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汉 Han · 诗 Poem

白头吟

Song of White Hair

卓文君

Zhuo Wenjun

爱情Love 哲理Philosophy

皑如山上雪，皎若云间月。
闻君有两意，故来相决绝。
今日斗酒会，明旦沟水头。
躞蹀御沟上，沟水东西流。
凄凄复凄凄，嫁娶不须啼。
愿得一心人，白头不相离。
竹竿何袅袅，鱼尾何簁簁。
男儿重意气，何用钱刀为！

White as snow on the mountain,
Bright as the moon among clouds.
I heard you have two hearts,
So I come to break with you.
Today we meet over wine,
Tomorrow by the ditch's head.
Pacing on the royal moat,
Water flows east and west.
Sadness upon sadness,
A bride need not weep.
I wish for a single-hearted man,
Together till white hair, never apart.
The fishing rod sways so gently,
The fish tail flutters so briskly.
A man values true feeling,
What use is money or sword!

Listen

Meaning

A woman, upon learning her lover is unfaithful, decisively breaks up with him. She expresses her longing for a faithful partner and criticizes men who value wealth over love.

洁白如山上的雪，明亮如云间的月。听说你有了二心，所以前来与你决裂。今天摆酒相会，明早就在沟水之头。在御沟上小步徘徊，沟水向东向西流去。凄楚啊又凄楚，嫁人也不必哭泣。只愿得到一心一意的人，白头到老不相离。钓竿多么袅袅轻柔，鱼尾多么摆动的簁簁。男子汉看重的是情义，要钱财刀剑做什么！

Appreciation

This poem is a strong female voice in Han folk songs, portraying a woman's resolute break with an unfaithful man and her desire for exclusive love.

【白话串讲】 “皑如山上雪，皎若云间月”——卓文君听说司马相如要纳妾，写下《白头吟》：“闻君有两意，故来相决绝”。“愿得一心人，白头不相离”——这首决绝诗，成了中国人对爱情的最高要求。【意象与手法】开篇「皑如山上雪，皎若云间月」以雪月之洁起兴，既喻女子清白，又反衬男子两意之污，兴中有比。中段叙事决绝：「今日斗酒、明旦沟头」，以御沟水流东西喻情断义绝，意象流转自然。「凄凄复凄凄」一转，由决绝转入「愿得一心人」的期许，刚柔相济。末以「竹竿何袅袅，鱼尾何簁簁」的钓钓之娱，对比「男儿重意气，何用钱刀为」，以鱼水欢喻情投，讽男子重财轻义。通篇刚健明快，女性主体意识鲜明。【情感与主旨】《白头吟》相传为司马相如欲聘茂陵女为妾，其妻卓文君作此以自绝，载于《西京杂记》《玉台新咏》。然此说多属小说家言，诗之主体当为汉乐府民歌，借文君故事写女子对负心男子的决绝与对专一爱情的向往。此诗以女性口吻直斥两意，反映当时女性在婚恋中尚存自主意识，是乐府中难得的女性强音。【名句点睛】高频考点：一、起兴手法（雪月喻纯洁与反衬）；二、女性形象特点（刚烈、自主）；三、「愿得一心人，白头不相离」的名句内涵——对专一爱情与白头偕老的向往，已成千古爱情名言。

Background

Traditionally attributed to Zhuo Wenjun in response to Sima Xiangru's wish to take a concubine, but likely a Han folk song using her story. It reflects women's independent consciousness in love.

