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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

望海潮

Sea of Clouds: Qiantang

柳永

Liu Yong

都市Theme 写景Scenery 颂赞Theme

东南形胜，三吴都会，钱塘自古繁华。
烟柳画桥，风帘翠幕，参差十万人家。
云树绕堤沙。
怒涛卷霜雪，天堑无涯。
市列珠玑，户盈罗绮竞豪奢。
重湖叠𪩘清嘉。
有三秋桂子，十里荷花。
羌管弄晴，菱歌泛夜，嬉嬉钓叟莲娃。
千骑拥高牙。
乘醉听箫鼓，吟赏烟霞。
异日图将好景，归去凤池夸。

Southeast, a place of strategic beauty; the metropolis of the Three Wu; Qiantang has been prosperous since of old.
Misty willows and painted bridges, wind-curtains and emerald screens - a staggering hundred thousand households.
Cloud-like trees ring the dyke's sand.
Raging tides roll up frost and snow; the natural moat has no shore.
The market displays pearls; homes overflow with silk, vying in luxury.
The twin lakes and layered hills are clear and fair.
It has autumn cassia of three months, and lotus flowers for ten li.
The Qiang flute plays in the clear; the water-chestnut song drifts by night; the old fisher and the lotus maiden laugh in play.
A thousand horsemen attend the high banner.
Drunk, he listens to flutes and drums, chanting praise of mist and rosy clouds.
Another day he will paint this fair scene, and back at the Phoenix Pool boast of it.

Listen

Meaning

Liu Yong's lavish hymn to the splendor of Hangzhou and its prefect.

东南一带地理形势优越,是古三吴地区的都会,钱塘自古以来就十分繁华。秋天有桂子飘香,夏日有十里荷花。晴日里羌笛声悠扬,夜晚菱歌声飘荡,还有嬉笑游乐的钓鱼老翁和采莲少女。

Appreciation

Liu Yong piles splendor upon splendor until Hangzhou becomes a paradise of willows, tides, cassia, and song - then hands it to the prefect as both tribute and advertisement.

【白话串讲】柳永写《望海潮》夸杭州：“东南形胜，三吴都会，钱塘自古繁华”。“烟柳画桥，风帘翠幕，参差十万人家”——“市列珠玑，户盈罗绮竞豪奢”——“有三秋桂子，十里荷花”——传说金主完颜亮读了这首词，起了南侵之心。【意象与手法】以赋法入词，层层铺叙：起以「形胜」「都会」「繁华」三词总摄全城；继写市井之富、江潮之壮、湖山之秀、游乐之盛，视觉听觉嗅觉交织，市井与湖山并陈；末以「归去凤池夸」颂祝收束。对仗工整，意象繁富而层次井然，「卷」字写尽怒涛之势，「嬉嬉」叠字写出市井欢愉，是柳永慢词铺叙艺术的巅峰。【情感与主旨】此词为赠杭州知州孙何而作，盛赞钱塘「自古繁华」的都会气象与西湖四时之美。全词充满对承平盛世的欣羡与赞美，「三秋桂子，十里荷花」写尽人间天堂，相传金主完颜亮闻之遂起投鞭之志，其艺术感染力可见一斑，也是词史上第一首全面描绘城市生活的名篇。【名句点睛】「有三秋桂子，十里荷花」以一秋一夏、一香一色的对举写西湖两季之美，十字凝练至极，时空交错、色香俱备，成为杭州最经典的艺术名片，千古传诵，令人神往。

Background

Liu Yong (c.987-c.1053), the great popularizer of the slow lyric. This was reportedly written to impress the Hangzhou prefect - and legend says it later moved a Jin ruler to covet the south.

