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元 Yuan · 曲 Qu song

卖花声·怀古

Selling Flowers: Nostalgia

张可久

Zhang Kejiu

散曲Sanqu 怀古Nostalgia 民生People's Livelihood

美人自刎乌江岸，战火曾烧赤壁山，将军空老玉门关。
伤心秦汉，生民涂炭，读书人一声长叹。

Beauty committed suicide by the Wujiang shore,
War flames once burned the Red Cliffs hill,
The general grew old in vain at Yumen Pass.
Heartbreaking for Qin and Han,
The people are plunged into misery,
A scholar lets out a long sigh.

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Meaning

The poem uses three historical allusions (Consort Yu's suicide, the Battle of Red Cliffs, Ban Chao's wasted old age) to lament the suffering of common people under the rise and fall of dynasties, ending with a scholar's helpless sigh.

美人自刎在乌江岸边，战火曾烧红赤壁群山，将军徒然老死在玉门关。伤心啊秦汉的兴亡，百姓遭际如同涂炭，读书人只能一声长叹。

Appreciation

The first three lines form a tripod couplet with parallel allusions, condensing centuries of history. The focus shifts from heroes to common people in the last three lines, with the final sigh conveying deep sorrow and compassion.

【白话串讲】项羽自刎乌江，赤壁烧成火海，玉门关外老死了将军——张可久把千古兴亡浓缩成三句话，最后叹道：读书人一声长叹。元曲的苍凉，都在这声长叹里。【意象与手法】小令体制而容量宏大，用典如盐着水【情感与主旨】张可久是元散曲清丽派宗匠，一生仕途失意，游幕为生。此曲借秦汉以来英雄美人的悲局与民生疾苦抒发怀古伤今之慨【名句点睛】常考怀古伤今、关怀生民之旨，以及鼎足对与“一声长叹”的苍凉收束；三处典故所指须辨明

Background

Zhang Kejiu was a master of the Qingli (pure and refined) style of Yuan sanqu. Frustrated in his official career, he lived as a wandering secretary. This song uses tragic stories of heroes and beauties and the people's suffering to express nostalgia and present sorrow. Under the Yuan dynasty, literati had few opportunities, and Zhang's unique focus on the people's plight gives this piece a deep and compassionate tone.

张可久（约一二七〇—一三四八后），字小山，浙江庆元（今宁波）人，元代散曲清丽派代表作家，与乔吉并称双璧。其一生仕途蹭蹬，曾为路吏、首领官、幕僚，足迹遍及江南及湘、赣、皖、闽等地，晚年久居西湖。元代文人地位低落，科举长期废弛，多数士子沉抑下僚，张可久亦终身未显，遂以诗酒山水自遣，而兴亡之感、生民之痛常寄于曲中。此曲题为怀古，收在《小山乐府》。元曲怀古题材多借历史陈迹抒写兴亡之慨，自马致远《天净沙》至张养浩《山坡羊·潼关怀古》，已成抒情传统。张可久此作则于鼎足对三句铺陈英雄美人将相之悲剧后，陡然落到生民涂炭与读书人一声长叹，将怀古由帝王将相转向寻常百姓，立意特出，足见元季文人于乱世中对民瘼的深切体认，亦折射出异族统治下文士无力回天、唯余浩叹的典型心境。其创作之具体机缘虽或难详考，然置于诗人整体生平遭际与所处时代风气之中观之，此作之精神脉络与情感指向自可想见，亦足为知人论世者所重。全曲以怀古起兴，由繁华转瞬、功名虚幻之慨，归于超然物外之思，立意深远而措辞简古。作者置身元代衰世，借前朝遗迹抒写兴亡代谢之无常，其苍凉之怀与通达之见交织笔端，读来既觉沉郁，亦见旷达。

Art

Though a short sanqu, it carries vast content with seamless allusions. The first three lines form a tripod couplet using typical historical events to condense millennia of rise and fall; the character '空' (in vain) highlights the tragedy of wasted heroes. The last three lines move from concrete to abstract, from heroes to people, deepening layer by layer, ending with a somber and powerful long sigh.

此曲体式为中吕宫《卖花声》（即《升平乐》），小令而容量宏大。章法上三、三、三鼎足对起势：美人自刎乌江岸，战火曾烧赤壁山，将军空老玉门关，以项王、赤壁、玉门三典并列，时空跨越楚汉、三国、汉唐，举重若轻。三句同为名词加动词加地名结构，节奏铿锵，如三通画角，先声夺人。过片伤心秦汉，生民涂炭由典入议，以秦汉代指历代王朝，由个别英雄升华为普遍百姓苦难。读书人一声长叹收束全篇，以无可奈何之叹代直白议论，含蓄苍凉。全曲用典如盐着水，不堆砌而自然；结句以一声长叹反衬前面千军万马之壮，以柔克刚，余味悠长，深得散曲豪辣灏烂而又清丽之妙。其于短章之中融怀古、写民瘼、寄书生自伤，以小令之体而具史家之眼，在元曲怀古一体中别开生面。历来怀古多咏帝王将相之兴废，此曲独落笔于生民，格局尤胜，非徒以格律工巧、用典如盐见长者所能仿佛。其以小令写巨史、以淡语写沉痛，章法剪裁极为精悍。其章法以景引情、以史证理，层层递转而不露斧凿，用典自然，于短小幅中见波澜，足称小令之法。

Allusions

The first line alludes to Consort Yu committing suicide after Xiang Yu's defeat at the Wujiang River. The second line refers to the Battle of Red Cliffs during the Three Kingdoms. The third line recalls Ban Chao, who spent his final years at Yumen Pass after a lifetime serving the Han frontier. The phrase '生民涂炭' (people in dire straits) originates from the Book of Documents, shifting focus to the suffering of the masses.

