Song lyric · ci to the tune Su Zhong Qing, 45 characters in two stanzas宋词 · 词，词牌《诉衷情》，双调四十五字

sù诉zhōng衷qíng情·méi眉yì意

ōu欧yáng阳xiū修Ouyang Xiu · Song宋

Su Zhong Qing: The Meaning of Her Brows

qīng清chén晨lián帘mù幕juǎn卷qīng轻shuāng霜

hē呵shǒu手shì试méi梅zhuāng妆

dōu都yuán缘zì自yǒu有lí离hèn恨

gù故huà画zuò作yuǎn远shān山cháng长

sī思wǎng往shì事

xī惜liú流fāng芳

yì易chéng成shāng伤

nǐ拟gē歌xiān先liǎn敛

yù欲xiào笑hái还pín颦

zuì最duàn断rén人cháng肠

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

清晨帘幕卷轻霜In the early morning she rolls up the curtain, touched with light frost.清早卷起门帘，帘上带着一层薄霜。
呵手试梅妆She breathes on her cold hands and tries on plum-blossom makeup.她对着冻冷的手哈口热气，试着画上梅花妆。
都缘自有离恨Because there is the pain of parting in her heart,都是因为心里有离别的愁苦，
故画作远山长she paints her brows long, like distant hills.所以把眉毛画成了长长的远山。
思往事She thinks of the past,想起过去的事，
惜流芳and grieves that her best years flow away;可惜美好的年华白白流走，
易成伤it easily turns to sorrow.很容易就伤心起来。
拟歌先敛About to sing, she first holds back,正要唱歌，先收住了笑容，
欲笑还颦wanting to smile, she frowns instead;想要笑一笑，却又皱起了眉头，
最断人肠this is what breaks the heart the most.这样子最让人心碎。

Words字词注释

帘幕lián mù: lián mù: curtains and hangings over doors and windows.帘幕：挂在门窗上的帘子和帷幕。
卷轻霜juǎn qīng shuāng: juǎn qīng shuāng: rolling up the curtain, which still has a thin frost on it. Another reading: rolling up the curtain to see the light frost outside.卷轻霜：卷起帘子，帘上还带着一层薄霜。一说是卷起帘子，看见外面的薄霜。
呵手hē shǒu: hē shǒu: breathing on one's hands to warm them.呵手：对着手哈热气，让冻僵的手暖和起来。
梅妆méi zhuāng: méi zhuāng: plum-blossom makeup, a plum flower painted on the forehead. Legend says a princess of the Southern Dynasties, Princess Shouyang, slept under a plum tree and a flower fell on her brow and left its mark. Women then copied it.梅妆：梅花妆，在额头上画一朵梅花。传说南朝宋的寿阳公主睡在梅树下，一朵梅花落在她额头上，留下花印，后来女子们就学着这样打扮。
都缘dōu yuán: dōu yuán: all because.都缘：都是因为。
离恨lí hèn: lí hèn: the pain of being parted from someone one loves.离恨：和心爱的人分离的愁苦。
故gù: gù: so, therefore.故：所以。
远山yuǎn shān: yuǎn shān: distant-hill brows, eyebrows painted long, thin and faint like far-off hills. Legend says the Han dynasty beauty Zhuo Wenjun had brows like this.远山：远山眉，把眉毛画得又细又长，淡淡的，像远处的青山。传说汉代才女卓文君的眉毛就像远山。
流芳liú fāng: liú fāng: the beautiful years of youth slipping away like water.流芳：像流水一样逝去的美好年华。
易成伤yì chéng shāng: yì chéng shāng: easily turns to sorrow.易成伤：很容易让人伤心。
拟歌nǐ gē: nǐ gē: about to sing. Nǐ means to intend.拟歌：打算唱歌。拟，打算。
敛liǎn: liǎn: to hold back, here meaning to draw in the brows and stop smiling.敛：收住，这里指收起笑容、皱起眉头。
颦pín: pín: to frown.颦：皱眉头。
断人肠duàn rén cháng: duàn rén cháng: breaking one's heart. Literally, cutting one's insides.断人肠：让人伤心到了极点，好像肠子都断了。

How to read it读音

还hái: In yu xiao hai pin this character is usually read hái, meaning yet, instead.“欲笑还颦”的“还”一般读 hái，意思是却、又。

Background创作背景

In common editions this ci is titled The Meaning of Her Brows. It is about a singing girl, a woman who made her living by singing for guests. On a cold morning she gets up to do her makeup. As she paints her brows she thinks of someone she has parted from, so she draws them like distant hills. We do not know exactly when it was written. Song writers often wrote ci for singing girls at banquets. This one shows her hidden feelings closely and with sympathy.

这首词通行本题作“眉意”，写一位歌女，就是靠唱歌给人听来谋生的女子。一个寒冷的清早，她起床梳妆，画眉时心里想着离别的人，就把眉毛画成了远山的样子。写作的具体时间不清楚。宋代文人常在宴会上为歌女写词，这首词把歌女的心事写得很细，带着同情。

The poet作者

Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072), styled Yongshu, called himself the Old Drunkard, and in later years the Retired Scholar of Six Ones. He was a Northern Song writer and one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of Tang and Song. He held high office and helped many young talents, such as Su Shi and Zeng Gong, rise. He was the leader of the literary world of his time. His prose is plain and natural, but his ci are often soft and full of feeling, like this one.

欧阳修（1007—1072），字永叔，号醉翁，晚年又号六一居士，北宋文学家，“唐宋八大家”之一。他做过朝廷的大官，提拔过苏轼、曾巩等很多人才，是当时文坛的领袖。他的文章平易自然，词却常写得婉转多情，像这首就写得很细腻。

The mood意境

The heart of this ci is her eyebrows. The first stanza shows her painting them. On a cold morning there is frost on the curtain and her hands are stiff with cold. She breathes on them and does her makeup with care. Why paint her brows long and thin like distant hills? Because there is the pain of parting in her heart. Her brows are like a picture of her feelings. The second stanza shows her mind. She thinks of the past and grieves that her youth is slipping away, and sorrow comes easily. The last lines are the finest. About to sing, she holds her sadness in. She tries to smile, but her brows knit again. As a singing girl she must sing and laugh for guests, while her heart is heavy. Wanting to smile and being unable to is what hurts the most to see.

这首词的中心是眉毛。上片写画眉：寒冷的清早，帘子上有霜，手冻得发僵，她呵口热气，认真地化妆。眉毛为什么画成远山那样又细又长？因为心里有离别的愁。眉毛就像一幅画，画出了她的心事。下片写她的心：想起往事，可惜青春流走，一想就伤心。最妙的是最后几句：要唱歌了，先把愁收住；想笑一笑，眉头却又皱起来。她是歌女，必须在客人面前唱歌欢笑，心里却很苦。这种想笑笑不出来的样子，最让人心疼。