Song lyric · ci, a long lyric in two stanzas宋词 · 词·双调慢词

xī惜huáng黄huā花màn慢·sòng送kè客wú吴gāo皋

wú吴wén文yīng英Wu Wenying · Song宋

Cherishing the Yellow Flowers, Slow Tune: Seeing a Guest Off on the Wu Shore

sòng送kè客wú吴gāo皋

zhèng正shì试shuāng霜yè夜lěng冷

fēng枫luò落cháng长qiáo桥

wàng望tiān天bú不jìn尽

bèi背chéng城jiàn渐yǎo杳

lí离tíng亭àn黯àn黯

hèn恨shuǐ水tiáo迢tiáo迢

cuì翠xiāng香líng零luò落hóng红yī衣lǎo老

mù暮chóu愁suǒ锁cán残liǔ柳méi眉shāo梢

niàn念shòu瘦yāo腰

shěn沈láng郎jiù旧rì日

céng曾xì系lán兰ráo桡

xiān仙rén人fèng凤yè咽qióng琼xiāo箫

chàng怅duàn断hún魂sòng送yuǎn远

jiǔ九biàn辩nán难zhāo招

zuì醉huán鬟liú留pàn盼

xiǎo小chuāng窗jiǎn翦zhú烛

gē歌yún云zài载hèn恨

fēi飞shàng上yín银xiāo霄

sù素qiū秋bù不jiě解suí随chuán船qù去

bài败hóng红chèn趁yí一yè叶hán寒tāo涛

mèng梦cuì翠qiào翘

yuàn怨hóng鸿liào料guò过nán南qiáo谯

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。

In the corpus, line fifteen uses a look-alike character for the second word of jiǔ biàn, a slip in conversion. The name means Nine Changes, a work by Song Yu of the Warring States period, and the usual text writes it correctly. The usual text also has a short preface: "We moored for a while at Wujiang and drank at night by a monk's window before parting. A local official, Zhao, brought a young singing girl to pour our wine. She sang several lyrics in a row, all by Zhou Bangyan. When the wine ran out it was already the fourth watch of the night, and I wrote this lyric to see off Yin Meijin."

原始文本第十五句作“九辨难招”，“辨”是转换时的笔误。这里指战国时宋玉写的《九辩》，通行本作“九辩难招”。通行本词前还有一段小序：“次吴江小泊，夜饮僧窗惜别。邦人赵簿携小妓侑尊，连歌数阕，皆清真词。酒尽已四鼓，赋此词饯尹梅津。”

Line by line逐句翻译

送客吴皋I see a guest off on the shore of Wu.在吴江边上送别客人。
正试霜夜冷It is the time of first frost, and the night is cold;正是刚下霜的时候，夜里很冷，
枫落长桥maple leaves fall on the long bridge.枫叶落在长桥上。
望天不尽I gaze at the sky and cannot see its end;望着天边，怎么也望不到头，
背城渐杳the town behind slowly fades from sight.背后的城渐渐远去，看不见了。
离亭黯黯The parting pavilion is dim and gloomy,送别的亭子昏昏暗暗，
恨水迢迢and the river of sorrow runs long and far.满怀离恨的江水流得又远又长。
翠香零落红衣老The green lotus leaves wither and the red petals age,荷叶凋零，荷花也老了，
暮愁锁残柳眉梢and evening sorrow locks the tips of the old willows, like frowning brows.黄昏的愁锁在残柳的梢头，像皱着的眉。
念瘦腰I think of a waist worn thin by sorrow.想起那因愁消瘦的腰身。
沈郎旧日The one grown thin like Shen Yue long ago那像沈约一样消瘦的人，从前
曾系兰桡once tied a boat here too.也曾在这里系过小船。
仙人凤咽琼箫The singer's voice is like an immortal's jade flute, like a phoenix crying.歌女唱得像仙人吹玉箫，像凤凰在哀鸣。
怅断魂送远Heartbroken, I see you off on your long road,送你远行，我伤心得魂都要断了，
九辩难招and not even Song Yu's Nine Changes could call my soul back.就算是宋玉的《九辩》，也难把这伤心的魂招回来。
醉鬟留盼The tipsy young singer looks back with longing;醉了的小歌女回头深情地看着，
小窗翦烛by the little window we trim the candle,我们在小窗前剪着烛芯，
歌云载恨and her song, like a cloud, carries our sorrow歌声像云一样装着离恨，
飞上银霄up into the night sky.飞上了夜空。
素秋不解随船去Autumn does not know how to go along with your boat;秋天不懂得跟着你的船一起走，
败红趁一叶寒涛only fallen red leaves follow the little boat over the cold waves.只有凋落的红叶，跟着小船漂在寒冷的波浪上。
梦翠翘You will dream of the girl with the kingfisher hairpin.你会在梦里梦见那戴翠翘的歌女吧。
怨鸿料过南谯I expect the sorrowful wild goose will fly past Nanqiao.我想那只哀怨的大雁，会飞过南谯。

