PoemBridge
Start learning
All poems

近现代 近现代 · 诗 Poem

也许

Perhaps

闻一多

Wen Yiduo

也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡，那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞，不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉，无论谁都不能惊醒你，撑一伞松荫庇护你睡。
也许你听这蚯蚓翻泥，听这小草的根须吸水，也许你听这般的音乐比那咒骂的人声更美；
那么你先把眼皮闭紧，我就让你睡，我让你睡，我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞。

Perhaps you truly cried yourself too tired,
Perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while,
Then tell the night-hawk not to cough,
Let the frog not cry, the bat not fly,
Do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids,
Do not allow the clear wind to brush your brows,
Let no one be able to startle you awake,
Spread a canopy of pine shade to shelter your sleep.
Perhaps you hear the earthworm turning the soil,
Hear the root-hairs of the little grass drink water,
Perhaps you hear such music
As fairer than the cursing voices of men;
Then first close your eyelids tight,
And I will let you sleep, I let you sleep,
I will gently cover you with yellow earth,
I bid the paper money drift slowly down.
Listen

Meaning

A lullaby-like elegy Wen Yiduo wrote for his deceased infant daughter. Speaking in a tender, hypothetical voice, the father commands the whole world to hush so the child may 'sleep,' gradually revealing that this sleep is death—he buries her in yellow earth and sends paper money drifting. Quiet on the surface, it holds the deepest grief.

也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡，那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞，不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉，无论谁都不能惊醒你，撑一伞松荫庇护你睡。也许你听这蚯蚓翻泥，听这小草的根须吸水，也许你听这般的音乐比那咒骂的人声更美；那么你先把眼皮闭紧，我就让你睡，我让你睡，我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Wen Yiduo writes 'Perhaps': 'Perhaps you truly cried too tired, perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while'—'then tell the night-hawk not to cough, the frog not to cry, the bat not to fly'—'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids, do not allow the clear wind to brush your brows'—'spread a canopy of pine shade to shelter your sleep'—he writes to his夭折 (died young) daughter, a soul-calming poem. [Imagery and Method] 'Perhaps you truly cried too tired, perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while' opens in a consoling tone; 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough, the frog not to cry, the bat not to fly' writes sleep through successive imperatives; 'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids, do not allow the clear wind to brush your brows' writes guarding through parallelism; 'spread a canopy of pine shade to shelter your sleep' writes shelter through pine shade. Soft in tone, writing sorrow through stillness. [Feeling and Theme] An elegy Wen Yiduo wrote for his died-young daughter, using gentle imperatives and shelter to write the pain of losing a child; in calm one sees the deepest grief—a model of mourning poetry that is sorrow yet not wounded. [Famous Lines] Often tested: 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough, the frog not to cry, the bat not to fly' writes sleep through imperatives; 'spread a canopy of pine shade to shelter your sleep' writes fatherly love through pine-shade shelter.

【白话串讲】 闻一多写《也许》：“也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡”——“那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞”——“不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉”——“撑一伞松荫庇护你睡”——他写给夭折的女儿——安魂。 【意象与手法】 “也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡”以安慰的语调起笔；“那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞”以连续祈使写安眠；“不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉”以排比写守护；“撑一伞松荫庇护你睡”以伞荫写庇护。语气轻柔、以静写哀。 【情感与主旨】 闻一多写给夭折女儿的安魂诗，以温柔的祈使与守护写丧女之痛，于平静中见至痛，是悼亡诗中以哀而不伤的笔调写深悲的典范。 【名句点睛】 常考“那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞”以祈使写安眠；“撑一伞松荫庇护你睡”以松荫庇护写父爱。

Background

'Perhaps' was written by the modern poet Wen Yiduo. Wen Yiduo (1899–1946), original name Wen Jiahua, styled Yousan, of Xishui, Hubei, was a modern poet, scholar, and democratic fighter. The poem is a mourning-elegy written for his died-young daughter. The lines 'perhaps you truly cried too tired, perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while' write the opening; 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough, the frog not to cry, the bat not to fly' write the hushes; 'I will gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' write the burial. Wen's poem, with its mourning feeling and 'I gently cover you with yellow earth,' is含蓄 deep and graceful, a famous piece among his works. This 'Perhaps' is often anthologized, its artistic value and wide circulation showing its importance in the genre. The poet's crafted hand on ordinary feeling gives the work lasting life across ages.

