Song lyric · ci (song lyric)宋词 · 词

mù木lán兰huā花·chéng城shàng上fēng风guāng光yīng莺yǔ语luàn乱

qián钱wéi惟yǎn演Qian Weiyan · Song宋

Magnolia Blossoms: Above the City Wall, Orioles Chatter in the Spring Light

chéng城shàng上fēng风guāng光yīng莺yǔ语luàn乱

chéng城xià下yān烟bō波chūn春pāi拍àn岸

lǜ绿yáng杨fāng芳cǎo草jǐ几shí时xiū休

lèi泪yǎn眼chóu愁cháng肠xiān先yǐ已duàn断

qíng情huái怀jiàn渐jué觉chéng成shuāi衰wǎn晚

luán鸾jìng镜zhū朱yán颜jīng惊àn暗huàn换

xī昔nián年duō多bìng病yàn厌fāng芳zūn尊

jīn今rì日fāng芳zūn尊wéi惟kǒng恐qiǎn浅

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。

The commonly taught text has jiàn jué (gradually feel) in the fifth line and luán jìng (phoenix mirror) in the sixth. The source text has jiàn biàn (gradually change) and luán jiàn; jiàn is also an old word for mirror.

通行本第五句作“情怀渐觉成衰晚”，第六句作“鸾镜朱颜惊暗换”。这里的底本作“渐变成衰晚”“鸾鉴”，“鉴”也是镜子的意思。

Line by line逐句翻译

城上风光莺语乱Above the city wall the spring light is bright, and orioles chatter everywhere.城墙上春光明媚，黄莺叫得此起彼伏。
城下烟波春拍岸Below the wall, the misty spring water laps against the shore.城墙下雾气笼罩的春水，一浪一浪拍打着岸边。
绿杨芳草几时休Green willows and sweet grass, when will you ever end?绿杨和芳草，什么时候才会消失呢？
泪眼愁肠先已断My tearful eyes and my sad heart are already broken.我的泪眼和愁肠，早就已经伤透了。
情怀渐觉成衰晚Little by little I feel my heart has grown old and weak.我渐渐觉得自己的心境已经变得衰老，
鸾镜朱颜惊暗换Looking in the mirror, I am shocked to see my young face has quietly changed.照照镜子，吃惊地发现年轻的容颜已悄悄变了。
昔年多病厌芳尊In past years I was often ill and did not want the wine cup.从前我身体多病，讨厌端起酒杯，
今日芳尊惟恐浅Now, holding the cup, I only fear it is not full enough.如今端起酒杯，只怕杯里的酒不够满。

Words字词注释

风光fēng guāng: fēng guāng: the spring scenery.风光：春天的景色。
莺语乱yīng yǔ luàn: yīng yǔ luàn: orioles chirp everywhere, one call after another.莺语乱：黄莺叫个不停，声音此起彼伏。
烟波yān bō: yān bō: water covered with mist.烟波：笼着雾气的水面。
拍岸pāi àn: pāi àn: waves lap against the shore.拍岸：浪花拍打着岸边。
绿杨芳草lǜ yáng fāng cǎo: lǜ yáng fāng cǎo: green willows and sweet spring grass.绿杨芳草：绿色的杨柳，芬芳的春草。
几时休jǐ shí xiū: jǐ shí xiū: when will it ever end?几时休：什么时候才完。
愁肠chóu cháng: chóu cháng: a heart full of sorrow.愁肠：充满忧愁的心。
先已断xiān yǐ duàn: xiān yǐ duàn: already broken, meaning sadness beyond words.先已断：早就已经断了，形容伤心到极点。
情怀qíng huái: qíng huái: one's mood, one's state of mind.情怀：心情、心境。
衰晚shuāi wǎn: shuāi wǎn: old and weak, near the end of life.衰晚：年老体衰，到了人生的晚年。
鸾镜luán jìng: luán jìng: a mirror with a luan bird carved on the back. The luan is a legendary bird like a phoenix.鸾镜：背面刻着鸾鸟的镜子。鸾是传说中一种像凤凰的鸟。
朱颜zhū yán: zhū yán: a rosy face, meaning a young face.朱颜：红润的脸色，指年轻的容貌。
暗换àn huàn: àn huàn: changed quietly, without one noticing.暗换：不知不觉地变了。
昔年xī nián: xī nián: in past years.昔年：从前。
芳尊fāng zūn: fāng zūn: a cup of fine wine. Zūn is an old word for a wine cup.芳尊：盛着美酒的酒杯。尊，酒杯。
惟恐浅wéi kǒng qiǎn: wéi kǒng qiǎn: only afraid the cup is not full enough.惟恐浅：只怕杯里的酒倒得不满。

How to read it读音

觉jué: Here the character means to feel, so it is read jué, not jiào.“渐觉”的“觉”是感觉的意思，读 jué，不读 jiào。
厌yàn: Here the character means to dislike, and is read yàn.“厌芳尊”的“厌”是讨厌、不想要的意思，读 yàn。

Background创作背景

Late in life Qian Weiyan was accused by other officials and sent away from the capital to Handong, today's Suizhou in Hubei. He died not long after. This lyric is usually thought to have been written during that exile. A Song-dynasty notebook says he would often sing it as a feast was ending, and would weep as he sang. The more beautiful the spring scene before him, the sadder he felt.

钱惟演晚年受到弹劾，被贬出京城，到汉东（今湖北随州）一带做官，不久就去世了。一般认为这首词就写在被贬汉东的时候。据宋人笔记记载，他常在酒宴快结束时唱这首词，唱着唱着就流下泪来。词里眼前的春景越美，他心里就越难过。

The poet作者

Qian Weiyan lived in the early Northern Song. He was the son of Qian Chu, the last king of the Wuyue state. He came over to the Song with his father and later held high posts at court, such as head of the Bureau of Military Affairs. He loved literature and was one of the Xikun-style poets. While serving in Luoyang he valued and helped young writers such as Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen.

钱惟演，北宋初年人，是吴越国最后一位国王钱俶的儿子。他随父亲归附宋朝，后来在朝中做过枢密使等大官。他爱好文学，是“西昆体”诗人之一。他在洛阳做官时，很赏识年轻的欧阳修、梅尧臣等人，对他们帮助很大。

The mood意境

The first half paints a lively spring: orioles chatter above the wall, and spring water laps below it. But looking at the green willows and grass, the poet asks when they will end, because the beauty only makes him sadder, and his tears have long since run dry. The second half turns to himself. His heart grows older each day, and when he looks in the mirror he is shocked to see his young face is gone. The last two lines are the most moving. Once, in poor health, he did not even want wine. Now he holds the cup and only fears it is not full. A man who did not like to drink now wants wine to drown his sorrow. Without saying more, we feel how bitter his heart is.

上半首先写一片热闹的春景：城上黄莺乱叫，城下春水拍岸。可词人看着绿杨芳草，却问它们“几时休”，因为美景只让他更伤心，眼泪早就流干了。下半首转向自己：心境一天天变老，照镜子才吃惊地发现，年轻的脸已经不见了。最后两句最动人：以前身体不好，连酒都不想喝；现在却端着酒杯，只怕酒倒得不够满。一个人从不爱喝酒变成只想借酒消愁，不用多说，就能感到他心里有多苦。