《白头吟》相传为司马相如欲聘茂陵女为妾，其妻卓文君作此以自绝，事载《西京杂记》《玉台新咏》。然此说多属小说家言：司马相如与卓文君当垆卖酒、琴瑟相和的佳话本已脍炙人口，文人遂附会出「白头吟」一节以增其趣，诗之主体当为汉乐府民歌。此诗写一女子闻知所爱男子有了二心，不哭不闹，而是坦然设酒决绝，又于决绝之中申明自己对专一爱情的向往，最后以「男儿重意气」的讥讽收束，刚烈而自尊。汉代虽倡节烈，民间亦重「一心人」之盟，此诗以女性口吻直斥「两意」，反映当时女性在婚恋中尚存的自主意识与独立人格，是乐府诗中难得的女性强音；其「愿得一心人，白头不相离」的呼声，更道出了古往今来无数女子的共同心愿，对后世闺怨诗、弃妇诗影响深远。卓文君与司马相如的故事，是汉代最著名的爱情传奇：文君新寡归家，相如以琴心挑之，二人私奔成都，当垆卖酒，传为千古佳话。白头吟的故事即附于此传奇之后：相传相如显达后欲娶茂陵女子为妾，文君作此诗以自绝，相如闻之乃止。虽然此说的真实性历来有疑，但正因其与文君刚烈多情的人格相合，故流传甚广，成为汉代女性婚恋意识的经典表达。无论作者为谁，此诗以女性第一人称直写决绝与向往，其情感的真切与人格的独立，在汉代诗歌中都极为罕见，是研究汉代女性心理与社会风尚的珍贵材料。

Art

Opens with snow and moon as metaphors for the woman's purity, contrasting with the man's double heart. The imagery of flowing water symbolizes broken love. Ends with fishing rod and fish tail, a metaphor for harmonious union, to criticize men who prioritize money.

此诗的艺术妙在刚柔相济、情理兼胜。开篇「皑如山上雪，皎若云间月」以雪月之洁起兴：既是自喻清白，又是暗比爱情之当如雪月般纯白，更反衬男子「两意」之污，兴中有比，一语三关。中段叙事决绝：「今日斗酒会，明旦沟水头」写设酒相会、明晨分手，干脆利落；「躞蹀御沟上，沟水东西流」以御沟水流东西分流，喻情断义绝、各奔东西，意象流转自然。至此是「刚」的一面。而「凄凄复凄凄，嫁娶不须啼」一转，由决绝转入劝慰与期许：「愿得一心人，白头不相离」以赤诚之心道出对专一爱情的全部向往，刚中见柔，是全诗情感的核心。末以「竹竿何袅袅，鱼尾何簁簁」的钓鱼之乐起兴，暗用《诗经》以钓喻婚恋的传统，以鱼水之欢写情投意合，反衬「男儿重意气，何用钱刀为」的讥讽。通篇刚健明快，一气流转，正是汉乐府「感于哀乐、缘事而发」的本色。此诗在结构上还有一个特点，即叙事、抒情、议论三者交织：前六句以叙事写决绝（闻讯、设酒、徘徊），中四句以抒情写向往（凄凄、愿得一心人），末四句以议论写讥讽（竹竿鱼尾、男儿意气），由事而情、由情而理，层层推进而一气呵成。而贯穿始终的，是雪月、沟水、竹竿、鱼尾等一组组自然意象：以雪月之洁写情之纯，以沟水之流写情之断，以钓竿鱼尾写情之洽，意象与情事丝丝入扣，正是汉乐府即事名篇、即景设喻的本色。

Allusions

The royal moat (yù gōu) alludes to palace canals, here symbolizing separation. The fishing rod image comes from the Book of Songs, used to represent courtship. 'Money and sword' refers to knife-shaped coins, representing wealth.

「躞蹀御沟上」暗用汉宫御沟流叶的意象：御沟为宫苑水渠，传说宫女题诗红叶、随沟流出，后世以「御沟流叶」写宫怨与相思，此处写决绝女子徘徊沟畔，以「沟水东西流」喻情义断绝、一去不回。「竹竿何袅袅，鱼尾何簁簁」化用《诗经·卫风·竹竿》「籊籊竹竿，以钓于淇」与《小雅·南有嘉鱼》「烝然汕汕」之意：古人以钓鱼喻求偶、以鱼水喻男女欢洽，汉乐府《江南》「鱼戏莲叶间」亦然，此处借钓鱼之乐写情投意合之美，反衬负心男子之轻情。「钱刀」语本《史记·平准书》：古钱有刀形者（刀币），「钱刀」即金钱，末句以「何用钱刀为」讥男子重财轻义。三处用典皆融于民歌口语，自然无痕，正是汉乐府「用典而如话」的特点。御沟意象在汉代文学中别有深意：御沟即皇宫外的水沟，沟水东西分流，正写决绝后各奔东西、不复相合，与《诗经》『泾以渭浊，湜湜其沚』的以水喻情一脉相承；而沟水头的头字，又暗含源头之意，喻情之始即断，决绝得干净利落。至于以钓鱼喻婚恋，除《诗经》外，汉乐府亦多以此写情，此诗取竹竿袅袅、鱼尾簁簁写情投意合之乐，正是民歌意象的活用，其以乐景衬讽意的手法，尤见巧妙。

