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明 Ming · 诗 Poem

秋日杂感

Autumn Day Reflections

陈子龙

Chen Zilong

感怀reflection 爱国patriotism

满目山川极望哀,周原禾黍重徘徊。
丹枫锦树三秋丽,白雁黄云万里来。
夜雨荆榛连茂苑,夕阳麋鹿下胥台。
振衣独上要离墓,痛哭新亭一举杯。

Gazing to the limits of hill and stream, grief fills the eye;
On the Zhou plain the millet sways, and still I linger.
Red maples, brocade trees, the late autumn is bright;
White geese with yellow clouds come from ten thousand li.
Night rain, thorns and brambles, link the overgrown park;
At sunset, deer descend the Xu Terrace.
Shaking my robe, alone I climb the tomb of Yao Li;
Weeping at the New Pavilion, I lift a single cup.
Listen

Meaning

Gazing to the far limits of the land, mountains and rivers fill the eye with grief; on the Zhou plain the millet grows thick and I pace back and forth in sorrow. Red maples and brocade trees blaze in the deep autumn; white geese bear yellow clouds from ten thousand li away. In night rain, thorns overrun the once-fine park; at sunset, deer come down from the Xu Terrace. Shaking my robe, I climb alone to the tomb of the assassin Yao Li, and weeping at the New Pavilion I raise a cup.

极目远望满目山川只觉悲哀,周原上长满禾黍我久久徘徊。丹枫与锦树在深秋中分外绚丽,白雁带着黄云自万里外飞来。夜雨中荆榛蔓延连着茂苑,夕阳里麋鹿走下胥台。抖衣独上要离的坟墓,在新亭痛哭中举起一杯酒。

Appreciation

This regulated poem opens with the line 'Gazing to the limits of hill and stream, grief fills the eye', which carries the whole piece, and 'on the Zhou plain the millet' borrows the Song of Millet to set the grief of a lost state. The second couplet paints the bright late-autumn scene - red maples, brocade trees, white geese with yellow clouds - only to throw the poet's anguish into sharper relief by contrast. The third couplet suddenly turns to desolation: night rain and brambles overrun the park, deer descend the Xu Terrace at sunset, hinting at the ruin of the old capital. The closing couplet calls on Yao Li the assassin and the New Pavilion weeping, lifting the poet's private sorrow into a solemn vow of revenge. Somber and desolate yet strict in form, the poem moves through falling rhythms while its breath runs unbroken, and stands as a supreme song of late-Ming patriotism.

【白话串讲】 明朝灭亡后,陈子龙写《秋日杂感》:“满目山川极望哀”——满眼山川都是悲哀。“振衣独上要离墓,痛哭新亭一举杯”——他登上要离墓,在新亭痛哭举杯。他后来抗清殉国,这首秋感,是绝笔前的泣血之作。 【意象与手法】 首联“满目山川极望哀”提挈全篇,“周原禾黍”用《黍离》典定故国之悲 【情感与主旨】 陈子龙(1608—1647),字卧子,号大樽,松江华亭人,明末“云间派”盟主,明亡后举兵抗清,事败投水殉国,世称“明 【名句点睛】 常考:一、赏析“满目山川极望哀,周原禾黍重徘徊”——“哀”“徘徊”奠定悲凉基调,“黍离”典点明故国之思

Background

Chen Zilong (1608-1647), courtesy Wozi, style Dazun, of Huating in Songjiang, was the leader of the late-Ming 'Yunjian school' of poets. After the Ming fell he raised troops against the Qing, failed, and drowned himself; he is honored as the 'rearguard of Ming poetry'. The ten 'Autumn Day Reflections' were written after Nanjing fell to the Qing and his Songjiang uprising failed, while he hid in the countryside and liaised with the Taihu loyalist army. This is the first of the set: through Jiangnan's autumn scenery it gives voice to the pain of a lost realm and the grief of a hopeless restoration - somber, desolate, a swan-song of late-Ming patriotic verse, and a testament to his lone loyalty.

《秋日杂感》为明末陈子龙所作,是写国破之痛的七律。陈子龙(1608—1647),字卧子,号大樽,松江华亭人,明末文学家。此诗:满目山川极望哀,周原禾黍重徘徊。丹枫锦树三秋丽,白雁黄云万里来。夜雨荆榛连茂苑,夕阳麋鹿下胥台。振衣独上要离墓,痛哭新亭一举杯。全诗写秋日望故国、痛国破,是陈子龙诗的代表作。

Art

This regulated poem is strict yet breathes a desolate grandeur. The first couplet, 'Gazing to the limits of hill and stream, grief fills the eye' with 'on the Zhou plain the millet' using the Song of Millet allusion, sets the grief of a fallen state; the second couplet, 'red maples, brocade trees, the late autumn is bright; white geese with yellow clouds come from ten thousand li', writes bright autumn beauty to counterpoint the pain - joyous scene for sorrowful feeling; the third couplet, 'night rain, thorns and brambles, link the overgrown park; sunset, deer descend the Xu Terrace', turns abruptly to waste, hinting the old capital's ruin; the closing couplet, 'shaking my robe, alone I climb the tomb of Yao Li; weeping at the New Pavilion, I lift a single cup', uses the allusions of Yao Li and the New Pavilion to raise personal grief into a cry of resolve to restore the state. Somber and desolate, with neat antithesis and unbroken spirit, it learns from Du Fu yet strikes its own note.

