宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
夜游宫
The Night Tour of the Palace
叶下斜阳照水。
卷轻浪、沈沈千里。
桥上酸风射眸子。
立多时，看黄昏，灯火市。
古屋寒窗底。
听几片、井桐飞坠。
不恋单衾再三起。
有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸。
Rolling the light waves, deep and deep, the thousand li.
On the bridge, the sour wind, shooting the pupils of the eyes.
Standing long, watching the dusk,
The lanterns of the market.
Under the old house, the cold window.
Hearing a few pieces, the well parasol trees, flying and falling.
Not loving the single quilt, again and again, rising.
Who knows,
For the Lady Xiao,
A sheet of the letter.
Meaning
A lyric of the dusk and the letter, written by Zhou Bangyan. Under the leaves, the slanting sun, shining the water — rolling the light waves, deep and deep, the thousand li — the slanting sun and the light waves. On the bridge, the sour wind, shooting the pupils of the eyes — standing long, watching the dusk, the lanterns of the market — the sour wind and the dusk lanterns. Under the old house, the cold window — hearing the well parasol trees, flying and falling — the cold window and the falling parasol trees. Not loving the single quilt, again and again, rising — who knows, for the Lady Xiao, a sheet of the letter — the close's rising and the letter. The lyric is the dusk and the letter: the slanting sun, the dusk lanterns, and the close's letter for the Lady Xiao.
叶下斜阳照水。卷轻浪、沈沈千里。桥上酸风射眸子。立多时，看黄昏，灯火市。古屋寒窗底。听几片、井桐飞坠。不恋单衾再三起。有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] Under the leaves, the slanting sun, shining the water. Rolling the light waves, deep and deep, the thousand li. On the bridge, the sour wind, shooting the pupils of the eyes. Standing long, watching the dusk, the lanterns of the market. Under the old house, the cold window. Hearing a few pieces, the well parasol trees, flying and falling. Not loving the single quilt, again and again, rising. Who knows, for the Lady Xiao, a sheet of the letter. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the slanting sun and the light waves, through the sour wind and the dusk lanterns, and the cold window with the falling parasol trees, to the close's rising and the letter for the Lady Xiao. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the letter of the close: the dusk and the cold window of the scene, and the close's letter for the Lady Xiao, the rising of the night — the feeling gathered in the scene and the close's letter. [Emotional Tone] Cold, lonely, and affectionate: the lyric is the dusk, the cold window and the close's letter.
【白话串讲】 周邦彦写《夜游宫》：“叶下斜阳照水。卷轻浪、沈沈千里”——“桥上酸风射眸子。立多时，看黄昏，灯火市”——“古屋寒窗底。听几片、井桐飞坠”——“不恋单衾再三起。有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸”——他写相思——为萧娘书一纸。 【意象与手法】 “叶下斜阳照水。卷轻浪、沈沈千里”写斜阳照水；“桥上酸风射眸子。立多时，看黄昏，灯火市”写桥头伫立；“古屋寒窗底。听几片、井桐飞坠”写井桐飞坠；结以“不恋单衾再三起。有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸”写为萧娘书。含蓄深婉。 【情感与主旨】 周邦彦写秋夜怀人之作，写秋夜伫立桥头、寒窗听桐与为萧娘书一纸的相思，以“为萧娘书”写深情，是清真词中相思词的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“桥上酸风射眸子。立多时，看黄昏，灯火市”以酸风射眸写伫立；“不恋单衾再三起。有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸”写为萧娘书。
Background
Zhou Bangyan (1056–1121), the master of the ci of the Song, wrote this 'The Night Tour of the Palace' of the dusk and the letter — the longing of the night. The slanting sun shining the water with the light waves, the sour wind of the bridge with the dusk lanterns, the cold window with the falling parasol trees, and the close's rising for the Lady Xiao with the sheet of the letter — the lyric gathers the longing of the night, the feeling of the letter. The lyric is one of the famous works of the master's lyrics of the longing.
