宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
昭君怨
The Grief of Lady Zhaojun
午梦扁舟花底。
香满西湖烟水。
急雨打篷声。
梦初惊。
却是池荷跳雨。
散了真珠还聚。
聚作水银窝。
泻清波。
The fragrance, full, the misty waters of the West Lake.
The urgent rain, beating, the sounds of the awning.
The dream, first, startled.
Yet, it is, the pool lotus, jumping, the rain.
Scattering, the pearls, still, gathering.
Gathering, made, the nests of the mercury.
Pouring, the clear waves.
Meaning
A lyric of the dream and the rain, written by Yang Wanli. The noon dream with the flat boat under the flowers, the fragrance full of the misty waters of the West Lake, and the urgent rain beating the sounds of the awning — the dream of the opening. The dream first startled, yet it is the pool lotus jumping the rain — the waking of the dream. The pearls scattering still gathering, gathering made the nests of the mercury, and the close's pouring the clear waves — the pearls of the close. The lyric is the dream and the rain: the dream of the lake, the waking, and the close's pearls of the rain.
午梦扁舟花底。香满西湖烟水。急雨打篷声。梦初惊。却是池荷跳雨。散了真珠还聚。聚作水银窝。泻清波。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The noon dream, the flat boat, under the flowers. The fragrance, full, the misty waters of the West Lake. The urgent rain, beating, the sounds of the awning. The dream, first, startled. Yet, it is, the pool lotus, jumping, the rain. Scattering, the pearls, still, gathering. Gathering, made, the nests of the mercury. Pouring, the clear waves. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the dream of the flat boat and the fragrance of the lake, through the waking with the urgent rain, to the close's pearls of the pool lotus scattering and gathering, pouring the clear waves. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the close of the pearls: the rain beating the awning of the dream, and the close's pearls scattering and gathering — the scene gathered in the waking and the close's pearls. [Emotional Tone] Light, fresh, and vivid: the lyric is the dream, the waking and the close's pearls.
【白话串讲】 杨万里写《昭君怨》：“午梦扁舟花底。香满西湖烟水”——“急雨打篷声。梦初惊”——“却是池荷跳雨。散了真珠还聚”——“聚作水银窝。泻清波”——他写池荷跳雨——散了真珠还聚。 【意象与手法】 “午梦扁舟花底。香满西湖烟水”写午梦扁舟；“急雨打篷声。梦初惊”写急雨惊梦；“却是池荷跳雨、散了真珠还聚”以真珠写池荷跳雨；结以“聚作水银窝。泻清波”以水银窝写雨聚。清新活泼。 【情感与主旨】 杨万里写夏日咏荷之作，写午梦扁舟、急雨惊梦与池荷跳雨之趣，体现诚斋体清新活泼、观察入微的风格。 【名句点睛】 常考“却是池荷跳雨。散了真珠还聚”以真珠写池荷跳雨；“聚作水银窝。泻清波”以水银窝写雨聚。
Background
Yang Wanli (1127–1206), the poet of the fresh and the lively, wrote this 'The Grief of Lady Zhaojun' of the dream and the rain — the scene of the pool. The dream of the flat boat with the fragrance of the lake, the waking with the urgent rain, and the close's pearls of the pool lotus scattering and gathering — the lyric gathers the freshness of the scene, the vivid rain of the pool. The lyric is one of the famous works of the poet's lyrics of the scene.
《昭君怨》为南宋诗人杨万里所作词。杨万里（1127—1206），字廷秀，号诚斋，吉州吉水（今江西吉水）人，南宋诗人，「中兴四大诗人」之一，诗风清新活泼，号「诚斋体」。此词写夏日咏荷。词中「午梦扁舟花底。香满西湖烟水」写午梦扁舟；「急雨打篷声。梦初惊」写急雨惊梦；「却是池荷跳雨。散了真珠还聚」写池荷跳雨；「聚作水银窝。泻清波」写聚作水银窝。杨万里此词以夏日咏荷、池荷跳雨写其荷趣，清新活泼，是杨万里词中的名篇。此篇《昭君怨》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《昭君怨》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 dream and the waking. The dream opens: the noon dream, the flat boat, under the flowers — the flat boat of the dream; the fragrance, full, the misty waters of the West Lake — the fragrance of the lake; the urgent rain, beating, the sounds of the awning — the rain beating the awning; the dream, first, startled — the startling of the dream. The waking follows: yet, it is, the pool lotus, jumping, the rain — the lotus jumping the rain. And the close gathers the pearls: scattering, the pearls, still, gathering — the pearls scattering and gathering; gathering, made, the nests of the mercury — the nests of the mercury; pouring, the clear waves — the pouring of the clear waves — the dream, the waking and the close's pearls, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「清新活泼、以动写静」见长。全词上片写午梦扁舟与急雨惊梦，下片写池荷跳雨与聚作水银窝。上片「午梦扁舟花底。香满西湖烟水」写午梦扁舟：午梦扁舟花底，香满西湖烟水；「急雨打篷声。梦初惊」写急雨惊梦：急雨打篷声，梦初惊。下片「却是池荷跳雨。散了真珠还聚」写池荷跳雨：却是池荷跳雨，散了真珠还聚；「聚作水银窝。泻清波」写聚作水银窝：聚作水银窝，泻清波。全词清新活泼，以动写静，是杨万里词中的名篇。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 West Lake' (Xi hu) is the West Lake — the lake of the west, the misty waters of the dream; 'the pool lotus' (chi he) is the pool lotus — the lotus of the pool, jumping the rain; 'the pearls' (zhen zhu) are the pearls — the pearls of the rain, scattering and gathering; 'the mercury' (shui yin) is the mercury — the mercury of the rain, the nests of the close.
