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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

银河吹笙

The, Blowing, the, Sheng, to, the, Milky, Way

李商隐

Li Shangyin

相思Longing 秋夜autumn

怅望银河吹玉笙，楼寒院冷接平明。
重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊。
月榭故香因雨发，风帘残烛隔霜清。
不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情。

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Meaning

A poem of the night and the longing, written by Li Shangyin. The melancholy gazing at the Milky Way blowing the jade sheng, the tower cold the courtyard cold meeting the dawn — the night of the opening. The heavy quilts the quiet dreams in the other years broken, the parted trees the captive bird the last night startled — the memory of the middle. The moonlit pavilions the old fragrance because of the rain opening, the wind curtains the fading candle separated by the frost clear — the scenes of the middle. And the close's no need in vain to make the intent of the Goushan, the se of the Xiang the xiao of the Qin of their own selves having the feelings — the close's feelings. The poem is the night and the longing: the sheng, the memory, and the close's feelings.

怅望银河吹玉笙，楼寒院冷接平明。重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊。月榭故香因雨发，风帘残烛隔霜清。不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, melancholy, gazing, at, the, Milky, Way, blowing, the, jade, sheng, the, tower, cold, the, courtyard, cold, meeting, the, dawn. The, heavy, quilts, the, quiet, dreams, in, the, other, years, broken, the, parted, trees, the, captive, bird, the, last, night, startled. The, moonlit, pavilions, the, old, fragrance, because, of, the, rain, opening, the, wind, curtains, the, fading, candle, separated, by, the, frost, clear. No, need, in, vain, to, make, the, intent, of, the, Goushan, the, se, of, the, Xiang, the, xiao, of, the, Qin, of, their, own, selves, having, the, feelings. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the night of the Milky Way with the blowing the sheng, through the memory of the broken dreams with the captive bird, to the close's the feelings of the se and the xiao. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the feelings: the moonlit pavilions the old fragrance because of the rain opening, and the close's no need in vain to make the intent of the Goushan the se of the Xiang the xiao of the Qin of their own selves having the feelings — the night gathered in the memory and the close's feelings. [Emotional Tone] Melancholy, longing, and tender: the poem is the sheng, the dreams and the close's feelings.

【白话串讲】李商隐写《银河吹笙》：“怅望银河吹玉笙，楼寒院冷接平明”——“重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊”——“月榭故香因雨发，风帘残烛隔霜清”——“不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情”——他吹笙望银河，写孤独。【意象与手法】此诗写怀人，以怅惘写怀人，是李商隐的名篇。前四句写怅望：「怅望银河吹玉笙，楼寒院冷接平明。重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊」写怅望银河吹玉笙、楼寒院冷接平明、重衾幽梦他年断、别树羁雌昨夜惊——写尽长夜的怅望；后四句写有情：「月榭故香因雨发，风帘残烛隔霜清。不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情」写月榭故香因雨发、风帘残烛隔霜清、湘瑟秦箫自有情——写尽琴箫的有情。全诗以怅惘写怀人，写尽长夜的怅望与琴箫的有情，是李商隐的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写怀人，以怅惘写怀人，是李商隐的名篇。此诗写李商隐于长夜望银河而吹笙，忆及昔日幽梦与别离，遂作此诗。李商隐一生际遇坎坷，情思深婉，其诗多写爱情与身世的怅惘。此诗写怅望：怅望银河吹玉笙，楼寒院冷接平明——写怅望银河吹玉笙、楼寒院冷接平明，写尽长夜的怅望；重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊——写重衾幽梦他年断、别树羁雌昨夜惊，写尽幽梦的断绝；月榭故香因雨发，风帘残烛隔霜清——写月榭故香因雨发、风帘残烛隔霜清，写尽故香的清冷；不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情——写不须浪作缑山意、湘瑟秦箫自有情，写尽琴箫的有情。全诗以怅惘写怀人——那「重衾幽梦他年断」写尽长夜的怅望，「湘瑟秦箫自有情」写尽琴箫的有情，写尽长夜的怅望与琴箫的有情，是理解李商隐怀人诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊」写长夜的怅望；「不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情」写琴箫的有情；以及全诗以怅惘写怀人、以典写情的手法。

Background

Li Shangyin (c. 813-858), the poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Blowing, the, Sheng, to, the, Milky, Way' of the night and the longing — the longing of the night for the far one. The night of the Milky Way with the blowing the sheng, the memory of the broken dreams, and the close's the feelings of the se and the xiao — 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.

