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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

月下笛

The Flute in the Moonlight

张炎

Zhang Yan

长安路绝鸟飞通，万里孤云西复东。
旧业已应成茂草，余生只是任飘蓬。
何辞向物开秦镜，却使他人得楚弓。
此去行持一竿竹，等闲将狎钓渔翁。

The road of the Chang'an, the birds, cut off, not passing through,
The lone cloud, the ten thousand li, the west, again, the east.
The former estate, already, should have become, the lush grass,
The remaining life, only, is, to be left, the drifting tumbleweed.
Why, refusing, toward the things, to open, the mirror of the Qin,
Yet, making, the other men, to obtain, the bow of the Chu.
This going, holding, one bamboo pole,
At leisure, about to, play with, the fishing old man.

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Meaning

A poem of the drifting and the hermit, written by Zhang Yan. The road of the Chang'an with the birds cut off, the lone cloud drifting the west and the east, and the former estate become the lush grass with the remaining life left to the drifting tumbleweed — the drifting of the opening. Why refusing to open the mirror of the Qin, yet making the other men obtain the bow of the Chu — the mirror and the bow. And the close's this going holding one bamboo pole, at leisure about to play with the fishing old man — the fishing of the close. The poem is the drifting and the hermit: the lone cloud, the mirror and the bow, and the close's bamboo pole.

长安之路已断，唯有鸟儿还能飞通；我如万里孤云，飘荡西东。旧日的家业，想来已经长满茂草；剩下的生命，只能任凭如飞蓬般飘转。何辞为万物照开明镜，却使他人得以失而复得楚弓。此去我将手持一竿青竹，等闲与钓翁为伴，逍遥垂钓。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The road of the Chang'an, the birds, cut off, not passing through, the lone cloud, the ten thousand li, the west, again, the east. The former estate, already, should have become, the lush grass, the remaining life, only, is, to be left, the drifting tumbleweed. Why, refusing, toward the things, to open, the mirror of the Qin, yet, making, the other men, to obtain, the bow of the Chu. This going, holding, one bamboo pole, at leisure, about to, play with, the fishing old man. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the drifting of the lone cloud and the former estate, through the mirror of the Qin and the bow of the Chu, to the close's bamboo pole of the fishing old man. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the turn of the close: the drifting and the mirrors of the middle, and the close's bamboo pole of the fishing — the hermit gathered in the turn and the close's fishing. [Emotional Tone] Drifting, bitter, and resigned: the poem is the lone cloud, the mirror and the close's bamboo pole.

【白话串讲】张炎写《月下笛》：“长安路绝鸟飞通，万里孤云西复东”——“旧业已应成茂草，余生只是任飘蓬”——“何辞向物开秦镜，却使他人得楚弓”——“此去行持一竿竹，等闲将狎钓渔翁”——他写余生——余生只是任飘蓬。【意象与手法】首联以“长安路绝”“万里孤云”写仕途断绝、身世飘零；颔联以“旧业成草”“余生飘蓬”写家国之变与身世之叹；颈联以“秦镜”“楚弓”二典写洞察世情、不较得失的旷达；尾联以“行持一竿竹”“狎钓渔翁”写归隐垂钓的归宿。于苍凉中见旷达。【情感与主旨】张炎宋亡后写乱世飘零、归隐垂钓之作，写仕途断绝、旧业成草的家国之痛与“余生只任飘蓬”的身世之叹，终以垂钓渔翁写归隐之志，是张炎身世感慨之作的典型。【名句点睛】常考“旧业已应成茂草，余生只是任飘蓬”以余生飘蓬写身世之叹；“此去行持一竿竹，等闲将狎钓渔翁”以钓渔翁写归隐之志。

Background

Zhang Yan (1248–c. 1320), the poet of the late Song and the early Yuan, wrote this 'The Flute in the Moonlight' of the drifting and the hermit — the resignation of the fallen. The lone cloud drifting the west and the east with the former estate become the lush grass, the mirror of the Qin with the bow of the Chu, and the close's bamboo pole of the fishing old man — the poem gathers the drifting of the fallen poet, the turn to the hermit. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the resignation.

