Song lyric · ci lyric, long form in two stanzas宋词 · 词（慢词，双调）

zǎo澡lán兰xiāng香·huái淮ān安chóng重wǔ午

wú吴wén文yīng英Wu Wenying · Song宋

To the Tune Zao Lan Xiang: Double Fifth in Huai'an

pán盘sī丝jì系wàn腕

qiǎo巧zhuàn篆chuí垂zān簪

yù玉yǐn隐gàn绀shā纱shuì睡jué觉

yín银píng瓶lù露jǐng井

cǎi彩shà箑yún云chuāng窗

wǎng往shì事shào少nián年yī依yuē约

wèi为dāng当shí时

céng曾xiě写liú榴qún裙

shāng伤xīn心hóng红xiāo绡tuì褪è萼

shǔ黍mèng梦guāng光yīn阴jiàn渐lǎo老

tīng汀zhōu洲yān烟ruò箬

mò莫chàng唱jiāng江nán南gǔ古diào调

yuàn怨yì抑nán难zhāo招

chǔ楚jiāng江chén沉pò魄

xūn薰fēng风yàn燕rǔ乳

àn暗yǔ雨méi梅huáng黄

wǔ午jìng镜zǎo澡lán兰lián帘mù幕

niàn念qín秦lóu楼

yě也nǐ拟rén人guī归

yīng应jiǎn翦chāng菖pú蒲zì自zhuó酌

dàn但chàng怅wàng望

yì一lǚ缕xīn新chán蟾

suí随rén人tiān天jiǎo角

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 source text has two wrong characters: the pu of chāng pú (calamus) and the lǚ of yī lǚ (one thread); both are corrected here. The chén of chén pò (sunken soul) is written in its old form in the source; the modern form is used here. Some editions write the ruò of yān ruò with a different character of the same sound.

原始资料“菖浦”应作“菖蒲”，“一屡”应作“一缕”，都是错字，这里改正。“沈魄”的“沈”是“沉”的古写，这里写作“沉”。有的版本“烟箬”作“烟蒻”。

Line by line逐句翻译

盘丝系腕She wound colored silk threads around her wrist,她把彩丝绕在手腕上，
巧篆垂簪a finely carved charm hung from her hairpin,发簪上挂着精巧的篆文小符，
玉隐绀纱睡觉and she, fair as jade, woke from a nap behind dark blue gauze.像玉一样的人藏在青纱帐里，刚刚睡醒。
银瓶露井A silver jar at the open well,井边用银瓶打水，
彩箑云窗a painted fan by the cloud-carved window:云纹窗下摇着彩扇，
往事少年依约these things of my young days are only a blurry memory now.少年时的这些往事，只剩隐隐约约的记忆。
为当时Because back then因为那时候，
曾写榴裙I wrote words on her pomegranate-red skirt,我曾在她石榴红的裙上题字，
伤心红绡褪萼it hurts to see the red silk faded, like a flower with its petals gone.如今那红绡褪了色，像花瓣落尽，叫人伤心。
黍梦光阴渐老Life is a millet dream, and the years grow old,人生像一场黄粱梦，岁月渐渐老去，
汀洲烟箬while bamboo leaves stand in the mist on the little islands.只见水中小洲上，箬叶笼在烟雾里。
莫唱江南古调Do not sing those old southern songs again:不要再唱江南那些古老的曲子了，
怨抑难招a soul so full of grief is hard to call back,满怀怨恨的魂魄很难招回来，
楚江沉魄the soul of Qu Yuan sunk in the Chu river.那沉在楚江里的屈原的魂。
薰风燕乳The warm south wind blows, and swallows feed their young,温暖的南风吹着，小燕子正被喂养，
暗雨梅黄the plums turn yellow in the dark, steady rain.梅子黄了，阴雨绵绵，
午镜澡兰帘幕At noon, behind the curtains, by her mirror, she bathes in orchid water.中午时她对着镜子，在帘幕里用兰汤沐浴。
念秦楼I think of her in her house:我想她在自己的楼里，
也拟人归she too must expect me to come home,也料想我会回去，
应翦菖蒲自酌and she will cut calamus and drink alone.该会剪下菖蒲，独自喝酒吧。
但怅望All I can do is gaze far away, feeling lost,我只能失落地远望，
一缕新蟾at the thin thread of the new moon,那一弯细细的新月，
随人天角which follows me to the corner of the sky.跟着我到了天边。

