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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

晏几道·临江仙·梦后楼台高锁

Lin Jiang Xian · After the Dream the Tower Stands Locked High

晏几道

Yan Jidao

婉约graceful (wan-yue) 爱情love

临江仙梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂。
去年春恨却来时。
落花人独立,微雨燕双飞。
记得小苹初见,两重心字罗衣。
琵琶弦上说相思。
当时明月在,曾照彩云归。

After the dream, the tower stands locked high; when wine wakes, the curtains hang low. Last year's spring regret comes again. Amid falling flowers a person stands alone; in the fine rain swallows fly in pairs.
I remember first meeting little Ping, in a double heart-pattern silk dress. On the pipa strings she spoke of longing. The bright moon of then is still here; it once shone on the coloured cloud as she returned.
Listen

Meaning

After the noon dream wakes, the tower's great gate is locked tight; when the wine's effect clears, the curtains hang low and deserted. Last spring's regret comes welling up again at this time. Among falling flowers I stand alone; in the fine rain a pair of swallows flits away. I still remember first seeing little Ping, she in a silk dress with a double heart-pattern. On the pipa strings she told of longing. The bright moon of that time hangs still; it once shone as she returned like a coloured cloud.

午梦醒来,楼台大门紧紧锁闭;酒意消散,帘幕低垂寂无人迹。去年春天的怅恨,偏在这时又涌上心头。落花纷纷中我独自伫立,微雨里一双燕子翩然飞去。还记得初见小苹的情景,她身着两重心字纹样的罗衣。琵琶弦上诉说着相思之意。当时的明月依旧高悬,曾照着她如彩云般翩然归去。

Appreciation

This lyric is wonderful in blending scene and feeling, the real and the unreal. The upper part, 'After the dream the tower stands locked high; when wine wakes the curtains hang low', sketches an empty, silent scene in two antithetical shots; 'Amid falling flowers a person stands alone; in the fine rain swallows fly in pairs' uses the moving swallows to set off the standing person, stillness and motion contrasted, loneliness redoubled. The lower part turns from scene to feeling, recalling little Ping at first meeting in her 'double heart-pattern silk dress' and her air of 'speaking longing on the pipa strings'; the closing 'The bright moon of then is still here; it once shone on the coloured cloud as she returned' closes in scene-language, the moon unchanged yet the person gone, ethereal and implying, endless in aftertaste.

【白话串讲】 “梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂”——晏几道梦醒酒醒。“落花人独立,微雨燕双飞”——他一个人站在落花里,看微雨中燕子双飞。“记得小苹初见,两重心字罗衣”——他记得初见小苹。“当时明月在,曾照彩云归”——当年的明月还在,曾照着她回去。 【意象与手法】 此词妙在情景交融、虚实相生。上片「梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂」以两组对仗镜头勾勒空寂之境 【情感与主旨】 晏几道(1038—1110),字叔原,号小山,临川人,晏殊第八子。虽出身相门,然一生仕途坎坷,晚年家道中落 【名句点睛】 中高考常从以下角度设题:其一,赏析「落花人独立,微雨燕双飞」的意境与手法,须答出以景衬情、动静结合、反衬孤独

Background

Yan Jidao (1038-1110), styled Shuyuan, style Xiaoshan, from Linchuan, the eighth son of Yan Shu. Though born to a minister's house, his official career was bumpy, and in late life the family fortunes declined. Of a lone and lofty temper, he would not court the powerful, and kept company mostly with singers and drinkers, bound in deep affection to the singing girls Lian, Hong, Ping, and Yun. 'Lin Jiang Xian' is a lyric recalling the girl Ping, written about the time the middle-aged poet, down and out, saw his old joys scattered; through dream and memory it speaks an unchanging devotion, brooding and winding, most showing Xiaoshan's 'obsession'.

