No. 17 · Song lyric · ci lyric to the tune Su Mu Zhe, two stanzas第 17 首 · 宋词 · 词·苏幕遮（双调）

sū苏mù幕zhē遮·bì碧yún云tiān天

fàn范zhòng仲yān淹Fan Zhongyan · Song宋

To the Tune Su Mu Zhe: Blue Clouds in the Sky

bì碧yún云tiān天

huáng黄yè叶dì地

qiū秋sè色lián连bō波

bō波shàng上hán寒yān烟cuì翠

shān山yìng映xié斜yáng阳tiān天jiē接shuǐ水

fāng芳cǎo草wú无qíng情

gèng更zài在xié斜yáng阳wài外

àn黯xiāng乡hún魂

zhuī追lǚ旅sī思

yè夜yè夜chú除fēi非

hǎo好mèng梦liú留rén人shuì睡

míng明yuè月lóu楼gāo高xiū休dú独yǐ倚

jiǔ酒rù入chóu愁cháng肠

huà化zuò作xiāng相sī思lèi泪

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

碧云天Blue sky with drifting clouds,蓝天上飘着白云，
黄叶地yellow leaves on the ground.地上铺满黄叶。
秋色连波The autumn colours run on to the waves,秋天的景色一直连到水波上，
波上寒烟翠and over the waves hangs a cold green mist.水波上笼着一层带着寒意的青绿色烟雾。
山映斜阳天接水The hills glow in the setting sun; the sky meets the water.夕阳照着远山，天和水连在一起。
芳草无情The grass has no heart,芳草不懂人的心事，
更在斜阳外it grows on beyond the setting sun.一直长到比夕阳还远的地方。
黯乡魂Homesickness darkens my spirit,想家想得心情沉重，
追旅思a traveller's sorrow will not let me go.在外漂泊的愁思缠着我不放。
夜夜除非Night after night, only每天夜里，只有
好梦留人睡a good dream of home lets me sleep.做了回家的好梦，我才能睡得着。
明月楼高休独倚The moon is bright, the tower high; do not lean on the railing alone.明月照着高楼，不要一个人靠着栏杆远望了。
酒入愁肠The wine goes down into my sorrowful heart酒喝进满是忧愁的心里，
化作相思泪and turns into tears of longing.都变成了想念的眼泪。

Words字词注释

碧云天bì yún tiān: bì yún tiān: a blue sky with clouds. Bì is a blue-green colour, here the colour of the sky.碧云天：蓝天上飘着白云。碧，青绿色，这里指天的颜色。
黄叶地huáng yè dì: huáng yè dì: the ground covered in yellow fallen leaves.黄叶地：地上铺满了黄色的落叶。
秋色连波qiū sè lián bō: qiū sè lián bō: the autumn colours reach all the way to the waves.秋色连波：秋天的景色一直连到远处的水波。
寒烟翠hán yān cuì: hán yān cuì: hán yān is the chilly mist over autumn water; cuì is green. From far off, the mist looks green.寒烟：秋天水面上带着寒意的烟雾。翠：青绿色。水面上的雾气在远处看起来是青绿色的。
山映斜阳shān yìng xié yáng: shān yìng xié yáng: the setting sun shines on the hills.山映斜阳：夕阳照在山上。斜阳，傍晚的太阳。
天接水tiān jiē shuǐ: tiān jiē shuǐ: far away, the sky meets the water.天接水：远远望去，天和水连在一起。
芳草无情fāng cǎo wú qíng: fāng cǎo wú qíng: the grass has no feelings. In old poems, grass often stands for the sorrow of parting or the far-off road home.芳草无情：青草不懂人的心事。古诗里常用芳草比喻离愁或远方。
更在斜阳外gèng zài xié yáng wài: gèng zài xié yáng wài: it grows on even beyond the setting sun.更在斜阳外：一直长到比夕阳还远的地方。
黯乡魂àn xiāng hún: àn xiāng hún: àn means low-spirited; xiāng hún is a heart missing home. Gloomy with homesickness.黯：心情低落。乡魂：想家的心。黯乡魂：想家想得心情沉重。
追旅思zhuī lǚ sī: zhuī lǚ sī: zhuī means to cling to; lǚ sī is the sad thoughts of someone far from home. Haunted by a traveller's sorrow.追：缠着不放。旅思：在外漂泊的愁思。
除非chú fēi: chú fēi: only if, only when.除非：只有……才能……
好梦留人睡hǎo mèng liú rén shuì: hǎo mèng liú rén shuì: only a good dream of home lets him sleep.好梦留人睡：做个回家的好梦，才能安心睡着。
休独倚xiū dú yǐ: xiū dú yǐ: xiū means do not; yǐ is to lean on a railing. Do not lean there alone, looking far away.休：不要。倚：靠着栏杆。休独倚：不要一个人靠着栏杆远望。
愁肠chóu cháng: chóu cháng: a heart full of sorrow; literally "sorrowful insides".愁肠：满是忧愁的心。
相思xiāng sī: xiāng sī: longing for someone far away.相思：想念远方的人。

