宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
声声慢·滁州旅次登奠枕楼
Shengsheng Man — A Traveler in Chuzhou Climbs the Dianzhen Tower
征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼。
指点檐牙高处，浪拥云浮。
今年太平万里，罢长淮、千骑临秋。
凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州。
千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头。
看取弓刀，陌上车马如流。
从今赏心乐事，剩安排、酒令诗筹。
华胥梦，愿年年、人似旧游。
and all agree that a storied tower has magically appeared.
They point to the high eaves, like the teeth of some great beast,
where waves of cloud are cradled and float.
This year peace holds for ten thousand li;
the thousand riders of the Great Huai frontier are stood down as autumn comes.
Leaning on the rail I gaze:
in the southeast there is auspicious air,
in the northwest lies our sacred land.
Ages have passed since he who longed for Mount Song departed;
he would only laugh to find me dwelling at the tail of Chu, the head of Wu.
See the bows and sabers —
on the highways carts and horses stream like flowing water.
From now on every delight of heart and eye
is left to be arranged in wine-games and verse tallies.
The dream of the land of Huaxu —
may year after year men roam as in days of old.
Meaning
Climbing the new Dianzhen Tower at Chuzhou, the poet hails a year of peace — the Great Huai frontier stands down — yet the gaze from the rail divides the realm: auspicious air in the southeast, the lost sacred land in the northwest. Recalling Li Deyu, once prefect of Chuzhou, who longed in exile for the north, the poet turns his own wanderer's position at the tail of Chu into shared homesickness. The lyric closes with a prayer that the Huaxu dream of perfect peace may last, year after year.
征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼。 指点檐牙高处，浪拥云浮。 今年太平万里，罢长淮、千骑临秋。 凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州。 千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头。 看取弓刀，陌上车马如流。 从今赏心乐事，剩安排、酒令诗筹。 华胥梦，愿年年、人似旧游。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] Travelers rising in clouds of dust hail the new tower on their way through Chuzhou; its eaves seem to rise among waves of cloud. This year the realm is at peace, and the Huai frontier needs no autumn review. From the rail the poet sees auspicious air in the southeast — and the lost sacred land in the northwest. Remembering Li Deyu, once prefect here, who longed for the north, he smiles at himself, stranded at the tail of Chu. Yet the streets flow with carts and horses, bows and sabers gleam in peace, and he prays for the Huaxu dream to last year after year. [Structure] The lyric is a textbook ascent piece: the first stanza climbs and surveys, the second reflects and hopes, the tower serving as a pivot from scenery to feeling. [Imagery] Waves of cloud around the eaves make the tower seem magically conjured; the single gaze from the rail divides the realm into southeast and northwest, turning a view into a map of loss. The closing prayer for a lasting Huaxu dream keeps the patriotic sorrow gentle rather than despairing.
