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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

听流人水调子

Listening, to, the, Water, Tune, of, the, Drifting, Musician

王昌龄

Wang Changling

音乐Theme 羁旅Theme

孤舟微月对枫林,分付鸣筝与客心。
岭色千重万重雨,断弦收与泪痕深。

The, lone, boat, the, thin, moon, facing, the, maple, grove,
Entrusting, the, zither, to, the, heart, of, the, guest.
The, mountain, colors, a, thousand, layers, ten, thousand, layers, of, the, rain,
The, broken, string, gathered, with, the, deep, tears.
Listen

Meaning

A poem of the music and the sorrow, written by Wang Changling. The lone boat the thin moon facing the maple grove, entrusting the zither to the heart of the guest — the scene of the opening. The mountain colors a thousand layers ten thousand layers of the rain, the broken string gathered with the deep tears — the sorrow of the close. The poem is the music and the sorrow: the boat, the zither, and the close's tears.

孤舟微月对枫林,分付鸣筝与客心。岭色千重万重雨,断弦收与泪痕深。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, lone, boat, the, thin, moon, facing, the, maple, grove, entrusting, the, zither, to, the, heart, of, the, guest. The, mountain, colors, a, thousand, layers, ten, thousand, layers, of, the, rain, the, broken, string, gathered, with, the, deep, tears. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the scene of the lone boat and the thin moon with the zither of the heart, through the mountain colors of the rain, to the close's the broken string of the tears. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the sorrow: the mountain colors a thousand layers ten thousand layers of the rain, and the close's the broken string gathered with the deep tears — the music gathered in the rain and the close's tears. [Emotional Tone] Lonely, sorrowful, and resonant: the poem is the boat, the zither and the close's tears.

【白话串讲】 王昌龄写《听流人水调子》:“孤舟微月对枫林,分付鸣筝与客心”——“岭色千重万重雨,断弦收与泪痕深”——孤舟微月,听流落之人弹筝——筝弦断了,泪痕深深——他写听筝的悲凉。 【意象与手法】 此诗写听流人弹筝,以音乐写羁旅,是王昌龄的名篇。前两句「孤舟微月对枫林,分付鸣筝与客心」写听筝——「孤舟微月对枫林」写孤舟微月对着枫林,「分付鸣筝与客心」写鸣筝寄与客心;后两句「岭色千重万重雨,断弦收与泪痕深」写筝声与泪痕——「岭色千重万重雨」写岭色千重万重的雨,「断弦收与泪痕深」写断弦收住、泪痕深深。全诗以音乐写羁旅,以筝声写愁绪,写尽流人(漂泊流落之人)的悲愁,正是王昌龄「七绝圣手」的本领。 【情感与主旨】 此诗写听流人弹筝。流人指漂泊流落之人(或因罪流放之人),水调子是曲调名。王昌龄在旅途中所遇的流人弹筝,闻筝声而写此诗:孤舟微月对着枫林,鸣筝之声寄与客心;岭色千重万重雨,断弦收住、泪痕深深。诗人以「孤舟微月对枫林」写听筝的环境——孤舟、微月、枫林,凄清之境;「分付鸣筝与客心」写筝声传达客心——那「分付」写筝声寄托、传达,「鸣筝与客心」写鸣筝之声与客心的共鸣;「岭色千重万重雨」写筝声所传达的岭色与雨意——那「千重万重雨」既写岭上的雨,也写筝声的凄切如雨;「断弦收与泪痕深」写弦断曲终、泪痕深深——那「断弦」写弦断,「泪痕深」写听者的泪痕深深。全诗以音乐写羁旅,以筝声写愁绪,写尽流人的悲愁与听者的感动,正是王昌龄「七绝圣手」以音乐写情、以景写愁的本领。 【名句点睛】 常考「孤舟微月对枫林」写听筝的凄清之境;「分付鸣筝与客心」写筝声与客心的共鸣;「岭色千重万重雨」写筝声的凄切如雨;「断弦收与泪痕深」写弦断泪深的悲愁;以及全诗以音乐写羁旅、以筝声写愁绪的手法。

Background

Wang Changling (c. 698-757), the poet of the Tang, wrote this 'Listening, to, the, Water, Tune, of, the, Drifting, Musician' of the music and the sorrow — the grief of the drifting musician. The lone boat with the thin moon, the zither of the heart, and the close's the broken string of the tears — the poem gathers the sorrow of the poet, the resonance of the music. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the music.

