清 Qing · 词 Ci lyric
解佩令·十年磨剑
Jie Pei Ling · Ten Years Grinding a Sword
十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽。
老去填词，一半是、空中传恨。
几曾围、燕钗蝉鬓。
不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近。
落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。
料封侯、白头无分。
Grown old, I fill lines with lyrics; half of them transmit regret upon the wind.
Never a follower of Qin the Seventh, nor of Huang the Ninth; leaning on new tunes, I come near to Jade Field.
Adrift upon rivers and lakes, I leave it to the red-powdered singers at the song-feast. I reckon a marquisate—no share, even with white hair.
Meaning
An old man's reflective lyric: the heroic promise of youth spent grinding a sword and making companions has faded into tears, and now he writes ci to transmit regret. He declares his own lineage among masters and accepts a wandering life, certain that rank will never come.
十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽。老去填词，一半是、空中传恨。几曾围、燕钗蝉鬓。不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近。落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The poet recalls ten years sharpening his sword and making friends among the gallant youth, until all his life's tears were spent. Now aged, he writes lyrics, half of them carrying regret on the wind. He follows neither Qin Guan nor Huang Tingjian, but in new tunes comes close to Zhang Yan. Adrift in the world, he entrusts his songs to singsong girls, reckoning that rank will never be his, even to white hair. [Structure] The lyric moves from youthful ambition, to aged regret, to a statement of artistic allegiance, to a resigned close. [Imagery] 'Grinding the sword' figures pent-up purpose; 'tears all spent' the exhaustion of feeling; 'new tunes near Jade Field' claims a school. The tone is somber and self-aware, a signature of the Zhexi ci school.
【白话串讲】 朱彝尊写《解佩令·十年磨剑》：“十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽”——“老去填词，一半是、空中传恨”——“落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉”——“料封侯、白头无分”——他写落拓——老去填词。 【意象与手法】 “十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽”以磨剑结客写少年豪气；“老去填词，一半是、空中传恨”以填词传恨写老大；“不师秦七、不师黄九、倚新声、玉田差近”以词学自道；结以“落拓江湖……料封侯、白头无分”写封侯无望。沉郁感慨、以词写恨。 【情感与主旨】 朱彝尊晚年抒怀之作，写少年豪气消磨、老去填词传恨、落拓江湖、封侯无分的感慨，是浙西词派宗主的自道心声。 【名句点睛】 常考“十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽”以磨剑结客写少年豪气；“老去填词，一半是、空中传恨”以填词传恨写老大。
Background
Zhu Yizun (1629–1709), courtesy name Xichang, was a Qing poet of Jiangsu's Xiushui, founder of the Zhexi (West Zhejiang) ci school. A scholar who took long to official success, he ranged widely as a classicist and poet. This lyric is a late-life reflective piece in the tune Jie Pei Ling, voicing the melancholy of faded youth and unfulfilled ambition. As head of the Zhexi school he championed a pure, restrained diction modeled on Southern Song masters such as Zhang Yan, and the poem is a self-portrait of that artistic creed.
《解佩令·十年磨剑》为清代词人朱彝尊所作词。朱彝尊（1629—1709），字锡鬯，号竹垞，又号小长芦钓鱼师，浙江秀水人，清初词人，浙西词派创始人。此词写抒怀感慨，为咏怀之作。词中「十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽」写十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽；「老去填词，一半是、空中传恨」写老去填词，一半是、空中传恨；「不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近」写不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近；「落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分」写落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分。朱彝尊此词以抒怀感慨、料封侯、白头无分写其感慨之情，沉郁感慨，是朱彝尊词中的名篇。此篇《解佩令·十年磨剑》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 art is 'somber reflection, feeling carried by the sword.' The poem moves from grinding the sword, to filling lyrics in age, to following neither Qin nor Huang. The opening states the youthful vow; the middle line turns to regret transmitted on the wind; the third declares his school, nearer to Jade Field; the close reckons rank impossible. The whole is economical yet dense, its structure strict and its intent oblique, images compressed and resonant. The more one reads, the more one admires its conception and force—a rare fine piece among ci of its kind, showing the poet's perfected craft.
