All poems

元 Yuan · 散曲 Sanqu song

醉太平·相邀士夫

Drunk in Peace · Inviting Gentlemen

曾瑞

Zeng Rui

闲适leisure 感怀reflection

相邀士夫，笑引奚奴，涌金门外过西湖。
写新诗吊古。
苏堤堤上寻芳树，断桥桥畔沽醽醁，孤山山下醉林逋。
洒梨花暮雨。

Inviting gentlemen and scholars, laughing I lead the page-boy;
past Yongjin Gate we cross West Lake, writing new verse to mourn the ancients.
On Su Causeway I seek the fragrant trees; by Broken Bridge I buy the finest wine; beneath Solitary Hill I drink drunk like Lin Bu.
Sprinkled with pear blossoms in the evening rain.

Listen

Meaning

I invite a few gentleman friends, and laughing, let the page-boy lead the way; past Yongjin Gate we cross West Lake, writing a new poem to mourn the old sites. On Su Causeway I seek the fragrant trees; by Broken Bridge I buy the finest wine; beneath Solitary Hill I drink drunk like Lin Bu. Returning, I am sprinkled with pear blossoms and drops of evening rain.

邀约几位士大夫朋友，嬉笑着让书童引路，从涌金门外渡过西湖，写一首新诗凭吊古迹。在苏堤堤上寻看芳树，在断桥桥畔买来美酒，在孤山之下像林逋一般醉个淋漓。归时满身洒落着片片梨花、滴滴暮雨。

Appreciation

The whole song follows the travel line, its structure open yet the spirit fully shown. The opening 'Inviting gentlemen and scholars, laughing I lead the page-boy' writes inviting friends and taking the boy, setting out in joy; the word 'laughing' carries the delight. 'Past Yongjin Gate we cross West Lake, writing new verse to mourn the ancients' names the elegant interest. The middle 'On Su Causeway I seek the fragrant trees; by Broken Bridge I buy the finest wine; beneath Solitary Hill I drink drunk like Lin Bu' forms a tripod antithesis, spreading three famous sites in one breath, the lines neat yet rhythmic. It closes with 'Sprinkled with pear blossoms in the evening rain', five words of scene ending it, letting scene's aftertaste stand for feeling's—ethereal and leisurely, enough to show Zeng Rui's plain, bright sanqu manner.

【白话串讲】曾瑞约朋友过西湖：“苏堤堤上寻芳树，断桥桥畔沽醽醁，孤山山下醉林逋”——逛苏堤、喝断桥、醉孤山。元朝文人游西湖，一路都是风景和酒。【意象与手法】全曲以游踪为线，章法疏朗而神情毕现。起二句「相邀士夫，笑引奚奴」写邀友携仆、欢然出游，「笑」字传愉悦；「涌金门外过西湖，写新诗吊古」点明雅兴。中幅「苏堤堤上寻芳树，断桥桥畔沽醽醁，孤山山下醉林逋」三句构成鼎足对，一气铺排三处胜迹，句式整饬而富有节奏。结以「洒梨花暮雨」五字写景收束，以景语余韵替情语，空灵悠然。【情感与主旨】曾瑞，字瑞卿，号褐夫，大兴（今北京大兴）人，元代散曲家。因慕江浙人才之盛、钱塘景物之美而移居杭州，终身不仕，靠友人馈赠为生，优游市井。此曲写其与友人相邀游西湖，于湖光山色中寄托寄情山水、淡泊名利的隐逸之怀，具体作年无考。【名句点睛】「苏堤堤上寻芳树，断桥桥畔沽醽醁，孤山山下醉林逋」鼎足对为全曲精华，以林逋自况见隐逸之志；「洒梨花暮雨」以景结情，空灵悠然，为常考之句。

Background

Zeng Rui, style Ruiqing, name Hefu, of Daxing (today's Beijing Daxing), a Yuan sanqu writer. He moved to Hangzhou for the talent and the beauty of Qiantang's scenery; of striking bearing yet never in office all his life, he lived on friends' gifts, roaming the markets. This song writes his inviting friends to tour West Lake, by Yongjin Gate, Su Causeway, Broken Bridge, Solitary Hill, lodging in the hills and waters his hermit's feeling of caring nothing for fame. The exact year is unknown.