柳永《望海潮》是其歌咏都市风物的代表作,传为赠杭州知州孙何而作。据宋罗大经《鹤林玉露》载,此词流播之后,金主完颜亮「闻歌,欣然有慕于'三秋桂子,十里荷花',遂起投鞭渡江之志」,虽属小说家言未必尽实,却足见此词传诵之广、描摹杭州之动人。北宋仁宗朝承平日久,东南都会杭州(钱塘)商旅辐辏、物阜民丰,柳永以羁旅行役之身游历其间,饱览湖山之胜、市井之繁华,遂有此作。词中「东南形胜,三吴都会,钱塘自古繁华」开篇即总摄全城气象;「重湖叠𪩘清嘉,有三秋桂子,十里荷花」写西湖之美;「市列珠玑,户盈罗绮」写市廛之富;「羌管弄晴,菱歌泛夜」写游乐之盛;末以「异日图将好景,归去凤池夸」寄望地方长官。全词以铺叙之长笔写都市之全貌,是柳永「承平气象,形容曲尽」的名篇,也是中国文学史上第一首全面描写城市生活的经典词作,对于研究宋代都市文化具有重要的文献价值。孙何其人乃北宋初年名臣,以文才为太宗、真宗所赏,尝知杭州,柳永与之或有旧谊,故以词相赠,词末「归去凤池夸」正寄望其政绩卓著、他日入相。又,此词作年约在真宗咸平、景德年间,时值澶渊之盟后承平日久,东南城市经济高度繁荣,此词所写正是这一历史背景下的都市盛景,其史料价值与文学价值并重,是研究北宋城市史、商业史的第一手材料,也是「词为艳科」之外慢词表现广阔社会生活的成功范例。

Art

A catalogue of abundance: geography, population, nature, markets, pleasures, official pomp - accumulative, gorgeous, unabashed in its praise.

此词是柳永慢词铺叙艺术登峰造极之作。全词以「形胜—繁华—湖山—游赏—颂祝」五层结构层层铺开,一气贯注。起拍「东南形胜,三吴都会,钱塘自古繁华」,以三个名词性短语总摄全篇,先声夺人,点出杭州的地理、政区与历史,笔势雄阔。继而「烟柳画桥,风帘翠幕,参差十万人家」,以密集的对仗写市井;「云树绕堤沙。怒涛卷霜雪,天堑无涯」,由城内写到城外,由平静的堤沙写到奔涌的怒涛,「卷」字极写江潮之威;「市列珠玑,户盈罗绮竞豪奢」,以珠玑罗绮的意象写商旅之富与豪奢之盛。过片「重湖叠𪩘清嘉,有三秋桂子,十里荷花」是全词最动人的名句,以「三秋」「十里」对举,写尽桂子飘香与荷花连天的春秋两季之美;「羌管弄晴,菱歌泛夜,嬉嬉钓叟莲娃」,以「弄」「泛」二字写尽昼夜笙歌之乐;「千骑拥高牙,乘醉听箫鼓,吟赏烟霞」,转写太守之威仪与雅致;结以「异日图将好景,归去凤池夸」,以颂祝收束。全词对仗工整,意象繁富而层次井然,是柳永「长于铺叙」之说的最佳注脚,也是慢词中罕见的以赋法入词的成功范例。此外,此词在铺叙中极善运用「总—分—总」的结构:起以总摄,中分层铺写,末以颂祝回扣,而每一层又各有其视觉重心——堤沙是近景,怒涛是远景,珠玑罗绮是市景,桂子荷花是湖景,箫鼓烟霞是雅景,层层推展,繁而不乱,密而不滞。尤妙者在「千骑拥高牙」一句,于市井繁华中转入太守威仪,使全词由下而上、由民及官,结构完整而气脉贯通,足见柳永经营长调的卓越才力。又,此词写景极富层次感:由「形胜」之总写,到「烟柳画桥」之细写,由「怒涛卷霜雪」之壮写,到「三秋桂子,十里荷花」之秀写,再及「羌管弄晴,菱歌泛夜」之声景,视觉、听觉、嗅觉交织,市井与湖山并陈,富贵气与清雅气兼融,把杭州之美写到了无遗憾的地步,这正是「铺叙」之体所能达到的极致。

Allusions

Qiantang is Hangzhou; the Three Wu the lower-Yangtze region. 'Phoenix Pool' metonymy for the imperial secretariat. The Qiang flute the border flute.

