明 Ming · 词 Ci lyric
临江仙·滚滚长江东逝水
Immortal by the River: The endless river eastward flows
滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄。
是非成败转头空。
青山依旧在，几度夕阳红。
白发渔樵江渚上，惯看秋月春风。
一壶浊酒喜相逢。
古今多少事，都付笑谈中。
Right and wrong, success and failure, all turn empty in a turn.
The green hills still stand; how many times the sunset glows red.
White-haired fishermen and woodcutters on the river isle, long accustomed to the autumn moon and spring breeze.
With a pot of unstrained wine they joyfully meet.
Ancient and modern events, all are delivered to talk and laughter.
Meaning
The rolling Yangtze River flows eastward endlessly, washing away countless heroes throughout history. Right and wrong, success and failure—all turn empty in the blink of an eye. Only the green hills remain as before, though the sunset has reddened many times. White-haired fishermen and woodcutters by the river, long used to the passage of autumn moons and spring breezes, meet joyfully over a cup of unstrained wine. All the affairs of ancient and modern times are cast into their lighthearted talk and laughter.
滚滚长江向东奔流一去不返，浪花淘洗尽了古往今来的英雄人物。是非成败到头来全都成空。只有青山依然耸立，几度沐浴在夕阳的红霞之中。江边白发渔翁樵夫，看惯了秋月春风的更替。相逢一笑，斟一壶浊酒共饮。古往今来多少兴亡故事，都化作席间的谈笑风生。
Appreciation
The poem opens with the majestic, ceaseless river and the waves that efface heroes, expressing the transience of history. The empty turning of right and wrong contrasts with the eternal hills and recurrent sunset. The second half shifts to the everyday scene of white-haired fishermen and woodcutters, who, accustomed to seasonal changes, meet happily over wine. The grand historical perspective dissolves into a broad-minded acceptance. The final line, 'ancient and modern events, all are delivered to talk and laughter,' sums up the poet's detached and free-spirited outlook.
【白话串讲】 “滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄”——杨慎被贬云南，在江边把千古兴亡看成了笑谈。这首词后来成了《三国演义》的开篇，一开口就是历史的苍凉。 【意象与手法】 此词以江水和夕阳等宏大意象起势，“滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄”以流动之水喻时光与英雄的消逝，境界开阔 【情感与主旨】 杨慎（1488—1559），字用修，号升庵，明代状元 【名句点睛】 考点集中在名句默写、意象分析与情感把握。须能默“滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄”及“古今多少事，都付笑谈中”
Background
Yang Shen (1488-1559), courtesy name Yongxiu, style name Shengan, was a top scholar (zhuangyuan) of the Ming dynasty. This lyric was originally the opening piece of the third section ('Talking about Qin and Han') of his 'Twenty-one Histories in Tune (Nian Yi Shi Tan Ci)'. It became widely famous after being placed at the beginning of 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'. Yang Shen was punished by court flogging for the 'Great Rites Controversy' and exiled to Yongchang (in present-day Yunnan) for more than thirty years. Having endured great hardships, he wrote with transcendent wisdom about the rise and fall of history.
杨慎（一四八八—一五五九），字用修，号升庵，四川新都人，明代正德六年状元，官翰林修撰。嘉靖初大礼议起，慎率群臣撼门大哭，遭廷杖，谪戍云南永昌卫，终老蛮荒三十余年。此词出自其《二十一史弹词》第三段《说秦汉》开场词，原非为《三国演义》作；至清初毛宗岗评本《三国演义》，乃移作卷首，遂家喻户晓。杨慎博闻强记，著述等身，而半生投荒，牢骚抑塞尽寄于词曲。词以长江、夕阳、渔樵等意象发兴亡之慨，正其谪后纵观史册、旷达自遣心境的写照。明代词坛承元季颓波，杨慎以学人之词振起，此篇融史论于意象，大开大阖，既继苏轼大江东去之豪放，又参以人生如梦的透脱，遂成怀古词中不可移易的名作，亦足见谪戍生涯对其历史观与人生感的塑造。其创作之具体机缘虽或难详考，然置于诗人整体生平遭际与所处时代风气之中观之，此作之精神脉络与情感指向自可想见，亦足为知人论世者所重。
Art
The poem uses grand images like the river and the setting sun to set a sweeping historical tone. 'The endless river eastward flows; its waves wash away all heroes' uses flowing water as a metaphor for time and the fading of heroes, creating an expansive vision. The second half turns to the secular perspective of white-haired fishermen and woodcutters, contrasting the trivial joy of 'a pot of unstrained wine' with the melancholy of history. Contrast is skillfully employed: heroes versus fishermen, grandeur versus minutiae, vicissitudes versus laughter, conveying depth through a seemingly plain style.
