All poems

五代 Five Dynasties · 词 Ci lyric

玉楼春·晚妆初了

Spring in Jade Pavilion • Evening Makeup Freshly Done

李煜

Li Yu

宫廷Courtly 享乐Pleasure-seeking

晚妆初了明肌雪，春殿嫔娥鱼贯列。
笙箫吹断水云间，重按霓裳歌遍彻。
临春谁更飘香屑，醉拍阑干情味切。
归时休放烛花红，待踏马蹄清夜月。

Evening makeup just done, skin bright as snow.
Spring palace maidens file in rows.
Sheng and xiao blow through clouds and waters.
Again the Rainbow Garment song is sung through.
By the spring, who scatters fragrant incense?
Drunk, I pat the railing, feeling deep.
On returning, do not light red candles.
Wait to tread the clear night moon with horse hooves.

Listen

Meaning

The poem depicts a lavish spring night banquet in the Southern Tang palace, with beautifully dressed palace maidens, music, dance, incense, and drunken revelry, ending with a desire to ride in the clear moonlight without torches.

晚妆刚刚梳成，肌肤明洁如雪，春日的宫殿里嫔妃宫娥鱼贯成列。笙箫之声吹彻水云之间，重新按拍《霓裳羽衣曲》歌唱到遍数终了。临春阁里谁又在点燃飘香的屑末，醉中拍着栏杆情味深长。归去时且莫点燃红烛，要踏着马蹄去寻那清夜的明月。

Appreciation

This poem is a record of Li Yu's life before the fall of the state. The upper part describes the grand makeup and music, the lower part the incense and drunkenness, concluding with a refined moonlit ride. It uses plain description and bright colors, typical of the poet's early palace poetry.

【白话串讲】李煜回忆当皇帝时的夜晚：宫女们化好妆，鱼贯而出，笙箫吹断水云间。“归时休放烛花红，待踏马蹄清夜月”——那时的他，还不知道这一切都会失去。【意象与手法】上片写盛妆列队、笙箫彻云、重按《霓裳》，层层铺陈宫廷宴乐之豪奢，「吹断」「歌遍彻」极状声情之酣畅。下片「临春飘香屑」「醉拍阑干」由声入香、由乐入醉，「情味切」三字点出沉醉之深。结句「归时休放烛花红，待踏马蹄清夜月」忽作清雅收束，于狂欢中点出踏月清游的闲逸，豪奢中见一丝清致。【情感与主旨】李煜（937—978），南唐后主，在位十五年沉溺声色宴乐，国亡被俘后词风一变。此词原题一作《玉楼春·春晓》或《木兰花》，写南唐宫中春夜宴乐之盛，当是其亡国前生活的实录。全词极写歌舞彻夜、醉拍栏杆的欢纵，与其后期「流水落花」的哀婉形成鲜明对照。【名句点睛】高考常考结句「归时休放烛花红，待踏马蹄清夜月」的意蕴，命题多问「体现了李煜怎样的情趣」或「与亡国后词风有何不同」；「吹断」「遍彻」等炼字亦是常考点。

Background

Li Yu (937–978), the last ruler of Southern Tang, indulged in sensual pleasures during his fifteen-year reign. This poem, also titled 'Spring in Jade Pavilion' or 'Magnolia Flower', depicts the splendor of a spring night banquet in the Southern Tang palace, a record of his life before the kingdom fell. The whole poem revels in unrestrained joy, contrasting sharply with his later sorrowful style.

李煜（937—978），字重光，南唐中主李璟第六子，961年继位为南唐国主，世称李后主。其在位十五年，政治上苟安江左、不修边防，生活上则沉溺声色宴乐，大造宫室，广蓄嫔娥，日与宫人、词臣歌舞游宴。此词原题一作《玉楼春·春晓》或《木兰花》，写南唐宫中春夜宴乐之盛，当是其亡国前生活的实录。南唐都金陵，承十国中最为富庶的江南之地，宫中乐舞承唐《霓裳羽衣曲》之余绪，极一时之盛。词中「临春」用陈后主临春阁之典，暗藏以陈喻唐的兴亡之谶——陈后主亦以荒淫亡国，李煜之沉溺与此何其相似。全词极写歌舞彻夜、醉拍栏杆的欢纵，与其被俘后「流水落花春去也」「问君能有几多愁」的哀婉词风形成鲜明对照，是研究李煜前后期词风转变的绝佳标本。南唐据有江南富庶之地，宫中乐舞承唐之余绪，此词所写的春夜宴乐正是南唐承平气象的缩影。李煜早期词多写宫廷生活，此词以声色之盛见其前期之欢愉；然其词中暗藏的临春之典、霓裳之忆，已预示繁华之不可久恃，故读此词者，于极欢处已可窥极悲之先声。

Art

The upper part describes the makeup, music, and dance, building the lavishness layer by layer. Words like 'blow through' and 'song through' express the exuberance. The lower part moves from sound to fragrance and intoxication, with 'feeling deep' capturing the depth of indulgence. The final couplet suddenly turns refined, adding a sense of leisurely elegance amid the extravagance.