曾瑞，字瑞卿，号褐夫，大兴（今北京大兴）人，元代散曲家，生卒年约与钟嗣成同时。因慕江浙人才之盛、钱塘景物之美而移居杭州，神采卓异而终身不仕，靠友人馈赠为生，优游市井，以隐逸自高。杭州自南宋以来即为东南繁华之地，西湖更是文人雅士游赏吟咏的胜地，元代江南文人多流连于此，寄情山水以避世。此曲即写其与友人相邀同游西湖的雅兴：从涌金门渡过西湖，写新诗凭吊古迹，在苏堤寻芳、断桥沽酒、孤山醉卧，将一次寻常的春游写得诗酒风流、逸兴遄飞。曲中以北宋隐士林逋自况，正见其淡泊名利、寄情山水的人生志趣。此曲具体作年无考，然其疏朗洒脱的风格，正是元代江南散曲家优游自适生活的典型写照，也是研究曾瑞其人其曲的重要文本。又，元代文人地位低下，有「九儒十丐」之说，江南文人多不愿出仕，遂寄情山水、优游市井，曾瑞之终身不仕，正是这一时代风气的典型，此曲写其与友人游湖饮酒、以林逋自况，正是这种隐逸心态的艺术表达，读此曲可知元人散曲中普遍存在的「避世—适意」主题的社会根源。

Art

全曲以游踪为线，章法疏朗而神情毕现，是元散曲纪游小令的佳作。起二句「相邀士夫，笑引奚奴」写邀友携仆、欢然出游，「笑」字传神，一「笑」便点出出游之兴浓、交游之相得；「涌金门外过西湖，写新诗吊古」点明游踪起点与文人雅兴，过湖而吊古，游中有思。中幅「苏堤堤上寻芳树，断桥桥畔沽醽醁，孤山山下醉林逋」三句构成鼎足对，一气铺排三处胜迹：苏堤寻芳写春色，断桥沽酒写酒兴，孤山醉卧写雅志，三句句式整饬、节奏明快，地名对地名、动作对动作，铺排而有层次，正是元曲「鼎足对」的典型用法。结以「洒梨花暮雨」五字写景收束，归途之中，梨花与暮雨洒落满身，以景语余韵替情语，空灵悠然，余味不尽，正见曾瑞散曲质朴爽朗而兼含蓄的风致。全曲章法以游踪为线，然其妙处不止于纪游：起句写人，中幅写游，结句写景，人事与景物交织，而「写新诗吊古」的雅兴、「醉林逋」的志趣、「洒梨花暮雨」的余韵，使一次寻常的春游具有了文化意味，散曲之不同于诗词者，正在这种「以俗为雅、化雅为俗」的活泼生机。

Allusions

The allusions here are apt and natural. 'Lin Bu' is the early-Song hermit Lin Heping, who lived retired at Solitary Hill by West Lake, never in office, taking the plum as wife and the crane as son; here the author compares himself to Lin Bu, stating his lofty, world-shunning will. 'Yongjin Gate', 'Su Causeway', 'Broken Bridge', 'Solitary Hill' are all real West-Lake place-names (Su Causeway built by Su Shi as Hangzhou prefect), taken as they come, record and allusion blended. 'Finest wine' (ling-lu) is a name of good wine, seen in Baopuzi and such. The allusions do not hinder the true colour; in the tour the hermit's loftiness shows.

本曲用典贴切自然，皆与西湖风物相合。「林逋」即北宋初年隐士林和靖，隐居杭州西湖孤山，终身不仕，以梅为妻、以鹤为子，是西湖隐逸文化的代表人物，此处作者以「醉林逋」自况，表明高洁遁世之志，醉于湖山即是醉于隐逸之趣。「涌金门」「苏堤」「断桥」「孤山」皆为西湖实有地名：涌金门为杭州西城门之一，临湖而设；苏堤为苏轼守杭时所筑，堤上桃柳成行；断桥为白堤东端之桥，西湖十景「断桥残雪」所在；孤山为西湖中一岛，林逋曾隐居于此。地名信手拈来，纪实与用典交融，湖山胜迹与隐逸情怀互为映发。「醽醁」为美酒名，见《抱朴子》等书，以古雅之名写沽酒之事，亦见其博雅。全曲典实不碍本色，于游赏中见隐逸之高。另，「梨花」意象亦有深意：梨花洁白，多与春雨、暮色相连，唐人诗「梨花一枝春带雨」写其娇美，此处「洒梨花暮雨」写归途落花满身，既写春暮之景，又暗含「惜春」之意，梨花开尽则春将归去，游兴虽浓而春色将暮，淡淡的怅惘寓于景中，与「吊古」之思遥相呼应，使全曲于明快中见深致。

