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元 Yuan · 曲 Qu song

寿阳曲·潇湘夜雨

Shouyangqu: Night Rain on the Xiao-Xiang

马致远

Ma Zhiyuan

元曲Yuan song lyric 散曲小令sanqu solo song 羁旅travel away from home 思乡homesickness 马致远Ma Zhiyuan

渔灯暗，客梦回，一声声滴人心碎。
孤舟五更家万里，是离人几行清泪。

The fishing lamp is dim;
The traveler's dream breaks;
Drop by drop the rain drips and breaks the heart;
A lone boat at the fifth watch, ten thousand li from home,
Is the wanderer's few lines of clear tears.

Listen

Meaning

The song paints a traveler awakened by night rain on the Xiao-Xiang waters, his lonely boat far from home, where the rain itself becomes the tears of separation.

渔火昏暗，游子从客梦中醒来，一声声夜雨滴得人心都要碎了。孤舟之中正值五更天，离家万里之遥，那雨丝分明是离人洒落的几行清泪。

Appreciation

It opens with a dim fishing lamp and a broken dream, laying a cold, lonely scene; then the rain 'drips and breaks the heart,' turning outer sound into inner grief. The last lines open distance — a lone boat, the fifth watch, ten thousand li — and close by likening the rain to the wanderer's tears. Scene and feeling nourish each other, achingly tender. Zhou Deqing's 'Zhongyuan Yinyun' ranks this song a model, 'clear as a painting, yet deeply mournful.' It is a Yuan masterwork of travel and homesickness.

【白话串讲】 “渔灯暗，客梦回，一声声滴人心碎”——马致远写潇湘夜雨：渔灯昏暗，雨声滴碎人心。“孤舟五更家万里，是离人几行清泪”——五更天，孤舟，家隔万里。雨声就是离人的泪。【意象与手法】起以“渔灯暗”“客梦回”布凄冷之境，继以“一声声滴人心碎”将雨声主观化、情感化；结以“孤舟五更家万里”的空间遥远与“离人清泪”的譬喻，情景相生，哀婉欲绝。【情感与主旨】写羁旅潇湘、夜雨思乡的断肠之悲，将天涯孤客的漂泊之恨与思亲之泪融于雨景，凄楚动人。【名句点睛】“孤舟五更家万里，是离人几行清泪”——以雨为泪，空间之远与情感之深交织，元曲思乡绝唱。

Background

Ma Zhiyuan, style name Dongli, was one of the Four Masters of Yuan song lyric. 'Shouyangqu: Night Rain on the Xiao-Xiang' belongs to his set on the 'Eight Views of the Xiao-Xiang,' likely written while he drifted in the South, unsuccessful and away from home; it is a famous Yuan sanqu on travel and sorrow.

马致远（约1250—1321以后），号东篱，大都（今北京）人，元曲四大家之一。他曾任江浙行省务官，晚年退隐，一生漂泊江南，久困场屋，其散曲多写羁旅之愁与归隐之志。〔双调·寿阳曲〕又名〔落梅风〕，是马致远常用的曲牌，此首题为《潇湘夜雨》，属其咏「潇湘八景」的组曲之一。潇湘八景，指潇水、湘水一带的八处胜景，即山市晴岚、远浦归帆、平沙落雁、潇湘夜雨、烟寺晚钟、渔村夕照、江天暮雪、洞庭秋月。此八景之名，源出北宋画家宋迪所绘《潇湘八景图》，沈括《梦溪笔谈》最早著录其名目，后经米芾等题咏，广为传布，并远播日本、朝鲜，成为东亚共有的审美母题。马致远以〔寿阳曲〕小令分咏八景，是这一传统在元曲中的延续。此首《潇湘夜雨》写的是雨夜泊舟潇湘、羁旅思乡的断肠之悲。湘水潇水，自古便是贬谪流放之地，屈原行吟泽畔，贾谊谪居长沙，皆与潇湘结缘，故「潇湘」一词在诗文中积淀了浓厚的哀怨色彩。马致远以此为背景，把天涯孤客的漂泊之恨与夜雨的凄清之景打成一片，遂成元曲思乡的绝唱。马致远一生漂泊，久客江南，其散曲写羁旅之愁者极多，而以《天净沙·秋思》与此首《潇湘夜雨》最著。此曲当为其行旅潇湘、夜泊舟中时的实录，所写之景皆眼前实有，而所抒之情则千古离人所共有。

