宋 Song · 诗 Poem
一萼红·古城阴
One Calyx of Red: The Shade of the Old City
古城阴。
有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪。
池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈。
翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽。
野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临。
南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心。
朱户黏鸡，金盘簇燕，空叹时序侵寻。
记曾共，西楼雅集，想垂杨、还袅万丝金。
待得归鞍到时，只怕春深。
There are the official mumes, a few,
The red calyxes, not yet, suitable for the hairpin.
The surface of the pool, the ice, glued,
The waist of the wall, the snow, grown old,
The meaning of the clouds, again, sinking and sinking.
The green vines, together with, idly, passing through the bamboo paths,
Gradually, the laughing speech, startling up, the birds lying in the sand.
The wild old men, the woods and the springs,
The terraces of the old king,
Calling, climbing and looking down.
Going south, coming north, what matters,
Rippling the clouds of the Xiang, the waters of the Chu,
The eyes reaching the utmost, the heart broken.
The vermilion doors, pasting the chickens,
The golden plates, heaping the swallows,
In vain, sighing, the seasons, encroaching and seeking.
Remembering, once, together with, the elegant gathering of the West Tower,
Thinking, the hanging willows, still, wreathing, the ten thousand threads of the gold.
Waiting until, the returning saddle, arrives,
Only fearing, the spring, deep.
Meaning
A lyric of the city and the seasons, written by Jiang Kui. The shade of the old city with the official mumes and the red calyxes, the ice of the pool with the snow of the wall, and the sinking clouds — the scene of the old city. The green vines with the laughing speech startling the birds, and the wild old men with the terraces of the old king calling the climbing — the walk and the climb. Going south, coming north, what matters, with the rippling of the Xiang and the Chu, the eyes reaching the utmost, the heart broken — the going and the broken heart. The vermilion doors pasting the chickens with the golden plates heaping the swallows, sighing the seasons, and the remembering of the West Tower with the willows wreathing the gold — the seasons and the memory. And the close's waiting the returning saddle, only fearing the spring deep — the fearing of the close. The lyric is the city and the seasons: the old city, the seasons encroaching, and the close's fearing the spring deep.
古城阴。有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪。池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈。翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽。野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临。南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心。朱户黏鸡，金盘簇燕，空叹时序侵寻。记曾共，西楼雅集，想垂杨、还袅万丝金。待得归鞍到时，只怕春深。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The shade of the old city. There are the official mumes, a few, the red calyxes, not yet, suitable for the hairpin. The surface of the pool, the ice, glued, the waist of the wall, the snow, grown old, the meaning of the clouds, again, sinking and sinking. The green vines, together with, idly, passing through the bamboo paths, gradually, the laughing speech, startling up, the birds lying in the sand. The wild old men, the woods and the springs, the terraces of the old king, calling, climbing and looking down. Going south, coming north, what matters, rippling the clouds of the Xiang, the waters of the Chu, the eyes reaching the utmost, the heart broken. The vermilion doors, pasting the chickens, the golden plates, heaping the swallows, in vain, sighing, the seasons, encroaching and seeking. Remembering, once, together with, the elegant gathering of the West Tower, thinking, the hanging willows, still, wreathing, the ten thousand threads of the gold. Waiting until, the returning saddle, arrives, only fearing, the spring, deep. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the scene of the old city and the climb, through the going with the broken heart and the seasons sighing, to the close's remembering the West Tower and the fearing of the spring deep. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the seasons of the city: the ice and the snow of the opening with the seasons encroaching, and the close's fearing the spring deep — the feeling gathered in the seasons and the close's fearing. [Emotional Tone] Cold, elegant, and nostalgic: the lyric is the old city, the seasons and the close's spring deep.
【白话串讲】 姜夔写《一萼红·古城阴》：“古城阴。有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪”——“池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈”——“翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽”——“南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心”——他写游春——目极伤心。 【意象与手法】 “古城阴。有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪”写官梅红萼；“池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈”写冰胶雪老；“翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽”写游春之乐；“南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心”写目极伤心；结以“待得归鞍到时，只怕春深”写只怕春深。含蓄空灵。 【情感与主旨】 姜夔写咏梅怀旧之作，写游春赏梅之乐与南去北来、目极伤心的身世之慨，是白石词中清空骚雅的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈”以冰胶雪老写春寒；“南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心”写目极伤心。
Background
Jiang Kui (c. 1155–1221), the elegant poet of the Southern Song, wrote this 'One Calyx of Red: The Shade of the Old City' of the old city and the seasons — the nostalgia of the times. The official mumes with the ice and the snow of the old city, the climb with the wild old men, the going with the broken heart, and the close's remembering the West Tower with the fearing of the spring deep — the lyric gathers the seasons of the old city, the nostalgia of the poet. The lyric is one of the famous works of the poet's lyrics of the seasons.
