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元 Yuan · 散曲 Sanqu song

水仙子·讥时

Song of Water Immortal: Satire on the Times

张鸣善

Zhang Mingshan

讽喻Satire 感怀Melancholy

铺眉苫眼早三公，裸袖揎拳享万钟。
胡言乱语成时用，大纲来都是哄。
说英雄谁是英雄？
五眼鸡岐山鸣凤，两头蛇南阳卧龙，三脚猫渭水飞熊。

Those who raise eyebrows and frown are already the Three Dukes;
Baring arms and clenching fists enjoy ten thousand zhong.
Nonsense and wild talk are in vogue; in short, it's all a hoax.
Speaking of heroes, who is a hero?
A five-eyed chicken pretends to be the phoenix of Mount Qi;
A two-headed snake acts like the Sleeping Dragon of Nanyang;
A three-legged cat poses as the Flying Bear of Weishui.

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Meaning

This satirical song exposes the absurdity of corrupt officials and false heroes. It depicts how mediocre men occupy high positions and pretenders claim to be great sages.

那些挤眉弄眼之徒早已位至三公，捋袖挥拳的莽汉却享受万钟厚禄。胡言乱语反倒合于时宜，总而言之全都是哄骗。要问谁是真正的英雄？那不过是五眼鸡自称岐山鸣凤，两头蛇冒充南阳卧龙，三脚猫假作渭水飞熊。

Appreciation

The poem uses vivid imagery and colloquial language to mock the political decay of the late Yuan dynasty. The final three lines form a triplet that bitterly satirizes impostors, merging folk idioms with classical allusions.

【白话串讲】张鸣善骂当时的官场：会装腔作势的当了高官，会耍拳脚的享高薪，胡言乱语的成了时用。“说英雄谁是英雄？五眼鸡岐山鸣凤”——元曲里最辛辣的讽刺。【意象与手法】前二句以「铺眉苫眼」「裸袖揎拳」的漫画式白描，写无能之徒据高位、享厚禄，对比强烈。三、四句「胡言乱语成时用，大纲来都是哄」以口语直斥世道虚妄。五句「说英雄谁是英雄」以反问振起。结三句「五眼鸡…两头蛇…三脚猫…」以鼎足对排比，将凡鸟毒虫冒托圣哲，讽刺入骨，嬉笑怒骂皆成文章。【情感与主旨】张鸣善（约1310—约1380），名择，号顽老子，元末明初散曲家。《水仙子·讥时》是其讽世名作。元末政治腐败，官场黑暗，奸佞当道而贤才埋没。此曲以辛辣讽刺揭露当时「庸才居上位、英雄沉下僚」的荒诞现实，是元散曲讽喻一脉的杰作。【名句点睛】常考结三句的讽刺手法，「五眼鸡、两头蛇、三脚猫」指代什么、有何表达效果；「大纲来都是哄」的口语直斥；元散曲讽喻传统的艺术特色。

Background

Zhang Mingshan (c. 1310–1380), a Sanqu writer of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, composed this as a famous satire. The late Yuan period saw political corruption and talent suppression, which inspired the poem's sharp critique of 'mediocrities in high posts and heroes in obscurity.'

张鸣善，名择，号顽老子，平阳（今山西临汾）人，后寓居扬州，元末明初散曲家，生卒约在1310至1380年间。他身处元末乱世，目睹朝廷纲纪废弛、吏治腐败：权臣把持朝政，卖官鬻爵，贤才沉沦下僚，宵小窃据高位。据史载，元末特别是元顺帝一朝，权臣伯颜、哈麻等相继擅权，朝政糜烂至极，官场之上「黄金买爵、白丁封侯」的现象触目皆是。张鸣善虽以才学知名，却一生未获重用，沦落江湖，对官场的黑暗有切肤之痛。此曲即是对这种「庸才居上位、英雄沉下僚」荒诞现实的辛辣讽刺：那些装模作样、胡言乱语之徒居然位列三公、享受万钟，而真才实学之士却报国无门。曲题「讥时」，直指时世，痛快淋漓，是元散曲讽喻传统中的杰作，也为我们留下了元末社会众生相的生动剪影。元末社会的全面腐朽，为讽刺文学提供了最肥沃的土壤：官吏贪墨、豪强兼并、水旱频仍、民变四起，而朝廷上下依然醉生梦死、争权夺利。张鸣善身为落魄文人，虽怀才具而不得用，冷眼旁观这幕乱世活剧，遂以曲为匕首，写下这首痛快淋漓的讽刺杰作。曲中「三公」「万钟」之尊与「铺眉苫眼」「裸袖揎拳」之丑的强烈反差，正是元末官场「金玉其外、败絮其中」的缩影；而「五眼鸡」「两头蛇」「三脚猫」的市井俗喻，更以民间的智慧戳穿了权贵自诩的英雄神话，全曲嬉笑怒骂的背后，是元末文人深沉的愤世之情与清醒的批判意识。

