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南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 民歌 Folk song

读曲歌·其一

Reading-Song Lyrics · First (Du Qu Ge)

南朝民歌

Southern-Dynasty folk song

爱情Love 相思Longing 民歌people

柳树得春风，一低复一昂。
谁能空相忆，独眠度三阳。

The willow gets the spring wind; now low, now high it sways.
Who can vainly think of him, and alone sleep through the three springs?

Listen

Meaning

The Reading-Song Lyrics are Wu-sound songs among the Southern-Dynasty Qing-Shang tunes; Guo Maoqian's Yue Fu Collection puts them in 'Qing-Shang tunes,' mostly Jiangnan folk love songs, in a woman's voice writing longing and parting—eighty-nine survive. This 'first' is a folk-sung piece, rising by the willow to write spring grief. In the Southern Dynasties the Jiankang area was a prosperous commercial capital; folk yuefu flourished—such short pieces are the natural outflow of market sons and daughters' true feeling.

柳枝得到春风吹拂，一会儿低垂一会儿高昂。谁能徒然地相思，独自孤眠渡过三春时光。全诗以柳枝随风低昂起兴，暗喻女子心绪之起伏，写独守春闺、相思难遣之情。

Appreciation

Only four lines yet the imagery rounds: the first two 'the willow gets the spring wind; now low, now high it sways' purely write the thing's state, the willow swaying in the wind darkly figures the woman's stirred heart—the comparison seamless; the last two 'who can vainly think of him, and alone sleep through the three springs' turn from thing to person, by rhetoric write the longing unstoppable, 'alone sleep' writes the loneliness, 'three springs' the time's length. Within the short piece, swaying and repeating—fully the Southern-Dynasty love song's natural charm.

【白话串讲】 “柳树得春风，一低复一昂”——南朝姑娘说：柳树得了春风，一低一昂地摇曳；谁能让我白白想念，独自守着空床过三年？民歌的直白，动人。【意象与手法】全篇仅四句，却兴象圆融：起二句「柳树得春风，一低复一昂」纯写物态，柳枝随风低昂，暗喻女子心绪之起伏动荡，比兴无痕；后二句「谁能空相忆，独眠度三阳」由物及人，以反问写相思之不可遏，「独眠」写孤寂，「三阳」（三春）写时光之漫，短章之中，摇曳复沓，尽得南朝情歌天然之趣。【情感与主旨】《读曲歌》为南朝清商曲辞中之吴声歌曲，宋郭茂倩《乐府诗集》归入「清商曲辞」，多为江南民间情歌，以女子口吻写相思怨别。此「其一」当为民间传唱之作，以柳起兴写春怨。南朝都城建康一带商业都会繁荣，民间乐府发达，此类短章正是市井儿女真情的自然流露。【名句点睛】中高考可设：①手法赏析，「柳树得春风，一低复一昂」如何以物态起兴写情；②「空相忆」「独眠度三阳」的相思之情的表达；③南朝民歌短章的艺术特点。

Background

The Reading-Song Lyrics are Wu-sound among Qing-Shang tunes; Guo Maoqian puts them in Qing-Shang, mostly Jiangnan folk love songs in a woman's voice—eighty-nine survive. This 'first' folk-sung, rising by willow to write spring grief. The Southern-Dynasty Jiankang thriving, folk yuefu flourished—such short pieces the natural outflow of true feeling.

