Song lyric · ci, long two-stanza lyric宋词 · 词·双调长调

ní霓cháng裳zhōng中xù序dì第yī一·tíng亭gāo皋zhèng正wàng望jí极

jiāng姜kuí夔Jiang Kui · Song宋

Middle Prelude of the Rainbow Skirt, Part One: Gazing Far from the Riverbank

tíng亭gāo皋zhèng正wàng望jí极

luàn乱luò落jiāng江lián莲guī归wèi未dé得

duō多bìng病què却wú无qì气lì力

kuàng况wán纨shàn扇jiàn渐shū疏

luó罗yī衣chū初suǒ索

liú流guāng光guò过xì隙

tàn叹xìng杏liáng梁shuāng双yàn燕rú如kè客

rén人hé何zài在

yì一lián帘dàn淡yuè月

fǎng仿fú佛zhào照yán颜sè色

yōu幽jì寂

luàn乱qióng蛩yín吟bì壁

dòng动yǔ庾xìn信qīng清chóu愁sì似zhī织

chén沉sī思nián年shào少làng浪jì迹

dí笛lǐ里guān关shān山

liǔ柳xià下fāng坊mò陌

zhuì坠hóng红wú无xìn信xī息

màn漫àn暗shuǐ水juān涓juān涓liū溜bì碧

piāo飘líng零jiǔ久

ér而jīn今hé何yì意

zuì醉wò卧jiǔ酒lú垆cè侧

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。

Common editions have suǒ (bleak) at the end of line five, while the corpus has yíng (to wind around). Suǒ rhymes with the rest of the lyric and yíng does not, so this text follows the common editions. Two other words appear in old forms in the corpus and are written here in their usual modern forms. The poet also wrote a short preface before the lyric, which is not included here.

通行本第五句作“罗衣初索”，语料库作“罗衣初萦”。“索”和全词的韵脚（极、得、力、隙、客等）押韵，“萦”不押韵，这里用通行本。语料库“沈思”“漂零”，通行本作“沉思”“飘零”。原词前面还有一段作者写的小序，这里没有收录。

Line by line逐句翻译

亭皋正望极I stand on the flat riverbank and gaze as far as I can.我站在水边的平地上，尽力向远处望，
乱落江莲归未得The river lotuses are falling everywhere, and still I cannot go home.江边的荷花纷纷凋落，我却还回不了家。
多病却无气力I am often ill and have no strength at all.身上多病，一点力气也没有。
况纨扇渐疏What is more, the white silk fan is used less and less,何况白绢团扇渐渐用不上了，
罗衣初索and the thin silk robe has begun to feel cold.薄薄的丝衣也开始显得冷清。
流光过隙Time flashes by like a horse past a crack in the wall.时光像白马过缝一样飞快。
叹杏梁双燕如客Sadly, the pair of swallows on the fine beams are like guests about to leave.可叹华美屋梁上的一对燕子，也像客人一样要走了。
人何在Where is she now?那个人在哪里呢？
一帘淡月Pale moonlight through the curtain一帘淡淡的月光，
仿佛照颜色seems to shine on her face still.好像还照着她的容颜。
幽寂All is dim and still.又暗又静，冷冷清清。
乱蛩吟壁Crickets chirp here and there along the wall,墙边的蟋蟀乱叫。
动庾信清愁似织stirring in me, as in Yu Xin, sorrows woven thick as cloth.让我像庾信一样，愁绪密密麻麻，像织布一样。
沉思年少浪迹I think back on my wandering youth:我沉思起年少时到处漂泊的日子：
笛里关山the flute playing songs of far mountain passes,笛声里吹着远方关山的曲子，
柳下坊陌and the streets under the willows.柳树下是热闹的街巷。
坠红无信息Like a fallen flower, she has sent no word.落花一样的她，再也没有消息。
漫暗水涓涓溜碧Only the hidden stream goes on, trickling green, for nothing.只有暗暗流着的水，细细地淌着碧绿的波。
飘零久I have drifted for so long;我漂泊了这么久，
而今何意what heart do I have left now?如今还有什么心思呢？
醉卧酒垆侧I only want to lie drunk beside the tavern counter.只想醉倒躺在酒店的旁边。

