No. 13 · Song lyric · ci, a long lyric in two stanzas, to a tune the poet composed himself第 13 首 · 宋词 · 词·双调慢词（自度曲）

yáng扬zhōu州màn慢·huái淮zuǒ左míng名dū都

jiāng姜kuí夔Jiang Kui · Song宋

Yangzhou Slow: The Famous City East of the Huai

huái淮zuǒ左míng名dū都

zhú竹xī西jiā佳chù处

jiě解ān鞍shǎo少zhù驻chū初chéng程

guò过chūn春fēng风shí十lǐ里

jìn尽jì荠mài麦qīng青qīng青

zì自hú胡mǎ马kuī窥jiāng江qù去hòu后

fèi废chí池qiáo乔mù木

yóu犹yàn厌yán言bīng兵

jiàn渐huáng黄hūn昏

qīng清jiǎo角chuī吹hán寒

dōu都zài在kōng空chéng城

dù杜láng郎jùn俊shǎng赏

suàn算ér而jīn今

chóng重dào到xū须jīng惊

zòng纵dòu豆kòu蔻cí词gōng工

qīng青lóu楼mèng梦hǎo好

nán难fù赋shēn深qíng情

èr二shí十sì四qiáo桥réng仍zài在

bō波xīn心dàng荡lěng冷yuè月wú无shēng声

niàn念qiáo桥biān边hóng红yào药

nián年nián年zhī知wèi为shuí谁shēng生

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

淮左名都Yangzhou is the famous city east of the Huai,扬州是淮东有名的城市，
竹西佳处and Bamboo West is its loveliest spot.竹西亭一带是风景优美的地方，
解鞍少驻初程Early in my journey, I unsaddle my horse to stop here a while.我刚上路不久，就在这里解下马鞍，停留一会儿。
过春风十里I walk the road once famous for ten miles of spring breeze,走过当年春风十里的繁华长街，
尽荠麦青青and all I see is green shepherd's purse and wild wheat.看到的全是青青的荠菜和野麦。
自胡马窥江去后Ever since the Jin horsemen came to the river and left,自从金兵侵犯长江一带离开以后，
废池乔木even the ruined ponds and tall old trees连荒废的池塘和高大的老树，
犹厌言兵still hate to hear of war.都还讨厌人们提起打仗。
渐黄昏As dusk slowly falls,天色渐渐黄昏，
清角吹寒a sad horn blows into the cold,凄清的号角在寒风里吹响，
都在空城echoing through the empty city.回荡在这座空荡荡的城里。
杜郎俊赏A gifted lover of beauty like Du Mu,杜牧那样有才华、会赏景的人，
算而今if he came要是如今
重到须惊back here today, would surely be shocked.再来这里，一定会大吃一惊。
纵豆蔻词工Even with his fine lines about cardamom buds,即使他写豆蔻那样的诗句很漂亮，
青楼梦好and his lovely dreams of the singing houses,写青楼的旧梦很动人，
难赋深情he would find it hard to write the deep feeling here.也难写出此刻心里深深的感情。
二十四桥仍在The Twenty-Four Bridges are still here,二十四桥还在，
波心荡冷月无声the water ripples beneath them, and a cold moon shines in it without a sound.桥下水波荡漾，一轮冷月静静地倒映着，没有一点声音。
念桥边红药I think of the red peonies by the bridge:想那桥边的红芍药，
年年知为谁生year after year they bloom, but for whom?年年开花，又是为谁开的呢？