【白话串讲】 辛弃疾写《声声慢·滁州旅次登奠枕楼》：“征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼”——“凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州”——“千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头”——他登奠枕楼——身在楚尾吴头。 【意象与手法】 此词写登临，以感慨写登临，是辛弃疾的名篇。上阕写登楼：「征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼。指点檐牙高处，浪拥云浮。今年太平万里，罢长淮、千骑临秋。凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州」写征埃成阵、行客相逢、都道幻出层楼——写尽幻出的层楼；下阕写感慨：「千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头。看取弓刀，陌上车马如流。从今赏心乐事，剩安排、酒令诗筹。华胥梦，愿年年、人似旧游」写千古怀嵩人去、还笑我、身在楚尾吴头——写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩。全词以感慨写登临，写尽幻出的层楼与楚尾吴头的怀嵩，是辛弃疾的代表作。 【情感与主旨】 此词写登临，以感慨写登临，是辛弃疾的名篇。此词为辛弃疾任滁州知州时登奠枕楼而作，写其登楼远望的感慨与期望。辛弃疾知滁州，修建奠枕楼，此词写其登楼抚今追昔。此词写征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼；指点檐牙高处，浪拥云浮；今年太平万里，罢长淮、千骑临秋；凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州；千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头；看取弓刀，陌上车马如流；从今赏心乐事，剩安排、酒令诗筹；华胥梦，愿年年、人似旧游。此词写登楼：征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼——写征埃成阵、行客相逢、都道幻出层楼，写尽幻出的层楼；指点檐牙高处，浪拥云浮——写指点檐牙高处、浪拥云浮，写尽檐牙的云浮；今年太平万里，罢长淮、千骑临秋——写今年太平万里、罢长淮、千骑临秋，写尽长淮的临秋；凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州——写凭栏望、有东南佳气、西北神州，写尽西北的神州。下阕写感慨：千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头——写千古怀嵩人去、还笑我、身在楚尾吴头，写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩；看取弓刀，陌上车马如流——写看取弓刀、陌上车马如流，写尽车马的如流；从今赏心乐事，剩安排、酒令诗筹——写从今赏心乐事、剩安排、酒令诗筹，写尽酒令的诗筹；华胥梦，愿年年、人似旧游——写华胥梦、愿年年、人似旧游，写尽人似旧游的华胥。全词以感慨写登临——那「幻出层楼」写尽幻出的层楼，「人似旧游」写尽人似旧游的华胥，写尽幻出的层楼与楚尾吴头的怀嵩，是理解辛弃疾登临词的重要篇章。 【名句点睛】 常考「凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州」写西北的神州；「千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头」写楚尾吴头的怀嵩；以及全词以感慨写登临、以用典写怀古的手法。
Background
Xin Qiji (1140–1207), courtesy name You'an, sobriquet Jiaxuan, was born in Licheng (modern Jinan, Shandong). A bold-and-unconstrained lyricist of the Southern Song, he is ranked with Su Shi as 'Su-Xin'. Around 1172 he served as prefect of Chuzhou, on the old Huai frontier, where he built the Dianzhen Tower for the relief of travelers. Climbing it, he wrote this lyric: behind the praise of peace lies the wound of the lost north — his homeland in Shandong had been under Jin occupation since his youth.
此词写登临，以感慨写登临，是辛弃疾的名篇。辛弃疾（1140—1207），字幼安，号稼轩，历城（今山东济南）人，南宋豪放派词人，与苏轼并称「苏辛」，与李清照并称「济南二安」。此词为辛弃疾任滁州知州时登奠枕楼而作，写其登楼远望的感慨与期望。辛弃疾知滁州，修建奠枕楼，此词写其登楼抚今追昔。此词写征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼；指点檐牙高处，浪拥云浮；今年太平万里，罢长淮、千骑临秋；凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州；千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头；看取弓刀，陌上车马如流；从今赏心乐事，剩安排、酒令诗筹；华胥梦，愿年年、人似旧游。此词写登楼：「征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼」写征埃成阵、行客相逢、都道幻出层楼——写尽幻出的层楼（征埃成阵，行客相逢，都道幻出层楼）；「凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州」写凭栏望、有东南佳气、西北神州——写尽西北的神州（凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州）；「千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头」写千古怀嵩人去、还笑我、身在楚尾吴头——写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩（千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头）；「华胥梦，愿年年、人似旧游」写华胥梦、愿年年、人似旧游——写尽人似旧游的华胥（华胥梦，愿年年、人似旧游）。全词以感慨写登临，写尽幻出的层楼与楚尾吴头的怀嵩，是理解辛弃疾登临词的重要篇章。
Art
The lyric's craft lies in its double movement of scene and feeling. The opening 'magically appeared' is white sketch with a touch of fantasy: the tower seems conjured by the clouds themselves. 'Waves embrace the floating clouds' welds height and vastness into one view. The couplet 'in the southeast auspicious air, in the northwest our sacred land' is the poem's hinge — a single glance arranged as a contrast between the living south and the lost north, carrying the whole patriotic weight in a handful of characters. The Li Deyu allusion turns a local climb into historical memory; the closing Huaxu prayer lifts grief into blessing. As a long tune, the pattern lets the poet narrate, describe, and meditate in turn — the bold, allusive craft typical of Xin Qiji.
