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

zǐ紫yú萸xiāng香màn慢·jìn近chóng重yáng阳

yáo姚yún云wén文Yao Yunwen · Song宋

To the Tune of Zi Yu Xiang Man: Near the Double Ninth

jìn近chóng重yáng阳

piān偏duō多fēng风yǔ雨

jué绝lián怜cǐ此rì日xuān暄míng明

wèn问qiū秋xiāng香nóng浓wèi未

dài待xié携kè客

chū出xī西chéng城

zhèng正zì自jī羁huái怀duō多gǎn感

pà怕huāng荒tái台gāo高chù处

gèng更bú不shèng胜qíng情

xiàng向zūn尊qián前

yòu又yì忆lù漉jiǔ酒chā插huā花rén人

zhǐ只zuò座shàng上

yǐ已wú无lǎo老bīng兵

qī凄qíng情

qiǎn浅zuì醉huán还xǐng醒

chóu愁bù不kěn肯

yǔ与shī诗píng平

jì记cháng长qiū楸zǒu走mǎ马

diāo雕gōng弓zé笮liǔ柳

qián前shì事xiū休píng评

zǐ紫yú萸yì一zhī枝chuán传cì赐

mèng梦shuí谁dào到

hàn汉jiā家líng陵

jìn尽wū乌shā纱

biàn便suí随fēng风qù去

yào要tiān天zhī知dào道

huá华fà发rú如cǐ此xīng星xīng星

gē歌bà罢tì涕líng零

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 has a different first character in the phrase about wine in the line about the man who strained wine; the common text has lù, strain, which points to the story of Tao Yuanming. In the line about the carved bow, the corpus has a broken placeholder where one character is missing; most common texts give zé there.

语料库作“又忆洒酒插花人”，通行本作“漉酒”，用的是陶渊明用头巾滤酒的典故。语料库“雕弓”后一字是缺字符号，通行本多作“笮”。

Line by line逐句翻译

近重阳The Double Ninth is near,快到重阳节了，
偏多风雨and yet it is so often wind and rain,偏偏总是刮风下雨，
绝怜此日暄明so I love this sunny, warm day all the more.所以特别喜爱今天这样晴朗暖和。
问秋香浓未I ask whether the chrysanthemums are in full bloom,问一问菊花开得浓不浓，
待携客and plan to take my friends打算带着客人，
出西城out through the west gate.一起走出西城。
正自羁怀多感Far from home, I am already full of feelings,我正因为漂泊在外而满怀感触，
怕荒台高处and I fear that on the high, deserted terrace怕登上荒凉的高台，
更不胜情I will be even more overcome.心里会更加受不了。
向尊前Facing the wine cup,对着酒杯，
又忆漉酒插花人I remember the friends who strained wine and wore flowers.又想起当年滤酒插花的朋友。
只座上But at this table now只是如今座上，
已无老兵there are no old drinking friends left.已经没有那些老酒友了。
凄情A sad, cold feeling.心情凄凉。
浅醉还醒I get a little drunk and soon wake again.喝得微醉，又很快醒了。
愁不肯The sorrow will not愁太多，
与诗平be calmed by poems.写诗也平复不了。
记长楸走马I remember racing horses among the tall catalpas还记得当年在楸树间骑马奔驰，
雕弓笮柳and shooting willow branches with a carved bow,拿着雕弓射柳枝，
前事休评but let us say no more of those days.那些往事不要再提了。
紫萸一枝传赐Once the court sent a sprig of dogwood on the Double Ninth,从前朝廷在重阳赏下一枝茱萸，
梦谁到but who now, even in dreams,如今还有谁能在梦里，
汉家陵can reach the emperors' tombs?回到先帝的陵墓前？
尽乌纱Let my black gauze hat就让我的乌纱帽，
便随风去blow away on the wind;随风吹走吧，
要天知道I want heaven to know要让老天知道，
华发如此星星how grey and sparse my hair has become.我的头发已经这样花白了。
歌罢涕零When the song is over, my tears fall.唱完这首歌，眼泪落了下来。

