Song lyric · ci lyric to the tune Lin Jiang Xian, in two stanzas宋词 · 词·临江仙（双调）

lín临jiāng江xiān仙·yì忆xī昔xī西chí池chí池shàng上yǐn饮

cháo晁chōng冲zhī之Chao Chongzhi · Song宋

Immortal by the River: I Remember Drinking by the West Pool

yì忆xī昔xī西chí池chí池shàng上yǐn饮

nián年nián年duō多shǎo少huān欢yú娱

bié别lái来bú不jì寄yì一háng行shū书

xún寻cháng常xiāng相jiàn见le了

yóu犹dào道bù不rú如chū初

ān安wěn稳jǐn锦píng屏jīn今yè夜mèng梦

yuè月míng明hǎo好dù度jiāng江hú湖

xiāng相sī思xiū休wèn问dìng定hé何rú如

qíng情zhī知chūn春qù去hòu后

guǎn管dé得luò落huā花wú无

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。

Line by line逐句翻译

忆昔西池池上饮I remember how we used to drink by the West Pool.回想从前，我们在西池边饮酒，
年年多少欢娱Every year there was so much joy.年年都有那么多欢乐。
别来不寄一行书Since we parted, you have not sent even a line.分别以后，你连一行字的信也没寄来。
寻常相见了Back then, even when we met in the usual way,从前我们平常见面的时候，
犹道不如初we would still say it was not as good as the first time.还总说不如初次相见时那么好。
安稳锦屏今夜梦Tonight let me dream peacefully behind the brocade screen;今夜我在锦屏后面安稳地做个梦吧，
月明好度江湖the moon is bright, just right for my dream to cross the rivers and lakes to you.月光明亮，梦正好渡过江湖去找你。
相思休问定何如As for how deep my longing is, do not ask.至于相思到底有多苦，就别问了。
情知春去后I know full well that once spring has gone,明明知道春天走了以后，
管得落花无who can stop the flowers from falling?谁又管得住花儿飘落呢？

Words字词注释

忆昔yì xī: yì xī: to remember the old days.忆昔：回想从前。
西池xī chí: xī chí: the West Pool, usually taken to be Jinming Pool in the Northern Song capital, Bianjing (today's Kaifeng), a famous pleasure spot.西池：一般认为指北宋都城汴京（今河南开封）的金明池，是当时有名的游玩地方。
多少duō shǎo: duō shǎo: here, so much.多少：这里是“多么多”的意思。
欢娱huān yú: huān yú: joy, fun.欢娱：欢乐。
别来bié lái: bié lái: since we parted.别来：分别以后。
一行书yì háng shū: yī háng shū: a letter of even one line.一行书：一行字的信。
寻常xún cháng: xún cháng: ordinary, usual.寻常：平常。
犹道yóu dào: yóu dào: still said.犹道：还说。
如初rú chū: rú chū: as it was at first.如初：像当初一样。
安稳ān wěn: ān wěn: peaceful, sound.安稳：平平安安，睡得稳。
锦屏jǐn píng: jǐn píng: a brocade screen beside the bed.锦屏：用锦缎装饰的屏风，放在床边。
好度hǎo dù: hǎo dù: just right for crossing. Dù here means to cross over water.好度：正好渡过。度，同“渡”，过。
江湖jiāng hú: jiāng hú: rivers and lakes, here the long distance between them.江湖：江河湖泊，这里指两人之间遥远的路程。
休问xiū wèn: xiū wèn: do not ask.休问：不要问。
定何如dìng hé rú: dìng hé rú: how it really is.定何如：到底怎么样。
情知qíng zhī: qíng zhī: knowing full well.情知：明明知道。
管得guǎn dé: guǎn dé: to be able to control.管得：管得住，能管。
无wú: wú: at the end of a line it makes a question, like asking "can it?"无：句末表示疑问，相当于“吗”。

How to read it读音

行háng: Here this character is read háng; yī háng shū means a single line of writing, not xíng.“行”在这里读 háng，“一行书”是一行字、一封短信的意思，不读 xíng。
少shǎo: Here this character is read shǎo; duō shǎo here means so much.“少”在这里读 shǎo，“多少”在这里是“多么多”的意思。
了le: Here this character is read le. Some read it liǎo, meaning after, once over.“了”在这里读 le。一说读 liǎo，是完了、过后的意思。

Background创作背景

This lyric remembers the days of drinking and fun by the West Pool and pours out the longing that came after parting. The West Pool is usually taken to be Jinming Pool in the capital, Bianjing, where Chao Chongzhi often gathered with friends when young. Later, bitter fights between factions at court sent many of his friends far away, and he himself went to live quietly below Mount Juci. Some read the lyric as missing old friends; others read it as written to someone he loved. The year it was written is not known.

这首词回忆从前在西池边饮酒游乐的日子，抒发分别后的思念。一般认为，西池指汴京的金明池；晁冲之年轻时常和朋友在那里聚会。后来朝廷里党争激烈，他的许多朋友被贬到远方，他自己也隐居到具茨山下。一说这首词是怀念旧友的，一说是写给心上人的。具体写于哪一年已经不清楚。

The poet作者

Chao Chongzhi, courtesy name Shuyong, was a Northern Song poet; his dates are not known. He came from the famous Chao family and was a cousin of the poet Chao Buzhi. He was close to the writers around Su Shi. During the factional fights at court he refused to serve and lived quietly below Mount Juci, so people called him Master Juci. Few of his poems and lyrics survive.

晁冲之，字叔用，北宋诗人、词人，生卒年不详。他出身有名的晁氏家族，是晁补之的堂弟。他和苏轼一派的文人关系密切。朝廷党争时，他不愿做官，隐居在具茨山下，人称“具茨先生”。他的诗词留下来的不多。

The mood意境

The first half recalls the lively past: every year they drank by the West Pool, and it was such fun. Then the turn: since parting, you have not sent a single line. Then a small memory: back then they met often and still complained it was not as good as the first meeting. Now even one meeting is hard. Comparing then and now brings out the loss. In the second half he thinks: then let me find you in a dream. The moon is so bright, just right for a dream to cross the rivers and lakes. How bitter is longing? Do not ask. The last two lines seem to talk himself round. When spring goes, flowers must fall, and no one can stop them. Meeting and parting are the same; one can only accept it. The words are calm, but the heart is full of pain.

上半首先写从前的热闹：年年在西池边喝酒，多快乐。接着一转：分别后，你连一行字都没寄来。然后又回忆一个小细节：从前常见面，还嫌不如初见时好；现在连见一面都难了。今昔一比，失落就出来了。下半首他想：那就在梦里去找你吧，月亮这么亮，梦正好可以渡过江湖。相思有多苦，别问了。最后两句像在劝自己：春天走了，花总要落，谁也管不住。聚散也是这样，只能接受。话说得很淡，心里却很苦。