宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
御街行·街南绿树春饶絮
Walking on the Imperial Street: The Green Trees South of the Street, in the Spring, Full of the Catkins
街南绿树春饶絮。
雪满游春路。
树头花艳杂娇云，树底人家朱户。
北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南树。
阑干倚尽犹慵去。
几度黄昏雨。
晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻。
落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处。
The snow, filling the road of the spring outing.
The flowers at the tips of the trees, bright, mixed with the charming clouds,
Under the trees, the homes of the men, the vermilion doors.
The north tower, idly, ascending,
The sparse curtains, high, rolled,
Directly seeing, the trees, south of the street.
Leaning the railings, the utmost, still, too lazy, to go.
How many times, the dusk rain.
The late spring, circling the horses, stepping the green moss,
Once, by the green shade, deeply, staying.
The falling flowers, still, there,
The fragrant screen, in vain, closed,
The face of the man, knowing, where.
Meaning
A lyric of the spring and the memory, written by Yan Jidao. The green trees full of the catkins with the snow filling the road of the spring outing, the flowers bright with the charming clouds and the homes under the trees with the vermilion doors — the spring of the opening. The north tower idly ascending with the sparse curtains rolled, directly seeing the trees south of the street, and the leaning of the railings with the dusk rain — the tower and the rain. The late spring circling the horses with the stepping of the green moss, once staying by the green shade, and the close's falling flowers still there with the fragrant screen closed, the face of the man knowing where — the close's asking. The lyric is the spring and the memory: the catkins, the tower, and the close's face knowing where.
街南绿树，春饶飞絮。雪满游春之路。树头花艳，杂于娇云；树底人家，朱户朱门。北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南之树。阑干倚尽，犹慵离去。几度黄昏雨。晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻。落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知在何处。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The green trees, south of the street, in the spring, full of the catkins. The snow, filling the road of the spring outing. The flowers at the tips of the trees, bright, mixed with the charming clouds, under the trees, the homes of the men, the vermilion doors. The north tower, idly, ascending, the sparse curtains, high, rolled, directly seeing, the trees, south of the street. Leaning the railings, the utmost, still, too lazy, to go. How many times, the dusk rain. The late spring, circling the horses, stepping the green moss, once, by the green shade, deeply, staying. The falling flowers, still, there, the fragrant screen, in vain, closed, the face of the man, knowing, where. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the spring of the catkins and the vermilion doors, through the north tower and the dusk rain, and the memory of the horses and the green shade, to the close's falling flowers with the fragrant screen closed, the face of the man knowing where. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the asking of the close: the falling flowers still there with the fragrant screen closed, and the close's face of the man knowing where — the memory gathered in the flowers and the close's asking. [Emotional Tone] Elegant, nostalgic, and wistful: the lyric is the spring, the memory and the close's asking.
【白话串讲】 晏几道写《御街行·街南绿树春饶絮》：“街南绿树春饶絮。雪满游春路”——“树头花艳杂娇云，树底人家朱户”——“北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南树”——“落花犹在，香屏空掩”——他写街南树——雪满游春路。 【意象与手法】 “街南绿树春饶絮。雪满游春路”写街南春景；“树头花艳杂娇云，树底人家朱户”写花艳朱户；“北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南树”写登楼远望；“晚春盘马踏青苔、曾傍绿阴深驻”写旧游之忆；结以“落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处”写人面不知何处之怅。含蓄婉转。 【情感与主旨】 晏几道写怀人之作，写街南春景与忆念佳人之情，以“人面知何处”写物在人非之怅，是晏几道词中怀人写情的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“街南绿树春饶絮。雪满游春路”以雪满游春路写春景；“落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处”写人面不知何处。
Background
Yan Jidao (1038–1110), the son of Yan Shu and the poet of the lyrics, wrote this 'Walking on the Imperial Street: The Green Trees South of the Street, in the Spring, Full of the Catkins' of the spring and the memory — the longing of the past. The spring of the catkins with the vermilion doors, the north tower with the dusk rain, and the close's falling flowers with the fragrant screen closed, the face of the man knowing where — the lyric gathers the memory of the spring, the longing of the past. The lyric is one of the famous works of the poet's lyrics of the memory.
