All poems

宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

燕山亭

Yanshan Pavilion

赵佶

Zhao Ji

裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注。
新样靓妆，艳溢香融，羞杀蕊珠宫女。
易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨。
愁苦。
闲院落凄凉，几番春暮。
凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语。
天遥地远，万水千山，知他故宫何处。
怎不思量，除梦里、有时会去。
无据。
和梦也、有时不做。

Cut and trimmed the ice-like silk,
Folded into layers, many,
The cold and indifferent rouge, evenly applied.
The new style of the pretty makeup,
The color overflowing, the fragrance melting,
Shaming to death the maids of the Pearl Flower Palace.
Easy to come to the withering and the falling,
How many more, the heartless wind and rain.
Sorrowful and bitter.
The idle courtyard, desolate and cold,
How many times, the end of the spring.
Relying on the sending, the parting grief, heavy upon heavy,
These pair of swallows, when ever, understanding the speech of men.
The sky far, the earth distant,
Ten thousand waters, a thousand mountains,
Knowing, where the old palace is.
How not to think of it,
Except in the dream, sometimes going there.
Without basis.
And even the dream, sometimes, not made.

Listen

Meaning

A lyric of the parting grief and the old palace, written by Zhao Ji. The ice-like silk cut and folded with the cold rouge, the new pretty makeup with the color overflowing, and the withering with the heartless wind and rain — the beauty and the withering of the opening. The idle courtyard desolate with the end of the spring, the parting grief relying on the swallows who understand not the speech of men — the parting grief and the swallows. The sky far and the earth distant with the ten thousand waters, the old palace known not, and the close's dream without basis, sometimes not made — the far of the palace and the dream of the close. The lyric is the parting grief and the old palace: the withering beauty, the parting grief, and the close's dream without basis.

剪裁冰绡，重叠数重，冷淡的胭脂匀匀注染。新样的靓丽妆饰，艳溢香融，羞杀蕊珠宫的仙女。容易凋零，更何况多少无情的风雨。愁苦。闲院落凄凉，几番春暮。凭托寄这离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会懂人言语。天遥地远，万水千山，知它故宫在何处。怎不思念，只在梦里、有时会去。无据。连梦也、有时不做。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Cut and trimmed the ice-like silk, folded into layers, the cold and indifferent rouge, evenly applied. The new style of the pretty makeup, the color overflowing, the fragrance melting, shaming to death the maids of the Pearl Flower Palace. Easy to come to the withering and the falling, how many more, the heartless wind and rain. Sorrowful and bitter. The idle courtyard, desolate and cold, how many times, the end of the spring. Relying on the sending, the parting grief, heavy upon heavy, these pair of swallows, when ever, understanding the speech of men. The sky far, the earth distant, ten thousand waters, a thousand mountains, knowing, where the old palace is. How not to think of it, except in the dream, sometimes going there. Without basis. And even the dream, sometimes, not made. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the beauty of the ice-like silk and the withering of the wind and rain, through the parting grief of the swallows and the far of the old palace, to the close's dream without basis, sometimes not made. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the grief of the layers: the beauty and the withering of the opening, the parting grief of the middle, and the close's dream sometimes not made — the grief gathered in the layers and the close's dream. [Emotional Tone] Sorrowful, distant, and desolate: the lyric is the withering beauty, the parting grief and the close's dream without basis.

【白话串讲】赵佶（宋徽宗）写《燕山亭》：“裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注”——“新样靓妆，艳溢香融，羞杀蕊珠宫女”——“易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨”——“凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语。天遥地远”——他写杏花与亡国——易得凋零。【意象与手法】 “裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注”写杏花之丽；“新样靓妆，艳溢香融，羞杀蕊珠宫女”写杏花之艳；“易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨”写杏花之衰；“凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语。天遥地远”写离恨无人可诉；结以“无据。和梦也、有时不做”写连梦亦难成之痛。借物抒情、哀婉凄绝。【情感与主旨】宋徽宗赵佶被掳北行时之作，借杏花易落写自身身世之悲与亡国之痛，以“和梦也、有时不做”写连梦都难成的绝望，是宋词中写亡国之痛的绝唱。【名句点睛】常考“易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨”以杏花凋零写身世；“无据。和梦也、有时不做”写连梦亦难成之痛。

Background

Zhao Ji (1082–1135), the Emperor Huizong of the Song, wrote this 'Yanshan Pavilion' in the captivity of the north — the parting grief of the emperor. The ice-like silk with the withering of the wind and rain, the parting grief relying on the swallows, the far of the old palace with the ten thousand waters, and the close's dream without basis, sometimes not made — the lyric gathers the grief of the captive emperor, the far of the old palace. The lyric is one of the most famous works of the captive emperor, the cry of the last days.

