All poems

宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

永遇乐·京口北固亭怀古

Everlasting Joy · Recalling the Past at the North Pavilion in Jingkou

辛弃疾

Xin Qiji

怀古nostalgia 爱国patriotism 言志expression of aspiration

千古江山，英雄无觅，孙仲谋处。
舞榭歌台，风流总被，雨打风吹去。
斜阳草树，寻常巷陌，人道寄奴曾住。
想当年，金戈铁马，气吞万里如虎。
元嘉草草，封狼居胥，赢得仓皇北顾。
四十三年，望中犹记，烽火扬州路。
可堪回首，佛狸祠下，一片神鸦社鼓。
凭谁问：廉颇老矣，尚能饭否？

Through endless ages, the hills and streams still stand,
But where is the hero Sun Quan of this land?
The dance halls and singing stages, their splendor all,
Are beaten by wind and rain, and gone with the fall.
In slanting sun, among grass and trees, an ordinary lane,
They say Liu Yu once lived here, his home to maintain.
Recall those years, with golden spears and iron steeds,
He swallowed up a thousand leagues like a tiger's deeds.
In Yuanjia years, too hastily they sought to seal Mount Langjuxu,
But only won a frantic northward glance, their dream untrue.
Forty-three years have passed, yet in my gaze I still recall
The beacon fires along the Yangzhou road, one and all.
How can I bear to look back? Under the Foli shrine,
Crows and sacrificial drums, a scene of decline.
Who will come and ask if Lian Po, though old, can still eat his fill?
I am like him, but no one cares about my loyal will.

Listen

Meaning

The poet climbs the North Pavilion at Jingkou and recalls historical heroes like Sun Quan and Liu Yu who rose from the same place. He criticizes the hasty northern expedition of Emperor Wen of Song and contrasts it with the achievements of Liu Yu. He laments that forty-three years after his return from the south, the enemy still occupies the north, and he himself is old but still eager to serve, comparing himself to the aged general Lian Po, yet no one asks about him.

千古江山依旧，却再也寻不到孙权那样的英雄踪迹。当年的舞榭歌台，那一代风流，总被雨打风吹而去。斜阳照着草树，寻常街巷里，人们说刘裕曾在此居住。想当年他金戈铁马，气吞万里如猛虎。元嘉年间草草北伐，想要封狼居胥，却落得仓皇北顾。四十三年过去，望中还记得扬州路上的烽火。怎堪回首，佛狸祠下一片神鸦社鼓的喧闹。凭谁去问：廉颇老了，饭量还可否如初？

Appreciation

This poem is a masterpiece of nostalgic and patriotic ci poetry. It uses five allusions seamlessly, contrasting the heroic achievements of Sun Quan and Liu Yu with the failures of Liu Yilong, and ending with the poet's own frustration. The imagery is vivid, from the mighty 'tiger-like' army to the desolate crows and drums under the Foli shrine. The final question is full of pathos and indignation.

【白话串讲】 66岁的辛弃疾登上北固亭，想起孙权、刘裕当年金戈铁马，再看看自己一腔报国志却只能写词。“凭谁问，廉颇老矣，尚能饭否”——一个老英雄最后的叩问。【意象与手法】用典绵密而气脉贯通，是辛词「掉书袋」而能浑化无迹的典范。上片追慕英雄、下片警惕草率，正反相形【情感与主旨】开禧元年（1205），韩侂胄主政，图谋北伐，起用闲居多年的辛弃疾为镇江知府【名句点睛】常考：①用典密集、借古讽今（渴望恢复又忧草率北伐）；②「金戈铁马，气吞万里如虎」的豪迈笔力；③以廉颇自况的悲愤

Background

In 1205, Han Tuozhou was planning a northern expedition and appointed the 66-year-old Xin Qiji as magistrate of Zhenjiang. Climbing the North Pavilion, Xin recalled his return from the south 43 years earlier, and expressed both his hope for recovery and his fear of reckless action, thus writing this poem.