此诗为宋末元初词人张炎之作，题作《月下笛》而文本实为七言律诗，系古籍传抄中体例混杂之现象。张炎（1248—约1320），字叔夏，号玉田，又号乐笑翁，南宋末年的词坛巨擘，其词以清空骚雅著称，与姜夔并称「姜张」。张炎出身临安世家，六世祖张镃为南宋名将，家世显赫；宋亡之后，其家破国亡，四十三岁前尚为贵胄公子，此后则飘零江湖，饱经丧乱，晚年曾北游大都谋职而不遇，遂绝意仕进，归隐山林。此诗正是其宋亡后身世感慨之作：「长安路绝鸟飞通」，以长安喻故国都城临安，故国已亡，仕进之路断绝，唯鸟可通；「万里孤云西复东」，以孤云自况，写身世之飘零；「旧业已应成茂草」，写家国之业已荒废，暗含故国之思；「余生只是任飘蓬」，写余生之无所归依；「何辞向物开秦镜，却使他人得楚弓」，以秦镜、楚弓二典写洞察世情、不较得失的旷达；「此去行持一竿竹，等闲将狎钓渔翁」，以归隐垂钓作结，是宋亡之后士人「不得已而隐」的心态写照。全诗于苍凉中见旷达，是张炎遗民心态的典型呈现。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the drifting and the turn. The drifting opens: the road of the Chang'an, the birds, cut off, not passing through — the road cut off; the lone cloud, the ten thousand li, the west, again, the east — the lone cloud drifting; the former estate, already, should have become, the lush grass — the lush grass of the estate; the remaining life, only, is, to be left, the drifting tumbleweed — the drifting tumbleweed. The mirrors follow: why, refusing, toward the things, to open, the mirror of the Qin — the mirror of the Qin; yet, making, the other men, to obtain, the bow of the Chu — the bow of the Chu. And the close gathers the fishing: this going, holding, one bamboo pole — at leisure, about to, play with, the fishing old man — the fishing of the close — the drifting, the mirrors and the close's bamboo pole, gathered in the poem.

此诗艺术上以「典重」与「旷达」为特色，在乱世飘零的叙事中寄寓归隐之志。首联「长安路绝鸟飞通，万里孤云西复东」，以「长安」喻故国，以「鸟飞通」反衬路之断绝，以「万里孤云」自况，「西复东」写飘零之无定，起笔即见身世之悲与故国之思。颔联「旧业已应成茂草，余生只是任飘蓬」，以「旧业成草」写家国之变，「余生飘蓬」写身世之叹，「已应」「只是」四字，写尽无可奈何的况味。颈联「何辞向物开秦镜，却使他人得楚弓」，是全诗思想的核心——「开秦镜」写不辞以明镜照物，洞察世情而不隐讳；「得楚弓」用楚人亡弓、楚人得之之典，写得失不必斤斤计较。这两句，由身世的悲慨一转而为性情的旷达：既然故国已亡、旧业已废，那么对世事看得再分明，也不过是「他人得楚弓」——得失本属无常，何必萦怀？尾联「此去行持一竿竹，等闲将狎钓渔翁」，以归隐垂钓作结，「行持一竿竹」写归隐之姿，「狎钓渔翁」写与渔翁为伴的逍遥，「等闲」二字，更写尽放下一切后的从容。全诗由悲慨而入旷达、由旷达而入归隐，层层推进而气格浑成，是张炎诗中七律的佳作。

Allusions

'The Chang'an' (Chang'an) is the Chang'an — the capital of the past, the road cut off; 'the mirror of the Qin' (Qin jing) is the mirror of the Qin — the mirror of the clear, the opening to the things; 'the bow of the Chu' (Chu gong) is the bow of the Chu — the bow of the Chu, the obtaining of the other men; 'the fishing old man' (diao yu weng) is the fishing old man — the old man of the fishing, the hermit of the close.

此诗的核心典故为「秦镜」与「楚弓」。「秦镜」典出《西京杂记》：秦始皇有方镜，能照人肝胆脏腑，故后世以「秦镜」喻明察之镜。诗人「何辞向物开秦镜」，写不辞以明镜照物，洞察世情而不隐讳，自有一种「众人皆醉我独醒」的清醒与担当。「楚弓」典出《说苑·至公》：楚共王出猎，丢失了良弓，左右要去找，共王说「楚人遗弓，楚人得之，又何求焉」，孔子闻之，以为其言「不大」，当说「人遗弓，人得之」而不限于楚。后以「楚人得弓」喻得失不必斤斤计较、失之于己而收之于人。诗人「却使他人得楚弓」，即写所失者终为他人所得，得失本属无常，何必斤斤计较。「秦镜」「楚弓」连用，一写洞察之明，一写得失之达，正是诗人乱世中的处世哲学——看得清，放得下。「长安路绝」暗含故国之思，以长安喻故都，是中国诗歌中「望长安」母题的传统；「孤云」「飘蓬」「钓渔翁」等意象，则承中国隐逸诗的传统，柳宗元《江雪》的「孤舟蓑笠翁，独钓寒江雪」正是「钓渔翁」意象的先声。这些典故与意象，织成一张典重而旷达的情网，正是张炎词「清空骚雅」的诗化体现。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Zhang Yan's poems of the resignation, quoted for the drifting of its opening and the turn of its close. The lone cloud of the ten thousand li, and the bamboo pole of the fishing, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's turn: the drifting gathered in the mirrors, to the close's fishing.

