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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

北陂杏花

Apricot Blossoms by the Northern Pond

王安石

Wang Anshi

咏物Object-chanting 咏花Flower-chanting

一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春。
纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘。

A pond of spring water winds about the blossom's body; flower and shadow, each enchanting, share the spring.
Though blown by the spring wind into snow, far better than ground to dust on the southern road.

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Meaning

Wang Anshi uses the apricot by the northern pond to state his own creed: better to fall clean like snow before the wind than to be trampled into dust on the busy southern road. The quatrain is a self-portrait of lofty, unyielding integrity.

一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春。纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] A pond of spring water encircles the apricot; its blossoms and their reflection each lay claim to spring's beauty. Even if the spring wind blows the petals into snow, that is far better than being crushed to dust on the southern road.<br><br>[Structure] The first couplet paints the blossom's beauty by the quiet pond; the second states the poet's resolve through contrast, from form to spirit.<br><br>[Imagery] 'Pond of spring water winds about' sets a secluded, pure scene; 'flower and shadow, each enchanting' hints at solitary self-admiration. The closing contrast—snow versus dust—praises purity over defilement. A model of Wang Anshi's 'precise and stern' object-chanting: a short poem carrying a whole moral stance.

【白话串讲】王安石写《北陂杏花》：“一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春”——“纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘”——杏花纵被春风吹落成雪，也胜过被碾成尘土——他写高洁的操守。【意象与手法】此诗写咏物，以言志写咏物，是王安石的名篇。前二句写杏花：「一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春」写一陂春水绕花身、花影妖娆各占春——写尽花影妖娆的各占春；后二句写言志：「纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘」写纵被春风吹作雪、绝胜南陌碾成尘——写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘。全诗以言志写咏物，写尽花影妖娆的各占春与绝胜南陌碾的成尘，是王安石的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写咏物，以言志写咏物，是王安石的名篇。此诗为王安石咏北陂杏花之作，写其借杏花以言志。王安石此诗写其临水的杏花。此诗写一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春；纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘。此诗写杏花：一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春——写一陂春水绕花身、花影妖娆各占春，写尽花影妖娆的各占春；纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘——写纵被春风吹作雪、绝胜南陌碾成尘，写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘。全诗以言志写咏物——那「花影妖娆各占春」写尽花影妖娆的各占春，「绝胜南陌碾成尘」写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘，写尽花影妖娆的各占春与绝胜南陌碾的成尘，是理解王安石咏物诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春」写花影妖娆的各占春；「纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘」写绝胜南陌碾的成尘；以及全诗以言志写咏物、以对比写言志的手法。

Background

Wang Anshi (1021–1086), styled Jiefu, known as Banshan, was a native of Linchuan, Fuzhou (present-day Jiangxi), a Northern Song statesman, man of letters, and thinker who rose to chief minister and launched the Xining Reforms; he is counted among the 'Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song,' honored as 'Lord Jing.' This poem chants the apricots by the northern pond, using the flower to voice his intent. In his later years, retired at Jinling by Mount Zhongshan, he planted apricots by the water; 'northern pond' and 'southern road'—one still, one busy—hint at his stance: to dwell in seclusion and keep his purity rather than join the crowded path of preferment. It is seen as a famed piece where he hides his lone reformer's heart within an object-chant.

此诗写咏物，以言志写咏物，是王安石的名篇。王安石（1021—1086），字介甫，号半山，抚州临川（今江西抚州）人，北宋政治家、文学家、思想家，官至宰相，主持熙宁变法，为「唐宋八大家」之一，世称「王荆公」。此诗为王安石咏北陂杏花之作，写其借杏花以言志。王安石此诗写其临水的杏花。此诗写一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春；纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘。此诗写杏花：「一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春」写一陂春水绕花身、花影妖娆各占春——写尽花影妖娆的各占春（一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春）；「纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘」写纵被春风吹作雪、绝胜南陌碾成尘——写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘（纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘）。全诗以言志写咏物，写尽花影妖娆的各占春与绝胜南陌碾的成尘，是理解王安石咏物诗的重要篇章。又，王安石晚年退居金陵，卜居钟山，临水种杏，此诗即其写照；「北陂」与「南陌」一静一动、一幽一显，暗含作者「宁居幽寂而守高洁，不趋荣路而同流俗」的处世态度，向被视为王氏借物明志、寓变法孤怀于咏物之中的名篇。