《也许》为现代诗人闻一多所作诗。闻一多（1899—1946），原名闻家骅，字友三，湖北浠水人，现代诗人、学者、民主战士。此诗写感怀哀悼，为悼亡之作。诗中「也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡」写也许你真是哭得太累，也许也许你要睡一睡；「那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞」写那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞；「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」写我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞。闻一多此诗以感怀哀悼、我把黄土轻轻盖着你写其哀悼之情，含蓄深婉，是闻一多诗中的名篇。此篇《也许》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。此篇《也许》在历代选本中多被收录，其艺术价值与流传之广，正可见此诗在同类题材中的重要地位。诗人以匠心独运之笔写寻常之情事，遂使此作历千载而犹有生气，为后人所称赏不绝。

Art

The poem's art lies in '含蓄 deep and graceful, writing sorrow through sleep.' Four stanzas move from 'perhaps you truly cried too tired' to 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough' to 'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids.' It opens 'perhaps you truly cried too tired, perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while'; 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough, the frog not to cry, the bat not to fly' writes the hush; 'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids, do not allow the clear wind to brush your brows' writes the guarding; closes 'I will gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' writes the burial. The whole writes sorrow through sleep, from 'perhaps you truly cried too tired' to 'I gently cover you with yellow earth'—含蓄 deep and graceful, a famous Wen Yiduo piece. Through 'much from little' tight structure, deep intent, condensed image, lingering tone—the longer one reads, the more one feels its fine conception and strong brush, a rare gem among its kind.

此诗艺术上以「含蓄深婉、以睡写哀」见长。全诗共四节，由也许你真是哭得太累而那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽而不许阳光拨你的眼帘。起「也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡」写也许你真是哭得太累：也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡；「那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞」写那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽：那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞；「不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉」写不许阳光拨你的眼帘：不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉；结「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」写我把黄土轻轻盖着你：我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞。全诗以睡写哀，由也许你真是哭得太累而我把黄土轻轻盖着你，含蓄深婉，是闻一多诗中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。

Allusions

The lines 'perhaps you truly cried too tired, perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while,' 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough, the frog not to cry, the bat not to fly,' 'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids, do not allow the clear wind to brush your brows, let no one startle you, spread a canopy of pine shade to shelter your sleep,' 'perhaps you hear the earthworm turning soil, hear the little grass's root-hairs drink water, perhaps you hear such music as fairer than the cursing voices of men,' 'then first close your eyelids tight, and I let you sleep, I let you sleep, I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' all carry allusion. 'Perhaps you truly cried too tired' writes the opening; 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough' writes the hush; 'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids' writes the guarding; 'I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' writes the burial. The poet folds night-hawk and paper-money into the verse without trace, making the mourning feeling vivid—an instance of skillful fusion of allusion.

诗中「也许你真是哭得太累也许也许你要睡一睡」「那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽蛙不要号蝙蝠不要飞」「不许阳光拨你的眼帘不许清风刷上你的眉无论谁都不能惊醒你撑一伞松荫庇护你睡」「也许你听这蚯蚓翻泥听这小草的根须吸水也许你听这般的音乐比那咒骂的人声更美」「那么你先把眼皮闭紧我就让你睡我让你睡我把黄土轻轻盖着你我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」等语，皆含典故故实。「也许你真是哭得太累也许也许你要睡一睡」写也许你真是哭得太累也许也许你要睡一睡；「那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽蛙不要号蝙蝠不要飞」写那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽蛙不要号蝙蝠不要飞；「不许阳光拨你的眼帘不许清风刷上你的眉无论谁都不能惊醒你撑一伞松荫庇护你睡」写不许阳光拨你的眼帘不许清风刷上你的眉无论谁都不能惊醒你撑一伞松荫庇护你睡；「也许你听这蚯蚓翻泥听这小草的根须吸水也许你听这般的音乐比那咒骂的人声更美」写也许你听这蚯蚓翻泥听这小草的根须吸水也许你听这般的音乐比那咒骂的人声更美；「那么你先把眼皮闭紧我就让你睡我让你睡我把黄土轻轻盖着你我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」写那么你先把眼皮闭紧我就让你睡我让你睡我把黄土轻轻盖着你我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞。诗人以夜鹰、纸钱等语入诗，不着痕迹，而把感怀哀悼之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。