《夜游宫》为北宋词人周邦彦所作词。周邦彦（1056—1121），字美成，号清真居士，钱塘（今浙江杭州）人，北宋词人，精通音律，词风典雅精工，为婉约词集大成者，人称「词中老杜」。此词写秋夜怀人。词中「叶下斜阳照水。卷轻浪、沈沈千里」写斜阳照水；「桥上酸风射眸子。立多时，看黄昏，灯火市」写桥头伫立；「古屋寒窗底。听几片、井桐飞坠」写井桐飞坠；「不恋单衾再三起。有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸」写为萧娘书。周邦彦此词以秋夜怀人、为萧娘书写其怀人之情，含蓄深婉，是周邦彦词中的名篇。此篇《夜游宫》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。此篇《夜游宫》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 dusk and the letter. The scene opens: under the leaves, the slanting sun, shining the water — the slanting sun of the water; rolling the light waves, deep and deep, the thousand li — the light waves of the thousand li. The dusk follows: on the bridge, the sour wind, shooting the pupils of the eyes — the sour wind of the bridge; standing long, watching the dusk — the lanterns of the market — the dusk and the lanterns; under the old house, the cold window — the cold window of the old house; hearing a few pieces, the well parasol trees, flying and falling — the falling parasol trees. And the close gathers the letter: not loving the single quilt, again and again, rising — the rising of the poet; who knows, for the Lady Xiao, a sheet of the letter — the letter of the close — the dusk, the cold window and the close's letter, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、以景写情」见长。全词上片写斜阳照水与桥头伫立，下片写井桐飞坠与为萧娘书。上片「叶下斜阳照水。卷轻浪、沈沈千里」写斜阳照水：叶下斜阳照水，卷轻浪、沈沈千里；「桥上酸风射眸子。立多时，看黄昏，灯火市」写桥头伫立：桥上酸风射眸子，立多时，看黄昏，灯火市。下片「古屋寒窗底。听几片、井桐飞坠」写井桐飞坠：古屋寒窗底，听几片、井桐飞坠；「不恋单衾再三起。有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸」写为萧娘书：不恋单衾再三起，有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，是周邦彦词中的名篇。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 sour wind' (suan feng) is the sour wind — the wind of the cold, shooting the pupils; 'the well parasol trees' (jing tong) are the well parasol trees — the trees of the well, the falling leaves; 'the single quilt' (dan qin) is the single quilt — the quilt of the lone, the not loving of the poet; 'the Lady Xiao' (Xiao niang) is the Lady Xiao — the lady of the longing, the letter of the close.
词中「叶下斜阳」「卷轻浪」「沈沈千里」「酸风」「眸子」「黄昏」「灯火市」「古屋寒窗」「井桐」「单衾」「再三起」「萧娘」「书一纸」等语，皆含典故故实。「叶下斜阳」写叶下之斜阳；「卷轻浪」写卷起轻浪；「沈沈千里」写水面沉沉千里；「酸风」用李贺《金铜仙人辞汉歌》「东关酸风射眸子」之语，写刺目之寒风；「眸子」写眼珠；「黄昏」写黄昏；「灯火市」写灯火之市；「古屋寒窗」写古屋与寒窗；「井桐」写井边之梧桐；「单衾」写单薄之被；「再三起」写多次起来；「萧娘」用《南史》梁武帝萧衍临雍州时萧娘之典（或泛指女子，萧娘为女子泛称）；「书一纸」写书信一纸。词人以酸风射眸子（用李贺语）、井桐、萧娘、书一纸等语入词，不着痕迹，而把秋夜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。
Commentary
This lyric is one of the famous works of Zhou Bangyan's lyrics of the longing, quoted for the dusk of its scene and the letter of its close. The sour wind of the bridge, and the sheet of the letter for the Lady Xiao, are among the admired passages of the master's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's feeling: the dusk gathered in the cold window, to the close's letter.
这首《夜游宫》，是周邦彦写秋夜怀人之作，写叶下斜阳、酸风射眸、为萧娘书一纸之情，含蓄深婉。上片写斜阳照水与桥头伫立：「叶下斜阳照水。卷轻浪、沈沈千里」——叶下斜阳照水，卷轻浪、沈沈千里。写斜阳照水：叶下斜阳照水，卷轻浪、沈沈千里——斜阳照水、轻浪卷起，水面沉沉千里；「桥上酸风射眸子。立多时，看黄昏，灯火市」——桥上酸风射眸子，立多时，看黄昏，灯火市。写桥头伫立：桥上酸风射眸子，立多时、看黄昏、灯火市——以李贺酸风射眸之语，写桥头寒风刺目、伫立看灯市。下片写井桐飞坠与为萧娘书：「古屋寒窗底。听几片、井桐飞坠」——古屋寒窗底，听几片、井桐飞坠。写井桐飞坠：古屋寒窗底，听几片、井桐飞坠——古屋寒窗、井桐飞坠，写尽秋夜之寂；「不恋单衾再三起。有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸」——不恋单衾再三起，有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸。写为萧娘书：不恋单衾再三起，有谁知、为萧娘书一纸——不恋衾寒、再三而起，为萧娘写书一纸。这「有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸」，是全词之结：以为萧娘书写其怀人。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，正是周邦彦词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
叶下斜阳照水。
Beneath the leaves, the setting sun shines on the water.