《燕山亭》为北宋末帝宋徽宗赵佶所作词。赵佶（1082—1135），即宋徽宗，北宋第八位皇帝，靖康之变中被金人掳往北方，封为昏德公，后死于五国城。此词为徽宗被掳北行、途经燕山（今河北北部）时所作，写亡国之痛与故国之思。词题下有序：「北行见杏花」。词中「裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注」写杏花之丽；「易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨」写杏花之衰；「凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语」写离恨之无人可诉；「天遥地远，万水千山，知他故宫何处」写故国之思；「无据。和梦也、有时不做」写连梦亦难成之痛。徽宗作为亡国之君，被掳北行，以杏花自况，借杏花之易凋零写自己之遭际，哀婉凄绝，是宋词中写亡国之痛的名篇，也是「亡国之音哀以思」的典范。此篇《燕山亭》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 grief of the layers. The beauty opens: cut and trimmed the ice-like silk, folded into layers — the layers of the silk; the cold and indifferent rouge, evenly applied — the rouge of the beauty; the new style of the pretty makeup — the color overflowing, the fragrance melting — the beauty of the opening. The withering follows: easy to come to the withering and the falling — how many more, the heartless wind and rain — the withering of the beauty; the idle courtyard, desolate and cold — how many times, the end of the spring — the desolate courtyard. The parting grief: relying on the sending, the parting grief, heavy upon heavy — these pair of swallows, when ever, understanding the speech of men — the grief and the swallows; the sky far, the earth distant — ten thousand waters, a thousand mountains — knowing, where the old palace is — the far of the palace. And the close gathers the dream: how not to think of it — except in the dream, sometimes going there — without basis — and even the dream, sometimes, not made — the dream of the close — the beauty, the grief and the close's dream without basis, gathered in the lyric.

此词艺术上以「借物抒哀、哀婉凄绝」见长。全词上片写杏花之丽与凋零，下片写离恨与故国之思。上片「裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注」写杏花之丽：剪裁冰绡，重叠数重，冷淡胭脂匀匀注染；「新样靓妆，艳溢香融，羞杀蕊珠宫女」写杏花之艳；「易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨。愁苦。闲院落凄凉，几番春暮」写杏花之衰。下片「凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语」写离恨之无人可诉；「天遥地远，万水千山，知他故宫何处」写故国之思；「怎不思量，除梦里、有时会去。无据。和梦也、有时不做」写连梦亦难成之痛。全词借杏花抒亡国之痛，哀婉凄绝，是宋词中写亡国之痛的名篇。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 ice-like silk' (bing xiao) is the silk of the ice — the fine silk of the beauty; 'the Pearl Flower Palace' (Rui zhu gong) is the Pearl Flower Palace — the palace of the immortals, the beauty shaming the maids; 'the parting grief' (li hen) is the parting grief — the grief of the parting; 'the old palace' (gu gong) is the old palace — the palace of the past, the far of the north; 'without basis' (wu ju) is the without basis — the dream without basis, the close of the lyric.

词中「冰绡」「燕脂」「蕊珠宫」「燕山」等语，皆含典故故实。「冰绡」指薄而洁白的丝织品，以之喻杏花之洁白轻薄；「燕脂」即胭脂，「冷淡燕脂匀注」写杏花之红如胭脂匀注；「蕊珠宫」为道教传说中的仙宫，「羞杀蕊珠宫女」以蕊珠宫女之羞写杏花之艳；「燕山」为词题所在之地，徽宗被掳北行途经燕山而见杏花，故以燕山名调。此外「双燕」为古诗词常用意象，燕传书信之说（《开元天宝遗事》有燕子传书），「这双燕，何曾会人言语」写欲托双燕寄离恨而燕不解语。词人以冰绡、燕脂、蕊珠宫、双燕等意象入词，不着痕迹，而把杏花之丽与其亡国之痛写得真切可感，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 most famous works of Zhao Ji, quoted for the grief of its layers and the close's dream. The beauty and the withering, and the dream sometimes not made, are among the admired passages of the lyric. Critics praise the lyric's grief: the parting grief gathered in the layers, to the close's dream without basis.