「三吴」一词出《水经注》「吴兴、吴郡、会稽为三吴」,泛指江浙一带,柳永以「三吴都会」写杭州的都会地位,用语有据。「凤池」即凤凰池,典出《晋书·荀勖传》:荀勖为中书监、侍中,人称凤凰池,后遂以凤池代指中书省等清要之地,柳永「归去凤池夸」即祝愿孙何他日入朝为相,用典贴切而得体。「高牙」指高矗的牙旗,牙旗为将帅之旗,典出汉代以来军制,词中「千骑拥高牙」写太守出行之威仪。至于「三秋桂子,十里荷花」两句,则化用白居易《忆江南》「山寺月中寻桂子」写杭州桂子,及杨万里《晓出净慈寺送林子方》「接天莲叶无穷碧,映日荷花别样红」写西湖荷花的意象,而凝练为十字,遂成千古绝唱。又「怒涛卷霜雪」令人想起枚乘《七发》写广陵观涛「如素车白马帷盖之张」的形容,以霜雪状潮,正是枚乘一脉的笔法。全词用典皆融化于铺叙之中,典雅而不晦涩,是柳永「以俗为雅、雅俗兼赅」风格的具体体现。又,「烟柳画桥」之「画桥」写桥之美如画,此种以「画」状景之语唐人已开其端,而柳永用之于市井烟柳之间,更添一层风流蕴藉。至于「菱歌泛夜」之「菱歌」为江南采菱民歌之谓,梁代乐府《采菱曲》已然入乐,柳永以此写夜游之乐,颇具地方色彩。而「嬉嬉钓叟莲娃」之「莲娃」亦暗含乐府「采莲」传统,只是柳永所写已由闺怨转为欢愉,正见其于旧调中翻出新意的本领。要之,此词用典取象博采经史乐府与市井生活,熔铸一体,其「以赋为词」的成就于此可见一斑。

Commentary

The poem's fame outran its author; a later tale has the Jin emperor dancing to its tune and resolving to invade. It remains the classic literary portrait of Song Hangzhou.

《望海潮》一问世即享盛名。罗大经《鹤林玉露》丙编卷一载:此词流播后,金主完颜亮「闻歌,欣然有慕于'三秋桂子,十里荷花',遂起投鞭渡江之志」,可见其艺术感染力之强。宋代词话笔记中此说流传极广,虽有夸饰,却正说明此词写杭州之美已臻于极致。清刘熙载《艺概·词曲概》评柳永:「耆卿词,细密而妥溜,明白而家常,善于叙事,有过前人。」此词铺叙杭州正是「细密妥溜」的典范:十万人家、三秋桂子、十里荷花,一一道来毫不紊乱。陈师道《后山诗话》评柳永词「骫骳从俗,天下咏之」,此词以口语化、世俗化的笔触写都市生活,正是「从俗」而「天下咏之」的例证。近代唐圭璋《唐宋词简释》及各家词选多选此词,评者谓其以赋为词,铺陈有序,情景交融,为城市词开山之作。综观历代评论,或惊叹其写景之工,或推许其铺叙之能,此词在中国词史上的开创性地位已成定论。此外,清人论词或以柳永与苏轼并提,谓其「铺叙」与「豪放」各擅胜场,而《望海潮》正是「铺叙」一路的极致,后世张炎《词源》论「慢词须铺叙展衍,备足无余」,此词实为其嚆矢。又,近人论城市文学多以柳永此词与汴京勾栏瓦舍文化相联系,以为其词既写城市之美,亦折射市井文化之兴,此说虽多引申,然于《望海潮》之文化史意义实有发明之功。要之,此词之价值既在其艺术成就,亦在其认识价值,二者相得益彰,共同奠定了它在中国文学史上的不朽地位。又,此词在宋代即已产生巨大的社会影响,据宋代笔记所载,此词流传之广,几至「天下诵之」,而金主完颜亮因慕「三秋桂子,十里荷花」而兴南侵之念的传说,虽不可尽信,却也侧面说明其艺术感染力的惊人。南宋词人如陈亮、刘克庄等咏都会之作,亦多受此词启发,可见其典范意义。要之,《望海潮》以铺叙之体写都市之盛,开词史上「城市词」一派,其辞采之富、气象之雄、结构之整,皆臻极致,与《八声甘州》同为柳永慢词的双璧,在中国文学史上具有不可替代的地位。