此词艺术上以「沉郁感慨、以剑写情」见长。全词由十年磨剑而老去填词而不师秦七。起「十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽」写十年磨剑：十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽；「老去填词，一半是、空中传恨」写老去填词：老去填词，一半是、空中传恨；「不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近」写不师秦七：不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近；结「落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分」写料封侯、白头无分：落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分。全词以剑写情，由十年磨剑而料封侯、白头无分，沉郁感慨，是朱彝尊词中的名篇。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。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
Several lines carry reference. 'Among the five mounds' alludes to the gallant youth of the Han capital's five imperial tombs. 'Never a follower of Qin the Seventh' names Qin Guan; 'Huang the Ninth' names Huang Tingjian; 'Jade Field' is Zhang Yan's courtesy name. 'Adrift upon rivers and lakes' and 'marquisate no share' voice the resignation of the unrecognized man. The poet folds the five mounds, Qin, Huang, and Zhang Yan into the verse without trace, making his reflective grief palpable—a model of assimilating allusion without pedantry.
词中「十年磨剑五陵结客把平生涕泪都飘尽」「老去填词一半是空中传恨」「不师秦七不师黄九倚新声玉田差近」「落拓江湖且分付歌筵红粉料封侯白头无分」等语，皆含典故故实。「十年磨剑五陵结客把平生涕泪都飘尽」用五陵之典（五陵写豪侠），写十年磨剑五陵结客把平生涕泪都飘尽；「老去填词一半是空中传恨」写老去填词一半是空中传恨；「不师秦七不师黄九倚新声玉田差近」用秦七、黄九、玉田之典（秦七写秦观，黄九写黄庭坚，玉田写张炎），写不师秦七不师黄九倚新声玉田差近；「落拓江湖且分付歌筵红粉料封侯白头无分」写落拓江湖且分付歌筵红粉料封侯白头无分。词人用五陵、秦七、黄九、玉田之典入词，不着痕迹，而把抒怀感慨之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。
Commentary
Jie Pei Ling is Zhu Yizun's reflective lyric of faded youth and unfulfilled rank. It opens with grinding the sword and making companions, all tears spent; turns to filling lyrics in age, regret on the wind; declares allegiance to neither Qin nor Huang but near to Jade Field; and closes on a marquisate never granted. 'No share even with white hair' is the poem's resting point, figuring the whole feeling as resignation. Somber and reflective, carried by the sword-image, it is a celebrated piece in his work.
这首《解佩令·十年磨剑》，是朱彝尊写抒怀感慨之作，写十年磨剑、老去填词、不师秦七、料封侯、白头无分之情，沉郁感慨。起「十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽」——十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽。写十年磨剑：十年磨剑、五陵结客、把平生、涕泪都飘尽——磨剑、结客、飘尽；「老去填词，一半是、空中传恨」——老去填词，一半是、空中传恨。写老去填词：老去填词、一半是、空中传恨——填词、传恨；「不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近」——不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近。写不师秦七：不师秦七、不师黄九、倚新声、玉田差近——秦七、玉田差近；结「落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分」——落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分。写料封侯、白头无分：落拓江湖、且分付、歌筵红粉、料封侯、白头无分——落拓、无分。这「料封侯、白头无分」，是全词之结：以料封侯、白头无分写其感慨。全词沉郁感慨，以剑写情，正是朱彝尊词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽。
Ten years I ground my sword; among the five mounds I made companions—pouring out all the tears of a lifetime.
十年磨剑，五陵结客，把平生、涕泪都飘尽。
Ten years I have polished the sword; by the five tombs I have gathered friends; and all the tears of my life have been scattered to the winds.