这首《燕山亭》，是宋徽宗赵佶被掳北行、途经燕山见杏花而作，写亡国之痛与故国之思，哀婉凄绝。上片写杏花之丽与凋零：「裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注」——剪裁冰绡，重叠数重，冷淡的胭脂匀匀注染。以冰绡写杏花之洁白、以燕脂写其之红，写杏花之丽；「新样靓妆，艳溢香融，羞杀蕊珠宫女」——新样的靓丽妆饰，艳溢香融，羞杀蕊珠宫的仙女。以蕊珠宫女之羞写杏花之艳，极写其美。然而这美丽的杏花，「易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨」——容易凋零，更何况多少无情的风雨。杏花易谢，风雨无情，正是其自身遭际的写照——身为帝王，一朝被掳，如杏花之遇风雨。「愁苦。闲院落凄凉，几番春暮」——愁苦。闲院落凄凉，几番春暮。以「愁苦」二字顿住，写尽心中之痛。下片写离恨与故国之思：「凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语」——凭托寄这离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会懂人言语。欲托双燕寄离恨，而燕不解人语，离恨无人可诉；「天遥地远，万水千山，知他故宫何处」——天遥地远，万水千山，知它故宫在何处。故国已远，万水千山，不知故宫何处，写故国之思之渺茫；「怎不思量，除梦里、有时会去。无据。和梦也、有时不做」——怎不思念，只在梦里有时会去。无据。连梦也、有时不做。思量故国，只于梦中相会，而连这梦，也时常不成——梦中尚可一返故国，如今连梦也做不成，其痛何如！这一结，「和梦也、有时不做」，哀婉凄绝，是全词最痛处。全词借杏花抒亡国之痛，以杏花之易凋零写其遭际，哀婉凄绝，正是「亡国之音哀以思」的典范，也是宋词中写亡国之痛最著名的篇章之一。

Prosody

Form A slow ci lyric of the sorrow (ci diao)词（燕山亭，双调）

Rhyme The lyric rhymes on the level and the oblique of the group — the cadence of the slow ci that carries the far grief.此词为《燕山亭》调，双调九十九字，上片下片各十一句。押仄声韵：上片「注」「女」「雨」「苦」「暮」押遇部韵，「数」韵；下片「语」「处」「去」「据」「做」押语部韵。词体依词谱而定，句式长短错落，音节随情起伏，正与写亡国之痛的哀婉凄绝相称，也见其以词写亡国之痛的自然。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the grief: the level opening with the beauty, the turning with the parting grief, and the close's fall with the dream without basis.句式上，上片「裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注」写杏花之丽，音节流丽；「易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨」写其凋零，音节低沉；「愁苦。闲院落凄凉，几番春暮」以短句顿挫，音节凄切；下片「凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语」写离恨，音节深婉；「天遥地远，万水千山，知他故宫何处」写故国，音节苍茫；「无据。和梦也、有时不做」以短句作结，音节哀绝。全词音节随情起伏，由流丽而低沉、由凄切而苍茫、由苍茫而哀绝，正合词体「长短句」之妙，读来如亡国之君哀诉之音，哀婉而动人。

Reading note The lyric's sound matches its grief: the cadences of the slow ci, and the close — 'he meng ye, you shi bu zuo' — falls with the dream not made, the sound of the last sorrow of the captive emperor.此词为《燕山亭》调，是宋徽宗赵佶被掳北行之作，也是宋词中写亡国之痛最著名的篇章之一。全词的艺术特色在于「借物抒哀、哀婉凄绝」：上片「裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注」以冰绡燕脂写杏花之丽，「易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨」写杏花之凋零，以杏花之易谢写其遭际；下片「凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语」写离恨之无人可诉，「天遥地远，万水千山，知他故宫何处」写故国之思，「无据。和梦也、有时不做」写连梦亦难成之痛。全词借杏花抒亡国之痛，哀婉凄绝。尤为精妙者，是「裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注」写杏花之丽与其后「易得凋零」之哀的对照，以丽衬哀，以杏花自况；而「无据。和梦也、有时不做」一结，以「梦亦难成」写极痛，与李煜「梦里不知身是客」同为亡国之君的词中绝唱，正是「亡国之音哀以思」的典范，为历代词选所必收。

Line by line

裁翦冰绡，打叠数重，冷淡燕脂匀注。

Cut and trimmed the ice-like silk, folded into layers, many, the cold and indifferent rouge, evenly applied.