上片写盛妆列队、笙箫彻云、重按《霓裳》，层层铺陈宫廷宴乐之豪奢：「晚妆初了明肌雪」写宫人妆成之美，肌白如雪，光艳照人；「春殿嫔娥鱼贯列」写宴乐之规模，嫔娥鱼贯，济济一堂；「笙箫吹断水云间」写乐声之高亢悠扬，直上水云之间；「重按霓裳歌遍彻」写歌舞之尽兴，一遍又一遍，唱彻方休，「吹断」「遍彻」极状声情之酣畅。下片「临春谁更飘香屑」「醉拍阑干情味切」由声入香、由乐入醉，视听嗅触并写，「情味切」三字点出沉醉之深。结句「归时休放烛花红，待踏马蹄清夜月」忽作清雅收束，于狂欢中点出踏月清游的闲逸——不点红烛，反要踏月而归，豪奢中见一丝清致，是全词最见后主性情的一笔。全词以时间为序，从晚妆初罢写到踏月而归，完整再现一夜宴乐的全过程；其间感官层次分明：先写视觉，再写听觉，次写嗅觉，后写触觉与心境，层层叠加，酣畅淋漓，末以清夜明月作结，如大曲之尾声，余音袅袅，是五代词中铺陈手法的极致。

Allusions

'Rainbow Garment' refers to the court music 'Rainbow Garment and Feather Robe' created by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, implying peace and luxury. 'Spring' alludes to Chen Houzhu's pavilions, hinting at the fall of Southern Tang. 'Scattering incense' uses a palace custom. 'Clear night moon' echoes Li Bai's 'night outing'. The whole poem, while celebrating court pleasures, harbors omens of decline.

「霓裳」即《霓裳羽衣曲》，相传为唐明皇所制宫廷法曲，安史之乱后散佚，南唐宫廷犹能演奏（陆游《南唐书》载后主尝得霓裳残谱），此处写南唐宫廷重演盛唐法曲，暗喻承平奢靡、以唐自比。「临春」用陈后主建临春、结绮、望仙三阁以宠张丽华之典（见《南史·陈后主本纪》），以陈喻南唐之亡征——陈后主因荒淫亡国，李煜之沉溺宴乐，正是重蹈覆辙而不自知。「飘香屑」用后主宫中以沉香木屑熏香的故实，写室内芬芳。「清夜月」化用李白「明月出天山」及唐人夜游之习，结出踏月清游的雅兴。全篇以宫廷艳典写欢，暗藏兴亡之谶，典重而不堆砌。霓裳之曲盛于唐明皇，亡于安史之乱，南唐复奏之，正见其以唐自居的承平心态；临春之阁盛于陈后主，亡于隋师南下，李煜用之，更见其重蹈覆辙而不自知的悲剧性。两个亡国故事暗藏于两个盛典意象之中，使此词在极写欢乐的同时，已埋下亡国的伏笔，读之令人深思。

Commentary

Su Shi praised Li Yu's poetry as 'deep and clear'. This early work shows the 'clear' aspect. Tang Guizhang commented that it 'writes all the magnificence of the palace'. Wang Guowei, though valuing the later works, noted that the clear moonlit ride already hints at the open style of Northern Song.

苏轼谓李煜词「适怨清和」，此前期之作正见「清」之一面——虽写豪奢宴乐，而结句「待踏马蹄清夜月」的疏朗，已透出其性灵中清旷的因子。近人唐圭璋《李后主评传》称其前期词「写尽宫廷富贵气象」，王国维《人间词话》虽重其后期限词（「眼界始大，感慨遂深」），然此首「踏马蹄清夜月」的雅致，实开北宋清旷词风之先声。全词以铺陈写乐、以清景作结，声情并茂，是李煜前期词中艺术成就最高的作品之一。论者或以此词与《浣溪沙》（红日已高三丈透）并观，皆写宫廷宴乐之盛，可见后主前期词「富贵气象」的共同面貌，及其词由「伶工之词」走向「士大夫之词」的过渡特征。王国维《人间词话》谓「词至李后主而眼界始大，感慨遂深」，此虽就后期词而言，然前期词中已见其超卓的才华；此词以豪奢之笔写宴乐之盛，末以清雅之景收束，可见其驾驭两种情调的能力，亦见其性灵中清旷的根芽，正是这分根芽，日后在亡国的血泪中开出最哀艳的词花。