此诗写怀人，以怅惘写怀人，是李商隐的名篇。李商隐（约813—约858），字义山，号玉谿生，怀州河内（今河南沁阳）人，晚唐诗人，与杜牧合称「小李杜」，与温庭筠合称「温李」。此诗写李商隐于长夜望银河而吹笙，忆及昔日幽梦与别离，遂作此诗。李商隐一生际遇坎坷，情思深婉，其诗多写爱情与身世的怅惘。此诗写怅望：「怅望银河吹玉笙，楼寒院冷接平明」写怅望银河吹玉笙、楼寒院冷接平明——写尽长夜的怅望（怅望银河吹玉笙，楼寒院冷接平明）；「重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊」写重衾幽梦他年断、别树羁雌昨夜惊——写尽幽梦的断绝（重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊）；「月榭故香因雨发，风帘残烛隔霜清」写月榭故香因雨发、风帘残烛隔霜清——写尽故香的清冷（月榭故香因雨发，风帘残烛隔霜清）；「不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情」写不须浪作缑山意、湘瑟秦箫自有情——写尽琴箫的有情（不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情）。全诗以怅惘写怀人，写尽长夜的怅望与琴箫的有情，是理解李商隐怀人诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the feelings. The night opens: the, melancholy, gazing, at, the, Milky, Way, blowing, the, jade, sheng — the Milky Way of the blowing; the, tower, cold, the, courtyard, cold, meeting, the, dawn — the tower cold of the meeting the dawn. The memory follows: the, heavy, quilts, the, quiet, dreams, in, the, other, years, broken — the quiet dreams of the broken; the, parted, trees, the, captive, bird, the, last, night, startled — the captive bird of the startled; the, moonlit, pavilions, the, old, fragrance, because, of, the, rain, opening — the old fragrance of the rain; the, wind, curtains, the, fading, candle, separated, by, the, frost, clear — the fading candle of the frost. And the close gathers the feelings: no, need, in, vain, to, make, the, intent, of, the, Goushan — the Goushan of the intent; the, se, of, the, Xiang, the, xiao, of, the, Qin, of, their, own, selves, having, the, feelings — the se and the xiao of the feelings — the night, the memory and the close's feelings, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以直抒写怅望。「怅望银河吹玉笙」以直抒写怅望——那「怅望」写尽银河的怅望，以直抒写尽长夜的怅惘。其二，以对照写幽梦。「重衾幽梦他年断」以对照写幽梦——那「他年断」写尽昔梦的断绝，以对照写尽幽梦的怅惘。其三，以写景写清冷。「风帘残烛隔霜清」以写景写清冷——那「残烛」「隔霜清」写尽风帘的残烛，以写景写尽长夜的清冷。其四，以议论写有情。「湘瑟秦箫自有情」以议论写有情——那「自有情」写尽琴箫的有情，以议论写尽自解的超脱。此外，此诗前四句写长夜的怅望，后四句写琴箫的有情，由望及解，正是怀人诗「由情入解」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以怅惘写怀人，写尽长夜的怅望与琴箫的有情，是李商隐的代表作。此诗还善于以「楼寒院冷」的叠写写环境的凄清——那「楼寒」「院冷」写楼院俱寒，正是以空间写寒意的写法，一个「接平明」更写彻夜吹笙直至天明的痴守。又善以「月榭故香因雨发」的转折写故香的幽发——故香因雨而发，残烛隔霜而清，一发一清，正见时光流转而情意不改的深致。

Allusions

'The Goushan' (gou shan) is the Goushan — the mountain of the Gou, the intent of the close; 'the se of the Xiang' (xiang se) is the se of the Xiang — the se of the Ehuang and the Nüying, the feelings of the close; 'the xiao of the Qin' (qin xiao) is the xiao of the Qin — the xiao of the Nongyu, the feelings of the close.