词中「午梦扁舟」「花底」「香满西湖」「烟水」「急雨打篷」「梦初惊」「池荷跳雨」「真珠」「水银窝」「泻清波」等语，皆含典故故实。「午梦扁舟」写午睡梦扁舟；「花底」写荷花之下；「香满西湖」写香气弥漫西湖；「烟水」写烟水；「急雨打篷」写急雨打着船篷；「梦初惊」写梦方惊起；「池荷跳雨」写雨珠在池荷上跳跃；「真珠」写雨珠如珍珠；「水银窝」写雨珠聚成水银之窝（水银喻圆润之雨珠）；「泻清波」写倾泻于清波。词人以午梦扁舟、池荷跳雨、真珠、水银窝、泻清波等语入词，不着痕迹，而把夏日荷趣写得真切可感，是善于熔铸意象的体现。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 Yang Wanli's lyrics of the scene, quoted for the vividness of its dream and the pearls of its close. The dream startled by the rain, and the pearls scattering and gathering, are among the admired passages of the poet's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's freshness: the scene gathered in the waking, to the close's pearls.
这首《昭君怨》，是杨万里写夏日咏荷之作，写午梦扁舟、急雨打篷、池荷跳雨之情，清新活泼。上片写午梦扁舟与急雨惊梦：「午梦扁舟花底。香满西湖烟水」——午梦扁舟花底，香满西湖烟水。写午梦扁舟：午梦扁舟花底、香满西湖烟水——午梦泛舟荷花之下，香气弥漫西湖烟水；「急雨打篷声。梦初惊」——急雨打篷声，梦初惊。写急雨惊梦：急雨打篷声、梦初惊——急雨打篷之声、梦方惊起。下片写池荷跳雨与聚作水银窝：「却是池荷跳雨。散了真珠还聚」——却是池荷跳雨，散了真珠还聚。写池荷跳雨：却是池荷跳雨、散了真珠还聚——原是雨珠在池荷上跳跃，散了如珍珠又聚；「聚作水银窝。泻清波」——聚作水银窝，泻清波。写聚作水银窝：聚作水银窝、泻清波——雨珠聚作水银之窝、倾泻清波。这「聚作水银窝。泻清波」，是全词之结：以水银窝写雨珠之聚。全词清新活泼，以动写静，正是杨万里词中的名篇。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。
Prosody
Line by line
午梦扁舟花底。
In a noon dream, a small boat beneath the flowers.
午梦扁舟花底。
In a midday dream, a small boat drifting beneath the lotus flowers.
首句写午梦扁舟，起笔即见其境。「午梦扁舟花底」写午梦扁舟花底，「午梦」写午睡之梦、「扁舟花底」写扁舟行于荷花之下。一句以「午梦」写其梦、以「扁舟花底」写梦中泛舟荷花下，写尽午睡梦扁舟于花底之景。以梦起兴，清新而明快，是「以梦起兴」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 noon dream of a small boat, the realm visible from the first stroke. 'In a noon dream, a small boat beneath the flowers' — 'noon dream' the midday sleep's vision, 'small boat beneath the flowers' the craft adrift under lotus blooms. One phrase writes the dream through 'noon dream' and the boating among flowers in dream through 'small boat beneath the flowers,' exhausting the scene of napping and dreaming of a boat below the blossoms. Raising feeling through a dream, fresh and bright — a fine stroke of 'raising through dream.' In a few words it exhausts deep meaning, waves hidden between the characters, worth repeated pondering.
急雨打篷声。
The sound of sharp rain beating the awning.
急雨打篷声。
The sound of urgent rain beating the boat's awning.