Commentary

The Yuan Sanqu Appreciation Dictionary says this song 'uses a tripod antithesis, compares self to Lin Bu, and ends in scene, the spirit fully shown'. Modern talk of Zeng Rui calls his sanqu 'proud and unrestrained, of striking bearing'; this piece writes West-Lake drunken tour yet ends in plainness, showing loftiness within brightness—a representative small lyric.

《元曲鉴赏辞典》评此曲「用鼎足对，以林逋自况、写景作结，神情毕现」，点出其章法与用典的妙处。近人论曾瑞，称其散曲「傲岸不羁、神采卓异」，此篇写西湖醉游而归于淡泊，于爽朗中见高致，足为其小令代表作。此曲的价值，一在它是元散曲纪游题材的佳作，以疏朗的章法写尽一次春游的全程，游踪、雅兴、醉态、归景一线贯穿，如一幅文人游春图；二在以林逋自况，将游湖与隐逸联系起来，写出元代江南文人寄情山水、淡泊名利的精神世界，是理解元代文人隐逸心态的窗口；三在其「鼎足对」的运用，是元曲特有的修辞艺术在纪游小令中的精彩示范，对后世曲家影响深远。又，此曲与张可久《醉太平·伤春》、乔吉《醉太平·渔父》等同调之作并读，可见《醉太平》曲牌在元代文人笔下的多种面貌：或以景写情，或以渔父自喻，或记游写意，而曾瑞此曲以鼎足对与自况见长，为同调中之佳作，也是元散曲「本色当行」风格的代表。

Prosody

Form Sanqu · proper-mode Drunk in Peace (small lyric)散曲·正宫《醉太平》小令

Rhyme Rhymes on 'scholars, boy, lake, ancients, trees, wine, Bu, rain' (yu-mu rhyme; northern song level-oblique mixed)押夫、奴、湖、古、树、醁、逋、雨，属北曲鱼模韵，平仄通押，每句入韵

Tone pattern Proper mode; first two lines must antithesize; lines 5,6,7 tripod antithesis; line-pattern 4,4,7,5,7,7,7,5正宫曲调，首二句须对，五、六、七句作鼎足对；句式为四、四、七、五、七、七、七、五

Reading note Drunk in Peace is also called Ripples on the Water; northern proper-mode takes rhyme each line, fit for travel and free intent.此曲为正宫《醉太平》小令，又名《凌波曲》，是北曲中常见的曲牌。用韵上，全曲八句皆押韵，韵脚「夫」「奴」「湖」「古」「树」「醁」「逋」「雨」属北曲鱼模韵，北曲用韵平仄通押，故「夫」「奴」「湖」「逋」平声与「古」「树」「醁」「雨」仄声间押，韵脚密集，读来流转如珠。句式上，此调定格为四、四、七、五、七、七、七、五，全曲句式长短错落，其中第五、六、七句「苏堤堤上寻芳树，断桥桥畔沽醽醁，孤山山下醉林逋」为鼎足对，是此调最富特色的部分，三句对仗铺排、一气呵成，正合纪游写意的内容需要；首二句「相邀士夫，笑引奚奴」亦须相对。全曲音律疏朗明快，与春游的欢畅情调相谐，是北曲小令以格律写闲适之情的成功范例，宜于诵读吟唱。

Line by line

相邀士夫，笑引奚奴

Inviting gentlemen and scholars, laughing I lead the page-boy

邀约士大夫朋友，嬉笑着让书童引路。

I call on my scholar friends, and laughing, let the boy-servant lead.

