Song lyric · ci lyric in two stanzas宋词 · 词·双调

fèng凤xiāo箫yín吟·suǒ锁lí离chóu愁

hán韩zhěn缜Han Zhen · Song宋

Feng Xiao Yin: Locking In the Sorrow of Parting

suǒ锁lí离chóu愁

lián连mián绵wú无jì际

lái来shí时mò陌shàng上chū初xūn熏

xiù绣wéi帏rén人niàn念yuǎn远

àn暗chuí垂zhū珠lèi泪

qì泣sòng送zhēng征lún轮

cháng长tíng亭cháng长zài在yǎn眼

gèng更chóng重chóng重yuǎn远shuǐ水gū孤yún云

dàn但wàng望jí极lóu楼gāo高

jìn尽rì日mù目duàn断wáng王sūn孙

xiāo消hún魂

chí池táng塘bié别hòu后

céng曾xíng行chù处lǜ绿dù妒qīng轻qún裙

nèn恁shí时xié携sù素shǒu手

luàn乱huā花fēi飞xù絮lǐ里

huǎn缓bù步xiāng香yīn茵

zhū朱yán颜kōng空zì自gǎi改

xiàng向nián年nián年fāng芳yì意cháng长xīn新

biàn遍lǜ绿yě野

xī嬉yóu游zuì醉mián眠

mò莫fù负qīng青chūn春

Underlined words have notes: tap one. The Pinyin button below shows or hides all pinyin. 一 and 不 are marked with the tone you actually say.字下有虚线的，点开有注释。下方的“拼音”按钮可以显示或隐藏全部拼音。“一”“不”标的是实际读出来的变调。

In "huǎn bù xiāng yīn", our source text writes yīn with a variant form of the character. The two forms mean the same thing, and most editions use the common one. Our source titles it "Feng Xiao Yin: Fragrant Grass", which tells us the lyric is about spring grass. Today it is usually titled by its first line instead.

“缓步香茵”的“茵”，这里的底本写作“裀”，两个字是异体，意思一样，通行本多写“茵”。底本的题目是“凤箫吟·芳草”，“芳草”点出这首词写的是春草；现在通行的题目多用首句，作“凤箫吟·锁离愁”。

Line by line逐句翻译

锁离愁The spring grass locks in the sorrow of parting,春草把离别的愁锁在里面，
连绵无际stretching on and on with no end.一片连着一片，望不到边。
来时陌上初熏When it first came up, the roadsides began to smell sweet.它刚长出来的时候，路边就飘起了淡淡的香气。
绣帏人念远In her curtained room, a woman misses the one who has gone far away.闺房里的人想念着远去的人，
暗垂珠泪Quietly her tears fall like strings of pearls,偷偷地流下一串串泪珠，
泣送征轮as she weeps and sees his carriage off.哭着送走了远行的车。
长亭长在眼The farewell pavilion is always before her eyes,送别的长亭一直在眼前，
更重重远水孤云and beyond it, layer after layer, far waters and a lonely cloud.更远处是一层又一层的流水和孤云。
但望极楼高All she can do is climb the tall tower and look as far as she can,她只好登上高楼，望到最远的地方，
尽日目断王孙watching all day for the traveler until her eyes can see no more.整天望着远行的人，直到什么也看不见。
消魂How it breaks the heart.真叫人伤心啊。
池塘别后Since they parted by the pond,自从在池塘边分别以后，
曾行处绿妒轻裙in the places they once walked, the green grass seems jealous of her light skirt.两人曾经走过的地方，绿草好像在嫉妒她的轻裙。
恁时携素手Back then he held her fair hand,那时候他牵着她白白的手，
乱花飞絮里among flying petals and willow fluff,在纷飞的落花和柳絮里，
缓步香茵and they strolled slowly over the fragrant grass.慢慢走在香香的草地上。
朱颜空自改Young faces grow old, and nothing can stop it,年轻的容貌白白地变老了，
向年年芳意长新but year after year the grass comes back fresh and sweet.而春草一年又一年，总是新鲜芬芳。
遍绿野While the green fills all the fields,趁着满山遍野的绿色，
嬉游醉眠go out and play, drink, and sleep on the grass,尽情游玩，喝醉了就睡在草地上，
莫负青春and do not waste the spring of your life.不要辜负这大好春光。