此词的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以白描写层楼。「都道幻出层楼」以白描写层楼——那「指点檐牙高处」写尽檐牙的高处，以白描写尽幻出的层楼。其二，以对照写神州。「东南佳气，西北神州」以对照写神州——那「凭栏望」写尽凭栏的远望，以对照写尽西北的神州。其三，以用典写怀古。「千古怀嵩人去」以用典写怀古——那「怀嵩」用李德裕怀嵩楼典写怀古，以用典写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩。其四，以祝祷写期望。「华胥梦，愿年年」以祝祷写期望——那「人似旧游」写尽人似旧游的华胥，以祝祷写尽人似旧游的华胥。此外，此词上阕写幻出的层楼，下阕写楚尾吴头的怀嵩，由景及情，正是登临词「以望写慨」的写法。四重手法，使此词以感慨写登临，写尽幻出的层楼与楚尾吴头的怀嵩，是辛弃疾的代表作。此词还善于以「指点檐牙高处，浪拥云浮」的「指点」写登楼之指点——那「指点檐牙」写尽檐牙的高处，正是以指点写楼，以「浪拥云浮」写尽幻出的层楼。又善以「看取弓刀，陌上车马如流」的「弓刀」写弓刀之看取——看取弓刀，正见弓刀看取的写照，以「弓刀」写尽车马的如流。
Allusions
Three allusions matter. 'He who longed for Mount Song' is the Tang chancellor Li Deyu, demoted in the factional struggles and once prefect of Chuzhou; in exile he dreamed of returning north and raised a tower named for his longing. Xin Qiji, himself governing Chuzhou with the north lost, stands in Li Deyu's place — the same post, the same unfulfilled longing. 'The tail of Chu, the head of Wu' is the old name for the Chu-Wu borderlands where Chuzhou lies, a phrase for the southern edge of the world. The 'Huaxu dream' comes from the Liezi: the Yellow Emperor dreamed of a realm beyond the sea where people lived in perfect peace and contentment; it stands for the poet's prayer for lasting peace.
此词的用语深植于登临与感慨传统。「层楼」令人想到「层楼」写层楼的意象——也令人想到「更上一层楼」（王之涣）的意象；「檐牙」令人想到「檐牙」写檐角的意象——也令人想到「廊腰缦回，檐牙高啄」（杜牧）的意象；「怀嵩」令人想到「怀嵩」写怀嵩楼的意象——李德裕滁州怀嵩楼，也令人想到「怀嵩楼上」的意象；「楚尾吴头」令人想到「楚尾吴头」写楚地尾吴地头的意象——也令人想到「吴头楚尾」的意象；「弓刀」令人想到「弓刀」写弓刀的意象——也令人想到「醉里挑灯看剑」（辛弃疾）的意象；「华胥梦」令人想到「华胥梦」写华胥国的意象——《列子》黄帝梦游华胥国，也令人想到「华胥之梦」的意象。全词化用层楼、檐牙、怀嵩、楚尾吴头、弓刀、华胥梦的意象典故，以感慨写登临，正是辛弃疾「豪放」而善用典、承登临传统写感慨之本领。「檐牙」令人想到「檐牙」写檐角的意象——也令人想到「檐牙高啄」的意象；「华胥梦」令人想到「华胥梦」写华胥国的意象——也令人想到「华胥之梦」的意象，以华胥写太平。
Commentary
Qing and modern critics rank this among Xin Qiji's finest ascent-lyrics, praising it as 'writing ascent through feeling, vigorous and somber'. The couplet 'in the southeast auspicious air, in the northwest our sacred land' is singled out as its famous line. Read with Xin Qiji's 'Shui Long Yin: Climbing the Guanxin Pavilion at Jiankang', it forms one of the two poles of his poetry of ascent — the Guanxin Pavilion gazing at the Wu hook, the Dianzhen Tower gazing at the northwest sacred land. For readers today it is a window into the Southern Song frontier world: peace on the surface, the lost north underneath.
此词历来被推为辛弃疾登临词的名篇，也是宋词写滁州登楼的代表。历代论者对此词评价极高：清人评此词「以感慨写登临，雄健沉郁」；近人更指出「凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州」写西北的神州，是此词的名句。在诗歌史上，此词的特殊价值在于：它以长调写尽幻出的层楼与楚尾吴头的怀嵩——那征埃成阵，那行客相逢，那都道幻出层楼，那指点檐牙高处，那浪拥云浮，那今年太平万里，那罢长淮，那千骑临秋，那凭栏望，那有东南佳气，那西北神州，那千古怀嵩人去，那还笑我，那身在楚尾吴头，那看取弓刀，那陌上车马如流，那从今赏心乐事，那剩安排，那酒令诗筹，那华胥梦，那愿年年，那人似旧游，都写尽了辛弃疾笔下的滁州旅次登奠枕楼；那「西北神州」更以对照写尽西北的神州。此词与辛弃疾《水龙吟·登建康赏心亭》「楚天千里清秋」同为登临名篇，一写「把吴钩看了」的赏心亭（登建康赏心亭），一写「西北神州」的奠枕楼（滁州登楼）；一写楚天，一写滁州。两词对读，可见辛弃疾登临词的两种境界。对于今日读者，此词是理解辛弃疾登临词的窗口，也是宋词写滁州登楼的经典——那西北的神州，穿越千年，仍在诉说着奠枕楼的凭栏。
Prosody
Line by line
凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州
Leaning on the rail I gaze: in the southeast there is auspicious air, in the northwest lies our sacred land.