Commentary

The poem is admired for its vigorous spirit. Scholars note its purity and directness. Its influence spans centuries, with Li Bai and Bai Juyi writing imitations.

《玉台新咏》以此诗属卓文君，《乐府诗集》列于相和歌辞楚调曲；明人胡应麟称《白头吟》「气骨峻峥，在汉乐府中别调」，谓其以女性刚烈之气别开生面。沈德潜《古诗源》评「皑如山上雪」二语「较山下兰芽更峻洁」，极赏其起兴之高洁。诗中「愿得一心人，白头不相离」一句，道尽古今男女对专一爱情的向往，传诵千年，成为中华婚恋文化的经典表达；白居易《井底引银瓶》「愿以双环赠君去」、后世无数爱情文学，皆承此「一心人」的理想。此诗在文学史上的意义，在于它以民歌之体、女性之声，第一次如此鲜明地写出女子在爱情中的自尊与决绝，其女性主体意识之强，在古典诗歌中罕有其匹，故论者推为「乐府女性强音」之首。此诗在文学史上的影响，最集中地体现在『愿得一心人，白头不相离』二句：自汉至今，它已成为中国人关于专一爱情的最经典表达，与『执子之手，与子偕老』并列为婚恋誓言的双璧；白居易《井底引银瓶》的弃妇之叹、元稹《莺莺传》中崔莺莺的决绝姿态，皆可于此诗找到渊源。今人评此诗，多推其女性主体意识之自觉在古典诗歌中罕有其匹，它不仅是文学杰作，更是汉代女性精神史的一份珍贵证词，其价值历两千年前而不朽。

Prosody

Form Han folk song (Xianghe Ge, Chu melody)汉乐府·相和歌辞楚调曲（五言为主）

Rhyme Mixed five- and seven-character lines; rhymes roughly on 'yue', 'jue', 'tou', 'liu', 'ti', 'li', 'shai', 'wei' in ancient pronunciation.古韵宽协，韵脚如「月、绝、头、流、啼、离、簁、为」等，五言间有七言（「何用钱刀为」），押韵自由，依民歌本色。

Tone pattern Unknown乐府民歌体，句式以五言为主、参差错落，不严拘平仄，以自然声气行文。

Reading note Folk song style with irregular lines, direct female voice, not strict in meter.此诗为汉乐府民歌，属相和歌辞楚调曲，句式以五言为主，间以七言、杂言，参差错落，不事雕琢。乐府诗源于民间，讲究「感于哀乐、缘事而发」，故不追求近体诗的平仄对仗，而以声气的自然流转为宗：开篇「皑如山上雪，皎若云间月」以两个五言起兴，音节明净；「今日斗酒会，明旦沟水头」叙事紧凑，音节短促；「凄凄复凄凄」以叠字起，音节低回，恰合怅惘之情；结以「男儿重意气，何用钱刀为」的反诘，末句七言，音节陡然放开，如一声断喝，收得斩截有力。全诗押韵宽缓自由，句式随情感起伏而长短相间，正是民歌体「以气驭声」的特点。此诗对后世影响深远：白居易《新乐府》的通俗流畅、宋代词曲的以俗为雅，皆与汉乐府这种自然本色的声情一脉相承。

Line by line

皑如山上雪，皎若云间月

White as snow upon the hills, bright as the moon among the clouds.