Art

The first two lines use caricature ('raise eyebrows and frown', 'bare arms and clench fists') to contrast the undeserving high status of the incompetent. The third and fourth lines employ colloquial language to condemn worldly hypocrisy. The final triplet uses a three-line parallelism (鼎足对) and inverted allusions to mock false heroes.

此曲嬉笑怒骂、痛快淋漓，艺术上最见功力的是层层递进的讽刺结构。前二句「铺眉苫眼早三公，裸袖揎拳享万钟」以漫画式白描写尽官场丑态：「铺眉苫眼」写挤眉弄眼、装模作样之辈，「裸袖揎拳」写捋袖挥拳、粗鲁无礼之徒，这两类人竟能位至三公、享万钟厚禄，讽刺的矛头直指官场用人制度的荒谬。三、四句「胡言乱语成时用，大纲来都是哄」由具体到概括，以口语直斥世道：胡说八道反而合时合用，总而言之都是骗人的把戏，一针见血。五句「说英雄谁是英雄」以反问振起，是全曲的转折点，由讥斥庸才转入追问英雄，为结句蓄势。结三句「五眼鸡岐山鸣凤，两头蛇南阳卧龙，三脚猫渭水飞熊」以鼎足对排比，将凡鸟、毒蛇、病猫冒托圣贤，以假乱真，讽刺入骨。全曲由丑态到实质、由现象到本质、由庸才到假英雄，层层递进，嬉笑怒骂皆成文章。此曲在艺术上的层层递进也极具匠心：前二句以漫画白描立「丑」之象，三、四句以口语直斥揭「哄」之实，五句以设问振起启「真」之问，末三句以鼎足对排比答「假」之谬，四层之间，由表及里、由斥到问、由问到答，逻辑严密而气势如虹。尤妙者在于结句的「反用」：不直接骂权贵是废物，而借圣贤之名与俗物之实并置，让读者自行对比、自行发笑、自行愤怒，讽刺的力量在读者的会心一笑中达到顶点，正是元散曲「以俗为讽」艺术的最高境界。

Allusions

'Three Dukes' refers to the highest official posts; 'ten thousand zhong' alludes to Mencius's criticism of undeserved wealth. 'Phoenix of Mount Qi' symbolizes a wise ruler/minister; 'Sleeping Dragon of Nanyang' refers to Zhuge Liang; 'Flying Bear of Weishui' refers to Jiang Ziya. The poem inverts these allusions to expose impostors.

此曲用典精妙，全在「反用」二字。「三公」为周代最高官职（太师、太傅、太保），后世泛指朝廷显贵；「万钟」用《孟子》「万钟则不辩礼义而受之」语，指优厚的俸禄——孟子原意是批评不辨礼义而接受万钟之禄的人，此处正用其意，讥刺那些不配高位而窃据厚禄之徒。「岐山鸣凤」用周文王时凤鸣岐山、预示周室兴盛的典故，喻指济世贤才；「南阳卧龙」指隐居南阳的诸葛亮；「渭水飞熊」用姜太公渭水垂钓、周文王「飞熊入梦」而得贤辅之典。三典皆喻古代圣贤辅臣，本应指真才实学、济世安邦之人，此处却与「五眼鸡」（多眼之鸡，怪异之禽）、「两头蛇」（传说中不祥的毒蛇）、「三脚猫」（比喻技艺不精者）对举——凡鸟冒充鸣凤，毒蛇冒充卧龙，病猫冒充飞熊，翻典成讽，以古讽今，机锋犀利，把「假英雄」的丑态揭露得淋漓尽致，正是元散曲「以俗为讽」的典范。就典故的运用而言，此曲体现了元散曲「用典如用家常话」的特点：三公、万钟、鸣凤、卧龙、飞熊皆出自经史，是文人耳熟能详的圣贤典故；五眼鸡、两头蛇、三脚猫则是市井俗语，是百姓日常取笑的谈资。张鸣善将雅俗两端强行并置，以圣贤之名配凡俗之物，造成极度的不协调，其喜剧效果与讽刺力度皆由此而生——这种「以俗解雅、以雅衬俗」的用典方式，正是元曲对传统诗歌用典艺术的创造性改造，也见散曲作为「俗文学」的独特审美品格。