此诗的用语深植于怀人与音乐的传统。「银河」令人想到「银河」写银河的意象——也令人想到「迢迢牵牛星」（《古诗十九首》）的意象；「玉笙」令人想到「玉笙」写笙的意象——也令人想到「吹笙」的意象；「重衾」令人想到「重衾」写厚被的意象——也令人想到「重衾幽梦」的意象；「羁雌」令人想到「羁雌」写失偶鸟的意象——也令人想到「孤雌」的意象；「缑山」令人想到「缑山」用王子晋骑鹤之典——传说王子晋在缑氏山乘鹤仙去，也令人想到「乘鹤」的意象；「湘瑟」令人想到「湘瑟」用湘灵鼓瑟之典——也令人想到「湘灵鼓瑟」的意象；「秦箫」令人想到「秦箫」用弄玉吹箫之典——秦穆公女弄玉与萧史吹箫引凤，也令人想到「吹箫引凤」的意象。全诗化用银河、玉笙、羁雌、缑山、湘瑟、秦箫的意象典故，以怅惘写怀人，正是李商隐「深婉」而善用典、承音乐传统写有情之本领。「缑山」典出《列仙传》——王子晋好吹笙，后乘白鹤仙去，止于缑氏山，李商隐以「不须浪作缑山意」反用此典，写不必羡慕王子晋的仙去。「湘瑟」典出《楚辞·远游》「使湘灵鼓瑟兮」，传说湘水女神鼓瑟；「秦箫」典出《列仙传》——萧史善吹箫，秦穆公以女弄玉妻之，后二人乘凤仙去。李商隐以湘瑟、秦箫并举，写琴箫自有真情，不必求仙。

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 tenderness of its close. The quiet dreams of the broken, and the se and the xiao of the feelings, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's longing: the night gathered in the memory, to the close's feelings.

此诗历来被推为李商隐怀人诗的名篇，也是唐人写吹笙的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以怅惘写怀人，深婉幽邃」；近人更指出「重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊」写长夜的怅望，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以八句的七律写尽长夜的怅望与琴箫的有情——那银河，那玉笙，那楼寒，那院冷，那重衾，那幽梦，那羁雌，那月榭，那故香，那风帘，那残烛，那缑山，那湘瑟，那秦箫，都写尽了李商隐笔下的长夜吹笙；那「湘瑟秦箫自有情」更以议论写尽琴箫的有情。此诗与李商隐《锦瑟》（「锦瑟无端五十弦」）同为瑟名篇，一写「此情可待成追忆」的惘然（锦瑟），一写「湘瑟秦箫自有情」的自解（银河吹笙）；又与《湘灵鼓瑟》的音乐传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写音乐的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李商隐怀人诗的窗口，也是中国诗写笙的传统——那银河的玉笙，穿越千年，仍在诉说着长夜的怅惘。

Prosody

Form A regulated poem of the night (qi yan lü shi)诗·七言律诗

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the regulated poem that carries the tender longing.七律，押「明」「惊」「清」「情」韵（下平八庚），一韵到底，音节幽邃