此诗写听流人弹筝,是王昌龄的名篇。王昌龄(约698—约757),字少伯,京兆长安(今陕西西安)人,盛唐著名诗人,有「七绝圣手」「诗家夫子」之称。流人指漂泊流落之人,或因罪流放之人;水调子是唐代曲调名(水调曲)。王昌龄一生仕途多舛,曾贬龙标尉,漂泊流离,对流人(漂泊流落者)的悲愁有深切的体会。此诗写旅途中所遇的流人弹筝,闻筝声而写此诗:「孤舟微月对枫林」写听筝的环境——孤舟、微月、枫林,凄清之境;「分付鸣筝与客心」写筝声传达客心——那「分付」写筝声寄托、传达,「鸣筝与客心」写鸣筝之声与客心的共鸣;「岭色千重万重雨」写筝声所传达的岭色与雨意——那「千重万重雨」既写岭上的雨,也写筝声的凄切如雨;「断弦收与泪痕深」写弦断曲终、泪痕深深——那「断弦」写弦断,「泪痕深」写听者的泪痕深深。全诗以音乐写羁旅,以筝声写愁绪,写尽流人的悲愁与听者的感动,是理解王昌龄羁旅心境与音乐诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the sorrow. The scene opens: the, lone, boat, the, thin, moon, facing, the, maple, grove — the lone boat of the thin moon; entrusting, the, zither, to, the, heart, of, the, guest — the zither of the heart. The sorrow follows: the, mountain, colors, a, thousand, layers, ten, thousand, layers, of, the, rain — the mountain colors of the rain; the, broken, string, gathered, with, the, deep, tears — the broken string of the tears — the boat, the music and the close's sorrow, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一,以写景写环境。起句「孤舟微月对枫林」写听筝的环境——那「孤舟微月」写孤舟与微月,「对枫林」写对着枫林,以孤舟、微月、枫林的意象写尽凄清的环境。其二,以拟人写筝声。「分付鸣筝与客心」写鸣筝寄托客心——那「分付」以拟人写筝声寄托、传达,「鸣筝与客心」写鸣筝之声与客心的共鸣,以拟人写筝声传情。其三,以通感写筝声。「岭色千重万重雨」写岭色千重万重雨——那「千重万重雨」既写岭上的雨,也写筝声的凄切如雨,以视觉(岭色、雨)写听觉(筝声),通感写尽筝声的凄切。其四,以泪痕写感动。「断弦收与泪痕深」写弦断曲终、泪痕深深——那「断弦」写弦断,「泪痕深」写听者的泪痕深深,以泪痕写尽听者被筝声打动的悲愁。四重手法,使此诗以音乐写羁旅,以筝声写愁绪,正是王昌龄「七绝圣手」以音乐写情、以景写愁的本领。尤其值得注意者,「分付鸣筝与客心」的「分付」二字最为传神——流人弹筝,非为奏乐,而是将满腔悲愁交付给筝声,传达给同是羁旅的客心;「岭色千重万重雨」更以「千重万重」的叠词写雨之绵密,既是实写岭上之雨,更是虚写筝声之凄切如雨,声与景交融,把无形的筝声化为可视可感的千重雨幕,正是「以我观物,故物皆著我之色彩」的写法。

Allusions

'The lone boat' (gu zhou) is the lone boat — the boat of the lone, the drifting of the musician; 'the thin moon' (wei yue) is the thin moon — the moon of the thin, the facing of the maple grove; 'the broken string' (duan xian) is the broken string — the string of the broken, the tears of the close.

