Song lyric · ci to the tune Shui Long Yin, in two stanzas宋词 · 词，词牌《水龙吟》，双调

shuǐ水lóng龙yín吟·cì次yùn韵lín林shèng圣yǔ予xī惜chūn春

cháo晁bǔ补zhī之Chao Buzhi · Song宋

Shui Long Yin: Lamenting Spring, Matching Lin Shengyu's Rhymes

wèn问chūn春hé何kǔ苦cōng匆cōng匆

dài带fēng风bàn伴yǔ雨rú如chí驰zhòu骤

yōu幽pā葩xì细è萼

xiǎo小yuán园dī低jiàn槛

yōng壅péi培wèi未jiù就

chuī吹jìn尽fán繁hóng红

zhàn占chūn春cháng长jiǔ久

bù不rú如chuí垂liǔ柳

suàn算chūn春cháng常bù不lǎo老

rén人chóu愁chūn春lǎo老

chóu愁zhǐ只shì是rén人jiān间yǒu有

chūn春hèn恨shí十cháng常bā八jiǔ九

rěn忍qīng轻gū辜fāng芳láo醪jīng经kǒu口

nǎ那zhī知zì自shì是

táo桃huā花jié结zǐ子

bù不yīn因chūn春shòu瘦

shì世shàng上gōng功míng名

lǎo老lái来fēng风wèi味

chūn春guī归shí时hòu候

zòng纵zūn樽qián前tòng痛yǐn饮

kuáng狂gē歌sì似jiù旧

qíng情nán难yī依jiù旧

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

问春何苦匆匆I ask spring: why must you hurry so,问春天：你何苦这样匆匆忙忙，
带风伴雨如驰骤bringing wind and rain, galloping off like a horse?带着风伴着雨，像快马一样飞奔而去？
幽葩细萼The quiet blossoms and tiny sepals,幽静处的花朵、细小的花萼，
小园低槛by the low railing of my little garden,在小园矮矮的栏杆边，
壅培未就have not yet had their soil banked up.还没来得及培好土。
吹尽繁红The masses of red flowers are all blown away.满树红花已经被吹光，
占春长久For holding on to spring a long time,要说长久地守着春光，
不如垂柳they cannot match the drooping willow.它们还不如垂柳。
算春常不老Come to think of it, spring never grows old;想来春天常在，从不变老，
人愁春老it is people who worry that spring is ageing.只是人在为春天变老而发愁，
愁只是人间有Sorrow is something only the human world has.愁这种东西，只有人间才有。
春恨十常八九Of spring's regrets, eight or nine in ten are common.春天里的不如意，十件里常有八九件，
忍轻辜芳醪经口How could I bear to waste the fine wine at my lips?怎么忍心轻易辜负到了嘴边的美酒？
那知自是Who knew it was simply nature:哪知道，原来这是自然的事：
桃花结子peach blossoms fall and turn to fruit,桃花落了，结出果子，
不因春瘦not because spring has made them thin.并不是因为春天才变瘦。
世上功名Fame and rank in this world,世上的功名，
老来风味and the taste of growing old,年老时的心情，
春归时候are like the time when spring goes home.都像春天要走的时候。
纵樽前痛饮Even if I drink deep before the cup,即使在酒杯前尽情痛饮，
狂歌似旧and sing wildly as I used to,像从前一样放声高歌，
情难依旧my heart can hardly feel the same as before.心情也很难和从前一样了。

