Song lyric · ci to the tune Xie Chi Chun, 90 characters in two stanzas宋词 · 词，词牌《谢池春》，双调90字

xiè谢chí池chūn春·cán残hán寒xiāo销jìn尽

lǐ李zhī之yí仪Li Zhiyi · Song宋

Xie Chi Chun: The Last of the Cold Is Gone

cán残hán寒xiāo销jìn尽

shū疏yǔ雨guò过qīng清míng明hòu后

huā花jìng径liǎn敛yú馀hóng红

fēng风zhǎo沼yíng萦xīn新zhòu皱

rǔ乳yàn燕chuān穿tíng庭hù户

fēi飞xù絮zhān沾jīn襟xiù袖

zhèng正jiā佳shí时

réng仍wǎn晚zhòu昼

zhuó著rén人zī滋wèi味

zhēn真gè个nóng浓rú如jiǔ酒

pín频yí移dài带yǎn眼

kōng空zhǐ只nèn恁yān厌yān厌shòu瘦

bú不jiàn见yòu又sī思liáng量

jiàn见le了hái还yī依jiù旧

wèi为wèn问pín频xiāng相jiàn见

hé何sì似cháng长xiāng相shǒu守

tiān天bù不lǎo老

rén人wèi未ǒu偶

qiě且jiāng将cǐ此hèn恨

fēn分fù付tíng庭qián前liǔ柳

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

残寒销尽The last of the cold is gone.最后一点寒气也消失了，
疏雨过清明后Light rain has passed, and Qingming is behind us.稀疏的小雨下过，已经是清明以后。
花径敛馀红Along the flower path, the last red blossoms are closing,花丛小路上剩下的红花快要谢了，
风沼萦新皱and the wind draws new ripples on the pond.风吹过池塘，泛起一圈圈新的波纹。
乳燕穿庭户Young swallows dart through the courtyard and doorways,小燕子在院子门窗间穿来穿去，
飞絮沾襟袖and drifting willow down clings to my robe and sleeves.飘飞的柳絮沾在衣襟和袖子上。
正佳时It is the best time of year,正是好时光，
仍晚昼and the day lingers on.白天又这样长。
著人滋味The longing that comes over me now这时涌上心头的相思滋味，
真个浓如酒is truly as strong as wine.真的像酒一样浓。
频移带眼Again and again I tighten my belt by another hole,腰带上的孔一次次往里移，
空只恁厌厌瘦growing thin and listless for nothing.白白地这样没精打采，越来越瘦。
不见又思量When I cannot see you, I miss you;见不到时想念，
见了还依旧when I do see you, it is the same again after we part.见到了，分开以后还是一样想念。
为问频相见Let me ask: how could seeing each other often请问，常常见面，
何似长相守ever compare with staying together for good?哪里比得上永远守在一起？
天不老The sky does not grow old,老天不会老，
人未偶yet we two are still not together.我们却还没能在一起。
且将此恨So I will take this sorrow只好把这份遗憾，
分付庭前柳and hand it to the willow before the courtyard.交给院子前面的柳树。

Words字词注释

残寒cán hán: cán hán: the cold left over from winter.残寒：冬天留下来的寒气。
销尽xiāo jìn: xiāo jìn: completely gone.销尽：完全消失。
疏雨shū yǔ: shū yǔ: light, scattered rain.疏雨：稀稀落落的小雨。
清明qīng míng: qīng míng: the Qingming Festival, in early April, in late spring.清明：清明节，在每年四月初，正是暮春。
花径huā jìng: huā jìng: a path among flowers.花径：花丛中的小路。
敛馀红liǎn yú hóng: liǎn yú hóng: the last red flowers are closing up and fading.敛馀红：剩下的红花也收拢了，快要谢了。
风沼fēng zhǎo: fēng zhǎo: a pond in the wind. Zhǎo means pond.风沼：风吹过的池塘。沼，水池。
萦新皱yíng xīn zhòu: yíng xīn zhòu: new ripples circling on the water, like wrinkles.萦新皱：水面泛起一圈圈新的波纹，像皱纹一样。
乳燕rǔ yàn: rǔ yàn: young swallows not long out of the nest.乳燕：刚出生不久的小燕子。
庭户tíng hù: tíng hù: the courtyard and doors.庭户：院子和门窗。
飞絮fēi xù: fēi xù: drifting willow down.飞絮：飘飞的柳絮。
襟袖jīn xiù: jīn xiù: the front and the sleeves of a robe.襟袖：衣服的前襟和袖子。
晚昼wǎn zhòu: wǎn zhòu: late in the day. Some read it as the days growing long.晚昼：白天快要过完、傍晚时分。一说指白天变长了。
著人滋味zhuó rén zī wèi: zhuó rén zī wèi: the feeling that comes over a person, here the ache of missing someone.著人滋味：让人感受到的滋味，这里指相思的心情。
真个zhēn gè: zhēn gè: truly.真个：真的，确实。
频移带眼pín yí dài yǎn: pín yí dài yǎn: moving the belt to a tighter hole again and again, because one is growing thin.频移带眼：腰带上的孔一次次往里移。人瘦了，腰带只好越系越紧。
空只恁kōng zhǐ nèn: kōng zhǐ nèn: just like this, for nothing.空只恁：白白地只是这样。
厌厌yān yān: yān yān: weak and listless.厌厌：没精打采的样子。
思量sī liáng: sī liáng: to miss someone, to keep thinking of them.思量：想念。
还依旧hái yī jiù: hái yī jiù: still the same as before; they must part again and the longing stays.还依旧：还是和以前一样，又要分开，想念还在。
何似hé sì: hé sì: how could it compare with.何似：哪里比得上。
天不老tiān bù lǎo: tiān bù lǎo: the sky does not grow old. The Tang poet Li He wrote that if the sky had feelings it too would age; here it means the sky has no feelings.天不老：天不会老。唐代李贺有“天若有情天亦老”，这里反过来说天无情。
人未偶rén wèi ǒu: rén wèi ǒu: the two have not yet been able to be together. Ǒu means a pair.人未偶：两个人还没能在一起。偶，成双成对。
分付fēn fù: fēn fù: to hand over, to entrust.分付：交给，托付。

