宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
王安石·浪淘沙令·伊吕两衰翁
Wave-Washing Sands Command · The Two Old Men Yi and Lü
浪淘沙令·伊吕两衰翁伊吕两衰翁，历遍穷通。
一为钓叟一耕佣。
若使当时身不遇，老了英雄。
汤武偶相逢，风虎云龙。
兴王只在笑谈中。
直至如今千载后，谁与争功！
Knew poverty and fortune through and through.
One was a fishing elder, one a hireling at the plough.
Had they in their time not met their lord,
Their heroism had aged, and none had known.
Tang and Wu by chance encountered them—
Wind with the tiger, cloud with the dragon.
To found a royal house was but in talk and laughter.
Even now, a thousand years gone by,
Who can rival the merit they have shown!
Meaning
The two old men Yi Yin and Lü Shang went through every poverty and prosperity. One had been a fishing elder, one a hired ploughman. Had they in their time not met a wise lord, they would have grown old and died, their heroism buried. By chance they met Tang of Shang and Wu of Zhou, like wind attending the tiger and cloud the dragon, lord and minister perfecting each other. To raise a royal house was but in talk and laughter. Even now, a thousand years later, who can contend with their merit!
伊尹、吕尚两位衰翁，历尽了困顿与显达。一个曾是钓鱼的老叟，一个曾为耕田的佣工。倘若当时不被明主赏识，便只能老死山野，埋没了英雄。 与商汤、周武偶然相逢，如风从虎、云从龙，君臣相得益彰。兴复王业，只在谈笑之中。直到如今千载之后，谁又能与他们争功！
Appreciation
The upper part opens with 'The two old men, Yi and Lü, knew poverty and fortune through and through', a general rise; 'one was a fishing elder, one a hireling at the plough' points to their humble beginnings; 'had they not met their lord, their heroism had aged' is a counterfactual turn, stressing the need of a meeting. The lower part's 'Tang and Wu by chance encountered them—wind with the tiger, cloud with the dragon' uses the Yi Jing allusion for lord and minister in accord; 'to found a royal house was but in talk and laughter' writes the great deed in a light tone, heroic and pressing. It closes with 'who can rival their merit', stern with valour. Exams often test the features of 'using the past to voice the present' in this historical lyric and Wang Anshi's political ambition, and the counterfactual 'had they not met their lord'.
【白话串讲】 王安石写伊尹和吕尚：“一为钓叟一耕佣。若使当时身不遇，老了英雄”——一个钓鱼一个种地，如果不被重用，就白做英雄了。“汤武偶相逢，风虎云龙”——他写古人，是写自己等一个明主。 【意象与手法】 上片「伊吕两衰翁，历遍穷通」总起，「一为钓叟一耕佣」点二人微时；「若使当时身不遇，老了英雄」假设反跌，强调遇合之要。下片「汤武偶相逢，风虎云龙」用《易经》典写君臣契合，「兴王只在笑谈中」以轻松笔调写大业，豪气逼人。 【情感与主旨】 此词为王安石咏史之作，借伊尹、吕尚二位贤相抒发自己辅佐君主治国平天下的政治抱负，暗含期待宋神宗如汤武之主、己如伊吕之臣，一展经世之志，是宋人咏史词中少见的豪放之作。 【名句点睛】 中高考赏析：①咏史词「借古抒怀」的特点与王安石的政治抱负；②「若使当时身不遇，老了英雄」的假设与感慨；③「风虎云龙」用典的内涵。
Background
This is a historical lyric of Wang Anshi's, borrowing the two wise ministers Yi Yin and Lü Shang to voice his own ambition to aid his ruler and order the world. Yi Yin was once a hired ploughman, Lü Shang a fishing elder; both met Tang and Wu in old age and built immortal merit. Writing as a reformer, Wang hints that he hopes Song Shenzong will be a Tang or Wu, and he himself an Yi or Lü, to unfold his statecraft. The whole lyric is vigorous and grand, a rare heroic piece among Song historical lyrics.
