元 Yuan · 曲 Qu song
夜行船·秋思
Yexingchuan: Autumn Thought
蛩吟罢一觉才宁贴，鸡鸣时万事无休歇。
何年是彻？
看密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血。
裴公绿野堂，陶令白莲社。
爱秋来时那些：和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶。
想人生有限杯，浑几个重阳节？
人问我顽童记者：便北海探吾来，道东篱醉了也。
Meaning
The closing song of Ma Zhiyuan's 'Autumn Thought' suite mocks the bustling world of seekers after gain and celebrates a defiant retirement — plucking chrysanthemums, simmering crabs, burning red leaves, and turning away even a famous visitor with a laugh of drunken ease.
蟋蟀吟罢、一觉方得安帖，鸡一鸣万事又无休歇。何时才是尽头？看那密匝匝蚂蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜜蜂酿蜜，急攘攘苍蝇争血（争名夺利）。裴度有绿野堂，陶潜入白莲社。我爱秋来这些：带露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶。想人生不过有限几杯，能有几个重阳节？人若问我，顽童记着：便说北海孔融来探，道我东篱醉了也。
Appreciation
The song begins with the cricket's song and cock-crow, day and night of restless toil without end; then 'when will it ever end?' introduces three tripod-parallel lines — ants, bees, flies — that sharply mock the ugly scramble for profit. It turns to Lord Pei's hall and Tao Qian's society as models of retirement, then to the joys of autumn: dew-fresh blooms, frost crabs, wine and red leaves burned. Closing on 'life allows but a few cups' and the humorous 'say Master Dongli is drunk', it is at once scornful and free. A masterpiece of the Yuan suite, with 'Autumn Thought' it forms Ma's twin glories of autumn.
【白话串讲】 “蛩吟罢一觉才宁贴，鸡鸣时万事无休歇”——马致远写秋思：看人生如“密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血”——蚂蚁排兵，蜜蜂酿蜜，苍蝇争血。“和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶”——他选择归隐生活。 【意象与手法】 “蚁排兵、蜂酿蜜、蝇争血”三组比喻鼎足对仗，尖刻写尽争利丑态；“和露摘黄花”三句写隐逸之乐；以“北海探吾”的幽默收尾，傲兀洒脱。 【情感与主旨】 借秋思冷眼世态、张扬隐逸傲骨，是马致远套数代表作，与《天净沙·秋思》并其“秋思”双璧。 【名句点睛】 “密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血”——以三组比喻写尽争名夺利之丑，尖刻成讽，遂成元曲名句。
Background
Ma Zhiyuan's 'Yexingchuan: Autumn Thought' is a famous Yuan suite; this is its closing song, 'Liting Yan Sha' (often singly called 'Autumn Thought'). It writes retirement into ease amid a cold world.
《夜行船·秋思》为元代马致远所作，是写秋日感怀、叹世归隐的散曲。马致远（约1250—约1321），号东篱，大都人，元代散曲家。此曲：蛩吟罢一觉才宁贴，鸡鸣时万事无休歇。何年是彻？看密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血。裴公绿野堂，陶令白莲社。爱秋来时那些：和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶。想人生有限杯，浑几个重阳节？人问我顽童记者：便北海探吾来，道东篱醉了也。全曲写秋日感怀、叹世归隐，是马致远曲的名篇。
Art
The closing song of the Yexingchuan suite: first tripod-parallel mockery of the world, then self-comparison with ancient worthies, then the joy of retirement and a philosophic close. The contrast is strong, the argument piercing yet humorous.
《夜行船·秋思》艺术上以尘世纷争的描摹与叹世归隐的旷达见长。全曲层层写来：首写世情扰攘——“蛩吟罢一觉才宁贴，鸡鸣时万事无休歇。何年是彻？”写蛩吟才宁、鸡鸣无歇、何年是彻，“看密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血”用蚁排兵蜂酿蜜蝇争血之喻写密匝匝蚁排兵、乱纷纷蜂酿蜜、急攘攘蝇争血；中写归隐之乐——“裴公绿野堂，陶令白莲社”用裴公绿野堂陶令白莲社之典写裴公绿野堂、陶令白莲社，“爱秋来时那些：和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶”写和露摘黄花、带霜烹紫蟹、煮酒烧红叶；末写人生之叹——“想人生有限杯，浑几个重阳节？”写人生有限杯、浑几个重阳节，“人问我顽童记者：便北海探吾来，道东篱醉了也”用北海之典写道东篱醉了也。全曲以尘世纷争写叹世归隐，正是马致远曲旷达的笔法。
Allusions
'Cricket' is the qiong (katydid). 'Ants arrayed, bees making honey, flies contending for blood' metaphor the world's scramble for gain. 'Lord Pei's Green Field Hall' is the retired villa of Pei Du. 'Tao Qian's White Lotus Society' alludes to Tao Yuanming joining the White Lotus Society. 'Yellow blooms' are chrysanthemums. 'Purple crabs' are autumn crabs. 'Beihai' is Kong Rong (once Minister of Beihai, 'my seat ever full of guests'). 'Dongli' is Ma Zhiyuan's own style name.
