All poems

唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

夜意

The, Intent, of, the, Night

李商隐

Li Shangyin

相思Longing 夜Theme

帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香。
如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘。

Listen

Meaning

A poem of the night and the longing, written by Li Shangyin. The curtains hanging the half of the rolled, the pillow cold the quilt still fragrant — the night of the opening. How is it that for the remembrance, the soul and the dream passing the Xiao and the Xiang — the longing of the close. The poem is the night and the longing: the curtains, the pillow, and the close's dream.

帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香。如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, curtains, hanging, the, half, of, the, rolled, the, pillow, cold, the, quilt, still, fragrant. How, is, it, that, for, the, remembrance, the, soul, and, the, dream, passing, the, Xiao, and, the, Xiang. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the night of the hanging curtains with the cold pillow, through the remembrance, to the close's the passing of the soul and the dream. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the passing: the pillow cold the quilt still fragrant, and the close's how is it that for the remembrance the soul and the dream passing the Xiao and the Xiang — the night gathered in the remembrance and the close's dream. [Emotional Tone] Cold, longing, and tender: the poem is the curtains, the pillow and the close's dream.

【白话串讲】李商隐写《夜意》：“帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香”——“如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘”——他写夜里的思念——魂梦飞过潇湘。【意象与手法】此诗写秋夜相思，以魂梦写相思，是李商隐的名篇。前二句写夜境：「帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香」写帘垂幕半卷、枕冷被仍香——写尽秋夜的冷寂；后二句写相思：「如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘」写如何为相忆、魂梦过潇湘——写尽魂梦的相思。全诗以魂梦写相思，写尽秋夜相思，是李商隐的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写秋夜相思，以魂梦写相思，是李商隐的名篇。此诗写诗人在秋夜思念远人，魂梦相随。此诗写夜境：帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香——写帘垂幕半卷、枕冷被仍香，写尽秋夜的冷寂；如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘——写如何为相忆、魂梦过潇湘，写尽魂梦的相思。全诗以魂梦写相思——那「枕冷被仍香」写尽秋夜的冷寂，「魂梦过潇湘」写尽魂梦的相思，写尽秋夜相思，是理解李商隐相思诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香」写秋夜的冷寂；「如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘」写魂梦的相思；以及全诗以魂梦写相思、以实写虚的手法。

Background

Li Shangyin (c. 813-858), the poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Intent, of, the, Night' of the night and the longing — the longing of the night for the far one. The hanging curtains with the cold pillow, and the close's the passing of the soul and the dream — the poem gathers the longing of the poet, the tenderness of the night. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the night.