此诗的用语深植于音乐与羁旅的传统。「孤舟」令人想到「孤舟」写孤寂之舟的意象——「孤舟蓑笠翁,独钓寒江雪」(柳宗元《江雪》),也令人想到「扁舟」的漂泊传统;「微月」令人想到「微月」写微淡月色的意象——「月出」的月意象,也令人想到「微云淡月」的清冷;「枫林」令人想到「枫林」写秋枫的意象——「月落乌啼霜满天,江枫渔火对愁眠」(张继《枫桥夜泊》)的江枫意象,也令人想到「枫叶荻花秋瑟瑟」(白居易《琵琶行》)的秋枫传统;「分付」令人想到「分付」写交付、寄托的意象,也令人想到「付与」的托付;「鸣筝」令人想到「鸣筝」写筝声的意象,也令人想到「筝」作为弦乐器的传统——「秦筝」写筝的传统,更令人想到「筝声」传情的音乐传统;「客心」令人想到「客心」写羁旅之心的意象——「客心洗流水」(李白),也令人想到「客愁」的羁旅传统;「岭色」令人想到「岭」写山岭的意象,也令人想到「岭南」的贬谪之地;「千重万重雨」令人想到「千山万水」的阻隔,也令人想到「雨」写愁绪的意象——「清明时节雨纷纷」,更令人想到「泪如雨下」的悲愁;「断弦」令人想到「断弦」写弦断的意象——「弦断有谁听」,也令人想到「锦瑟无端五十弦」的弦意象;「泪痕深」令人想到「泪痕」写泪迹的意象——「泪痕红浥鲛绡透」(陆游《钗头凤》),也令人想到「泪尽」的悲愁传统。全诗化用孤舟、微月、枫林、鸣筝、岭色、断弦、泪痕的音乐羁旅意象,以音乐写羁旅,正是王昌龄「七绝圣手」承音乐诗传统写愁绪的本领。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Wang Changling's poems of the music, quoted for the loneliness of its scene and the sorrow of its close. The lone boat of the thin moon, and the broken string of the tears, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's sorrow: the music gathered in the rain, to the close's tears.

此诗历来被推为王昌龄的名篇,也是唐人音乐诗的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高:清人评此诗「以音乐写羁旅,凄切入骨」;近人更指出「岭色千重万重雨」以通感写筝声、「断弦收与泪痕深」写泪痕,是此诗的高妙处。在诗歌史上,此诗的特殊价值在于:它以二十字的短章写尽听筝的凄清与流人的悲愁——那孤舟微月的凄清,那对枫林的愁思,那寄托客心的鸣筝,那千重万重雨的岭色,那断弦的泪痕,都写尽了听筝的凄清与流人的悲愁;那「断弦收与泪痕深」更写尽弦断泪深的悲愁。此诗与白居易《琵琶行》(「同是天涯沦落人」)同为写听乐的名篇,一写听琵琶,一写听筝,都写天涯沦落之悲;又与张继《枫桥夜泊》(「江枫渔火对愁眠」)同为写羁旅秋夜的名篇,可见唐人羁旅音乐诗的传统。对于今日读者,此诗是理解王昌龄羁旅心境与唐人音乐诗的窗口,也是中国诗写听乐的经典——那断弦的泪痕,穿越千年,仍在诉说着天涯沦落人的悲愁。

Prosody

Form A quatrain of the music (qi yan jue ju)诗·七言绝句
Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the quatrain that carries the resonant sorrow.押平声侵韵(林、心、深),三句皆押韵,平韵悠长,正合愁绪的悠长
Tone pattern The cadence is that of the sorrow: the level opening with the scene, the turning with the rain, and the close's fall with the tears.此诗为七言绝句,四句,前写听筝,后写泪痕。全诗仄起平收,节奏低回,于低回中见凄切。
Reading note The poem's sound matches its sorrow: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'duan xian shou yu lei hen shen' — falls with the tears, the sound of the grief of the listening poet.此诗为七言绝句,四句:前两句写听筝(孤舟微月对枫林,分付鸣筝与客心),后两句写泪痕(岭色千重万重雨,断弦收与泪痕深)。押平声侵韵,韵脚「林、心、深」皆平声,悠长低回,正合愁绪的悠长。全诗以音乐写羁旅——首句「孤舟微月对枫林」写环境凄清,次句「分付鸣筝与客心」写筝声传情,三句「岭色千重万重雨」写筝声如雨,结句「断弦收与泪痕深」写泪痕深深,起承转合,一气呵成。此诗最见王昌龄七绝的「含蓄深婉」:前写听筝、后写泪痕,以通感写筝声。诵读此诗,宜以低回的语调读「孤舟微月对枫林」的环境,以凄切的语调读「岭色千重万重雨」的筝声,结句「断弦收与泪痕深」要读得深沉而有余韵,方能传达出王昌龄的悲愁。王昌龄七绝以「含蓄深婉」著称,此诗正是其音乐羁旅七绝的典范。

Line by line

孤舟微月对枫林,分付鸣筝与客心

The, lone, boat, the, thin, moon, facing, the, maple, grove, entrusting, the, zither, to, the, heart, of, the, guest.