Words字词注释

淮左名都huái zuǒ míng dū: huái zuǒ míng dū: the famous city east of the Huai River, meaning Yangzhou. In the Song the region was called Huainan East Circuit, or Huai Zuo, "Huai Left".淮左名都：淮河东边的有名城市，指扬州。宋代在这里设“淮南东路”，也叫“淮左”。
竹西佳处zhú xī jiā chù: zhú xī jiā chù: the lovely area around Bamboo West Pavilion, east of Yangzhou. Du Mu wrote: "Who knew that on the Bamboo West road, the singing and piping was Yangzhou?"竹西佳处：竹西亭一带的好地方。竹西亭在扬州城东，杜牧有诗“谁知竹西路，歌吹是扬州”。
解鞍少驻jiě ān shǎo zhù: jiě ān shǎo zhù: taking off the saddle and stopping for a little while. Shǎo here means a little.解鞍少驻：解下马鞍，稍微停留一下。少，稍微。
初程chū chéng: chū chéng: the first stage of a journey.初程：旅途的第一段路。
春风十里chūn fēng shí lǐ: chūn fēng shí lǐ: the long, busy streets of Yangzhou, from Du Mu's line "ten miles of spring breeze along the Yangzhou road."春风十里：原指扬州繁华的长街，出自杜牧《赠别》“春风十里扬州路”。
荠麦青青jì mài qīng qīng: jì mài qīng qīng: everywhere are green shepherd's purse and wild wheat. Jì is shepherd's purse, a wild vegetable.荠麦青青：满眼都是青青的荠菜和野麦。荠，荠菜，一种野菜。
胡马窥江hú mǎ kuī jiāng: hú mǎ kuī jiāng: the Jin army coming south to the Yangtze. Hú mǎ means the horses of northern enemies; kuī means to spy on, here to threaten. Under Emperor Gaozong the Jin army came south several times, and Yangzhou was badly ruined.胡马窥江：指金兵南下，来到长江边。胡马，北方敌人的兵马；窥，偷看，这里指想要侵犯。宋高宗时金兵几次南下，扬州遭到严重破坏。
废池乔木fèi chí qiáo mù: fèi chí qiáo mù: ruined ponds and tall old trees. Qiáo mù means tall trees.废池乔木：荒废的池塘和高大的老树。乔木，高大的树。
犹厌言兵yóu yàn yán bīng: yóu yàn yán bīng: still hate to speak of war. Yóu means still; yàn means to dislike.犹厌言兵：到现在还讨厌提起打仗的事。犹，还；厌，讨厌。
清角吹寒qīng jiǎo chuī hán: qīng jiǎo chuī hán: a clear, sad horn blows in the cold. Jiǎo is an army horn.清角吹寒：凄清的号角声在寒冷中吹响。角，军中吹的号角。
空城kōng chéng: kōng chéng: an empty, lonely city with few people.空城：人烟稀少、冷冷清清的城。
杜郎俊赏dù láng jùn shǎng: dù láng jùn shǎng: a man like Du Mu, gifted and good at enjoying beauty. Dù láng is the Tang poet Du Mu, who lived in Yangzhou when young and wrote many poems about it.杜郎俊赏：杜牧那样才华出众、懂得欣赏美景的人。杜郎，唐代诗人杜牧，他年轻时在扬州住过，写过很多扬州的诗。
重到须惊chóng dào xū jīng: chóng dào xū jīng: if he came again, he would surely be shocked. Xū means surely.重到须惊：如果他再来，一定会大吃一惊。须，应当、一定。
纵zòng: zòng: even if.纵：即使。
豆蔻词工dòu kòu cí gōng: dòu kòu cí gōng: however skilled at lines like the one about cardamom flowers. Du Mu wrote of a girl "slender and graceful, just past thirteen, like a cardamom bud in early spring." Gōng means skilled.豆蔻词工：写“豆蔻”那样的诗句写得再好。杜牧《赠别》有“娉娉袅袅十三余，豆蔻梢头二月初”。工，精巧。
青楼梦好qīng lóu mèng hǎo: qīng lóu mèng hǎo: Du Mu wrote: "Ten years in Yangzhou passed like a dream." Qīng lóu was where singing girls lived.青楼梦好：杜牧《遣怀》有“十年一觉扬州梦，赢得青楼薄幸名”。青楼，歌女住的地方。
难赋深情nán fù shēn qíng: nán fù shēn qíng: it would still be hard to write the deep feeling of this moment. Fù means to write in verse.难赋深情：也很难写出此刻心中深深的感情。赋，写诗。
二十四桥èr shí sì qiáo: èr shí sì qiáo: a famous bridge in Yangzhou. One view says there were twenty-four bridges; another says it is the name of one bridge. Du Mu wrote of "a moonlit night on the Twenty-Four Bridges."二十四桥：扬州有名的桥。一说是二十四座桥，一说是一座桥的名字。杜牧有“二十四桥明月夜”。
波心荡bō xīn dàng: bō xīn dàng: rippling in the middle of the water.波心荡：水波中间荡漾着。
红药hóng yào: hóng yào: red peonies (the herbaceous kind). Yangzhou was famous for them, and they were said to grow by the Twenty-Four Bridges.红药：红色的芍药花。扬州的芍药很有名，传说二十四桥边就开满了芍药。
知为谁生zhī wèi shuí shēng: zhī wèi shéi shēng: who knows for whom they bloom.知为谁生：不知道是为谁开放的。