此词为王安石咏史之作，借伊尹、吕尚二位贤相抒写自己辅佐君主治国平天下的政治抱负。王安石（1021—1086），字介甫，号半山，北宋政治家、文学家，神宗熙宁年间两度拜相，主持变法，志在富国强兵、振兴国势。他早年怀才待用，饱历仕途沉浮，深知情逢明主之难。此词约作于其变法前后，以伊尹（商汤贤相，初为耕佣）与吕尚（姜子牙，周武王师，初为钓叟）自比，暗含期待宋神宗如汤武之君、己如伊吕之臣，君臣相得、一展经世之志的心声。全词以史为鉴、托古言志，气势雄健，议论纵横，是宋代咏史词中少见的豪放之作，也是理解王安石政治理想与其词风的关键作品，可见这位「拗相公」不仅在诗文革新上独树一帜，于词亦能自出手眼。王安石熙宁变法之际，阻力重重，君臣际会之难、变法成败之虞，皆萦绕其怀；此词以伊吕自比，既是自许，亦是自勉，更是对神宗的信赖与期待——「汤武偶相逢」的「偶」字，正藏着变法者对君臣遇合可遇不可求的清醒与珍惜。
Art
The upper part opens with 'The two old men, Yi and Lü, knew poverty and fortune through and through', a general rise; 'one was a fishing elder, one a hireling at the plough' points to their humble beginnings; 'had they not met their lord, their heroism had aged' is a counterfactual turn, stressing the need of a meeting. The lower part's 'Tang and Wu by chance encountered them—wind with the tiger, cloud with the dragon' uses the Yi Jing allusion for lord and minister in accord; 'to found a royal house was but in talk and laughter' writes the great deed in a light tone, heroic and pressing. It closes with 'who can rival their merit', stern with valour. The language is plain yet the air vast; the overturning has force.
上片「伊吕两衰翁，历遍穷通」总起，以「衰翁」点二人晚年遇主之奇，以「历遍穷通」概括其一生的困顿与显达；「一为钓叟一耕佣」以两个身份点出二人微时之贱，为后文「遇」字蓄势；「若使当时身不遇，老了英雄」陡作假设反跌：倘若不遇明主，英雄只能老死草泽，强调遇合之要，感慨深沉。下片「汤武偶相逢，风虎云龙」用《易经》「云从龙，风从虎」之典写君臣契合，如虎啸风生、龙腾云从，气象宏大；「兴王只在笑谈中」以举重若轻的笔调写兴王大业，仿佛谈笑之间便可成就，豪气逼人；结以「直至如今千载后，谁与争功」的设问收束，英气凛然。全词语言质朴而气象宏阔，上片一跌一宕、下片一气直下，章法腾挪有力，是咏史词「以议论为词」的先声。此外，全词以「穷通」立骨、「遇合」为纲：上片写「不遇」之悲，下片写「相遇」之壮，悲壮相生，正是咏史词「以史证今」的典型结构；语言质朴而议论纵横，「老了英雄」「谁与争功」皆以最寻常之语发最雄迈之气，正是政治家词「以气胜」的本色。
Allusions
'Yi and Lü' are Yi Yin (worthy minister of Tang of Shang, once a hired ploughman) and Lü Shang (Jiang Ziya, worthy minister of King Wu of Zhou, once a fishing elder). 'Wind with the tiger, cloud with the dragon' comes from the Yi Jing, 'Cloud follows the dragon, wind follows the tiger; the sage arises and all things behold him', a figure for wise lord and able minister perfecting each other. 'Tang and Wu' are Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou, ancient sage kings. 'In talk and laughter' writes how easy founding the house was, setting off the ambition. The whole lyric uses history as a metaphor; the allusions are apt, lodging the past to voice intent, heroic and sweeping, not less than Su and Xin.