Commentary

This 'Perhaps' is Wen Yiduo's mourning-elegy, writing 'perhaps you truly cried too tired,' 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough,' 'I gently cover you with yellow earth'—含蓄 deep and graceful. It opens 'perhaps you truly cried too tired, perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while': cried too tired, want to sleep a while. 'Then tell the night-hawk not to cough, the frog not to cry, the bat not to fly': night-hawk not cough, frog not cry, bat not fly. 'Do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids, do not allow the clear wind to brush your brows': sunlight lift eyelids, wind brush brows. Closes 'I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down': yellow earth covers you, paper money drifts slowly. This 'I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' is the poem's rest—writing the mourning through 'I gently cover you with yellow earth.' The whole is含蓄 deep and graceful, writing sorrow through sleep—a famous Wen Yiduo piece.

这首《也许》，是闻一多写感怀哀悼之作，写也许你真是哭得太累、那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽、我把黄土轻轻盖着你之情，含蓄深婉。起「也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡」——也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡。写也许你真是哭得太累：也许你真是哭得太累、也许也许你要睡一睡——哭得太累、要睡一睡；「那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞」——那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞。写那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽：夜鹰不要咳嗽、蛙不要号、蝙蝠不要飞——不要咳嗽、不要号、不要飞；「不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉」——不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉。写不许阳光拨你的眼帘：不许阳光拨你的眼帘、不许清风刷上你的眉——阳光拨眼帘、清风刷上眉；结「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」——我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞。写我把黄土轻轻盖着你：我把黄土轻轻盖着你、我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞——黄土盖着你、纸钱儿缓缓地飞。这「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」，是全诗之结：以我把黄土轻轻盖着你写其哀悼。全诗含蓄深婉，以睡写哀，正是闻一多诗中的名篇。

Prosody

Form Poem (modern free verse)诗（现代自由诗）
Rhyme This is modern free verse, with irregular line lengths and no fixed meter. The poem follows meaning; syllables rise and fall with feeling, suiting the含蓄 deep and graceful mourning tone and showing free verse's naturalness in writing elegy.此诗为现代自由诗，句式长短错落，无固定格律。诗以意为主，音节随情起伏，正与写感怀哀悼的含蓄深婉相称，也见其以自由诗写哀悼的自然。
Tone pattern In phrasing, 'perhaps you truly cried too tired, perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while' is low and lingering; 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough, the frog not to cry, the bat not to fly' is low and deep; 'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids, do not allow the clear wind to brush your brows' is light and slow; the close 'I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' is long and drawn. The whole's syllables follow feeling—from lingering to deep, from light to long—matching free verse's naturalness, read like mourning sound,含蓄 and moving.句式上，「也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡」写也许你真是哭得太累，音节低回；「那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞」写那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，音节低沉；「不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉」写不许阳光拨你的眼帘，音节轻缓；结「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」写我把黄土轻轻盖着你，音节绵长。全诗音节随情起伏，由低回而低沉、由轻缓而绵长，正合自由诗「自然」之妙，读来如感怀哀悼、我把黄土轻轻盖着你之音，含蓄而动人。
Reading note This is modern free verse, Wen Yiduo's mourning-elegy and a famous piece. Its art is '含蓄 deep and graceful, writing sorrow through sleep': 'perhaps you truly cried too tired,' 'then tell the night-hawk not to cough,' 'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids,' 'I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down.' The whole is含蓄 deep, writing sorrow through sleep. Especially fine is 'perhaps you hear the earthworm turning soil, hear the little grass's root-hairs drink water' capturing the sound within stillness; and 'I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' captures the mourning feeling—a model of Wen's '含蓄 deep and graceful' style, often anthologized.此诗为现代自由诗，是闻一多写感怀哀悼之作，也是其诗中的名篇。全诗的艺术特色在于「含蓄深婉、以睡写哀」：「也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡」写也许你真是哭得太累、「那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，蛙不要号，蝙蝠不要飞」写那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽、「不许阳光拨你的眼帘，不许清风刷上你的眉」写不许阳光拨你的眼帘、「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」写我把黄土轻轻盖着你。全诗含蓄深婉，以睡写哀。尤为精妙者，是「也许你听这蚯蚓翻泥，听这小草的根须吸水」写尽静中之音；而「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」写尽哀悼之情，正是闻一多诗「含蓄深婉」的典范，为历代选本所常收。

Line by line

也许你真是哭得太累，

Perhaps you truly cried yourself too tired,

也许你真是哭得太累，

Perhaps you have really wept too tired.