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the feelings: the level opening with the night, the turning with the memory, and the close's fall with the feelings.此诗为七言律诗，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节幽邃，正合怀人的幽邃。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its longing: the cadences of the regulated poem, and the close — 'xiang se qin xiao zi you qing' — falls with the feelings, the sound of the longing of the night poet.此诗为七言律诗，八句——「怅望银河吹玉笙，楼寒院冷接平明。重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊。月榭故香因雨发，风帘残烛隔霜清。不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情」，押「庚」韵（明、惊、清、情），一韵到底，音节幽邃。全诗以怅惘写怀人：前四句写长夜的怅望（怅望银河吹玉笙、别树羁雌昨夜惊），后四句写琴箫的有情（风帘残烛隔霜清、湘瑟秦箫自有情）。八句长篇，前写怅望，后写自解，以「湘瑟秦箫自有情」写尽琴箫的有情，正见李商隐「深婉」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以幽邃的语调读「重衾幽梦他年断」的怅望，以低回的语调读「湘瑟秦箫自有情」的自解，结句要读得幽邃而有余韵，方能传达出李商隐的深婉幽邃。李商隐律诗以「深婉」著称，此诗正是其怀人律诗的典范。

Line by line

重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊

Beneath the doubled quilt, the dark dream broke years ago; from the separated tree, a lone hen-bird startled last night.

重衾幽梦他年断，别树羁雌昨夜惊。

Under the thick coverlet, a dream of other years is broken; a lone bird on a distant tree was startled last night.

此二句是全诗写怅望的核心，以重衾幽梦他年断写幽梦，以别树羁雌昨夜惊写羁雌，写尽长夜的怅望，是千古名句。「重衾幽梦他年断」写重衾幽梦他年断——那「重衾幽梦」写重衾幽梦，「他年断」写他年断，写尽幽梦的断绝；「别树羁雌昨夜惊」写别树羁雌昨夜惊——那「别树羁雌」写别树羁雌，「昨夜惊」写昨夜惊，写尽羁雌的惊鸣。这句的深意在于：它以「重衾幽梦他年断」的幽梦与「别树羁雌昨夜惊」的羁雌，写尽长夜的怅望——重衾幽梦他年断，那「重衾幽梦他年断」写尽幽梦的断绝——重衾幽梦，他年已断，正是旧梦难寻的写照，那「他年断」写尽长夜的怅望；别树羁雌昨夜惊，那「别树羁雌昨夜惊」写尽羁雌的惊鸣——别树羁雌，昨夜惊鸣，正是孤鸟失群的写照，那「昨夜惊」写尽长夜的凄清；那「重衾幽梦他年断」写尽幽梦的断绝，那「别树羁雌昨夜惊」写尽羁雌的惊鸣，一写幽梦，一写羁雌，写尽长夜的怅望——幽梦已断而羁雌惊鸣，正是长夜难眠的写照；此二句以幽梦、羁雌写尽长夜的怅望，也为后文的故香作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写怅望的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我整夜睡不着想起从前」，则失其幽邃；唯以「重衾幽梦他年断」写幽梦、「别树羁雌昨夜惊」写羁雌，写尽长夜的怅望，也让此二句成为全诗写怅望的核心。

These lines are the longing heart of the poem, the old dream broken and the lone bird startled. 'Beneath the doubled quilt, the dark dream broke years ago' writes the old intimacy now ended; 'on the separated tree, a lone bird startled last night' images the solitary woman as the hen-bird driven from the flock, crying in the night. The two couplets, dream and bird, join the past love and the present loneliness. If stated as 'I could not sleep, remembering the past,' the depth would vanish; only through the broken dream and the startled lone bird does the long night become sad.

不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情

No need to idly dream of the Koushan ascent; the Xiang zither and Qin flute have feelings of their own.

不须浪作缑山意，湘瑟秦箫自有情。

Do not vainly nurse thoughts of Koushan; the Xiang zither and the Qin flute have their own deep love.