此词艺术在巨视开篇与从容收束的对照。上片滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄以江水源源、浪花淘沙的宏大意象起势，化用苏轼大江东去与杜甫不尽长江滚滚来之句，境界开阔；是非成败转头空以空字收上片，由具体英雄转入抽象历史评判。青山依旧在，几度夕阳红以青山夕阳的恒静反衬人事倏忽，时空对照极妙。下片白发渔樵江渚上，惯看秋月春风推出旁观历史的渔樵视角，一壶浊酒喜相逢以日常温情破兴亡之沉；结以古今多少事，都付笑谈中，将千载兴废化作席间谈资，举重若轻。全词由江及人、由古及今、由豪到淡，章法如长江流转自然而气象宏阔。用字洗练，转头空、笑谈中皆以淡语写沉痛，以小收大，深得豪放中含旷达之致。全词由江及人、由古及今、由豪到淡，大开大阖而收束从容，诚怀古词融史入景、以巨视写微情的巅峰之作，足与苏辛并峙。
Allusions
'The endless river eastward flows' alludes to Su Shi's 'Remembering the Past at Red Cliff': 'The great river eastward flows, its waves have washed away all the outstanding figures of the ages.' The image of the 'sunset red' also draws on classical poetry where the setting sun symbolizes decline and historical change. The idyllic scenes of fishermen and woodcutters on the river isle, along with 'autumn moon and spring breeze', derive from the recluse tradition of Zhuangzi and the hermit ideal, expressing a detachment from fame and fortune.
滚滚长江东逝水化用孔子逝者如斯夫与苏轼大江东去浪淘尽，浪花淘尽英雄更直承大江东去浪淘尽千古风流人物，是豪放怀古词的经典语脉。青山依旧在，几度夕阳红暗含刘禹锡乌衣巷口夕阳斜与辛弃疾青山遮不住的兴亡之感，以自然恒常反衬人事无常。渔樵江渚用《庄子》渔父及唐宋诗词渔樵闲话的隐逸传统，苏轼前赤壁赋况吾与子渔樵于江渚之上可参，渔樵在此代表超然于兴亡之外的旁观智者。浊酒本陶渊明、李白饮酒诗传统，示不为五斗米折腰的疏放。笑谈中暗用辛弃疾千古兴亡多少事，悠悠的史论口吻，而将沉郁化为笑谈，是杨慎以旷达掩抑塞的点化。秋月春风本白居易琵琶行秋月春风等闲度，写时光流转。典故多有所本而化于无形，足见学人之词用事如水的功力。观《临江仙·滚滚长江东逝水》用典使事之妙，正在于不泥于古而能化用无痕，信手拈来皆成佳境，既增诗境之厚重，又不失自然浑成之趣，非徒摭拾故实以炫博者也。
Commentary
Yang Shen was the most erudite scholar of the Ming dynasty. Kuang Zhouyi, in his 'Hui Feng Ci Hua', praised Yang's style as 'clear, free, and unadorned with sensual words'. Although this lyric was originally composed for a historical narrative, its philosophical perspective encompassed all of history. It was selected by Mao Zonggang to preface the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', becoming an eternal masterpiece and a testament to the immortality of Yang's literary legacy.