洁白如山上的雪，明亮如云间的月。

White as the snow on the high hills, bright as the moon among the clouds.

起兴兼比，是全诗立意的基石。「皑」写雪之洁白，「皎」写月之明亮，两句以山上之雪、云间之月起兴，同时兼有比意：既自喻女子品行之清白高洁——如雪之洁、如月之明，不容玷污；又暗写爱情本应如雪月般纯白无瑕——这是她心中爱情的理想形态。此兴还暗含反衬：雪月如此高洁，而男子「两意」之污浊，正与这洁白形成对照，为下句「闻君有两意」的决绝蓄势。以最纯净的意象起笔，写出最不容妥协的立场，正是民歌起兴的妙用：一兴三义（喻己、喻情、衬彼），语短而意丰，故沈德潜评其「峻洁」。

The song opens with the two purest images in the language. White as snow upon the hills, bright as the moon among the clouds—the woman's own character, and the standard by which love should be measured. The two similes do triple duty: they describe her, they describe the love she has a right to expect, and they set up the coming contrast with a man's divided heart. The folk-song opening is at once assertion and challenge. To have said I am a pure woman would be a boast; the hill snow and the clouded moon are the purity.

闻君有两意，故来相决绝

Hearing you have two hearts, I have come now to make our break.

听说你有了二心，所以前来与你决裂。

Hearing that you have a second heart, I have come to break with you once and for all.

此二句是全诗转折的枢纽，女性的刚烈在此一笔写尽。「闻君有两意」写消息之来：「闻」字写出这不是当面摊牌，而是风闻其事，男子负心而不言，女子闻讯而自决；「两意」即二心，是「一心人」的反面，点出决裂的原因。「故来相决绝」写行动之决：「故」字见其专为此事而来，目的明确；「相决绝」三字斩钉截铁，不哭不闹、不乞求不挽留，而是主动前来做个了断。一个「来」字，写尽女子的主体姿态——不是被动等待被弃，而是主动前来决绝。两句一闻一来，干净利落，把自尊与刚烈写得掷地有声，正是「乐府女性强音」的开篇。

Then comes the news and the decision. Hearing you have two hearts, I have come now to make our break. The word hearing makes clear she did not storm out in the heat of a scene: she heard, and then she came. The purposeful came and the decisive break are the woman's agency—she does not wait to be discarded, she dismisses. No tears, no pleading. To have said since you were unfaithful I left you would be a story; the hearing followed by the deliberate break is the dignity.

躞蹀御沟上，沟水东西流

I pace slowly along the palace canal; the canal water flows east and west, apart.

在御沟上小步徘徊，沟水向东向西流去。

I walk slowly along the imperial canal; the canal water flows east and west, separating.

此二句以景写情，是全诗最见意境的一笔。「躞蹀」写小步徘徊之态：既已决绝，为何还在御沟边徘徊？这一徘徊写尽内心的矛盾——刚烈如她，临别时也难免踟蹰，毕竟曾是一心相爱的人；「御沟」暗用宫苑水渠的意象，点出宫廷背景，也暗含沟水无情之意。「沟水东西流」写沟水各自东西流去：水都东西分流，何况人与人的情分？以眼前之景喻情断义绝，意象流转自然，毫无说教之气。此二句由决绝转入徘徊，由刚烈转入怅惘，一刚一来，写出人物内心的丰富层次，正是民歌「即景设喻」的妙处，也为下文「凄凄复凄凄」的怅惘作了铺垫。

After the resolution, hesitation. I pace slowly along the imperial canal—the steps are reluctant; the proud break-up is not as simple as it sounds; the canal water flows east and west, separating. The divided water is the divided lovers, and the slow walk along it is the last look. The poem allows her this moment of weakness, and it makes the earlier decision all the stronger. To have described walking by the river after the breakup would be a scene; the slow steps and the east-west dividing water are the weakness.

愿得一心人，白头不相离

Could I but find one single-hearted man, growing old together, never apart.

只愿得到一心一意的人，白头到老不相离。

Could I but win one single-minded man, to grow old with him and never be parted.

