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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

鹧鸪天·桂花

Partridge in the Sky: The Osmanthus

李清照

Li Qingzhao

咏物Object poem 哲理Philosophy 抒情Emotion

暗淡轻黄体性柔。
情疏迹远只香留。
何须浅碧深红色，自是花中第一流。
梅定妒，菊应羞。
画阑开处冠中秋。
骚人可煞无情思，何事当年不见收。

The dim and the light, the light yellow, the body and the nature, soft.
The feeling, sparse, the traces, far, only, the fragrance, left.
Why, needing, the light green, the deep red, the colors,
From itself, being, the first class, among the flowers.
The mume, certainly, envying, the chrysanthemum, should, be ashamed,
The painted railings, the opening places, crowning, the mid-autumn.
The Sao poet, can, really, the ruthless, the thoughts,
What matter, that time, not, seeing, collected.

Listen

Meaning

A lyric of the osmanthus and the praise, written by Li Qingzhao. The dim and the light yellow with the body and the nature soft, the feeling sparse with the traces far, only the fragrance left — the osmanthus of the opening. Why needing the light green and the deep red, from itself being the first class among the flowers — the first class of the osmanthus. The mume certainly envying with the chrysanthemum should be ashamed, the painted railings crowning the mid-autumn — the crowning of the osmanthus. And the close's the Sao poet can really the ruthless the thoughts, what matter that time not seeing collected — the close's asking. The lyric is the osmanthus and the praise: the fragrance, the first class, and the close's asking of the Sao poet.

桂花色泽暗淡、透着浅浅的鹅黄，体态性情温柔娴静。它情性疏淡、踪迹幽远，不与百花争艳，只有清香长留人间。它何须像桃李牡丹那样凭借浅碧深红来争宠，本来就堪称花中第一流。梅花见了必定嫉妒，菊花见了也应羞愧。它在画栏边开放，堪称中秋百花之冠。可叹那骚人屈原真是无情无思，当年遍采芳草，为什么偏偏不把桂花收入《离骚》之中？

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The dim and the light, the light yellow, the body and the nature, soft. The feeling, sparse, the traces, far, only, the fragrance, left. Why, needing, the light green, the deep red, the colors, from itself, being, the first class, among the flowers. The mume, certainly, envying, the chrysanthemum, should, be, ashamed, the painted railings, the opening places, crowning, the mid-autumn. The Sao poet, can, really, the ruthless, the thoughts, what matter, that time, not, seeing, collected. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the osmanthus of the light yellow and the fragrance, through the first class among the flowers, and the envy of the mume with the shame of the chrysanthemum, to the close's asking of the Sao poet not collected. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the praise of the close: the first class of the osmanthus with the envy of the mume, and the close's asking of the Sao poet — the praise gathered in the first class and the close's asking. [Emotional Tone] Light, proud, and praising: the lyric is the fragrance, the first class and the close's asking.

【白话串讲】李清照咏桂花：“暗淡轻黄体性柔。情疏迹远只香留”。“何须浅碧深红色，自是花中第一流”——“梅定妒，菊应羞”——“骚人可煞无情思，何事当年不见收”——她为桂花鸣不平。【意象与手法】全词白描与议论结合，拟人与翻案并用：以「体性柔」写其形，以「只香留」写其神，以梅妒菊羞侧写其格，以「骚人无情思」翻出奇论，咏物之中寓自我襟怀，是易安体咏物词的典范。【情感与主旨】李清照以桂花自喻：色不惊人而香能持久，不慕繁华而格自高洁，这正是她清高自许、不随流俗的人格写照；末句为桂花鸣不平，亦是为天下不遇之才鸣不平。【名句点睛】常考「何须浅碧深红色，自是花中第一流」的自信与议论之妙，以及「骚人可煞无情思，何事当年不见收」的翻案笔法。

Background

Li Qingzhao (1084–c. 1155), the greatest woman poet of the ci, wrote this 'Partridge in the Sky: The Osmanthus' of the osmanthus and the praise — the praise of the humble flower. The dim and the light yellow with the soft nature, the first class among the flowers with the envy of the mume and the shame of the chrysanthemum, and the close's asking of the Sao poet not collected — the lyric gathers the praise of the osmanthus, the proud of the humble. The lyric is one of the famous works of the poet's lyrics of the flowers.

