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先秦 Pre-Qin · 楚辞 Chu Ci

九歌·云中君

Nine Songs: The Cloud Lord

屈原

Qu Yuan

祭祀/颂赞Sacrificial/Praise 神话/祭祀Mythology/Sacrifice

浴兰汤兮沐芳，华采衣兮若英。
灵连蜷兮既留，烂昭昭兮未央。
蹇将憺兮寿宫，与日月兮齐光。
龙驾兮帝服，聊翱游兮周章。
灵皇皇兮既降，猋远举兮云中。
览冀州兮有余，横四海兮焉穷。
思夫君兮太息，极劳心兮忡忡。

Bathed in orchid-scented water, fragrant with herbs,
Clad in brilliant robes, beautiful as flowers.
The spirit lingers, coiled in grace, stays,
Radiant and bright, without end.
He rests peacefully in the Shrine of Longevity,
His glory equals the sun and moon.
With dragon for chariot, in imperial robes,
He soars and roams, circling around.
The spirit, resplendent, descends,
Then swiftly rises afar into the clouds.
Overlooks Jizhou and beyond,
Spans the four seas—where is the limit?
I sigh, thinking of my lord,
My anxious heart is deeply disturbed.

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Meaning

The poem depicts the ritual purification and adornment of the cloud spirit, its glorious descent, swift departure into the clouds, and the shaman's longing for the departed deity.

用兰汤沐浴啊薰以芬芳，穿上华美的彩衣啊像花朵一样。神灵宛曲降临啊已经留止，光辉灿烂啊未有尽时。安然停留在寿宫啊，与日月啊同放光芒。驾起龙车啊穿着帝服，暂且遨游啊往来周流。神灵煌煌啊已经降临，忽然远飞啊升入云中。俯览冀州啊尚有广远，横绝四海啊焉有穷尽。思念那位君上啊令人叹息，极尽忧心啊忡忡不宁。

Appreciation

The Nine Songs were adapted by Qu Yuan from Chu regional sacrificial music. 'Lord of Clouds' venerates the cloud god (also considered moon god or thunder god). It depicts the rituals of welcoming, entertaining, and seeing off the deity. The first two stanzas describe the shaman dressed as the cloud god, bathed in fragrance, descending to the Shrine of Longevity, shining equally with sun and moon. The third stanza describes the god suddenly ascending into clouds, overlooking the four seas. The final stanza, 'I sigh, thinking of my lord,' shifts from god to man, with deep allegory. The imagination is magnificent, colors brilliant; 'spirit coiled' and 'radiant bright' depict the divine glow, 'swiftly rises' depicts the fleeting departure; ending with 'anxious heart,' it conveys a divine-human resonance, sorrowful but not mournful.

【白话串讲】屈原祭云神：沐浴兰汤，穿上彩衣，云神的光芒与日月齐光。“思夫君兮太息，极劳心兮忡忡”——祭神的人，对神也有说不尽的思念。【意象与手法】全诗四章，想象奇丽。开篇“浴兰汤兮沐芳，华采衣兮若英”以香洁华彩写巫之饰神，色彩明丽【情感与主旨】《云中君》为屈原《九歌》第二篇。《九歌》本是楚国民间祭祀乐歌，屈原流放江南时加以改作，用以娱神亦以寄己【名句点睛】考点：一、《九歌》“巫扮神”的祭祀歌辞性质；二、浪漫主义的想象与色彩描写（兰汤、华采、龙驾）

Background

'Lord of Clouds' is the second piece of Qu Yuan's Nine Songs. The Nine Songs were originally folk sacrificial songs of Chu, rewritten by Qu Yuan during his exile in Jiangnan to entertain the gods and express his own feelings. Wang Yi considered the Lord of Clouds to be the cloud god Fenglong, while others identify it as the moon god or thunder god, with no consensus. The poem is a shamanistic invocation: the shaman impersonates the god, bathes in orchid, wears colorful clothes, descends to the Shrine of Longevity, then the god departs into the clouds, leaving the shaman longing. Qu Yuan uses this hymn to convey his yearning for a wise ruler and worthy minister, and his frustration with his own fate. It is a precursor to the 'fragrant grass and beautiful lady' tradition in Chu ci.

