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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

子夜吴歌·春歌

The, Songs, of, the, Midnight, the, Song, of, the, Spring

李白

Li Bai

闺情Theme 民歌people

秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边。
素手青条上，红妆白日鲜。
蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连。

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Meaning

A poem of the mulberry and the charm, written by Li Bai. The woman of the Luo the Fu of the land of the Qin, picking the mulberry by the green water side — the woman of the opening. The white hands on the green branches, the red makeup the white sun fresh — the beauty of the middle. And the close's the silkworms hungry I wish to go, the five horses do not detain the lingering — the close's charm. The poem is the mulberry and the charm: the picking, the beauty, and the close's charm.

秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边。素手青条上，红妆白日鲜。蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The, woman, of, the, Luo, the, Fu, of, the, land, of, the, Qin, picking, the, mulberry, by, the, green, water, side. The, white, hands, on, the, green, branches, the, red, makeup, the, white, sun, fresh. The, silkworms, hungry, I, wish, to, go, the, five, horses, do, not, detain, the, lingering. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the woman of the picking the mulberry with the green water, through the beauty of the white hands with the red makeup, to the close's the charm of the not detain. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the charm: the silkworms hungry I wish to go, and the close's the five horses do not detain the lingering — the mulberry gathered in the beauty and the close's charm. [Emotional Tone] Fresh, pretty, and charming: the poem is the picking, the beauty and the close's charm.

【白话串讲】李白写《子夜吴歌·春歌》：“秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边”——“素手青条上，红妆白日鲜”——“蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连”——他写采桑的罗敷。【意象与手法】此诗写采桑女子，以民歌写人物，是李白的名篇。前四句写人物：「秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边」写秦地罗敷女、采桑绿水边，「素手青条上，红妆白日鲜」写素手青条上、红妆白日鲜——写尽采桑女的美丽；后二句写拒绝：「蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连」写蚕饥妾欲去、五马莫留连——写尽采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决。全诗以民歌写人物，写尽采桑女的美丽与坚决，是李白的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写采桑女子，以民歌写人物，是李白的名篇。此诗是李白《子夜吴歌》组诗（春、夏、秋、冬四歌）之一，用乐府旧题写采桑女子。此诗写人物：秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边——写秦地罗敷女、采桑绿水边，写尽采桑女的身份与劳作；素手青条上，红妆白日鲜——写素手青条上、红妆白日鲜，写尽采桑女的美丽；蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连——写蚕饥妾欲去、五马莫留连，用罗敷拒使君之典（乐府《陌上桑》），写尽采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决。全诗以民歌写人物——那「秦地罗敷女」用罗敷之典写尽采桑女的美丽，「五马莫留连」写尽拒绝权贵的坚决，写尽采桑女的美丽与坚决，是理解李白民歌的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边」用罗敷之典写采桑女；「素手青条上，红妆白日鲜」写采桑女的美丽；「蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连」写拒绝权贵的坚决；以及全诗以民歌写人物、以典写人的手法。

Background

Li Bai (701-762), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Songs, of, the, Midnight, the, Song, of, the, Spring' of the mulberry and the charm — the charm of the woman of the picking the mulberry. The woman of the picking with the green water, and the close's the charm of the not detain — the poem gathers the charm of the poet, the freshness of the folk songs. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the folk songs.