「伊吕」指伊尹与吕尚：伊尹本为有莘氏之陪嫁奴仆（耕佣），佐商汤灭夏建商；吕尚即姜太公，年老垂钓渭水，遇周文王而佐周灭商。「一为钓叟一耕佣」正用二人微时本事，点出圣贤起于微贱之理。「汤武」指商汤与周武王，古之圣王，与伊吕君臣相得，遂成汤武革命之业。「风虎云龙」语本《易经·乾卦》「云从龙，风从虎，圣人作而万物睹」，孔颖达疏谓龙吟则景云出、虎啸则谷风生，喻明君贤臣相感相应、相得益彰，王安石用此典写汤武伊吕之遇合，气象恢宏。「笑谈中」化用诸葛亮「谈笑间，樯橹灰飞烟灭」式的举重若轻，写兴王之易，正见其自负。全词以史为喻、用典精当，托古言志，豪宕不减苏辛。「钓叟」「耕佣」二语，又暗含「英雄不问出身」之理：伊尹为奴、吕尚垂钓，皆起于微贱而终成大业，这正是王安石对「唯才是举」理想的寄托，也是其变法用人主张的诗化表达，典故之下有深远的现实关怀。
Commentary
On this lyric the Qing said it was 'what Wang prized most in his life'. The modern said Wang Anshi's lyrics are 'lean and steep, standing alone'. This piece sings Yi and Lü; judging ministers' merit with a minister's eye, its bearing is different. Xia Jingguan praised 'Wang's lyrics follow the Airs and Elegance afar, learn from Han and Bai near'; its heroic place chases Dongpo directly. Borrowing history to voice intent, valour spills beyond the page; Song historical lyrics seldom have this power.
清人评荆公此词，谓其为「平生最得意者」，足见此词在王安石心中的分量。近人论王介甫词，谓其「瘦削通峭，独树一帜」，不随流俗、自有风骨。此首咏伊吕，以宰相之识论宰相之功，气度自别于一般文人的怀古感慨——他不是在凭吊古人，而是在借古人言自己的抱负与自信，「谁与争功」四字，俨然以当代伊吕自许。夏敬观评「王词远祖风骚，近师韩白」，此词豪迈处直追东坡，议论处开辛弃疾咏史词之先声。借史抒怀，英气溢于纸外，宋人咏史词中少有此魄力，此词正是王安石政治家胸襟在词中的集中体现，也是宋词由婉约主流向豪放议论拓展的重要一环。此词与苏轼《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》并观，可见宋人咏史词的两种取向：东坡借周郎写「人生如梦」之慨，荆公借伊吕写「功业自许」之志，一旷达一自负，恰成对照；而荆公词「瘦削通峭」的风格，亦为辛弃疾「以议论为词」的咏史词开了先路，其在词史上的承启意义不可低估。
Prosody
Line by line
伊吕两衰翁，历遍穷通
The two old men, Yi and Lü, knew poverty and fortune through and through;
伊尹、吕尚两位衰翁，历尽了困顿与显达。
Yi and Lü, two old men, had known all turns from poverty to eminence.
起笔总写伊尹、吕尚一生，以「衰翁」二字立骨，奇峭不凡。称辅佐圣王开创一代基业的开国元勋为「衰翁」，看似不敬，实有深意：二人建功立业时皆已年老，姜太公八十遇文王，伊尹亦晚达，一个「衰」字点出二人晚遇明主、大器晚成的共同命运；「历遍穷通」四字更以极简的笔法概括其一生：穷是微时之贱（耕佣、钓叟），通是得遇后的显达，一生由穷到通，历尽沧桑。此句以衰翁总起、以穷通立骨，既写古人，也暗写自己——王安石一生亦历沉浮，晚年拜相，正是以伊吕自况的「衰翁」，起笔的奇峭中已含身世之感与自负之气。
The opening's total writing of Yi Yin and Lü Shang's life, using the old-men two words for the bone, the boldness's extraordinary. Calling the sage-king's assistant and dynasty-founder's the old-men, seeming irreverent, and yet actually deep meaning: the two's merit-achievement time's already old, Jiang Taigong's eighty's meeting King Wen, Yi Yin's also the late eminence, the one shuai word pointing out the two's late meeting the enlightened lord and the great-talent's late-ripening common fate; the known-all-turns-from-poverty-to-eminence four words the more using the extreme concise brush for the life's summary: the poverty the humble-time's low (the hired plowman, the fishing old man), the eminence's the post-meeting distinction, the life's from-poverty-to-eminence, the vicissitudes' traversed. This line using the old-men total-opening and the poverty-to-eminence bone, at once writing the ancients and secretly the self — Wang Anshi's life's also the ups-and-downs, the late-life chancellorship, precisely the Yi-and-Lü-self-comparison old-man, the opening's boldness's within already carrying the lot's feeling and the self-confidence air.