《一萼红·古城阴》为南宋词人姜夔所作词。姜夔（约1155—约1221），字尧章，号白石道人，饶州鄱阳（今江西鄱阳）人，南宋词人、音乐家，词风清空骚雅，开「清雅词派」之先。此词写咏梅怀旧。词中「古城阴。有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪」写官梅红萼；「池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈」写冰胶雪老；「翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽」写惊起卧沙禽；「野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临」写故王台榭；「南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心」写目极伤心；「朱户黏鸡，金盘簇燕，空叹时序侵寻」写时序侵寻；「记曾共，西楼雅集，想垂杨、还袅万丝金」写西楼雅集；「待得归鞍到时，只怕春深」写只怕春深。姜夔此词以咏梅怀旧、只怕春深写其怀旧之情，含蓄空灵，是姜夔词中的名篇。此篇《一萼红·古城阴》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 seasons. The city opens: the shade of the old city — there are the official mumes, a few — the red calyxes, not yet, suitable for the hairpin — the mumes of the city; the surface of the pool, the ice, glued — the ice of the pool; the waist of the wall, the snow, grown old — the snow of the wall; the meaning of the clouds, again, sinking and sinking — the sinking clouds. The walk follows: the green vines, together with, idly, passing through the bamboo paths — gradually, the laughing speech, startling up, the birds lying in the sand — the walk and the birds; the wild old men, the woods and the springs — the terraces of the old king — calling, climbing and looking down — the climb. The going: going south, coming north, what matters — rippling the clouds of the Xiang, the waters of the Chu — the eyes reaching the utmost, the heart broken — the broken heart; the vermilion doors, pasting the chickens — the golden plates, heaping the swallows — in vain, sighing, the seasons, encroaching and seeking — the seasons sighing. And the close gathers the memory: remembering, once, together with, the elegant gathering of the West Tower — thinking, the hanging willows, still, wreathing, the ten thousand threads of the gold — the willows of the West Tower; waiting until, the returning saddle, arrives — only fearing, the spring, deep — the fearing of the close — the old city, the seasons and the close's spring deep, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「含蓄空灵、以景写情」见长。全词上片写官梅红萼与故王台榭，下片写时序侵寻与只怕春深。上片「古城阴。有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪」写官梅红萼：古城阴，有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪；「池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈」写冰胶雪老：池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈；「翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽」写惊起卧沙禽：翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽；「野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临」写故王台榭：野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临。下片「南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心」写目极伤心：南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心；「朱户黏鸡，金盘簇燕，空叹时序侵寻」写时序侵寻：朱户黏鸡，金盘簇燕，空叹时序侵寻；「记曾共，西楼雅集，想垂杨、还袅万丝金」写西楼雅集：记曾共，西楼雅集，想垂杨、还袅万丝金；「待得归鞍到时，只怕春深」写只怕春深：待得归鞍到时，只怕春深。全词含蓄空灵，以景写情，是姜夔词中的名篇。
Allusions
'The official mumes' (guan mei) are the official mumes — the mumes of the official, the red calyxes; 'the terraces of the old king' (gu wang tai) are the terraces of the old king — the terraces of the past; 'the chickens' (ji) and 'the swallows' (yan) are the chickens and the swallows — the new year pasted, the seasons; 'the West Tower' (Xi lou) is the West Tower — the tower of the elegant gathering; 'the returning saddle' (gui an) is the returning saddle — the saddle of the return, the fearing of the close.
词中「古城阴」「官梅」「红萼未宜簪」「池面冰胶」「墙腰雪老」「云意沈沈」「翠藤」「径竹」「笑语」「卧沙禽」「野老林泉」「故王台榭」「呼唤登临」「南去北来」「湘云楚水」「目极伤心」「朱户黏鸡」「金盘簇燕」「时序侵寻」「西楼雅集」「垂杨万丝金」「归鞍」「只怕春深」等语，皆含典故故实。「古城阴」写古城之阴；「官梅」写官署之梅；「红萼未宜簪」写红萼未宜簪；「池面冰胶」写池面冰凝；「墙腰雪老」写墙腰雪老；「云意沈沈」写云意沉沉；「翠藤」写翠藤；「径竹」写径竹；「笑语」写笑语；「卧沙禽」写卧于沙之禽；「野老林泉」写野老与林泉；「故王台榭」写故王之台榭；「呼唤登临」写呼唤登临；「南去北来」写南去北来；「湘云楚水」写湘云楚水；「目极伤心」写目极伤心；「朱户黏鸡」写朱户黏鸡（旧俗正月七日以鸡黏户）；「金盘簇燕」写金盘簇燕（立春之俗以彩燕）；「时序侵寻」写时序渐次推移；「西楼雅集」写西楼之雅集；「垂杨万丝金」写垂杨万丝如金；「归鞍」写归鞍；「只怕春深」写只怕春深。词人以官梅、冰胶雪老、故王台榭、湘云楚水、黏鸡簇燕、时序侵寻、只怕春深等语入词，不着痕迹，而把咏梅怀旧之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸意象的体现。
Commentary
This lyric is one of the famous works of Jiang Kui's lyrics of the seasons, quoted for the elegance of its city and the fearing of its close. The ice and the snow of the old city, and the fearing of the spring deep, are among the admired passages of the poet's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's nostalgia: the seasons gathered in the old city, to the close's spring deep.