Words字词注释

盘丝系腕pán sī jì wàn: pán sī jì wàn: winding colored silk threads around the wrist. It is a Double Fifth custom called the long-life thread, worn for good luck.盘丝系腕：把彩色丝线绕起来系在手腕上。这是端午的风俗，叫“长命缕”，用来求平安。
巧篆垂簪qiǎo zhuàn chuí zān: qiǎo zhuàn chuí zān: a little charm carved with fine old-style writing hangs from a hairpin, another Double Fifth decoration.巧篆垂簪：发簪上挂着刻有精巧篆文的小符。也是端午的装饰。
玉隐绀纱yù yǐn gàn shā: yù yǐn gàn shā: a woman fair as jade, half hidden behind dark blue gauze. Gàn is a deep blue with a hint of red.玉隐绀纱：像玉一样的人，隐在深青色的纱帐里。绀，深青带红的颜色。
睡觉shuì jué: shuì jué: waking up.睡觉：睡醒。
银瓶露井yín píng lù jǐng: yín píng lù jǐng: drawing water with a silver jar at an open-air well.银瓶露井：在露天的井边用银瓶打水。
彩箑cǎi shà: cǎi shà: a painted fan. Shà means fan.彩箑：彩色的扇子。箑，扇子。
云窗yún chuāng: yún chuāng: a window carved with cloud patterns, meaning a woman's room.云窗：雕着云纹的窗子，指女子的房间。
依约yī yuē: yī yuē: faint and blurry, half remembered.依约：隐隐约约，记不太清。
写榴裙xiě liú qún: xiě liú qún: writing words on her skirt, red as a pomegranate. There is an old story of the calligrapher Wang Xianzhi writing on Yang Xin's white silk skirt.写榴裙：在她石榴红的裙子上题字。古代有王献之在羊欣白绢裙上写字的故事。
红绡褪萼hóng xiāo tuì è: hóng xiāo tuì è: the red silk has faded, like a flower whose petals have fallen. It means the lovely person and the happy times are gone.红绡褪萼：红色的丝绸褪了颜色，像花瓣凋落只剩花萼。比喻美好的人和事已经消逝。
黍梦shǔ mèng: shǔ mèng: the millet dream. A man dreamed a whole lifetime while millet was cooking, and woke before it was done. It means life is a short dream.黍梦：黄粱梦。传说有人在煮小米饭的时候做了一场梦，梦里过完了一生，醒来饭还没熟。比喻人生像一场短梦。
汀洲tīng zhōu: tīng zhōu: small islands of land in the water.汀洲：水中的小块陆地。
烟箬yān ruò: yān ruò: bamboo leaves in the mist. These wide leaves are used to wrap zongzi.烟箬：烟雾里的箬竹叶。箬叶宽大，可以用来包粽子。
江南古调jiāng nán gǔ diào: jiāng nán gǔ diào: old songs of the south, here songs that mourn Qu Yuan.江南古调：江南流传的古老曲子，这里指悼念屈原的歌。
怨抑难招yuàn yì nán zhāo: yuàn yì nán zhāo: a soul full of grief and wrong is hard to call back.怨抑难招：满怀怨恨委屈的魂魄，很难招回来。
楚江沉魄chǔ jiāng chén pò: chǔ jiāng chén pò: the soul sunk in the Chu river, meaning Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the Miluo River.楚江沉魄：沉在楚江里的魂魄，指投汨罗江而死的屈原。
薰风xūn fēng: xūn fēng: the warm south wind of early summer.薰风：初夏温暖的南风。
燕乳yàn rǔ: yàn rǔ: swallows hatching and feeding their young.燕乳：燕子孵出、喂养小燕子。
暗雨梅黄àn yǔ méi huáng: àn yǔ méi huáng: the plums turn yellow and dark rain falls: the plum-rain season of the south.暗雨梅黄：梅子黄了，下起阴沉沉的雨，就是江南的梅雨季。
澡兰zǎo lán: zǎo lán: bathing in water boiled with orchid herbs, an old Double Fifth custom.澡兰：用兰草煮的水洗澡。古人端午有“浴兰汤”的风俗。
帘幕lián mù: lián mù: curtains and hangings over doors and windows.帘幕：门窗上挂的帘子和帷幕。
秦楼qín lóu: qín lóu: the house where the beloved woman lives.秦楼：心爱女子住的楼。
拟nǐ: nǐ: to expect, to think that.拟：打算，料想。
翦jiǎn: jiǎn: the same as the usual word for cutting.翦：同“剪”。
菖蒲chāng pú: chāng pú: calamus, a waterside plant with sword-like leaves. At the Double Fifth people hang it on doors or soak it in wine to drink.菖蒲：一种水边的草，叶子像剑。端午时人们把它挂在门上，或泡成菖蒲酒喝。
自酌zì zhuó: zì zhuó: pouring wine and drinking alone.自酌：自己一个人倒酒喝。
怅望chàng wàng: chàng wàng: gazing into the distance, feeling lost.怅望：失落地远望。
新蟾xīn chán: xīn chán: the new moon. Legend says a toad lives in the moon, so the toad stands for the moon.新蟾：新月。传说月亮里有蟾蜍，所以用“蟾”代指月亮。
天角tiān jiǎo: tiān jiǎo: a corner of the sky, a very faraway place.天角：天边的角落，指很远的地方。