《临江仙·梦后楼台高锁》为北宋晏几道所作,是写怀人之情的词。晏几道(1038—1110),字叔原,号小山,临川人,北宋词人。此词:梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂。去年春恨却来时。落花人独立,微雨燕双飞。记得小苹初见,两重心字罗衣。琵琶弦上说相思。当时明月在,曾照彩云归。全词写怀人之情、忆小苹,是晏几道词的名篇。

Art

This lyric is wonderful in blending scene and feeling, the real and the unreal. The upper part, 'After the dream the tower stands locked high; when wine wakes the curtains hang low', sketches an empty scene in two antithetical shots; 'Amid falling flowers a person stands alone; in the fine rain swallows fly in pairs' uses the flying swallows to set off the standing person, stillness and motion contrasted, loneliness redoubled. The lower part turns from scene to feeling, recalling little Ping's first meeting in her 'double heart-pattern silk dress' and her air of 'speaking longing on the pipa strings'; the closing 'The bright moon of then is still here; it once shone on the coloured cloud as she returned' closes in scene-language, the moon still there yet the person gone, ethereal and reserved, endless aftertaste.

《临江仙·梦后楼台高锁》艺术上以景色的空灵与怀人的深婉见长。全词十句,层层写来:上片写梦后春恨——“梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂”写梦后酒醒,“去年春恨却来时”写去年春恨,“落花人独立,微雨燕双飞”写落花微雨;下片写忆小苹——“记得小苹初见,两重心字罗衣”写小苹初见,“琵琶弦上说相思”写琵琶说相思,“当时明月在,曾照彩云归”写明月彩云。全词以空灵写怀人,正是晏几道词深婉空灵的笔法。

Allusions

The two lines 'Amid falling flowers a person stands alone; in the fine rain swallows fly in pairs' transform the lines of the Five-Dynasties poet Weng Hong, 'Again it is late spring — how to leave the green curtain? Amid falling flowers a person stands alone; in the fine rain swallows fly in pairs'. Young Yan takes them up naturally, melting them into a poem of longing for a person, touching iron into gold, so that this couplet becomes widely loved, almost making one forget its source. Also 'heart-pattern silk dress' — the 'heart pattern' may mean a dress scented with heart-pattern incense, or a heart-shaped pattern on the cloth, hinting two hearts as one, reserved and implicit; it is not a fixed allusion but an image carrying feeling.

《临江仙·梦后楼台高锁》用典在“心字罗衣”“彩云”。“心字罗衣”写绣心字之罗衣(或香篆心字);“彩云”用《高唐赋》“朝为行云”之意、以彩云指小苹(亦用李白“云想衣裳花想容”意)。全词以这些意象写怀人之情,不用深典而深婉自见,正是晏几道词的笔法。

Commentary

Chen Tingzhuo, in White Rain Studio Lyric Talks, said of young Yan's lyrics 'none do not love them, for they win by feeling'. The Qing critic Feng Xu called Yan Jidao 'his plain words all with flavour, his shallow words all with grace'. This lyric's 'Amid falling flowers a person stands alone' couplet, Wang Shizhen rated as 'a famous line, none in a thousand years could match'. The modern Tang Guizhang called it 'clear and graceful, deep in feeling and long in meaning', showing later esteem.

《临江仙·梦后楼台高锁》是晏几道词的名篇,也是北宋词中写怀人的代表作。此词写怀人之情、忆小苹,向为论者称道。论者多赏其景色的空灵与怀人的深婉——“落花人独立,微雨燕双飞”写落花微雨中独立之人、双飞之燕,空灵之极;“当时明月在,曾照彩云归”写明月彩云,更见怀人之深。晏几道为北宋词人,其词以深婉空灵著称,此词正是其代表——以空灵写怀人,正是其词风。

Prosody

Form Lyric, 'Lin Jiang Xian' double-tune fifty-four characters词·临江仙
Rhyme Level rhyme (zhi-wei rhyme: low, time, fly, dress, longing, return)《临江仙·梦后楼台高锁》为双调词,押平声韵。此词用韵:垂、时、飞(支部)、衣、思、归(支部),一韵到底,音节空灵。
Tone pattern Strict level-oblique; mostly five- and seven-character lines临江仙为双调词,音节空灵而深婉。此词写怀人之情,音节空灵而深婉。全词一韵到底,声调与怀人之情的内容相合,是晏几道词中深婉空灵的一路。
Reading note Short tune, three level rhymes each in upper and lower parts; gentle harmonious rhythm, fit for soft feeling.《临江仙·梦后楼台高锁》为北宋晏几道所作,是写怀人之情的词。此词以“梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂”写梦后酒醒,以“落花人独立,微雨燕双飞”写落花微雨、孤寂之景,以“记得小苹初见”写忆小苹,以“当时明月在,曾照彩云归”写明月彩云。以空灵写怀人,正是晏几道词的名篇。

Line by line

梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂。去年春恨却来时。落花人独立,微雨燕双飞。

Dream done, the tower is locked high; wine sober, the curtains hang low. Last year's spring grief has come again. Amid fallen flowers a man stands alone; in the fine rain two swallows fly.

梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂。去年春恨却来之时。落花中人独立,微雨中燕双飞。

Dream over, the tower locked high; wine worn off, the curtains hang low. Last year's spring grief has returned. Alone amid falling flowers, in the soft rain a pair of swallows flies.

上片写梦后春恨,是全词怀人的起点。“梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂”写梦后酒醒——“梦后楼台高锁”写梦后楼台高锁,“酒醒帘幕低垂”写酒醒帘幕低垂——梦后楼台锁,酒醒帘幕垂;“去年春恨却来时”写去年春恨——“去年春恨却来时”写去年春恨却来之时——去年春恨却来;“落花人独立,微雨燕双飞”写落花微雨——“落花人独立”写落花中人独立,“微雨燕双飞”写微雨中燕双飞——落花独立,微雨燕双飞。五句写梦后春恨:梦后楼台高锁、酒醒帘幕低垂,去年春恨却来时、落花人独立、微雨燕双飞。以“梦后楼台高锁,酒醒帘幕低垂”写梦后酒醒之孤寂,以“去年春恨却来时”写春恨又至,以“落花人独立,微雨燕双飞”写落花微雨中一人独立、双燕齐飞,正是晏几道词写怀人之情的起点——燕双而人独,春恨又来。

The first stanza writes the dream-over's spring grief, the whole ci's longing-person start. The dream-done-the-tower-is-locked-high-wine-sober-the-curtains-hang-low writing the dream-over-wine-sober; the last-year's-spring-grief-has-come-again writing the spring grief's again-arrived; the amid-fallen-flowers-a-man-stands-alone-in-the-fine-rain-two-swallows-fly writing the fallen-flowers-and-fine-rain. Five lines writing the dream-over's spring grief: the tower-locked and curtains-low, the spring grief's again-arrived, the alone-amid-fallen-flowers and two-swallows-in-the-fine-rain. Using the tower-locked-curtains-low for the dream-over's loneliness, the spring-grief's-again-arrived for the grief's return, and the fallen-flowers-two-swallows for the alone-person-and-flying-pair, precisely Yan Jidao ci's longing-person feeling start — the swallows' pair and the person's lone, the spring grief's again-arrived.

记得小苹初见,两重心字罗衣。琵琶弦上说相思。当时明月在,曾照彩云归。

I remember our first meeting, Xiao Ping, in the double heart-character gauze robe. On the pipa strings she told her longing. The moon of that night is still there; it once shone on the colored cloud returning.

记得小苹初见,两重心字的罗衣。琵琶弦上说着相思。当时明月还在,曾照彩云(小苹)归去。

I remember the first sight of Xiao Ping, in her double heart-character silk robe. On the pipa strings she spoke of longing. That night's moon is still there; it once lit the colored cloud home.

下片写忆小苹,是全词怀人的归结。“记得小苹初见,两重心字罗衣”写小苹初见——“记得小苹初见”写记得小苹初见,“两重心字罗衣”写两重心字的罗衣——小苹初见,心字罗衣;“琵琶弦上说相思”写琵琶说相思——“琵琶弦上说相思”写琵琶弦上说着相思——琵琶说相思;“当时明月在,曾照彩云归”写明月彩云——“当时明月在”写当时明月还在,“曾照彩云归”用彩云指小苹、写曾照彩云归去——当时明月,曾照彩云归。五句写忆小苹:记得小苹初见、两重心字罗衣,琵琶弦上说相思,当时明月在、曾照彩云归。以“记得小苹初见,两重心字罗衣”写初见小苹、心字罗衣,以“琵琶弦上说相思”写琵琶弦上诉相思,以“当时明月在,曾照彩云归”写明月仍在、曾照彩云归去,正是晏几道词写怀人之情的归结——月犹在而人已去,情随彩云而逝。