三处用典须辨：其一美人自刎乌江岸用项羽兵败垓下、虞姬自刎、羽自刎乌江典故，出《史记·项羽本纪》；其二战火曾烧赤壁山用建安十三年赤壁之战，周瑜火攻破曹公，出《三国志》及苏轼前后《赤壁赋》所咏；其三将军空老玉门关用班超投笔从戎、镇守西域三十一年，暮年上书乞归，不敢望到酒泉郡，但愿生入玉门关，出《后汉书·班超传》。三典一为悲剧英雄，一为战火功业，一为老死边关，皆空字意脉——美人与英雄终归黄土，将军空老而未竟，暗合空之虚无。又生民涂炭语本《尚书·仲虺之诰》民坠涂炭及《孟子》，言百姓如陷泥涂炭火。字词上自刎、空老之空字训诂：空，徒然也，状功业成空、生命虚掷，与结句一声长叹呼应，可见炼字之精，亦见怀古之旨不在褒贬而在哀挽。观《卖花声·怀古》用典使事之妙，正在于不泥于古而能化用无痕，信手拈来皆成佳境，既增诗境之厚重，又不失自然浑成之趣，非徒摭拾故实以炫博者也。其寄意遥深，尤耐人寻味。

Commentary

Modern scholar Wu Mei praised Zhang Kejiu as the orthodox master of the Qingli school. This piece uniquely focuses on the 'people in misery' amid historical regrets, showing an uncommon vision. Ren Ne remarked that his short songs have 'sorrowful emotion and unique character,' making this an outstanding piece of Yuan nostalgia.

此曲向与张养浩《山坡羊·潼关怀古》并提，同以怀古写民生，然张作直斥兴，百姓苦；亡，百姓苦，小山则出以含蓄，以读书人一声长叹收束，于无奈中见悲悯，后世论者谓其清丽中见沉郁。明代朱权《太和正音谱》评张可久词如披太华之仙风，虽指其清丽本色，此曲却于清丽外更具苍凉之致。近代任讷《曲谱》及隋树森《全元散曲》均收此作，定为怀古名篇。其传播之广，尤在一声长叹之结，成为后世咏史抒怀惯用收煞。今人读之，既能见元散曲由艳科转向社会关怀之轨迹，亦可见士子在异族统治下借古抒愤之典型心态。王国维论元曲自然之境，此曲以白话入曲、以叹代言，殆近之矣。全曲由英雄美人的历史悲局转向生民涂炭的现实悲悯，立意之新、寄慨之深，足为元季文人借古抒愤之代表。张可久一生沉抑下僚，游幕终身，其曲清丽而时带沉郁，此作以一声长叹殿后，读之可想见其身处异族之世、心忧天下而无力回天的典型心境，诚小令中之史笔也。其小令体制而气象宏阔，足为元曲怀古一体之范。其语言本色自然，不事雕琢而余味悠长，于浅近中见沉厚，正元曲所长；怀古之思与身世之感交融，遂成苍凉隽永之致。诚为一代之佳构，足堪讽咏。

Prosody

Form Zhonglü Mode, Tune 'Selling Flowers' (also known as 'Shengping Yue'), by Zhang Kejiu中吕宫·卖花声（小令，元散曲）

Rhyme Short song, follows Zhonglü mode rhyme; first three lines form a tripod couplet listing historical events, last three lines express emotion.句式为七、七、七、四、四、七，共六句。依《中原音韵》押寒山部，韵脚为山、关、汉、炭、叹（首句岸字可不入韵）。平上去通押，乃北曲用韵特点。

Tone pattern The first three lines use parallel allusions; the transition shifts to commentary; the final line ends with a 'long sigh,' leaving a desolate resonance.散曲不守近体诗严式平仄，然三鼎足对句法整齐，多用律句，首三句皆为七言律句变体，节奏铿锵。

Reading note It breaks away from conventional nostalgia by focusing on the people's suffering, a fine example of Yuan sanqu using history to show compassion for the people.此曲体制虽为小令，篇幅短小而容量宏大，乃元散曲怀古一体之范。其声律之妙在鼎足对三句以相同句法叠加，造成如三通画角般的递进气势，而末句读书人一声长叹以舒缓长叹收束，由壮入悲，声情相生。北曲用韵平上去通押，寒山部开口呼响亮，与苍凉慨叹正相称。全曲以白话入曲，不事雕琢而自然浑成，恰合王国维所倡元曲自然之境。小令能于二十八字开篇囊括楚汉、三国、汉唐三段兴亡，复以四句落到生民与书生，章法剪裁极见手段，诚为怀古小令的上乘之作。要之，《卖花声·怀古》于格律一道，或严守或权变，皆以协畅诵读、助成意境为归，形式与内容相得益彰，乃其所以传唱不衰之一端。

Line by line

美人自刎乌江岸，战火曾烧赤壁山，将军空老玉门关。

Three historical allusions: Consort Yu's suicide by Wujiang River, the burning of Red Cliffs, and Ban Chao's wasted years at Yumen Pass—all depicting the futility of heroes and war.