读此诗，最值得注意的是「何辞向物开秦镜，却使他人得楚弓」两句写出的清醒与旷达。诗人不是看不透世事，恰恰是看得太透：他「向物开秦镜」，把世事照得清清楚楚——故国已亡，旧业成草，身世飘零，一切都看得分明；然而看得分明之后，他得出的结论不是怨天尤人，而是「使他人得楚弓」——所失者，终将为他人所得，得失本属无常，又何必萦怀？这两句，是诗人乱世中的处世哲学：先有「开秦镜」的清醒，后有「得楚弓」的旷达，看得清是智，放得下是达，智与达兼备，正是张炎作为遗民词人超越一般「黍离之悲」的地方。然而这种旷达，终究是无可奈何的旷达——不是真的不在乎，而是「旧业已应成茂草，余生只是任飘蓬」，在乎又能如何？于是「此去行持一竿竹，等闲将狎钓渔翁」，归隐垂钓，不是主动的选择，而是乱世逼迫下的归宿。全诗由故国之思、身世之悲，一转而为旷达，再转而为归隐，苍凉之中透着洒脱，洒脱之下藏着悲凉，正是张炎诗「于清空中见沉郁」的特点，也是宋亡后遗民诗人普遍心态的典型呈现。

Prosody

Form A regulated seven-character poem of the resignation七言律诗（文本题作《月下笛》，实为七律）

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level-tone dong, peng, gong and weng of the group — the even, level rhyme that carries the drifting resignation.此诗为七言律诗，押平声东韵，「通」「东」「蓬」「弓」「翁」皆属下平一东韵，韵脚整齐而响亮，一韵到底，正合七律「首句入韵、一韵到底」的规范。全诗四联八句，首联起、颔联承、颈联转、尾联合，章法严谨；对仗工整，「旧业」对「余生」、「已应」对「只是」、「成茂草」对「任飘蓬」，「向物开秦镜」对「他人得楚弓」，皆精切自然。整体声调由首联的苍凉，到颔联的沉痛，到颈联的顿挫，到尾联的洒脱，起伏有致而气格浑成。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the resignation: the level opening with the drifting, the turning with the mirrors, and the close's fall with the bamboo pole of the fishing.句式上，此诗以七言的整饬为骨架，而于字法句法间见变化：首联「长安路绝鸟飞通，万里孤云西复东」，一实一虚，一写路之绝、一写云之飘，起笔跌宕；颔联「旧业已应成茂草，余生只是任飘蓬」，以「已应」「只是」两个虚字传神，写尽无可奈何；颈联「何辞向物开秦镜，却使他人得楚弓」，以「何辞」「却使」领起，语气顿挫而见波澜；尾联「此去行持一竿竹，等闲将狎钓渔翁」，以「此去」「等闲」写归隐之从容，收束稳健。全诗由悲慨而入旷达、由旷达而入归隐，句式随之由沉郁转洒脱，正是七律「以气驭句、以情驭字」的佳构。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its resignation: the even, level rhymes carry the cadence of the drifting, and the close — 'deng xian jiang xia diao yu weng' — falls with the fishing old man, the sound of the hermit of the fallen poet.作为七言律诗，此诗虽题作《月下笛》而实为七律，其声律之美在于七律的整饬与情感的起伏相谐。全诗四联，首联写故国之思与身世之悲，声调苍凉；颔联写旧业之废与余生之飘，声调沉痛；颈联一转而为旷达，以「开秦镜」「得楚弓」二典写洞察与放下，声调顿挫而见波澜；尾联以归隐垂钓作结，「行持一竿竹」「狎钓渔翁」，声调洒脱而从容。这种「悲慨—旷达—归隐」的情感线索，正是宋亡后遗民诗人心路历程的典型呈现，也见出张炎「于清空中见沉郁」的独特风格。就全诗而言，此诗以典重之语写乱世之慨，以旷达之情收飘零之悲，苍凉之中透出洒脱，是张炎诗中的佳作，也可见宋末元初遗民诗人「不得已而隐」的普遍心态。

Line by line

长安路绝鸟飞通，万里孤云西复东。

The road of the Chang'an, the birds, cut off, not passing through, the lone cloud, the ten thousand li, the west, again, the east.