《御街行·街南绿树春饶絮》为北宋词人晏几道所作词。晏几道（1038—1110），字叔原，号小山，临川（今江西抚州）人，晏殊之子，北宋词人，词风婉约，多写离情别恨，与其父晏殊并称「二晏」。此词写怀人。词中「街南绿树春饶絮。雪满游春路」写街南春景；「树头花艳杂娇云，树底人家朱户」写街南人家；「北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南树」写登楼远望；「阑干倚尽犹慵去。几度黄昏雨」写倚阑之久；「晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻」写旧游之忆；「落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处」写人面不知何处之怅。晏几道多写离情，此词以街南春景与忆念佳人之情写怀人，含蓄婉转，是晏几道词中的名篇，也是其「婉约深婉」词风的典型体现。此篇《御街行·街南绿树春饶絮》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 spring memory. The spring opens: the green trees, south of the street, in the spring, full of the catkins — the catkins of the spring; the snow, filling the road of the spring outing — the snow of the catkins; the flowers at the tips of the trees, bright, mixed with the charming clouds — the flowers of the tips; under the trees, the homes of the men, the vermilion doors — the vermilion doors. The tower follows: the north tower, idly, ascending — the ascending of the north tower; the sparse curtains, high, rolled — directly seeing, the trees, south of the street — the seeing of the trees; leaning the railings, the utmost, still, too lazy, to go — the leaning of the railings; how many times, the dusk rain — the dusk rain. The memory: the late spring, circling the horses, stepping the green moss — the circling of the horses; once, by the green shade, deeply, staying — the staying of the green shade. And the close gathers the asking: the falling flowers, still, there — the falling flowers; the fragrant screen, in vain, closed — the screen closed; the face of the man, knowing, where — the face knowing where — the spring, the memory and the close's asking, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「今昔对照、以景写情」见长。全词上片写街南春景与登楼远望，下片写倚阑之久与旧游之忆。上片「街南绿树春饶絮。雪满游春路」写街南春景：街南绿树，春饶飞絮，雪满游春之路；「树头花艳杂娇云，树底人家朱户」写街南人家：树头花艳，杂于娇云；树底人家，朱户朱门；「北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南树」写登楼远望：北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南之树。下片「阑干倚尽犹慵去。几度黄昏雨」写倚阑之久：阑干倚尽，犹慵离去，几度黄昏雨；「晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻」写旧游之忆：晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻；「落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处」写人面不知何处之怅。全词今昔对照，以景写情，是晏几道词中的名篇。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。
Allusions
'The snow' (xue) is the snow — the snow of the catkins, filling the road; 'the vermilion doors' (zhu hu) are the vermilion doors — the doors of the vermilion, the homes under the trees; 'the late spring, circling the horses' (pan ma) is the circling of the horses — the circling of the late spring; 'the fragrant screen' (xiang ping) is the fragrant screen — the screen of the fragrance, closed in vain.
词中「雪满」「娇云」「朱户」「盘马」「人面」等语，皆含典故故实。「雪满游春路」以雪喻柳絮之白（谢道韫「未若柳絮因风起」），写游春路上柳絮如雪；「娇云」写花艳如娇云；「朱户」写朱门人家；「盘马」写驰马盘旋，「晚春盘马踏青苔」写旧游时盘马踏青苔；「人面」用崔护《题都城南庄》「人面不知何处去，桃花依旧笑春风」之意，「落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处」写人面不知何处之怅。词人以雪满、娇云、朱户、盘马、人面等典入词，不着痕迹，而把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。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 Yan Jidao's lyrics of the memory, quoted for the elegance of its spring and the asking of its close. The catkins of the street, and the face of the man knowing where, are among the admired passages of the poet's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's wistfulness: the memory gathered in the flowers, to the close's asking.