剪裁冰绡，重叠数重，冷淡的胭脂匀匀注染。

Cut from ice-thin silk, layered fold on fold; a pale rouge is spread evenly over it.

首三句写杏花之丽，起笔即见其美。「裁翦冰绡」写如剪裁冰绡，「冰绡」为洁白之丝，以之写杏花之洁白轻透；「打叠数重」写重叠数重，「数重」写其花瓣之层叠；「冷淡燕脂匀注」写冷淡的胭脂匀匀注染，「燕脂」写其红，「冷淡」「匀注」写其色之淡雅匀净。三句以冰绡、燕脂写杏花之色之丽，写尽杏花之美，起笔便是惊艳之笔。然这美丽之杏花，正是作者自身的写照——以杏花之丽写其昔日之盛，为后文写其凋零作了铺垫，是「以丽衬哀」的妙笔。

The opening three lines write the apricot blossom's beauty, the first stroke at once seeing its beauty. The cut-from-ice-thin-silk writing like the ice-silk's cut, the ice-silk meaning the white silk, used for the apricot blossom's white-and-light-transparent; the layered-fold-on-fold writing the petal's layering; the pale-rouge-is-spread-evenly-over-it writing the pale rouge's even staining, the rouge's red, the pale-and-evenly-spread's color's plain-and-even. Three lines using the ice-silk and rouge for the apricot blossom's color's beauty, exhausting the blossom's beauty, the opening's the stunning stroke. And yet this beautiful apricot blossom's precisely the author's own portrait — using the blossom's beauty for the bygone's splendor, storing the ground for the below's withering, the beauty-sets-off-grief wondrous brush.

易得凋零，更多少、无情风雨。

It falls so easily; and then how many more heartless winds and rains?

容易凋零，更何况多少无情的风雨。

It fades so easily; and besides, how many more heartless winds and rains?

此二句写杏花之衰，是全词由丽入哀的转折。「易得凋零」写杏花容易凋零，「易得」写其凋零之易，花期之短；「更多少、无情风雨」写更何况多少无情的风雨，「无情风雨」写风雨之无情，「多少」写风雨之多。两句一写杏花之易谢、一写风雨之无情，以杏花之易凋零、风雨之无情，写其遭际之惨——这美丽的杏花（亦是作者自己），正在无情的风雨中凋零。以花喻己，由丽入哀，含蓄而沉痛，是「以花写人」的转折之笔，也是全词由写花转入抒哀的关键。

These two lines write the apricot blossom's decline, the whole ci's beauty-to-grief turn. The it-falls-so-easily writing the blossom's easy fading, the yi-de word's the fading's ease and the bloom's shortness; and-then-how-many-more-heartless-winds-and-rains writing the wind-rain's heartlessness and abundance. Two lines one writing the blossom's easy-fading and one the wind-rain's heartlessness, using the blossom's easy-withering and the wind-rain's heartlessness for its lot's misery — this beautiful blossom (also the author himself), precisely's withering in the heartless wind-rain. Using the flower's metaphor for the self, from the beauty's to the grief, reserved and grief-stricken, the flower-writes-person turning stroke, and the whole ci's flower-writing-to-grief-utterance key.

凭寄离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会人言语。

Relying on the sending, the parting grief, heavy upon heavy, these pair of swallows, when ever, understanding the speech of men.

凭托寄这离恨重重，这双燕，何曾会懂人言语。

On whom can I lay this heavy parting grief? This pair of swallows — how should they understand human words?

