宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
醉翁操·琅然清圆
The Song of the Drunken Old Man: Clear and Round
古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙知何处。
人间自有，赤城居士，龙蟠凤举。
清净无为，坐忘遗照，八篇奇语。
向玉霄东望，蓬莱暗霭，有云驾、骖风驭。
行尽九州四海，笑纷纷、落花飞絮。
临江一见，谪仙风采，无言心许。
八表神游，浩然相对，酒酣箕踞。
待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去。
The Tao mountains, the crimson towers, knowing, where.
The human world, from itself, having,
The Recluse of the Red City,
The dragon coiling, the phoenix rising.
The pure and the clean, the doing the nothing,
The sitting, forgetting, the inherited, the pictures,
The eight chapters, the curious words.
Toward, the jade sky, the east, looking,
The Penglai, the dim and the hazy,
Having, the cloud carriage, the team, the wind, the reins.
Walking, the end, the nine continents, the four seas,
Laughing, the confused and the confused, the falling flowers, the flying catkins.
Facing the river, one, seeing,
The exiled immortal, the demeanor,
Without the words, the heart, promising.
The eight realms, the spirit, roaming,
The vast and the upright, facing each other,
The wine, tipsy, the sitting, the legs, sprawled.
Waiting, the heaven's endowment, written, accomplished,
The riding, the whale, the road, steady,
About, the appointment, the together, going.
Meaning
A lyric of the immortal and the meeting, written by Su Shi. The sea of the clouds vast with the Tao mountains knowing where, and the Recluse of the Red City with the dragon coiling and the phoenix rising — the immortal of the opening. The pure and the clean with the doing the nothing, the eight chapters with the curious words, and the jade sky with the Penglai dim — the immortal of the Tao. Facing the river one seeing, the exiled immortal with the demeanor, without the words the heart promising — the meeting of the close. And the close's waiting the heaven's endowment written accomplished, the riding the whale road steady, about the appointment the together going — the appointment of the close. The lyric is the immortal and the meeting: the Tao mountains, the meeting, and the close's riding the whale.
古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙，知在何处。人间自有，赤城居士，龙蟠凤举。清净无为，坐忘遗照，八篇奇语。向玉霄东望，蓬莱暗霭，有云驾、骖风驭。行尽九州四海，笑纷纷、落花飞絮。临江一见，谪仙风采，无言心许。八表神游，浩然相对，酒酣箕踞。待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] From the ancient, the sea of the clouds, the vast and the boundless, the Tao mountains, the crimson towers, knowing, where. The human world, from itself, having, the Recluse of the Red City, the dragon coiling, the phoenix rising. The pure and the clean, the doing the nothing, the sitting, forgetting, the inherited, the pictures, the eight chapters, the curious words. Toward, the jade sky, the east, looking, the Penglai, the dim and the hazy, having, the cloud carriage, the team, the wind, the reins. Walking, the end, the nine continents, the four seas, laughing, the confused and the confused, the falling flowers, the flying catkins. Facing the river, one, seeing, the exiled immortal, the demeanor, without the words, the heart, promising. The eight realms, the spirit, roaming, the vast and the upright, facing each other, the wine, tipsy, the sitting, the legs, sprawled. Waiting, the heaven's endowment, written, accomplished, the riding, the whale, the road, steady, about, the appointment, the together, going. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the immortal of the sea of the clouds and the Recluse of the Red City, through the Tao of the nothing and the Penglai dim, to the close's meeting with the exiled immortal and the appointment of the riding the whale. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the close of the meeting: the exiled immortal of the river, and the close's riding the whale with the appointment — the meeting gathered in the heart promising and the close's riding the whale. [Emotional Tone] Vast, immortal, and promising: the lyric is the Tao mountains, the meeting and the close's riding the whale.
【白话串讲】 苏轼写《醉翁操·琅然清圆》：“琅然，清圆，谁弹，响空山。无言”——“惟翁醉中知其天”——“月明风露娟娟，人未眠”——“荷蒉过山前。曰有心也哉此贤”——他写醉翁琴声——琅然清圆。 【意象与手法】 “琅然，清圆，谁弹，响空山。无言”写琴声之清越；“惟翁醉中知其天”写醉翁知音；“月明风露娟娟，人未眠”写月明风露；“荷蒉过山前。曰有心也哉此贤”以荷蒉者写知音。超逸清旷。 【情感与主旨】 苏轼为琴曲《醉翁操》所作，写琴曲之境与醉翁欧阳修的旷达超逸，体现苏轼词清旷超逸的风格。 【名句点睛】 常考“琅然，清圆，谁弹，响空山。无言”以琅然清圆写琴声；“月明风露娟娟，人未眠”以月明风露写境界。
Background
Su Shi (1037-1101), the great poet of the Song, wrote this 'The Song of the Drunken Old Man: Clear and Round' of the immortal and the meeting — the praise of the Recluse of the Red City. The sea of the clouds with the Recluse of the Red City, the Tao of the nothing with the Penglai dim, and the close's meeting with the exiled immortal, the riding the whale — the lyric gathers the praise of the immortal, the longing of the meeting. The lyric is one of the famous works of the poet's lyrics of the immortal.