Words字词注释

吴皋wú gāo: wú gāo: a riverbank in the land of Wu. Gāo is high ground by water; here the shore at Wujiang.吴皋：吴地的水边。皋，水边的高地。这里指吴江边。
试霜shì shuāng: shì shuāng: the first frost of the year.试霜：刚开始下霜。
长桥cháng qiáo: cháng qiáo: the long bridge; Wujiang had a famous long bridge called Chuihong.长桥：吴江上有一座很有名的长桥，叫垂虹桥。
背城bèi chéng: bèi chéng: the town behind; as the boat leaves, the town falls behind.背城：背后的城。船开走了，城在身后。
杳yǎo: yǎo: so far away it disappears.杳：远得看不见了。
离亭lí tíng: lí tíng: a roadside pavilion where people said goodbye.离亭：路边送别的亭子。
黯黯àn àn: àn àn: dim and gloomy, and also sad at heart.黯黯：昏暗，也形容心里难过。
迢迢tiáo tiáo: tiáo tiáo: long and far.迢迢：很远很长的样子。
翠香零落红衣老cuì xiāng líng luò hóng yī lǎo: cuì xiāng líng luò hóng yī lǎo: the green lotus leaves wither and the red petals grow old. Hóng yī, red robes, means lotus petals.翠香零落红衣老：荷叶凋落，荷花的红花瓣也老了。红衣，指荷花瓣。
眉梢méi shāo: méi shāo: the tip of an eyebrow. Willow leaves look like brows, so the poet pictures them frowning.眉梢：眉毛的尾巴。柳叶细长像眉毛，这里把柳叶比作发愁皱着的眉。
瘦腰shòu yāo: shòu yāo: a thin waist. Usually read as someone grown thin from sorrow; some say it pictures slender willows as a slim waist.瘦腰：细瘦的腰身。一般理解为人因为愁而消瘦，也有人说是把细柳比作细腰。
沈郎shěn láng: shěn láng: Shen Yue of the Southern Dynasties, who wrote that he grew so thin his belt was loose. Here it stands for a man worn thin; some say the poet himself, some say the departing friend.沈郎：南朝的沈约。他说自己病得腰带都松了，后来“沈腰”就指人消瘦。这里借指消瘦的人：一说指诗人自己，一说指远行的朋友。
兰桡lán ráo: lán ráo: an oar of magnolia wood; that is, a boat.兰桡：用木兰做的船桨，指船。
仙人凤咽琼箫xiān rén fèng yè qióng xiāo: xiān rén fèng yè qióng xiāo: an old legend tells of Xiao Shi, whose flute called down phoenixes. Here the singer's voice is like an immortal's jade flute, like a phoenix crying.仙人凤咽琼箫：古代传说萧史吹箫，能引来凤凰。这里说歌女唱得像仙人吹着玉箫，声音像凤凰在哀鸣。
怅chàng: chàng: sad and let down.怅：失意，难过。
断魂duàn hún: duàn hún: heartbroken.断魂：伤心到了极点。
九辩jiǔ biàn: jiǔ biàn: Nine Changes, by Song Yu of the Warring States, about the sadness of autumn. He also wrote Summoning the Soul. Even his words could not call back a heartbroken soul.九辩：战国时宋玉写的作品，写秋天的悲伤。他还写过《招魂》。这里说就算用宋玉的文章，也难把伤心的魂叫回来。
醉鬟zuì huán: zuì huán: a tipsy girl. Huán is a looped hairstyle; here, the young singer.醉鬟：喝醉了的少女。鬟，女子的环形发髻，这里指唱歌的小歌女。
留盼liú pàn: liú pàn: a lingering look back.留盼：舍不得地回头看。
翦烛jiǎn zhú: jiǎn zhú: trimming the burnt candle wick to make it brighter, as in Li Shangyin's line about trimming candles by the west window.翦烛：剪去烧焦的烛芯，让烛光更亮。翦，同“剪”。李商隐有诗“何当共剪西窗烛”。
歌云gē yún: gē yún: a song so fine it stops the clouds.歌云：歌声高亢，能让天上的云停下来。
银霄yín xiāo: yín xiāo: the silver sky, the night sky.银霄：天空，夜空。
素秋sù qiū: sù qiū: autumn; people once linked autumn with the color white.素秋：秋天。古人把白色配秋天，所以叫素秋。
不解bù jiě: bù jiě: does not know how to.不解：不懂得。
败红bài hóng: bài hóng: fallen red leaves and flowers.败红：凋落的红叶、红花。
趁chèn: chèn: to follow.趁：跟着。
一叶yí yè: yī yè: one leaf, a small boat.一叶：一只小船，像一片叶子。
翠翘cuì qiào: cuì qiào: a hairpin of kingfisher feathers; here, the singing girl.翠翘：女子头上的翠鸟羽毛首饰，这里指那位歌女。
怨鸿yuàn hóng: yuàn hóng: a sorrowful wild goose; geese were said to carry letters.怨鸿：带着哀怨的大雁。古人说大雁能送信。
料liào: liào: I expect.料：料想，估计。
南谯nán qiáo: nán qiáo: a place name, probably where the guest was going.南谯：地名，大约是客人要去的地方。