起句写邀友出游，一个「笑」字传神，是全曲游兴的起点。「相邀士夫」写呼朋引伴，所邀皆士大夫文人，点出交游的层次与雅集的性质；「笑引奚奴」写携仆出行，「奚奴」即书童，「笑引」二字写出诗人与书童之间那种轻松随和的关系，一「笑」字更点出出游之兴浓、心情之欢畅。两句八字，人物、动作、情态俱备，将一次文人春游的序幕写得生动鲜活。此起笔不写景物而先写人情，正是元曲「以情起、以景结」的典型章法，也为后文的湖山胜景染上一层欢快的情绪底色，全曲的闲适洒脱自此奠定。

The opening writes the outing with friends, one word 'laughing' vivid, the starting point of the outing's joy. 'I invite my scholar friends' the calling of companions, all scholar-officials, marking the circle and the nature of the gathering; 'laughing, and let the page lead the way' the servant along, the book-boy, the easy, relaxed relation between poet and boy. The opening writes human feeling before scenery, the typical Yuan qu architecture of 'feeling opening, scenery closing,' and dyes the lake-and-hill scenery below with a cheerful undertone.

涌金门外过西湖

Beyond Yongjin Gate, we cross West Lake.

从涌金门外渡过西湖。

Beyond the Yongjin Gate, we cross West Lake.

此句点明渡湖的起点与游程的推进。「涌金门」为杭州临湖的城门，门外即是西湖，写实中带出地名之美；「过西湖」写渡湖而行，「过」字写舟行之轻盈，湖光山色扑面而来。此句由城外入湖中，由岸及水，将游程向前推进，为下文的湖上胜迹之行铺垫路径；「涌金门」之「金」与后文「沽醽醁」的酒兴、「醉林逋」的醉意暗相呼应，一个金碧辉煌的城门，正是一段诗酒风流旅程的起点，读来如身临其境，随诗人一同渡过那春水初生的西湖。

This line names the start of the crossing and the outing's advance. 'Yongjin Gate' the Hangzhou gate by the lake, West Lake just beyond, the place-name's beauty within the real scene; 'we cross West Lake' the boat across, the word 'cross' the boat's lightness, lake and hills rushing to the face. The line moves from outside the gate into the lake, from bank to water, advancing the outing.

写新诗吊古。

Writing new verses to mourn the past.

写一首新诗凭吊古迹。

I write a new poem to mourn the ancient sites.

此句点出文人出游的特有雅兴，是全曲由游转思的关键。「写新诗」写即景赋诗，「吊古」写凭吊古迹，面对西湖的湖山胜迹，诗人不是单纯的游览，而是以诗怀古、以古鉴今，将眼前的游赏与历史的追怀联系起来。西湖自唐以来即多历史遗迹：苏堤为苏轼所筑，孤山为林逋所隐，断桥有白蛇传说，处处皆史、步步有古，诗人「写新诗吊古」，正是与这一文化记忆的对话。此句虽短，却是全曲的「文眼」，使一次寻常的春游具备了文化的厚度，也为后文「苏堤寻芳」「孤山醉卧」的怀古意绪作了伏笔。

This line names the scholar's peculiar delight, the song's turning from outing to thought. 'Writing new verses' the impromptu poem, 'to mourn the past' the homage to old sites: before West Lake's lake and hill, the poet is no mere sightseer, but using poetry to mourn the past, tying the present outing to historical remembrance. The line though short is the song's 'literary eye,' giving an ordinary spring outing its cultural depth.

苏堤堤上寻芳树，断桥桥畔沽醽醁，孤山山下醉林逋

On Su Causeway I seek the fragrant trees; by Broken Bridge I buy the finest wine; beneath Solitary Hill I drink drunk like Lin Bu

在苏堤堤上寻看芳树，在断桥桥畔买来美酒，在孤山之下像林逋一般醉个淋漓。

On the Su Causeway, seeking the flowering trees; by the Broken Bridge, buying the fine Linglu wine; below Lonely Hill, drunk as Lin Bu.