此词作于宋宁宗开禧元年（一二〇五年），时辛弃疾已六十六岁，被韩侂胄起用为镇江知府，镇守京口（今江苏镇江）。京口为长江咽喉、南朝英雄用武之地，北顾中原，最易牵动恢复之思。此前辛弃疾闲居江西上饶、瓢泉近二十年，壮志销磨，此番出山本冀一展抱负；然韩侂胄主政急于北伐，辛弃疾既盼恢复，又忧其准备不足、轻率冒进，矛盾交织。词即作于北固亭上，借京口历史人物与事件，抒怀古伤今之慨。南宋自隆兴北伐失败后，长期偏安，至开禧初韩侂胄倡「开禧北伐」，旋即失利。辛弃疾此词表面怀古，实则借古讽今：上片追慕孙权、刘裕之英雄事业，下片以刘义隆元嘉草草北伐惨败为戒，兼及佛狸祠下「神鸦社鼓」所喻中原沦陷已久、人心渐忘之痛，终以廉颇自况，悲叹报国无门、老迈难用。词牌《永遇乐》音节洪亮激越，宜写怀古豪情与沉郁感慨，与此词宏阔悲愤的基调相称。此词是辛词「掉书袋」而能浑化、怀古词之集大成者。

Art

The poem uses numerous allusions but maintains a coherent flow, a hallmark of Xin's style. The first half admires heroes, the second half warns against rashness. The contrast between the heroic 'golden spears and iron steeds' and the bleak 'crows and drums' is powerful. It is considered the ultimate nostalgic and patriotic ci of the Southern Song.

此词怀古之章法，素称典范。全词以「京口」为空间坐标，以历史为时间纵轴，层层用典而气脉贯通。上片追慕英雄：起以「千古江山，英雄无觅，孙仲谋处」俯仰古今，既赞孙权据长江之雄，又叹英雄不再；继以「舞榭歌台，风流总被，雨打风吹去」写繁华易逝；转写刘裕，「斜阳草树，寻常巷陌，人道寄奴曾住」以寻常巷陌反衬其起于寒微而建不世之功，「想当年，金戈铁马，气吞万里如虎」以极其豪宕之笔写其北伐气吞山河。下片以史为鉴：「元嘉草草，封狼居胥，赢得仓皇北顾」借刘义隆草率北伐惨败警示当朝；「四十三年，望中犹记，烽火扬州路」折回自身南归四十三年之记忆；「可堪回首，佛狸祠下，一片神鸦社鼓」以异族祠庙香火写中原久陷之悲；结以「凭谁问：廉颇老矣，尚能饭否」自况收束。全词正反相形（英雄事业与草率败亡对照）、虚实相生（古事与今事交织），用典绵密而驱遣自如，沉郁顿挫，是辛词豪放悲愤一体之巅峰。

Allusions

The five allusions are: Sun Quan (Sun Zhongmou) defended Jingkou against Cao Cao; Liu Yu (child name Jinu) rose from Jingkou to launch northern expeditions; Liu Yilong's 'Yuanjia' hasty expedition aimed to seal Mount Langjuxu but failed against the Northern Wei emperor Tuoba Tao (child name Foli); the final allusion to Lian Po from the Records of the Grand Historian, expressing the poet's desire to serve despite old age.

词中典故密集，皆有所本且寄意深远。其一，孙权（孙仲谋）据京口拒曹操，「英雄无觅」暗用《三国志》英雄割据之局。其二，刘裕（小字寄奴）生于京口，两度北伐灭南燕、后秦，「金戈铁马，气吞万里如虎」写其功业，《宋书》载其「气吞万里」之威。其三，刘义隆（元嘉）草率北伐，「封狼居胥」用霍去病登狼居胥山封礼典故，反其意写欲效汉武而败，「赢得仓皇北顾」据《宋书》载元嘉北伐大败、魏军南至长江之史实。其四，「佛狸祠」指北魏太武帝拓跋焘（小字佛狸）南侵时所建行宫，后为祠，在长江北岸，「神鸦社鼓」写民众祀异族之君，喻中原沦陷、华夷之辨渐模糊之痛。其五，「廉颇老矣，尚能饭否」用《史记·廉颇蔺相如列传》赵王遣使探廉颇饭量之典，以老将自况，写壮心不已而无人问津。诸典正反对举、借古讽今，体现辛词「以文为词」「掉书袋」而能「如自己出」的功力，亦见其深厚史识。孙权据京口拒曹操；刘裕小字寄奴生于京口两度北伐灭南燕后秦，金戈铁马写其功业；刘义隆元嘉草率北伐，封狼居胥用霍去病典反其意写欲效汉武而败，赢得仓皇北顾据宋书载魏军南至长江之实；佛狸祠指北魏太武帝拓跋焘南侵所建行宫后为祠，神鸦社鼓写民众祀异族之君，喻中原沦陷、华夷之辨渐模糊；廉颇老矣用史记赵王遣使探饭量之典以老将自况。诸典正反对举、借古讽今。