这首《御街行·街南绿树春饶絮》，是晏几道写怀人之作，写街南春景与忆念佳人之情，含蓄婉转。上片写街南春景与登楼远望：「街南绿树春饶絮。雪满游春路」——街南绿树，春饶飞絮，雪满游春之路。写街南春景：街南绿树，春饶飞絮，游春路上柳絮如雪；「树头花艳杂娇云，树底人家朱户」——树头花艳，杂于娇云；树底人家，朱户朱门。写街南人家：树头花艳如娇云，树底人家是朱户；「北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南树」——北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南之树。写登楼远望：北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南之树——这街南树、街南人家，正是当年旧游之处。下片写倚阑之久与旧游之忆：「阑干倚尽犹慵去。几度黄昏雨」——阑干倚尽，犹慵离去，几度黄昏雨。写倚阑之久：倚尽阑干，犹不愿离去，几度黄昏雨；「晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻」——晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻。写旧游之忆：晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻——这街南，正是当年盘马驻绿阴之处；「落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处」——落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知在何处。写人面不知何处之怅：落花犹在，香屏空掩，而人面不知何处——用崔护人面桃花之典，写尽物是人非之怅。这「落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处」，是全词之结：落花犹在、香屏空掩，而人面已不知何处。全词今昔对照，以景写情，正是晏几道「婉约深婉」词风的典型，也是其词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
街南绿树春饶絮。
South of the street, green trees are rich with spring catkins.
街南绿树，春饶飞絮。
South of the street, green trees in spring are heavy with flying catkins.
首句写街南春景，起笔即见其地。「街南绿树春饶絮」写街南绿树、春饶飞絮，「街南绿树」点出所写之地（街南之树），「春饶絮」写春时柳絮繁多。一句以「街南绿树」点出旧游之地、以「春饶絮」写春景之盛，写尽街南春景，也暗含当年旧游之忆，起笔即点出怀人之地，为全词写怀人作铺垫，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 writes the spring scene south of the street, and the place is visible from the first stroke. 'South of the street, green trees in spring are heavy with flying catkins' — 'south of the street, green trees' fixes the place written (the trees south of the street), 'heavy with spring catkins' writes the abundance of willow down in spring. One phrase uses 'south of the street, green trees' to name the place of old roaming and 'heavy with spring catkins' to write the richness of the spring scene, exhausting the view south of the street and carrying the memory of old roaming there; the opening at once names the place of longing, preparing for the ci's remembrance — a fine stroke of 'raising feeling through scenery.' In a few words it exhausts deep meaning, waves hidden between the characters and turns lodged in the plainness, worth repeated pondering.
北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南树。
The north tower, idly, ascending, the sparse curtains, high, rolled, directly seeing, the trees, south of the street.
北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南之树。
I idly climb the north tower, roll up the thin curtain high, and see straight to the trees south of the street.
此三句写登楼远望，是全词由景入望的关键。「北楼闲上」写北楼闲上，「北楼」点出登楼之处，「闲上」写其闲步登楼；「疏帘高卷」写疏帘高卷，「高卷」写其卷起窗帘；「直见街南树」写直见街南之树，「直见」写其一望即见。三句一写登北楼、一写卷疏帘、一写见街南树，以「闲上」「高卷」写其登楼望远之态、以「直见街南树」写其所望之地，写尽登楼远望、直望旧游之处的神情，是「以望写情」的妙笔。
These three phrases write climbing the tower to gaze far and are the key where the ci passes from scenery to gazing. 'I idly climb the north tower' — the 'north tower' names the place climbed, 'idly climb' the leisurely ascent. 'Roll up the thin curtain high' — 'roll up high' the lifting of the screen. 'See straight to the trees south of the street' — 'see straight' the unobstructed view. One phrase each: climbing the north tower, rolling the thin curtain, seeing the trees south of the street. 'Idly climb' and 'roll up high' write the posture of climbing to gaze, 'see straight to the trees' the place gazed at; it exhausts the expression of climbing the tower and gazing straight toward the old roaming place — a fine stroke of 'writing feeling through gazing.'
晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻。
In late spring I wheeled my horse over the green moss, and once halted deep beneath the shade.
晚春盘马踏青苔，曾傍绿阴深驻。
In late spring I wheeled my horse across the green moss, and once lingered deep beside the green shade.