起句写十年磨剑，起笔即见其剑。「十年磨剑」写十年磨剑，「十年」写十年、「磨剑」写磨剑；「五陵结客」用五陵之典写五陵结客，「五陵」写五陵、「结客」写结客；「把平生、涕泪都飘尽」写把平生涕泪都飘尽，「把平生」写把平生、「涕泪都飘尽」写涕泪都飘尽。一句写十年磨剑五陵结客把平生涕泪都飘尽，以十年磨剑写磨剑、以把平生涕泪都飘尽写飘尽，写尽十年磨剑、五陵结客、把平生、涕泪都飘尽之情。以剑起兴，沉郁而感慨，是「以剑起兴」的妙笔。
The opening writes ten years polishing the sword, the blade visible from the first stroke. Ten years I have polished the sword: ten years the long years, polishing the sword the labor. By the five tombs I have gathered friends uses the allusion to the five Western Han imperial tombs, where the young gallants of the capital gathered; gathered friends the making of comrades. And all the tears of my life have been scattered to the winds: all my life the whole course, tears scattered the weeping spent. One line: ten years at the sword, comrades at the tombs, a lifetime's tears scattered. Writing the ten years at the blade, and the scattering of a lifetime's weeping, exhausts the feeling: ten years at the sword, comrades gathered, the tears of a lifetime all gone. Rising on the sword, somber and impassioned, the finest stroke of rising on the blade.
老去填词，一半是、空中传恨。
Grown old, I fill lines with lyrics; half of them transmit regret upon the wind.
老去填词，一半是、空中传恨。
Now old, I write ci; half of it is transmitting, through the air alone, my grief.
此句写老去填词，是全词写填词之态的关键。「老去填词」写老去填词，「老去」写老去、「填词」写填词；「一半是、空中传恨」写一半是空中传恨，「一半是」写一半是、「空中传恨」写空中传恨。一句写老去填词一半是空中传恨，以老去填词写填词、以一半是空中传恨写传恨，写尽老去填词、一半是、空中传恨之情。以词写情，沉郁而感慨，是「以词写情」的点睛之笔。
The line writes old now, I write ci, the key to the ci's posture of composition. Old now, I write ci: grown old the age, writing ci the craft. Half of it is transmitting, through the air alone, my grief: half of it the fraction, transmitting grief through the air the shadowed sorrow sent out without a real object. One line: grown old, writing ci, half of it transmitting grief through the air. Writing the ci-writing of age, and the grief sent through empty air, exhausts the feeling: old, writing verses, half of it grief transmitted in the void. Writing feeling through the ci form, somber and impassioned, the crowning stroke of writing emotion through the verse.
不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近。
Never a follower of Qin the Seventh, nor of Huang the Ninth; leaning on new tunes, I come near to Jade Field.
不师秦七，不师黄九，倚新声、玉田差近。
I take as master neither Qin Seven nor Huang Nine; in the new tunes I write, I come closest to Yutian.
此句写不师秦七，是全词写师法之态的关键。「不师秦七，不师黄九」用秦七、黄九之典写不师秦七不师黄九，「不师秦七」写不师秦七、「不师黄九」写不师黄九；「倚新声、玉田差近」用玉田之典写倚新声玉田差近，「倚新声」写倚新声、「玉田差近」写玉田差近。一句写不师秦七不师黄九倚新声玉田差近，以不师秦七不师黄九写不师、以倚新声玉田差近写差近，写尽不师秦七、不师黄九、倚新声、玉田差近之情。以词写情，沉郁而感慨，是「以词写情」的点睛之笔。
The line writes I take as master neither Qin Seven nor Huang Nine, the key to the ci's posture of imitation. Neither Qin Seven nor Huang Nine uses the allusions to Qin Guan and Huang Tingjian, the two Song masters; taking as master neither refusing their models. In the new tunes I write, I come closest to Yutian uses the allusion to Zhang Yan of Yutian; new tunes the contemporary measures, close to Yutian the chosen kin. One line: no master Qin, no master Huang, new measures close to Yutian. Writing the refusal of the two Song masters, and the nearness to Yutian in the new tunes, exhausts the feeling: taking neither as teacher, yet drawing near to Yutian. Writing feeling through the ci form, somber and impassioned, the crowning stroke of writing emotion through the verse.