Art

The first three lines move from scene to feeling, turning with 'dim,' 'breaks,' 'drips and breaks the heart,' making the objective night rain an inner lament; the last two lines open space with 'lone boat' and 'ten thousand li,' closing on the tear metaphor — short yet long in feeling.

此曲的艺术核心在「以雨写愁，情景相生」。起句「渔灯暗」三字，先以「渔灯」点出江上泊舟之地，「暗」字写灯火昏黄，为全曲布下凄冷的底色。次句「客梦回」三字，写游子从梦中惊醒，「客」字点身份，「梦」字写其方才正做着归乡之梦，「回」字写好梦中断、复归现实，三字之中，惊喜与失落尽在其中。三句「一声声滴人心碎」是转笔，写梦醒之后，耳中唯余夜雨之声，「一声声」写雨声之密、之持续，「滴人心碎」把雨声主观化、情感化——不是雨滴落在船篷，而是滴在人的心上，且滴滴入心，直滴得心碎。四句「孤舟五更家万里」以对仗式的紧缩，写尽羁旅的孤绝：「孤舟」是形单影只，「五更」是夜已最深、人最清醒，「家万里」是空间之远，三者并置，孤独、失眠、思乡三重心境交叠。末句「是离人几行清泪」以譬喻收束，把那绵绵的夜雨，直说成离人洒落的几行清泪——雨即泪，泪即雨，物我交融，哀婉欲绝。全曲由景到梦，由梦到雨，由雨到泪，层层递进，情与景在「泪」字上最终合一。此曲的章法，由外而内，由景而情：先写渔灯之暗，布下视觉的凄冷；再写客梦之回，点出梦醒的失落；继而写雨声之滴，转入听觉的锥心；终以孤舟、五更、万里、清泪层层收束，把全部愁绪都凝成末句的几行清泪。五句之中，无一字写愁，而愁已溢于言外，是元曲小令以景写情的典范。

Allusions

'Xiao-Xiang' originally means the Xiang River region, often used by men of letters for the sorrow of exile and travel; 'fifth watch' is just before dawn, the time of broken dreams and aching hearts.

此曲的意象皆有深厚的源流。「潇湘」一词，自《楚辞》以来便是哀怨之地。屈原《九歌·湘夫人》「帝子降兮北渚，目眇眇兮愁予」，写湘水之神的哀愁；贾谊贬长沙、渡湘水，作《吊屈原赋》，「俟罪长沙」遂与潇湘结下不解之缘。后世凡写潇湘，多寓贬谪流离、哀怨凄清之意。「客梦」写羁旅之梦，其源可追《诗经·东山》「我徂东山，慆慆不归」的久客思归，唐诗中「客梦」尤多，如杜甫「瞿塘夜水黑，孤客梦难成」。「孤舟」是唐诗写羁旅的经典意象，杜甫「细草微风岸，危樯独夜舟」、柳宗元「孤舟蓑笠翁，独钓寒江雪」，皆以孤舟状孤身；「五更」写夜深，与「孤舟」合用，倍增凄清。「以雨为泪」的构思，前人已有，温庭筠「梧桐树，三更雨，不道离情正苦」，写雨惹离情；李煜「帘外雨潺潺，春意阑珊」以雨写亡国之痛。马致远「是离人几行清泪」则更进一步，不写雨惹泪，而直说雨即泪，把客观的雨与主观的泪打成一片，是全曲最见匠心的翻新。「五更」与「孤舟」的并置，令人想见杜甫「细草微风岸，危樯独夜舟」的孤旅之思；「以雨为泪」的构思，则可与温庭筠《更漏子》「梧桐树，三更雨，不道离情正苦」、李清照「梧桐更兼细雨，到黄昏、点点滴滴」对读，皆以雨声写愁，而马致远「是离人几行清泪」一句，直以雨为泪，物我合一，是此一传统的极致。以雨为泪，物我两忘，遂成元曲思乡的千古绝唱。

Commentary

Zhou Deqing's 'Zhongyuan Yinyun' lists this song as a standard model, saying 'every word is clear as a painting, yet the feeling is mournfully tender,' showing its artistic power.