美人自刎在乌江岸边，战火曾烧红赤壁群山，将军徒然老死在玉门关。

The beauty slit her throat by the Wu River bank; war fires once burned the Red Cliff hills; the general grew old in vain at the Jade Gate Pass.

此三句为全曲鼎足对起势，以项羽、赤壁、班超三则历史悲剧并列铺陈，时空纵横楚汉、三国、汉唐，举千年兴废于二十八字之中。句法皆为名词加动词加地名，节奏整饬而声调悲壮，如三通画角先声夺人。美人与英雄、战火与老死对举，暗藏一个空字意脉：无论绝代姿容还是盖世功业，终归黄土，将军空老玉门而功未竟。三句不著议论，纯以意象叠加造成历史虚无的沉重感，为下文转到生民涂炭蓄势，是小令中极具容量的开篇手法。

These three lines open in a balanced triplet, laying three historical tragedies side by side — Xiang Yu and Consort Yu, the Red Cliff, Ban Chao — across Chu-Han, the Three Kingdoms, and the Han, gathering a thousand years of rise and fall into twenty-eight characters. The grammar runs noun-verb-place throughout, the rhythm measured, the tone somber and grand, like three war-trumpets striking first. Beauty and hero, war-fire and old age set against each other, a hidden thread of 'in vain': whether peerless beauty or matchless achievement, all end in yellow earth; the general, old in vain at the Jade Gate, his work unfinished. No argument in the three lines, only layered imagery building the weight of history's void, priming the turn to the suffering of the people below — an opening of unusual scope for a short song.

伤心秦汉，生民涂炭，读书人一声长叹。

The heartache over Qin and Han dynasties' rise and fall, the people suffering like mud and ashes, and a scholar's helpless sigh—the focus shifts to the common people's plight.

伤心啊秦汉的兴亡，百姓遭际如同涂炭，读书人只能一声长叹。

Heart-breaking are the Qin and Han; the people are in mire and charcoal; the scholar heaves a long sigh.

过片由历史典实陡然落到现实悲悯，以秦汉代指历代王朝兴废，由个别英雄升华为天下百姓的普遍苦难。生民涂炭语出经典，极写乱世黎民如陷泥涂炭火之惨。结句读书人一声长叹是全曲词眼，作者不直发议论，而以无可奈何的一声长叹收束，以柔克刚，于无声处听惊雷。这一叹既是对生民疾苦的悲悯，又是文士无力回天的自伤，含蓄苍凉，余味悠长，将怀古之旨从帝王将相扭转向寻常百姓，立意远超一般怀古之作。

The turn drops from historical allusions to present pity: 'Qin and Han' stand for the rise and fall of all dynasties, the individual heroes rising to the common suffering of the people. 'The people are in mire and charcoal,' from the classics, writes the plight of the age's folk as if sunk in mud and fire. The closing 'the scholar heaves a long sigh' is the eye of the song: the poet argues nothing, but closes in a helpless sigh, soft overcoming hard, thunder heard in silence. The sigh is pity for the people's suffering, and self-grief at the scholar's powerlessness — reserved and vast, long in aftertone, twisting the theme of historical meditation from emperors and generals to ordinary folk, its intent far beyond common meditations on the past.

Study

Word focus

空 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 空字是三鼎足对中的诗眼，训为徒然、枉然。将军空老玉门关一句，写班超镇守西域三十一年，暮年乞归而生入玉门关而不得，功业未竟、生命虚掷，一空字道尽英雄末路的悲凉。此字又与首两句美人自刎、战火曾烧相呼应，无论绝代姿容或盖世功业，终归成空，历史兴废不过如此。更妙在空字为下文化入生民涂炭与一声长叹埋下虚无的基调，使怀古之慨由具体的英雄悲剧升华为对人生功业皆空的哲思，炼字精到而意脉贯通。

长叹 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 长叹置于全曲收束处，是读书人一声长叹的点睛之笔。叹为古诗常见抒情收煞，然此叹冠以长字，状其悠长无尽、回肠荡气，非一时感喟而是积郁千年的沉痛。作者不取直白议论如兴亡之叹百姓苦，而代以一声长叹，以声写情，含蓄蕴藉，于无声处听惊雷。这声长叹既是为秦汉以来生民涂炭而悲，也是异族统治下文士沉抑下僚、无力回天的自伤，将个人命运与历史兴亡打成一片，余味悠长，成为后世咏史抒怀惯用的苍凉收煞。