The second stanza writes the remembering-Xiao-Ping, the whole ci's longing-person close. The I-remember-the-first-sight-of-Xiao-Ping-in-her-double-heart-character-silk-robe writing the first meeting; on-the-pipa-strings-she-spoke-of-longing writing the pipa's longing; the that-night's-moon-is-still-there-it-once-lit-the-colored-cloud-home writing the moon-and-colored-cloud. Five lines writing the remembering-Xiao-Ping: the first sight and heart-character robe, the pipa's longing, the moon's still-there and colored-cloud-home. Using the first-sight-and-robe for the first meeting, the pipa's-longing for the strings' utterance, and the moon's-still-there-colored-cloud-home for the moon's-as-ever-and-the-colored-cloud's-departed, precisely Yan Jidao ci's longing-person feeling close — the moon's as-ever and yet the person's gone, the feeling's gone-with-the-colored-cloud.

Study

Word focus

落花人独立 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “落花人独立”之“落花人独立”,写落花中一人独立,是全词写孤寂之情的点睛词。“落花”写落花纷纷,“人独立”写一人独立——落花中人独立。这一词写孤寂之境:不是众聚之景,而人独立;不是繁华之时,而落花纷纷中独立。以“落花人独立,微雨燕双飞”写落花微雨中独立之人、双飞之燕,正是晏几道词写孤寂怀人的点睛之笔。
微雨燕双飞 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “微雨燕双飞”之“微雨燕双飞”,写微雨中燕双飞,是全词以双燕反衬孤寂的关键词。“微雨”写细雨,“燕双飞”写燕子双飞——微雨中燕双飞。这一词写燕之双:不是孤燕之飞,而燕双飞;不是可羡之景,而反衬人之独立。以“落花人独立,微雨燕双飞”写双燕反衬一人独立,正是晏几道词写孤寂怀人的笔法。
心字罗衣 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “两重心字罗衣”之“心字罗衣”,写绣心字之罗衣,是全词写小苹之美的关键词。“心字”写心字纹样(或香篆心字),“罗衣”写罗制之衣——两重心字的罗衣。这一词写衣之美:不是寻常之衣,而心字罗衣;不是粗朴之服,而两重心字之罗衣。以“记得小苹初见,两重心字罗衣”写初见小苹之衣,正是晏几道词写怀人之情、以衣写人的笔法。
彩云归 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “曾照彩云归”之“彩云归”,以彩云指小苹、写其归去,是全词写怀人之情的归结词。“彩云”用《高唐赋》行云之意指小苹,“归”写归去——曾照彩云归去。这一词写人之去:不是可留之人,而彩云;不是寻常之归,而如彩云之归。以“当时明月在,曾照彩云归”写明月仍在而彩云已归,正是晏几道词写怀人之情的归结。

Related Reading

临江仙·梦后楼台 Lin Jiang Xian: After the Dream, the Tower 晏几道 · 同为晏几道此词,两本并出,一为带作者前缀本一为无前缀本,皆深婉 Related reading

Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.

晏几道《临江仙·梦后楼台》(无作者前缀传本)与本首同写怀人,为同词之不同传本。差异在命名:此本为带“yanjidao”前缀本;无前缀本文字略异。一写“梦”之恨,一写“忆”之情。两者并读,可见此词传本之异同。

蝶恋花·梦入江南烟水路 Butterfly Loves Flower · Dreaming of Entering Jiangnan's Misty Waterways 晏几道 · 同为晏几道词写怀人相思,一写梦后怀人一写梦入江南,皆深婉 Same

Both write dream-longing and devotion to a person; both young Yan's recollections of singing girls, graceful and winding in feeling.

晏几道《蝶恋花·梦入江南烟水路》写梦入江南寻人,与本首同为晏几道词写怀人。差异在情境:临江仙写梦后怀人;蝶恋花写梦入江南。一写“醒”之恨,一写“梦”之寻。两者并读,可见晏几道词写怀人的两种情境。

鹧鸪天·彩袖殷勤 Partridge Sky: Colorful Sleeves 晏几道 · 与本首相关联的同类或同作者作品,供对比阅读 Related reading

Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.

此处关联晏几道《鹧鸪天·彩袖殷勤》,与本首在主题、体裁或作者上相关联,可对比阅读以见其同异。