《云中君》是屈原《九歌》的第二篇。《九歌》本是楚国民间的祭神乐歌，王逸《楚辞章句》谓「昔楚国南郢之邑，沅湘之间，其俗信鬼而好祠」，屈原流放江南时据民间祭辞改作，使之成为一组文辞华美的祭神乐章，用于楚国宫廷与民间的祭祀巫舞。关于「云中君」的身份，学界历来有歧说：一说为云神丰隆，本于《离骚》「吾令丰隆乘云兮」的王逸注，此说最通行；一说为云梦泽之神，以其居云梦之中；一说为月神，姜亮夫《屈原赋校注》主此说，据「与日月兮齐光」之语而谓其与日、月并立。今之选本多从云神之说。《云中君》写巫觋以兰汤沐浴、华彩盛装以迎神，神降而光华灿烂、与日月齐光，继而驾龙遨游、倏忽升举，终以「思夫君兮太息，极劳心兮忡忡」写神去之后的怅惘。全篇仅十四句，是《九歌》中最短小、最整饬的一篇，而写神之降临、光耀、遨游、离去，层次分明，气象恢宏。《云中君》全篇仅十四句，是《九歌》中最短的一篇，而结构完整、气象恢宏，写云神之降临、光耀、遨游、离去，层层分明。王逸《楚辞章句》注「云中君」为云神丰隆，本于《离骚》「吾令丰隆乘云兮」之注，此说最为通行；然「云中」或以为地名，指云梦泽，故又有「云梦泽神」之说；姜亮夫《屈原赋校注》据「与日月兮齐光」之语，谓云中君为月神，与日神东君相对，遂使「云中君」的身份成为《九歌》研究的一桩公案。今之选本多从云神之说。

Art

The poem has four stanzas with fantastic imagery. The opening lines depict the shaman dressed as the god with orchid baths and colorful clothes, bright and fragrant. 'Spirit coiled' and 'radiant bright' describe the god's glory. The middle section with 'dragon chariot' and 'imperial robes' shows the god's majestic roaming. 'Swiftly rises into clouds' uses 'biao' (whirlwind) to describe the sudden departure. The final sigh turns from god to man, leaving a lingering melancholy, blending emotion and scene, highly romantic.

《云中君》的艺术特色在于想象奇丽、色彩明丽与章法谨严。全诗四章，层层推进。首章「浴兰汤兮沐芳，华采衣兮若英」写巫者以兰汤沐浴、华彩盛装以迎神，以香洁华彩写饰神之诚，「若英」喻衣之华美如花，色彩明丽。次章「灵连蜷兮既留，烂昭昭兮未央」写神灵宛曲降临、光华灿烂，「连蜷」状其回环宛曲之态，「昭昭」状其光辉之盛，视听并写。三章「蹇将憺兮寿宫，与日月兮齐光。龙驾兮帝服，聊翱游兮周章」写神安居寿宫、与日月齐光，又驾龙车、衣帝服、翱游周流的威仪，想象瑰丽。四章「灵皇皇兮既降，猋远举兮云中。览冀州兮有余，横四海兮焉穷」写神降临之后倏忽远举入云，「览冀州」「横四海」写其俯临天下、横绝四海的雄阔气象，境界大开。结以「思夫君兮太息，极劳心兮忡忡」，写神去之后的思念与忧心，由颂神转入思神，情味悠长。全篇以「迎神—神降—神游—神去」为序，章法井然，是《九歌》祭神乐歌「巫扮神」结构的典型体现。此篇的色彩描写尤见功力。「浴兰汤」「华采衣」「若英」写迎神者的洁与美，「烂昭昭」「皇皇」写神光的盛与明，「龙驾」「帝服」「孔盖」「翠旍」写神仪之威，兰之香、衣之华、光之明、旗之翠，诸色交映，织成一幅明丽而崇高的祭神图景。全篇由「迎」而「降」而「游」而「思」，情感由敬而慕而怅，层层转深。结以「思夫君兮太息，极劳心兮忡忡」，把祭神的庄敬转为思神的缠绵，遂使此篇在《九歌》祭歌中兼得崇高与哀婉之美。