若使当时身不遇，老了英雄
Had they in their time not met their lord, their heroism had aged, and none had known;
倘若当时不被明主赏识，便只能老死山野，埋没了英雄。
Had they not met their lords in those days, the heroes would have grown old in vain.
假设反跌，强调遇合之要，是全词感慨最深的句子。「若使」二字陡作假设：倘若伊尹、吕尚当时不被商汤、周文王赏识，纵有经天纬地之才，也只能老死草泽，「老了英雄」四字何等沉痛——英雄不是败于无能，而是老于不遇，才华被岁月埋没，是千古才士共同的悲哀。此句以反笔写正意：正因为假设「不遇」如此可悲，才愈见「遇」之可贵，为下片「汤武偶相逢」的君臣相得蓄足势。同时，这也是王安石的自况之叹：他一生怀才待用、几起几落，深知「遇」与「不遇」的差别，此句既是咏史，更是抒怀，把个人感慨融入历史，沉郁苍凉，是全词由叙入议的关键转折。
The suppositional reverse, emphasizing the meeting's importance, the whole ci's sigh's deepest line. The ruoshi two words' sudden supposition: if Yi Yin and Lü Shang then's not recognized by Tang of Shang and King Wen of Zhou, though the heaven-and-earth-ordering talent, and yet only the old-in-the-wilds, the heroes-would-have-grown-old-in-vain four words' how grief-stricken — the hero's not the defeat-by-incompetence, and yet the old-by-non-meeting, the talent's years'-buried, the through-the-ages talented scholar's common grief. This line using the reverse brush for the positive meaning: precisely because of the suppositional non-meeting's so grief-stricken, hence the meeting's the more precious, storing the force for the below's second stanza's Tang-and-Wu-chanced-meeting's lord-minister harmony. At the same time, this also Wang Anshi's self-comparison sigh: his life's talent-in-waiting and several-rises-and-falls, deeply knowing the meeting's and non-meeting's difference, this line at once the history-ode and the feeling-uttering, the personal-sigh's fused into history, the somber vastness, the whole ci's narrative-to-argument key turn.
汤武偶相逢，风虎云龙
Tang and Wu chanced to meet them; wind with the tiger, cloud with the dragon.
与商汤、周武偶然相逢，如风从虎、云从龙，君臣相得益彰。
Tang and Wu chanced to meet them; wind follows the tiger, cloud follows the dragon.
