All poems

五代 Five Dynasties · 词 Ci lyric

生查子·春山烟欲收

Shengchazi · Spring Hills' Mist About to Clear

牛希济

Niu Xiji

爱情Love 离别Parting

春山烟欲收，天淡星稀小。
残月脸边明，别泪临清晓。
语已多，情未了。
回首犹重道：记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草。

Spring hills' mist about to fade,
Sky pale, stars in sparse parade.
Setting moon lights your face bright,
Farewell tears in morning light.
Many words have we spoken,
Love remains unbroken.
Turning back, you urge again:
"Remember my green silk skirt,
Love the grass wherever you tread."

Listen

Meaning

The poem describes a couple parting at dawn in a spring mountain. The fading mist, pale sky, sparse stars, and setting moon create a melancholy scene. The speaker recalls the beloved's final words, linking green skirt to grass, expressing enduring love through nature.

春山间的晨雾将要散去，天色淡远，星星稀疏而小。残月的光映照在你的脸畔，离别之泪滴落在清晓。话已说了很多，情意却仍未了。临行回头还再三叮嘱：记得我穿的绿罗裙，你走到哪里看到芳草，都要怜惜它。

Appreciation

This poem blends scene and emotion. The first stanza paints a cold dawn contrasting with parting tears. The dialogue in the second half, especially the final line, uses the green skirt and grass to transfer love, showing a naive and affectionate tone. It is fresh and natural among the ornate Huajian style.

【白话串讲】天快亮了，春山的烟雾要散，残月照着离人的眼泪。他说得再多也舍不得，回头又叮嘱一句：“记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草”——以后看到青草，就当是看到了我。【意象与手法】此词艺术之妙，首在情景交融：上片「春山烟欲收，天淡星稀小」写破晓微茫，「残月脸边明，别泪临清晓」以景衬泪，清冷凄迷。下片转对话，「语已多，情未了」六字写尽缠绵难舍；结句「记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草」由人及物、以物寄情，设想新奇，语带天真痴绝。通篇不假雕饰，以真率自然胜，于浓丽花间中别出一清远之格。【情感与主旨】牛希济为花间派词人，仕前蜀、后唐。此词当写离人清晓分手之景，托男子口吻叮咛女子，亦可读作男女互诉。五代战乱频仍，士人漂泊，离愁为词中常调。其本事虽不可详考，而「临清晓」之别、残月晨烟之境，正当时行旅离散之缩影，写寻常情事而具普遍之悲欢。【名句点睛】中高考赏析重点：一是上片景物描写的作用（渲染清冷离别氛围）；二是「语已多，情未了」的抒情效果；三是结句「记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草」移情于物的手法与「无理而妙」之趣。

Background

Niu Xiji was a poet of the Huajian (Flowers Among) school, serving in Former Shu and Later Tang. This poem likely depicts a couple parting at dawn. Given the turmoil of the Five Dynasties, partings were common. The specific story is unknown, but the scene of morning mist and setting moon captures universal sorrow.

牛希济，陇西人，五代花间派词人，约生活于九世纪末至十世纪中叶，前蜀王衍时累官翰林学士、御史中丞，后唐灭蜀后仕后唐，官至雍州节度副使。他身历五代乱世，数度易主，漂泊无定，其词多写男女之情而时有身世之感。此词当写离人清晓分手之景：春山晓雾将收，残月天边未落，一对情人在破晓时分依依惜别，话已说尽而情犹未了，临行犹回首叮咛——「记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草」。词以男子口吻叮咛女子，或亦可读作男女互诉，本事虽不可详考，然其「临清晓」之别、残月晨烟之境，正是五代战乱频仍、行旅离散时代的一个缩影。五代十国，中原板荡，士人游宦无定，离愁别恨遂成为词中最常见的主题，此词写寻常情事而具普遍之悲欢，正是花间词以情动人的代表。又花间词人如温庭筠、韦庄辈，或秾丽或疏淡，牛希济此词正承韦庄「疏淡」一路而来，然较韦庄之「人人尽说江南好」，又多一分痴语的天真，可见五代词风由秾丽转向清疏的轨迹，亦可考见牛希济在花间词坛承上启下的位置；且牛希济身历前蜀、后唐两朝，漂泊无定，词中清晓离别之境，或即其自身行旅经验的投影。

Art

The art lies in blending scene and feeling. The first stanza uses mist, sky, stars, and moon to create a desolate dawn. 'Words already many, yet love not done' captures lingering attachment. The final line transfers love from person to object, imagining seeing the beloved in every green thing. The poem is unadorned yet deeply moving, a fresh style among ornate Huajian.