Commentary

Modern critics pair this poem with Zhang Yanghao's 'Tong Pass in Retrospect' as masterpieces of Sanqu satire. Ren Zhongmin in 'Introduction to Sanqu' praises its 'vulgar yet ironic, vigorous and unrestrained' style. Some suggest the poem alludes to the powerful minister Berke and the chaos of the late Yuan.

张鸣善此曲在元散曲讽喻之作中占有重要地位，近人论元散曲讽世传统，常将其与张养浩《山坡羊·潼关怀古》并提：一讽时一伤政，一辛辣一沉郁，同为元散曲批判精神的代表。任中敏《散曲概论》评张鸣善「以俗为讽，痛快淋漓」，正切中此曲的风格。一说此曲暗指元末权相伯颜及当时乱象，虽无确证，亦可备一说，足见此曲讽刺的现实指向之强。元散曲与诗词不同，以俚俗为美、以嬉笑怒骂为能事，张鸣善此曲正是将这一文体特性发挥到极致的作品：它把庙堂的庄严彻底解构，将三公、万钟、鸣凤、卧龙、飞熊这些圣贤典故与五眼鸡、两头蛇、三脚猫这些市井俗物并置，雅与俗的极端反差构成巨大的讽刺张力。曲虽短小，而批判的力量、思想的锋芒、艺术的新颖，皆臻上乘，是元末文人以曲为剑、针砭时弊的绝佳标本。从文学史看，此曲与元代其他讽刺散曲共同构成了中国文学史上讽刺艺术的高峰：元代以前，诗歌讽刺多含蓄蕴藉，讲究「主文谲谏」；元散曲则直斥无讳、嬉笑怒骂，把讽刺的锋芒赤裸裸地亮出，这种「泼辣」正是俗文学对雅文学的重大突破。张鸣善此曲与睢景臣《高祖还乡》、刘时中《正宫·端正好·上高监司》等并列为元曲讽刺名篇，其以市井俗语写庙堂丑态、以喜剧笔法写悲剧现实的艺术，对后世的讽刺文学（如明清小品、讽刺小说）有深远影响，至今读来仍觉痛快淋漓、发人深省。

Prosody

Form Sanqu in Shuangdiao mode, tune 'Water Immortal'元散曲·双调《水仙子》小令

Rhyme gong, zhong, yong, hong, xiong, long, xiong (Eastern Bell rhyme)押《中原音韵》东钟韵：「公、钟、用、哄、雄、龙、熊」一韵到底，句句押韵，音韵铿锵。

Tone pattern Not strict on tonal patterns, irregular sentence lengths散曲不严究平仄，句式错落（七七七五五、七七七），重句句押韵与气脉流畅，声调高亢激越。

Reading note Zhang Mingshan's famous satire, using triplet parallelism and inverted allusions.《水仙子》为双调曲牌，句式以七七七五五、七七七为主，末三句多用鼎足对。此曲依律而填，句句押东钟韵，「公、钟、用、哄、雄、龙、熊」七韵一押到底，韵字洪亮开阔（东钟韵属洪亮韵类），声调高亢激越，正合嬉笑怒骂的讽刺基调——韵脚的铿锵如连珠炮响，把讽刺的锋芒一句句送出去。曲律较诗词宽松，不严究平仄，张鸣善遂得以尽情挥洒口语俗语（「铺眉苫眼」「大纲来」「五眼鸡」「三脚猫」），而句句押韵的约束又使这俗语保持了一气呵成的节奏感。末三句鼎足对是《水仙子》曲牌的特色，此曲将之发挥到极致：三句三典三俗物，两两对举、排比而出，音律上工整铿锵，内容上层层递进，形式与内容高度统一。全曲以俚俗之语、铿锵之韵、排比之格，将元末官场的黑暗讽刺得淋漓尽致，是散曲「以俗为美、以讽为骨」的典范之作。

Line by line

铺眉苫眼早三公，裸袖揎拳享万钟

Those who raise eyebrows and frown are already the Three Dukes; baring arms and clenching fists enjoy ten thousand zhong. This caricature shows how mediocre and crude men occupy high positions and enjoy lavish rewards.