《秋日杂感》艺术上以今昔盛衰的对比与意象的沉郁见长。全诗八句,层层写来:前二句写极望之哀——“满目山川极望哀,周原禾黍重徘徊”写满目山川、禾黍徘徊;中四句写秋景与故苑——“丹枫锦树三秋丽,白雁黄云万里来”写枫树白雁,“夜雨荆榛连茂苑,夕阳麋鹿下胥台”写荆榛麋鹿;末二句写要离墓之痛——“振衣独上要离墓,痛哭新亭一举杯”写上要离墓、痛哭新亭。全诗以今昔盛衰写国破之痛,正是陈子龙诗沉郁顿挫的笔法。

Allusions

The poem is dense yet precise with allusion. 'Zhou plain millet' comes from the Shijing 'Airs of Wang - Song of Millet', writing the grief of a ruined capital. 'Overgrown park' and 'Xu Terrace' refer to the Wu state's gardens and the Gusu Terrace, standing for the old Jiangnan homeland. 'Yao Li' was a Spring-and-Autumn assassin, figuring the will to revenge; 'New Pavilion' uses the tale of Wang Dao's 'weeping facing the New Pavilion', writing the agony of a broken land. These allusions bind the pain of losing the state with the resolve to serve it - weighty without piling on, showing the tight craft of Yunjian poetry, with feeling lodged far off, worthy of one who learned from Du Fu yet found his own voice.

《秋日杂感》用典在“周原禾黍”“麋鹿下胥台”“要离墓”“新亭”。“周原禾黍”用《诗经·王风·黍离》“彼黍离离”之典,写故国之思;“麋鹿下胥台”用伍子胥“麋鹿游于姑苏之台”之典,写吴宫之墟;“要离墓”写要离(刺客)之墓;“痛哭新亭”用“新亭对泣”之典,写痛国破。全诗以这些典故写国破之痛,用典自然而沉郁自深,正是陈子龙诗的笔法。

Commentary

The Compendium of Ming Poetry ranks Chen Zilong as 'the rearguard of Ming poetry'. Shen Deqian praised his verse as 'deep and majestic, resplendent, unseen among recent writers'. This regulated poem is taken as a representative of late-Ming patriotic poetry; even Wang Shizhen sighed that within its 'spirit-resonance' lodged 'deep pain'. Modern readers call his seven-character lu 'strict in form, feeling lodged far off', worthy to stand beside Du Fu and Lu You - truly the swan-song of Ming air and bone; reading it one grips one's wrist, and it crowns the Yunjian school's patriotic song.

《秋日杂感》是陈子龙诗的代表作,也是明末诗中写国破之痛的名篇。此诗写秋日望故国、痛国破,向为论者称道。论者多赏其今昔盛衰的对比——“满目山川极望哀,周原禾黍重徘徊”写禾黍之思,故国之痛尽在其中;“夕阳麋鹿下胥台”写麋鹿游台,更见亡国之叹。陈子龙为明末抗清志士,其诗以沉郁顿挫著称,此诗正是其代表——以典故写国破之痛,正是其诗风。

Prosody

Form Seven-character regulated poem (seven-character lu)七言律诗
Rhyme Ping-shui rhyme, upper-level ten hai group (grief, linger, come, terrace, cup)《秋日杂感》为七言律诗,八句,押平声韵。此诗用韵:哀、徊、来、台、杯(灰部),一韵到底,对仗工整,音节沉郁。
Tone pattern First-line-enters-rhyme, level-onset first-line-enters-rhyme form七言律诗以音节沉郁、对仗工整见长。此诗写秋日望故国、痛国破,音节沉郁而顿挫。全诗一韵到底,声调与国破之痛的内容相合,是明末诗中沉郁顿挫的一路。
Reading note Neat antithesis, dense and elegant allusion, somber near Du Fu.《秋日杂感》为明末陈子龙所作,是写国破之痛的七律。此诗以“满目山川极望哀,周原禾黍重徘徊”写极望之哀,以“夜雨荆榛连茂苑,夕阳麋鹿下胥台”写故苑之墟,以“振衣独上要离墓,痛哭新亭一举杯”写要离墓之痛。以典故写国破之痛,正是陈子龙诗的代表作。

Line by line

满目山川极望哀,周原禾黍重徘徊。

Hills and rivers fill my sight; gazing far, I grieve; on the plain of Zhou, among the millet, I pace again and again.