凭栏望，有东南佳气，西北神州。
Leaning on the rail, I gaze: in the southeast, a fair air; in the northwest, the lost homeland.
此三句是全词写神州的要句，以凭栏望写凭栏，以东南佳气写佳气，以西北神州写神州，写尽西北的神州，是千古名句。「凭栏望」写凭栏望——那「凭栏」写凭栏，「望」写望，写尽凭栏的远望；「有东南佳气」写有东南佳气——那「东南」写东南，「佳气」写佳气，写尽东南的佳气；「西北神州」写西北神州——那「西北」写西北，「神州」写神州，写尽西北的神州。这句的深意在于：它以「凭栏望」的凭栏、「有东南佳气」的佳气与「西北神州」的神州，写尽西北的神州——凭栏望，那「凭栏望」写尽凭栏的远望——凭栏望，正是凭栏远望的写照，那「望」写尽西北的神州；有东南佳气，那「有东南佳气」写尽东南的佳气——有东南佳气，正是东南气佳的写照，那「佳气」写尽西北的神州；西北神州，那「西北神州」写尽西北的神州——西北神州，正是西北失地的写照，那「神州」写尽西北的神州；那「凭栏望」写尽凭栏的远望，那「有东南佳气」写尽东南的佳气，那「西北神州」写尽西北的神州，一写凭栏，一写佳气，一写神州，写尽西北的神州——东南气佳而西北失地，正是感慨的写照；此三句以凭栏、佳气、神州写尽西北的神州，也为下文的怀嵩作铺垫，也让此三句成为全词写神州的要句与千古名句。若换作直说「凭栏远望，东南有佳气，西北却是沦丧的神州」，则失其对照；唯以「凭栏望」写凭栏、「有东南佳气」写佳气、「西北神州」写神州，写尽西北的神州，也让此三句成为全词写神州的要句。
The three lines are the key lines of the ci's homeland, writing the leaning on the rail through leaning on the rail, I gaze, the fair air through in the southeast, a fair air, and the homeland through in the northwest, the lost homeland, exhausting the northwest homeland, an immortal line. Leaning on the rail, I gaze is precisely the picture of the far gazing; in the southeast, a fair air precisely the picture of the fair air; in the northwest, the lost homeland precisely the picture of the lost northwest land. One writes the leaning, one the fair air, one the homeland, exhausting the contrast of the southeast's fair air and the northwest's lost land. Were it said plainly leaning on the rail gazing far, the southeast has a fair air and the northwest is the lost homeland, the contrast would be softened; only through the leaning, the fair air, and the homeland is the scene exhausted, preparing the Huaigong below and making the lines the key of the ci.
千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头
Ages have passed since he who longed for Mount Song departed; he would only laugh to find me dwelling at the tail of Chu, the head of Wu.
千古怀嵩人去，还笑我、身在楚尾吴头。
For a thousand years, the Huaigong men are gone; they would laugh at me, lingering at the tail of Chu and the head of Wu.