Words字词注释

亭皋tíng gāo: tíng gāo: flat land by the water.亭皋：水边的平地。
望极wàng jí: wàng jí: looking as far as one can.望极：尽力向远处望。
江莲jiāng lián: jiāng lián: lotus flowers by the river.江莲：江边的荷花。
归未得guī wèi dé: guī wèi dé: wanting to go home but unable to.归未得：想回家却回不去。
况kuàng: kuàng: what is more.况：何况，再加上。
纨扇渐疏wán shàn jiàn shū: wán shàn jiàn shū: the white silk fan is used less and less, because the days are cooling. Wán is fine white silk.纨扇渐疏：白绢做的团扇渐渐用得少了，说天凉了。纨，细白的绢。
罗衣初索luó yī chū suǒ: luó yī chū suǒ: the thin silk robe begins to feel cold and lonely. Suǒ means bleak.罗衣初索：薄薄的丝衣开始显得冷清单薄。索，萧索、冷落。
流光过隙liú guāng guò xì: liú guāng guò xì: time flies like a white horse flashing past a crack in a wall. Liú guāng means time; xì means a crack.流光过隙：时间过得飞快，像白马从墙缝前一闪而过。流光，时光。隙，缝。
杏梁xìng liáng: xìng liáng: roof beams of fine apricot wood, meaning a lovely house.杏梁：用文杏木做的屋梁，指华美的房子。
双燕如客shuāng yàn rú kè: shuāng yàn rú kè: the pair of swallows are like guests, about to fly off in autumn.双燕如客：一对燕子像客人一样，秋天就要飞走了。
仿佛fǎng fú: fǎng fú: as if.仿佛：好像。
颜色yán sè: yán sè: here it means her face.颜色：容貌，脸庞。
幽寂yōu jì: yōu jì: dim, still and lonely.幽寂：又暗又静，冷冷清清。
乱蛩吟壁luàn qióng yín bì: luàn qióng yín bì: crickets chirping all over by the wall. Qióng means cricket.乱蛩吟壁：墙边的蟋蟀乱叫。蛩，蟋蟀。
庾信yǔ xìn: Yu Xin: a poet of the Northern and Southern Dynasties who was kept in the north and could never return to his southern home. He wrote many sad pieces about missing it. The poet compares himself to him.庾信：南北朝时的诗人，被留在北方回不了南方的家乡，写了很多思念故乡的哀伤文字。这里作者拿他比自己。
清愁似织qīng chóu sì zhī: qīng chóu sì zhī: cold, clear sorrows woven thick, like cloth on a loom.清愁似织：凄清的愁绪像织布一样密密地交织在一起。
浪迹làng jì: làng jì: wandering from place to place without a home.浪迹：到处漂泊，没有固定的住处。
笛里关山dí lǐ guān shān: dí lǐ guān shān: the flute plays homesick tunes like "Moon over the Mountain Pass". Guān shān means passes and mountains, a far road.笛里关山：笛声里吹的是《关山月》这样的思乡曲子。关山，关隘和山岭，指遥远的路途。
坊陌fāng mò: fāng mò: the streets and lanes of a town.坊陌：城里的街巷。
坠红zhuì hóng: zhuì hóng: fallen red petals, here also standing for a woman he once knew.坠红：落花，这里也借指当年相识的女子。
漫màn: màn: in vain, for nothing.漫：空自，白白地。
涓涓溜碧juān juān liū bì: juān juān liū bì: green water trickling softly. Juān juān describes a thin, slow stream.涓涓溜碧：碧绿的水细细地流着。涓涓，细水慢流的样子。
飘零piāo líng: piāo líng: drifting about like a fallen leaf.飘零：像落叶一样到处飘荡。
酒垆jiǔ lú: jiǔ lú: the earthen counter where wine jars stood in a tavern; it stands for the tavern.酒垆：酒店里放酒坛的土台子，借指酒店。