Allusions

The 'orchid bath' and 'fragrant herbs' carry on Chu purification rituals; Chu ci often uses fragrant grasses to symbolize purity. 'Lianquan' describes the spirit's coiled form; 'weiyang' means endless. 'Jian' is a Chu exclamation; 'dan' means peaceful. 'Biao' means whirlwind, indicating the spirit's speed. 'Fujun' is glossed by Wang Yi as the Lord of Clouds, but Qu Yuan often uses deities to allude to the ruler. 'Jizhou' was considered the central province; 'spanning the four seas' shows the spirit's infinite range. The poem blends Chu shamanistic customs with Zhuangzi-like transcendental imagination, both elegant and ethereal.

《云中君》的意象与用语皆有来历。「兰汤」即兰草煮成的香汤，以兰汤沐浴，其俗见于《楚辞》与《周礼》，如《周礼·春官·女巫》「岁时祓除衅浴」，以香草沐浴以洁身迎神，是上古巫祭的遗俗，诗中以「浴兰汤兮沐芳」写巫者洁身以事神，正承此俗。「华采衣兮若英」的「英」即花，以花喻衣，写祭服之华美，其喻法可溯至《诗经》「有女同车，颜如舜英」。「连蜷」状神灵回环宛曲之姿，「昭昭」状光辉之盛，皆叠词写神之形神，为楚辞状物之常法。「寿宫」为供神之宫，或指神所居之宫室，「憺」训「安」，写神安居其宫。「龙驾」「帝服」写神以龙为驾、衣天帝之服，其想象源自上古神话中以龙为神之坐骑的传统，《离骚》「为余驾飞龙兮」同此。「冀州」为古九州之首，代指天下，「览冀州」「横四海」写神之视野广远，化用「九州四海」的宇宙想象。「与日月兮齐光」一句，或为云神光华灿烂的写照，亦或为云中君为月神的佐证，正是学界歧说的焦点所在。「兰汤」之浴，见于《周礼·春官·女巫》「岁时祓除衅浴」，以香草煮汤沐浴以洁身迎神，是上古巫祭的遗俗，屈原以「浴兰汤兮沐芳」写巫者盛洁以事神，正承此俗。「连蜷」状云气回环宛曲之姿，叠韵连绵，与《离骚》「吾令丰隆乘云兮」的云神想象一脉相承。「寿宫」为供神之宫，或谓神所居之宫室，「憺」训「安」。「龙驾」「帝服」写神以龙为驾、衣天帝之服，源自上古神话中以龙为神之坐骑的传统，与《离骚》「为余驾飞龙兮」同一想象。全篇以香草、云气、龙驾、天象织成云神的光辉形象，是楚辞浪漫想象的代表。

Commentary

Wang Yi's 'Commentary on Chu Ci' says: 'The Lord of Clouds is the cloud god Fenglong... it describes the cloud god descending, adorned with orchid, riding a dragon with banners, roaming the four directions.' Zhu Xi's 'Collected Annotations on Chu Ci' says: 'This chapter... its meaning is to hope for the god's arrival and regret his departure.' Modern scholar You Guoen says that the Nine Songs 'outwardly worship gods but inwardly write about humans', and the coming and going of the Cloud Lord is actually a metaphor for Qu Yuan's encounter or lack thereof with his ruler.

