Song lyric · ci to the tune Xiang Chun Ye Yue, in two stanzas宋词 · 词，词牌《湘春夜月》，双调

xiāng湘chūn春yè夜yuè月·jìn近qīng清míng明

huáng黄xiào孝mài迈Huang Xiaomai · Song宋

Xiang Chun Ye Yue: Near Qingming

jìn近qīng清míng明

cuì翠qín禽zhī枝shàng上xiāo消hún魂

kě可xī惜yí一piàn片qīng清gē歌

dōu都fù付yǔ与huáng黄hūn昏

yù欲gòng共liǔ柳huā花dī低sù诉

pà怕liǔ柳huā花qīng轻bó薄

bù不jiě解shāng伤chūn春

niàn念chǔ楚xiāng乡lǚ旅sù宿

róu柔qíng情bié别xù绪

shuí谁yǔ与wēn温cún存

kōng空zūn樽yè夜qì泣

qīng青shān山bù不yǔ语

cán残yuè月dāng当mén门

cuì翠yù玉lóu楼qián前

wéi惟shì是yǒu有yì一bō波xiāng湘shuǐ水

yáo摇dàng荡xiāng湘yún云

tiān天cháng长mèng梦duǎn短

wèn问shén甚shí时chóng重jiàn见táo桃gēn根

zhè这cì次dì第

suàn算rén人jiān间méi没gè个bīng并dāo刀

jiǎn翦duàn断xīn心shàng上chóu愁hén痕

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

近清明It is nearly Qingming.快到清明节了，
翠禽枝上消魂A green bird on the branch sings until my heart breaks.枝头的翠鸟叫得让人心碎。
可惜一片清歌What a pity that all this clear song可惜这一片清亮的歌声，
都付与黄昏is given only to the dusk.都只能交给黄昏。
欲共柳花低诉I want to whisper my heart to the willow catkins,我想和柳絮轻声说说心里话，
怕柳花轻薄but fear the catkins are too light and flighty又怕柳絮轻飘飘的，
不解伤春to understand the sadness of spring.不懂得伤春的心情。
念楚乡旅宿I think of myself lodging at an inn in the land of Chu,想到自己在楚地的旅店里过夜，
柔情别绪full of tender love and the sorrow of parting.满是柔情和离愁，
谁与温存Who will comfort me gently?有谁来温柔地安慰我？
空樽夜泣Before an empty cup, I weep in the night.对着空酒杯，夜里独自流泪，
青山不语The green hills say nothing,青山默默不说话，
残月当门and only the fading moon faces my door.只有残月正对着门口。
翠玉楼前Before the jade-green tower where she lived,在她住过的翠玉楼前，
惟是有一波湘水there is only a stretch of the Xiang River,只有一片湘江的水，
摇荡湘云rocking the clouds of the Xiang.摇晃着湘江上的云影。
天长梦短The sky is so long, and dreams so short.天那么长，梦那么短，
问甚时重见桃根I ask: when will I see my love again?问一问，什么时候才能再见到心上人？
这次第In a state like this,这种光景，
算人间没个并刀I think there is not one pair of sharp Bingzhou scissors in the world想来人间也没有一把并州快剪，
翦断心上愁痕that could cut the marks of sorrow from my heart.能剪断我心上的愁痕。