此词是李清照咏物词的代表作，具体作年难考，一般认为是其南渡之前的作品。宋代文人对桂花情有独钟，咏桂诗词极多，多写其香（如朱熹「亭亭岩下桂，岁晚独芬芳」），而李清照独辟蹊径，专写桂花之色、之体、之格。李清照出身书香门第，父亲李格非为苏轼门下学士，丈夫赵明诚为金石学家，夫妻志趣相投、雅好诗书，李清照于词中常以花木自况，如《如梦令》之海棠、《醉花阴》之菊，皆寄托怀抱。此词咏桂的深层动机，在于桂花「暗淡轻黄」「情疏迹远」的品格与李清照的自我期许相合：不以色媚人、不以迹近人，唯以芬芳留人间，正是她清高自许、不慕荣华的人格写照。词末「骚人可煞无情思，何事当年不见收」，讥屈原《离骚》遍举江离、辟芷、木兰、秋兰等香草而不收桂花，为桂花鸣不平，此论在咏桂文学中前所未见，可见李清照「于前人不经意处翻出新意」的胆识。此词当为李清照咏物词中自寓最深、议论最奇的一首。

Art

The lyric's art is the art of the praise. The osmanthus opens: the dim and the light, the light yellow, the body and the nature, soft — the light yellow of the soft nature; the feeling, sparse, the traces, far, only, the fragrance, left — the fragrance left. The praise follows: why, needing, the light green, the deep red, the colors — the colors not needed; from itself, being, the first class, among the flowers — the first class of the flowers; the mume, certainly, envying, the chrysanthemum, should, be, ashamed — the envy and the shame; the painted railings, the opening places, crowning, the mid-autumn — the crowning of the mid-autumn. And the close gathers the asking: the Sao poet, can, really, the ruthless, the thoughts — the ruthless of the Sao poet; what matter, that time, not, seeing, collected — the not collected of the close — the osmanthus, the praise and the close's asking, gathered in the lyric.

此词咏物而不滞于物，是咏物词「不即不离」的典范。写法上层层递进：首句写色写体，「暗淡轻黄体性柔」七个字，从视觉（暗淡轻黄）到触觉（体性柔），一笔画出桂花的形貌；次句写神，「情疏迹远只香留」由形入神，情疏是性情疏淡、迹远是踪迹幽远，唯有香留人间，形神兼备。三、四句翻出议论：「何须浅碧深红色，自是花中第一流」，以桃李牡丹的艳色反衬桂花的素雅，何须二字轻蔑中见自信，议论一出，咏物便升为言志。下片以拟人侧写：「梅定妒，菊应羞」，梅菊本是中国文人最推重的花，此处反被桂花压倒，以妒、羞二字写尽梅菊的失意，侧笔烘托，桂花的地位不言自明；「画阑开处冠中秋」再以中秋百花之冠坐实其尊。末二句翻出奇论：「骚人可煞无情思，何事当年不见收」，以屈原遗珠为桂花鸣不平，议论翻空出奇，全词由此从咏物升华为对才士不遇的感慨。全词白描、议论、拟人、翻案诸法并用而浑然一体，是易安体咏物词的艺术高峰。

Allusions

'The light yellow' (qing huang) is the light yellow — the yellow of the light, the color of the osmanthus; 'the first class among the flowers' (hua zhong di yi liu) is the first class among the flowers — the first of the flowers; 'the Sao poet' (Sao ren) is the Sao poet — the poet of the Li Sao, the Qu Yuan; 'the mid-autumn' (zhong qiu) is the mid-autumn — the festival of the mid-autumn, the crowning of the osmanthus.

