙鳞；“心字”“冰环玉指”将物拟人；下片今昔对比，寄托遥深。 【情感与主旨】 表面咏香，实寄宋亡后遗民故国之思与今昔之慨，词意潜隐，低回婉转。 【名句点睛】 “孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月”“谩惜余熏，空篝素被”——上以奇幻造境、下以空寂收悲，咏物而见亡国之痛。
Background
Wang Yisun (Bishan) lived at the Song-Yuan turn and joined the 'Supplementary Odes to the Yuefu' gathering, each chanting dragon's spittle incense and such objects to lodge the lost-state grief. This lyric is placed first in the supplement.
《天香·咏龙涎香》为宋代王沂孙所作，是咏龙涎香、寄故国之思的词。王沂孙（约1230—约1291），字圣与，号碧山，会稽人，宋代词人。此词：孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月，骊宫夜采铅水。汛远槎风，梦深薇露，化作断魂心字。红瓷候火，还乍识、冰环玉指。一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气。几回剪春灯、夜寒花碎。更好故溪飞雪，小窗深闭。荀令如今顿老，总忘却、樽前旧风味。谩惜余熏，空篝素被。全词咏龙涎香、寄故国之思，是王沂孙词的名篇。
Art
The Heavenly Fragrance is a double-tune lyric. The upper stanza layer by layer writes gathering, making, burning the incense; the lower moves from incense to man, past against present. The diction is fantastical (lone islet, shedding moon), the lodged feeling deep, clear and elegant in the sao manner.
《天香·咏龙涎香》艺术上以龙涎香的描摹与故国之思的寄托见长。全词分两片：上片写制香之奇——“孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月，骊宫夜采铅水”用骊宫之典写孤峤蟠烟、骊宫夜采铅水，“汛远槎风，梦深薇露，化作断魂心字”写汛远槎风、梦深薇露、化作断魂心字，“红瓷候火，还乍识、冰环玉指。一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气”写红瓷候火、一缕萦帘翠影；下片写故国之思——“几回剪春灯、夜寒花碎”写几回剪春灯、夜寒花碎，“更好故溪飞雪，小窗深闭”写更好故溪飞雪、小窗深闭，“荀令如今顿老，总忘却、樽前旧风味。谩惜余熏，空篝素被”写荀令顿老、谩惜余熏空篝素被。全词以龙涎香写故国之思，正是王沂孙词寄托的笔法。
Allusions
Dragon's spittle incense comes from the Greater Food sea; legend says the dragon coils in the ocean and spits spittle; the black-dragon palace (ligong) is the dragon king's dwelling; 'heart-shaped' means incense coiled into a heart form; Lord Xun refers to Xun Yu who loved burning incense, the author comparing himself; 'lingering incense' means the remaining fragrance; the brazier (gou) is an incense basket.
《天香·咏龙涎香》用典在“骊宫”“铅水”“断魂心字”“荀令”“故溪飞雪”。“骊宫”用骊龙探珠之典（骊宫）；“铅水”用李贺“忆君清泪如铅水”之典；“断魂心字”写心字香（断魂）；“荀令”用荀彧荀令香之典（荀令留香）；“故溪飞雪”写故溪飞雪。全词以这些典故咏龙涎香、寄故国之思，用典繁富而寄托自见，正是王沂孙词的笔法。
Commentary
The modern scholar Ye Jiaying analyzed this lyric in detail, saying it lodges through the incense's gathering, making, and burning the thought of the old-country mountains and rivers and the loyalist's pain, every word feeling; it is a representative of Bishan's object-chanting.
《天香·咏龙涎香》是王沂孙词的名篇，也是宋末咏物词中寄托故国之思的代表作。此词咏龙涎香、寄故国之思，向为论者称道。论者多赏其龙涎香的描摹与故国之思的寄托——“孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月，骊宫夜采铅水”用骊宫铅水之典写孤峤蟠烟、骊宫夜采铅水，寄托之深；“红瓷候火，还乍识、冰环玉指。一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气”写红瓷候火、一缕萦帘翠影，更见其细；“荀令如今顿老，总忘却、樽前旧风味”用荀令之典写荀令顿老、樽前旧味，尤见其慨；“谩惜余熏，空篝素被”写谩惜余熏、空篝素被，尤见其悲。王沂孙为宋末遗民词人，其咏物词多寄托故国之思，此词正是其代表——以龙涎香写故国之思，正是其词风。
Prosody
Line by line
孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月，骊宫夜采铅水。
A lone islet coils in mist; layered waves shed the moon; the black-dragon palace gathers lead-water by night.
孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月，骊宫夜采铅水。
A lone isle coiled in mist; layered sloughs the moon; by night, the pearl waters are drawn from the black dragon's palace.
首用骊宫铅水之典写孤峤蟠烟、骊宫夜采铅水，是全词写制香之奇的起点。“孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月”写孤峤蟠烟、层涛蜕月——“孤峤蟠烟”写孤岛蟠绕烟雾，“层涛蜕月”写层涛中蜕出明月——孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月；“骊宫夜采铅水”用骊宫铅水之典写骊宫夜采铅水——“骊宫夜采铅水”用骊龙探珠、李贺铅水之典写骊宫夜采铅水——骊宫夜采铅水。三句写孤峤蟠烟、骊宫夜采铅水：孤峤蟠烟，层涛蜕月，骊宫夜采铅水。以“孤峤蟠烟”写孤岛蟠烟、龙涎所出，以“层涛蜕月”写层涛蜕月、沧海茫茫，以“骊宫夜采铅水”用骊宫铅水之典写骊宫夜采、采香之奇，正是王沂孙词写制香之奇的起点——孤峤蟠烟，骊宫采水。
The opening using the black-dragon-palace lead-water allusion for the lone-isle-mist and night-gathering, the whole ci's incense-making-wonder start. The lone-isle-coiled-in-mist and layered-sloughs-the-moon writing the isle's wreathing mist and the moon's sloughing through the waves; by-night-the-pearl-waters-are-drawn-from-the-black-dragon's-palace using the black-dragon-pearl-seeking and Li He's lead-water allusions. Three lines writing the distant isle, the vast sea, and the night gathering of the incense-lore's substance, precisely Wang Yisun's incense-making-wonder start — the mist-wreathed isle and the dragon's night harvest.
红瓷候火，还乍识、冰环玉指。一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气。
In the red porcelain the fire waits; then suddenly I know the ice rings and jade fingers. One thread of green shadow winds the curtain, faint as sea-and-sky cloud vapor.
红瓷候火，还乍识、冰环玉指。一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气。
In the red porcelain the fire waits; then suddenly I know the ice rings and jade fingers. One thread of green shadow winds the curtain, faint as sea-and-sky cloud vapor.
中用红瓷候火、一缕萦帘翠影，是全词写焚香之景的深化。“红瓷候火，还乍识、冰环玉指”写红瓷候火、冰环玉指——“红瓷候火”写红瓷之中候火（制香），“还乍识、冰环玉指”写乍识冰环玉指（美人手）——红瓷候火，冰环玉指；“一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气”写一缕萦帘翠影、依稀海天云气——“一缕萦帘翠影”写一缕香烟萦帘成翠影，“依稀海天云气”写依稀如海天云气——一缕萦帘，海天云气。四句写红瓷候火、一缕萦帘翠影：红瓷候火，还乍识、冰环玉指。一缕萦帘翠影，依稀海天云气。以“红瓷候火”写红瓷候火、精心制香，以“还乍识、冰环玉指”写乍识冰环玉指、香凝人手，以“一缕萦帘翠影”写一缕香烟、萦帘成影，以“依稀海天云气”写香如海天云气、渺茫飘渺，正是王沂孙词写焚香之景的深化——红瓷候火，一缕云气。
The middle using the red-porcelain-fire and the winding-curtain-green-shadow, the whole ci's incense-burning-scene deepening. The red-porcelain-the-fire-waits writing the patient fire within the porcelain; then-suddenly-I-know-the-ice-rings-and-jade-fingers writing the sudden recognition of the beauty's hands; one-thread-of-green-shadow-winds-the-curtain writing the smoke's curtain-coiling; faint-as-sea-and-sky-cloud-vapor writing the vapor's haze. Four lines writing the watched fire, the jade hands, the winding green shadow, the hazy cloud vapor, precisely Wang Yisun's incense-burning deepening — the red porcelain and the one thread of vapor.