此句写急雨打篷，是全词由梦转醒的关键。「急雨打篷声」写急雨打篷声，「急雨」写急骤之雨、「打篷声」写打船篷之声。一句以「急雨」写雨之急、以「打篷声」写其声之骤，写尽急雨打篷、声声入耳之景。以声写醒，清新而真切，是「以声写醒」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 sharp rain beating the awning, the key where the ci turns from dream to waking. 'The sound of sharp rain beating the awning' — 'sharp rain' the sudden downpour, 'sound of beating the awning' the drumming on the boat's cover. One phrase writes the urgency of the rain through 'sharp rain' and the suddenness of the sound through 'beating the awning,' exhausting the scene of urgent rain on the canopy, sound entering the ear. Writing waking through sound, fresh and vivid — an illuminating stroke of 'writing waking through sound.' In a few words it exhausts deep meaning, waves hidden in the plainness.
却是池荷跳雨。
It turns out to be the pond lotuses, bouncing the rain.
却是池荷跳雨。
It is the pond lotuses, bouncing the raindrops.
此句写池荷跳雨，是全词写荷趣的关键。「却是池荷跳雨」写却是池荷跳雨，「却是」写原来是、「池荷跳雨」写雨珠在池荷上跳跃。一句以「却是」写其悟出、以「池荷跳雨」写雨珠跳于荷叶，写尽原来是池荷上雨珠跳跃之趣——以「跳」写雨珠在荷叶上跳动。以动写趣，清新而活泼，是「以动写趣」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 pond lotuses bouncing rain, the key to the ci's lotus delight. 'It turns out to be the pond lotuses, bouncing the rain' — 'turns out to be' the realization, 'lotuses bouncing the rain' the drops leaping on the leaves. One phrase writes the sudden insight through 'turns out to be' and the drops dancing on lotus through 'lotuses bouncing the rain,' exhausting the delight of raindrops leaping on pond leaves — the verb 'bounce' writes the droplets skipping on the leaf. Writing delight through motion, fresh and lively — an illuminating stroke of 'writing delight through motion.' In a few words it exhausts deep meaning, waves hidden in the plainness.
散了真珠还聚。
Scattered like pearls, then gathering again.
散了真珠还聚。
Scattered like pearls, then gathering once more.
此句写散了真珠还聚，是全词写雨珠聚散的关键。「散了真珠还聚」写散了真珠还聚，「散了真珠」写雨珠散开如珍珠、「还聚」写又聚拢。一句以「散了真珠」写雨珠之散、以「还聚」写其复聚，写尽雨珠散而复聚之态——散如珍珠、聚而复圆。以动写趣，清新而灵动，是「以动写趣」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 pearls scattered yet gathering, the key to the rain-drops' gathering and scattering. 'Scattered like pearls, then gathering again' — 'scattered like pearls' the drops dispersed as pearls, 'then gathering again' their reunion. One phrase writes the scattering of drops through 'scattered like pearls' and their re-gathering through 'then gathering,' exhausting the state of drops scattered then reunited — scattered as pearls, rounded once more. Writing delight through motion, fresh and nimble — an illuminating stroke of 'writing delight through motion.' In a few words it exhausts deep meaning, waves hidden in the plainness.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
晏殊《浣溪沙·一曲新词酒一杯》「无可奈何花落去，似曾相识燕归来。小园香径独徘徊」，写闲适之中见时光之感，是宋词写闲适的名篇；杨万里《昭君怨》则以「午梦扁舟花底。香满西湖烟水」「却是池荷跳雨。散了真珠还聚」写午梦扁舟、池荷跳雨。两词同写闲适景致、清新淡远：一写小园香径独徘徊、以独徘徊写闲，一写午梦扁舟花底香满西湖、以扁舟写趣；一为晏殊之温润、一为杨万里之活泼，并读正可见宋词写「闲适清新」的两种笔法，皆于闲适之中见清新之趣。
八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Eight Beats of Ganzhou: Facing the Evening Rain 柳永 · 同写雨景、情致迥异，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天一番洗清秋、一写急雨打篷声池荷跳雨，皆于雨声之中见别样情致 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写暮雨清秋、羁旅苍茫，是宋词写雨景的名篇；杨万里《昭君怨》则以「急雨打篷声。梦初惊」「却是池荷跳雨。散了真珠还聚」写急雨打篷、池荷跳雨。两词同写雨景、情致迥异：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天一番洗清秋、以暮雨写苍茫羁旅，一写急雨打篷声池荷跳雨、以跳雨写清新荷趣；一为柳永之婉约、一为杨万里之活泼，并读正可见宋词写「雨」的两种情致，皆于雨声之中见别样情致。