此二句写旧游之忆，是全词写忆的关键。「晚春盘马踏青苔」写晚春盘马踏青苔，「晚春」点出时令，「盘马」写驰马盘旋，「踏青苔」写其马踏青苔；「曾傍绿阴深驻」写曾傍绿阴深驻，「曾傍」写其曾经傍依，「绿阴深驻」写其于绿阴深处停留。两句一写晚春盘马踏青苔、一写曾傍绿阴深驻，以「盘马」「深驻」写当年旧游之态，以「曾」写其追忆，写尽旧游之忆——这街南，正是当年晚春盘马、绿阴深驻之处。以忆写情，含蓄而深挚，是「以忆写情」的点睛之笔。
These two phrases write the memory of old roaming and are central to the ci's recollection. 'In late spring I wheeled my horse across the green moss' — 'late spring' fixes the season, 'wheeled my horse' the circling gallop, 'across the green moss' the horse treading the moss. 'Once lingered deep beside the green shade' — 'once' the former time, 'deep beside the green shade' the halt in the depth of the shade. One phrase each: late spring wheeling the horse over moss, once halting deep in the green shade. 'Wheeled the horse' and 'deep lingered' write the posture of old roaming, 'once' the recollection; it exhausts the memory of old roaming — this south of the street was precisely where, in late spring, he wheeled his horse and halted deep in the shade. Writing feeling through memory, restrained and deep — an illuminating stroke of 'writing feeling through memory.'
落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处。
The falling flowers, still, there, the fragrant screen, in vain, closed, the face of the man, knowing, where.
落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知在何处。
Fallen flowers are still here, the fragrant screen stands empty; but where, oh where, is that face?
尾三句写人面不知何处之怅，是全词立意的落点。「落花犹在」写落花犹在，「落花」写花已落，「犹在」写其仍在；「香屏空掩」写香屏空掩，「香屏」写屏风，「空掩」写其空自掩闭；「人面知何处」写人面知在何处，「人面」用崔护人面桃花之典，「知何处」写不知何处。三句一写落花犹在、一写香屏空掩、一写人面不知何处，以「落花犹在」写物之犹在、以「人面知何处」写人之已去，写尽物是人非之怅——落花犹在、香屏空掩，而人面已不知何处。以景写情，含蓄而深挚，是全词最动人处，也是「以景结情」的点睛之笔。
The closing three phrases write the regret of not knowing where the face has gone and are where the ci's meaning lands. 'Fallen flowers are still here' — 'fallen flowers' the blossoms dropped, 'still here' their remaining presence. 'The fragrant screen stands empty' — 'fragrant screen' the painted screen, 'stands empty' its closing to no purpose. 'But where is that face?' — 'face' uses Cui Hu's allusion of face and peach blossom, 'where' the unknown place. One phrase each: fallen flowers still here, fragrant screen empty, the face gone who knows where. 'Fallen flowers still here' writes the thing remaining, 'where is that face' the person gone; it exhausts the regret of things unchanged while the person has passed — fallen flowers still here, fragrant screen empty, yet the face knows not where. Writing feeling through scenery, restrained and deep, it is the most moving place of the ci and an illuminating stroke of 'closing feeling through scenery.'
Study
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Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
晏几道《晏几道·临江仙·梦后楼台高锁》「梦后楼台高锁，酒醒帘幕低垂」「落花人独立，微雨燕双飞」，写梦后酒醒、人去楼空之怀，是晏几道最著名的词；《御街行·街南绿树春饶絮》则以「北楼闲上，疏帘高卷，直见街南树」「落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处」写登北楼、望街南旧游之处。两词同出晏几道之手、同写人去楼空之怀：一写楼台高锁落花独立、一写疏帘高卷人面何处；一为梦后之怀、一为登楼之忆，并读正可见晏几道「婉约深婉」写怀人的典范，皆于登楼望景中见深情。
题都城南庄 Written at the Southern Village of the Capital 崔护 · 同写人面不知何处之怅，一写桃花依旧笑春风、一写落花犹在人面何处，皆以花之犹在写人面之已去 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
崔护《题都城南庄》「去年今日此门中，人面桃花相映红。人面不知何处去，桃花依旧笑春风」，写人面桃花、物是人非之怅，是唐诗写邂逅怀人的名篇；晏几道《御街行·街南绿树春饶絮》则以「落花犹在，香屏空掩，人面知何处」化用其人面桃花之意。两篇同写人面不知何处之怅：一写桃花依旧笑春风、以花笑写怅，一写落花犹在香屏空掩、以屏掩写怅；一为唐诗之明快、一为宋词之婉约，并读正可见「人面桃花」母题从诗到词的传承，皆以花之犹在写人面之已去。