此词用典不多，而末句一典最见功力。骚人指屈原，其《离骚》以香草喻贤才，遍采江离、辟芷、木兰、秋兰、申椒、菌桂等物，「纫秋兰以为佩」，却始终未提及桂花，李清照遂以「可煞无情思」讥之——可煞是宋人方言，犹言可是、太、真，以口语入词，嗔怪屈原不解桂花之妙，竟然遍收芳草而独遗此花。此典的妙处在于借古人之疏漏为桂花翻案，翻得俏皮、翻得有理，既见李清照对桂花的偏爱，也暗含天下才士常被冷落的感慨。此外，「冠中秋」暗含月中桂树的神话：传说月中有桂树，吴刚伐之，桂影婆娑，中秋月圆之际，桂花遂成为月宫与人间共有的节令之花；「梅定妒，菊应羞」则暗承文人咏梅咏菊的传统——林逋「疏影横斜水清浅，暗香浮动月黄昏」写梅，陶渊明「采菊东篱下」写菊，梅菊在文人心中地位极高，此处反被桂花压倒，以传统之尊衬桂花之格，翻新之意更显。全词用典自然，化入议论之中，不见斧凿之痕。

Commentary

This lyric is one of the famous works of Li Qingzhao's lyrics of the flowers, quoted for the praise of its first class and the asking of its close. The first class among the flowers, and the asking of the Sao poet, are among the admired passages of the poet's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's pride: the praise gathered in the first class, to the close's asking.

此词是咏桂诗词中的绝唱，也是李清照自我人格的艺术宣言。历代咏桂多写其香之浓郁（如「桂子月中落，天香云外飘」），李清照独标其格之清高：「暗淡轻黄」不以色媚人，「情疏迹远」不以迹近人，「只香留」唯以芬芳自持，这正是中国士大夫「不求闻达而德馨远播」的理想人格，也是李清照清高自许的心声。「何须浅碧深红色，自是花中第一流」的自信语，在咏物词中罕见其匹，与屈原「举世皆浊我独清」一脉相承，而语气更见女性的从容与倔强。末句「骚人可煞无情思」的翻案，更显出李清照超越前贤的胆识——她不以屈原为不可犯之圣，敢为桂花争一席之地，正是易安体「以我观物、物皆著我之色彩」的极致。在文学史上，此词把咏物、议论、言志熔于一炉，开词中咏物言志的新境，对后世咏物词（如姜夔咏梅）不无启示；在文化史上，此词赋予桂花「花中第一流」的美名，千百年来成为桂花品格的经典表述，至今仍被广泛引用。

Prosody

Form A short ci lyric of the flower (ci diao)词牌「鹧鸪天」，双调五十五字，前段四句三平韵，后段五句三平韵

Rhyme The lyric rhymes on the level and the oblique of the group — the cadence of the short ci that carries the light praise.全词押平声尤韵一韵到底：柔、留、流、羞、秋、收，词韵一部，韵位疏朗。尤韵柔和悠长，正合桂花温婉淡雅的品格与全词从容自信的语调，声情与词境相谐。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the praise: the level opening with the osmanthus, the turning with the first class, and the close's fall with the asking of the Sao poet.鹧鸪天句式以七言为主，间以三字对句，节奏整饬而活泼。前段三、四句「何须浅碧深红色，自是花中第一流」为七言对仗，工稳中有流动；后段一、二句「梅定妒，菊应羞」以三三短句对举，急促俏皮，如点卯般快人快语；煞拍七言两句以反问收束，音节由急转缓，余味悠长。