孤舟微月对着枫林,鸣筝之声寄与客心。

Lone boat, thin moon, facing maple grove; the sounding zither is entrusted to the guest's heart.

此联写听筝的环境与筝声,以写景写环境,以拟人写筝声。「孤舟微月对枫林」写孤舟微月对着枫林——那「孤舟微月」写孤舟与微月,「对枫林」写对着枫林,以孤舟、微月、枫林写尽凄清的环境;「分付鸣筝与客心」写鸣筝寄托客心——那「分付」以拟人写筝声寄托,「鸣筝与客心」写鸣筝之声与客心的共鸣,写尽筝声传情。这句的深意在于:它以「孤舟微月对枫林」的凄清与「分付鸣筝与客心」的传情,写尽听筝的凄清与共鸣——孤舟、微月、枫林,正是羁旅秋夜的凄清之境,那「孤」字写尽孤寂,那「微月」写尽清冷,那「枫林」写尽秋意;就在这凄清之境中,鸣筝之声响起,那「分付」以拟人写筝声寄托、传达,那「鸣筝与客心」写筝声与客心的共鸣——流人弹筝,筝声正是流人悲愁的倾诉,也打动了同为羁旅的客心;那「孤舟微月对枫林」写尽环境之凄清,那「分付鸣筝与客心」写尽筝声之传情,一写境,一写声,写尽听筝的凄清与共鸣。若换作直说「听到很忧伤的筝声」,则失其含蓄;唯以「孤舟微月对枫林」写环境、「分付鸣筝与客心」写传情,写尽听筝的凄清与共鸣,也让此联成为全诗听筝的开篇。

This couplet writes the zither-listening setting and the zither sound, using scenery for environment and personification for sound. Lone boat, thin moon, facing maple grove: lone boat, thin moon, maple grove together exhaust the bleak autumn-night travel setting; the lone character writes solitude, thin moon writes coldness, maple grove writes autumn. The sounding zither is entrusted to the guest's heart: entrusted uses personification to write the zither's message, sounding-zither-and-guest-heart writes the zither sound's resonance with the traveler's heart. The deeper pathos lies in the setting's bleakness set against the sound's transmission: in this lonely autumn night, the zither sounds; the exile plays it, and the sound is at once the player's sorrow poured out and the listener's sorrow answered. The lone boat, thin moon, and maple grove frame the zither as the only voice in the dark. Compared with a plain saying the zither sounded sad, the setting and the entrusted heart give the listening scene both bleakness and resonance, making this the poem's opening stroke.

岭色千重万重雨,断弦收与泪痕深

The, mountain, colors, a, thousand, layers, ten, thousand, layers, of, the, rain, the, broken, string, gathered, with, the, deep, tears.

岭色千重万重的雨,断弦收住,泪痕深深。

Ridge colors in a thousand layers, ten thousand layers of rain; the broken string gathers with deep tear-stains.

此联是全诗的收束,以通感写筝声,以泪痕写感动,是千古名句。「岭色千重万重雨」写岭色千重万重的雨——那「岭色」写山岭的颜色,「千重万重雨」写千重万重的雨,以视觉(岭色、雨)写听觉(筝声),通感写尽筝声的凄切;「断弦收与泪痕深」写断弦收住、泪痕深深——那「断弦」写弦断,「泪痕深」写泪痕深深,写尽听者被筝声打动的悲愁。这句的深意在于:它以「岭色千重万重雨」的通感与「断弦收与泪痕深」的泪痕,写尽筝声的凄切与听者的悲愁——筝声凄切,如千重万重的雨笼罩山岭,那「千重万重雨」以通感写尽筝声的凄切如雨——既写岭上的雨,也写筝声如雨,视觉与听觉交融,写尽筝声的悲切;弦断曲终,泪痕深深,那「断弦」写弦断,那「泪痕深」写听者的泪痕深深——筝声凄切,弦为之断,听者为之泪落,那「断弦」写尽筝声的悲切至极,那「泪痕深」写尽听者被感动的悲愁;以「千重万重雨」写筝声,以「断弦」「泪痕深」写悲愁,写尽听流人弹筝的凄切与天涯沦落之悲。若换作直说「筝声很悲伤」,则失其含蓄;唯以「岭色千重万重雨」的通感写筝声、「断弦收与泪痕深」写泪痕,写尽听筝的凄切与悲愁,也让此联成为全诗的千古名句。