此词自清初毛宗岗移作《三国演义》卷首，遂脍炙人口，几与小说本身不可分离，成为中国人集体记忆中咏史抒怀的首席意象。清代词论如《词苑丛谈》已重杨慎词，近世更列为怀古词典范，与苏轼《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》、辛弃疾《永遇乐·京口北固亭怀古》并称。其传播之广，尤在滚滚长江东逝水与都付笑谈中二句，前者成宏大开篇的母题，后者成看透兴亡的口头禅。论者谓此词以状元之学识、谪戍之身世，写尽千古英雄成空的透脱，表面旷达而底里沉痛。今人读之，既能见明代学人词融史入词的特色，亦可见中国怀古文学由悲慨到笑谈的成熟——将兴亡之痛化为一杯浊酒、一席笑谈，正是化解历史虚无的东方智慧。其以状元之学、谪戍之身写尽千古英雄成空，表面旷达而底里沉痛，遂成中国人咏史抒怀的终极意象，流播之广、涵泳之深，罕有其匹，足为怀古词之冠。
Prosody
Line by line
滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄。
The endless river eastward flows; its waves have washed away all the heroes of the ages. This sets the grand, nostalgic tone, using the river and waves to symbolize the passage of time and the disappearance of historical figures.
滚滚长江向东奔流一去不返，浪花淘洗尽了古往今来的英雄人物。
The torrential Long River flows east and is gone; its waves have washed away all the heroes.
开篇二句以长江东逝、浪花淘沙的宏大意象奠定全词基调，直接承苏轼大江东去浪淘尽千古风流人物，而更易英雄二字，涵盖更广。滚滚叠字状水势不竭，东逝水暗含孔子逝者如斯的时光隐喻；浪花淘尽以自然之力写历史无情，千万英雄终被时间之浪淘洗而去，无一留存。起笔即把个体置于无穷时空与无情历史之前，气势磅礴而悲慨自生。此二句既是写景亦是论史，景中寓理，遂开怀古词以江山写兴亡的传统格局，亦为下句是非成败转头空蓄势，是全词最脍炙人口的警策。
The river. The torrential Long River flows east and is gone; its waves have washed away all the heroes. The east-flowing river and the waves that wash heroes away are the opening, echoing Su Shi. To have opened on the Long River would be an echo; the torrential-Long-River-flows-east-and-is-gone-its-waves-have-washed-away-all-the-heroes is the echo.
是非成败转头空。
Right and wrong, victory and defeat—all turn to nothing in a moment.
是非成败到头来全都成空。
Right and wrong, success and failure—all turn to emptiness in an instant.
此句收束上片，由具体英雄转入抽象历史评判。转头空三字以极短促的口语写兴亡之速与虚无之彻：无论生前是非如何轩轾、成败如何分明，回首不过转头之间，皆归乌有。空字是佛家色空观与文人历史虚无感的凝缩，亦与《三国演义》开篇话说天下大势分久必合、合久必分及结尾的苍凉呼应。此句将前二句的悲壮收束为一种透脱的达观，举重若轻，遂使全词由豪迈转为旷达。其妙在不全盘否定英雄价值，而是指出历史裁决的虚幻，为下片青山依旧、渔樵笑谈的张本，是连接宏大与日常的关键枢纽。
The emptiness. Right and wrong, victory and defeat—all turn to nothing in a moment. The turning-head emptiness is the philosophical turn. To have said all turns to nothing would be a statement; the right-and-wrong-victory-and-defeat-all-turn-to-nothing-in-a-moment is the statement.
青山依旧在，几度夕阳红。
The green hills remain; how many times the setting sun has reddened.
只有青山依然耸立，几度沐浴在夕阳的红霞之中。
The green hills are still here; how many times has the setting sun turned red?