Commentary

Yang Shen praised Xin's bold and unrestrained style. This poem, with its multiple allusions and deep emotions, is hailed as the pinnacle of Xin's use of allusions and a timeless masterpiece of patriotic ci.

此词历来被誉为辛词第一，亦为宋人怀古词之冠。南宋岳珂《桯史》记载辛自评此词「觉四十许岁」时所作，然「最后居京口，作《永遇乐》……特觉清新」云云，可见时人已重其用典之密。明人杨慎《词品》、清人周济《宋四家词选》皆推许为「魄力雄大，虎视千古」。近人王国维《人间词话》虽未必以辛为最上，亦不能不赏其「气象」。其借古讽今、以史为鉴的写法，对后世（如张孝祥、刘克庄）爱国怀古词影响深远。在传播史上，「金戈铁马，气吞万里如虎」「廉颇老矣，尚能饭否」成为描写豪情与老骥伏枥的习用语；「元嘉草草」则成草率行事之警语。今中学教材必选此词，作为辛弃疾词风、南宋爱国词与怀古词用典艺术的范本。其与《破阵子》一梦一史、互为表里，共见稼轩英雄迟暮、悲愤深挚的晚年心境，是理解辛弃疾精神世界的核心文本。此词历来被誉为辛词第一，亦为宋人怀古词之冠。岳珂桯史载辛自评此词清新，可见时人已重其用典之密。明杨慎词品、清周济宋四家词选皆推许为魄力雄大、虎视千古。其借古讽今、以史为鉴的写法对张孝祥、刘克庄等爱国怀古词影响深远。金戈铁马、廉颇老矣成为描写豪情与老骥伏枥的习用语，今教材必选为辛弃疾词风与怀古词用典艺术的范本。

Prosody

Form 词·永遇乐（双调一百四字，仄韵体）词·永遇乐（双调一百四字）

Rhyme 仄韵：处、去、住、虎（上片）；顾、路、鼓、否（下片）此词上片押遇韵（处、去、住、虎），下片换押（顾、路、鼓、否，古音通押），上下片各四仄韵，一韵到底，声情激越沉郁，宜写怀古悲愤。

Tone pattern 双调一百四字，上下片各四仄韵；多用四字句铺排典故。双调一百四字，上下片各四仄韵，句式长短错落，多用四字、五字、三字句（想当年、凭谁问），节奏顿挫跌宕，与宏阔沉郁之情相称。

Reading note 以密集典故怀古伤今，借孙权、刘裕、刘义隆、廉颇诸事一贯而下，是辛词“掉书袋”而气脉沉雄的典范。《永遇乐》调长韵激，音节洪亮中见沉郁，最宜怀古之宏阔感慨。辛弃疾此词上下片皆四仄韵，「处、去、住、虎」与「顾、路、鼓、否」声情激越而渐转低沉，恰合由追慕英雄到自伤老迈的情绪曲线。句式以四字句为主干（千古江山、金戈铁马、元嘉草草），辅以「想当年」「凭谁问」等三字领，长调铺排中见顿挫。上片写英雄事业，声态并作、气吞万里；下片写草率败亡与自身闲置，节奏渐紧渐沉，至「廉颇老矣，尚能饭否」以问句收束，声情由激昂跌入苍凉。全词依调布史，用典绵密而气脉不断，是长调怀古词声情相生的巅峰。永遇乐调长韵激，音节洪亮中见沉郁，最宜怀古之宏阔感慨。上下片皆四仄韵，处、去、住、虎与顾、路、鼓、否声情激越而渐转低沉，恰合由追慕英雄到自伤老迈的情绪曲线。句式以四字句为主干，辅以想当年、凭谁问等三字领，长调铺排中见顿挫。上片写英雄事业声态并作，下片写草率败亡与自身闲置节奏渐紧渐沉，至廉颇老矣以问句收束，声情由激昂跌入苍凉，依调布史而气脉不断。

Line by line

想当年，金戈铁马，气吞万里如虎。

Think of those days when, with golden spears and iron horses, he swept across vast lands like a tiger.

