Song lyric · ci, a long lyric in two stanzas宋词 · 词·双调长调

yàn宴qīng清dū都·chū初chūn春

lú卢zǔ祖gāo皋Lu Zugao · Song宋

Yan Qing Du: Early Spring

chūn春xùn讯fēi飞qióng琼guǎn管

fēng风rì日bó薄dù度qiáng墙tí啼niǎo鸟shēng声luàn乱

jiāng江chéng城cì次dì第

shēng笙gē歌cuì翠hé合

qǐ绮luó罗xiāng香nuǎn暖

róng溶róng溶jiàn涧lù渌bīng冰pàn泮

zuì醉mèng梦lǐ里nián年huá华àn暗huàn换

liào料dài黛méi眉chóng重suǒ锁suí隋dī堤

fāng芳xīn心hái还dòng动liáng梁yuàn苑

xīn新lái来yàn雁kuò阔yún云yīn音

luán鸾fēn分jiàn鉴yǐng影

wú无jì计chóng重jiàn见

tí啼chūn春xì细yǔ雨

lóng笼chóu愁dàn澹yuè月

nèn恁shí时tíng庭yuàn院

lí离cháng肠wèi未yǔ语xiān先duàn断

suàn算yóu犹yǒu有píng凭gāo高wàng望yǎn眼

gèng更nǎ那kān堪fāng芳cǎo草lián连tiān天

fēi飞méi梅nòng弄wǎn晚

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。

The corpus gives only the tune name; the common edition adds the title 'Early Spring'. Where the corpus has kǎn (railing) in the line about the luan bird, the common edition has jiàn (mirror), which fits the old story of the luan bird and the mirror, so we follow it.

语料库只有词牌名，通行本有题目“初春”。语料库“鸾分槛影”的“槛”，通行本作“鉴”（镜子），用的是鸾鸟照镜的典故，这里用通行本。

Line by line逐句翻译

春讯飞琼管Ash flies from the jade pipe: spring has come.玉管里的灰飞起来，报告春天来了。
风日薄度墙啼鸟声乱The wind is soft, the sun is faint, and birds flying over the wall sing all at once.风轻，阳光淡，飞过墙头的鸟叫成一片。
江城次第Across the river town, one place after another,江边的城里，一处接一处，
笙歌翠合pipes and songs ring out amid the green,笙歌响起，满眼青翠，
绮罗香暖and women in silk bring a warm fragrance.穿着绮罗的人们带着暖暖的香气。
溶溶涧渌冰泮Clear streams flow wide and slow; the ice has melted.山涧里清水缓缓流，冰都化了。
醉梦里年华暗换In drunken dreams, the year has quietly turned.在醉梦里，时光不知不觉又换了一年。
料黛眉重锁隋堤I imagine her knitting her dark brows again by the willows of the Sui dike,想必她又在柳树成行的隋堤边皱起眉头，
芳心还动梁苑her tender heart still stirred by the spring of the Liang gardens.她的心也还在为梁苑的春色而动。
新来雁阔云音Lately the geese are far, and no letter comes through the clouds;近来大雁飞得远远的，云里没有书信，
鸾分鉴影like the luan bird parted from its mirror image,像鸾鸟离开了镜中的影子，
无计重见there is no way for us to meet again.没有办法再见面。
啼春细雨Fine rain seems to weep for spring,细雨像在为春天哭泣，
笼愁澹月a pale moon is wrapped in sorrow,淡淡的月亮笼罩着愁绪，
恁时庭院just like the courtyard back then.就像那时的庭院一样。
离肠未语先断My parted heart breaks before a word is said.离别的心，还没开口就已经碎了。
算犹有凭高望眼All I have left, it seems, are eyes that gaze from high places.想来只剩下登高远望的一双眼睛。
更那堪芳草连天How can I bear it, the fragrant grass reaching to the sky,哪里还受得了，青草一直连到天边，
飞梅弄晚and plum petals tossing in the evening wind?梅花瓣在傍晚的风里飘飞。