Reading note The lyric's sound matches its pride: the cadences of the short ci, and the close — 'he shi dang nian bu jian shou' — falls with the not collected, the sound of the asking of the poet.鹧鸪天词牌源于唐代，由七律演化而来，句式以七言为主、间以三字句，兼有律诗之整饬与词之参差，是宋词中运用极广的中调。此调前段四句三平韵、后段五句三平韵，韵位疏密有致，最宜写情景交融的咏物抒怀之作。本词的格律运用深见匠心：前段首句「暗淡轻黄体性柔」七字句平仄相间，音节温婉，如细笔描形；次句「情疏迹远只香留」以仄起收平，缓缓道来；三、四句七言对仗「何须浅碧深红色，自是花中第一流」，平仄工稳而语气斩截，议论之音响亮；后段转用三字对句「梅定妒，菊应羞」，短促的节奏如连珠迸出，把俏皮的拟人写得活灵活现；「画阑开处冠中秋」以七字句承之，复归舒缓；煞拍「骚人可煞无情思，何事当年不见收」以反问收束，音节悠长，余韵不绝。全词一韵到底，尤韵柔和悠长，与桂花温婉之态、词人从容之态浑然相称；句式整散结合，咏物、议论、翻案皆因声情相配而愈显生动，是鹧鸪天词牌中声情并茂的名篇。

Line by line

暗淡轻黄体性柔。

Muted in hue, pale yellow, by nature gentle.

桂花色泽暗淡，泛着浅浅的鹅黄，体态性情温柔娴静。

The cassia blooms in a muted, pale yellow; its form and nature are gentle and quiet.

起句七字写尽桂花的形貌，是全词的立象之笔。暗淡是色之深沉，不似桃李之明艳；轻黄是色之浅淡，如鹅黄嫩色，介于有与无之间；体性柔写其体态之柔美、性情之温顺，由视觉转入触觉与感觉。三个词语层层描摹，把桂花写得素雅温婉、楚楚动人。此句的妙处在于以贬写褒：暗淡轻黄在花谱中本是「不起眼」的形容，经体性柔一衬，反成不事张扬、内蕴深秀的品格，为下文「何须浅碧深红」「花中第一流」的翻案预埋伏笔。李清照不写桂花的香（香留到下句），而先写其色其体，正是要树立桂花「以素为美」的形象，也暗含她本人「不慕繁华、自守本真」的审美理想。

The opening seven characters exhaust the form of the cassia, the image-establishing stroke of the ci. 'Muted' is the depth of its color, not vivid like peach or plum; 'pale yellow' is its faint tint, like the tender goose yellow, between being and not being; 'by nature gentle' writes its graceful form and quiet temperament, moving from sight to touch and feeling. Three words layer the description, making the cassia plain, gentle and touching. The line's genius is writing praise through seeming dispraise: 'muted, pale yellow' in a flower catalogue is originally 'unremarkable,' yet set off by 'gentle nature' it becomes the character of one who does not court attention and hides deep beauty, planting the seed for the later reversal of 'why need pale green or deep red' and 'foremost of flowers.' Li Qingzhao does not write the cassia's fragrance (fragrance is kept for the next line) but first its color and form, precisely to establish its image of 'beauty in plainness,' carrying her own aesthetic ideal of 'not courting splendor, abiding in one's true self.'

情疏迹远只香留。

Reserved in feeling, remote in trace, only its fragrance remains.

桂花情性疏淡、踪迹幽远，不与百花争艳，只有清香长留人间。

Reserved in disposition, far from the haunts of men, it contends with no other bloom; only its pure scent lingers on earth.

次句由形入神，是全词写神的关键，也是李清照人格的自我写照。情疏写其性情疏淡，不喜热闹、不近人前；迹远写其踪迹幽远，生于深山、藏于画阑之外，不为人注意；只香留是点睛——色不必艳、迹不必近，唯有一缕清香持久不散、留于人间。此句的深意在于以桂花喻人：真正的价值不在外在的炫示，而在内在的德馨，纵使无人赏识，芬芳自存。情疏迹远四字与陶渊明「心远地自偏」同一精神，只香留三字又与「德不孤，必有邻」相通。一个「留」字写尽香的持久与格的不朽，把桂花从应时之花升华为永恒之香，为下句「花中第一流」的论断提供了最有力的依据。