满目山川,极目远望而生哀;周原之上禾黍,徘徊不忍离去。

Mountains and rivers fill the eye; gazing far, grief rises; on the plain of Zhou among the millet, I pace to and fro.

前二句写极望之哀,是全诗国破之痛的起点。“满目山川极望哀”写满目山川——“满目山川”写满目所见皆是山川,“极望哀”写极目远望而生哀——满目山川,极望生哀;“周原禾黍重徘徊”写禾黍徘徊——“周原禾黍”用《黍离》“彼黍离离”之典,写周原之禾黍,“重徘徊”写徘徊不忍离去——周原禾黍,徘徊不去。二句写极望之哀:满目山川极望哀,周原禾黍重徘徊。以“满目山川极望哀”写望而即哀,以“周原禾黍重徘徊”用黍离之典写故国之思,正是陈子龙诗写国破之痛的起点——山川满目,禾黍生哀。

The millet. Hills and rivers fill my sight; gazing far, I grieve; on the plain of Zhou, among the millet, I pace again and again. The Miaowu (the millet on the Zhou plain) allusion is the national grief. To have invoked the millet on the Zhou plain would be an allusion; the hills-and-rivers-fill-my-sight-gazing-far-I-grieve-on-the-plain-of-Zhou-among-the-millet-I-pace-again-and-again is the allusion.

丹枫锦树三秋丽,白雁黄云万里来。夜雨荆榛连茂苑,夕阳麋鹿下胥台。

Red maples, brocade-bright trees, fair in the third autumn; white geese come ten thousand li under yellow clouds. Night rain tangles brambles through the luxuriant park; in the setting sun elk descend on the Xu Terrace.

丹枫锦树,三秋之景明丽;白雁黄云,万里而来。夜雨中荆榛连着茂苑,夕阳下麋鹿走下胥台。

Red maples and brocade-bright trees are fair in the late autumn; white geese come from ten thousand li under yellow clouds. Night rain links brambles to the luxuriant park; in the setting sun, elk descend on Xu's Terrace.

中四句写秋景与故苑,是全诗以今昔盛衰写国破的核心。“丹枫锦树三秋丽,白雁黄云万里来”写秋景——“丹枫锦树三秋丽”写丹枫锦树、三秋明丽,“白雁黄云万里来”写白雁黄云、万里而来——枫树明丽,雁云万里;“夜雨荆榛连茂苑,夕阳麋鹿下胥台”写故苑之墟——“夜雨荆榛连茂苑”写夜雨中荆榛连着茂苑(昔日茂盛之苑),“夕阳麋鹿下胥台”用伍子胥“麋鹿游姑苏台”之典,写夕阳下麋鹿走下胥台——荆榛茂苑,麋鹿胥台。四句写秋景与故苑:丹枫锦树三秋丽、白雁黄云万里来,夜雨荆榛连茂苑、夕阳麋鹿下胥台。以“丹枫锦树三秋丽”写秋景之美,以“夜雨荆榛连茂苑,夕阳麋鹿下胥台”写故苑之墟、麋鹿游台,正是陈子龙诗以今昔盛衰写国破之痛的核心——秋景愈美,故苑愈墟。

The elk. Red maples, brocade-bright trees, fair in the third autumn; white geese come ten thousand li under yellow clouds. Night rain tangles brambles through the luxuriant park; in the setting sun elk descend on the Xu Terrace. The beautiful autumn and the brambled park and the elk on Wu Zixu's terrace are the fallen kingdom. To have set the fair autumn against the elk on the terrace would be a contrast; the red-maples-brocade-bright-trees-fair-in-the-third-autumn-white-geese-come-ten-thousand-li-under-yellow-clouds-night-rain-tangles-brambles-through-the-luxuriant-park-in-the-setting-sun-elk-descend-on-the-Xu-Terrace is the contrast.

振衣独上要离墓,痛哭新亭一举杯。

Shaking my robe, I climb alone to Yao Li's grave; I weep at New Pavilion and lift one cup.

振衣独上要离之墓,痛哭新亭,一举杯而饮。

Shaking out my robe, I climb alone to Yao Li's grave; at New Pavilion I weep and raise a single cup.