此诗写采桑女子，以民歌写人物，是李白的名篇。李白（701—762），字太白，号青莲居士，唐代伟大的浪漫主义诗人，人称「诗仙」。此诗是李白《子夜吴歌》组诗（春、夏、秋、冬四歌）之一，用乐府旧题（《子夜歌》为南朝吴声歌曲）写采桑女子。《子夜吴歌·春歌》写春日采桑女子：秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边——写秦地罗敷女、采桑绿水边，用乐府《陌上桑》罗敷之典写尽采桑女的身份；素手青条上，红妆白日鲜——写素手青条上、红妆白日鲜，写尽采桑女的美丽；蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连——写蚕饥妾欲去、五马莫留连，用罗敷拒使君之典（罗敷曰「使君自有妇，罗敷自有夫」，五马指太守之车），写尽采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决。全诗以民歌写人物，写尽采桑女的美丽与坚决，是理解李白民歌的重要篇章。在李白《子夜吴歌》四首组诗中，春歌以写人为胜：前二句用典点明身份，中二句写貌，末二句写品，六句写尽采桑女的形神。罗敷形象源自汉乐府《陌上桑》，而李白化繁为简，不铺陈其服饰车马，只以素手、红妆、蚕饥、五马数笔勾勒，更见民歌的凝练与清新，也可见李白对民间采桑女子形象的珍视与赞美。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the charm. The woman opens: the, woman, of, the, Luo, the, Fu, of, the, land, of, the, Qin — the Luo the Fu of the land of the Qin; picking, the, mulberry, by, the, green, water, side — the picking the mulberry of the green water side; the, white, hands, on, the, green, branches — the white hands of the green branches; the, red, makeup, the, white, sun, fresh — the red makeup of the white sun fresh. And the close gathers the charm: the, silkworms, hungry, I, wish, to, go — the silkworms of the wish to go; the, five, horses, do, not, detain, the, lingering — the five horses of the not detain — the woman, the beauty and the close's charm, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以用典写人物。「秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边」以用典写人物——那「罗敷女」用《陌上桑》罗敷之典写尽采桑女的身份，以用典写尽采桑女的美好。其二，以写景写美丽。「素手青条上，红妆白日鲜」以写景写美丽——那「素手青条上」写尽素手在青条之上的映衬、「红妆白日鲜」写尽红妆在白日下的鲜明，以写景写尽采桑女的美丽。其三，以口语写拒绝。「蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连」以口语写拒绝——那「蚕饥妾欲去」写尽采桑女以蚕饥为辞的托词、「五马莫留连」写尽对五马（太守之车）的不留连，以口语写尽拒绝权贵的坚决。其四，以含蓄写品格。全诗以民歌写品格——那「五马莫留连」写尽拒斥权贵的坚决，以含蓄写尽采桑女的坚贞品格。四重手法，使此诗以民歌写人物，写尽采桑女的美丽与坚决，是李白的代表作。再从用笔上看，此诗六句三转：前二句以「罗敷女」用典点题，中二句以素手红妆写形，末二句以蚕饥欲去写神，由典而形、由形而神，层层收束于「五马莫留连」的坚贞。这种「点题—写形—写神」的三段式，正是六句民歌短章的典型章法，也使采桑女形象由美丽而坚贞、由外在而内在，愈见其品格之高。

Allusions

'The Luo the Fu' (luo fu) is the Luo the Fu — the woman of the mulberry of the Han, the opening of the poem — the allusion of the 'Mulberry, the Picking' of the yue fu of the Han; 'the five horses' (wu ma) are the five horses — the horses of the five, the not detain of the close — the allusion of the Five Horses of the prefecture, the passing of the officials.

此诗的用语深植于民歌与罗敷的传统。「秦地罗敷女」令人想到「罗敷」写采桑女的典故——汉乐府《陌上桑》「秦氏有好女，自名为罗敷」，也令人想到「秦地」写秦地的意象；「采桑绿水边」令人想到「采桑」写采桑的意象——「罗敷喜蚕桑，采桑城南隅」，也令人想到「绿水边」写绿水之畔的意象；「素手青条上」令人想到「素手」写白净之手的意象——《陌上桑》「头上倭堕髻，耳中明月珠」，也令人想到「青条」写青绿桑条的意象；「红妆白日鲜」令人想到「红妆」写红妆的意象——「红妆素裹」，也令人想到「白日鲜」写白日下鲜明的意象；「蚕饥妾欲去」令人想到「蚕饥」写蚕饥的意象——罗敷以蚕饥为辞，也令人想到「妾欲去」写妾欲离开的意象；「五马莫留连」令人想到「五马」写太守之车的典故——《陌上桑》「使君从南来，五马立踟蹰」，也令人想到「莫留连」写不留连的意象。全诗化用罗敷、采桑、五马的典故与意象，以民歌写人物，正是李白「清新自然」而善用乐府旧题、承民歌传统写人物的本领。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Li Bai's poems of the folk songs, quoted for the freshness of its opening and the charm of its close. The white hands of the green branches, and the five horses of the not detain, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's charm: the mulberry gathered in the beauty, to the close's refusal.