此二句是全诗写自解的核心，以不须浪作缑山意写缑山，以湘瑟秦箫自有情写秦箫，写尽琴箫的有情，是千古名句。「不须浪作缑山意」写不须浪作缑山意——那「不须浪作」写不须浪作，「缑山意」写缑山意，写尽缑山的仙意；「湘瑟秦箫自有情」写湘瑟秦箫自有情——那「湘瑟秦箫」写湘瑟秦箫，「自有情」写自有情，写尽琴箫的有情。这句的深意在于：它以「不须浪作缑山意」的缑山与「湘瑟秦箫自有情」的琴箫，写尽琴箫的有情——不须浪作缑山意，那「不须浪作缑山意」写尽缑山的仙意——不须浪作乘鹤仙去之想，正是对仙缘的放下，那「不须」写尽自解的超脱；湘瑟秦箫自有情，那「湘瑟秦箫自有情」写尽琴箫的有情——湘瑟秦箫，自有深情，正是以乐自遣的写照，那「自有情」写尽琴箫的有情；那「不须浪作缑山意」写尽缑山的仙意，那「湘瑟秦箫自有情」写尽琴箫的有情，一写放下，一写自有，写尽琴箫的有情——不求仙去而自有琴箫之情，正是自解自遣的写照；此二句以缑山、琴箫写尽琴箫的有情，也让此二句成为全诗写自解的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「不要想太多，吹吹笙就好」，则失其典丽；唯以「不须浪作缑山意」写缑山、「湘瑟秦箫自有情」写秦箫，写尽琴箫的有情，也让此二句成为全诗写自解的核心。

These lines are the self-consolation heart of the poem, no need for the Koushan immortal ascent, the zither and flute their own feeling. 'No need to idly dream of Koushan' alludes to Wang Ziqiao, who rode a crane away from Koushan to become an immortal—the poet renounces such escape. 'The Xiang zither and Qin flute have feelings of their own' allude to the love-stories of the zither and the flute, finding in music a human affection better than immortality. If stated as 'don't dream too much, play the sheng instead,' the elegance would vanish; only through the Koushan allusion and the zither-and-flute pair does the consolation become learned.

Study

Word focus

怅 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「怅望银河吹玉笙」之「怅」字是写怀人的关键词，一个「怅」字写尽长夜的怅望。怅者，惆怅、怅惘也。李商隐以「怅望银河吹玉笙」写怀人，这个「怅」字至少有双重意味：其一，写情之怅——那「怅望银河吹玉笙」写怅望银河吹玉笙，那「怅」字写尽银河的怅望——怅望银河，正是怀人的写照，那「怅」字写尽长夜的怅惘；其二，写望之迷——那「怅」字更是写望——怅望，正见望而不得，那「怅」字写尽怀人的怅惘。以「怅」字写怀人，正是李商隐写怅惘的枢纽——若换作「凝」「遥」等字，则或失其与「银河」「吹玉笙」的配合，或失其写怅的意味；唯「怅」字，以怅望银河吹玉笙写尽银河的怅望与望而不得的怅惘，与「重衾幽梦他年断」的他年断相合，写尽长夜的怅望，也让「怅望银河吹玉笙」成为全诗写怀人的名句。

清 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「风帘残烛隔霜清」之「清」字是写清冷的关键词，一个「清」字写尽长夜的清冷。清者，清冷、凄清也。李商隐以「风帘残烛隔霜清」写清冷，这个「清」字至少有双重意味：其一，写霜之清——那「风帘残烛隔霜清」写风帘残烛隔霜清，那「清」字写尽霜华的清冷——隔霜而清，正是长夜的写照，那「清」字写尽长夜的凄清；其二，写境之净——那「清」字更是写境——清，正见境地的清寂，那「清」字写尽怀人的清冷。以「清」字写清冷，正是李商隐写怅惘的枢纽——若换作「寒」「冷」等字，则或失其与「风帘残烛」「隔霜」的配合，或失其写清的意味；唯「清」字，以风帘残烛隔霜清写尽霜华的清冷与境地的清寂，与「月榭故香因雨发」的故香相合，写尽长夜的清冷，也让「风帘残烛隔霜清」成为全诗写清冷的名句。