想当年他金戈铁马，气吞万里如猛虎。

Think of that year: gilded spears and iron horses, his spirit swallowing ten thousand li, like a tiger.

此三句写刘裕北伐之豪，是全词笔力最盛处。「想当年」一转，由京口巷陌的寻常今日跃回英雄创业的往昔；「金戈铁马」以物写军容之盛，「气吞万里如虎」以虎喻其势不可挡，气势飞动、声色并作，将刘裕气吞山河的北伐功业写得惊心动魄。此句既是怀古的高潮，也是上片「英雄无觅」之后对真正英雄的正面礼赞，与孙权、刘裕前后映照。更深的意味在于：词人极写古人英雄事业之壮，正为下片「元嘉草草」的草率败亡与自身「廉颇老矣」的闲置形成落差——以极盛之古反衬极悲之今，豪笔中已伏沉郁，是辛词「沉郁顿挫」的典型笔法。

These three lines write Liu Yu's northern-expedition boldness, the whole ci's brush-power's peak place. The think-of-that-year's sudden turn, from the Jingkou lane's ordinary today's leaping back to the hero's empire-founding bygone; the gilded-spears-and-iron-horses using the thing for the army's splendor, the spirit-swallowing-ten-thousand-li-like-a-tiger's using the tiger for the momentum's irresistible, the momentum's flying and the sound-color's joint-work, writing Liu Yu's heaven-swallowing northern-expedition achievement's the heart-stirring. This line's at once the nostalgia's climax, and the first stanza's no-hero-found's after's the true hero's direct praise, with Sun Quan and Liu Yu's front-back mirror. The deeper meaning: the poet's extreme-writing-the-ancient-hero's-achievement's grandeur, precisely for the second stanza's Yuanjia's-campaign's-hasty-defeat and the self's Lian-Po-is-old's sidelining's forming the gap — using the extreme-prosperity ancient's setting-off-the-extreme-grief now, the bold-brush's within's already's the hidden somberness, the Xin-ci's somber-and-uneven typical brush.

元嘉草草，封狼居胥，赢得仓皇北顾。

In the Yuanjia period, they hastily attempted to seal Mount Langjuxu, but only gained a frantic northward retreat.

元嘉年间草草北伐，想要封狼居胥，却落得仓皇北顾。

The Yuanjia era's hasty campaign, aspiring to the wolf-mountain sealing — and won only a panicked gaze back north.

此三句以下片枢纽，借刘义隆元嘉草率北伐惨败为当朝韩侂胄草率图谋开禧北伐敲响警钟。「元嘉草草」四字直斥其准备不足、轻举妄动；「封狼居胥」用霍去病典故，本为功业象征，此处反用——本欲效汉武封禅之雄，却因草率而败；「赢得仓皇北顾」以反讽收束，所谓「赢得」实是惨败后仓皇南顾的狼狈。词人借古讽今，既盼恢复又忧重蹈覆辙的矛盾心理尽在其中。此句史识与政见交融，是怀古词「以史为鉴」的锋利一笔，亦见辛弃疾作为战略家的清醒，非徒逞豪情者可比。