How to read it读音

少shǎo: Here it means "a little", so it is read shǎo, not shào.这里是“稍微”的意思，读 shǎo，不读 shào。
荠jì: In shepherd's purse it is read jì; it is read qí only in the word for water chestnut.“荠菜”的荠读 jì；“荸荠”的荠才读 qí。
重chóng: Here it means "again", so it is read chóng, not zhòng.这里是“再一次”的意思，读 chóng，不读 zhòng。
谁shuí: In standard Mandarin it is read shéi, also shuí. When reciting old poems people often say shuí.普通话读 shéi，也读 shuí，朗读古诗时常读 shuí。

Background创作背景

According to the short preface, Jiang Kui passed through Yangzhou on the winter solstice of 1176. In the Tang, Yangzhou had been one of the richest, busiest cities. But under Emperor Gaozong the Jin army came south several times, and Yangzhou was burned and looted. What Jiang Kui saw was this: the night's snow had just stopped, wild wheat and weeds stretched as far as he could see, the city was empty and quiet, and at dusk the army horns sounded sadly. Deeply moved, he composed this tune himself. The older poet Xiao Dezao, known as the Old Man of a Thousand Cliffs, read it and said it carried "the grief of the millet", an old phrase for sorrow over a ruined country.

据词前的小序，宋孝宗淳熙三年（1176年）冬至，姜夔路过扬州。扬州在唐代是最繁华的城市之一。可宋高宗时金兵几次南下，扬州被烧杀抢掠，破坏得很厉害。姜夔看到的是：夜里的雪刚停，满眼荠麦，城里冷冷清清，傍晚响起军营凄凉的号角。他心里很难过，就自己作了这支曲子。前辈诗人萧德藻（号千岩老人）读了，说它有“黍离之悲”，也就是为国家残破而悲伤。

The poet作者

Jiang Kui (about 1155 to about 1221), also called the Daoist of White Stone, was a Southern Song ci poet and musician. He never held office and spent his life moving from place to place. He was only in his early twenties when he wrote this. "Yangzhou Slow" is a tune he composed himself, and both the words and the music have come down to us. It is one of his most famous works.

姜夔（约1155—约1221），号白石道人，南宋词人和音乐家，一生没有做官，四处漂泊。他写这首词时才二十岁出头。《扬州慢》是他自己作曲的“自度曲”，词和曲都流传了下来，是他最有名的作品之一。

The mood意境

This ci sets "then" against "now" to show how desolate Yangzhou has become. Many of its images come from the Tang poet Du Mu's poems about Yangzhou: ten miles of spring breeze, cardamom buds, dreams of the singing houses, the Twenty-Four Bridges. In Du Mu's poems, Yangzhou is lively and beautiful. But when Jiang Kui walks the road of "ten miles of spring breeze", all he sees is green weeds and wild wheat. The finest touch is the line about ruined ponds and tall old trees that still hate to hear of war. If even ponds and trees fear war, think how the people must feel. At dusk a horn sounds, as if it blows the cold itself out over the empty city. The second stanza says even Du Mu, coming back, would be shocked and could not write this sorrow. The ending is the most beautiful and the coldest. The bridges are still there, and a cold moon lies in the water without a sound. The peonies by the bridge bloom every year as always, but no one comes to see them. The better the flowers bloom, the emptier the city feels.

这首词用“从前”和“现在”对比，写出了扬州的荒凉。词里很多地方都借用了唐代杜牧写扬州的诗：春风十里、豆蔻、青楼梦、二十四桥。在杜牧笔下，扬州热闹又美丽；可姜夔走过“春风十里”，看到的只有荠麦青青。最妙的是“废池乔木，犹厌言兵”：连池塘和老树都怕听到打仗，人就更不用说了。黄昏时号角响起，声音好像把寒冷也吹了出来，飘荡在空城里。下阕说，就算杜牧再来，也会吃惊，也写不出这份伤心。结尾最美也最冷：二十四桥还在，冷月映在水里，没有声音；桥边的芍药年年照样开，却没有人来看了。花越是开得好，城就越显得空。