Art

The art works on four planes. First, plain sketch paints the flower: 'a pond of spring water winds about the blossom's body' sets its secluded purity. Second, contrast states intent: 'though blown into snow' against 'ground to dust on the southern road' clarifies the poet's choice. Third, metaphor figures the falling petals as snow, clean, versus dust, foul. Fourth, symbol carries character: the 'northern pond' stands for a lofty, retired life. The first half depicts beauty, the second states resolve—from form to spirit, the classic 'object-to-intent' move. The paired fates of the petal—one clean by the wind, one foul beneath wheels—make the moral self-evident; this is Wang Anshi's precise, stern craft at its keenest.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以白描写杏花。「一陂春水绕花身」以白描写杏花——那「花影妖娆各占春」写尽花影妖娆的各占春，以白描写尽花影妖娆的各占春。其二，以对比写言志。「纵被春风吹作雪」以对比写言志——那「绝胜南陌碾成尘」写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘，以对比写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘。其三，以比喻写花落。「吹作雪」以比喻写花落——那「碾成尘」写尽南陌碾的成尘，以比喻写尽吹作雪的杏花。其四，以象征写品格。「北陂」以象征写品格——那「绝胜」写尽北陂的绝胜，以象征写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘。此外，此诗前写花影妖娆的各占春，后写绝胜南陌碾的成尘，由形及神，正是咏物诗「以物写志」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以言志写咏物，写尽花影妖娆的各占春与绝胜南陌碾的成尘，是王安石的代表作。又，此诗「一陂春水」先以清水绕花写其幽洁之境，「花影妖娆」复以临水照影写其自赏之姿，花与影「各占春」暗含孤芳自赏之意；后二句「吹作雪」「碾成尘」同写落花，一被春风所吹、飘零而洁净，一被车马所碾、委地而污浊，两相对照，褒贬自明，正是以对比写品格的精警之笔。

Allusions

The language is rooted in the object-chant and intent-stating tradition. 'Pond' (bei) evokes the pond-side image; 'spring water' the clear stream; 'blossom's body' and 'flower shadow' recall Zhang Xian's 'the moon breaks the clouds, flowers play with their shadows.' 'Enchanting' (yaorao) figures delicate beauty; 'share the spring' the claim on spring; 'spring wind' the seasonal breath; 'blown into snow' the snow-like fall (echoing Cen Shen's 'pear blossoms like snow'); 'far better' the surpassing (recalling Han Yu's 'far better than willow mist filling the capital'); 'southern road' the busy way; 'ground to dust' the trampled end (echoing Lu You's 'fallen to mud, ground to dust'). The poem weaves pond, water, body, shadow, wind, snow, road, and dust into one intent-bearing object-chant—Wang Anshi's precise, contrast-loving manner.