Prosody

Form Five Dynasties · ci · 'Jade Tower Spring' (double stanza, 56 characters)五代·词·《玉楼春》（双调五十六字）

Rhyme rimes on xue, lie, che, qie, yue (rue/月 rime, entering tone)押雪、列、彻、切、月（屑/月韵，入声）

Tone pattern rise and fall meter, seven-character lines with some variation仄起仄收，句式七言为主间以长短

Reading note Li Yu's early palace ci, plain description, refined in extravagance《玉楼春》双调五十六字，上下片各四句，句式以七言为主（上片四句七言，下片末句十一字作七四断句），此词上下片七言句与下片「醉拍阑干情味切」「待踏马蹄清夜月」的变句相间，音节在整齐中见参差。全词押入声韵（屑、月韵），雪、列、彻、切、月五韵字皆短促急收，正合宴乐之酣畅与情味之激切；入声韵的急促，又为「待踏马蹄清夜月」的清旷之音平添一分劲健。上片以铺陈写乐，句句七言，声调流丽；下片转入醉态与归思，节奏略舒。全词声情与辞情相合，既见宫廷宴乐之盛，又露后主性灵之清，是李煜前期词中音律精工之作，也体现五代词由「伶工之词」向文人词过渡的声律特点。

Line by line

晚妆初了明肌雪，春殿嫔娥鱼贯列。

The evening toilet just done, her flesh bright as snow; in the spring hall, the palace ladies file by like fish.

晚妆刚刚梳成，肌肤明洁如雪；春日的宫殿里，嫔妃宫娥鱼贯成列。

Her evening toilet newly finished, her skin is dazzling white as snow; in the spring palace the court ladies stand in an unbroken line.

白描铺陈，写宫廷豪奢：晚妆初了写宫人妆成之时，明肌雪以雪喻肌肤之明洁白皙，光艳照人；春殿点时节与地点，嫔娥鱼贯列写宴乐之规模，宫娥如鱼贯般依次排列，济济一堂。两句由一人（明肌雪）到一群（鱼贯列），由点及面，写出晚宴开场前的盛况。明肌雪的比喻与鱼贯的状写都极见功力，色彩明丽，气势铺排，是李煜前期词「写尽宫廷富贵气象」的典型笔法。

Plain description lays out the palace luxury: 'the evening toilet just done' marks the moment the women are ready; 'bright as snow' uses snow to image the skin's whiteness and glow, dazzling the eye. 'The spring hall' fixes season and place; 'the palace ladies file by like fish' writes the scale of the banquet, the ladies ranged one behind another like fish swimming, a full hall. Two lines move from one person (bright as snow) to a crowd (filing like fish), from point to surface, writing the splendor before the night feast opens. The simile of snow and the figure of the fish both show great craft, the color bright and the scope sweeping, the typical brush of Li Yu's early verse that 'exhausts the splendor of palace life.'

笙箫吹断水云间，重按霓裳歌遍彻。

The reeds and pipes play through, into the waters and clouds; again they strike the Rainbow Skirt, singing every verse to the end.

笙箫之声吹彻水云之间；重新按拍《霓裳羽衣曲》，歌唱到遍数终了。

The sheng and xiao flutes play on and on, piercing the water and clouds; once more they strike up the Rainbow-Feather Dance, singing the whole suite to its close.

「吹断」写笙箫声之高亢悠扬，绵绵不尽、直入水云之间，炼字极写宴乐之酣；「重按霓裳」写一遍唱罢、再按新拍，乐舞之尽兴可见；「歌遍彻」写唱彻方休，遍者，乐曲之一段，彻者，终了之谓，三字写尽彻夜歌舞、不醉不休的狂欢。两句以声写乐，声情并茂，把南唐宫廷乐舞之盛写到极致；「霓裳」之典又暗藏盛唐故事，繁华中隐现兴亡的预感，是铺陈中见深意的妙笔。

'Play through' writes the high, lingering sound of the reeds, winding on and straight into the waters and clouds, the word-writing exhausting the abandon of the banquet. 'Again they strike the Rainbow Skirt' writes that once one round is done, a new beat is struck, the music and dance played to the full. 'Singing every verse to the end' writes singing through to the finish—'verse' meaning a section of the tune, 'finish' meaning the end, the three characters exhausting the all-night song and dance, no drunk no rest. Two lines write music through sound, sound and feeling together, pushing the splendor of Southern Tang palace dance to the extreme; and the allusion to the 'Rainbow Skirt' secretly carries the High Tang story, the premonition of rise and fall glimpsed within the splendor—the subtle brush that finds depth in铺铺.

临春谁更飘香屑，醉拍阑干情味切。

By the spring terrace, who again scatters fragrant dust? Drunk, he beats the rail, the feeling keen.