此诗写秋夜相思，以魂梦写相思，是李商隐的名篇。李商隐（约813—858），字义山，号玉谿生，怀州河内（今河南沁阳）人，晚唐伟大的诗人。此诗写诗人在秋夜思念远人，魂梦相随。潇湘指今湖南一带，唐人诗中常以潇湘指代远方的贬谪之地或所思之人的所在。此诗写夜境：「帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香」写帘垂幕半卷、枕冷被仍香——写尽秋夜的冷寂（帘垂幕半卷，夜深人静；枕冷被仍香，人已独卧而香犹在）；「如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘」写如何为相忆、魂梦过潇湘——写尽魂梦的相思（为何如此相忆？唯有魂梦越过潇湘而去）。李商隐一生多离别，或宦游在外，或思念故人，此诗即写其一夕相思之情。全诗以魂梦写相思，写尽秋夜相思，是理解李商隐相思诗的重要篇章。此诗的情境，或与李商隐远宦他乡、思念故园亲人有关。诗人于秋夜独卧，帘垂幕卷、枕冷香存，触目皆是孤寂之景，遂起相思之念；而「魂梦过潇湘」一句，更点明所思之人在远方，身不能至，唯托魂梦。李商隐一生辗转幕府，与妻子王氏聚少离多，此类秋夜怀人之作，正是其羁旅生涯的真情流露。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the passing. The night opens: the, curtains, hanging, the, half, of, the, rolled — the curtains of the half rolled; the, pillow, cold, the, quilt, still, fragrant — the pillow of the cold. The longing follows: how, is, it, that, for, the, remembrance — the remembrance of the how; the, soul, and, the, dream, passing, the, Xiao, and, the, Xiang — the Xiao and the Xiang of the passing — the night, the longing and the close's dream, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以写景写夜境。「帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香」以写景写夜境——那「帘垂幕半卷」写尽帘幕低垂、「枕冷被仍香」写尽枕冷香存，以写景写尽秋夜的冷寂。其二，以细节写独卧。「枕冷被仍香」以细节写独卧——那「枕冷」写尽枕席之冷、「被仍香」写尽被中香气犹存，以细节写尽独卧之况与留有余香的旧情。其三，以设问写相思。「如何为相忆」以设问写相思——那「如何」以设问写尽为何相忆的追问，以设问写尽相思之深。其四，以虚笔写魂梦。「魂梦过潇湘」以虚笔写魂梦——那「魂梦过潇湘」写尽魂梦越过潇湘，以虚笔写尽相思的深长。此外，此诗前二句写实景（帘、幕、枕、被），后二句写虚境（相忆、魂梦），由实入虚，正是相思诗由景入情的写法。此外，此诗二十字中，「帘」「幕」「枕」「被」「魂」「梦」「潇」「湘」八字皆从床帏梦寐写来，意象高度集中而浑然一体，正合五绝「短小精悍」的要求；而「如何为相忆」的设问，问而不答，更留无尽余味，让读者自去体味那不可言说的相思。四重手法，使此诗以魂梦写相思，写尽秋夜相思，是李商隐的代表作。

Allusions

'The Xiao and the Xiang' (xiao xiang) are the Xiao and the Xiang — the rivers of the Xiao and the Xiang, the passing of the close; 'the soul and the dream' (hun meng) are the soul and the dream — the dream of the soul, the passing of the close.

此诗的用语深植于相思与楚辞的传统。「帘垂幕半卷」令人想到「帘垂」写帘幕低垂的意象——「帘垂幕半卷」正是李商隐的名句，也令人想到「幕半卷」写帷幕半卷的意象；「枕冷被仍香」令人想到「枕冷」写枕席清冷的意象——「枕冷被仍香」正是李商隐的名句，也令人想到「被仍香」写被中香气犹存的意象——人已去而香犹在；「如何为相忆」令人想到「相忆」写相忆的意象——「如何为相忆」正是李商隐的名句，也令人想到「为相忆」写为何相忆的设问；「魂梦过潇湘」令人想到「魂梦」写魂梦的意象——「魂梦过潇湘」正是李商隐的名句，也令人想到「潇湘」写潇湘的典故——潇湘为湘水一带，屈原行吟之地，唐人诗中以潇湘指远方，又令人想到「一场春梦」的梦之缥缈。全诗化用枕、被、魂梦、潇湘的意象，以魂梦写相思，正是李商隐「沉博绝丽」而善言情、承楚辞相思传统写深情的本领。又「帘垂幕半卷」之「半卷」，写帷幕将卷未卷、半开半掩之态，暗含心事重重、欲开还闭之意，与后文「枕冷被仍香」的独卧之景相呼应，可见李商隐字字皆有情致。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Li Shangyin's poems of the night, quoted for the loneliness of its opening and the longing of its close. The pillow of the cold, and the Xiao and the Xiang of the passing, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's longing: the night gathered in the remembrance, to the close's dream.

此诗历来被推为李商隐相思诗的名篇，也是唐人写秋夜相思的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以魂梦写相思，含蓄深婉」；近人更指出「枕冷被仍香」写秋夜的冷寂，「魂梦过潇湘」写魂梦的相思，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四句的五绝写尽秋夜相思——那半卷的帷幕，那低垂的帘，那冰冷的枕，那仍香的被，那如何的相忆，那过潇湘的魂梦，都写尽了李商隐笔下的秋夜相思；那「魂梦过潇湘」更以魂梦之虚写尽相思之深。此诗与李商隐《夜雨寄北》（「何当共剪西窗烛，却话巴山夜雨时」）同为怀人名篇，一写「何当共剪西窗烛」的期待（夜雨寄北），一写「魂梦过潇湘」的魂梦（夜意）；又与杜甫「魂来枫林青」的梦魂传统一脉相承，可见中国诗人以梦写相思的深情。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李商隐相思诗的窗口，也是中国诗写秋夜相思的经典——那过潇湘的魂梦，穿越千年，仍在诉说着相思的深长。而「枕冷被仍香」与「魂梦过潇湘」两句尤堪对照：一写实景之冷香，一写虚境之魂梦，由枕上之冷到千里之遥，寥寥十字而境界全开，正是五绝以小见大的典范。