The second moves from form to spirit, the key to the ci's writing of soul, and the self-portrait of Li Qingzhao's character. 'Reserved in feeling' writes its distant temperament, disliking bustle, not drawing near men. 'Remote in trace' writes its far-off haunts, growing in deep hills, hidden beyond painted balustrades, unnoticed. 'Only its fragrance remains' is the illuminating stroke: color need not be vivid, trace need not be near; only one thread of pure scent endures undispersed, lingering on earth. The line's depth is using the cassia to figure the person: true value lies not in outward display but in inner virtuous fragrance; even if no one appreciates it, the fragrance abides. The four words 'reserved in feeling, remote in trace' share the spirit of Tao Yuanming's 'heart remote, the place of itself secluded'; the three words 'only its fragrance remains' accord with 'virtue is not solitary, it has neighbors.' One word 'remains' exhausts the endurance of the fragrance and the immortality of the character, lifting the cassia from a seasonal flower to an eternal scent, providing the strongest evidence for the next line's judgment of 'foremost of flowers.'

何须浅碧深红色，自是花中第一流。

Why, needing, the light green, the deep red, the colors, from itself, being, the first class, among the flowers.

桂花何须像别的花那样凭借浅碧深红的艳色来争宠，它本来就堪称花中第一流。

Why should it need pale green or deep red to please? It is, of itself, the foremost of flowers.

此二句是全词议论的核心，也是咏桂词中传诵最广的名句。何须二字以反问出之，轻蔑而自信：浅碧深红，泛指桃李、牡丹、海棠等以色取胜的百花，它们凭艳色争宠于春，而桂花不屑为之；自是二字斩钉截铁，花中第一流的论断不容置疑。此二句的妙处在于以议论入咏物而毫无说教之气：何须的轻蔑、自是的自信，都是桂花品格的逻辑延伸——既然情疏迹远而香能留人，那么色之浅深本无关紧要，第一流不必以色论。这分明是李清照的自喻：她以才学自负，不屑以色媚人、以文谄世，这正是「第一流」的底气。自此二句出，桂花在中国文化中便与「格高」「自守」结缘，成为不以俗艳取胜的典范。

These two are the core of the ci's argument and the most widely celebrated line in cassia verse. 'Why should it need' opens in a rhetorical question, disdainful yet confident: 'pale green or deep red' generically names peach, plum, peony, crabapple and other flowers that win favor by color, contending for spring through vivid hues, which the cassia disdains; 'of itself' is decisive, the judgment 'foremost of flowers' beyond doubt. The genius of the two is entering argument into object-praise without a trace of lecturing: the disdain of 'why need' and the confidence of 'of itself' are both the logical extension of the cassia's character — since it is reserved and remote yet its fragrance stays with men, the depth or faintness of color is beside the point; the foremost need not be judged by color. This is plainly Li Qingzhao's self-figuring: she relies on her talent and learning, disdains to charm men through color or to flatter the age through writing; this is the very assurance of 'the foremost.' Since these two lines, the cassia in Chinese culture has been linked with 'lofty character' and 'self-abiding,' becoming the model of one who wins not by vulgar vividness.

梅定妒，菊应羞。

The plum must be jealous, the chrysanthemum put to shame.

梅花见了桂花必定嫉妒，菊花见了桂花也应感到羞愧。

The plum, seeing it, must be jealous; the chrysanthemum, seeing it, ought to blush.

此二句以三字短句写梅菊的失意，是全词最俏皮处，用的是侧笔烘托。梅与菊是中国文人最推重的花：林逋以梅为妻，陶渊明采菊东篱，梅之清、菊之傲，千百年来无人能夺其席。此处李清照却让它们让位：梅定妒，一个妒字写尽梅花的心有不甘——它素以清高自许，如今却不得不承认桂花更胜一筹；菊应羞，一个羞字写尽菊花的赧然——它素以隐逸自得，如今却觉自己相形见绌。定、应二字都是推想之辞，语气笃定而带调侃，仿佛李清照替梅菊认输。以梅菊之尊衬桂花之格，比正面写桂花如何如何更有力量，正是「不著一字，尽得风流」的侧写手法；妒、羞二字拟人传神，使全词活泼生趣。