Words字词注释

清明qīng míng: qīng míng: the Qingming festival, in early April, at the height of spring.清明：清明节，在每年四月初，春天正盛的时候。
翠禽cuì qín: cuì qín: a small bird with green feathers.翠禽：羽毛青绿色的小鸟。
消魂xiāo hún: xiāo hún: so sad that one seems to lose one's soul.消魂：形容非常伤心，好像魂都没了。
清歌qīng gē: qīng gē: a clear, sweet song.清歌：清脆好听的歌声。
付与fù yǔ: fù yǔ: to hand over to.付与：交给。
欲共yù gòng: yù gòng: to want to, together with.欲共：想要和……一起。
柳花liǔ huā: liǔ huā: willow catkins, the willow's seeds with white fluff that float everywhere.柳花：柳絮，柳树的种子，带着白色的绒毛，到处飘飞。
低诉dī sù: dī sù: to tell in a low voice.低诉：轻声诉说。
轻薄qīng bó: qīng bó: light and flighty. Catkins float so lightly, hence the word.轻薄：轻浮，不庄重。柳絮轻飘飘的，所以这样说。
不解bù jiě: bù jiě: does not understand.不解：不懂得。
伤春shāng chūn: shāng chūn: to feel sad that spring is ending.伤春：因为春天将尽而伤心。
楚乡chǔ xiāng: chǔ xiāng: the land of Chu, the old state of Chu, roughly today's Hunan and Hubei.楚乡：楚地，古代楚国一带，大约是今天的湖南、湖北。
旅宿lǚ sù: lǚ sù: staying overnight on a journey.旅宿：在旅途中住宿。
别绪bié xù: bié xù: the sad thoughts of parting.别绪：离别的愁思。
温存wēn cún: wēn cún: to comfort gently.温存：温柔地安慰、体贴。
空樽kōng zūn: kōng zūn: an empty wine cup.空樽：空了的酒杯。
夜泣yè qì: yè qì: to weep at night.夜泣：夜里哭泣。
当门dāng mén: dāng mén: right at the door.当门：正对着门。
翠玉楼cuì yù lóu: cuì yù lóu: a beautiful tower; where the loved one once lived.翠玉楼：华美的楼，指心上人住过的地方。
惟是wéi shì: wéi shì: only.惟是：只是。
一波湘水yì bō xiāng shuǐ: yī bō xiāng shuǐ: a stretch of the Xiang River, the great river of Hunan. Some editions write a different word meaning a pond.一波湘水：一片湘江的水。湘江是湖南的大河。有的本子写作“一陂”。
摇荡湘云yáo dàng xiāng yún: yáo dàng xiāng yún: the clouds over the Xiang rocking in the water.摇荡湘云：湘江上的云影在水里摇晃。
甚时shén shí: shén shí: what time, when.甚时：什么时候。
桃根táo gēn: táo gēn: Taogen was the sister of Taoye, a beloved companion of Wang Xianzhi in the Jin dynasty. Here it stands for the loved one.桃根：东晋王献之的爱妾桃叶有个妹妹叫桃根。这里借指心上人。
这次第zhè cì dì: zhè cì dì: this situation, this state of things.这次第：这种情形，这光景。
没个méi gè: méi gè: there is not one.没个：没有一把。
并刀bīng dāo: bīng dāo: scissors from Bingzhou, around today's Taiyuan in Shanxi, famous for being sharp.并刀：并州（今山西太原一带）出产的剪刀，以锋利出名。
翦断jiǎn duàn: jiǎn duàn: to cut off. This form of the character is an old way of writing jiǎn, to cut.翦断：剪断。翦，同“剪”。
愁痕chóu hén: chóu hén: the marks sorrow leaves on the heart.愁痕：愁留在心上的痕迹。

How to read it读音

薄bó: In qīng bó, light and flighty, this character is read bó.“轻薄”是轻浮的意思，“薄”读 bó。
甚shén: In shén shí, what time, this character means what and is read shén.“甚时”是什么时候，“甚”在这里同“什么”的“什”，读 shén。
重chóng: In chóng jiàn, to see again, this character is read chóng.“重见”是再见，“重”读 chóng。
并bīng: Bīng dāo are blades made in Bingzhou. In the place name, this character is read bīng.“并刀”是并州出产的刀剪，并州的“并”读 bīng。

Background创作背景

Huang Xiaomai made up this tune himself. Its name holds the words Xiang, spring, night and moon, which fit the ci exactly: on a spring night by the Xiang River, he looks at the moon and misses someone far away. The line about lodging in the land of Chu tells us he was a traveller somewhere in today's Hunan or Hubei. It was close to the Qingming festival, and he was staying alone at an inn. We cannot tell the year, or who the person he missed was.

《湘春夜月》这个词牌是黄孝迈自己创作的，名字里有“湘”“春”“夜”“月”，正好合着词的内容：在湘江一带的春夜，对着月亮想念远方的人。词里说“楚乡旅宿”，可知作者当时在湖南、湖北一带作客，快到清明的时候，一个人住在旅店里。具体年份和他想念的人是谁，都已经不可考。

The poet作者

Huang Xiaomai, also called Xuezhou, lived in the Southern Song. Very little is known about his life. Only a few of his ci survive, but they are delicate and moving. The Southern Song poet Liu Kezhuang read his ci and praised them highly.

黄孝迈，字德夫，号雪舟，南宋人，生平事迹留下来很少。他的词作流传不多，但写得细腻动人。南宋词人刘克庄读了他的词，很是称赞。

The mood意境

It is nearly Qingming. A green bird on a branch sings so sweetly it breaks the heart. What a pity such lovely song is given only to the dusk. He wants to tell his feelings to the willow catkins, but fears they are too light and flighty to understand the sadness of spring. Alone in a strange land, full of tender love and the pain of parting, who will comfort him? The second stanza is even lonelier. The cup is empty, he weeps alone at night, the green hills say nothing, and only the fading moon shines at the door. Before the jade-green tower where she once lived, there is only a stretch of the Xiang River, rocking the clouds reflected in it. The sky goes on so long, and dreams are so short. When will he see her again? At last he says that in all the world there is no sharp Bingzhou scissors that could cut the marks of sorrow from his heart. The sorrow is like a scar drawn on the heart that will not go away.

快到清明了，枝头的翠鸟唱得让人心碎。可惜这么好听的歌，只能唱给黄昏听。他想对柳絮说说心里话，又怕柳絮轻飘飘的，不懂得伤春。一个人住在异乡，满肚子柔情和离愁，谁来安慰呢？下片更冷清：酒杯空了，夜里独自流泪，青山不说话，只有残月照着门口。想起她住过的楼前，只剩一片湘水，晃着湘江上的云影。天那么长，梦那么短，什么时候才能再见到她？最后说：人间没有一把锋利的并州剪刀，剪得断心上的愁。愁像画在心上的痕迹，怎么也去不掉。