长安之路已经断绝，唯有鸟儿还能飞通；我如万里孤云，飘荡西东。

The road to Chang'an is cut off; only birds can fly through it. Like a lone cloud ten thousand li wide, I drift west and east.

这一联是全诗的开篇，也是故国之思与身世之悲的双重起笔。「长安路绝鸟飞通」，以长安喻故国都城临安——故国已亡，仕进之路断绝，唯有鸟儿还能飞通，一个「绝」字写尽路之不通，一个「独鸟飞通」反衬人路之绝，亡国之痛、无路之悲，尽在其中；「万里孤云西复东」，以孤云自况，写身世之飘零无定——「万里」写飘零之远，「西复东」写飘荡之无定，如云般无根无系。这一联，前句写国之痛，后句写身之悲，家国与个人并写，起笔即见苍凉。以「孤云」自喻，更是宋亡后遗民诗人的常用意象，其飘零之感、无所归依之叹，于此联中毕见。

This couplet opens the poem and sounds both grief for the lost dynasty and sorrow for the poet's own fate. 'The road to Chang'an is cut off' uses Chang'an to mean the fallen capital Lin'an: the dynasty is dead and the road to office is severed; only birds can still fly through. One word 'cut off' exhausts the impassability of the road, and 'only birds can fly through' sets off the closed way of men — the pain of a fallen country and of no way forward are all here. 'Like a lone cloud ten thousand li wide, I drift west and east' compares the poet to a solitary cloud: 'ten thousand li' writes the breadth of his wandering, 'west and east' its rootless aimlessness, a cloud without tie or hold. The first phrase writes the nation's wound, the second the man's; country and self are written side by side, desolation at the very opening. The self-comparison to a lone cloud is a favorite image of loyalist poets after the fall of Song, and the sense of drift, of nowhere to rest, is fully visible here.

旧业已应成茂草，余生只是任飘蓬。

My old estate, I know, has grown to rank grass; the years left to me I let drift like a tumbling weed.

旧日的家业，想来已经长满茂草；剩下的生命，只能任凭如飞蓬般飘转。

My old affairs have surely grown to rank grass; what remains of my life I leave to whirl like a tumbleweed.

这一联写家国之变与身世之叹，是前联「路绝」「孤云」的具体展开。「旧业已应成茂草」，写家业已荒——那曾经繁华的故园，如今想来已长满茂草，「已应」二字，写想象中必然如此，更见痛切；「余生只是任飘蓬」，写余生飘零——剩下的生命，只能任凭如飞蓬般飘转，「只是」二字，写尽无可奈何的况味，不是不愿安定，而是无地可安。一写「旧业」之废，一写「余生」之飘，过去与未来俱已无望，正是遗民诗人的绝望之境。以「茂草」写荒废、以「飘蓬」写飘零，意象苍凉而贴切，是此诗写身世感慨最沉痛的一联。

This couplet writes the upheaval of nation and family and the lament for the self, expanding the 'cut-off road' and 'lone cloud' of the last line. 'My old estate has surely grown to rank grass' writes the ruin of the family: that once-prosperous garden, now, in imagination, overgrown; the words 'has surely' write the inevitability of this imagined sight and make it more poignant. 'What remains of my life I leave to whirl like a tumbleweed' writes the drift of his remaining years; 'only' exhausts the taste of helplessness — not unwilling to settle, but with no ground to settle on. One phrase writes the ruin of 'old affairs,' the other the drift of 'remaining years'; past and future alike are hopeless, the very despair of a loyalist poet. 'Rank grass' for desolation and 'tumbleweed' for drift are bleak yet apt images, the most mournful couplet of this poem on his fate.

此去行持一竿竹，等闲将狎钓渔翁。

This going, holding, one bamboo pole, at leisure, about to, play with, the fishing old man.