《醉翁操·琅然清圆》为北宋文学家苏轼所作词。苏轼（1037—1101），字子瞻，号东坡居士，眉州眉山（今四川眉山）人，北宋文学家、书画家，「唐宋八大家」之一，词开豪放一派。醉翁操为琴曲，欧阳修号醉翁，其门生沈遵作琴曲《醉翁操》，苏轼据此曲作词。词中「古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙知何处」写仙道之境；「人间自有，赤城居士，龙蟠凤举」写琴者沈遵（或指隐者）；「清净无为，坐忘遗照，八篇奇语」写其清净坐忘；「向玉霄东望，蓬莱暗霭，有云驾、骖风驭」写仙游之境；「八表神游，浩然相对，酒酣箕踞」写其神游；「待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去」写骑鲸仙去之愿。苏轼此词以琴曲之境写超逸之怀，想象奇丽，超逸清旷，是苏轼词中的名篇。此篇《醉翁操·琅然清圆》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 immortal. The immortal opens: from the ancient, the sea of the clouds, the vast and the boundless — the sea of the clouds; the Tao mountains, the crimson towers, knowing, where — the crimson towers of the Tao mountains; the human world, from itself, having, the Recluse of the Red City — the Recluse of the Red City; the dragon coiling, the phoenix rising — the coiling and the rising. The Tao follows: the pure and the clean, the doing the nothing — the doing the nothing; the sitting, forgetting, the inherited, the pictures — the forgetting of the inherited pictures; the eight chapters, the curious words — the eight chapters; toward, the jade sky, the east, looking — the looking of the jade sky; the Penglai, the dim and the hazy — the Penglai dim; having, the cloud carriage, the team, the wind, the reins — the cloud carriage of the team. And the close gathers the meeting: walking, the end, the nine continents, the four seas — the nine continents of the walking; laughing, the confused and the confused, the falling flowers, the flying catkins — the falling flowers of the laughing; facing the river, one, seeing, the exiled immortal, the demeanor — the exiled immortal of the seeing; without the words, the heart, promising — the heart promising; the eight realms, the spirit, roaming — the spirit roaming; the vast and the upright, facing each other — the facing each other; the wine, tipsy, the sitting, the legs, sprawled — the tipsy of the sprawled; waiting, the heaven's endowment, written, accomplished — the heaven's endowment; the riding, the whale, the road, steady — the riding the whale; about, the appointment, the together, going — the appointment of the close — the immortal, the Tao and the close's meeting, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「想象奇丽、超逸清旷」见长。全词上片写琴者之境与仙道之境，下片写神游与骑鲸仙去之愿。上片「古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙知何处」写仙道之境：古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙知在何处；「人间自有，赤城居士，龙蟠凤举」写琴者沈遵：人间自有赤城居士，龙蟠凤举；「清净无为，坐忘遗照，八篇奇语」写其清净坐忘；「向玉霄东望，蓬莱暗霭，有云驾、骖风驭」写仙游之境：向玉霄东望，蓬莱暗霭，有云驾、骖风驭。下片「行尽九州四海，笑纷纷、落花飞絮」写其行尽四海；「临江一见，谪仙风采，无言心许」写见谪仙风采；「八表神游，浩然相对，酒酣箕踞」写其神游；「待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去」写骑鲸仙去之愿。全词想象奇丽，超逸清旷，是苏轼词中的名篇。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 Tao mountains' (Dao shan) are the Tao mountains — the mountains of the Tao, the crimson towers; 'the Recluse of the Red City' (Chi cheng ju shi) is the Recluse of the Red City — the recluse of the Tao, the praise of the poet; 'the Penglai' (Peng lai) is the Penglai — the isle of the immortals, dim and hazy; 'the exiled immortal' (zhe xian) is the exiled immortal — the immortal exiled, the demeanor of the close; 'the riding the whale' (qi jing) is the riding the whale — the riding of the whale, the leaving of the immortals.