These three lines are the second stanza's hinge, borrowing Liu Yilong's Yuanjia's-hasty-northern-expedition's-catastrophe's warning-bell-for-the-contemporary-Han-Tuozhou's-hasty-Kaixi-expedition-plot. The Yuanjia's-hasty four words' directly's denouncing-the-preparation's-insufficiency-and-the-rash-move; the wolf-mountain-sealing's using Huo-Qubing allusion, originally's the achievement symbol, here's the reverse-use — originally's the aspiring-the-Han-Wu's-fengshan's boldness, and yet's the hasty-and-yet-defeated; the won-only-a-panicked-gaze-back-north's using-the-irony's close, the so-called won's actually's the catastrophe's-after's-the-panicked-southward-gaze's embarrassment. The poet's borrowing-the-old-for-the-present-satire, both's the recovery's hope and the repeat-the-old-error's worry's contradiction's all within. This line's the historical-insight-and-political-viewpoint's fusion, the nostalgia-ci's history-as-mirror's sharp stroke, and seeing Xin Qiji's as-the-strategist's sobriety, not the mere-bravado's comparison.

凭谁问：廉颇老矣，尚能饭否？

Who will ask if Lian Po, though old, can still eat his fill? That question is about me.

凭谁去问：廉颇老了，饭量还可否如初？

On whom can I call to ask: Lian Po is old now — can he still eat?

结拍以廉颇自况，是全词悲愤的最高凝聚。《史记》载赵王欲用廉颇，遣使探其饭量，廉颇为之斗米十斤肉以示可用，终为谗者所沮。词人六十六岁出镇江防，本望报国，却以「凭谁问」三字道尽无人问津、壮志空老的沉痛——连「问一问」的君主与知音都不存在了。一个「凭」字（依靠、凭仗）透出无依无靠的孤绝，「尚能饭否」以问句收束，余痛无穷。此句将怀古拉回自身，英雄老迈、报国无门的悲慨凝于五字，与开篇「英雄无觅」遥相呼应，首尾圆合，是辛词晚年心境最动人的自白，千载之下犹令人扼腕。

The closing's using Lian-Po's-self-metaphor, the whole ci's grief-and-indignation's highest condensation. The Records-of-the-Grand-Historian records the Zhao king's wanting to use Lian Po, sending the envoy to test his eating, Lian Po's for-it's fighting-ten-li-of-rice-and-ten-jin-of-meat's showing-the-usable, ultimately's by-the-slanderer's blocked. The poet's sixty-six years old's the Zhenjiang defense assignment, originally's the country-serving hope, and yet's the on-whom-can-I-call three words' exhausting the no-one's-inquiry-and-the-lofty-will's-vain-old's grief — even's the ask-a-little's ruler-and-soulmate's the nonexistent. The one ping word (rely-on, depend-on)'s revealing-the-no-support-and-the-no-rely's isolation, the can-he-still-eat's using-the-question's close, the remaining-pain's endless. This line's pulling-the-nostalgia's back-to-the-self, the hero's old-and-the-country-serving's-no-door grief's condensed-into-five-characters, with-the-opening's no-hero-found's far-echo, the head-tail's rounded, the Xin-ci's later-years'-mind's most-moving self-confession, the thousand-years'-later's still's making-one-clench-one's-wrist.

Study

Word focus

草草 hastily; carelessly 「元嘉草草」之「草草」意为草率、仓促、准备不足，是全词借古讽今的眼目。它精准地概括了刘义隆元嘉北伐失败的症结——不是无恢复之志，而是无恢复之备。词人下此二字，锋芒直指当朝韩侂胄急于用兵、准备不周的危局，寄寓深切忧惧。二字看似轻淡，却重量千钧，是全词政治讽喻的着力点。它与上片「金戈铁马」的整备之盛形成刺目对照：真正的英雄事业需实力与谋略，「草草」则注定「仓皇北顾」。一词而见史识与政见，是辛词「掉书袋」中藏着现实关怀的范例。

凭 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「凭谁问」之「凭」字，意为「依靠、凭仗、烦请」，是全词情感落点的关键虚词。它表面问「依靠谁去探问廉颇能否饭」，实则写出一种彻底的孤绝——既无君主垂问，亦无知己关念，连被「问一问」的资格与机会都丧失了。一个「凭」字将报国无门、老迈闲置的悲愤推向无人响应的虚空，比直说「无人问」更具无力感与苍凉感。它与开篇「英雄无觅孙仲谋处」的「无觅」遥相呼应，首尾皆落于「求而不得」「问而无人」，使全词的英雄失路之悲获得结构上的圆满与情感上的深渊。