此诗的用语深植于咏物与言志传统。「陂」令人想到「陂」写陂塘的意象——也令人想到「三十六陂春水」（王安石）的意象；「春水」令人想到「春水」写春水的意象——也令人想到「春水碧于天」（韦庄）的意象；「花身」令人想到「花身」写花身的意象——也令人想到「花影」的意象；「花影」令人想到「花影」写花影的意象——也令人想到「云破月来花弄影」（张先）的意象；「妖娆」令人想到「妖娆」写娇媚的意象——也令人想到「江山如此多娇，引无数英雄竞折腰」（毛泽东）的意象；「占春」令人想到「占春」写占春的意象——也令人想到「独占春风」的意象；「春风」令人想到「春风」写春风的意象——也令人想到「春风不度玉门关」（王之涣）的意象；「吹作雪」令人想到「吹作雪」写雪花的意象——也令人想到「千树万树梨花开」（岑参）的意象；「绝胜」令人想到「绝胜」写胜过的意象——也令人想到「绝胜烟柳满皇都」（韩愈）的意象；「南陌」令人想到「南陌」写南陌的意象——也令人想到「南陌东阡」的意象；「碾成尘」令人想到「碾成尘」写碾尘的意象——也令人想到「零落成泥碾作尘」（陆游）的意象。全诗化用陂、春水、花身、花影、妖娆、占春、春风、吹作雪、绝胜、南陌、碾成尘的意象，以言志写咏物，正是王安石「精严」而善对比、承咏物传统写言志之本领。

Commentary

This quatrain is ranked among Wang Anshi's finest object-chants and a representative Song poem on apricots stating intent. Song critics praised it as 'intent stated through the object, exquisite and clear'; the opening lines are often cited. Its special worth is condensing, in a short piece, the pond, the water, the winding body, the shadow, the enchantment, the spring, the wind, the snow, the southern road, the dust—all in Wang Anshi's hand. With his 'Plum Blossoms' it shows two faces of his object poetry: one plum ('not snow, for its hidden fragrance'), one apricot ('blown into snow'). For readers it opens his object-chants and stands as a classic of stating intent through the flower—the clean snow still speaking of solitary spring across the ages.

此诗历来被推为王安石咏物诗的名篇，也是宋诗写杏花言志的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：宋人评此诗「以言志写咏物，精丽清绝」；近人更指出「一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春」写花影妖娆的各占春，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以短章写尽花影妖娆的各占春与绝胜南陌碾的成尘——那一陂，那春水，那绕花身，那花影，那妖娆，那各占春，那纵被，那春风，那吹作雪，那绝胜，那南陌，那碾成尘，都写尽了王安石笔下的北陂杏花；那「绝胜南陌碾成尘」更以对比写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘。此诗与王安石《梅花》「墙角数枝梅」同为咏物名篇，一写「遥知不是雪，为有暗香来」的梅花，一写「纵被春风吹作雪」的北陂杏花；一写梅，一写杏。两诗对读，可见王安石咏物诗的两面。对于今日读者，此诗是理解王安石咏物诗的窗口，也是宋诗写杏花言志的经典——那绝胜南陌碾的成尘，穿越千年，仍在诉说着花影妖娆的各占春。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (Qijue)七言绝句

Rhyme Seven-character quatrain; rhymes on 'chun' (春) and 'chen' (尘) (Zhen class), first line included in the rhyme.七绝押「春」「尘」（真韵），首句入韵

Tone pattern A seven-character quatrain with sustained level-tone rhyme, first line joining the rhyme; its clear, fine music suits the object-chant's lucidity.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，首句入韵，音节清丽，正合咏物的清丽。

Reading note This is a seven-character quatrain—'a pond of spring water winds about the blossom; flower and shadow each claim spring. Though blown by the wind into snow, far better than dust on the southern road'—rhyming on level tone (春, 尘), first line included, with a clear, fine cadence. The first half paints the blossom by the pond, the second states intent through contrast, closing on 'far better than dust'—Wang Anshi's precise sternness. Read the blossom lines with a clear, lovely tone and the closing resolve with firm, lingering weight.此诗为七言绝句——「一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春。纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘」，押平韵（春、尘），首句入韵，音节清丽。全诗以言志写咏物：前写花影妖娆的各占春（一陂春水绕花身），后写绝胜南陌碾的成尘（纵被春风吹作雪）。短章四句，前写杏花，后写言志，以「绝胜南陌碾成尘」写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘，正见王安石「精严」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以清丽的语调读「花影妖娆各占春」的杏花，以坚定的语调读「绝胜南陌碾成尘」的言志，结句要读得清丽而有余韵，方能传达出王安石的精丽清绝。王安石绝句以「精严」著称，此诗正是其咏物诗的典范。

Line by line

一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春

A pond of spring water winds about the blossom's body; flower and shadow, each enchanting, share the spring.

