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长亭怨慢

Long Pavilion Lament (Changting Yuanman)

王沂孙

Wang Yisun

泛孤艇、东皋过遍。
尚记当日，绿阴门掩。
屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限。
欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑。
自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散。
水远。
怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远。
天涯梦短。
想忘了、绮疏雕槛。
望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚。
但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉。

I drift alone in a small boat, wandering all over the eastern marsh.
I still remember that day, when green shade hid the gate.
Clog teeth on the mossy steps, wine stains on silken sleeves — how endless were those scenes.
I seek the traces of former days, but grieve in vain: it has all become an autumn garden.
The one with whom I made a tryst to admire the flowers — after we parted, everything scattered like wind-tossed clouds.
The waters stretch far.
Who knew that beyond the flowing water the tumbled mountains lie even farther?
Dreams are short at the sky's edge.
I would forget the latticed windows and carved railings.
Endless, the softly sloping sunlight; stroking the tall trees, I feel the year growing late.
Only a few dots of red petals still recognize the mournful beauty of the Western Garden.
Listen

Meaning

Revisiting an old garden, the speaker finds every trace of past joy turned to autumn desolation; the friend with whom he once promised to view flowers has scattered like wind-tossed clouds. Beyond the water lie farther mountains, dreams run short, and in the fading light only a few red petals still seem to remember the garden's sorrow — an elegiac meditation on lost companionship and one's own late years, touched with the loyalist melancholy of the Song-Yuan transition.

泛孤艇、东皋过遍。尚记当日，绿阴门掩。屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限。欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑。自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散。水远。怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远。天涯梦短。想忘了、绮疏雕槛。望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚。但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] I drift alone in a small boat over all the eastern marshes. I still remember that day, the gate hidden in green shade: clog teeth on mossy steps, wine stains on silken sleeves — how endless those scenes. Seeking the traces of former days, I grieve in vain; it has all become an autumn garden. The one with whom I promised to admire flowers has, since parting, scattered like wind-tossed clouds. The waters stretch far — and beyond them the tumbled mountains lie farther still. Dreams are short at the sky's edge. I would forget the latticed windows and carved railings, yet the slanting sun is endless, and stroking the tall trees I feel my years growing late. Only a few dots of red petals still recognize the Western Garden's mournful beauty. [Structure] Present wandering and memory alternate without a single harsh transition: the upper stanza moves from the remembered garden to its present autumn decay; the lower stanza widens from water to mountains to dreams, then contracts to the closing image of red petals. [Imagery] The imagery is faded and autumnal — moss, autumn garden, slanting sun, tall trees, red petals — a palette of decline in which the few remaining flowers carry the weight of all that has been lost.

【白话串讲】 王沂孙写《长亭怨慢》：“泛孤艇、东皋过遍”——“尚记当日，绿阴门掩”——“欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑”——“自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散”——他写旧地重游——别后总风流云散。 【意象与手法】 “泛孤艇、东皋过遍”以孤艇写独游；“尚记当日，绿阴门掩”忆旧日；“欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑”写物是人非；“自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散”以风流云散写人事凋零；结以“但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉”。今昔对照、清空凄婉。 【情感与主旨】 王沂孙旧地重游感旧之作，写寻访前迹而人事已非、故人流散的惆怅，寄寓身世飘零之感，是南宋遗民词的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散”以风流云散写人事凋零；“但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉”以数点红英写西园凄婉。

Background

Wang Yisun (c. 1230–c. 1291), courtesy name Shengyu and sobriquet Bishan, was from Kuaiji (modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang). A celebrated late-Song poet, he was famed for his yongwu (poems on objects), in which personal and loyalist feeling is buried deep beneath the surface. His lyrics of revisiting old places, of which this is the most famous, are traditionally read as mourning the lost Song world and the scattering of its companions.