下片以「偶相逢」三字写君臣遇合，用《易经》之典写尽相得之乐。「偶」字是全句的枢纽：圣君与贤相的相逢，看似偶然，实为天意，一个「偶」字写出际遇的不可强求，也暗含机遇来临时须及时把握之意；「风虎云龙」用《易经·乾卦》「云从龙，风从虎，圣人作而万物睹」之典，以虎啸生风、龙腾聚云喻君臣感应的宏大气象——明君如龙虎，贤相如风云，两相激荡，遂成汤武革命之伟业。此句气象宏大，声情激越，与上片「老了英雄」的沉郁形成强烈对比：从「不遇」之悲到「相逢」之壮，情感陡转，正见咏史词的腾挪跌宕，也写出王安石对君臣相得、风云际会的无限向往。
The second stanza using the chanced-meeting three words for the lord-minister meeting, using the Book of Changes allusion for the harmony's joy. The ou word the whole line's hinge: the sage lord and wise minister's meeting, seeming accidental and yet actually the heaven's will, the one ou word writing the encounter's no-forcing, and secretly carrying the opportunity's-arrival's timely-grasp meaning; the wind-with-the-tiger-cloud-with-the-dragon using the Book of Changes's Qian hexagram's cloud-follows-the-dragon-wind-follows-the-tiger-the-sage-arises-and-the-ten-thousand-things-see allusion, using the tiger's-roar-breeds-wind and dragon's-soar-gathers-cloud for the lord-minister-response's grand air — the wise lord like the tiger-and-dragon, the wise minister like the wind-and-cloud, the two's mutual stirring, hence the Tang-Wu-revolution great achievement. This line's grand air, the voice-and-emotion's stirring, with the first stanza's heroes-would-have-grown-old-in-vain's somberness's strong contrast: from the non-meeting grief to the meeting's grandeur, the emotion's sharp turn, precisely seeing the history-ode ci's leaping, and writing Wang Anshi's lord-minister-harmony and the wind-and-cloud encounter's infinite longing.
兴王只在笑谈中
To found a royal house was but in talk and laughter;
兴复王业，只在谈笑之中。
Founding a king's house lay only in jest and talk.
以举重若轻的笔调写兴王大业，是全词最见豪气的一句。「兴王」即兴复王道、开创帝王基业，本是改天换地的惊天事业，王安石却以「只在笑谈中」轻轻写出：仿佛商汤周武之兴、伊吕之功，不过是君臣谈笑之间便已成就。这既是写伊吕的从容大才——运筹帷幄、决胜千里，功业如探囊取物；更是王安石的自负自许——他以伊吕自比，言外之意是：若得明主，我亦能于谈笑之间兴邦治国。此句不写兴王之难，反写其易，以轻写重、以闲写大，豪气逼人，正是「举重若轻」的典范，也见这位政治家词人的非凡胸襟，为结句「谁与争功」的英气蓄足了势。
Using the light-as-if-nothing brush for the founding-king great achievement, the whole ci's boldness's most visible line. The founding-a-king's-house meaning the royal-way's restoration and the imperial-foundation's establishment, originally the heaven-and-earth-changing earth-shaking affair, and yet Wang Anshi's using the only-in-jest-and-talk's lightly writing: as if Tang-and-Wu's rising and Yi-and-Lü's merit, only the lord-minister's jest-and-talk's between's already achieved. This at once writing Yi-and-Lü's composed great talent — the strategizing and the decisive-far, the merit's like the pocket's picking; and the more Wang Anshi's self-confidence — his self-comparison to Yi-and-Lü, the unspoken meaning: if the enlightened lord's obtained, I also able in jest-and-talk's between's reviving the state and ruling. This line's not writing the founding's difficulty, and yet writing its ease, using the light for the heavy and the leisure for the grand, the boldness pressing the person, precisely the light-as-if-nothing model, and seeing this politician-poet's extraordinary breast, storing the force for the closing's who-can-vie-with-their-achievement heroism.
直至如今千载后，谁与争功
Even now, a thousand years gone by, who can rival the merit they have shown!
直到如今千载之后，谁又能与他们争功！
Even to this day, a thousand years on, who can vie with their achievement?