Words字词注释

何苦hé kǔ: hé kǔ: why must you.何苦：为什么要这样。
匆匆cōng cōng: cōng cōng: in a hurry.匆匆：急急忙忙。
驰骤chí zhòu: chí zhòu: galloping on horseback.驰骤：骑马飞奔。
幽葩yōu pā: yōu pā: flowers in a quiet spot. Pā means a flower.幽葩：幽静处开的花。葩，花。
细萼xì è: xì è: small sepals. Sepals are the little green leaves that hold up the petals.细萼：细小的花萼。花萼是托着花瓣的绿色小片。
低槛dī jiàn: dī jiàn: a low railing.低槛：矮矮的栏杆。
壅培yōng péi: yōng péi: to bank up soil around the roots.壅培：给花根培土。
未就wèi jiù: wèi jiù: not yet done.未就：还没做完。
繁红fán hóng: fán hóng: masses of red flowers.繁红：开得很多的红花。
占春zhàn chūn: zhàn chūn: to hold on to spring.占春：占住春光，守着春天。
算suàn: suàn: come to think of it.算：想来，算起来。
十常八九shí cháng bā jiǔ: shí cháng bā jiǔ: eight or nine times out of ten.十常八九：十件事里常常有八九件。
忍rěn: rěn: how could one bear to.忍：怎么忍心。
轻辜qīng gū: qīng gū: lightly to let down.轻辜：轻易地辜负。
芳醪fāng láo: fāng láo: fragrant wine. Láo means wine.芳醪：香醇的美酒。醪，酒。
经口jīng kǒu: jīng kǒu: reaching one's lips.经口：到了嘴边。
那知nǎ zhī: nǎ zhī: who would have known; in fact.那知：哪知道，原来。
结子jié zǐ: jié zǐ: to form fruit.结子：结出果实。
春瘦chūn shòu: chūn shòu: made thin by spring. With its flowers gone, a branch looks thin.春瘦：被春天弄瘦了。花落后枝头空了，看起来像变瘦。
功名gōng míng: gōng míng: official rank and fame.功名：做官的地位和名声。
风味fēng wèi: fēng wèi: flavour, mood.风味：滋味，心情。
纵zòng: zòng: even if.纵：即使。
樽zūn: zūn: a wine cup.樽：酒杯。
似旧sì jiù: sì jiù: as in the old days.似旧：像从前一样。

How to read it读音

槛jiàn: Here this character means a railing and is read jiàn. Read kǎn, it means a doorsill.“槛”指栏杆，读 jiàn。读 kǎn 时是门槛的意思。
那nǎ: Nǎ zhī means who would have known, so this character is read nǎ here.“那知”就是“哪知”，“那”读 nǎ。

Background创作背景

The title word ci yun means answering a friend's poem with the same rhyme words in the same order. Lin Shengyu was a friend of Chao Buzhi who wrote a ci lamenting the passing of spring, and Chao wrote this one in reply. We do not know who Lin Shengyu was or what year this was written. The ci speaks of career and of feelings in old age, so some think Chao wrote it later in life, after setbacks in his official career.

题目里的“次韵”，是照着朋友原作用的韵脚字，按同样的顺序再写一首来回应。林圣予是晁补之的朋友，他写了一首惜春的词，晁补之就和了这一首。林圣予是谁、这首词写于哪一年，现在都不清楚。词里说到功名和老来的心情，一说是作者经历官场挫折、年纪大了以后写的。

The poet作者

Chao Buzhi (1053–1110) came from Juye in today's Shandong. He was a student of Su Shi, and one of the Four Scholars of Su's School, with Huang Tingjian, Qin Guan and Zhang Lei. As an official he was sent away from court several times because of factional fights, and later he went home to live quietly. His ci are broad and open like Su Shi's, and often reflect on life.

晁补之（1053—1110），字无咎，号归来子，济州巨野（今山东巨野）人。他是苏轼的学生，和黄庭坚、秦观、张耒合称“苏门四学士”。他做官时几次因为党派之争被贬，后来回乡隐居。他的词风格接近苏轼，开阔爽朗，也常有人生感慨。

The mood意境

The first stanza questions spring. Why are you in such a hurry, rushing away with wind and rain like a galloping horse? The flowers in the little garden have not even been properly planted, and already the red blossoms are blown away. The willow, which keeps spring for a long time, does better. Then comes a thought: spring comes back every year and never grows old. Only people worry. The second stanza says that eight or nine things out of ten in life go wrong, so how can we waste good wine? When peach blossoms fall and fruit forms, that is just nature. Spring has not made them thin. At last he says what is in his heart. Career, and the taste of old age, are like the time when spring leaves. Even if he drinks and sings wildly as before, his heart cannot feel as it once did. It moves from missing spring to missing his own lost years.

上片先问春天：你为什么这么匆忙，带着风雨像快马一样跑走？小园里刚种的花还没培好土，红花就被吹光了，倒不如垂柳能长久地守着春天。接着说出一个道理：春天其实年年都会回来，从不变老，真正发愁的只有人。下片说，人生不如意的事十有八九，怎么忍心辜负眼前的好酒？桃花落了结出果子，本是自然的事，并不是春天让它变瘦。最后才说出心底的话：功名、老年的滋味，都像春天要走的时候。就算在酒席前照样痛饮狂歌，心情也回不到从前了。从惜春写到惜人生，越读越深。