《云中君》在《九歌》中以短小整饬、气象恢宏著称。朱熹《楚辞集注》谓《九歌》「托以事神，而寓其忠君爱国之意」，后人遂多以「思夫君兮太息」之思神比附屈子之思君。王夫之《楚辞通释》则还原其祭歌本义，谓《云中君》为「祀云神之辞」。近世闻一多《什么是九歌》论证《九歌》为人神恋爱的宗教剧，谓「思夫君」乃巫者对神之恋慕，其说影响深远。姜亮夫《屈原赋校注》力主云中君为月神之说，遂使「云中君」的身份成为《九歌》研究的一桩公案。此篇虽短，而「与日月兮齐光」之语气魄宏大，常被后世引为状写崇高、圣洁之象的典语。「浴兰汤兮沐芳，华采衣兮若英」的迎神盛装，亦成为后世写祭祀、写仪容的经典语源。此篇被今人选入多种教材，是《九歌》中既能见楚辞浪漫想象、又能见祭神乐歌本色的代表作。《云中君》虽短，而「与日月兮齐光」一句气魄宏大，历来为人所称道。此句既写云神光华之盛，又成为后世状写崇高、圣洁之象的典语，屈原《涉江》「与天地兮比寿，与日月兮齐光」同用此语，可见其胸襟。朱熹《楚辞集注》谓《九歌》「托以事神，而寓其忠君爱国之意」，后人遂多以「思夫君」之思神比附屈子之思君。闻一多《什么是九歌》以「人神恋爱」解读，谓「思夫君」乃巫者对神之恋慕，其说影响深远。此篇「浴兰汤兮沐芳，华采衣兮若英」的迎神盛装，亦成为后世写祭祀、写仪容的经典语源。此篇被今人选入多种教材，是《九歌》中既见浪漫想象、又见祭歌本色的代表作。

Prosody

Form Chu Ci·Nine Songs (Sao style)楚辞（骚体），《九歌》之一，全篇十四句

Rhyme fang, ying, yang, guang, zhang, xiang, zhong, qiong, chong (irregular rhyme scheme typical of Chu ci)全诗隔句押韵、换韵，韵脚芳、英、央（阳部），光、章（阳部），中、穷（冬部），忡（冬部），属上古音韵部，依楚音相押

Tone pattern Not determinable (the Sao style uses 'xi' as rhythmic marker)此篇以六言句式为主，「兮」字居句中的固定位置，前后各三字，如「浴兰汤兮沐芳」「与日月兮齐光」，形成「三三」节奏，读来轻盈整饬、一唱三叹，是《九歌》最短小整饬的一篇。

Reading note Primarily six-character lines, with 'xi' inserted, a romantic sacrificial hymn.《云中君》是《九歌》中最短小、最整饬的一篇，全诗仅十四句，以六言句式为主，「兮」字居句中的固定位置，如「浴兰汤兮沐芳」为「浴兰汤」加「兮」加「沐芳」，「华采衣兮若英」为「华采衣」加「兮」加「若英」，前后各三字，形成「三三」的匀称节奏，读来轻盈摇曳、一唱三叹，正合祭神巫舞载歌载舞的表演需要。用韵方面，全诗隔句押韵而换韵，首章「芳、英、央」属上古音阳部，次章「光、章」亦属阳部，三章「中、穷」属冬部，四章「忡」属冬部，阳、冬二部为邻近韵部，音色洪亮开阔，与所写云神光华灿烂、遨游四海的恢宏气象正相副，是屈原以声情配物情、以韵部传神韵的用心。此篇无平仄之律，其音乐性全在「兮」字的顿宕与阳、冬二部洪亮韵脚的流转，读来既有祭歌的庄重，又有恋歌的悠扬。楚辞骚体的这种「三三」句法与洪亮用韵，上承《诗经》、下启汉赋，是中国诗歌形式由四言而五七言过渡的关键环节，而《云中君》以其短小整饬的体式，在这一环节中独标一格。

Line by line

浴兰汤兮沐芳，华采衣兮若英

Bathing in orchid-scented water and fragrant herbs, clothed in brilliant garments like flowers.

用兰汤沐浴啊薰以芬芳，穿上华美的彩衣啊像花朵一样。

Bathing in orchid-scented water and breathing in fragrance; robed in brilliant hues, bright as a flower.