一陂春水绕花身，花影妖娆各占春。

A pool of spring water wraps around the apricot's roots; the blossoms and their reflection in the pool each claim a share of spring.

此二句是全诗写杏花的核心，以一陂春水绕花身写绕花身，以花影妖娆各占春写各占春，写尽花影妖娆的各占春，是千古名句。「一陂春水绕花身」写一陂春水绕花身——那「一陂春水」写一陂春水，「绕花身」写绕花身，写尽一陂春水的绕花身；「花影妖娆各占春」写花影妖娆各占春——那「花影妖娆」写花影妖娆，「各占春」写各占春，写尽花影妖娆的各占春。这句的深意在于：它以「一陂春水绕花身」的绕花身与「花影妖娆各占春」的各占春，写尽花影妖娆的各占春——一陂春水绕花身，那「一陂春水绕花身」写尽一陂春水的绕花身——一陂春水绕花身，正是春水绕花的写照，那「绕花身」写尽花影妖娆的各占春；花影妖娆各占春，那「花影妖娆各占春」写尽花影妖娆的各占春——花影妖娆各占春，正是花影占春的写照，那「各占春」写尽花影妖娆的各占春；那「一陂春水绕花身」写尽一陂春水的绕花身，那「花影妖娆各占春」写尽花影妖娆的各占春，一写绕花身，一写各占春，写尽花影妖娆的各占春——春水绕花而花影占春，正是杏花的写照；此二句以绕花身、各占春写尽花影妖娆的各占春，也为下文的吹作雪作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写杏花的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「一陂春水绕着花身，花影妖娆各自占着春光」，则失其清丽；唯以「一陂春水绕花身」写绕花身、「花影妖娆各占春」写各占春，写尽花影妖娆的各占春，也让此二句成为全诗写杏花的核心。

Wang Anshi's apricot grows not by a road but at the edge of a still pool, and the water is the poem's first subject. "Spring water wraps around the tree" isolates it from the dust; "blossoms and reflection, each takes spring" doubles the flower into its own mirror image—real blossoms above, rosy reflection below, vying for the season. The word charming is double: the flower is beautiful, and so is its ghost in the water. This setting is not decorative; the pool's purity prepares the philosophical point of the next couplet, and the doubled image makes the tree seem to exist for itself alone. To have said water surrounds the pretty blossoms would lose the mirror-play; the doubled reflection is the poem's first moral choice.

纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘

Though blown by the spring wind into snow, far better than ground to dust on the southern road.

纵被春风吹作雪，绝胜南陌碾成尘。

Even if the spring wind blows my petals off like snow, it is far better than being trampled to dust on the southern road.

此二句是全诗写言志的核心，以纵被春风吹作雪写吹作雪，以绝胜南陌碾成尘写碾成尘，写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘，是千古名句。「纵被春风吹作雪」写纵被春风吹作雪——那「纵被春风」写纵被春风，「吹作雪」写吹作雪，写尽纵被春风的吹作雪；「绝胜南陌碾成尘」写绝胜南陌碾成尘——那「绝胜南陌」写绝胜南陌，「碾成尘」写碾成尘，写尽绝胜南陌的碾成尘。这句的深意在于：它以「纵被春风吹作雪」的吹作雪与「绝胜南陌碾成尘」的碾成尘，写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘——纵被春风吹作雪，那「纵被春风吹作雪」写尽纵被春风的吹作雪——纵被春风吹作雪，正是花落如雪的写照，那「吹作雪」写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘；绝胜南陌碾成尘，那「绝胜南陌碾成尘」写尽绝胜南陌的碾成尘——绝胜南陌碾成尘，正是胜过碾尘的写照，那「碾成尘」写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘；那「纵被春风吹作雪」写尽纵被春风的吹作雪，那「绝胜南陌碾成尘」写尽绝胜南陌的碾成尘，一写吹作雪，一写碾成尘，写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘——花落如雪而胜过碾尘，正是言志的写照；此二句以吹作雪、碾成尘写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘，也让此二句成为全诗写言志的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「纵然被春风吹作雪花，也胜过在南陌被碾成尘土」，则失其精警；唯以「纵被春风吹作雪」写吹作雪、「绝胜南陌碾成尘」写碾成尘，写尽绝胜南陌碾的成尘，也让此二句成为全诗写言志的核心。