结以设问收束全词，英气凛然，把咏史的感慨推向顶峰。「直至如今千载后」写伊吕之功业历千年而不磨灭：汤武革命、兴王定国，其功泽被后世，千载之下犹为万世景仰；「谁与争功」更以反问出之，不作回答，而答案自明——千载之后，再无第二对君臣能与之争衡，言下之意：功业如伊吕者，千古无两。此句的深层意蕴仍在自许：王安石以伊吕自比，这一问既是叹古，也是明志——我亦要建此不世之功。全词由「衰翁」起、以「争功」结，从微贱写起、以不朽收束，一生功业尽在其中，议论纵横、豪气千云，是宋人咏史词中难得的英杰之作，读之令人心胸为之一振。
The close on the rhetorical question gathering the whole ci, the heroism's stern, pushing the history-ode sigh to the peak. The even-to-this-day-a-thousand-years-on writing Yi-and-Lü's merit's thousand-years' un-fading: the Tang-Wu revolution and the founding's merit's grace to later ages, the thousand-years' yet the ten-thousand-generations' admiration; who-can-vie-with-their-achievement the more on the rhetorical question, no answer's given, and yet the answer's self-evident — the thousand-years' later, no second lord-minister pair's able to contend, the unspoken meaning: Yi-and-Lü-like achievement, through the ages no equal. This line's deep meaning's still in the self-claim: Wang Anshi's self-comparison to Yi-and-Lü, this question at once the ancient's sigh, and the will's declaration — I also want to build this unparalleled merit. The whole ci from the old-men opening, with the vie-with-their-achievement close, from the humble's writing and the immortality's close, the life's merit all within, the argument's sweeping and the boldness's cloud-piercing, the Song's history-ode ci's rare heroic work, reading it makes the breast's one lift.
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Both by Wang Anshi: one sings worthy ministers, one broods on Jinling—both heroic in tone.
两词同出王安石手笔，皆咏史怀古而角度各异。《桂枝香·金陵怀古》「登临送目，正故国晚秋」写金陵形胜，凭吊六朝兴亡，「至今商女，时时犹唱，后庭遗曲」寄寓对现实政治的忧戒，境界宏阔、感慨深沉；《浪淘沙令》则专咏伊吕二贤的遇合，以古人言自己的抱负与自信。一伤今怀古、一托古言志；一以叹为旨、一以许自期。两词并读，可见王安石咏史词的两副面孔：既能为金陵兴亡而忧，也能为君臣相得而豪，其词虽不多而气格自高，正见政治家词人的独特襟怀。
西河·金陵怀古 Xi He · Gazing on the Past at Jinling 周邦彦 · 异（同金陵怀古题材，一以议论咏贤、一以隐括写景） Different (same Jinling-past theme)Both write Jinling's rise and fall; Wang judges ministers, Zhou hides Tang poems—compare.
两词同涉怀古而写法迥异。周邦彦《西河·金陵怀古》「佳丽地，南朝盛事谁记」隐括刘禹锡《石头城》《乌衣巷》诸诗入词，以景语写兴亡，含蓄蕴藉，是「以词隐括唐诗」的典范；王安石《浪淘沙令》则直抒议论，以「若使当时身不遇」「谁与争功」的假设与设问写君臣遇合，慷慨豪放。一以景写情、含蓄浑成，一以议言志、英气逼人，恰见北宋词两种截然不同的审美取向——婉约派的深婉与豪放派的雄健，并读可体会宋词咏史题材的多样面貌。
望海潮·洛阳怀古 Watching the Sea Tide · Gazing on the Past at Luoyang 秦观 · 异（同怀古题材，风格婉约豪放之别） Different (same past-brooding theme / different style)Both brood on the past; Qin graceful and spreading, Wang vigorous—shows the variety of Song past-brooding.
两词同为怀古题材而风格判然。秦观《望海潮·洛阳怀古》「梅英疏淡，冰澌溶泄」写洛阳春色与旧游，「兰苑未空，行人渐老」以今昔对照写迟暮之感，词风婉约清丽、情致缠绵，是秦观「婉约派正宗」的典型；王安石《浪淘沙令》则议论纵横、英气凛然，是豪放咏史的典型。一以情胜、一以气胜；一婉转低回、一慷慨激昂。两词并读，正可见宋词怀古题材的两种极致，亦可体会王安石「瘦削通峭」与秦观「情韵兼胜」的不同词风，恰是北宋词坛多元共生的生动写照。