此词艺术之妙，首在情景交融，次在设想的痴绝。上片写景如画：「春山烟欲收」写晨雾将散未散，「天淡星稀小」写天色淡远、晨星稀疏，两句画出破晓的微茫；「残月脸边明，别泪临清晓」由景及人：残月的清光映照在离人脸畔，照见那清晓时分悄然滴落的别泪——以残月之明衬别泪之清，景愈清冷，情愈凄迷。下片转写对话与叮咛：「语已多，情未了」六字极简而情极深，把千言难尽的缠绵一笔写尽；「回首犹重道」写临行回头、再三叮嘱，痴情憨态毕现；结句「记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草」由人及物、以物寄情：绿裙与草色同青，因爱其人而及其裙色，因裙色而及天下芳草，移情于物，设想新奇，语带天真痴绝，是「无理而妙」的典型。通篇不假雕饰，以真率自然胜，于浓丽的花间词风中别出一清远之格。全词上片写景如淡墨点染，下片写情如口语直说，景愈淡而情愈浓，语愈直而意愈深，正是「至情无文」的极致；且以「绿罗裙」的颜色为媒介，将离情托于芳草，设想之奇、情意之痴，皆开后世「移情于物」之先，其天真痴绝处，正见民歌传统在词体中的延续。

Allusions

The line about green skirt and grass alludes to the tradition of green grass as a symbol of separation, originating from Qu Yuan's 'Zhao Yinshi' ('The prince has gone, not returning; spring grass grows luxuriantly'). The color association creatively transfers the lover's image to nature, a technique called 'transference of feelings to objects.' It is not a direct allusion but a natural evolution of literary tradition.

结句「绿罗裙」「芳草」化用南朝乐府与楚辞传统，融化无痕。屈原《招隐士》「王孙游兮不归，春草生兮萋萋」，以春草之生写思归之情，芳草自来象征相思离愁；南朝乐府《西洲曲》「单衫杏子红，双鬓鸦雏色」以衣色写人，亦是同类手法。牛希济于此更进一层：绿罗裙是女子所着之衣，其色青绿，与芳草同色，因爱其人而及其裙色，因裙色而及天涯芳草，遂叮咛情郎：你走到哪里，看到那青绿的芳草，都要记得怜惜它——怜草即怜人，见草如见人，移情于物，痴绝动人。此句非实引某典，而是融化楚辞「春草萋萋」的相思传统与乐府「以衣写人」的手法而自铸新辞，故能「透骨情语，天然入妙」，堪称「无理而妙」的典范。又「天淡星稀小」之「小」字，与温庭筠「星斗稀，钟鼓歇」之「稀」字相近，而「小」字更见炼意之精；「残月脸边明」写月光照脸，与「别泪临清晓」相映，月光愈明而泪愈清，情景互证，正是花间词「景语即情语」的典范，亦可比较温、牛两家写晨别之异同，以见五代词风之流变。

Commentary

Qing critic He Shang praised the final line as 'heart-touching love words, naturally wonderful.' Modern scholar Yu Pingbo called it 'naive and lovely.' This poem stands out among Huajian ci for its simplicity and sincerity, and is considered Niu Xiji's masterpiece.

此词历来为词论家所称赏。清人贺裳《皱水轩词筌》极赏「记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草」，谓其为「透骨情语，天然入妙」，点出此句以最天真之语写最深厚之情的妙处；近人俞平伯亦以此结为「想得痴绝，说得俏绝」，谓其设想痴、措辞俏，兼得深情与风趣。花间词多丽密浓艳，此首独以清浅真率见长：上片之景清冷凄迷，下片之情缠绵痴绝，不假雕饰而情韵自胜，故历来推为牛希济代表作。五代词人多以浓艳写闺情，牛希济此词却以白描出之，如出水芙蓉，天然可爱，可见花间词风并非一端；而「记得绿罗裙」一句，以其「无理而妙」的痴情想象，更成为千古传诵的情语，对后世「以物寄情」的写法影响深远。又此词结句「记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草」自宋以来广为传诵，宋人《古今词话》已称其「情语之妙」，后世词曲多以「芳草」寄相思，溯其源者每推此句；且此词于清浅真率之中见深情痴意，打破了花间词浓艳的藩篱，为五代词向宋代婉约词的过渡提供了范例，其词史意义，不可轻忽，亦可见「无理而妙」之语何以最能动人。

Prosody

Form Ci (lyric) in the tune Shengchazi, double-stanza 40 characters词·《生查子》，双调四十字，上下片各四句两仄韵。

Rhyme Rhyming in oblique tones (shang sheng and xia ping combining), rhyme words: 小, 晓, 了, 草押仄声韵：小、晓、了、草，仄声通协，一韵到底。