荀令如今顿老，总忘却、樽前旧风味。
Xun Ling has suddenly grown old now; he has quite forgotten the old savor before the cup.
荀令如今顿老，总忘却、樽前旧风味。
Xun Ling has suddenly grown old now; he has quite forgotten the old savor before the cup.
后用荀令之典写荀令如今顿老、总忘却樽前旧风味，是全词写故国之思的深化。“荀令如今顿老”用荀令之典写荀令如今顿老——“荀令如今顿老”用荀彧荀令香之典写荀令如今顿然老去——荀令如今顿老；“总忘却、樽前旧风味”写总忘却樽前旧风味——“总忘却、樽前旧风味”写总忘却樽前旧日风味——总忘却樽前旧风味。二句写荀令如今顿老、总忘却樽前旧风味：荀令如今顿老，总忘却、樽前旧风味。以“荀令如今顿老”用荀令留香之典写荀令老去、风流顿减，以“总忘却、樽前旧风味”写忘却樽前旧味、故国旧欢，正是王沂孙词写故国之思的深化——荀令顿老，旧味全忘。
The latter using the Xun Ling allusion for Xun's sudden old age and the forgotten old savor, the whole ci's lost-land longing deepening. The Xun-Ling-has-suddenly-grown-old-now using Xun Yu's lingering-incense allusion for the statesman's withered charm; he-has-quite-forgotten-the-old-savor-before-the-cup writing the forgotten old flavor. Two lines writing the old favorite's decay and his forgetfulness, precisely Wang Yisun's lost-land longing deepening — Xun has aged, the old savor gone.
谩惜余熏，空篝素被。
In vain I pity the lingering incense; an empty brazier, a plain quilt.
谩惜余熏，空篝素被。
In vain I cherish the leftover scent; empty the incense cage, and the white coverlet.
末写谩惜余熏、空篝素被，是全词写故国之思的归结。“谩惜余熏”写谩惜余熏——“谩惜余熏”写徒然珍惜残余的熏香——谩惜余熏；“空篝素被”写空篝素被——“空篝素被”写空有熏笼与素被——空篝素被。二句写谩惜余熏、空篝素被：谩惜余熏，空篝素被。以“谩惜余熏”写徒然珍惜余熏、香已欲尽，以“空篝素被”写空有熏笼素被、人去香冷，正是王沂孙词写故国之思的归结——余熏难惜，篝空被素。
The last writing the vain-cherished-leftover-scent and the empty-cage-white-coverlet, the whole ci's lost-land longing close. The in-vain-I-cherish-the-leftover-scent writing the futile cherishing as the incense dies; empty-the-incense-cage-and-the-white-coverlet writing the empty cage and plain cover. Two lines writing the dying fragrance and the empty room, precisely Wang Yisun's lost-land longing close — the savor unsavable, the cage empty and the cover white.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王沂孙《齐天乐·蝉》咏蝉、寄故国之思，与本首同为王沂孙咏物寄托之词。差异在咏物对象：天香咏龙涎香；齐天乐咏蝉。一写“香”之悲，一写“蝉”之怨。两者并读，可见王沂孙咏物寄托的两种对象。
解连环·孤雁 Unlocking the Link: The Lonely Wild Goose 张炎 · 同为宋末咏物寄托之词，一咏龙涎香一咏孤雁，皆哀婉 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
张炎《解连环·孤雁》咏孤雁、寄羁旅相思，与本首同为宋末咏物寄托之词。差异在咏物对象：天香咏龙涎香；解连环咏孤雁。一写“香”之忆，一写“雁”之孤。两者并读，可见宋末咏物寄托的两种对象。
高阳台·西湖春感 Gao Yang Tai: Spring Feelings at West Lake 张炎 · 同为宋末咏物伤春之词，一咏龙涎香一写西湖春感，皆哀婉 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
张炎《高阳台·西湖春感》写西湖春色、故国之思，与本首同为宋末词。差异在主题：天香咏龙涎香；西湖春感写伤春。一写“香”之忆，一写“春”之感。两者并读，可见宋末词写故国之思的两种主题。