那些挤眉弄眼之徒早已位至三公，捋袖挥拳的莽汉却享受万钟厚禄。

Eyebrows arched and eyes put on, early made Three Dukes; sleeves bared and fists rolled, they enjoy the ten-thousand bushels.

起笔两句以漫画式白描，为全曲的讽刺立下靶子。「铺眉苫眼」写挤眉弄眼、装模作样的神态，「裸袖揎拳」写捋袖挥拳、粗鲁蛮横的举动，一「文」一「武」，都是十足的无能丑态，却一个「早三公」、一个「享万钟」，早早登上显位、坐享厚禄。「早」字最堪玩味：不是终于熬到，而是早早窃据，讽刺其升迁之蹊跷；「享」字写其不劳而获、坐享其成。两句以丑态对高位、以粗鄙对厚禄，强烈的反差使讽刺力度倍增——越是不配，越是显贵，官场的荒谬已不言自明。起笔即用漫画白描与强烈对比，不待议论而讥刺已出，正是散曲「快人快语」的本色，也为后文的直斥与结句的翻典蓄足了势。

The opening two lines, in caricature plain description, set the target of the song's satire. 'Eyebrows arched and eyes put on' the simpering pose of pretense; 'sleeves bared and fists rolled' the rough, bullying swagger — one 'civil,' one 'military,' both utterly contemptible postures, yet one 'early made Three Dukes,' the other 'enjoy the ten-thousand bushels,' early seated in high office, sitting on rich salary. The word 'early' is worth the savor: not reached at last, but occupied too soon, satirizing the mystery of their promotion; 'enjoy' the unearned, sitting-on-achievement ease. Two lines, ugly pose against high station, coarseness against rich salary, the sharp contrast multiplying the satire — the more unworthy, the more elevated, the absurdity of officialdom self-evident. Opening already in caricature and sharp contrast, satire present before argument — the sanqu's 'quick tongue' native manner, charging the direct indictment and the closing's reversed allusion below.

胡言乱语成时用，大纲来都是哄

Nonsense and wild talk are in vogue; in short, it's all a hoax. This blunt, colloquial line condemns the deceitfulness of the times.

胡言乱语反倒合于时宜，总而言之全都是哄骗。

Wild talk and nonsense are the mode of the age; when all is said, it is all a fraud.

此两句由具体丑态上升到对世道的整体判断，是全曲的纲目。「胡言乱语成时用」写时代风气之荒谬：说话行事颠倒黑白，胡说八道反而合时合用、大行其道——「成时用」三字最冷峻，它揭示的不是个别人的劣行，而是整个时代以荒唐为时尚、以虚妄为有用的病态。「大纲来都是哄」是元人口语，「大纲来」即「总而言之」，「哄」即哄骗、胡闹，这一句以市井俚语直斥世道本质：满朝上下、普天之下，全都是骗人的把戏。两句一雅一俗、一具体一概括，「胡言乱语」与「都是哄」前后呼应，把讽刺从官场扩大到整个时代，语带不屑而掷地有声。此两句是全曲由叙事到论断的枢纽，也为结句「说英雄谁是英雄」的追问铺垫了荒诞的时代背景——在「都是哄」的世道里，哪里还有真的英雄？

These two lines rise from particular ugly poses to a whole judgment of the age, the song's thesis. 'Wild talk and nonsense are the mode of the age' — the absurdity of the time: speech and act inverted, black called white, nonsense the very fashion, the words 'the mode of the age' the coldest — not the misdeeds of individuals, but a whole era that takes absurdity for its mode, delusion for usefulness. 'When all is said, it is all a fraud' — Yuan colloquialism, 'when all is said' meaning 'in sum,' 'fraud' meaning deception and nonsense, the line using market speech to indict the age's essence: court and country, all under heaven, nothing but a cheating show. Two lines, one elegant one vernacular, one particular one general, 'wild talk and nonsense' answering 'all a fraud,' expanding the satire from officialdom to the whole era, the voice disdainful and ringing. The two lines are the hinge from narrative to verdict, priming the absurd backdrop for the closing question of 'who is the hero': in an age where 'all is fraud,' where are the true heroes?