How to read it读音

思sī: Read sī today. Here it is a noun, "thoughts, sorrows". It was once read with a falling tone, sì, which rhymes with cuì, wài, shuì and lèi, and some textbooks and teachers still read it that way.现在读 sī。这里是名词“心思、愁思”，旧读去声 sì，和“翠、外、睡、泪”押韵，有些课本和老师仍读 sì。
更gèng: Read gèng here, meaning "even further".这里是“还、更加”的意思，读 gèng。

Background创作背景

This lyric is usually thought to have been written while Fan Zhongyan was guarding the northwest frontier. From 1040 on, Western Xia often raided the Song, and Fan Zhongyan was sent to the Shaanxi region to lead the defence. For several years he could not go home. Another view says the lyric is simply about being away from home and missing it, not tied to the frontier. Some anthologies give it the title "Remembering the Past".

这首词一般认为是范仲淹在西北边地守边时写的。宋仁宗康定元年（1040）以后，西夏常来侵扰，范仲淹被派到陕西一带主持防守，好几年不能回家。一说这首词只是写一般的出门在外、想念家乡，不一定和守边有关。有的选本给它加了题目“怀旧”。

The poet作者

Fan Zhongyan (989–1052), courtesy name Xiwen, came from Wu County in Suzhou. He was a statesman and writer of the Northern Song. He grew up poor and passed the imperial exam through hard study. He is famous for saying that one should worry before everyone else worries, and be happy only after everyone else is happy. He guarded the frontier and led reforms at court. Only a few of his lyrics survive, but they are well known.

范仲淹（989—1052），字希文，苏州吴县（今江苏苏州）人，北宋政治家、文学家。他小时候家里很穷，靠刻苦读书考中进士。他说过一句有名的话：“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐。”他守过边，也主持过改革。他的词留下来的不多，却很有名。

The mood意境

The first stanza is like a huge autumn painting. Look up: blue sky and clouds. Look down: yellow leaves everywhere. Far off, the autumn colours reach the water, and a green mist floats on the waves. The setting sun lights the hills, and sky and water melt into one. The grass grows on beyond the setting sun, toward home, so far away that he can never see the end. The second stanza is about his feelings. Homesickness clings to him every day, and only a good dream of home lets him sleep. The moon is bright, but he dares not climb the tower to look out, for fear of missing home even more. So he drinks, but once the wine is in his sorrowful heart, it turns into tears of longing. Because the scenery is so wide and beautiful, the sorrow that follows feels even deeper.

上阕像一幅很大的秋景画。抬头是蓝天白云，低头是满地黄叶，远处秋色一直连到水面，水上飘着青绿色的雾。夕阳照着山，天和水连成一片。芳草一直长到夕阳外面，也就是家乡的方向，那么远，怎么也看不到头。下阕写心情。想家的愁天天缠着他，只有做个回家的好梦才睡得着。月亮很亮，可他不敢再上楼远望，怕越看越想家。他只好喝酒，可酒一进愁肠，就变成了相思的眼泪。前面景色写得开阔美丽，后面的愁就显得更深。