此去我将手持一竿青竹，等闲与钓翁为伴，逍遥垂钓。

From now on I shall carry a bamboo rod and, at my ease, keep company with the old fishermen.

这一联是全诗的结穴，也是归隐之志的最终落实。「此去行持一竿竹」，写归隐之姿——手持一竿青竹，走向山水之间，「行持」二字，写那从容前往的姿态，仿佛放下一切、轻装上路；「等闲将狎钓渔翁」，写与渔翁为伴的逍遥——「狎」字写与渔翁的亲近无间，「等闲」二字，更写尽放下一切后的从容与闲适。这一联与前面的「路绝」「飘蓬」「旧业成草」形成鲜明的对照：正因为仕进之路已绝、身世无处归依，才转而走向钓竿；又因为看透了「楚弓」得失，才能「等闲」面对垂钓的生活。以归隐垂钓作结，既是乱世逼迫下的归宿，也是「开秦镜」「得楚弓」的旷达之情的自然延伸，苍凉之中透出洒脱，是此诗情感的最后归宿。

This couplet is the conclusion of the poem and the final landing of his resolve to retire. 'From now on I shall carry a bamboo rod' writes the posture of retirement: a rod in hand, walking toward hills and streams; 'carry' writes the composed pace of going, as if laying down all and setting out light. 'At my ease, I shall keep company with the fishermen' writes the freedom of living alongside them; 'keep company' writes the closeness to the old anglers, and 'at my ease' exhausts the calm and leisure after laying everything down. This couplet stands in sharp contrast to the 'cut-off road,' 'tumbleweed' and 'rank grass' above: precisely because the road to office is severed and there is nowhere to rest, he turns to the fishing rod; precisely because he has seen through gains and losses, he can face the fishing life 'at ease.' Closing by retiring to angle is at once a refuge forced by the troubled age and the natural extension of a broad-minded equanimity; desolation shows through with a carefree ease, the final resting place of the poem's feeling.

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Word focus

孤云 'The lone cloud' — the cloud of the lone, drifting the ten thousand li. 「万里孤云西复东」之「孤云」，是此诗写身世飘零的核心意象。「孤」写其独，「云」写其浮——一朵无根无系的云，独自飘荡于万里长空，「西复东」写其飘荡之无定，恰如诗人宋亡后飘零江湖的身世。以「孤云」自况，是遗民诗人的常用手法，云之无根，正如身之无依；云之漂泊，正如命之不定。此词一出，「万里」「西复东」皆为其铺展，飘零之感尽在其中。孤云意象，既有「浮云游子意」的飘泊传统，又暗含「云无心以出岫」的隐逸余韵——孤云飘零到极处，便成了归隐山林的云，正为尾联「行持一竿竹」的归隐作了铺垫。以「孤云」写身世，贴切而苍凉，是此诗炼象的妙笔。

开秦镜 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「何辞向物开秦镜」之「开秦镜」，用秦镜照物之典，写洞察世情而不隐讳，是此诗思想的核心语。「秦镜」典出《西京杂记》：秦始皇有方镜，能照见人的肝胆脏腑，「开秦镜」即以明镜照物。诗人「何辞向物开秦镜」，写不辞以明镜照万物——不是看不清世事，而是看得太清：故国已亡、旧业成草、余生飘蓬，一切都被这面秦镜照得明明白白。「何辞」二字，写一种清醒的担当——既然世情如此，何妨看得分明，不回避、不掩饰。以「开秦镜」写洞察，比直说「看得清」更见意象之工，也与下句「得楚弓」的旷达形成对照：看得清是智，放得下是达。此词用典贴切，是此诗炼典的妙笔。

狎 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「等闲将狎钓渔翁」之「狎」，是此诗尾联的诗眼，写与渔翁亲近无间的姿态。「狎」本指亲近而不庄重，诗人用以写与钓翁的相处——「狎钓渔翁」即与渔翁亲近为伴，没有士人的矜持，没有身份的距离，完全放下身段，与渔翁相亲相近。一个「狎」字，写尽归隐后的自在与超脱：不是高高在上的旁观，而是与渔翁融为一体、同其忧乐。此字与「等闲」相配，更见其放下一切后的从容——不是勉强归隐，而是欣然与渔翁为伴。以「狎」写归隐，比「伴」「随」更见亲密与自在，正是张炎晚年「乐笑翁」式的洒脱情怀的写照，也是此诗以一字写尽归隐态度的妙笔。

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