How to read it读音

系xì: Here this character is read xì, meaning to tie up.系在这里读 xì，是“拴住”的意思。
咽yè: Here this character is read yè, a sobbing sound, not yàn, to swallow.咽在这里读 yè，是声音哽咽的意思，不读吞咽的 yàn。
招zhāo: Here this character is read zhāo, meaning to call a soul back.招在这里读 zhāo，是“招魂、叫回来”的意思。

Background创作背景

According to the preface, Wu Wenying and his friend Yin Meijin stopped their boat at Wujiang and drank at night by a temple window to say goodbye. A local official named Zhao brought a young singing girl to pour their wine, and she sang several lyrics by Zhou Bangyan in a row. By the fourth watch of the night, Wu Wenying wrote this lyric to see Yin Meijin off. The year is not known.

据词前的小序，吴文英和朋友尹梅津坐船在吴江停留，晚上在寺庙的窗前喝酒告别。当地一位姓赵的官员带来一个小歌女劝酒，她一连唱了好几首周邦彦的词。喝到四更天，吴文英写了这首词给尹梅津送行。写于哪一年，已经不清楚了。

The poet作者

Wu Wenying (about 1200–about 1260), also called Mengchuang, was a Southern Song ci poet. He never held office and spent his life among official friends around Suzhou and Hangzhou. His lyrics are richly worded and weave together the scene before him, memory and imagination. Yin Meijin was a close friend, and the two often wrote lyrics to each other.

吴文英（约1200—约1260），号梦窗，南宋词人。他一生没有做官，常在苏州、杭州一带和官员朋友来往。他的词辞藻华丽，常把眼前景、回忆和想象交织在一起。尹梅津是他的好朋友，两人常常互相写词。

The mood意境

The first stanza paints the parting scene. It is a cold night of first frost. Maple leaves fall on the long bridge, the town slips away, the river runs long, the lotus has faded, and the willow leaves look like frowning brows. Every autumn sight carries the sorrow of parting. The second stanza turns to the people. The singer's voice is like a crying phoenix. Everyone trims the candle by the little window and listens, and the song carries their sorrow into the night sky. At the end the poet imagines his friend on the road. Autumn stays behind, and only fallen leaves follow the boat. The friend will dream of this night, and a wild goose will fly over the place he is going. The whole lyric is cold and beautiful, like a painting of a farewell on a late autumn night.

上片写送别时的景：刚下霜的冷夜，枫叶落在长桥上，城慢慢远了，江水长长地流，荷花谢了，柳叶像皱着的眉。秋天的景物全都带着离别的愁。下片写离别时的人：歌女唱得像凤凰哀鸣，大家在小窗前剪烛听歌，歌声带着离恨飞上夜空。最后诗人想象朋友上路以后：秋天留在这里，只有落叶跟着船漂；朋友会在梦里想起这个夜晚，大雁也会飞过他要去的地方。整首词又冷又美，像一幅深秋夜里的送别图。