二句写巫者迎神前的盛装洁身。「浴兰汤兮沐芳」，以兰草煮成的香汤沐浴、以芬芳薰身，是上古巫祭「祓除衅浴」以洁身事神的遗俗，一个「浴」字、「沐」字，写尽了迎神者的虔诚与郑重；「华采衣兮若英」，穿上华美的彩衣，如花朵般艳丽，以「英」（花）喻衣，把祭服的绚烂写得如在目前。二句一写洁身、一写盛装，香洁与华彩并陈，先以巫者的虔诚妆扮，烘托出所迎之神的尊贵与神圣，为下文神灵的降临预设了庄敬而明丽的氛围。

The two lines write the shamaness' purification and rich dress before welcoming the god. Bathing in orchid-scented water and breathing in fragrance: washing in a perfumed bath brewed from orchids, perfumed with sweet scents, the surviving custom of ancient shamanic sacrifice, the purification lustration whereby one cleansed the body to serve the god; the words bathe and perfumed exhaust the devotee's piety and solemnity. Robed in brilliant hues, bright as a flower: putting on the splendid patterned robe, vivid as a blossom, comparing the robe to a flower makes the ritual dress blaze before the eyes. One line writes the cleansed body, one the rich dress; purity and splendor displayed together. First comes the devotee's pious adornment, setting off the dignity and sanctity of the god to be welcomed, and preparing a solemn, luminous atmosphere for the deity's descent.

蹇将憺兮寿宫，与日月兮齐光

He rests peacefully in the Shrine of Longevity, his glory equal to the sun and moon.

安然停留在寿宫啊，与日月啊同放光芒。

Serene, he takes his rest in the Hall of Long Life; his light is equal to the sun and moon.

二句写神安居寿宫、光华灿烂。「蹇将憺兮寿宫」，「憺」训「安」，写神安然驻留于寿宫之中，一「憺」字见其威仪之从容；「与日月兮齐光」，谓神之光华可与日月并耀，以日月之光的至高无上，极写云中君光辉之盛与地位之尊。此句气魄宏大，把云神的形象提升到与日月同辉的宇宙高度，是《九歌》状写天神最恢宏的笔墨之一。此句也为「云中君」身份的考证提供了线索——姜亮夫即据此谓其与日月并立而为月神，一字一句之间，兼具艺术的张力与学术的悬念。

The two lines write the god at peace in the Hall of Long Life, radiant in glory. Serene, he takes his rest in the Hall of Long Life: dan means at peace, writing the god's tranquil sojourn in the hall; the one word serene shows the composure of his majesty. His light is equal to the sun and moon says the god's radiance may vie with sun and moon; using the highest light of sun and moon, it writes the Cloud God's splendor and the loftiness of his station. The lines are grand in spirit, raising the image of the cloud deity to the cosmic height where he shares brightness with sun and moon, among the most magnificent strokes of the Nine Songs in depicting heavenly gods. They also offer a clue to the identity of the Lord of the Clouds: Jiang Liaofu argued precisely from this line that, standing with sun and moon, he is the moon god; between word and syllable, artistic tension and scholarly suspense alike.

灵皇皇兮既降，猋远举兮云中

The spirit, resplendent, has descended, then swiftly rises far into the clouds.

神灵煌煌啊已经降临，忽然远飞啊升入云中。

The divine being, blazing with light, has descended; then, swift as a whirlwind, he soars back into the clouds.

二句写神之降临与倏忽升举。「灵皇皇兮既降」，「皇皇」状神降临时光辉盛大之貌，与上章「昭昭」呼应，写神降之时的煌煌气象；「猋远举兮云中」，「猋」训「迅疾」，写神忽然远飞、升入云中的迅捷，一「猋」字写尽了云神来去倏忽、飘然远举的动感。二句一降一举，一停一飞，把云神「入不言、出不辞」的飘忽神性写得淋漓尽致。云之为物，聚散无常、来去无踪，诗人以「猋远举」写之，正是抓住了云神物性中最本质的特征，物性与神性在此浑然合一。

The two lines write the god's descent and his sudden ascent. The divine being, blazing with light, has descended: blazing pictures the splendor of his descent, echoing the shining of the preceding stanza and writing the blazing moment of his coming. Swift as a whirlwind, he soars back into the clouds: biao means swift, writing the god's sudden flight upward into the cloud; the one word swift exhausts the darting, drifting motion of the cloud deity coming and going in an instant. One descent, one ascent; one pause, one flight; the lines write to the full the elusiveness of the cloud god who enters without a word, departs without a farewell. Clouds by nature gather and disperse without trace, coming and going unseen; the poet catches them through soaring swiftly, grasping the very essence of the cloud deity: natural property and divine nature fused into one.