How to read it读音

著zhuó: In zhuo ren this character is read zhuó, meaning to touch or come over someone.“著人”的“著”读 zhuó，意思是沾上、让人感到。
恁nèn: This character is read nèn and means like this, so.“恁”读 nèn，意思是这样、如此。
厌yān: Here the doubled character is read yān yān, the same as a word for weak and listless.“厌厌”同“恹恹”，读 yān yān，形容没精打采、病恹恹的样子。
厌yān: As above, read yān.同上，读 yān。
量liáng: In si liang this character is read liáng here, meaning to think of someone. In everyday speech today it is often read with a light tone.“思量”的“量”这里读 liáng，意思是想念、惦记。今天口语里常读轻声。
为wèi: In wei wen this character is read wèi.“为问”的“为”读 wèi。

Background创作背景

This lyric is set in late spring, just after Qingming. Someone grows thin with longing because they cannot stay with the one they love. The first half shows the spring scene, and the second half shows the feelings. We no longer know when it was written or for whom. Its lines about missing someone when apart, and missing them still after meeting, and about how meeting often can never match staying together, say what many people have felt, so they became widely known.

这首词写清明以后的暮春时节，一个人因为不能和心上人长久相守而相思消瘦。前半写春景，后半写心情。它的写作时间和对象已经说不清。词中“不见又思量，见了还依旧”“为问频相见，何似长相守”几句，说出了很多人都有过的感受，所以流传很广。

The poet作者

Li Zhiyi (about 1048–about 1127) came from Wudi in Cangzhou, around today's Wudi in Shandong, and was a Northern Song poet. He was a friend and follower of Su Shi. Later, caught up in court politics, he was sent away in disgrace to Taiping, today's Dangtu in Anhui. His lyrics use plain words and sincere feeling, almost like folk songs. His most famous is "Bu Suan Zi: I Live at the Head of the Yangtze".

李之仪（约1048—约1127），字端叔，号姑溪居士，沧州无棣（今山东无棣一带）人，北宋词人。他是苏轼的朋友和门生，后来受到政治风波的牵连，被贬到太平州（今安徽当涂）。他的词语言浅白、感情真挚，像民歌一样，最有名的是《卜算子·我住长江头》。

The mood意境

The first stanza is a small painting of late spring. The cold has gone, light rain has passed, red flowers are about to fall, the pond wrinkles in the wind, young swallows dart about, and willow down sticks to the sleeves. In such a lovely season, a deep longing rises in the heart, strong as wine. The second stanza speaks plainly. The speaker grows so thin the belt must keep getting tighter. Apart, they miss the loved one; together and then parted, they miss them still; seeing each other often is nothing like staying together. The sky never ages, yet the two still cannot be together. In the end the sorrow can only be handed to the willow by the courtyard. In old China the willow stood for parting and for holding on. The last line is light, but it stays with you a long time.

上阕是一幅暮春小画：寒气散了，小雨过后，红花将谢，池水起皱，小燕子飞来飞去，柳絮粘在衣袖上。这么好的时光，偏偏让人心里涌起浓浓的相思，像喝醉了酒。下阕直接说心事：人瘦得腰带一再收紧。见不到想，见到了分开还想，常常见面也比不上一直在一起。老天不老，两人却还不能团聚。最后只能把这份恨交给院前的柳树。柳在古代代表离别和留恋，这一句写得轻，却让人回味很久。