The apricot speaks through its gardener. Falling like blown snow—drifting on the wind over the clear water—is, Wang Anshi says, infinitely preferable to being trodden into mud on the busy southern avenue. The contrast is between two deaths of a flower: a free white dissolution on the water, and a polluted end beneath travelers' feet. Read as the retired reformer's self-portrait, the couplet refuses a court career of compromise; better to fall cleanly in one's own place than to be trampled by the world. The aphoristic bite—even if, far better than—is what made these lines famous. To have said he would rather keep his integrity than succeed in office would be prose; the two flower-fates argue the case without ever naming it.

Study

Word focus

绕 To wind about. In 'a pond of spring water winds about the blossom's body,' rao means the water encircles the flower. It carries both the physical circling of the stream and a tender sense of the blossom leaning over the water, key to the pure, secluded image. 「一陂春水绕花身」之「绕」字是写杏花关键词，一个「绕」字写尽一陂春水的绕花身。绕者，环绕、围绕也。王安石以「一陂春水绕花身」写杏花，这个「绕」字至少有双重意味：其一，写水之绕——那「一陂春水绕花身」写一陂春水绕花身，那「绕」字写尽一陂春水的绕花身——绕花身，正是春水环花的写照，那「绕」字写尽一陂春水的绕花身；其二，写态之媚——那「绕」字更是写媚——绕，正见杏花临水的意味，那「绕」字写尽王安石的偏爱。以「绕」字写杏花，正是王安石写言志的枢纽——若换作「环」「抱」等字，则或失其与「一陂春水绕花身」「花影妖娆各占春」的配合，或失其写绕的意味；唯「绕」字，以一陂春水绕花身写尽春水之环花与杏花之临水，与「花影妖娆各占春」的各占春相合，写尽一陂春水的绕花身，也让「一陂春水绕花身」成为全诗写杏花的名句。

纵 Even if / though. In 'though blown by the spring wind into snow,' zong concedes the worst—being scattered—yet affirms the nobler fate. It conveys both the hypothetical surrender to the wind and the firmness of the poet's resolve, the word that anchors the poem's stated intent. 「纵被春风吹作雪」之「纵」字是写言志关键词，一个「纵」字写尽纵被春风的吹作雪。纵者，纵然、即便也。王安石以「纵被春风吹作雪」写言志，这个「纵」字至少有双重意味：其一，写设之纵——那「纵被春风吹作雪」写纵被春风吹作雪，那「纵」字写尽纵被春风的吹作雪——纵被，正是纵然被吹的写照，那「纵」字写尽纵被春风的吹作雪；其二，写志之坚——那「纵」字更是写坚——纵，正见虽败不悔的意味，那「纵」字写尽王安石的坚定。以「纵」字写言志，正是王安石写咏物的枢纽——若换作「虽」「即」等字，则或失其与「纵被春风吹作雪」「绝胜南陌碾成尘」的配合，或失其写纵的意味；唯「纵」字，以纵被春风吹作雪写尽纵然之设与守志之坚定，与「绝胜南陌碾成尘」的碾成尘相合，写尽纵被春风的吹作雪，也让「纵被春风吹作雪」成为全诗写言志的名句。