临春阁里谁又在点燃飘香的屑末；醉中拍着栏杆，情味深长。

By the spring balcony, who is burning more scented powder? Drunk, he taps the balustrade, deep in the mood of the feast.

由声入香、由乐入醉，全词情感的高潮：「临春」用陈后主临春阁之典，暗藏以陈喻南唐的兴亡之谶；「飘香屑」写宫中熏香之盛，嗅觉入词，香雾弥漫；「醉拍阑干」写醉态，一拍一醉，情难自禁；「情味切」三字点出沉醉之深——切者，深切、真切之谓，欢愉之情浓烈到极点。两句视听嗅触并写，将宴乐的沉醉写得淋漓尽致；而临春之典如暗影般掠过，繁华极盛处已伏下衰亡的种子。

Moving from sound to scent, from music to intoxication, the climax of the lyric's feeling: 'by the spring terrace' uses the allusion to the Later Lord Chen's spring terrace, secretly carrying the omen of rise and fall by likening Southern Tang to Chen. 'Scatters fragrant dust' writes the profusion of palace incense, sense of smell entering the verse, the scented mist filling the air. 'Drunk, he beats the rail' writes the drunkenness, each beat and each draught, the feeling beyond restraint. 'The feeling keen' three characters point out the depth of intoxication—'keen' meaning deep and real, the joy at its highest. Two lines write sight, sound, smell, and touch together, exhausting the abandonment of the banquet; yet the allusion to the spring terrace passes like a shadow, and at the height of splendor the seed of decline is already sown.

归时休放烛花红，待踏马蹄清夜月。

On the way back, do not light the red candle; wait to ride the horsehoof through the clear night moon.

归去时且莫点燃红烛，要踏着马蹄去寻那清夜的明月。

On the way home, let not the red candles be lit; I would ride my horse through the clear moonlight of the night.

清雅收束，豪奢中见闲逸雅趣，是全词最见后主性情的一笔：宴乐将散，归时却「休放烛花红」——不点红烛照明，反要「待踏马蹄清夜月」，乘着月色踏马而归。狂欢之后，忽转清旷，烛花之红与月色之清形成对照，繁华热闹归于清夜明月。此句可见后主虽是沉溺声色的君王，其性灵深处仍有一份对清雅之境的向往，也正是这份性灵，日后在亡国之痛中绽放为「流水落花」的千古哀音。

The close is elegantly restrained, leisure amid the luxury, the line that shows Li Yu's nature most. As the feast ends, on the way back he yet says 'do not light the red candle'—not lighting the red candles, but 'waiting to ride the horsehoof through the clear night moon,' returning on horseback through the moonlight. After the revelry, a sudden turn to the clear and open; the red of the candle against the clarity of the moon, the bustle of splendor sinking into the clear night and moonlight. This line shows that though Li Yu was a ruler sunk in sound and color, deep in his nature lay a longing for the pure and elegant; and it was precisely this nature that later bloomed, in the pain of the fallen kingdom, into the age-old lament of 'flowing water, fallen flowers.'

Study

Word focus

初了 chū liǎo 'just finished' – highlights the freshness of the makeup. 「晚妆初了明肌雪」之「初了」，刚刚完成之意，写妆成之新丽：晚妆初了，正是容光最盛之时，与「明肌雪」呼应，见宫闺之盛与人物之美。初字强调时间之新，了字强调妆成之竟，两字合写妆罢的一瞬，仿佛灯光骤亮、珠翠初整，满殿生辉；此一瞬的明丽，也为全词的宴乐之盛定下光艳的起点，是白描中见精微的用字。

断 duàn 'to break/blow through' – indicates the music is so intense it seems to break through the clouds. 「笙箫吹断水云间」之「断」，写笙箫声绵绵不尽、直入云霄，炼字极写宴乐之酣。断者，本为断绝，此处却以「吹断」写声音之远举：乐声直上水云之间，仿佛将水云都吹开、吹散，声音之高昂、气势之饱满由此一字托出。以断写不断，正见乐声之盛，是词人故意以相反相成的笔法造势，与「歌遍彻」的彻字相配，把宫廷乐舞写到酣畅淋漓的极致。

休 xiū 'do not' – shows a sudden turn from revelry to a desire for quiet elegance. 「归时休放烛花红」之「休」，莫、不要之意，于狂欢中转折出踏月清游之雅，见后主疏宕性情。休字一出，红烛华灯之热闹被轻轻搁置，代之以清夜明月之雅致——不要烛花红，只要月色清，一字之间，繁华与清旷判然分明。此字是结句的枢纽，把全词的基调由浓转淡、由闹转静，显出后主于极尽繁华处忽然抽身的性情，也是其后来词风转向清哀的遥远伏笔。