Words字词注释

锁离愁suǒ lí chóu: suǒ lí chóu: to lock in the sorrow of parting. The subject is spring grass. It grows so thick that it seems to hold the sadness of parting inside it.锁离愁：把离别的愁锁住。这里说的是春草，草长得密密的，好像把离愁都锁在里面。
连绵无际lián mián wú jì: lián mián wú jì: stretching on and on, with no end in sight.连绵无际：一片连着一片，看不到边。
陌上mò shàng: mò shàng: along the roads and paths between the fields.陌上：路边，田间小路上。
初熏chū xūn: chū xūn: just beginning to give off a sweet smell.初熏：刚刚散发出香气。熏，香气飘散。
绣帏xiù wéi: xiù wéi: an embroidered curtain. Here it stands for a young woman's room.绣帏：绣花的帐子，这里指女子住的闺房。
念远niàn yuǎn: niàn yuǎn: missing someone who has gone far away.念远：想念远行的人。
征轮zhēng lún: zhēng lún: the wheels of a traveler's carriage, that is, the carriage itself.征轮：远行人坐的车。轮，车轮，代指车。
长亭cháng tíng: cháng tíng: a roadside pavilion where travelers rested. People often said goodbye there.长亭：古时路边供行人歇脚的亭子，人们常在这里送别。
远水孤云yuǎn shuǐ gū yún: yuǎn shuǐ gū yún: far-off water and a lonely cloud.远水孤云：远处的流水和一片孤单的云。
望极wàng jí: wàng jí: to look as far as the eye can see.望极：望到最远的地方。
目断mù duàn: mù duàn: to gaze until the eyes can see no farther.目断：一直望着，直到看不见。
王孙wáng sūn: wáng sūn: once meant a young noble. Here it means the traveler. An old poem in the Chu Ci says the young lord wanders and does not come home, while spring grass grows thick. Since then, spring grass has been linked with travelers who do not return.王孙：本指贵族子弟，这里指远行的人。古书《楚辞》里有“王孙游兮不归，春草生兮萋萋”，所以春草常和远行不归的人连在一起。
消魂xiāo hún: xiāo hún: so sad that one's soul seems to melt away.消魂：伤心得好像魂都没了。
绿妒轻裙lǜ dù qīng qún: lǜ dù qīng qún: the green grass seems jealous of her light green skirt. An earlier poet wrote that, remembering a green silk skirt, he loved the grass everywhere, because it reminded him of the one who wore it.绿妒轻裙：绿草好像在嫉妒她那轻薄的绿裙子。前人有“记得绿罗裙，处处怜芳草”的句子，说看见绿草就想起穿绿裙的人。
素手sù shǒu: sù shǒu: fair, white hands.素手：白白的手。
飞絮fēi xù: fēi xù: willow fluff floating in the air.飞絮：飘飞的柳絮。
香茵xiāng yīn: xiāng yīn: fragrant grass, soft like a cushion. Yīn means a mat or cushion.香茵：香香的草地，像一张软软的垫子。茵，垫子、褥子。
朱颜zhū yán: zhū yán: rosy cheeks, that is, a young face.朱颜：红润的脸，指年轻的容貌。
空自改kōng zì gǎi: kōng zì gǎi: changes, grows old, all for nothing.空自改：白白地变老了。
芳意fāng yì: fāng yì: the fresh life and sweet smell of plants.芳意：草木的生机和香气。
嬉游xī yóu: xī yóu: to play and roam about.嬉游：游玩。
莫负青春mò fù qīng chūn: mò fù qīng chūn: do not waste this lovely spring, and do not waste your youth.莫负青春：不要辜负了这大好的春光，也不要辜负年轻的时光。

How to read it读音

长cháng: Here this character is read cháng, meaning "always".这里的“长”读 cháng，意思是“常常、一直”。
新xīn: In "cháng xīn" the character is read cháng, meaning "forever, always".“长新”的“长”读 cháng，意思是“永远、总是”。
尽jìn: "Jìn rì" means "all day long". It is read jìn, not jǐn.“尽日”是“一整天”，读 jìn，不读 jǐn。
恁nèn: In Song lyrics this character often means "that" and is read nèn. "Nèn shí" means "at that time".“恁”在宋词里常当“那、那样”讲，读 nèn。“恁时”就是“那时”。
重chóng: "Chóng chóng" means "layer upon layer" and is read chóng.“重重”是“一层又一层”，读 chóng。

Background创作背景

This lyric uses spring grass to write about parting. Song dynasty notebooks tell a story about it. In the Xining years of Emperor Shenzong (1068–1077), Han Zhen was sent north to settle the border with the Liao state. Before he left, he said goodbye to a beloved concubine and wrote this lyric. It is said that the emperor heard of it and sent her to join him. The story comes from notebooks and may not be fully reliable.

这首词借春草写离别。宋人的笔记里有一个故事：宋神宗熙宁年间，韩缜奉命到北方，和辽国商量划定边界。临走前，他和心爱的侍妾告别，写下了这首词。据说神宗知道了，还派人把那位侍妾送到他身边。这个故事来自笔记，不一定完全可靠。

The poet作者

Han Zhen (1019–1097), courtesy name Yuru, was a Northern Song official who served as chief minister under Emperor Zhezong. He was mainly a statesman, and very few of his lyrics survive. This one is his best known, and it was chosen for the anthology Three Hundred Song Lyrics.

韩缜（1019—1097），字玉汝，北宋大臣，宋哲宗时做过宰相。他主要是一位做官的人，写的词流传下来很少。这首《凤箫吟》是他最有名的作品，被选进了《宋词三百首》。

The mood意境

The whole lyric is about spring grass, yet the word "grass" never appears. The first stanza is about parting. The grass grows so thick that it seems to lock in the sorrow. It spreads all the way to the farewell pavilion, and on toward the far waters and the lonely cloud. The woman climbs a tower and looks until the traveler is gone. However far the grass reaches, her longing reaches too. The second stanza looks back. The two once walked hand in hand on the grass, with petals and willow fluff flying around them. The ending is surprising. People grow old, but the grass is new every year. So why not go out into the green fields while it is spring, and not waste the good time? Picture a field of green with no end: on one side the tears of parting, on the other the life of spring.

整首词写的都是春草，却一个“草”字也没有出现。上片写分别：草长得密密的，像把离愁锁住了；草一直铺到长亭，铺到远水孤云那边，女子登楼远望，望到看不见人影。草走多远，思念就跟多远。下片回忆：两人曾在草地上牵手散步，花和柳絮在身边飞。最后几句很有意思：人会老，草却年年都新。所以不如趁着春天，到绿野里尽情游玩，别辜负了好时光。读的时候，可以想象一片望不到头的青草地，一边是离别的眼泪，一边是春天的生机。