Words字词注释

春讯chūn xùn: chūn xùn: news that spring has come.春讯：春天到来的消息。
飞琼管fēi qióng guǎn: fēi qióng guǎn: ash flying from the jade pipe. People of old put reed ash in jade pitch pipes; when a new season's air arrived, the ash flew out, telling them the season had changed.飞琼管：玉管里的灰飞了出来。古人把芦苇灰放在玉做的律管里，节气一到，灰就飞出来，用来测定季节。
风日薄fēng rì bó: fēng rì bó: the wind is soft and the sunlight faint.风日薄：风很轻，阳光很淡。
度墙dù qiáng: dù qiáng: flying over the wall. Dù means to cross.度墙：飞过墙头。度，越过。
次第cì dì: cì dì: one place after another, little by little.次第：一处接一处，渐渐地。
笙歌shēng gē: shēng gē: music and singing. The shēng is a wind instrument made of bamboo pipes.笙歌：吹笙唱歌，泛指音乐歌声。笙，一种用竹管做的乐器。
翠合cuì hé: cuì hé: green all around. Another reading says it means girls in green gathering together.翠合：满眼青翠，到处都是绿色。一说指穿翠绿衣服的女子聚在一起。
绮罗qǐ luó: qǐ luó: fine silk clothes; they stand for the women who wear them.绮罗：华美的丝织衣服，借指穿着华服的女子。
溶溶róng róng: róng róng: wide and gently flowing.溶溶：水流宽广、缓缓流动的样子。
涧渌jiàn lù: jiàn lù: clear water in a mountain stream. Lù means clear water.涧渌：山涧里清清的水。渌，清澈的水。
冰泮bīng pàn: bīng pàn: the ice melts. Pàn means to thaw.冰泮：冰化开了。泮，融解。
年华暗换nián huá àn huàn: nián huá àn huàn: the years changing without our noticing.年华暗换：时光不知不觉地换了一年。
料liào: liào: I imagine.料：料想，猜想。
黛眉dài méi: dài méi: eyebrows painted dark blue-black. They stand for the beloved, and also look like thin willow leaves.黛眉：用青黑色画的眉毛，借指心上人，也像细细的柳叶。
锁suǒ: suǒ: to knit the brows in worry.锁：皱起眉头，发愁的样子。
隋堤suí dī: suí dī: the embankment built along the Grand Canal under Emperor Yang of Sui, lined with willows; a common place of parting in old poems.隋堤：隋炀帝开运河时修的河堤，堤上种满柳树，是古诗里常写的离别之地。
芳心fāng xīn: fāng xīn: a young woman's tender heart; also the heart of a flower.芳心：女子美好的心意，也指花心。
梁苑liáng yuàn: liáng yuàn: the gardens of Prince Xiao of Liang in the Han dynasty, near today's Shangqiu in Henan; later any fine garden.梁苑：汉代梁孝王的园林，在今河南商丘一带，后来泛指美好的园林。
新来xīn lái: xīn lái: lately.新来：近来。
雁阔云音yàn kuò yún yīn: yàn kuò yún yīn: the geese are far away, and no letter comes through the clouds. Old stories say geese carry letters.雁阔云音：大雁飞得远远的，云里传不来书信。古人说大雁能带信。
鸾分鉴影luán fēn jiàn yǐng: luán fēn jiàn yǐng: the luan bird parted from its image in the mirror: lovers separated. A legend tells of a luan bird that would not sing for three years; when shown a mirror, it saw its reflection, cried out in grief, and died. Jiàn means mirror.鸾分鉴影：鸾鸟和镜子里的影子分开了，比喻恋人分离。传说有一只鸾鸟三年不叫，人们给它照镜子，它看见自己的影子悲鸣而死。鉴，镜子。
无计wú jì: wú jì: no way at all.无计：没有办法。
啼春tí chūn: tí chūn: as if weeping for spring.啼春：像在为春天哭泣。
笼愁lóng chóu: lóng chóu: wrapped in sorrow.笼愁：笼罩着愁绪。
澹月dàn yuè: dàn yuè: a pale moon.澹月：淡淡的月亮。澹，同“淡”。
离肠lí cháng: lí cháng: the heart at parting; the sorrow of separation.离肠：离别时的心肠，离愁。
算suàn: suàn: it seems, all things counted.算：想来，算起来。
凭高望眼píng gāo wàng yǎn: píng gāo wàng yǎn: climbing high and gazing far. Píng means to lean on.凭高望眼：登上高处，向远方张望。凭，靠着。
芳草连天fāng cǎo lián tiān: fāng cǎo lián tiān: fragrant grass reaching to the sky. In old poems endless grass often stands for endless longing.芳草连天：青草一直连到天边。古诗里芳草常象征无边的离愁。
飞梅弄晚fēi méi nòng wǎn: fēi méi nòng wǎn: plum petals tossing in the evening wind. Nòng means to play with.飞梅弄晚：梅花瓣在傍晚的风里飘飞。弄，戏弄、摆弄。