Prosody

Form Lyric in Wang Hai Chao (Sea of Clouds) tune, long slow form词(慢词长调)

Rhyme Rhymes shift: 'prosperous' (hua), 'households' (jia), 'sand' (sha), 'shore' (ya), 'luxury' (she), 'fair' (jia), 'flowers' (hua), 'maiden' (wa), 'banner' (ya), 'clouds' (xia), 'boast' (kua) - level-tone groups.词林正韵第十部麻佳,韵脚为「华、家、沙、涯、奢、嘉、花、娃、牙、霞、夸」

Tone pattern Song lyric; extended descriptive stanzas.双调一百零七字,十一平韵,以四字对句为骨干

Reading note The definitive Song 'city poem'; its opulence is its argument.《望海潮》为柳永创调,双调一百零七字,上片十一句五平韵,下片十一句六平韵,共十一平韵,一韵到底,押词林正韵第十部麻佳韵,韵脚为「华、家、沙、涯、奢、嘉、花、娃、牙、霞、夸」。韵字音色开阔响亮,正与词中铺叙繁华气象、歌咏太平声色的内容相称。此调句法以四字对句为骨干,如「烟柳画桥,风帘翠幕」「云树绕堤沙」「市列珠玑,户盈罗绮」「重湖叠𪩘清嘉」「羌管弄晴,菱歌泛夜」等,四字句与三字句错落相间,形成「四四三」式的回环节奏,诵读时自有悠扬舒卷之感。上下片过片处以「重湖叠𪩘清嘉」一个五字句独立成拍,于密集的铺叙中一宕,如长笛换调,章法灵动。全词句句押韵处虽多,而因对仗与领字的调节并不显得局促,反而有珠走玉盘的流利,是柳永倚声技巧完全成熟的标志,也为后世词家提供了慢词铺叙的范式。

Line by line

东南形胜，三吴都会，钱塘自古繁华。

Southeast, a place of strategic beauty; the metropolis of the Three Wu; Qiantang has been prosperous since of old.

东南一带地理形势优越,是古三吴地区的都会,钱塘自古以来就十分繁华。

The southeast, a place of strategic beauty, the metropolis of the old Three Wu; Qiantang has been prosperous since ancient times.

起拍三句以排比之势总摄全篇,一句一义,层层推进:先言地理之「形胜」,再言政区之「都会」,终言历史之「繁华」,二十一个字把杭州的地理条件、行政地位与历史底蕴一并托出,笔势雄阔,气魄非凡。这种开门见山、总挈全文的写法,为下文铺叙十万人家、三秋桂子提供了宏大的框架,是慢词起调中罕见的大家手笔,也定下了全词赞美颂扬的基调。

The opening three lines draw the whole piece in parallel force, one meaning each layer: first the strategic beauty of the place, then the metropolis of the region, then the prosperity of history. In twenty-one words they set out Hangzhou's geography, its administrative standing and its historical depth, with a bold, sweeping brush. This straight, total opening provides the grand frame for the later lavish description of a hundred thousand households and autumn osmanthus - a rare master's stroke for the opening of a slow ci, fixing the key of praise that runs through the piece.

有三秋桂子，十里荷花。

It has autumn cassia of three months, and lotus flowers for ten li.

秋天有桂子飘香,夏日有十里荷花。

There are autumn osmanthus in the third moon, and lotus flowers for ten li.