《长亭怨慢》为宋末元初词人王沂孙所作词。王沂孙（约1230—约1291），字圣与，号碧山，会稽（今浙江绍兴）人，宋末词人，词善咏物，寄托遥深。此词写感旧羁旅。词中「泛孤艇、东皋过遍。尚记当日，绿阴门掩」写泛孤艇东皋过遍；「屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限」写酒痕罗袖；「欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑」写空惆怅；「自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散」写风流云散；「水远。怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远」写乱山尤远；「天涯梦短。想忘了、绮疏雕槛」想忘了绮疏雕槛；「望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚」写年华将晚；「但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉」写西园凄婉。王沂孙此词以感旧羁旅、西园凄婉写其感旧之情，含蓄深婉，是王沂孙词中的名篇。此篇《长亭怨慢》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 poem's craft lies in its restraint: nothing is stated outright, everything is implied through scenes. The upper stanza sets memory against reality — green shade and wine stains against moss and autumn — so that the phrase 'it has all become an autumn garden' does the work of an entire lament. The lower stanza pushes distance outward (water, mountains, the sky's edge) to measure separation; then the line 'I would forget the latticed windows and carved railings' reveals that forgetting is impossible, and the closing red petals, alone still 'recognizing' the garden, personify memory itself. The whole is a model of Wang Yisun's indirect, object-centered manner.

此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、以景写情」见长。全词上片写泛孤艇东皋过遍与空惆怅，下片写乱山尤远与西园凄婉。上片「泛孤艇、东皋过遍。尚记当日，绿阴门掩」写泛孤艇东皋过遍：泛孤艇、东皋过遍，尚记当日，绿阴门掩；「屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限」写酒痕罗袖：屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限；「欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑」写空惆怅：欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑；「自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散」写风流云散：自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散。下片「水远。怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远」写乱山尤远：水远，怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远；「天涯梦短。想忘了、绮疏雕槛」想忘了绮疏雕槛：天涯梦短，想忘了、绮疏雕槛；「望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚」写年华将晚：望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚；「但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉」写西园凄婉：但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，是王沂孙词中的名篇。

Allusions

The closing movement echoes Huan Wen — the Jin general who, seeing the willows he had planted as magistrate grown tall, sighed 'if the trees are thus, how can man bear it' — and this lies behind 'stroking the tall trees, I feel the year growing late', merging sorrow for time's passage with grief for lost friends. 'Scattered like wind-tossed clouds' adapts Wang Can's classical line on friends parting 'like rain, once gone', an image of dispersal. Donggao (the eastern marsh) is the traditional waterside height of reclusion, and qishu (lattice windows) with carved railings mark the vanished garden's elegance.

词中「泛孤艇东皋过遍」「尚记当日绿阴门掩」「屐齿莓阶」「酒痕罗袖事何限」「欲寻前迹空惆怅成秋苑」「自约赏花人别后总风流云散」「水远」「怎知流水外却是乱山尤远」「天涯梦短」「想忘了绮疏雕槛」「望不尽苒苒斜阳」「抚乔木年华将晚」「但数点红英犹识西园凄婉」等语，皆含典故故实。「泛孤艇东皋过遍」写泛孤艇东皋过遍（东皋为水边高地）；「尚记当日绿阴门掩」写尚记当日绿阴门掩；「屐齿莓阶」写屐齿莓阶（屐齿为木屐齿、莓为苔藓）；「酒痕罗袖事何限」写酒痕罗袖事何限；「欲寻前迹空惆怅成秋苑」写欲寻前迹空惆怅成秋苑；「自约赏花人别后总风流云散」写自约赏花人别后总风流云散（用王粲「风流云散，一别如雨」之意）；「水远」写水远；「怎知流水外却是乱山尤远」写怎知流水外却是乱山尤远；「天涯梦短」写天涯梦短；「想忘了绮疏雕槛」写想忘了绮疏雕槛；「望不尽苒苒斜阳」写望不尽苒苒斜阳；「抚乔木年华将晚」用桓温「木犹如此，人何以堪」之典（抚树而叹年华），写抚乔木年华将晚；「但数点红英犹识西园凄婉」写但数点红英犹识西园凄婉。词人以风流云散、抚木叹老等典入词，不着痕迹，而把感旧羁旅之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。

Commentary

'Changting Yuanman' is the most celebrated lyric in Wang Yisun's canon and a staple of Song lyric anthologies; the tune title itself is now almost inseparable from his name. Critics have long valued its restraint — 'the one with whom I promised to admire flowers, since parting, has scattered like wind-tossed clouds' for compressing the dispersal of a whole generation into one line, and the closing red petals for ending in an image rather than an exclamation. Later readers of the Song-Yuan transition heard in it the elegy of a survivor, which is why it stands at the head of the loyalist lyric tradition.