How to read it读音

索suǒ: Read suǒ, meaning bleak and forsaken. In old pronunciation it rhymes with the other short, clipped rhyme words of this lyric.读 suǒ，是萧索、冷落的意思，和“极、得、力”这些入声字押韵。
溜liū: Read liū here, meaning water flowing. Some people read it liù.这里读 liū，是水流动的意思。也有人读 liù。

Background创作背景

In a short preface the poet tells the story. In 1186 he was staying in Changsha. In an old book belonging to court musicians he found eighteen sections of a tune called the Rainbow Skirt. It was music left over from the famous Tang dance "Rainbow Skirt and Feather Robe", with notes but no words. He had no time to write words for all of it, so he wrote this lyric for just the middle section. He says he was far from home then, moved by the ancient music, and without meaning to, his words came out full of sorrow. The lyric tells of illness, grief and longing in early autumn.

姜夔在词前的小序里说：宋孝宗淳熙十三年（1186），他客居长沙，在乐工的旧书里找到了商调《霓裳曲》十八段。这是唐代有名的《霓裳羽衣曲》留下来的曲谱，只有谱，没有词。他没空全部填写，只为其中的“中序”一段填了这首词。他说自己当时正在外漂泊，被这古老的音乐感动，不知不觉写得很哀怨。词里写的是初秋时节的病、愁和思念。

The poet作者

Jiang Kui (about 1155 to about 1221), also called the Daoist of White Stone, came from Poyang in today's Jiangxi. He never held office and wandered from place to place with help from friends. He was a fine musician who wrote his own tunes and set words to old ones. His lyrics are cool, clear and airy, like pale moonlight, much like the mood of this one.

姜夔（约1155—约1221），号白石道人，饶州鄱阳（今江西鄱阳）人。他一生没有做官，靠朋友帮助，到处漂泊。他精通音乐，能自己作曲，还会给古曲填词。他的词清冷、空灵，像淡淡的月光，和这首词的气氛很像。

The mood意境

This lyric sounds soft, like an old tune played low. The first stanza starts with what is in front of him. He stands by the water and gazes far; the lotuses have fallen, and he cannot go home. He is ill and weak, the fan is no longer needed, his robe feels cool: autumn has come. The swallows are leaving and time is flying. Moonlight comes through the curtain as if it still shone on her face, but she is no longer near. The second stanza is even quieter. The room is still, the crickets by the wall will not stop, and his sorrow grows thicker like cloth on a loom. He remembers wandering in his youth, hearing flutes, walking streets under the willows. But those people and days are like fallen flowers, never heard from again, and only the stream still trickles on. The last line is the most helpless. He has drifted too long and has no heart left; he only wants to lie drunk by the tavern. The whole lyric is like a piece of ancient music found again, full of autumn's chill and loneliness.

这首词的声音很轻，像一首低低的古曲。上阕从眼前写起：站在水边望远，荷花落了，人却回不了家；又病又没力气，扇子用不上了，衣服也觉得凉了，秋天来了。燕子要飞走，时间飞快。月光照进帘子，好像还照着那个人的脸，可她已经不在身边。下阕更静：屋里冷清，只有墙边蟋蟀叫个不停，愁像织布一样越织越密。他想起年轻时到处游荡，听笛声，走过柳树下的街巷，可那些人和事都像落花，再也没有消息，只有流水还在细细地流。最后一句最无奈：漂泊太久，什么心思都没了，只想醉倒在酒店旁边。整首词像一段被找回来的古老音乐，里面全是秋天的冷和孤单。