此三句写离恨之无人可诉，是全词写情的转折。「凭寄离恨重重」写凭托寄这离恨重重，「离恨重重」写其离恨之深重，「凭寄」写欲托之以寄；「这双燕，何曾会人言语」写这双燕何曾会懂人言语，「双燕」为可托书之鸟，「何曾会人言语」写燕不解人语。三句一写离恨之重、一写欲托双燕、一写燕不解语，以「凭寄」与「何曾会人言语」相对，写尽离恨之重而无人可诉、无物可托之痛——亡国之恨，欲托双燕寄之，而燕不解人语，其恨更无可诉。以燕写恨，含蓄而深挚，是「以物写恨」的妙笔。

These three lines write the parting-grief's no-one-to-tell, the whole ci's feeling-writing turn. The on-whom-can-I-lay-this-heavy-parting-grief writing the heavy grief's entrusting; this-pair-of-swallows-how-should-they-understand-human-words writing the double-swallow's no-understanding. Three lines one writing the grief's weight, one the entrusting the swallows, one the swallows' no-understanding, using the entrusting and the never-understanding's contrast, exhausting the grief's weight's no-one-to-tell and no-thing-to-entrust pain — the fallen-country grief's the wanting-to-entrust-the-swallow, and yet the swallow's no-understanding, its grief's the more's no-tell-able. Using the swallow for the grief-writing, reserved and deep, the thing-writes-grief wondrous brush.

和梦也、有时不做。

Even the dream — sometimes it will not be made at all.

无据。连梦也、有时不做。

No proof at all. Even the dream, sometimes, will not be dreamed.

尾二句写连梦亦难成之痛，是全词最痛处。「无据」写无凭据，「无据」二字单作一句，写其思量故国只于梦中相会，而这亦无凭据；「和梦也、有时不做」写连梦也、有时不做，「和梦也」写连同这梦，「有时不做」写时常做不成。两句一写其思量故国唯托之梦、一写连梦亦难成，以「除梦里有时会去」与「和梦也有时不做」相对，写尽亡国之君思乡而不得、连梦中一返故国亦不可得之痛——生前不得归，梦中亦难归。以「梦亦难成」写极痛，哀婉凄绝，是全词立意的落点，也是「亡国之音哀以思」的极致之笔。

The closing two lines write the even-the-dream's-hard-to-achieve pain, the whole ci's most painful place. The no-proof writing the no-proof, the no-proof two words' single-line, writing his old-country's longing's only-in-the-dream's meeting, and yet this's also the no-proof; even-the-dream-sometimes-it-will-not-be-dreamed writing the even-the-dream's sometimes-not-made. Two lines one writing the old-country-longing's only-entrusting-the-dream and one the even-the-dream's hard-to-achieve, using the within-the-dream's-sometimes-go's and the even-the-dream-sometimes-not's contrast, exhausting the fallen-ruler's homesickness-and-yet-no, even-the-dream's-one-return's impossible pain — the living's no-return, the dream's also's hard-to-return. Using the dream-hard-to-achieve for the extreme-pain, the plaintive-and-wretched, the whole ci's intention landing, and the fallen-country's-sad-with-thought extreme stroke.

Study

Word focus

冰绡 'The ice-like silk' — the silk of the ice, the fine silk of the beauty. 「冰绡」写杏花之洁白轻透，是写杏花之丽的关键。「裁翦冰绡」着一「冰绡」，以洁白之丝织品写杏花之白、之轻、之透——着一「冰绡」，见其白如冰、薄如绡，写尽杏花之洁白轻透。两字写尽杏花之色，与「燕脂」相对，一写其白、一写其红，是「以物写色」的妙笔。「冰绡」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。

愁苦 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「愁苦」二字单作一句，是上片由写花转入抒哀的关键。「愁苦。」二字顿住，写尽心中之愁苦——着一「愁苦」，将前文杏花之丽与凋零收束于一词，直写其痛。两字以短句顿挫，正见其情之沉痛，是「以短句写痛」的点睛之词，也是全词由景入情的枢纽。「愁苦」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。

无据 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「无据」二字单作一句，是下片写梦亦难成的关键。「无据。」二字顿住，写其思量故国唯托之梦、而这亦无凭据——着一「无据」，写其连梦中相会亦无凭无据，更增其痛。两字以短句顿挫，与上片「愁苦」相呼应，写尽亡国之君思乡无凭之痛，是「以短句写痛」的点睛之词。「无据」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。

燕山亭