Tone pattern Primarily oblique tone rhyme; smooth transition《生查子》为唐教坊曲，双调四十字，上下片各四句两仄韵，句式以五字句为主，节奏整饬，如五言绝句而含仄韵，宜于含蓄抒情。

Reading note The structure is neat like a quatrain; this poem is clear and natural, different from the ornate Huajian style.《生查子》为唐教坊曲名，后用作词调，双调四十字，上下片各四句两仄韵，句式以五字句为主（春山烟欲收，天淡星稀小），节奏整饬，形如仄韵的五言绝句，然上下片两韵叠转，较绝句多一层回环。此词押仄声韵，小、晓、了、草四字皆上声，声调低回婉转，正合离别的凄迷情调；上片写景、下片写情，两句一韵，转接自然。全词语言清浅如话：上片以「烟欲收」「星稀小」「残月」「清晓」铺陈破晓之景，音调清冷；下片「语已多，情未了」以三三字句顿挫，音节短促，如哽咽之语；结句「记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草」以五五字句收束，音节舒展，余韵悠长。声情与词情相谐，清空自然，异于花间词普遍的浓丽密致，是《生查子》词调中清新一路的代表，牛希济此首尤为后世所称道。

Line by line

春山烟欲收，天淡星稀小。残月脸边明，别泪临清晓。

Mist is lifting from the spring hills; the sky is pale, the stars few and small. The waning moon gleams beside her face; parting tears fall at the clear dawn.

春山间的晨雾将要散去，天色淡远，星星稀疏而小。残月的光映照在你的脸畔，离别之泪滴落在清晓。

Mist is about to lift from the spring hills; the sky is pale and the stars are sparse and small. The waning moon shines on your cheek, and parting tears fall in the clear dawn.

上片四句写破晓离别之景，情景交融。「春山烟欲收」写晨雾将散未散，春山在薄雾中若隐若现，「欲收」二字写烟雾将收未收的瞬间，点出破晓时分；「天淡星稀小」写天色淡远、晨星稀疏，一「小」字写星之远而微，炼字精警，天将晓而星将隐，离别的时刻到了；「残月脸边明」由景及人：残月将落，清光映在离人脸畔，仿佛月光也在照看这最后的相聚；「别泪临清晓」以景衬泪：清晓本应清新明净，却见离人泪滴——「清晓」与「别泪」并置，愈见清冷凄迷。四句以景写情，景愈清冷，情愈凄苦，为下片的叮咛蓄足情绪。

The first stanza writes the parting at daybreak, scene and feeling fused. 'Mist is lifting from the spring hills' gives the spring hills half-hidden in thinning mist, the word 'lifting' catching the instant before dawn when the haze has not yet cleared. 'The sky is pale, the stars few and small' writes the distant sky and sparse morning stars, the single word 'small' beautifully chosen for the far, faint stars—dawn near, stars fading, the hour of parting arrived. 'The waning moon gleams beside her face' moves from scene to person: the setting moon's clear light falls on the parting face, as if the moon itself were watching the last embrace. 'Parting tears fall at the clear dawn' sets tears against the bright hour—the dawn should be fresh and clean, yet tears of parting are seen, and the clearer the dawn, the sharper the desolation. The four lines write feeling through scene, and the colder the scene, the more bitter the parting, storing the emotional force for the lower stanza's tender admonition.

语已多，情未了。

Words already many, yet love not done. (Six words capture the lingering attachment of farewell.)

话已说了很多，情意却仍未了。

Words have been many, yet the feeling is not done.

此六字是全词情感的凝缩，极简而情极深。「语已多」写临别的话已经说了很多：叮嘱、安慰、誓言，千言万语，几番往复；「情未了」陡转：话虽已多，情却还未了——说完了的话，道不尽的情，语言在此显出了局限，越说越多，越说越觉未尽。六个字，两相对照，把临别之际千言难尽、欲说还休的缠绵写得入骨。此句之妙在于以少总多：不写话的内容，只写话的数量（已多）与情的状态（未了），以一多一了、一尽一未尽的对照，写尽离人心态，可谓「语短情长」的典范，也为下文「回首犹重道」的痴态埋下伏笔——正因为情未了，才要说了一遍又一遍。

These six characters condense the whole lyric's feeling, spare in words yet deep in affection. 'Words have been many' writes that the farewell speeches—exhortations, comforts, vows—have been said and said again, a thousand words passed back and forth. 'Yet the feeling is not done' turns sharply: words may be many, but the affection is not finished—what the words have spoken cannot exhaust what the heart feels, language reaching its limit the more it is used. Six characters set against each other, writing to the bone the lingering, half-spoken grief of the moment of parting, the model of 'brief words, long affection,' and laying the ground for the痴 act of 'turning back to repeat' below—precisely because the feeling is not done, it must be said once more.