Prosody

Form A quatrain of the night (wu yan jue ju)诗·五言绝句

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the quatrain that carries the tender longing.五绝，押「卷」「香」「湘」韵（下平七阳），一韵到底，音节婉转

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the passing: the level opening with the night, the turning with the remembrance, and the close's fall with the Xiang.此诗为五言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节婉转，正合相思的婉转。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its longing: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'hun meng guo xiao xiang' — falls with the Xiang, the sound of the longing of the night poet.此诗为五言绝句，四句——「帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香。如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘」，押「阳」韵（卷、香、湘），一韵到底，音节婉转。全诗以魂梦写相思：前二句写秋夜的冷寂（帘垂幕半卷，枕冷被仍香），后二句写魂梦的相思（如何为相忆，魂梦过潇湘）。四句短章，前写夜境，后写相思，正见李商隐相思诗「含蓄深婉」的本色。此诗语言极凝练，四句之中无一处赘字：帘垂、幕半卷、枕冷、被仍香，四个细节写尽独卧之夜；如何为相忆、魂梦过潇湘，一问一答写尽相思之深。诵读此诗，宜以婉转的语调读「帘垂幕半卷」的夜境，以深情的语调读「魂梦过潇湘」的相思，结句「魂梦过潇湘」要读得悠远而有余韵，方能传达出李商隐的含蓄深婉。李商隐绝句以「沉博绝丽」著称，此诗正是其相思绝句的典范。

Line by line

枕冷被仍香

The pillow is cold, yet the quilt still smells of fragrance.

枕席清冷而被中香气犹存。

The pillow is cold; the quilt, however, still holds its fragrance.

此句是全诗写独卧的核心，以枕冷写孤寂，以被仍香写余情，写尽秋夜的冷寂与留有余香的旧情，是千古名句。「枕冷被仍香」写枕席清冷而被中香气犹存——那「枕冷」写枕席清冷，「被仍香」写被中香气犹存，写尽秋夜的冷寂。这句的深意在于：它以「枕冷」的清冷与「被仍香」的余香，写尽秋夜的冷寂与留有余香的旧情——枕冷被仍香，那「枕冷」写尽枕席的清冷——夜深独卧，枕席清冷，正是独处的孤寂，那「枕冷」写尽秋夜的冷寂；而被仍香，那「被仍香」写尽被中香气犹存——被中香气犹存，正是旧日温存尚在的痕迹，那「仍香」写尽留有余香的旧情；那「枕冷」写尽秋夜的冷寂，那「被仍香」写尽留有余香的旧情，一写冷，一写香，写尽秋夜的冷寂与余情——枕冷是今夜的孤寂，被仍香是往日的温存，冷与香并置，正是人去香在、孤枕难眠的写照；此句以枕冷被仍香写尽秋夜的冷寂与余情，也让此句成为全诗写独卧的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我一个人睡很冷清」，则失其含蓄；唯以「枕冷被仍香」写冷与香，写尽秋夜的冷寂与留有余香的旧情，也让此句成为全诗写独卧的核心。

This line is the solitary-lying heart of the poem, the cold pillow set against the fragrant quilt. 'Pillow cold' writes the lonely bed of tonight; 'the quilt still fragrant' holds the lingering scent of a former warmth. Cold and fragrance laid side by side—the cold of the present against the scent of the gone—picture the bed where the person is gone yet the perfume remains. If stated as 'I sleep alone and feel cold,' the reserve would vanish; only through the cold pillow and the lingering fragrance does the lonely night breathe.