叶下斜阳照水。
Beneath the leaves, the slanting sun shines on the water.
首句写斜阳照水，起笔即见其景。「叶下斜阳照水」写叶下斜阳照水，「叶下」写叶下、「斜阳照水」写斜阳照于水面。一句以「叶下」写斜阳穿过叶隙、以「斜阳照水」写夕阳照水，写尽秋日叶下斜阳照水之景。以景起兴，含蓄而清丽，是「以景起兴」的妙笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。
The opening line writes the setting-sun's water-shining, the first stroke at once seeing the scene. One line using the beneath-the-leaves for the sun's leaf-gap's passage, and the setting-sun-shines-on-the-water for the sunset's water-illumination, exhausting the autumn's leaf-beneath-sunset-water scene. Using the scene's uprising, reserved and fresh, the scene-uprising wondrous brush.
桥上酸风射眸子。
On the bridge, the sour wind, shooting the pupils of the eyes.
桥上酸风射眸子。
On the bridge, the bitter wind pierces my eyes.
此句写桥头寒风，是全词写秋夜之寒的关键。「桥上酸风射眸子」写桥上酸风射眸子，「桥上」写桥上、「酸风射眸子」用李贺「东关酸风射眸子」之语，写寒风刺目。一句以「酸风」写刺目之寒风、以「射眸子」写其刺目之烈，写尽桥上寒风刺目之状。以典写景，含蓄而真切，是「以典写景」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。
This line writes the bridgehead's cold wind, the whole ci's autumn-night-cold key. On-the-bridge-the-bitter-wind-pierces-my-eyes using Li He's east-gate-bitter-wind-pierces-my-eyes words, writing the cold wind's eye-piercing. One line using the bitter-wind for the eye-piercing cold wind and the pierces-my-eyes for the piercing's fierceness, exhausting the bridgehead's cold-wind's eye-piercing pose. Using the allusion for the scene-writing, reserved and real, the allusion-writes-scene telling stroke.
古屋寒窗底。
Beneath the cold window of an old house.
古屋寒窗底。
Beneath the cold window of an ancient house.
此句写古屋寒窗，是全词由桥头转入室内的关键。「古屋寒窗底」写古屋寒窗底，「古屋」写老屋、「寒窗底」写寒窗之下。一句以「古屋」写屋之老、以「寒窗底」写寒窗之下，写尽古屋寒窗、萧瑟之境。以境写情，含蓄而清冷，是「以境写情」的点睛之笔，也是全词由室外转入室内的枢纽。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。
This line writes the old-house-cold-window, the whole ci's bridgehead's turning-to-indoor key. Beneath-the-cold-window-of-an-ancient-house writing the old house and the cold window. One line using the ancient-house for the house's oldness and the cold-window's beneath for the window's chill, exhausting the old-house-cold-window's bleak realm. Using the realm for the feeling-writing, reserved and cold-clear, the realm-writes-feeling telling stroke, and the whole ci's outdoor-to-indoor hinge.
有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸。
Who knows that for my Xiao-niang, I have written a letter?
有谁知，为萧娘，书一纸。
Who knows that for Xiao-niang I have written a sheet of letters?
尾三句写为萧娘书，是全词立意的落点。「有谁知」写有谁知，「有谁知」写有谁知道；「为萧娘」写为萧娘，「萧娘」为女子泛称；「书一纸」写书一纸，「书一纸」写写书信一纸。三句一写有谁知、一写为萧娘、一写书一纸，以有谁知写其无人知、以为萧娘书写其怀人、以书一纸写其情，写尽为萧娘写书一纸而无人知之情。以书写情，含蓄而深挚，是全词最动人处，也是「以书写情」的点睛之笔。
The closing three lines write the letter-for-Xiao-Niang, the whole ci's intention landing. The who-knows writing the who's knowing; the for-Xiao-niang writing the Xiao-niang (woman's general name); the written-a-letter writing the one-sheet letter. Three lines one writing the who-knows, one the for-Xiao-niang, one the letter, using the who-knows for the no-one's-knowing, the for-Xiao-niang for the person's longing, and the letter for the feeling, exhausting the letter-for-Xiao-niang's no-one's-knowing feeling. Using the letter for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the whole ci's most moving place, the letter-writes-feeling telling stroke.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
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