末二句写要离墓之痛,是全诗国破之痛的归结。“振衣独上要离墓”写上要离墓——“振衣”写振衣(整理衣裳,有奋起之意),“独上要离墓”写独自登上要离(战国刺客)之墓——振衣独上要离墓;“痛哭新亭一举杯”写痛哭新亭——“痛哭新亭”用“新亭对泣”之典,写痛哭国破,“一举杯”写举杯而饮——痛哭新亭,举杯一饮。二句写要离墓之痛:振衣独上要离墓,痛哭新亭一举杯。以“振衣独上要离墓”写其志节(独上刺客之墓,慕其侠烈),以“痛哭新亭一举杯”用新亭对泣之典写痛国破而举杯,正是陈子龙诗写国破之痛的归结——志欲奋起,而痛国已破,唯有痛哭举杯。

The grave. Shaking my robe, I climb alone to Yao Li's grave; I weep at New Pavilion and lift one cup. The Yao Li assassin's grave and the New Pavilion weeping allusion are the loyalist grief. To have wept at the New Pavilion would be an allusion; the shaking-my-robe-I-climb-alone-to-Yao-Li's-grave-I-weep-at-New-Pavilion-and-lift-one-cup is the allusion.

Study

Word focus

极望哀 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “满目山川极望哀”之“极望哀”,写极目远望而生哀,是全诗写望故国之哀的关键词。“极望”写极目远望,“哀”写悲哀——满目山川,极望生哀。这一词写望之即哀:不是赏景之望,而极望;不是可慰之景,而满目生哀。以“满目山川极望哀”写望故国之哀,正是陈子龙诗写国破之痛的起点——山川满目,望之即哀。
禾黍 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “周原禾黍重徘徊”之“禾黍”,用《黍离》之典,写故国黍离之悲,是全诗写故国之思的关键词。“禾黍”写禾与黍(周原之上,昔日宫室今为禾黍)——周原禾黍,徘徊不去。这一词以“禾黍”写故国之思:不是寻常之稼,而禾黍;不是丰年之景,而宫室为墟之象。以“周原禾黍重徘徊”写故国之思,正是陈子龙诗以黍离之典写国破的笔法。
麋鹿 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “夕阳麋鹿下胥台”之“麋鹿”,用伍子胥“麋鹿游姑苏台”之典,写亡国之象,是全诗写故苑之墟的关键词。“麋鹿”写麋鹿——夕阳下麋鹿走下胥台。这一词以“麋鹿”写亡国:不是林间之兽,而麋鹿游台;不是寻常之象,而宫台为麋鹿所游。以“夕阳麋鹿下胥台”写故苑之墟,正是陈子龙诗以麋鹿写亡国之叹的笔法。
新亭 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “痛哭新亭一举杯”之“新亭”,用“新亭对泣”之典,写痛国破而泣,是全诗写国破之痛的归结词。“新亭”用《世说新语》诸名士新亭对泣之典——痛哭新亭,举杯一饮。这一词以“新亭”写国破之痛:不是游赏之地,而新亭对泣;不是寻常之饮,而痛哭举杯。以“痛哭新亭一举杯”写痛国破,正是陈子龙诗写国破之痛的归结——如新亭对泣,痛哭举杯。

Related Reading

渡易水 Crossing the Yi River 陈子龙 · 同为陈子龙写家国之痛,一写秋日望故国一写渡易水怀荆卿,皆沉郁顿挫 Same (theme / style)

Both write a lamenting song to serve the state with Jing Ke's spirit; a single somber, stirring vein.

陈子龙《渡易水》“并刀昨夜匣中鸣,燕赵悲歌最不平”写渡易水怀荆卿,与本首同为陈子龙写家国之痛。差异在主题:秋日杂感写秋日望故国之痛;渡易水写易水怀古之悲。一写“望”之哀,一写“渡”之悲。两者并读,可见陈子龙诗写家国之痛的两种主题。

点绛唇·春日风雨 Rouge Lips: Spring Wind and Rain 陈子龙 · 同为陈子龙之作,一写秋日国破之痛一写春日风雨之感,皆沉郁深婉 Related reading

Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.

陈子龙《点绛唇·春日风雨》“愁倚危楼,乱云如幕”写春日风雨之感,与本首同为陈子龙之作。差异在体式与情致:秋日杂感为七律写国破之痛;点绛唇为词写春日愁感。一写“诗”之郁,一写“词”之婉。两者并读,可见陈子龙诗词写家国之感的两面。

易水歌 Song of the Yi River 陈子龙 · 同为陈子龙写家国之痛,一写秋日望故国一写易水悲歌,皆沉郁顿挫 Related reading

Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.

陈子龙《易水歌》写易水悲歌、刺秦之慨,与本首同为陈子龙写家国之痛。差异在主题:秋日杂感写秋日望故国之痛;易水歌写易水怀古之悲。一写“望”之哀,一写“歌”之悲。两者并读,可见陈子龙诗写家国之痛的两种主题。