Words字词注释

重阳chóng yáng: chóng yáng: the Double Ninth Festival, on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. People climb high places, admire chrysanthemums and wear dogwood.重阳：农历九月初九重阳节，有登高、赏菊、插茱萸的风俗。
偏piān: piān: just, as it happens; often.偏：偏偏，常常。
绝怜jué lián: jué lián: to love very much.绝怜：非常喜爱。
暄明xuān míng: xuān míng: sunny and warm.暄明：晴朗暖和。
秋香qiū xiāng: qiū xiāng: autumn fragrance; here, chrysanthemums.秋香：秋天的花香，这里指菊花。
浓未nóng wèi: nóng wèi: has it grown strong yet? that is, are the flowers in full bloom?浓未：浓了没有，开得盛不盛。
携客xié kè: xié kè: to take friends along.携客：带着客人。
羁怀jī huái: jī huái: the feelings of someone far from home.羁怀：漂泊在外的人的心情。羁，在外地停留。
荒台huāng tái: huāng tái: a deserted terrace. People climb high on the Double Ninth, so a terrace is mentioned.荒台：荒凉的高台。重阳要登高，所以写到台。
不胜情bú shèng qíng: bù shèng qíng: to be overcome by feelings.不胜情：受不了心里的感情。
尊前zūn qián: zūn qián: before the wine cup, that is, while drinking.尊前：酒杯前，指饮酒的时候。尊，酒杯。
漉酒lù jiǔ: lù jiǔ: to strain wine. Legend says Tao Yuanming strained wine through his own headcloth and then put it back on.漉酒：滤酒。传说陶渊明用自己的头巾滤酒，滤完又戴回头上。
插花人chā huā rén: chā huā rén: someone who wears flowers in the hair on the Double Ninth. Here it means old friends who once shared the festival.插花人：重阳节把菊花、茱萸插在头上的人。这里指从前一起过节的朋友。
老兵lǎo bīng: lǎo bīng: old soldier. Xie Yi of the Eastern Jin, who loved to drink, once called Huan Wen an old soldier. Here it means an old drinking friend.老兵：东晋谢奕爱喝酒，曾把桓温叫作“老兵”。这里借指能一起畅饮的老朋友。
凄情qī qíng: qī qíng: a sad, cold feeling.凄情：凄凉的心情。
浅醉还醒qiǎn zuì huán xǐng: qiǎn zuì huán xǐng: a little drunk, and soon sober again.浅醉还醒：喝得微醉，很快又醒了。
与诗平yǔ shī píng: chóu bù kěn yǔ shī píng: the sorrow is too great to be calmed by writing poems.愁不肯与诗平：愁太多，写进诗里也平息不了。
长楸走马cháng qiū zǒu mǎ: cháng qiū zǒu mǎ: racing horses among tall catalpa trees. A poem by Cao Zhi has this phrase, about the pastimes of rich young men.长楸走马：在高大的楸树间骑马奔驰。曹植诗里有“走马长楸间”，写贵族少年的游乐。
雕弓笮柳diāo gōng zé liǔ: diāo gōng zé liǔ: shooting at willow branches with a carved bow. Shooting willows was an old contest.雕弓笮柳：拿着雕花的弓射柳枝。射柳是古代的一种比赛。
休评xiū píng: xiū píng: say no more about it.休评：不要再说了。
紫萸zǐ yú: zǐ yú: dogwood, a fragrant plant with reddish-purple berries. People wore it on the Double Ninth.紫萸：茱萸，一种有香气的植物，结红紫色的果子。重阳节人们把它佩戴在身上。
传赐chuán cì: chuán cì: sent as a gift from the emperor. At the Song court, officials were given dogwood and chrysanthemums on the Double Ninth.传赐：皇帝派人赏给大臣。宋代重阳节，朝廷有赏赐茱萸、菊花的习惯。
汉家陵hàn jiā líng: hàn jiā líng: the tombs of the Han emperors. Here they stand for the Song emperors' tombs, a quiet hint that the Song had fallen.汉家陵：汉朝皇帝的陵墓，这里借指宋朝皇帝的陵墓，暗写国家已经灭亡。
尽jìn: jìn: let it, never mind if.尽：任凭，随它去。
乌纱wū shā: wū shā: a black gauze hat. This recalls the story of Meng Jia, whose hat blew off at a Double Ninth feast.乌纱：黑色纱做的帽子。这里用孟嘉重阳节帽子被风吹落的典故。
华发huá fà: huá fà: grey hair.华发：花白的头发。
星星xīng xīng: xīng xīng: hair flecked with white, like specks of starlight.星星：头发斑白，像点点星光。
涕零tì líng: tì líng: tears falling.涕零：眼泪落下来。