How to read it读音

系jì: In jì wàn (tie around the wrist) the character means to tie a knot and is read jì.“系腕”是把丝线绑在手腕上，“系”读 jì。
觉jué: Here shuì jué means waking up from sleep, so the second character is read jué, not jiào.“睡觉”在这里是睡醒的意思，“觉”读 jué，不读 jiào。
少shào: In shào nián (youth) it is read shào.“少年”的“少”读 shào。

Background创作背景

The chóng wǔ in the title is the Double Fifth, the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Huai'an is today's Huai'an in Jiangsu. The title tells us the poet wrote this while spending the festival in Huai'an. He remembers spending the festival with a woman in the past. Those happy days are over, and they have parted. One view says she was his concubine from his years in Suzhou. We do not know which year he was in Huai'an.

题目里的“重午”就是端午节，农历五月初五。“淮安”是今天江苏的淮安。题目说明这首词是作者在淮安过端午时写的。他想起从前和一位女子一起过端午的情景，那时的欢乐已经过去，人也分开了。一说这位女子是他在苏州时的姬妾。作者具体哪一年在淮安，现在说不清楚。

The poet作者

Wu Wenying (about 1200 to about 1260), who called himself Mengchuang, came from Siming, today's Ningbo in Zhejiang. He was a Southern Song lyric poet. He never held office and spent many years as an adviser to officials around Suzhou and Hangzhou. His lyrics use rich words and jump from picture to picture, so they can be hard to follow. He wrote many lyrics remembering a lost love, and this is one of them.

吴文英（约1200—约1260），号梦窗，四明（今浙江宁波）人，南宋词人。他一生没有做官，长期在苏州、杭州一带给官员做幕僚。他的词用字华丽，意思跳跃，画面一个接一个，有时不容易读懂。他写了很多怀念旧日恋人的词，这首也是其中之一。

The mood意境

This lyric weaves Double Fifth customs together with longing. It opens with a string of pictures: silk threads on a wrist, a charm on a hairpin, a woman just awake behind gauze, a silver jar at the well, a painted fan by the window. They are sweet memories of a festival long ago, but the poet says they are only blurry now. He once wrote on her red skirt; now the red silk has faded and she is gone. The second stanza is about this year's festival. Do not sing the old songs for Qu Yuan, he says, they only make the sadness worse. He pictures her far away keeping the festival too: bathing in orchid water, cutting calamus, drinking alone, and waiting for him. At the end only a thin new moon follows him to the sky's edge. The moon is as thin as a thread, and it seems to tie the two faraway people gently together.

这首词把端午的风俗和思念交织在一起。开头一连串画面：手腕上的彩丝、簪上的小符、纱帐里刚醒的女子、井边的银瓶、窗下的彩扇。这些都是从前端午的美好回忆，可作者说只剩“依约”，记不清了。曾在她的红裙上题字，如今红绡褪色，人也不在了。下片写今天的端午：不要唱悼念屈原的古调，那只会更伤心。他想象远方的她也在过节，用兰汤沐浴，剪菖蒲独自喝酒，也在盼他回去。最后只有一弯新月跟着他到天边。新月很细，像一根线，把相隔很远的两个人轻轻连在一起。