This couplet is the poem's close, using synesthesia for the zither sound and tear-stains for the listener's being moved, famous through the ages. Ridge colors in a thousand layers, ten thousand layers of rain: ridge colors and layers-of-rain are visual, yet used to render the zither sound's wailing - synesthesia, making the music a wall of rain over the mountains. The broken string gathers with deep tear-stains: broken string writes the string's snapping at the climax, deep tear-stains writes the listener's tears. The deeper pathos lies in the synesthesia: the zither sound is felt as rain on a thousand ridges, visual and auditory fused; then the string snaps, and the music ends in tears. The broken string is the zither's own grief becoming physical, the tear-stains are the listener's answering grief. The poem closes with the most restrained image - a snapped string, wet cheeks - after the vastness of mountain rain. Compared with a plain saying the zither was very sad, the mountain-rain synesthesia and the broken string give the music both vastness and climax, making this the poem's famous line.

Study

Word focus

分付 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「分付鸣筝与客心」之「分付」是写筝声传情的关键词,一个「分付」写尽筝声的寄托。分付者,交付、寄托也。王昌龄以「分付」写鸣筝,这个「分付」至少有双重意味:其一,写筝声之寄——那「分付鸣筝与客心」写筝声寄与客心,那「分付」写尽流人弹筝,将悲愁寄托于筝声,传达给客心;其二,写传情之深——那「分付」更是写传情——鸣筝分付客心,正见筝声传情之深,那「分付」写尽筝声与客心的共鸣。以「分付」写传情,正是王昌龄写筝声的枢纽——若换作「付与」「寄托」等词,则或失其拟人的意味,或失其与「客心」的配合;唯「分付」二字,以交付寄托写尽筝声传情,与「孤舟微月对枫林」的凄清相合,写尽听筝的共鸣,也让「分付鸣筝与客心」成为全诗听筝的关键。
深 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「断弦收与泪痕深」之「深」字是写悲愁的关键字,一个「深」字写尽泪痕的深深与悲愁之深。深者,深深、深重也。王昌龄以「泪痕深」写听者的泪,这个「深」字至少有双重意味:其一,写泪痕之深——那「泪痕深」写泪痕深深,那「深」字写尽泪痕之深、流泪之多;其二,写悲愁之深——那「深」字更是写悲愁——泪痕深,正见悲愁之深,那「深」字写尽听者被筝声打动的悲愁之深。以「深」字写悲愁,正是王昌龄收束全诗的枢纽——若换作「重」「多」等字,则或失其与「泪痕」的配合,或失其悲愁的力度;唯「深」字,以一字写尽泪痕深深与悲愁之深,与「断弦」的悲切相合,写尽听流人弹筝的悲愁,也让「断弦收与泪痕深」成为全诗的千古名句。

Related Reading

琵琶行 Song of the Pipa 白居易 · 同写听乐与天涯沦落,一琵琶一鸣筝 Related reading

Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.

白居易《琵琶行》「同是天涯沦落人,相逢何必曾相识」「今夜闻君琵琶语,如听仙乐耳暂明」写听琵琶而感天涯沦落,是音乐诗的名篇。此诗《听流人水调子》则「孤舟微月对枫林,分付鸣筝与客心」写听流人弹筝而感羁旅。同为写听乐与天涯沦落,一写「同是天涯沦落人」的沦落(琵琶行),一写「断弦收与泪痕深」的泪痕(听流人水调子);一以「大珠小珠落玉盘」写琵琶声,一以「岭色千重万重雨」写筝声。两诗对读,可见唐人音乐诗写天涯沦落的传统。

枫桥夜泊 Mooring by Maple Bridge at Night 张继 · 同写羁旅秋夜枫林,一钟声一筝声 Related reading

Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.

张继《枫桥夜泊》「月落乌啼霜满天,江枫渔火对愁眠」「姑苏城外寒山寺,夜半钟声到客船」写羁旅秋夜的愁眠,是羁旅诗的名篇。此诗《听流人水调子》则「孤舟微月对枫林,分付鸣筝与客心」写听筝的羁旅。同为写羁旅秋夜,一写「江枫渔火对愁眠」的愁眠(枫桥夜泊),一写「孤舟微月对枫林」的听筝(听流人水调子);一以「夜半钟声到客船」写钟声,一以「断弦收与泪痕深」写筝声。两诗对读,可见唐人羁旅诗写秋夜声音的传统。