How to read it读音

胜shèng: Bù shèng means unable to bear. In old times this character was read shēng here; today it is usually read shèng.不胜，承受不了。“胜”古音读 shēng，现在一般读 shèng。
还huán: Here the word means to come back to being sober, so the character is read huán. Some people read it hái.还醒，醉了又醒过来，“还”读 huán（回到）。也有人读 hái。
笮zé: The common text uses this character here, though some editions write it differently. Dictionaries usually read it zé, so it is given as zé here. The phrase means shooting at willows.通行本写作“笮”，有的本子写法不同。这个字在字典里一般读 zé，这里按 zé 注音。这里说的是射柳。

Background创作背景

This ci is set on a sunny day just before the Double Ninth. The poet wants to go out of the city to see chrysanthemums and climb high, but the outing stirs up many sad thoughts. Yao Yunwen lived at the end of the Southern Song and saw it fall. The ci recalls how the court once gave out dogwood, and says no one can reach the emperors' tombs even in dreams. It is usually read as longing for the lost dynasty. The exact year it was written is not known.

这首词写重阳节前的一个晴天，词人想出城赏菊登高，却勾起满腹心事。姚云文生活在南宋末年，经历了南宋灭亡。词中说朝廷赏赐茱萸的旧事、梦里难到“汉家陵”，一般认为是在怀念故国。具体写作年份不清楚。

The poet作者

Yao Yunwen, also called Shengrui, came from Gao'an in Jiangxi. He passed the highest civil exam in the Xianchun years of the late Southern Song. After the Song fell, he served the Yuan as an official in charge of local schools. Few of his ci survive. This one was included in the famous collection Three Hundred Song Ci and is his best-known work.

姚云文，字圣瑞，江西高安人，南宋咸淳年间考中进士。宋朝灭亡后，他在元朝做过管理地方学校的官。留下来的词不多，这首《紫萸香慢》被收进了《宋词三百首》，是他最有名的作品。

The mood意境

The ci begins with the weather. Before the Double Ninth it is often windy and rainy, so a sunny day is rare, and the poet happily plans to go and see the chrysanthemums. But then he remembers he is far from home, and fears that climbing high will make him sadder. Raising his cup, he thinks of the friends who once drank and wore flowers with him; they are all gone. The second stanza opens with three short lines: a sad feeling, drunk and then sober, sorrow no poem can calm. The quick rhythm sounds like sigh after sigh. He then recalls the joys of youth, racing horses and shooting willows, but at once says: say no more. The days when the court gave out dogwood are over, and he cannot reach the emperors' tombs even in a dream. At last he lets his hat blow away and asks heaven to look at his grey hair. A festival meant for joy becomes a picture of deep grief for a fallen country.

词从天气写起：重阳前常常风雨，今天难得晴朗，词人高兴地想去赏菊。可一转念，他是漂泊在外的人，怕登高更伤心。举起酒杯，想起从前一起喝酒插花的朋友，如今都不在了。下阕先是三个短句：凄情、浅醉还醒、愁写不平，节奏急促，像一声声叹气。接着回忆年轻时骑马射柳的快乐，却马上说“前事休评”。朝廷赏茱萸的日子已经过去，连梦里也回不到先帝的陵墓。最后他干脆让帽子随风吹走，让老天看看他的白发。一个本该欢乐的节日，写出了亡国之人深深的悲哀。