回首犹重道：记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草。

Turning back, you still say: 'Remember my green silk skirt, and love the green grass everywhere.' (Transfers love from person to object, a naive and brilliant touch.)

临行回头还再三叮嘱：记得我穿的绿罗裙，你走到哪里看到芳草，都要怜惜它。

Turning back, he says it once more: 'Remember my green silk skirt—wherever you see fragrant grass, take pity on it.'

结句是全词的警策，以痴语写深情。「回首犹重道」写临行已去，却还回过头来，再三重复叮嘱——「犹」字写不舍，「重道」写反复，痴情憨态毕现；「记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草」是叮嘱的内容，设想新奇：绿罗裙是女子所着之衣，其色与芳草同青，她不说「记得我」，而说「记得绿罗裙」；不说「思念我」，而说「处处怜芳草」——见草如见裙，见裙如见人，怜草即怜人，把相思之情移于天下芳草，痴绝而不失天真，无理而妙，情韵悠长。此句以最俏皮的语气写最深厚的感情，故贺裳评为「透骨情语，天然入妙」，成为千古传诵的情语名句。

The closing line is the inspired stroke of the lyric, writing deep feeling through foolish speech. 'Turning back, he says it once more' writes that the farewell already made, yet he turns his head and repeats the injunction—the word 'still' writes reluctance, 'repeats' the insistence, the devoted, endearingly foolish act fully present. 'Remember my green silk skirt, wherever you see fragrant grass, take pity on it' is the content of the injunction, a most original conceit: the green silk skirt is the woman's garment, its hue the same blue-green as the fragrant grass; she says not 'remember me' but 'remember the green skirt,' not 'think of me' but 'take pity on the grass wherever it grows'—to see the grass is to see the skirt, to see the skirt is to see her, to pity the grass is to pity her, transferring the longing to all the fragrant grass under heaven. Foolish to the point of whimsy yet losing none of its innocence, unreasonable yet exquisitely right, the line writes the deepest feeling in the most playful tone, and He Shang's praise of it as 'a bone-deep love language, exquisitely natural' has made it an age-old line of affection.

Study

Word focus

欲收 about to clear / about to fade; suggests the moment of dawn and the hurry of parting. 「春山烟欲收」之「欲收」，意为将要散去、将收未收，是全词点出破晓时分的关键词。「欲」字写动作将起未起的状态：晨雾正欲消散，却尚未散尽，春山在将明未明的晓色中若隐若现——一个「欲」字，把破晓刹那的微妙时刻定格，如一幅水墨画将干未干之际的氤氲。「欲收」既写烟雾之动态，又暗寓离别之将至：雾将收而人将别，晓色将明而欢聚将尽，景物的「欲收」与人情的「欲别」相互映照，含蓄地写出离别的仓促与不舍。若易作「已收」「初收」则失其将散未散、将别未别的瞬间感，唯「欲」字以虚写实，写出时间的临界点，炼字精妙。

小 sparse / small; describes the faint stars, emphasizing the vast and lonely sky. 「天淡星稀小」之「小」，状晨星之稀疏微茫，是全词写破晓之景最传神的一字。「小」字本写形体之小，此处写晨星：天色将晓，星辰渐隐渐远，望去又稀又小——一个「小」字，兼写星之远、之稀、之微，把破晓时分天光渐亮、星辰隐退的动态过程凝于一字，炼字精警。此字更妙在以星之「小」衬人之「孤」：天淡星稀，宇宙空阔，而离人独在晨光中相对，愈显形单影只；星小如豆，人亦如星之孤。以一字写景，而景中有人、景中含情，正是五代小词以少总多的手法，与上句「烟欲收」的「欲」字相映，共同画出破晓离别的清冷氛围。

犹重道 still repeatedly say; shows the beloved's reluctance and insistence, adding to the emotional depth. 「回首犹重道」之「犹重道」，意为还再三叮嘱，是全词写痴情的关键词。「犹」字写动作之延续：已经转身要走，却还要回过头来——一个「犹」字，写尽不舍与留恋，仿佛脚步已动而心犹未去；「重道」写言语之反复：说了又说，叮嘱了又叮嘱——「重」字写话之多、情之切，正承上文「语已多，情未了」而来：正因为情未了，才说了又说，犹觉未足。三字连用，把临别之际欲走还留、欲语还休的痴态写得活灵活现：那回首的动作、重复的叮咛，皆是深情的注脚，也为结句「记得绿罗裙」的痴语铺垫了最自然的情境，是理解全词情韵的关键。