说英雄谁是英雄

Speaking of heroes, who is a hero? This rhetorical question sets up the final satirical punch.

要问谁是真正的英雄？

They talk of heroes — who is a hero?

此句是全曲唯一的设问句，也是由讥时到讽人的转折枢纽，独立成行，格外醒目。「说英雄」三字似有无限感慨：世人都说英雄，满口英雄，可是「谁是英雄」？一个反问，把前面讽刺的锋芒收拢到「英雄」二字上——既然胡言乱语成时用、一切都是哄骗，那么这满世界的「英雄」，究竟是真是假？此句的问而不答，为结三句的排比蓄势：答案不言自明，那些自诩英雄之辈，不过是以假乱真的冒牌货。此句还暗含张鸣善的深层感慨：元末天下大乱，正是呼唤英雄之时，而庙堂之上却尽是宵小，英雄何在？「说」与「是」的重复、「英雄」二字的回环，使此句读来铿锵有力，如当头棒喝，正是散曲「以问振起、以答收束」的典型手法，也是全曲由讽刺进入更深层追问的关节。

This line is the song's single question, and the turning hinge from mocking the age to mocking the men, set alone on its line, the more striking. 'They talk of heroes' seems to hold infinite feeling: the world talks of heroes, mouths full of heroes, yet 'who is a hero?' — a rhetorical question gathering the edge of the earlier satire onto the two words 'hero': since wild talk is the mode and all is fraud, then in all this world's 'heroes,' which are true, which false? Asked without answer, priming the排比 of the closing three lines: the answer self-evident — those who call themselves heroes are nothing but counterfeits, false passing for true. The line also holds Zhang Mingshan's deep grief: the late-Yuan world in chaos, precisely the hour that calls for heroes, yet above the court nothing but petty men — where is the hero? The repetition of 'talk' and 'is,' the looping of 'hero,' make the line ring like a sudden warning, the typical sanqu art of 'opening in question, closing in answer,' and the joint by which the song enters a deeper inquiry.

五眼鸡岐山鸣凤，两头蛇南阳卧龙，三脚猫渭水飞熊

A five-eyed chicken pretends to be the phoenix of Mount Qi; a two-headed snake acts like the Sleeping Dragon of Nanyang; a three-legged cat poses as the Flying Bear of Weishui. The triplet uses inverted allusions to mock impostors who claim the titles of great sages.

五眼鸡自称岐山鸣凤，两头蛇冒充南阳卧龙，三脚猫假作渭水飞熊。

The five-eyed chicken claims to be the phoenix crying on Mount Qi; the two-headed snake impersonates the Sleeping Dragon of Nanyang; the three-legged cat poses as the flying bear of the Wei River.

结三句是全曲讽刺的高潮，以鼎足对排比，将讽刺推向极致。「五眼鸡」指生了怪眼的鸡，「两头蛇」是传说中不祥的毒蛇，「三脚猫」喻技艺不精的庸碌之辈——三个市井俗物，分别对举「岐山鸣凤」（周文王时凤鸣岐山的祥瑞）、「南阳卧龙」（诸葛亮）、「渭水飞熊」（姜太公）三个圣贤典故，以凡鸟冒鸣凤、毒蛇充卧龙、病猫扮飞熊，两两对举，一一戳穿。妙在句法：不用比喻词，直接以「五眼鸡岐山鸣凤」的并置方式，把「实」与「名」的荒谬反差赤裸裸地摆出来——五眼鸡就是岐山鸣凤？两头蛇就是南阳卧龙？三脚猫就是渭水飞熊？不着一字议论，而讽刺之意自明。三句鼎足对排比而出，一气呵成，如连珠炮般将冒牌英雄一一轰倒，嬉笑怒骂、痛快淋漓，正是元散曲讽刺艺术的巅峰之笔。