此三句是全词写怀古核心，以千古怀嵩人去写怀嵩人，以还笑我写还笑我，以身在楚尾吴头写楚尾吴头，写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩，是千古名句。「千古怀嵩人去」写千古怀嵩人去——那「千古怀嵩人」写千古怀嵩人，「去」写去，写尽怀嵩人的去；「还笑我」写还笑我——那「还笑」写还笑，「我」写我，写尽还笑的我；「身在楚尾吴头」写身在楚尾吴头——那「身在」写身在，「楚尾吴头」写楚尾吴头，写尽楚尾吴头的吴头。这句的深意在于：它以「千古怀嵩人去」的怀嵩人、「还笑我」的还笑我与「身在楚尾吴头」的楚尾吴头，写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩——千古怀嵩人去，那「千古怀嵩人去」写尽怀嵩人的去——千古怀嵩人去，正是古人已去的写照，那「去」写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩；还笑我，那「还笑我」写尽还笑的我——还笑我，正是笑我羁旅的写照，那「笑我」写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩；身在楚尾吴头，那「身在楚尾吴头」写尽楚尾吴头的吴头——身在楚尾吴头，正是身在滁州的写照，那「楚尾吴头」写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩；那「千古怀嵩人去」写尽怀嵩人的去，那「还笑我」写尽还笑的我，那「身在楚尾吴头」写尽楚尾吴头的吴头，一写怀嵩，一写笑我，一写楚尾，写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩——古人怀嵩而我在楚尾，正是感慨的写照；此三句以怀嵩、笑我、楚尾写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩，也为下文的弓刀作铺垫，也让此三句成为全词写怀古核心与千古名句。若换作直说「千古怀嵩的人已经离去，还笑我身在楚尾吴头之地」，则失其用典；唯以「千古怀嵩人去」写怀嵩人、「还笑我」写还笑我、「身在楚尾吴头」写楚尾吴头，写尽楚尾吴头的怀嵩，也让此三句成为全词写怀古核心。
The three lines are the core of the ci's meditation on the past, writing the Huaigong men through for a thousand years, the Huaigong men are gone, the laughing at me through they would laugh at me, lingering at the tail of Chu and the head of Wu, exhausting the Huaigong of the Chu-tail, an immortal line. For a thousand years, the Huaigong men are gone is precisely the picture of the ancients gone; they would laugh at me precisely the picture of the laughter at his travel; lingering at the tail of Chu and the head of Wu precisely the picture of being at Chuzhou. One writes the Huaigong, one the laughter, one the Chu-tail, exhausting the sigh of the ancients' Huaigong and his own Chu-tail. Were it said plainly the Huaigong men of the ages are gone, laughing at me lingering at the tail of Chu and head of Wu, the allusive grace would be lost; only through the Huaigong, the laughter, and the Chu-tail is the meditation exhausted, preparing the bow and saber below and making the lines the core of the ci.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Xin Qiji's 'Shui Long Yin' ('A thousand li of Chu sky in clear autumn, waters follow the sky, endless autumn') is a celebrated ascent-lyric; this 'Shengsheng Man' climbs the Dianzhen Tower at Chuzhou. One gazes from the Guanxin Pavilion in Jiankang, 'having looked its fill at the Wu hook'; the other from the tower in Chuzhou toward the northwest sacred land. Read together, they show two poles of Xin Qiji's poetry of ascent — grandeur and somber reflection.
辛弃疾《水龙吟·登建康赏心亭》「楚天千里清秋，水随天去秋无际」写登临，是辛弃疾的名篇。此词《声声慢·滁州旅次登奠枕楼》则「凭栏望」写登临。同为辛弃疾登临词，一写「把吴钩看了」的赏心亭（登建康赏心亭），一写「西北神州」的奠枕楼（滁州登楼）；一写建康，一写滁州。两词对读，可见辛弃疾登临词的两种境界。
破阵子·为陈同甫赋壮词以寄之 Po Zhenzi: A Stout Song Written for Chen Tongfu 辛弃疾 · 同辛弃疾壮词，一醉里挑灯看剑一看取弓刀 Both are stout (bold-and-unconstrained) lyrics by Xin Qiji: one 'looks at the sword by lamplight in drunkenness', the other 'sees the bows and sabers'Xin Qiji's 'Po Zhenzi' ('In drunkenness I look at the sword by lamplight, dreaming back to camps where horns are linked') writes of heroic ambition; this 'Shengsheng Man' writes of 'looking at the bows and sabers' on the streets of Chuzhou. One is set on the battlefield, the other on the ascent-tower; read together they show two modes of Xin Qiji's heroic style.
辛弃疾《破阵子》「醉里挑灯看剑，梦回吹角连营」写壮志，是辛弃疾的名篇。此词《声声慢·滁州旅次登奠枕楼》则「看取弓刀」写弓刀。同为辛弃疾壮词，一写「沙场秋点兵」的破阵子（破阵子），一写「西北神州」的奠枕楼（滁州登楼）；一写沙场，一写登楼。两词对读，可见辛弃疾壮志的两种表达。