此句是全词最脍炙人口的名句。「三秋桂子,十里荷花」,以一秋一夏、一香一色的对举写出西湖四时之美,七个字写尽两季风物,凝练至极。桂子以「三秋」言其季候,荷花以「十里」言其绵延,时空交错,色香俱备,境界美不胜收。此句之美连金主完颜亮闻之都心向往之,遂有「投鞭渡江」之说,足见其艺术魅力跨越时空的巨大能量,是城市词中以景写情的巅峰之笔。

This is the ci's best-known line. Autumn osmanthus and ten-li lotus pairs one autumn with one summer, one scent with one color, writing West Lake's beauty through the seasons; seven words exhaust two seasons, supremely condensed. Osmanthus is marked by the third autumn for its season, lotus by ten li for its stretch, time and space interwoven, color and scent both present, a sight beyond compare. The line's beauty was said to move the Jurchen ruler Wanyan Liang, who longed for it and vowed to cross the river - proof of the enormous, cross-time power of its art, the peak of writing feeling through scenery in the city ci.

羌管弄晴，菱歌泛夜，嬉嬉钓叟莲娃。

The Qiang flute plays in the clear; the water-chestnut song drifts by night; the old fisher and the lotus maiden laugh in play.

晴日里羌笛声悠扬,夜晚菱歌声飘荡,还有嬉笑游乐的钓鱼老翁和采莲少女。

Qiang pipes play in the clear sun; water-chestnut songs drift on the night; anglers and lotus girls laugh in delight.

此数句写杭州的游乐之盛,以听觉为主,「弄」字写晴日笛声的婉转,「泛」字写夜曲的飘浮,一个「嬉嬉」写尽老少游人的欢愉。由景及人,由视觉到听觉,市井生活的声、光、色、乐在十个字中活泼泼地铺展开来,繁华而不俗艳,欢乐而不失清雅,正是柳永「明白而家常,善于叙事」的绝佳写照,也是城市词写市井生活最生动的段落,让千年后的读者仍能感受到北宋杭州的烟火气。

These lines write Hangzhou's splendor of pleasure, mainly through hearing: the word play gives the pipes' ease in the sun, drift gives the songs' floating on the night, and a single laughing renders the joy of old and young. From scenery to people, from sight to hearing, the sounds, lights, colors and music of market life spread vividly in ten words - splendid without being tawdry, joyful without losing refinement, the perfect picture of Liu Yong's clear, homely skill at narration, and the liveliest passage of market life in the city ci, letting readers a thousand years on still feel the living air of Northern Song Hangzhou.

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Word focus

形胜 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「东南形胜」之「形胜」本指地势优越、山川胜美,语出《荀子·强国》及《史记·高祖本纪》「秦形胜之国」等,柳永以此二字冠于全篇,一上来就为杭州奠定了宏阔的地理气象。「形胜」二字既写实又写意,比泛言「山川美丽」更有历史的纵深与战略的分量,也为下句「三吴都会」提供了地理依据,炼词之准可见柳永于用字处一丝不苟,也见其融通经史的语言功力。

卷 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「怒涛卷霜雪」之「卷」写钱塘江潮的雷霆之势。潮涌如山,卷起千堆霜雪似的白浪,着一个「卷」字便见潮水的翻腾回旋、不可一世,比「涌」「起」更具动感与力度,令人想起苏轼《念奴娇》「卷起千堆雪」的著名用法,而柳永此句实属先鞭。此字写尽天堑之险、江潮之壮,与上句「云树绕堤沙」的静景形成强烈的动静对照,为全词平添一股雄浑之气。

嬉嬉 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「嬉嬉钓叟莲娃」之「嬉嬉」,叠字状游乐之状,极见情态。「嬉嬉」本是俗语化的拟声拟态,着一于此,钓叟莲娃的笑闹喧哗、自得其乐便如在耳目之前,市井气息扑面而来。柳永词善用叠字与俗语,此「嬉嬉」二字正是其「明白而家常」风格的缩影:不避浅俗,而浅俗反成天籁,使这首铺叙都市的词在典丽中始终保持着活泼泼的生活体温,是雅俗融通的典范。

望海潮