帘垂幕半卷

The curtains hang low; the screen is half rolled.

帘幕低垂，帷幕半卷。

The blinds hang down, and the inner curtain is half-drawn.

此句是全诗写夜境的开端，以帘垂写静夜，以幕半卷写心绪，写尽秋夜独卧的静寂，是千古名句。「帘垂幕半卷」写帘幕低垂、帷幕半卷——那「帘垂」写帘幕低垂，「幕半卷」写帷幕半卷，写尽秋夜独卧的静寂。这句的深意在于：它以「帘垂」的静寂与「幕半卷」的欲开还闭，写尽秋夜独卧的静寂——帘幕低垂、帷幕半卷，那「帘垂幕半卷」写尽秋夜独卧的静寂——夜深人静，帘幕低垂，正是独卧之夜，那「帘垂」写尽夜之深静；而帷幕半卷，那「幕半卷」写尽心绪的欲开还闭——帷幕将卷未卷、半开半掩，正暗含心事重重、辗转难眠之意，那「半卷」写尽心绪的悬宕；那「帘垂」写尽夜之深静，那「幕半卷」写尽心绪的欲开还闭，一写帘垂，一写幕半卷，写尽秋夜独卧的静寂——帘垂幕卷，正是静夜独卧之境，而幕之半卷，更透露心绪之不宁；此句以帘垂幕半卷写尽秋夜独卧的静寂，也让此句成为全诗写夜境的开端与千古名句。若换作直说「夜深了」，则失其细腻；唯以「帘垂幕半卷」写帘垂与幕半卷，写尽秋夜独卧的静寂，也让此句成为全诗写夜境的开端。

This line opens the night setting, curtains low and the screen half rolled. 'Curtains hang low' writes the deep stillness of night; 'the screen half rolled'—neither open nor closed—mirrors the mind's irresolution, the wakeful, turning mood. The half-undone screen is a state of mind made object. If stated as 'it is late at night,' the delicacy would vanish; only through the low-hung curtain and the half-rolled screen does the sleepless night take form.

Study

Word focus

仍香 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「枕冷被仍香」之「仍香」是写余情的关键词，一个「仍香」写尽人去香在的余情。仍香者，依然有香气也。李商隐以「被仍香」写被子，这个「仍香」至少有双重意味：其一，写香气之存——那「枕冷被仍香」写枕席清冷而被中香气犹存，那「仍香」写尽香气犹存——被中香气仍在，那「仍香」写尽旧日温存的痕迹；其二，写余情之深——那「仍香」更是写余情——被仍香，正见人去而余情犹在，那「仍香」写尽余情的深长。以「仍香」写被子，正是李商隐写余情的枢纽——若换作「犹香」「尚香」等词，则或失其与「枕冷」的对照，或失其写仍香的意味；唯「仍香」二字，以被仍香写尽香气犹存与余情的深长，与「枕冷」的清冷相对照，写尽秋夜的冷寂与余情，也让「枕冷被仍香」成为全诗写独卧的千古名句。

魂梦 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「魂梦过潇湘」之「魂梦」是写相思的关键词，一个「魂梦」写尽魂梦相随的相思。魂梦者，灵魂与梦也，指梦魂相随。李商隐以「魂梦过潇湘」写相思，这个「魂梦」至少有双重意味：其一，写相思之虚——那「魂梦过潇湘」写魂梦越过潇湘，那「魂梦」写尽相思的缥缈——身不能至，唯魂梦可越千山万水，那「魂梦」写尽相思的深长；其二，写相思之痴——那「魂梦」更是写痴情——魂梦过潇湘，正见相思入梦、梦魂相随的痴情，那「魂梦」写尽相思的痴执。以「魂梦」写相思，正是李商隐写相思的枢纽——若换作「梦里」「梦中」等词，则或失其与「潇湘」的配合，或失其写魂梦相随的意味；唯「魂梦」二字，以魂梦过潇湘写尽相思的缥缈与痴执，与「如何为相忆」的相忆相合，写尽秋夜相思，也让「魂梦过潇湘」成为全诗写相思的千古名句。

夜意