此二句是千古名句，也是全诗情感的核心与升华。「凄凄复凄凄」的怅惘之后，诗人不诉苦、不哀叹，而是直道出自己对爱情的全部理想：「愿得一心人」——只要一个一心一意的人，「白头不相离」——与之白头偕老、永不分离。十个字朴素至极，却道尽了古今男女对爱情最根本的渴望：不是富贵，不是才貌，而是「一心」与「白头」。此句的美，在于以最平常的语言说出最深的愿望，不假雕饰而直抵人心；「一心」与「两意」遥相对照，正是全诗「决绝—向往」结构的核心。自此句出，它便超越了具体的离异故事，成为中华民族关于专一爱情与白首之盟的经典表达，传诵两千年而不衰。

The famous lines. Could I but find one single-minded man, growing old together, never apart. The poem's whole ideal in ten plain words: not rank, not beauty, but singleness of heart lasting until white hair. The word single-minded answers the earlier two hearts directly. It has outlived the story to become the Chinese love ideal itself. To have said I wanted a faithful husband for life would be a wish; the single-minded man and the unseparated white head are the wish.

男儿重意气，何用钱刀为

A man's weight is his honor; what use has he for money at all?

男子汉看重的是情义，要钱财刀剑做什么！

A man should set store by honor and duty; of what use is money?

结句以反诘收束，是全诗讥讽的顶点。「男儿重意气」写理想的男子应当看重情义（意气即情义），这是正面的期许，也是她对天下男子的规劝；「何用钱刀为」以反诘作结：若真重情义，要那钱财刀剑做什么！「钱刀」即金钱，暗讽男子负心多半是为了财势——司马相如要聘茂陵女，正是因其富有；诗人以「何用」二字，把对负心男子的鄙视与对重情重义的高标和盘托出。此句与开篇「皑如山上雪」遥相呼应：雪月之洁所代表的真情，与钱刀之利所代表的物欲，正是全诗的两极。以反诘收束，戛然而止而余味不尽，一个爱憎分明、自尊自重的女性形象，至此完整立起。

The closing is the rebuke. A man's weight is his honor; what use has he for money at all? The knife-money refers to the coinage, and the target is Sima Xiangru's plan to take a new rich bride. The question refuses the whole transaction: honor is the only currency that matters. The song ends on a question that needs no answer. To have said money is no substitute for love would be a moral; the man whose honor matters and the useless knife-money are the moral.

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Word focus

两意 Two hearts; unfaithfulness. 「闻君有两意」的「两意」二字，是全诗矛盾的焦点，与「一心人」遥遥相对。「两意」即二心、异心，指男子移情别恋、心不专一。这二字的妙处，在于以极简之笔写尽负心的本质：不是具体的过错，而是「心」出了问题——心有两意，则情必不专，恩必不久。「两」与「一」相对，暗含数量上的尖锐对立：她要的是一心，他给的是两意，一与两之间，便是决裂的全部理由。此二字不骂不斥，只是冷静地指出事实，反而更见女子的清醒与自尊；而以「两意」揭出负心之根，也为结尾「男儿重意气」的规劝提供了依据，是全诗由叙事到议论的关键词，字少而力重。

袅袅 Swaying gently; describes the fishing rod's movement. 「竹竿何袅袅」的「袅袅」二字，写钓竿轻柔摇曳之态，是全诗最富画面感的叠字。「袅袅」本写细长柔软之物随风摆动，此处写钓鱼竿的柔美轻盈，以钓竿之美写垂钓之乐，又暗含男女情投意合时的轻盈欢愉——正如《诗经》以「籊籊竹竿」钓于淇水喻求偶，此处的袅袅钓竿正是情爱融洽的象征。这「袅袅」之柔，与上文「何用钱刀为」之刚形成对照：情投意合本是如此轻柔美好的事，奈何负心男子偏要因财生变？以柔美的意象写理想的情爱，反衬现实中的决绝与讥讽，正是民歌「以乐景写哀」的变体。叠字的使用又使诗句音韵流转，如歌如叹，见出乐府民歌的语言之美。

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