首句写也许你真是哭得太累，起笔即见其情。「也许你真是哭得太累」写也许你真是哭得太累，「也许你真是」写也许你真是、「哭得太累」写哭得太累。一句写也许你真是哭得太累，以也许你真是写也许你真是、以哭得太累写哭得太累，写尽也许你真是哭得太累之情。以也许起兴，含蓄而深婉，是「以也许起兴」的妙笔。

The lullaby. Perhaps you have really wept too tired. The perhaps and the wept-too-tired are the funeral lullaby's opening. To have said the dead child wept too much would be a lullaby; the perhaps-you-have-really-wept-too-tired is the lullaby.

那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，

Then tell the night-hawk not to cough,

那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，

Then tell the nightjar not to cough.

「那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽」写那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，是全诗写夜鹰之态的关键。那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽——那么叫写那么叫、夜鹰不要咳嗽写夜鹰不要咳嗽。一句写那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽，以那么叫写那么叫、以夜鹰不要咳嗽写夜鹰不要咳嗽，写尽那么叫夜鹰不要咳嗽之情。夜鹰莫咳、以静写哀，正是以静写情的点睛之笔。

The nightjar. Then tell the nightjar not to cough. The prohibition on the nightjar's cough is the hush. To have hushed the nightjar would be a hush; the then-tell-the-nightjar-not-to-cough is the hush.

不许阳光拨你的眼帘，

Do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids,

不许阳光拨你的眼帘，

Forbid the sunlight to pry at your eyelids.

「不许阳光拨你的眼帘」写不许阳光拨你的眼帘，是全诗写阳光之态的关键。不许阳光拨你的眼帘——不许阳光写不许阳光、拨你的眼帘写拨你的眼帘。一句写不许阳光拨你的眼帘，以不许阳光写不许阳光、以拨你的眼帘写拨你的眼帘，写尽不许阳光拨你的眼帘之情。阳光莫扰、以静写哀，正是以静写情的点睛之笔。

The sun. Forbid the sunlight to pry at your eyelids. The forbidden sunlight on the eyelids is the further hush. To have kept the sun away would be a hush; the forbid-the-sunlight-to-pry-at-your-eyelids is the hush.

我把黄土轻轻盖着你，

I will gently cover you with yellow earth,

我把黄土轻轻盖着你，

I cover you gently with yellow earth.

「我把黄土轻轻盖着你」写我把黄土轻轻盖着你，是全诗立意的落点。我把黄土轻轻盖着你——我把黄土写我把黄土、轻轻盖着你写轻轻盖着你。一句写我把黄土轻轻盖着你，以我把黄土写我把黄土、以轻轻盖着你写轻轻盖着你，写尽我把黄土轻轻盖着你之情。黄土轻盖、以盖写哀，正是以盖写情的点睛之笔。

The earth. I cover you gently with yellow earth. The gentle covering of earth is the burial. To have covered the child with earth would be an action; the I-cover-you-gently-with-yellow-earth is the action.

我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞。

I bid the paper money drift slowly down.

我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞。

I tell the spirit-money to fly slowly.

结句写我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞，是全诗收束的落点。我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞——我叫写我叫、纸钱儿缓缓地飞写纸钱儿缓缓地飞。一句写我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞，以我叫写我叫、以纸钱儿缓缓地飞写纸钱儿缓缓地飞，写尽我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞之情。纸钱缓飞、以飞写哀，正是以飞写情的点睛之笔，把哀写到了极致。

The paper money. I tell the spirit-money to fly slowly. The slowly-flying spirit money closes the lullaby. To have watched the paper money fly would be a detail; the I-tell-the-spirit-money-to-fly-slowly is the detail.