思夫君兮太息，极劳心兮忡忡

I sigh, thinking of my lord, my anxious heart is deeply disturbed.

思念那位君上啊令人叹息，极尽忧心啊忡忡不宁。

I think of that lord, and I heave long sighs; my heart is spent with care, restless and unquiet.

结二句写神去之后的思念与忧心，收束全篇。「思夫君兮太息」，神既远举，巫者思之而长叹，「太息」写其怅惘之深；「极劳心兮忡忡」，「劳心」谓忧思劳瘁，「忡忡」状心忧不安之貌，写其思念之切、忧心之重。以如此深情的思慕作结，使全篇由颂神转入思神，祭神的乐歌遂染上人情的温度——迎神之诚、观神之乐，最终都化为神去之后的失落与追慕。此二句以「太息」「忡忡」的叠词收束，声情低回，与开篇「浴兰汤」的明丽形成呼应，全篇由华彩而光华、由光华而怅惘，情感的回环至此完成。

The closing two lines write the longing and anxiety after the god's departure, gathering the poem. I think of that lord, and I heave long sighs: now the god has soared away, the shamaness thinks of him and sighs; long sighs write the depth of her regret. My heart is spent with care, restless and unquiet: heart spent means worn with anxious thought; restless pictures the unquiet heart, writing the depth of her longing and the weight of her care. Closing in such deep longing, the poem turns from praising the god to missing him, and the hymn of sacrifice takes on human warmth: the piety of welcome, the joy of beholding, all finally become, after the god's going, loss and remembrance. The two lines close in the reduplicated long sighs and restless, the tone low and winding, echoing the opening bathing in orchid-scented water; the poem moves from splendor to radiance, from radiance to regret, and the circling of feeling is complete.

Study

Word focus

兰汤 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「兰汤」即兰草煮成的香汤，以之沐浴，是上古巫祭洁身事神的遗俗。「兰」为香草之最，以兰煮汤，取其芳洁以涤秽迎神，一个「兰汤」，既写迎神仪式的虔诚庄重，又以其香洁的意象，为全篇奠定了芳洁明丽的基调。此语承《周礼》「祓除衅浴」的祭祀传统，又为楚辞「香草」体系之一环，以兰之芳洁衬神之神圣。后世写祭祀、写沐浴、写仪容者，多取「兰汤」「兰浴」为典，如「兰汤浴罢晚凉天」，其语源正在此篇，一字之设而流韵千年。

连蜷 describing the coiled, graceful form of the spirit 「连蜷」写神灵降临之姿，状其回环宛曲、连绵不断的形态。云之为物，舒卷自如、回环流转，「连蜷」二字正抓住了云神形体的这一特征，以叠韵连绵词摹写神降时宛曲连绵、若有若无的灵动之态。此词音调绵长、形义相谐，读来如见云气舒卷、神形隐约。以「连蜷」写神而不写其貌，反把神灵那种超越凡俗、难可名状的神秘之美写得更足，比直写其容颜更具神韵，是屈原以声状形、以虚写神的精到之笔。此词音义相谐，写云神之形神，尤见楚辞以声状物的独到。

忡忡 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「忡忡」写忧心不安之貌，是全篇情感的收束之字。神既远去，巫者思之忧心忡忡，「忡忡」二字以叠字状心神不宁之态，兼摄忧之深与忧之绵长，与《诗经·召南·草虫》「未见君子，忧心忡忡」的用法一脉相承。以「忡忡」收结全篇，把迎神之诚、观神之乐，最终沉淀为神去之后的忧思怅惘，情感的重量全落在这两个叠字之上。此字既承《诗经》的忧思传统，又为楚辞「思夫君」的恋慕之情张本，一字而尽得祭歌与恋歌的双重情味。