These two write the discomfiture of plum and chrysanthemum in three-character phrases, the wittiest place of the ci, using the indirect brush of setting-off. The plum and chrysanthemum are the flowers most honored by Chinese literati: Lin Bu took the plum as his wife, Tao Yuanming picked chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge; the plum's purity and the chrysanthemum's pride have held their seat for a thousand years. Here Li Qingzhao makes them yield: 'the plum must be jealous' — one word 'jealous' exhausts the plum's unwillingness, it has prized itself on purity yet must now admit the cassia is its better. 'The chrysanthemum ought to blush' — one word 'blush' exhausts the chrysanthemum's shame, it has prided itself on reclusion yet now feels the comparison. 'Must' and 'ought' are both conjectures, the tone certain yet teasing, as if Li Qingzhao conceded defeat for plum and chrysanthemum. Setting off the cassia's character through the dignity of plum and chrysanthemum is more powerful than describing the cassia directly; it is the indirect method of 'not a word spent, yet all the grace obtained,' and the personifying words 'jealous' and 'blush' make the whole ci lively.

画阑开处冠中秋。

Where it blooms by the painted balustrade, it crowns the mid-autumn flowers.

桂花在画栏边开放，堪称中秋时节百花之冠。

Where it opens by the painted balustrades, it is the crown of the mid-autumn season.

此句写桂花的节令地位，是全词由侧写转入正面定论的过渡。画阑指彩绘的栏杆，开处即开放之处，点出桂花常见于庭院画栏之畔；冠中秋三字是定论——中秋时节，百花凋残，唯桂花盛开，馥郁满庭，与明月同辉，自然是中秋百花之冠。冠字用得极有分量：梅冠冬、兰冠春、荷冠夏，而桂冠中秋，各领风骚，本不相干；但前文既已让梅妒菊羞，此处再以冠中秋坐实，桂花的至尊地位便无可动摇。此句又暗含月宫桂树的神话：中秋月圆，桂影婆娑，桂与月、与秋结下不解之缘，桂花遂成为中秋节的象征之花。由形到神、由神到格、由格到冠，全词对桂花的推举至此达到顶点，为末二句的翻案蓄足了势。

This line writes the cassia's seasonal standing, the transition where the ci turns from indirect writing to direct verdict. 'Painted balustrade' means the carved railings, 'where it opens' its blooming place, pointing out that the cassia commonly grows by courtyard painted rails. 'Crown of mid-autumn' is the verdict — in mid-autumn the hundred flowers are faded, only the cassia in full bloom, fragrant through the court, shining with the bright moon; naturally the crown of mid-autumn flowers. The word 'crown' carries weight: plum crowns winter, orchids crown spring, lotuses crown summer, and cassia crowns mid-autumn, each leading its season, originally unrelated; but since plum and chrysanthemum have already been made jealous and ashamed, this line confirms it through 'crown of mid-autumn,' and the cassia's supreme position is unshakable. The line also carries the myth of the cassia tree in the moon palace: at mid-autumn's full moon, cassia shadows sway; cassia, moon and autumn have an unbreakable bond, and the cassia becomes the symbolic flower of the festival. From form to spirit, spirit to character, character to crown, the ci's exaltation of the cassia reaches its peak here, building momentum for the reversal of the last two lines.

骚人可煞无情思，何事当年不见收。

The Sao poet, can, really, the ruthless, the thoughts, what matter, that time, not, seeing, collected.

可叹那骚人屈原真是无情无思，当年遍采芳草，为什么偏偏不把桂花收入《离骚》之中？

Ah, that Qu the poet was so wanting in feeling — why did he never gather the cassia into his Li Sao?