此诗历来被推为李白民歌的名篇，也是唐人写采桑女的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以民歌写人物，清新自然」；近人更指出「素手青条上，红妆白日鲜」写采桑女的美丽，「蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连」写拒绝权贵的坚决，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以六句的短篇写尽采桑女的美丽与坚决——那秦地的罗敷女，那绿水的采桑，那青条上的素手，那白日下的红妆，那蚕饥欲去的托词，那五马莫留连的坚决，都写尽了李白对采桑女的赞美；那「五马莫留连」更写尽拒绝权贵的坚决。此诗与汉乐府《陌上桑》（「秦氏有好女，自名为罗敷」）同为写罗敷的名篇，一写「行者见罗敷，下担捋髭须」的众人倾倒（陌上桑），一写「蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连」的拒斥坚决（春歌）；又与《子夜歌》吴声歌曲的传统一脉相承，可见李白用民歌写人物的用心。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李白民歌的窗口，也是中国诗写采桑女的经典——那绿水边的罗敷女，穿越千年，仍在诉说着美丽的坚贞。

Prosody

Form A song of the folk (wu yan gu shi)诗·乐府（五言六句）

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the song that carries the fresh charm.乐府古题，押「边」「鲜」「连」韵（下平一先），一韵到底，音节清婉

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the charm: the level opening with the woman, the turning with the beauty, and the close's fall with the lingering.此诗为五言六句乐府，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节清婉，正合民歌的清婉。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its freshness: the cadences of the song, and the close — 'wu ma mo liu lian' — falls with the lingering, the sound of the charm of the mulberry poet.此诗为五言六句乐府，——「秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边。素手青条上，红妆白日鲜。蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连」，押「先」韵（边、鲜、连），一韵到底，音节清婉。全诗以民歌写人物：前四句写采桑女的美丽（秦地罗敷女，采桑绿水边；素手青条上，红妆白日鲜），后二句写拒绝权贵的坚决（蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连）。六句短章，前写人，后写品，正见李白民歌「清新自然」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以清婉的语调读「素手青条上」的美丽，以坚定的语调读「五马莫留连」的拒绝，结句「五马莫留连」要读得坚决而有余韵，方能传达出李白的清新自然。李白乐府以「清新自然」著称，此诗正是其民歌短章的典范。

Line by line

素手青条上，红妆白日鲜

White hands on the green mulberry boughs; the red-robed beauty bright in the daylight.

白净的手在青绿的桑条上，红妆在白日下鲜艳。

White hands upon the green mulberry boughs; her red makeup glows bright in the daylight.

此二句是全诗写美丽的核心，以素手写人，以红妆写鲜艳，写尽采桑女的美丽，是千古名句。「素手青条上」写白净的手在青绿的桑条上——那「素手」写白净的手，「青条上」写青绿的桑条之上，写尽采桑女的素净；「红妆白日鲜」写红妆在白日下鲜艳——那「红妆」写红妆，「白日鲜」写白日下鲜艳，写尽采桑女的明艳。这句的深意在于：它以「素手青条上」的素净与「红妆白日鲜」的明艳，写尽采桑女的美丽——白净的手在青绿的桑条上，那「素手青条上」写尽采桑女的素净——素手与青条相映，白绿相间，那「素手」写尽采桑女的素净；红妆在白日下鲜艳，那「红妆白日鲜」写尽采桑女的明艳——红妆在白日下鲜艳夺目，那「白日鲜」写尽采桑女的明艳；那「素手青条上」写尽采桑女的素净，那「红妆白日鲜」写尽采桑女的明艳，一写素净，一写明艳，写尽采桑女的美丽——素手青条，红妆白日，正是采桑女素净而明艳的美；此二句以素手、红妆写尽采桑女的美丽，也让此二句成为全诗写美丽的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「她很美」，则失其画面；唯以「素手青条上」写素净、「红妆白日鲜」写明艳，写尽采桑女的美丽，也让此二句成为全诗写美丽的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's beauty, 'white hands' the person, 'red makeup' the brightness, writing the mulberry-girl's beauty, a famous line. 'White hands on the green mulberry boughs' - the white hands against the green branches, white and green together; 'the red-robed beauty bright in the daylight' - her red makeup dazzling in the sun. White hands on green boughs, red makeup in daylight, the mulberry-girl's plain yet vivid beauty; one line the plainness, one the brightness, the beauty complete. If one said plainly 'she is beautiful,' the picture would be lost; only the white hands on the green boughs and the red makeup bright in daylight hold the beauty.

蚕饥妾欲去，五马莫留连

The silkworms are hungry and I must go; O five-horse carriage, do not linger.

蚕饿了我要回去，五马啊不要留连。

The silkworms are hungry and I must go; you in the five-horse carriage, do not linger.