马致远散曲，向为论者推重。明初朱权《太和正音谱》评元曲家，列马致远于首位，称其如「朝阳鸣凤」，其词典雅清丽，于关、白、郑诸家中独标高格。此首《潇湘夜雨》虽为小令，而情韵之深、造境之工，可与其名作《天净沙·秋思》并读，一写秋日古道，一写春夜江雨，同是羁旅思乡的绝唱。论者或以《天净沙·秋思》为「秋思之祖」，推为元人小令第一；而此曲写雨夜乡愁，其「孤舟五更家万里，是离人几行清泪」的造境，亦不遑多让，只是题材一秋一雨，声名遂有高下。此曲之妙，在于把「雨」这一极寻常的物象，写到了与「泪」合一的程度，后人写夜雨思乡者，鲜能出其右。在潇湘八景的题咏传统中，自宋迪作画、米芾题诗以来，历代不乏名作，而马致远此曲以元曲小令的体式出之，把「潇湘夜雨」这一母题由山水之景翻入羁旅之情，别开生面，遂使八景中的「夜雨」一景，几乎专属于离愁。后世散曲家凡写雨夜思乡，多从此曲取法。此曲在潇湘八景的题咏传统中占一席。宋迪作画、米芾题诗之后，潇湘八景渐成东亚共有的文化母题，而马致远以散曲分咏八景，是其题咏史上的重要一环。此首《潇湘夜雨》写八景中「夜雨」一景，把山水之景翻入羁旅之情，使「潇湘夜雨」几乎成为离愁的代名词。元明清三代，凡写雨夜泊舟、游子思乡者，多从此曲化出，其影响之深远，于此可见。

Prosody

Form Sanqu solo song (shuangdiao, Shouyangqu)散曲小令，〔双调·寿阳曲〕（又名〔落梅风〕）

Rhyme hui, sui, lei, in the jia-ma / jie-lai rhymes (Northern drama borrowed rhyme)押《中原音韵》齐微韵，韵脚为「回」「碎」「里」「泪」，平仄通押

Tone pattern lines varied and uneven, with urgent, mournful rhythm此曲句式三、三、七、七、七，共五句。曲之平仄较诗词为宽，可平仄通押，此曲「回」为平声，「碎」「里」「泪」为仄声，平仄互叶，是曲韵的特色。全曲以仄声收束者多，声调沉郁顿挫，恰合愁苦之情。

Reading note Scene opens, feeling closes; a Yuan masterwork of travel and homesickness.〔寿阳曲〕一名〔落梅风〕，是马致远最擅长的曲牌之一，其句式短促而多变化，三字句、七字句相间，最宜写景抒情。此曲五句，「渔灯暗，客梦回」两个三字句并起，句短而意密，一顿一挫，如雨点初落；「一声声滴人心碎」七字句承之，「声声」叠字平声舒缓，继以「滴」「碎」两个仄声一顿，声情由缓转急，如雨势转密；「孤舟五更家万里」连用「孤」「五」「万」三个仄声字，声调顿挫，写尽孤绝；末句「是离人几行清泪」以「清泪」两个平声收束，凄清悠长，如泪之垂落。全曲用韵齐微韵，此韵音色细而凄，宜于写愁，韵脚「回」「碎」「里」「泪」，由平而仄，由开而合，读来如泣如诉。马致远散曲向以声情并茂著称，此曲短短五句，而声调之抑扬与情感之起伏丝丝入扣，是元曲小令中以声写情的上品。此曲以「齐微」韵之细，写雨声之凄，声情凄切，如泣如诉，是元曲中以声写情、情景交融的典范。

Line by line

一声声滴人心碎

Drop by drop the rain drips and breaks the heart;

一声声夜雨滴得人心都要碎了

Drop by drop, they fall and break the heart.