《夜行船·秋思》用典在“蚁排兵”“蜂酿蜜”“蝇争血”“裴公绿野堂”“陶令白莲社”“黄花”“紫蟹”“红叶”“北海”。“蚁排兵”写蚁排兵（蚁群如兵阵）；“蜂酿蜜”“蝇争血”写蜂酿蜜、蝇争血（喻争逐）；“裴公绿野堂”用裴度绿野堂之典；“陶令白莲社”用陶潜白莲社之典；“黄花”写黄花（菊）；“紫蟹”写紫蟹；“红叶”写红叶；“北海”用孔融北海之典。全曲以这些典故写秋日感怀、叹世归隐，用典自然而旷达自见，正是马致远曲的笔法。
Commentary
Zhou Deqing's 'Zhongyuan Yinyun' ranks this 'Autumn Thought' suite as 'one in ten thousand'; with Wang Shifu's 'West Chamber' it is a double pinnacle, and its closing mockery of the world is especially spirited.
《夜行船·秋思》是马致远曲的名篇，也是元代散曲中写叹世归隐的代表作。此曲写秋日感怀、叹世归隐，向为论者称道。论者多赏其尘世纷争的描摹与叹世归隐的旷达——“看密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血”用蚁排兵蜂酿蜜蝇争血之喻写密匝匝蚁排兵、乱纷纷蜂酿蜜、急攘攘蝇争血，旷达之极；“裴公绿野堂，陶令白莲社”用裴公绿野堂陶令白莲社之典写裴公绿野堂、陶令白莲社，更见其志；“和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶”写和露摘黄花、带霜烹紫蟹、煮酒烧红叶，尤见其乐；“便北海探吾来，道东篱醉了也”用北海之典写道东篱醉了也，尤见其达。马致远有“曲状元”之称，此曲正是其代表——以尘世纷争写叹世归隐，正是其曲风。
Prosody
Line by line
看密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血。
See the dense-ranked ants arrayed like soldiers, the disordered bees making honey, the hurried flies contending for blood.
看密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血。
See the ants in dense ranks mustering their hosts; the bees in a murmur making honey; the flies in a frantic scramble fighting for blood.
中用蚁排兵蜂酿蜜蝇争血之喻写密匝匝蚁排兵、乱纷纷蜂酿蜜、急攘攘蝇争血，是全曲写尘世纷争的名句。“看密匝匝蚁排兵”写密匝匝蚁排兵——“看密匝匝蚁排兵”写看密匝匝如蚁排兵——密匝匝蚁排兵；“乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血”写乱纷纷蜂酿蜜、急攘攘蝇争血——“乱纷纷蜂酿蜜”写乱纷纷如蜂酿蜜，“急攘攘蝇争血”写急攘攘如蝇争血——蜂酿蜜，蝇争血。三句写密匝匝蚁排兵、乱纷纷蜂酿蜜、急攘攘蝇争血：看密匝匝蚁排兵，乱纷纷蜂酿蜜，急攘攘蝇争血。以“密匝匝蚁排兵”写如蚁排兵、争斗不休，以“乱纷纷蜂酿蜜”写如蜂酿蜜、忙乱无已，以“急攘攘蝇争血”写如蝇争血、逐利不休，正是马致远曲写尘世纷争的名句——蚁阵蜂争，蝇血逐利。
The middle uses the ant-ranks, bee-honey, fly-blood metaphors to write the world's strife, the song's famous line on worldly conflict. 'See the ants, close-packed, marshalling their ranks' — like ants mustering, strife without end; 'the bees, confused, brewing their honey' — like bees making honey, busy without rest; 'the flies, hot and hustling, fighting for blood' — like flies fighting for blood, chasing gain without cease. The three lines — ant armies, bee strife, flies chasing blood — Ma Zhiyuan's famous writing of worldly conflict.
裴公绿野堂，陶令白莲社。
Lord Pei's Green-Wild Hall; Tao Yuanming's White-Lotus Society.
裴公绿野堂，陶令白莲社。
Lord Pei's Green Wild Hall; Master Tao's White Lotus Society.