How to read it读音

薄bó: Read bó, meaning faint or weak: the early spring sun is not yet strong.读 bó，这里是“微弱、淡”的意思，写初春阳光还不强。
重chóng: Read chóng, meaning once again.读 chóng，意思是“又一次”。
重chóng: Read chóng: chóng jiàn means to meet again.读 chóng，“重见”就是再见面。
恁nèn: Read nèn, a word from Song-dynasty speech meaning that. Nèn shí means at that time.读 nèn，宋代口语，意思是“那、那样”。“恁时”就是“那时”。
那nǎ: Read nǎ, the same as 'how'. Nǎ kān means how can one bear it.读 nǎ，同“哪”。“那堪”就是“哪里受得了”。

Background创作背景

The title, 'Early Spring', means the first days of spring. The first stanza shows spring arriving: music and laughter all over town, ice and snow melting, while the poet, half drunk and dreaming, feels another year has slipped away. The second stanza tells of being parted from someone he loves. No letters come, and there is no way to meet again. The year it was written, and who the loved one was, are no longer known.

题目“初春”，写的是刚开春的时候。上片写春天来了，城里到处是音乐和欢笑，冰雪化开，作者却在醉梦里觉得一年又过去了。下片写他和一位心爱的人分开了，收不到她的信，也没办法再见面。这首词写于哪一年、思念的人是谁，都已经不清楚了。

The poet作者

Lu Zugao, whose exact dates are uncertain, was also called Pujiang, and came from Yongjia, today's Wenzhou in Zhejiang. He was a Southern Song ci poet who passed the top exam and served at court. His ci are clear, soft and graceful. They often describe spring scenes and the sorrow of parting, with careful wording and smooth music. Putting bright spring beside private grief, as this ci does, was a favorite method of his.

卢祖皋（生卒年说法不一），字申之，号蒲江，永嘉（今浙江温州）人，南宋词人。他考中进士，在朝廷做过官。他的词清丽柔和，多写春景和离别的愁绪，用字讲究，音律和谐。这首词把明媚的春光和心里的离愁放在一起，是他常用的写法。

The mood意境

The two stanzas of this ci are like two kinds of weather. The first is bright, lively early spring. Ash flies from the jade pipe to announce spring, birds chatter on the walls, pipes and songs ring out across town, and the ice in the streams melts into rushing water. Yet the poet, in his drunken dream, only feels time slipping away. He thinks of someone far off, who is probably frowning by the willows too. The second stanza turns to the gloom of rain. The geese do not come, the letters have stopped, like the luan bird that lost its partner in the mirror. Fine rain, a pale moon, the courtyard: all are just as they were at the parting. He can only climb high and gaze far. But what he sees is grass stretching to the sky and plum petals drifting in the evening, and his sorrow only grows. A bustling spring makes a lonely person feel lonelier still.

这首词前后两片像两种天气。上片是晴朗热闹的初春：玉管里的灰飞起来报春，鸟在墙头乱叫，城里一处一处响起笙歌，山涧的冰化了，水哗哗地流。可是作者在醉梦里，只觉得时光偷偷溜走。他想到远方的人，大概也在柳树边皱着眉。下片转成阴雨的愁：大雁不来，书信断了，像鸾鸟失去了镜中的伴侣。细雨、淡月、庭院，都和分别时一样。他只能登高远望，可看到的是连到天边的青草，傍晚飘飞的梅花，愁更多了。热闹的春天反而让孤单的人更孤单。