此句是全曲由景入情的关捩。「一声声」三字，以叠字写雨声之绵密——不是疏疏的几点，而是接连不断、一声紧似一声，声声敲在醒来的游子心上。「滴」字用得分外沉重，雨本滴在船篷、江面，诗人偏说滴在「人心」，且「滴人心碎」——滴的不是水，是愁，是恨，直滴得人肝肠寸断。这里把客观的雨声完全主观化了，雨不再是外物，而成了情感的化身。叠字「声声」本就带有绵延不绝的声响效果，与「滴」字相配，读来如闻雨声点点，如感心绪阵阵，声与情在此合一。此句承上「客梦回」而来——正因好梦被雨声打断，这雨声才格外可恨、格外锥心。

This line is the hinge by which the song turns from scenery to feeling. 'Drop by drop' — reduplication writing the density of rain, not a few sparse drops but unbroken, note pressing note, each striking the waking traveler's heart. The word 'drops' is used with unusual weight: the rain falls on the boat's canopy, on the river, yet the poet says it falls on 'the heart,' and 'drops and breaks the heart' — what falls is not water, but grief, resentment, dropping until the vitals are rent. Here the objective sound of rain is wholly subjectivized: rain is no longer an outer thing, but the very shape of feeling. The reduplicated 'note by note' carries the sound's unbrokenness; set with 'drops,' one hears the rain's tapping, feels the heart's pangs, sound and feeling fused. The line follows 'the traveler's dream broken': precisely because the good dream has been shattered by the rain, this rain is the more hateful, the more piercing.

孤舟五更家万里

A lone boat at the fifth watch, ten thousand li from home,

孤舟之中正值五更天，离家万里之遥

In the lone boat, at the fifth watch, home ten thousand li away.

此句以七字并置三个意象，写尽羁旅的孤绝。「孤舟」写形影之单，一叶扁舟漂于江上，天地之间唯余一人；「五更」写时辰之深，夜已到尽头，人却还醒着，失眠的清醒最易滋生愁绪；「家万里」写空间之远，离家万里，归期难卜。三组意象不作任何连接，直接并置，如三个重锤，一下下敲在心上，孤、夜、远三重心境层层叠加。「五更」尤为传神，古人计夜以五更，五更正是夜尽将晓、最黑最冷、也是离人最清醒无助的时刻。此句既是写实——孤舟、五更、万里皆可坐实，又是写意——三者并置，已不待明言，而愁自弥漫。

Seven characters set three images side by side, writing the utter loneliness of the journey. 'The lone boat' — a single craft on the river, one man left between heaven and earth; 'the fifth watch' — the deep hour, night at its end, the man still awake, sleepless lucidity the nurse of grief; 'home ten thousand li away' — the far space, the return beyond prophecy. Three images, no conjunction, set side by side like three hammers, striking the heart: lone, night, far — three layers of mood piled on one another. 'The fifth watch' is especially vivid: the ancients reckoned night by five watches; the fifth is night's end near dawn, darkest and coldest, and the parting man's most lucid, most helpless hour. The line is both real — lone boat, fifth watch, ten thousand li, all verifiable — and expressive: the three set side by side, grief already diffused, needing no word.

是离人几行清泪

Is the wanderer's few lines of clear tears.

那雨丝分明是离人洒落的几行清泪

They are the parting man's own rows of clear tears.