中幅三句鼎足对，是全曲的精华所在，一气铺排三处西湖胜迹。「苏堤堤上寻芳树」写春游寻芳，苏堤为苏轼所筑，堤上桃柳成行，春日寻芳正得其时；「断桥桥畔沽醽醁」写沽酒助兴，断桥为西湖名桥，「醽醁」是美酒的古雅之名，桥畔买酒，酒兴与游兴并浓；「孤山山下醉林逋」写醉卧孤山，以北宋隐士林逋自况，醉于湖山即是醉于隐逸之趣。三句句式整饬，地名对地名、动作对动作，铺排而有层次，正是元曲鼎足对的典型用法；而由寻芳而沽酒而醉卧，游兴层层递进，至醉卧孤山而达高潮，将一次春游写得逸兴遄飞，隐逸之志亦于醉中自然流露。

The middle three lines, a balanced triplet, are the song's essence, spreading three West Lake sights in one breath. The Su Causeway built by Su Shi, peach and willow along it; the Broken Bridge, 'Linglu' the ancient name of fine wine, buying wine by the bridge; Lonely Hill, likening himself to the Northern Song recluse Lin Bu, drunk on lake and hill is drunk on the recluse's joy. The outing joy layer on layer, peaking at the drunken rest on Lonely Hill, writing a spring outing in high spirits, the recluse's will showing naturally in the wine.

洒梨花暮雨

Sprinkled with pear blossoms in the evening rain

归时满身洒落着片片梨花、滴滴暮雨。

Returning, pear-blossom petals and evening rain are showered all over me.

结句以景结情，是全曲的点睛之笔。醉游归来，天已向暮，梨花与暮雨一同洒落满身，「洒」字写梨花与雨点纷纷飘落的动态，「梨花暮雨」四字则构成一幅清丽而略带凄迷的画面。此句妙在以景语替情语：不写醉后的欢愉，不写归途的怅惘，只写满身梨花暮雨，而游兴之浓、时光之逝、隐逸之趣，尽在这无言的画面之中，空灵悠然，余味不尽。梨花之白与暮雨之凉相映，清丽中见萧疏，正是元代散曲家「以景结情」的典型笔法。五字收束，戛然而止而余韵悠长，使全曲在热闹的游赏之后归于一片清寂的意境，如乐曲终了时的一声余响，最见曾瑞质朴爽朗而兼含蓄的艺术功力。

The closing resolves feeling in scenery, the finishing stroke of the song. Drunken return, the day already toward dusk, pear blossoms and evening rain showering together over him; the word 'showered' the falling motion of petals and rain. Not the post-drunken joy, not the homeward wistfulness, only the pear blossoms and evening rain all over him, and the outing's high joy, time's passing, the recluse's delight, all within this wordless picture.

Study

Word focus

笑引 'Laughing lead' writes the joy of taking the boy on outing; the one word 'laughing' enlivens the whole tour's delight, true interest in the plain. 「笑引奚奴」之「笑引」，是全曲起笔最见神情的炼字。「引」为引领之意，写书童引路；「笑」字冠于其前，写出诗人出行时满脸含笑、步履轻快的欢畅情态。一个「笑」字，是全曲游兴的源头：正因为心情欢畅，方有邀友同游的雅兴，方有写诗吊古的逸致，方有寻芳沽酒的豪情，全曲的闲适洒脱皆由此「笑」而生发。若换作「携」「带」则止于动作，「笑引」兼写情态与动作，将出游的欣然尽数写出，平易中见真趣。此二字还暗含诗人与书童之间那种轻松随和的主仆关系，书童引路而诗人含笑相随，主仆之间毫无拘束，正见其优游市井、以隐逸自高的生活状态，是曾瑞散曲「质朴爽朗」风格的典型体现。

醉林逋 'Drunk like Lin Bu' compares self to the Song hermit Lin Bu; 'drunk' writes both the deep drink and the intoxication with lake and hills—allusion shows the will. 「孤山山下醉林逋」之「醉林逋」，是全曲用典见志的关键。「林逋」即北宋隐士林和靖，隐居西湖孤山，终身不仕，以梅为妻、以鹤为子，是西湖隐逸文化的象征；「醉林逋」三字以林逋自况，写出诗人醉卧孤山、如林逋一般沉醉于湖山之美的情态。「醉」字一语双关：既是醉于美酒，更是醉于湖山、醉于隐逸之趣，酒醉与心醉合一，正见其淡泊名利、寄情山水的人生志趣。若直写「醉孤山」则失之直白，以「醉林逋」将地名与人物融为一体，既点出游踪，又表明心志，用典贴切而不露痕迹。此三字与「孤山山下」相配，地点与人物、纪实与用典交融，是全曲隐逸情怀的凝结点，也是理解曾瑞其人其志的钥匙。