此二句是全诗写坚决的核心，以蚕饥欲去写托词，以五马莫留连写拒绝，写尽采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决，是千古名句。「蚕饥妾欲去」写蚕饿了我要回去——那「蚕饥」写蚕饿了，「妾欲去」写我要回去，写尽采桑女以蚕饥为辞的托词；「五马莫留连」写五马啊不要留连——那「五马」用《陌上桑》五马（太守之车）之典，「莫留连」写不要留连，写尽对权贵的不留连。这句的深意在于：它以「蚕饥妾欲去」的托词与「五马莫留连」的拒绝，写尽采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决——蚕饿了我要回去，那「蚕饥妾欲去」写尽采桑女以蚕饥为辞的托词——以蚕饥欲去为辞，婉拒纠缠，那「妾欲去」写尽托词的自持；五马啊不要留连，那「五马莫留连」用《陌上桑》五马（太守之车）之典写尽对权贵的不留连——五马（太守）莫留连，正见采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决，那「莫留连」写尽拒斥的坚决；那「蚕饥妾欲去」写尽采桑女以蚕饥为辞的托词，那「五马莫留连」写尽对权贵的不留连，一写托词，一写拒绝，写尽采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决——与《陌上桑》罗敷「使君自有妇，罗敷自有夫」的拒斥一脉相承；此二句以蚕饥欲去、五马莫留连写尽拒绝权贵的坚决，也让此二句成为全诗写坚决的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「她拒绝了太守」，则失其含蓄；唯以「蚕饥妾欲去」写托词、「五马莫留连」写拒绝，写尽采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决，也让此二句成为全诗写坚决的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's resolve, 'the silkworms are hungry and I must go' the pretext, 'O five-horse carriage, do not linger' the refusal, writing the mulberry-girl's firm refusal of the powerful, a famous line. 'The silkworms are hungry and I must go' - using the hungry silkworms as the pretext to leave, a gentle refusal of the importunate; 'you in the five-horse carriage, do not linger' - the allusion to the Mo Shang Sang, the 'five horses' the prefect's carriage (Luo Fu's refusal of the magistrate), bidding the powerful not linger. The pretext of the hungry silkworms and the refusal to the five-horse carriage, in the same line as Luo Fu's 'the lord has his wife, Luo Fu has her husband'; one line the pretext, one the refusal, the resolve complete. If one said plainly 'she refused the prefect,' the reserve would be lost; only the hungry silkworms that send her away and the five-horse carriage bidden not to linger hold the refusal.

Study

Word focus

素手 'The, white, hands' — the hands of the white, the beauty of the middle. 「素手青条上」之「素手」是写人物的关键词，一个「素手」写尽采桑女的素净。素手者，白净之手也。李白以「素手青条上」写采桑女，这个「素手」至少有双重意味：其一，写手之白净——那「素手青条上」写白净的手在青绿的桑条上，那「素手」写尽采桑女的素净——素手白净，与青条相映，那「素手」写尽采桑女的素净之美；其二，写品格之洁——那「素手」更是写品格——素手采桑，正见采桑女的勤劳与洁身自好，那「素手」写尽采桑女的品格。以「素手」写人物，正是李白写美丽的枢纽——若换作「玉手」「纤手」等词，则或失其写白净的凝练，或失其与「青条上」的相映；唯「素手」二字，以白净之手写尽采桑女的素净之美与品格之洁，与「红妆白日鲜」的红妆相合，写尽采桑女的美丽，也让「素手青条上」成为全诗写美丽的名句。

留连 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「五马莫留连」之「留连」是写拒绝的关键词，一个「留连」写尽拒绝权贵的坚决。留连者，留恋不舍也。李白以「五马莫留连」写五马，这个「留连」至少有双重意味：其一，写权贵之缠——那「五马莫留连」写五马啊不要留连，那「留连」写尽权贵的留连——五马（太守之车）留连不舍，那「留连」写尽权贵的纠缠；其二，写拒绝之决——那「留连」更是写拒绝——莫留连，正见采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决，那「留连」写尽拒斥的坚决。以「留连」写拒绝，正是李白写坚决的枢纽——若换作「逗留」「盘桓」等词，则或失其写留恋不舍的意味，或失其与「莫」字的配合；唯「留连」二字，以莫留连写尽拒绝权贵的坚决与采桑女的自持，与「蚕饥妾欲去」的欲去相合，写尽采桑女拒绝权贵的坚决，也让「五马莫留连」成为全诗写坚决的名句。