这首《长亭怨慢》，是王沂孙写感旧羁旅之作，写泛孤艇东皋过遍、空惆怅、西园凄婉之情，含蓄深婉。上片写泛孤艇东皋过遍与空惆怅：「泛孤艇、东皋过遍。尚记当日，绿阴门掩」——泛孤艇、东皋过遍，尚记当日，绿阴门掩。写泛孤艇东皋过遍：泛孤艇东皋过遍、尚记当日绿阴门掩——泛孤艇东皋过遍、尚记当日绿阴门掩；「屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限」——屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限。写酒痕罗袖：屐齿莓阶、酒痕罗袖事何限——屐齿莓阶、酒痕罗袖事何限；「欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑」——欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑。写空惆怅：欲寻前迹、空惆怅成秋苑——欲寻前迹、空惆怅成秋苑；「自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散」——自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散。写风流云散：自约赏花人、别后总风流云散——约赏花人、别后风流云散。下片写乱山尤远与西园凄婉：「水远。怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远」——水远，怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远。写乱山尤远：水远、怎知流水外却是乱山尤远——水远、乱山尤远；「天涯梦短。想忘了、绮疏雕槛」——天涯梦短，想忘了、绮疏雕槛。想忘了绮疏雕槛：天涯梦短、想忘了绮疏雕槛——天涯梦短、想忘绮疏雕槛；「望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚」——望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木（用桓温抚树之典）、年华将晚。写年华将晚：望不尽苒苒斜阳、抚乔木年华将晚——斜阳望不尽、抚乔木年华将晚；「但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉」——但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉。写西园凄婉：但数点红英、犹识西园凄婉——数点红英、犹识西园凄婉。这「但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉」，是全词之结：以西园凄婉写其感旧。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，正是王沂孙词中的名篇。