Study

Word focus

也许 Perhaps / maybe. The poem opens and recurs on this word, a tender, uncertain murmur of consolation—the father can only guess at the child's rest, never commanding but gently hoping, which softens the grief into a lullaby. 「也许」写也许你真是哭得太累，是写也许之态的关键。「也许你真是哭得太累」着一「也许」，写也许——着一「也许」，写也许你真是哭得太累，见其情之犹疑。两字写尽也许之态，是「以词写疑」的妙笔。「也许」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
哭得太累 Cried too tired. Names the child's exhaustion from weeping; the poem reimagines death as a weary sleep, turning grief into a soothing, protective calm. 「哭得太累」写也许你真是哭得太累，是写哭累之态的关键。「也许你真是哭得太累」着一「哭得太累」，写哭得太累——着一「哭得太累」，写也许你真是哭得太累，见其哭之累。四字写尽哭得太累之态，是「以词写累」的点睛之词。「哭得太累」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
庇护 To shelter / protect. The father spreads a canopy of pine shade to guard the sleeping child—an image of encompassing, helpless love trying to ward off even the wind and the light. 「庇护」写撑一伞松荫庇护你睡，是写庇护之态的关键。「撑一伞松荫庇护你睡」着一「庇护」，写庇护——着一「庇护」，写撑一伞松荫庇护你睡，见其护之深。两字写尽庇护之态，是「以词写护」的点睛之词。「庇护」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
纸钱儿 Paper money (diminutive). Funerary offerings burned for the dead; their slow drifting closes the poem, turning ritual into a final, lingering farewell. 「纸钱儿」写我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞，是写纸钱之态的关键。「我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」着一「纸钱儿」，写纸钱儿——着一「纸钱儿」，写我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞，见其钱之纸。三字写尽纸钱儿之态，是「以词写哀」的点睛之词。「纸钱儿」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

Related Reading

水调歌头·明月几时有 Tune: 'Prelude to Water Melody' — When Did the Moon Appear? 苏轼 · 同写感怀哀悼、超然旷达，一写人有悲欢离合、一写也许你真是哭得太累也许也许你要睡一睡，皆于感怀之中见哀悼 Both treat mourning and transcendence—one on parting's sorrow, one on a child's rest—finding elegy within feeling

Su Shi's 'Prelude to Water Melody' ('men have sorrow and joy, parting and meeting; the moon is bright or dim, full or crescent—such things are forever') writes feeling and transcendence, a famous Song lyric; Wen Yiduo's 'Perhaps' uses 'perhaps you truly cried too tired, perhaps, perhaps you want to sleep a while' and 'I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' for cried-too-tired and yellow-earth cover. Both treat mourning and transcendence: one writes men's sorrow and joy through parting, one writes cried-too-tired through sleep; one Su Shi's transcendence, one Wen's deep grace—read together they show two brushes for 'feeling-elegy,' both finding elegy within feeling.

苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全」，写感怀旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；闻一多《也许》则以「也许你真是哭得太累，也许，也许你要睡一睡」「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」写哭得太累、黄土盖着你。两诗同写感怀哀悼、超然旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写也许你真是哭得太累也许也许你要睡一睡、以睡一睡写哀悼；一为苏轼之超然、一为闻一多之深婉，并读正可见诗写「感怀哀悼」的两种笔法，皆于感怀之中见哀悼。

 八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Tune: 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — Facing the Drizzling Dusk Rain over River and Sky 柳永 · 同写悲慨深挚、凝望天涯，一写误几回天际识归舟、一写我把黄土轻轻盖着你，皆于悲慨之中见哀悼 Both deeply felt and gazing afar—one over a lover's return, one covering a child with earth—elegy within sorrow

Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' ('I think of the fair one on her tower gazing, how many times she mistook the returning boat at the sky's edge') writes deep sorrow and gazing afar, a famous Song lyric of travel; Wen Yiduo's 'Perhaps' uses 'I gently cover you with yellow earth, I bid the paper money drift slowly down' and 'do not allow the sunlight to lift your eyelids' for yellow-earth cover and sunlight forbidden. Both are deeply felt and gaze afar: one writes the returning boat at the sky's edge through gazing, one writes yellow-earth cover through burial; one Liu Yong's freshness, one Wen's deep grace—read together they show two brushes for 'sorrowful elegy,' both finding elegy within sorrow.

柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「想佳人妆楼颙望，误几回、天际识归舟」，写悲慨深挚、凝望天涯，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；闻一多《也许》则以「我把黄土轻轻盖着你，我叫纸钱儿缓缓地飞」「不许阳光拨你的眼帘」写黄土盖着你、不许阳光拨眼帘。两诗同写悲慨深挚、凝望天涯：一写误几回天际识归舟、以凝望写思归，一写我把黄土轻轻盖着你、以黄土写哀悼；一为柳永之清丽、一为闻一多之深婉，并读正可见诗写「悲慨哀悼」的两种笔法，皆于悲慨之中见哀悼。