中用裴公绿野堂陶令白莲社之典写裴公绿野堂、陶令白莲社，是全曲写归隐之志的深化。“裴公绿野堂”用裴度绿野堂之典写裴公绿野堂——“裴公绿野堂”用裴度绿野堂之典写裴公的绿野堂——裴公绿野堂；“陶令白莲社”用陶潜白莲社之典写陶令白莲社——“陶令白莲社”用陶潜白莲社之典写陶令的白莲社——陶令白莲社。二句写裴公绿野堂、陶令白莲社：裴公绿野堂，陶令白莲社。以“裴公绿野堂”用裴度绿野堂之典写裴公绿野、退隐之堂，以“陶令白莲社”用陶潜白莲社之典写陶令莲社、归隐之盟，正是马致远曲写归隐之志的深化——绿野之堂，莲社之盟。
This line uses the Green Wild Hall and the White Lotus Society allusions to deepen the will to retreat. 'Lord Pei's Green Wild Hall' uses Pei Du's Green Wild Hall, the retired statesman's leisure; 'Tao Yuanming's White-Lotus Society' uses Tao Qian's lotus fellowship, the recluse's vow. The two lines — the Green Wild Hall, the Lotus Society — Ma Zhiyuan's deepening of the recluse's will.
爱秋来时那些：和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶。
I love what autumn brings: plucking yellow blooms with the dew, simmering purple crabs with frost, boiling wine and burning red leaves.
爱秋来时那些：和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶。
What I love when autumn comes: plucking yellow flowers in the dew, cooking purple crabs in the frost, boiling wine, burning red leaves.
此句用黄花紫蟹红叶之语写和露摘黄花、带霜烹紫蟹、煮酒烧红叶，是全曲写秋日之乐的名句。“爱秋来时那些”写爱秋来时那些——“爱秋来时那些”写爱秋日来时那些乐事——爱秋来时那些；“和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶”写和露摘黄花、带霜烹紫蟹、煮酒烧红叶——“和露摘黄花”写带露采摘黄花，“带霜烹紫蟹”写带霜烹煮紫蟹，“煮酒烧红叶”写煮酒烧红叶——摘黄花，烹紫蟹，烧红叶。四句写和露摘黄花、带霜烹紫蟹、煮酒烧红叶：爱秋来时那些：和露摘黄花，带霜烹紫蟹，煮酒烧红叶。以“和露摘黄花”写带露摘菊、秋色之乐，以“带霜烹紫蟹”写带霜烹蟹、秋味之乐，以“煮酒烧红叶”写煮酒烧叶、秋兴之乐，正是马致远曲写秋日之乐的名句——和露黄花，带霜紫蟹，煮酒红叶。
This line uses the yellow chrysanthemum, purple crab, red leaf to write the joys of autumn, the song's famous line. 'What I love when autumn comes' — the delights of autumn; 'plucking yellow chrysanthemums in the dew, steaming purple crabs in the frost, brewing wine, burning red leaves' — chrysanthemums in the dew, crabs in the frost, wine on red leaves. The four lines — plucking the chrysanthemums, cooking the crabs, burning the leaves — Ma Zhiyuan's famous writing of autumn joy.
便北海探吾来，道东篱醉了也。
Should the man of Beihai come calling, say Master Dongli is drunk
便北海探吾来，道东篱醉了也。
Though the Lord of Beihai comes to call on me, I tell him: East Fence is drunk.
末用北海之典写便北海探吾来、道东篱醉了也，是全曲写旷达之态的归结。“便北海探吾来”用孔融北海之典写便北海探吾来——“便北海探吾来”用孔融（北海）好客之典写即便北海太守来访——便北海探吾来；“道东篱醉了也”写东篱醉了也——“道东篱醉了也”写也只道东篱醉倒了——道东篱醉了也。二句写便北海探吾来、道东篱醉了也：便北海探吾来，道东篱醉了也。以“便北海探吾来”用孔融北海之典写北海来客、不拘礼节，以“道东篱醉了也”写自道东篱醉倒、逍遥之态，正是马致远曲写旷达之态的归结——北海来客，东篱醉也。
The closing uses the Beihai allusion to write the broad-minded close. 'Though the Lord of Beihai comes to seek me' uses Kong Rong, the hospitable Lord of Beihai, even if he comes to visit; 'I tell him: East-Fence is drunk' saying only that East Fence has drunk himself down. The two lines — the Beihai visitor, East Fence drunk — Ma Zhiyuan's resolution of the broad-minded pose.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
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西厢记·端正好 Romance of the Western Chamber: Duan Zhenghao 王实甫 · 同为元曲写秋景，一写叹世归隐一写长亭送别，一旷一怨 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
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