《读曲歌》为南朝清商曲辞中之吴声歌曲，宋郭茂倩《乐府诗集》归入「清商曲辞·吴声歌曲」，多为江南民间情歌，以女子口吻写相思怨别，现存凡八十九首。此「其一」当为民间传唱之作，以柳起兴写春怨。南朝都城建康（今南京）一带商业都会繁荣，市井歌谣盛行，吴声西曲遂成一代乐府之代表；其曲多短章，语言清丽，情致缠绵，与北方民歌之质朴刚健迥异。此诗仅四句二十字，写女子独守春闺、思念情郎之苦，以柳枝之低昂起兴，暗喻心绪之起伏，是南朝情歌短章的代表作。吴声歌曲多由民间歌女传唱，其声缠绵宛转，与江南水乡的风物人情相生相成，此诗正是吴声歌曲「一往情深」本色的体现。吴声歌曲多以五言四句为基本体式，其声缠绵，其辞清丽，与汉乐府之古质、北朝民歌之雄健鼎足而三；《读曲歌》为吴声歌曲中存诗最多的一组，此篇虽短，而相思之情、民歌之味俱全，是南朝乐府小品的代表。南朝民歌多由歌女在宴会上即席歌唱，其内容以男女之情为主，此诗「独眠度三阳」之叹，正是无数南朝商人妇、征人妇的共同心声，民歌因此成为六朝女性情感的真实档案。

Art

Only four lines yet rounds: first two purely write the thing's state, willow swaying darkly figures the woman's stirred heart—comparison seamless; last two turn to person, by rhetoric write longing unstoppable, 'alone sleep' loneliness, 'three springs' time's length. Short piece, swaying repeating—natural folk charm.

全篇仅四句，却兴象圆融：起二句「柳树得春风，一低复一昂」纯写物态，柳枝随风低昂，暗喻女子心绪之起伏动荡，比兴无痕；「得春风」写柳得春而摇曳，正衬人独处而无聊，物之得时与人之失时对照，含蓄有味。后二句「谁能空相忆，独眠度三阳」由物及人，以反问写相思之不可遏，「谁能」以反问出之，愈见相思之苦无人能免、亦无人能解；「空相忆」写相思之无益而仍不能已；「独眠」写孤寂，「三阳」（三春）写时光之漫。四句之中，前二句写物、后二句写人，由物及人、由景入情，短章之中摇曳复沓，尽得南朝情歌天然之趣，正是「清水出芙蓉」的民歌本色。全诗四句，前二句写物、后二句写人，物态与情态互相映发；「一低复一昂」的摇曳之态，正暗合后二句反问与叹息的声情起伏，比兴与声情合一，正是民歌「兴象圆融」的至高境界。全诗二十字，而由柳之低昂、人之独眠、时之三阳三层写来，景、情、时三线并进，短章而有层次，正是南朝民歌「以小见大」的典范。

Allusions

This is a folk song, no piled tales, yet 'three springs' comes from the Yi Jing ('three yang bring peace'), originally the first month, spring; folk borrows it for 'three springs,' 'a full year'—to show the longing's length. 'The willow gets the spring wind' secretly carries the Han yuefu 'Breaking the Willow' willow-for-farewell tradition; 'low and high' describes willow also describes feeling—though no obscure allusion, the ancient meaning lingers, exactly the folk 'lotus from clear water' quality.

本诗为民间歌谣，不事典实，然「三阳」一词源出《易经》「三阳开泰」，本指正月、春日，民歌中借指「三春」「经年」之意，以见相思岁月之长。「柳树得春风」暗承汉乐府「折杨柳」以柳写别之传统，柳谐「留」，古人折柳赠别，此处以柳起兴，已暗含离别之意；「一低复一昂」状柳亦状情，低昂之间，心绪浮沉可见。「春风」为南朝民歌常用意象（如《子夜四时歌》「春风复多情」），以春风写情思，正见吴声歌曲意象系统的传承。虽无僻典而古意悠然，正见民歌「清水出芙蓉，天然去雕饰」之质。「折杨柳」的传统由汉入南朝而不衰，吴声西曲中柳意象尤为繁盛，此诗以柳起兴，正承此传统而自出新意，可见南朝民歌意象系统的连续性。「空相忆」之「空」，与「独眠」相应，写相思之无望而仍不能已，正是南朝民歌「以痴语写深情」的典型，亦见吴声歌曲「哀而不伤」的分寸。「一低复一昂」之「复」，写柳之摇曳不息，正是心绪起伏不定的物化，比兴之妙在于不言情而情自见。

Commentary

The Yue Fu Collection's note cites the Song Shu on Qing-Shang's source; the Southern-Dynasty Wu-sound 'from the lanes' sons and daughters.' Ming's Hu Yinglin: Six-Dynasty folk 'rarely more than a few words, yet the feeling lingers.' This piece rises by willow, closes by rhetoric, short with long resonance—crown of the Reading-Song sequence, showing the Southern-Dynasty folk love song's high art.