落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分。
Adrift upon rivers and lakes, I leave it to the red-powdered singers at the song-feast. I reckon a marquisate—no share, even with white hair.
落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉。料封侯、白头无分。
Wandering, down and out, I bid the fair ones at the wine feasts sing on. I reckon a marquisate will have no share of my white head.
结句写料封侯、白头无分，是全词立意的落点。「落拓江湖」写落拓江湖，「落拓」写落拓、「江湖」写江湖；「且分付、歌筵红粉」写且分付歌筵红粉，「且分付」写且分付、「歌筵红粉」写歌筵红粉；「料封侯、白头无分」写料封侯白头无分，「料封侯」写料封侯、「白头无分」写白头无分。一句写落拓江湖且分付歌筵红粉料封侯白头无分，以落拓江湖写江湖、以料封侯白头无分写无分，写尽落拓江湖、且分付、歌筵红粉、料封侯、白头无分之情。以侯写情，沉郁而感慨，是全词最动人处，也是「以侯写情」的点睛之笔。
The close writes I reckon a marquisate will have no share of my white head, where the ci's meaning comes to rest. Wandering, down and out writes the roaming, the broken lot. I bid the fair ones at the wine feasts sing on: for now the charge, the singing-girls at the banquet the fair singers. I reckon a marquisate will have no share of my white head: reckon a marquisate the expected rank, white head no share the aging with no portion. One line: wandering the rivers, the singers bidden on, a marquisate never to be. Writing the broken roaming and the reckoning of no share, exhausts the feeling: wandering, the singers bidden, no part of rank for the gray head. Writing feeling through the marquisate, somber and impassioned, the most moving passage of the ci, the crowning stroke of writing emotion through the title of honor.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Su Shi's Shui Diao Ge Tou, 'men have grief and joy, parting and meeting; the moon is bright or dim,' is a famous long Song lyric of resigned expansiveness. Zhu's Jie Pei Ling answers with 'adrift upon rivers and lakes' and 'ten years grinding a sword.' Both turn on reflective feeling—Su capacious, Zhu somber—revealing two manners of writing 'reflective grief.'
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」，写抒怀感怀、沉郁旷达，是宋词长调的名篇；朱彝尊《解佩令·十年磨剑》则以「落拓江湖，且分付、歌筵红粉」「十年磨剑，五陵结客」写歌筵红粉、五陵结客。两词同写抒怀感怀、沉郁旷达：一写人有悲欢离合、以悲欢写离合，一写落拓江湖且分付歌筵红粉、以江湖写感慨；一为苏轼之旷达、一为朱彝尊之沉郁，并读正可见词写「抒怀感怀」的两种笔法，皆于抒怀之中见沉郁。
八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Ba Sheng Gan Zhou · On the Misty Rain Falling at Dusk over River and Sky 柳永 · 同写江湖凝望、沉郁清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写老去填词一半是空中传恨，皆于江湖之中见凝望 Both write longing gazing over rivers and lakes—one with 'misty rain at dusk over river and sky,' the other with 'grown old, filling lyrics, regret on the wind'—gazing within the rivers-and-lakes.Liu Yong's Ba Sheng Gan Zhou, 'on the misty rain falling at dusk over river and sky, washing clear the autumn,' is a famous Song lyric of travel-lament. Zhu's answers with 'regret transmitted on the wind' and 'companions among the five mounds.' Both gaze over rivers and lakes—Liu clear and lovely, Zhu somber—showing two ways of writing 'gazing over the waters.'
柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写江湖凝望、沉郁清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；朱彝尊《解佩令·十年磨剑》则以「老去填词，一半是、空中传恨」「十年磨剑，五陵结客」写空中传恨、五陵结客。两词同写江湖凝望、沉郁清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写老去填词一半是空中传恨、以填词写感慨；一为柳永之清丽、一为朱彝尊之沉郁，并读正可见词写「江湖凝望」的两种笔法，皆于江湖之中见凝望。