这首《一萼红·古城阴》，是姜夔写咏梅怀旧之作，写官梅红萼、故王台榭、只怕春深之情，含蓄空灵。上片写官梅红萼与故王台榭：「古城阴。有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪」——古城阴，有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪。写官梅红萼：古城阴、有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪——古城之阴、官梅几许、红萼未宜簪；「池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈」——池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈。写冰胶雪老：池面冰胶、墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈——池冰胶、墙雪老、云意沉沉；「翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽」——翠藤共、闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽。写惊起卧沙禽：翠藤共闲穿径竹，渐笑语、惊起卧沙禽——穿径竹、笑语惊起卧沙禽；「野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临」——野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临。写故王台榭：野老林泉、故王台榭，呼唤登临——野老林泉、故王台榭、呼唤登临。下片写时序侵寻与只怕春深：「南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心」——南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心。写目极伤心：南去北来何事、荡湘云楚水，目极伤心——南去北来、荡湘云楚水、目极伤心；「朱户黏鸡，金盘簇燕，空叹时序侵寻」——朱户黏鸡，金盘簇燕，空叹时序侵寻。写时序侵寻：朱户黏鸡、金盘簇燕（写黏鸡簇燕之节俗），空叹时序侵寻——朱户黏鸡、金盘簇燕、空叹时序；「记曾共，西楼雅集，想垂杨、还袅万丝金」——记曾共，西楼雅集，想垂杨、还袅万丝金。写西楼雅集：记曾共西楼雅集、想垂杨还袅万丝金——忆西楼雅集、想垂杨万丝金；「待得归鞍到时，只怕春深」——待得归鞍到时，只怕春深。写只怕春深：待得归鞍到时、只怕春深——待到归鞍到时、只怕春已深。这「待得归鞍到时，只怕春深」，是全词之结：以只怕春深写其怅惘。全词含蓄空灵，以景写情，正是姜夔词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪。
How many official plums are there? The red calyx is not yet fit to pin in the hair.
有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪。
How many official plums are there? The red calyx is not yet fit for the hairpin.
首二句写官梅红萼，起笔即见其梅。「有官梅几许」写有官梅几许，「有官梅」写有官署之梅、「几许」写多少；「红萼未宜簪」写红萼未宜簪，「红萼」写红色之花萼、「未宜簪」写尚不宜插簪。两句一写有官梅几许、一写红萼未宜簪，以官梅写其梅、以几许写其少、以红萼未宜簪写其初开，写尽古城阴处官梅几许、红萼未宜簪之情。以梅起兴，含蓄而清雅，是「以梅起兴」的妙笔。
The opening two lines write the official plum's red calyx, the first stroke at once seeing the plum. The how-many-official-plums-are-there writing the official-office plum and the how-many; the red-calyx-is-not-yet-fit-for-the-hairpin writing the red calyx and the not-yet-fit. Two lines one writing the official plum's number and one the red calyx, using the official plum for the plum, the how-many for the scarcity, and the red-calyx-not-yet-fit for the first-blooming, exhausting the old-city's official plums and the red calyx. Using the plum's uprising, reserved and elegant, the plum-uprising wondrous brush.
池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈。
Ice glues the pool's face, snow ages the wall's waist; the clouds again turn heavy.
池面冰胶，墙腰雪老，云意还又沈沈。
Ice has glued the pool's surface, snow has aged the wall's waist; the clouds again turn heavy.
此三句写冰胶雪老，是全词写冬景的关键。「池面冰胶」写池面冰胶，「池面」写池水之面、「冰胶」写冰凝如胶；「墙腰雪老」写墙腰雪老，「墙腰」写墙腰、「雪老」写积雪已久；「云意还又沈沈」写云意还又沈沈，「云意」写云气之意、「还又沈沈」写又转沉沉。三句一写池面冰胶、一写墙腰雪老、一写云意还又沈沈，以冰胶写池冰、以雪老写墙雪、以云沈沈写云意，写尽池冰墙雪、云意沉沉之冬景。以景写境，含蓄而清冷，是「以景写境」的点睛之笔。
These three lines write the ice-glued-and-snow-aged, the whole ci's winter-scene key. The ice-has-glued-the-pool's-surface writing the pool's surface and the ice's glue-like freezing; the snow-has-aged-the-wall's-waist writing the wall's middle and the long-settled snow; the clouds-again-turn-heavy writing the cloud's meaning and the heaviness's return. Three lines one writing the pool's ice, one the wall's snow, one the heavy clouds, using the glued-ice for the pool's ice, the aged-snow for the wall's snow, and the heavy clouds for the cloud's mood, exhausting the pool-ice-wall-snow and heavy-clouds winter scene. Using the scene for the realm-writing, reserved and cold-clear, the scene-writes-realm telling stroke.