《乐府诗集》题解引《宋书·乐志》述清商曲源流，谓南朝吴声「出于闾巷儿女」，多写男女之情。明·胡应麟《诗薮》谓六朝民歌「率不过数语，而情致绵邈」。此篇以柳起兴、以反问收情，短章有悠韵，为《读曲歌》组诗之冠；其「以物态写情态」的手法，直接影响唐人「春蚕到死丝方尽」一类谐音比兴之作。南朝民歌上承汉乐府、下启唐诗，其以自然物象写爱情的手法，为后世诗歌提供了无穷滋养，此诗正是南朝民间情歌艺术的绝佳代表，也是研究吴声歌曲与六朝民歌的重要文本。此诗历代乐府选本多予收录，为南朝民歌的入门篇目；其「以柳写情」的手法，后世诗词沿用不衰，柳与相思自此成为中国诗歌的固定搭配，足见此四句二十字的深远影响。此诗语言清丽、音节婉转，虽无华辞而情韵自胜，正是民歌「天然去雕饰」的本色；其以柳起兴的手法，更为后世「杨柳岸晓风残月」一类词句提供了意象源头。

Prosody

Form Five-character folk song (Qing-Shang tune · Reading Song)五言民歌（清商曲辞·吴声歌曲·读曲歌）

Rhyme Southern-Dynasty Wu-sound, sung to music, free rhyme「昂、阳」相押，南朝吴声随乐而歌，韵脚自由

Tone pattern folk not regulated, natural level-oblique民歌非格律，五言句式，平仄自然

Reading note Southern-Dynasty folk love song; short piece comparison, natural and true, Wu-sound flavor此诗为五言民歌，属清商曲辞吴声歌曲，四句二十字，为南朝情歌标准的短章体式。吴声歌曲本为配乐而歌的徒歌，其声缠绵宛转，「读曲」即吟唱曲辞之意；故其格律不拘近体，五言句式平仄自然，韵脚随乐而转，全诗仅「昂、阳」相押，一韵到底，音节疏朗悠长，正合相思之绵邈。民歌之妙在「以声传情」：前二句写柳之低昂，音节亦随之起伏；后二句写独眠之思，「谁能」一问、「三阳」一叹，声情婉转。与北朝民歌之质朴刚健相比，吴声歌曲之柔媚缠绵正由此类短章见之，其音律上的自由与情感上的深挚，正是民歌「感于哀乐，缘事而发」的本色，也是南朝乐府「新声」最具魅力的所在。诵读此诗，前二句宜随柳之低昂作起伏之音，后二句「谁能」一问稍扬、「独眠度三阳」渐缓渐低，方见相思之绵邈。

Line by line

柳树得春风，一低复一昂

The willow gets the spring wind; now low, now high it sways.

柳枝得到春风吹拂，一会儿低垂一会儿高昂。

The willow, caught by the spring breeze, now droops, now lifts.

纯写物态而起兴，以柳之低昂暗喻心绪起伏，比兴无痕。「柳树得春风」写柳得春之吹拂而生姿，暗承汉乐府折柳送别之传统，柳与离别自古结缘；「一低复一昂」写柳枝随风俯仰之态，而女子之心绪亦随思念起伏动荡，如柳之低昂不定。物之得时与人之失时对照，柳因春风而摇曳，人因无侣而枯寂，比兴之中已含怨情，是南朝民歌以物写情的典范起笔。柳因风而低昂，人因情而起伏，物我同构，比兴入妙。

The willow. The willow, caught by the spring breeze, now droops, now lifts. The willow-caught-by-spring-breeze and the now-droops-now-lifts are the opening. To have drooped and lifted would be a drooping; the the-willow-caught-by-the-spring-breeze-now-droops-now-lifts is the drooping.