词中「道山绛阙」「赤城居士」「坐忘遗照」「蓬莱」「云驾骖风驭」「谪仙」「八表」「骑鲸」等语，皆含典故故实。「道山绛阙」为道家仙山仙宫之名；「赤城居士」指天台山赤城，道家以为仙山，此处以赤城居士指琴者沈遵（沈遵为欧阳修门生，善琴）；「坐忘遗照」用庄子《大宗师》「堕肢体，黜聪明，离形去知，同于大通，此谓坐忘」之意，写坐忘之境；「蓬莱」为仙山名；「云驾骖风驭」写以云为驾、以风为驭，为仙人之行；「谪仙」指李白（贺知章称李白为谪仙人），「临江一见，谪仙风采」以谪仙写其所见者；「八表」指八方极远之地；「骑鲸」用李白骑鲸仙去之传说，「待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳」写待赋成而骑鲸仙去。词人以道山绛阙、赤城居士、坐忘、蓬莱、谪仙、骑鲸等典入词，不着痕迹，而把琴曲之境与超逸之怀写得真切可感，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。
Commentary
This lyric is one of the famous works of Su Shi's lyrics of the immortal, quoted for the vastness of its Tao and the meeting of its close. The Recluse of the Red City, and the riding the whale with the appointment, are among the admired passages of the poet's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's vastness: the immortal gathered in the Tao, to the close's riding the whale.
这首《醉翁操·琅然清圆》，是苏轼为琴曲《醉翁操》所作，写琴曲之境与超逸之怀，想象奇丽，超逸清旷。上片写琴者之境与仙道之境：「古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙知何处」——古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙知在何处。写仙道之境：古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙不知何处，一片苍茫仙境；「人间自有，赤城居士，龙蟠凤举」——人间自有赤城居士，龙蟠凤举。写琴者沈遵：人间自有赤城居士，如龙蟠凤举，超逸不凡；「清净无为，坐忘遗照，八篇奇语」——清净无为，坐忘遗照，八篇奇语。写其清净坐忘：清净无为、坐忘遗照，有八篇奇语；「向玉霄东望，蓬莱暗霭，有云驾、骖风驭」——向玉霄东望，蓬莱暗霭，有云驾、骖风驭。写仙游之境：向玉霄东望，蓬莱暗霭，有云为驾、风为驭。下片写神游与骑鲸仙去之愿：「行尽九州四海，笑纷纷、落花飞絮」——行尽九州四海，笑纷纷、落花飞絮。写其行尽四海，笑看人间纷纷如落花飞絮；「临江一见，谪仙风采，无言心许」——临江一见，谪仙风采，无言心许。写见谪仙风采，无言而心许；「八表神游，浩然相对，酒酣箕踞」——八表神游，浩然相对，酒酣箕踞。写其八表神游、酒酣箕踞之态；「待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去」——待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去。写骑鲸仙去之愿：待赋成之日，骑鲸仙去，相约同行。这「待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去」，是全词之结：以骑鲸仙去写其超逸之愿。全词想象奇丽，超逸清旷，以琴曲之境写超逸之怀，正是苏轼词「以诗为词」、超逸清旷的典范，也是其词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙知何处。
From the ancient, the sea of the clouds, the vast and the boundless, the Tao mountains, the crimson towers, knowing, where.
古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙，知在何处。
Since olden times the sea of clouds has stretched vast; where, who knows, are the immortal mountains and crimson palaces?
首二句写仙道之境，起笔即见其远。「古来云海茫茫」写古来云海茫茫，「云海茫茫」写云海之苍茫无际；「道山绛阙知何处」写道山绛阙知在何处，「道山绛阙」为仙山仙宫，「知何处」写其不知所在。两句一写云海茫茫、一写道山绛阙不知何处，写尽仙道之境之苍茫邈远，起笔便是一片渺远仙灵之境，为全词写琴曲之境与超逸之怀作铺垫，是「以景起兴」的妙笔。
The opening two lines set the immortal realm, fixing its remoteness at once. Since olden times the sea of clouds has stretched vast gives the boundless expanse; where, who knows, are the immortal mountains and crimson palaces gives the unknown dwelling of the immortals. One line the vast cloud sea, the next the inaccessible fairy abode - the opening is already a realm of hazy, ethereal distance, preparing for the ci vision of the qin melody and the lofty spirit behind it. It is a fine instance of rising through scenery.
人间自有，赤城居士，龙蟠凤举。
Yet in the human world lives the Master of Chicheng, coiled like a dragon, soaring like a phoenix.
人间自有，赤城居士，龙蟠凤举。
Yet in the mortal world there is the Master of Chicheng, coiled as a dragon, soaring as a phoenix.
此三句写琴者沈遵，是全词写人的关键。「人间自有」写人间自有，「人间自有」写其不必求之仙山、人间自有其人；「赤城居士」写赤城居士，「赤城」为天台山赤城，以赤城居士指琴者沈遵；「龙蟠凤举」写如龙蟠凤举，「龙蟠凤举」写其如龙之蟠、如凤之举，超逸不凡。三句以「人间自有」写其人即在人间、以「赤城居士」写其人、以「龙蟠凤举」写其超逸，写尽琴者沈遵之超逸不凡。以物喻人，含蓄而有力，是「以喻写人」的点睛之笔。
These three lines present the qin player Shen Zun, key to the ci portrait of a man. Yet in the mortal world there is means he need not be sought on immortal peaks - such a spirit lives among men. The Master of Chicheng names the player, Chicheng being the red peak of Mount Tiantai, his sobriquet. Coiled as a dragon, soaring as a phoenix compares him to dragon and phoenix, transcendent and out of the ordinary. Writing a person through metaphor, restrained and forceful, this is the piercing stroke of the portrait.