煞拍二句翻出奇论，是全词的收束，也是咏桂文学中前无古人的翻案。骚人指屈原，《离骚》以香草喻贤才，江离、辟芷、木兰、秋兰、申椒、菌桂等无所不采，却独独漏了桂花；可煞是宋人口语，犹言太、真是，以嗔怪语气写屈原之「无情思」，嗔得俏皮、嗔得有据；何事当年不见收，以反问为桂花鸣不平——既称花中第一流，何以《离骚》不收？此二句的妙处在于借古人之疏漏为桂花争名，也借桂花之遇为天下才士发声：才高如屈原者尚以香草自喻而遗桂花，则才士之被冷落、明珠之被暗投，自古而然。李清照以女子之身而敢于讥评屈原，正是易安体「自我作主」的精神，全词以议论起、以翻案结，咏物至此而境界全出。

The closing two turn up an unexpected argument, the close of the ci and an unprecedented reversal in cassia literature. 'The poet' means Qu Yuan; the Li Sao uses fragrant plants to figure worthy talent, gathering jiangli, banyi, magnolia, autumn orchids, shenjiao and jungui all, yet alone omits the cassia. 'Ah' is Song colloquialism, meaning truly, really, writing Qu Yuan's 'wanting in feeling' in a tone of mock reproach — teasing yet well-founded. 'Why did he never gather it?' voices the cassia's grievance in a rhetorical question: since it is the foremost of flowers, why did the Li Sao not include it? The genius of the two is contending for the cassia's fame through the ancient poet's omission, and voicing for all neglected worthies through the cassia's lot: one as talented as Qu Yuan yet, figuring himself through fragrant plants, omits the cassia — then the neglect of scholars, the dark casting of pearls, has been so since olden times. Li Qingzhao, a woman daring to criticize Qu Yuan, is precisely the 'self-determined' spirit of the Yi'an mode; the ci opens in argument and closes in reversal, and object-praise reaches its full dimension here.

Study

Word focus

柔 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「暗淡轻黄体性柔」之「柔」字，写桂花的体态与性情，是起句的落脚点。柔本写物之柔软，此处兼写形与神：体态上，桂花朵小瓣细，聚成簇簇，姿态温柔可人；性情上，桂花不与百花争春斗艳，安于素淡，正是柔顺谦和之德。此字之妙在于与前面的暗淡轻黄相配：色已素淡，体复温柔，两相叠加，桂花的形象便不是艳丽的、刚强的，而是温婉的、内敛的，为下文「情疏迹远」「何须浅碧深红」的品格描写定下基调。若用「媚」「妍」等字，则落于俗艳；一个柔字，写尽桂花不事张扬而自具风韵的气质，也暗含李清照对女性之美的理想——柔而不弱，淡而弥永。

留 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「情疏迹远只香留」之「留」字，是全词写神的诗眼，也是桂花品格的凝缩。留即留存、长留，写桂花之香不因色淡迹远而减，反而持久不散、留于人间。此字之妙有三：一是以香之留写格之恒，色可淡、迹可远，而香不能夺，花谢香犹在，正是德馨远播的象征；二是与情疏迹远对照，情疏迹远是「退」，只香留是「守」，一退一守之间，桂花的品格便立体起来——不争于外而自守于内；三是为下文铺垫，正因香能留人，才配称「花中第一流」，才值得为它向屈原翻案。若作「传」「飘」，只写香之传播，不及留字写出香的持久与人格的坚守；一个留字，把桂花从时令之花升华为永恒之香，是咏物词中炼字的典范。

可煞 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「骚人可煞无情思」之「可煞」，是宋人方言，犹言可是、太、真，此处以口语入词，是全词翻案语气的关键。可煞二字一落，嗔怪之意立现：屈原遍采芳草而独遗桂花，真真是无情无思——可煞既含惊讶（竟然如此），又含不满（太不像话），嗔得俏皮、嗔得有据。此二字之妙在于：一是以口语入词，打破咏物词雅正的腔调，亲切泼辣，正是易安体「以俗为雅」的本色；二是以嗔怪写偏爱，越是嗔屈原无情，越见李清照对桂花的深情，爱之深故责之切；三是定下全句的戏谑基调，使末二句的翻案不至于生硬，而显得举重若轻、妙趣横生。若改用「真个」「太煞」等词，皆不及可煞的自然鲜活，二字看似俚俗，实为全词画龙点睛的活眼。