谁能空相忆

Who can endure longing in vain?

谁能徒然地相思。

Who can go on longing in vain?

以反问写相思不可遏，无人能免亦无人能解。「谁能」一词，既是自问，亦是问天下女子：谁能忍住不去相思？言外之意，相思之苦人人难免，而独我尤甚；「空相忆」写相思之无益——忆之而人不归，忆之而春空度，明知无益而不能自已。反问与「空」字叠用，愈见相思之苦之深、之无奈，正是民歌以最平易的话写最深的情的本色。「谁能」一问，把一己之相思推及天下之人，怨而不怒，正见民歌的深挚。

The question. Who can endure longing in vain? The who-can-endure-longing-in-vain is the question. To have endured in vain would be an enduring; the who-can-endure-longing-in-vain is the enduring.

独眠度三阳

Sleeping alone, I pass the three springs.

独自孤眠渡过三春时光。

Alone in bed, I spend the three spring months.

「独眠」见孤寂，「三阳」写时光漫长，短句而情致绵长。「独眠」二字写尽春闺之冷清，与窗外摇曳之柳形成对照——柳尚有春风为伴，人却独眠无偶；「三阳」借《易经》「三阳开泰」指三春、经年，写相思岁月之长。独眠之苦与三春之长相乘，愁绪愈积愈深；以「度」字写捱过时光之艰难，一字而见度日如年之痛，收束全诗，余韵不尽。「独眠」与「三阳」对举，孤寂与漫长相乘，愁绪遂不可计量。以「度」字写捱日之难，收束全诗，余韵不尽。

The sleepless. Sleeping alone, I pass the three springs. The sleeping-alone and the passing-the-three-springs are the close. To have slept alone would be a sleeping; the sleeping-alone-i-pass-the-three-springs is the sleeping.

Study

Word focus

空 In 'who can vainly think of him,' 'vainly' means 'for nothing'—writes the longing helpless, unstoppable, one word shows the grievance's depth. 「谁能空相忆」之「空」作「徒然」解，写相思无可奈何、无法排遣。明知相思无益，却仍不能不忆，「空」字写尽这种明知而故犯的痴情；「空相忆」三字，把相思之无望、之执着、之悲苦凝于一词，一字见怨情之深，正是南朝民歌炼字「以少总多」的典范。一字见怨情之深，明知无益而仍相忆，正是民歌「痴」的本色。「空」字亦见民歌以虚词写情的本色，虚处见实，淡处见浓。

三阳 'Through the three springs' means passing the three springs; the season's length sets off the alone-sleep longing's grief—archaic yet tender. 「独眠度三阳」之「三阳」，源出《易经》「三阳开泰」，本指正月、春日，民歌借指三春、经年。以时节之漫长反衬独眠相思之苦：三春之长与独眠之孤相乘，愁绪遂不可计量；「三阳」用语古雅而情致绵长，于口语化的民歌中别具一格，见出吴声歌曲雅俗相济的语言面貌。以时节之漫长反衬独眠之苦，古雅之中见情致绵长。

低昂 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「一低复一昂」之「低昂」，写柳枝俯仰起伏之态。「一低一昂」以「复」字相连，写柳之摇曳不息，正是心绪之起伏不定的物化；低昂之间，相思之情如柳枝般摇摆不定、欲静不能。以状物之词写情，不着一情字而情态毕现，是比兴手法的妙用，也是南朝民歌状物传神的典型。状柳即状情，不着一情字而情态毕现，是比兴传神的典型。