此二句以自然恒常反衬人事倏忽，是上片最富画意的对句。青山依旧在写空间之静定，几度夕阳红写时间之流转，一静一动、一恒一变，构成苍茫的时空对照。青山、夕阳皆古典兴亡意象，刘禹锡朱雀桥边野草花、乌衣巷口夕阳斜已启其端，此处以依旧对几度，更显物是人非之慨。自然不言而千古长在，英雄转头成空，两相对照，历史的虚无与天地的恒永同时凸显。此联不作议论而余味最深，既缓冲了转头空的决绝，又为下片渔樵旁观视角铺垫——唯有超然物外者能与青山夕阳相对，遂成由豪到淡的转关。
The hills. The green hills remain; how many times the setting sun has reddened. The green hills that remain and the many red sunsets are the eternal counterpoint. To have set the eternal hills against the fleeting sunsets would be a contrast; the green-hills-remain-how-many-times-the-setting-sun-has-reddened is the contrast.
古今多少事，都付笑谈中。
All the deeds of past and present are handed over to laughter and talk.
古往今来多少兴亡故事，都化作席间的谈笑风生。
How many affairs of old and now are all handed over to talk and laughter.
结句收束全篇，将千载兴废、无数英雄是非尽付一杯浊酒、一席笑谈。笑谈中三字以轻巧口吻化解沉重历史，举重若轻，是杨慎以旷达掩抑塞的点化——表面是看透后的潇洒，底里却是谪戍蛮荒、壮志成空的沉痛。此句与苏轼大江东去一尊还酹江月、辛弃疾千古兴亡多少事关目成空同调，而将沉郁化为笑谈，更显东方化解历史虚无的智慧。其以状元之学、谪戍之身写尽千古英雄成空，表面旷达而底里沉痛，遂成中国人咏史抒怀的终极意象，流播之广、涵泳之深，罕有其匹。都付二字斩截，示主动释怀；笑谈与上文浊酒喜相逢呼应，使宏阔的怀古落脚于人间温情。全词由江及人、由古及今，至此圆满收束，余韵悠长，遂成中国人咏史抒怀的终极语码。
The laughter. All the deeds of past and present are handed over to laughter and talk. The handing-over of all history to laughter is the close. To have handed history to laughter would be a resolution; the all-the-deeds-of-past-and-present-are-handed-over-to-laughter-and-talk is the resolution.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Su Shi's 'The great river eastward flows, its waves have washed away the outstanding figures of the ages' echoes the beginning of Yang's lyric. Both express a broad-minded detachment amid historical vastness.
苏轼大江东去浪淘尽千古风流人物为此词直接的意象渊源，杨慎滚滚长江东逝水，浪花淘尽英雄明承其脉。二词同以长江起势、同吊英雄成空、同于结处归于一尊还酹江月与都付笑谈中的释然。所不同者，苏词写具体赤壁之战与周郎，由个人功业之叹落脚于人生如梦的自我宽慰；杨词写通史兴亡，由渔樵视角将古今尽付笑谈，更显通透旷达。苏词沉郁中见超脱，杨词透脱中藏沉痛（谪戍身世使然）。二词并读，可见豪放怀古从宋到明由个体到通史、由悲慨到笑谈的演进。
永遇乐·京口北固亭怀古 Everlasting Joy · Recalling the Past at the North Pavilion in Jingkou 辛弃疾 · 同属怀古名作，而一旷达一沉郁，可对照读。 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
辛弃疾京口北固亭怀古以千古江山起，历数孙刘刘裕等英雄，结以凭谁问廉颇老矣的悲愤，沉郁顿挫，充满收复无望的块垒；杨慎此词亦写千古英雄成空，却以都付笑谈中收束，旷达透脱。二词同怀古、同吊英雄、同于结尾见人生态度，然辛词是志士的悲歌，杨词是学人的达观（底里同含沉痛）。一以北固亭的火药味写现实忧愤，一以渔樵浊酒写历史虚无。并读可广怀古词的两极：一重事功之叹，一重兴亡之空，恰见豪放词内部的丰富性。