The closing three lines are the peak of the song's satire, a balanced triplet of排比 driving it to the extreme. 'The five-eyed chicken' — a chicken with freakish eyes; 'the two-headed snake' — the legendary ill-omened serpent; 'the three-legged cat' — the jack of unfinished trade, the mediocre bungler; three vulgar market creatures set against 'the phoenix crying on Mount Qi' (the omen of King Wen's age), 'the Sleeping Dragon of Nanyang' (Zhuge Liang), 'the flying bear of the Wei River' (Jiang Ziya) — the barnyard bird for the phoenix, the serpent for the dragon, the sick cat for the bear, each pair exposed. The genius lies in syntax: no metaphor words, only the juxtaposition of 'the five-eyed chicken, the phoenix on Mount Qi,' laying bare the absurd contrast of 'real' and 'name' — is the five-eyed chicken the phoenix? the two-headed snake the Sleeping Dragon? the three-legged cat the flying bear? Not one word of argument, the satire self-evident. The balanced triplet in排比, one breath, like a string of shells knocking down the counterfeit heroes one by one, laughter and railing,痛快淋漓 — the peak of Yuan sanqu's satirical art.

Study

Word focus

铺眉苫眼 a proverb describing a pretentious and affected manner; a caricature of fawning officials 「铺眉苫眼早三公」之「铺眉苫眼」，是元代市井俗语，写装模作样、挤眉弄眼的神态，是全曲讽刺的第一个靶子。「铺眉」即舒展眉头、「苫眼」即以物遮眼，合起来指装腔作势、故作姿态——这种人不学无术，却最擅长在官场作秀，以表面的做派掩饰内里的空虚。此语入曲，尽显散曲以俚俗为美的本色：它不用「奸佞」「小人」等书面语，而用市井间形容人装模作样的鲜活口语，讽刺对象一下子从抽象的「坏人」变成了具体的、可笑的嘴脸。与下句「裸袖揎拳」（捋袖挥拳、粗鲁无礼）对举，一文一武两种丑态，正是官场两种典型：一种以虚伪作态上位，一种以蛮横无理窃禄，四字俗语，把元代官场的众生相画得惟妙惟肖。

大纲来 a Yuan colloquialism meaning 'in summary' or 'in short'; adds a blunt, dismissive tone 「大纲来都是哄」之「大纲来」，是元代北方口语，意为「总而言之、大体上」，是全曲由具体讥刺转入整体论断的关捩词。此语入曲，看似粗俗，实有妙用：它以一种「不跟你细说，总之就是」的满不在乎的口吻，对前面列举的种种丑态作总结——别管那些铺眉苫眼、裸袖揎拳的细节了，总而言之，这一切都是骗人的把戏。这种口语化的论断方式，比义正词严的声讨更显蔑视与不屑，仿佛看透了世道的老江湖拍案定论，冷峻干脆，掷地有声。「大纲来」还带着元曲特有的市井气息，与全曲嬉笑怒骂的基调相得益彰，正见散曲「以俗语写至理」的本领——最深刻的批判，往往藏在最俚俗的措辞里。

飞熊 inverted allusion to Jiang Ziya who was said to be found by King Wen due to a dream of a flying bear; here used ironically to mock impostors 「三脚猫渭水飞熊」之「飞熊」，是全曲反用典故的巅峰，也是讽刺力度最强的一个词。「飞熊」典出姜太公：传说周文王梦飞熊入帐，占之以为将得贤辅，后果然于渭水之滨访得太公垂钓，遂拜为师，姜太公遂以「飞熊」名世。此典本指济世安邦的大贤，张鸣善却将其与「三脚猫」——元代俗语中技艺不精、只会三脚猫功夫的庸碌之辈——直接并置：「三脚猫渭水飞熊」，三脚猫就是渭水飞熊？以最不堪的俗物冒充最崇高的圣贤，将典故的意义彻底翻转，翻典成讽，机锋毕露。与前两句「五眼鸡岐山鸣凤」「两头蛇南阳卧龙」合成鼎足对，三典齐翻、三俗并陈，把元末官场那些自诩英雄的冒牌货一一钉在讽刺的柱子上，一字一词皆是匕首投枪，正是张鸣善讽刺艺术最锋利的刀锋。