野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临。
Village elders by the streams, the old kings' towers — they call me to climb.
野老林泉，故王台榭，呼唤登临。
Village elders by the wooded springs, the old kings' terraces — they call me to climb.
此三句写故王台榭，是全词写怀古的关键。「野老林泉」写野老林泉，「野老」写山野老人、「林泉」写林间泉畔；「故王台榭」写故王台榭，「故王」写往昔之王侯、「台榭」写楼台水榭；「呼唤登临」写呼唤登临，「呼唤」写呼唤、「登临」写登高临远。三句一写野老林泉、一写故王台榭、一写呼唤登临，以野老林泉写其地之幽、以故王台榭写其怀古、以呼唤登临写其登临，写尽野老林泉、故王台榭、呼唤登临之情。以古写慨，含蓄而深沉，是「以古写慨」的点睛之笔。
These three lines write the old-kings'-terraces, the whole ci's nostalgia key. The village-elders-by-the-wooded-springs writing the rustic elders and the streams; the old-kings'-terraces writing the bygone nobles and the towers; they-call-me-to-climb writing the calling and the height-climbing. Three lines one writing the elders-by-springs, one the old-kings'-terraces, one the climb's call, using the rustic elders for the place's seclusion, the old-kings'-terraces for the nostalgia, and the call-to-climb for the ascent, exhausting the rustic springs and old terraces and the climb. Using the old for the sigh-writing, reserved and deep, the old-writes-sigh telling stroke.
待得归鞍到时，只怕春深。
Waiting until, the returning saddle, arrives, only fearing, the spring, deep.
待得归鞍到时，只怕春深。
When the returning saddle arrives, I only fear spring will be deep.
尾二句写只怕春深，是全词立意的落点。「待得归鞍到时」写待得归鞍到时，「待得」写待到、「归鞍到时」写归鞍到达之时；「只怕春深」写只怕春深，「只怕」写只怕、「春深」写春已深。两句一写待得归鞍到时、一写只怕春深，以待得归鞍写其待归、以只怕春深写其怕春暮，写尽待到归鞍、只怕春已深之情。以怕写情，含蓄而空灵，是全词最动人处，也是「以怕写情」的点睛之笔。
The closing two lines write the fearing-spring's-deep, the whole ci's intention landing. The when-the-returning-saddle-arrives writing the waiting and the return's arrival time; I-only-fear-spring-will-be-deep writing the fear and the season's depth. Two lines one writing the return's arrival and one the spring's depth fear, using the waiting-return for the return's waiting and the fearing-spring-deep for the season's end's dread, exhausting the waiting for the return and the fear of the deep spring. Using the fear for the feeling-writing, reserved and ethereal, the whole ci's most moving place, the fear-writes-feeling telling stroke.
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林逋《山园小梅》「疏影横斜水清浅，暗香浮动月黄昏」，写梅之清雅，是宋诗咏梅的绝唱；姜夔《一萼红》则以「古城阴。有官梅几许，红萼未宜簪」「待得归鞍到时，只怕春深」写官梅红萼、只怕春深。两词同写咏梅清雅、超然独赏：一写疏影横斜水清浅暗香浮动月黄昏、以梅写清，一写古城阴有官梅几许红萼未宜簪、以梅写雅；一为林逋之清逸、一为姜夔之清空，并读正可见宋代写「咏梅」的两种笔法，皆于梅中见清雅。
晏殊·蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露 Butterfly Loves Flower · Rail Chrysanthemum in Mourning Mist, Orchid Weeping Dew 晏殊 · 同写时序流转、独自凝愁，一写明月不谙离恨苦、一写空叹时序侵寻，皆于时序之中见凝愁 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
晏殊《蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露》「明月不谙离恨苦，斜光到晓穿朱户」「独上高楼，望尽天涯路」，写离愁时序、独自凝愁，是宋词写愁的名篇；姜夔《一萼红》则以「南去北来何事，荡湘云楚水，目极伤心」「朱户黏鸡，金盘簇燕，空叹时序侵寻」写目极伤心、时序侵寻。两词同写时序流转、独自凝愁：一写明月不谙离恨苦、以明月写愁，一写空叹时序侵寻、以时序写慨；一为晏殊之温润、一为姜夔之清空，并读正可见宋词写「时序凝愁」的两种笔法，皆于时序之中见凝愁。