清净无为，坐忘遗照，八篇奇语。
Pure and empty, acting without effort; sitting in forgetfulness, casting off all semblance - eight astonishing pieces of verse.
清净无为，坐忘遗照，八篇奇语。
Pure in spirit and inactive in will, sitting in forgetfulness and casting off outward show - eight marvelous poems.
此三句写其清净坐忘，是全词写其境界的关键。「清净无为」写清净无为，「清净无为」写其清静无所作为，为道家之境；「坐忘遗照」写坐忘遗照，「坐忘」用庄子坐忘之典，写其离形去知，「遗照」写其遗弃形照；「八篇奇语」写八篇奇语，「八篇奇语」写其有八篇奇伟之语。三句以清净无为、坐忘遗照写其境界之超逸，以八篇奇语写其才情之奇，写尽琴者清净超逸、才情奇伟之境。以境界写人，含蓄而高妙，是「以境写人」的妙笔。
These three lines describe his purity and forgetfulness, key to the ci vision of his spiritual realm. Pure and empty, acting without effort is the Daoist ideal of stillness and non-action; sitting in forgetfulness, casting off all semblance borrows Zhuangzi sitting in forgetfulness - leaving behind the body and discarding outward show; eight marvelous poems records his extraordinary verse. Together they render a spirit at once detached and gifted, lofty in realm and brilliant in talent. Writing a man through his spiritual state, restrained and elevated, this is a fine stroke of characterization.
待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去。
Waiting, the heaven's endowment, written, accomplished, the riding, the whale, the road, steady, about, the appointment, the together, going.
待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去。
Wait till the great bird ode is done; then, riding the whale along a safe road, we shall go off together.
尾三句写骑鲸仙去之愿，是全词立意的落点。「待垂天赋就」写待垂天赋就，「垂天赋」用《庄子·逍遥游》「其翼若垂天之云」写大鹏之赋，暗含大鹏之志，「待赋就」写待其赋成；「骑鲸路稳」写骑鲸路稳，「骑鲸」用李白骑鲸仙去之典，「路稳」写其路稳；「约相将去」写约相将去，「约相将去」写相约同去。三句一写待赋成、一写骑鲸路稳、一写约相将去，写其待赋成之日、骑鲸仙去、相约同行之愿，以骑鲸仙去写其超逸之愿。以愿写情，含蓄而超逸，是全词最动人处，也是「以愿写怀」的点睛之笔。
The final three lines give the wish to ride a whale away to immortality, landing the ci meaning. Wait till the great bird ode is done borrows the Zhuangzi image of the giant peng whose wings are like clouds hanging from the sky, holding the ambition of the great bird; riding the whale along a safe road alludes to the tale of Li Bai riding a whale off to the immortals; we shall go off together pledges to depart as companions. The lines express the hope that, once his work is complete, he may ride the whale to the fairy realm and take the poet with him. Writing feeling through a wish, restrained and transcendent, these are the most moving passages of the ci, its closing stroke of longing.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「明月几时有？把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年」，把酒问月、想天上宫阙，写中秋怀弟而超逸旷达，是苏轼最著名的词；《醉翁操·琅然清圆》则以「古来云海茫茫，道山绛阙知何处」「待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去」写云海仙阙、骑鲸仙去。两词同出苏轼之手、同写超逸之境：一写把酒问月、以月写怀、超旷，一写云海道山、以仙写怀、飘逸；一为中秋之怀、一为琴曲之境，并读正可见苏轼词超逸清旷的两种风貌，皆以想象写超逸之怀。
临江仙·夜归临皋 Immortal by the River · Returning to Lingao at Night 苏轼 · 同出苏轼之手，同写超然物外之怀，一写小舟从此逝江海寄余生、一写骑鲸路稳约相将去，皆以超逸之境写旷达之怀 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
苏轼《临江仙·夜归临皋》「长恨此身非我有，何时忘却营营」「小舟从此逝，江海寄余生」，写夜饮归来、超然物外，是苏轼写旷达的名篇；《醉翁操·琅然清圆》则以「待垂天赋就，骑鲸路稳，约相将去」写骑鲸仙去之愿。两词同出苏轼之手、同写超然物外之怀：一写小舟从此逝、江海寄余生、以舟写超，一写骑鲸路稳、约相将去、以鲸写仙；一为江海之超、一为仙游之逸，并读正可见苏轼词超逸旷达的两种境界，皆以超逸之境写旷达之怀。