末句以譬喻收束全曲，是全曲的「眼」。「是」字斩截，不容置疑地把夜雨直说成离人的清泪；「几行」写泪之痕，与雨丝的形状相合，雨丝缕缕，恰似泪痕行行；「清泪」二字，清字既状泪之清冷，又暗合雨之清寒。此句妙在双关：就字面看，是离人因愁而流泪；就意象看，那满天满江的雨，就是离人淌不完的泪。雨与泪在此合一，天亦哭，人亦哭，天地之间充满了这凄清的泪意。以雨为泪，前人已启其端，而马致远以一个「是」字的斩钉截铁，把比喻坐实为等同，情感的力量因此倍增，读来真有断肠之痛。全曲的渔灯、客梦、孤舟、五更，至此都汇聚成这「几行清泪」，情景交融，哀婉欲绝。

The closing line resolves the song in a metaphor, the song's 'eye.' The word 'are' is final, without doubt, declaring the night rain to be the parting man's clear tears; 'rows of' writes the tracks of tears, matching the lines of rain — rain thread by thread, like tear track by track; 'clear tears' — 'clear' writes the tears' cold, and darkly answers the rain's chill. The line's genius lies in the double: on the face of it, the parting man weeps for grief; in the imagery, the rain filling sky and river is the parting man's endless tears. Rain and tears are one: heaven weeps, the man weeps, the space between filled with this desolate tears. Earlier poets had taken rain for tears, but Ma Zhiyuan, with the finality of 'are,' turns the metaphor into identity — the force of feeling multiplied, the reader feeling the very pain of a broken heart. The fishing lamp, the broken dream, the lone boat, the fifth watch, all gather at last into these 'rows of clear tears,' scene and feeling fused, sorrow beyond words.

Study

Word focus

暗 In 'the fishing lamp is dim,' 'dim' writes both the faint light and the lonely, desolate hue of travel — one word sets the scene. 「暗」字是起句「渔灯暗」的着力处，为全曲定下凄冷的色调。渔灯本是江上的暖色，一点如豆，照破夜色；着一「暗」字，则连这点暖色也黯淡了下去，灯火昏黄，将明将灭，愈显出夜的浓黑与心的凄冷。「暗」字写的既是灯火之昏，也是心境之暗——游子梦醒之后，四顾茫然，心中的希望也如这渔灯般黯淡。此字与「渔灯」的「灯」字相配，一明一暗，构成张力：灯欲亮而暗，人欲归而不能，物与情在此同构。马致远用字最善以一字定基调，此「暗」字与《天净沙·秋思》「枯藤老树昏鸦」的「昏」字同一机杼，皆是举重若轻的开篇之笔。

滴 In 'drop by drop the rain drips and breaks the heart,' 'drip' turns the sound of rain into the pain of a breaking heart — a synesthetic stroke of great weight. 「滴」字是全曲最见情感的字眼，见于「一声声滴人心碎」。雨本无「滴」不「滴」之别，「滴」字强调的是雨的形态与节律——不是倾泻，不是飘洒，而是一滴一滴、一下一下，如更漏，如数珠，具有不容分说的节奏感。这个「滴」字，把雨声变成了时间的刻度，滴一滴，愁便深一分；把雨落变成了情感的锤击，滴在心上，声声作响。「滴人心碎」四字连读，滴的是雨，碎的是心，主客在此倒置。以「滴」状雨而兼及人心，是此曲炼字的极则，较之温庭筠「一叶叶，一声声，空阶滴到明」的「滴」字，更多一层锥心之力。

碎 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「碎」字见于「滴人心碎」，是情感烈度的顶点。此字本写器物的破裂，用于人心，则写心之碎、肠之断，是极言愁苦的惯用手法。「滴人心碎」的「碎」，妙在与「滴」字相配：雨滴点点，如锤击心，滴滴相加，终至心碎——「碎」是「滴」的累积结果，声与情的因果在此贯通。同时，「碎」字与「梦回」暗相呼应，客梦本是圆满的归乡之梦，被雨声打断而「回」，好梦遂「碎」，一个「碎」字，既碎其心，又碎其梦，双关而不露。马致远以「碎」字写尽羁旅的绝望，比直说「愁」「苦」更有质感，一字而全曲之悲皆在此。