Prosody

Form Ci (lyric) to the tune 'Changting Yuanman' (Long Pavilion, Slow Resentment), a long lyric (changdiao)词（长亭怨慢，长调）
Rhyme The tune Changting Yuanman is a long lyric of ninety-seven characters, with nine lines in each of the upper and lower stanzas. It rhymes on oblique (ze) tones: bian (, yan (, xian (, yuan (, san (, yuan (, duan (, jian (, wan (, and wan ( all fall within the Xian-han ( rhyme group. Following the established tune pattern, the long form unfolds in extended narration, its lines of uneven length rising and falling with the feeling — a cadence well suited to the restrained, plaintive mood of this nostalgic journey.此词为《长亭怨慢》调，长调九十七字，上片下片各九句。押仄声韵：「遍」「掩」「限」「苑」「散」「远」「短」「槛」「晚」「婉」押铣翰部韵。词体依词谱而定，长调铺叙，句式长短错落，音节随情起伏，正与写感旧羁旅的含蓄深婉相称，也见其以长调写感旧的自然。
Tone pattern In the upper stanza, 'I drift alone in a small boat, wandering all over the eastern marsh' and 'I still remember that day, when green shade hid the gate' open in a vast, gray cadence; 'Clog teeth on the mossy steps, wine stains on silken sleeves — how endless were those scenes' falls in a low, lingering rhythm; 'I seek the traces of former days, but grieve in vain: it has all become an autumn garden' breaks off in frustration; 'The one with whom I made a tryst to admire the flowers — after we parted, everything scattered like wind-tossed clouds' turns to sighing reflection. In the lower stanza, 'The waters stretch far — who knew that beyond the flowing water the tumbled mountains lie even farther' sounds gray and distant; 'Dreams are short at the sky's edge — I would forget the latticed windows and carved railings' drops into a low, lingering fall; 'Endless, the softly sloping sunlight; stroking the tall trees, I feel the year growing late' sinks into heavy melancholy; 'Only a few dots of red petals still recognize the mournful beauty of the Western Garden' closes in a long, trailing resonance. The whole lyric rises and falls with the feeling — from gray vastness through broken frustration to heavy melancholy and finally a long, trailing note — true to the long lyric's art of extended narration, and it reads like the hushed, plaintive music of one revisiting old places.句式上，上片「泛孤艇、东皋过遍。尚记当日，绿阴门掩」写泛孤艇东皋过遍，音节苍茫；「屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限」写酒痕罗袖，音节低回；「欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑」写空惆怅，音节顿挫；「自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散」写风流云散，音节感慨；下片「水远。怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远」写乱山尤远，音节苍茫；「天涯梦短。想忘了、绮疏雕槛」想忘了绮疏雕槛，音节低回；「望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚」写年华将晚，音节沉郁；「但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉」写西园凄婉，音节绵长。全词音节随情起伏，由苍茫而顿挫、由沉郁而绵长，正合长调「铺叙」之妙，读来如感旧羁旅、西园凄婉之音，含蓄而动人。
Reading note To the tune 'Changting Yuanman', this is Wang Yisun's celebrated lyric of revisiting old places and one of the most famous pieces in his canon. Its artistry lies in restrained depth, using scenes to voice feeling: the upper stanza moves from drifting over the eastern marsh to the garden turned autumn, the lower stanza from water and mountains to the red petals of the Western Garden. Most masterly are 'the one with whom I promised to admire flowers — since parting, all scattered like wind-tossed clouds', which uses the classical image of dispersal to compress the loss of a whole generation into one line, and 'stroking the tall trees, I feel the year growing late', which borrows Huan Wen's tree-touching lament to fold personal aging into historical grief. This is the standard of Wang Yisun's restrained manner, collected in lyric anthologies across the centuries.此词为《长亭怨慢》调，是王沂孙写感旧羁旅之作，也是其词中的名篇。全词的艺术特色在于「含蓄深婉、以景写情」：上片「泛孤艇、东皋过遍。尚记当日，绿阴门掩」写泛孤艇东皋过遍、「屐齿莓阶，酒痕罗袖事何限」写酒痕罗袖、「欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑」写空惆怅、「自约赏花人，别后总、风流云散」写风流云散；下片「水远。怎知流水外，却是乱山尤远」写乱山尤远、「天涯梦短。想忘了、绮疏雕槛」想忘了绮疏雕槛、「望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚」写年华将晚、「但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉」写西园凄婉。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情。尤为精妙者，是「别后总、风流云散」用风流云散之意；而「抚乔木、年华将晚」用桓温抚树之典，正是王沂孙词「含蓄深婉」的典范，为历代词选所常收。

Line by line

泛孤艇、东皋过遍。

I drift alone in a small boat, wandering all over the eastern marsh.

泛孤艇、东皋过遍。

Floating a lone boat, I have wandered all over the eastern meadows.

首二句写泛孤艇东皋过遍，起笔即见其游。「泛孤艇」写泛孤艇，「泛」写泛舟、「孤艇」写孤舟；「东皋过遍」写东皋过遍，「东皋」写水边高地、「过遍」写过遍。两句一写泛孤艇、一写东皋过遍，以泛孤艇写孤舟独泛、以东皋过遍写游遍东皋，写尽泛孤艇、东皋过遍之情。以游起兴，含蓄而苍茫，是「以游起兴」的妙笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。

The opening two lines write the lone boat over the eastern meadows, the wandering at the first stroke. Floating a lone boat writes the floating, the lone boat; I have wandered all over the eastern meadows writes the waterside height, the wandering all over. Two lines, one the lone boat, one the meadows wandered, the lone boat for the solitary floating, the eastern meadows for the wandering through, exhausting the scene. Rising in the wandering, restrained and vast, the fine brush. The line writes the depth in scant words, the feeling and flavor both fine, the pointed stroke. Its hidden undercurrents between the words, its turns within the plain, call for repeated brooding.

尚记当日，绿阴门掩。

I still remember that day, when green shade hid the gate.

尚记当日，绿阴门掩。

Still I remember that day: green shade, the door closed.

此二句写尚记当日，是全词写忆旧的关键。「尚记当日」写尚记当日，「尚记」写还记得、「当日」写当日；「绿阴门掩」写绿阴门掩，「绿阴」写绿阴、「门掩」写门掩。两句一写尚记当日、一写绿阴门掩，以尚记当日写忆当日、以绿阴门掩写绿阴掩门，写尽尚记当日、绿阴门掩之情。以忆写旧，含蓄而深婉，是「以忆写旧」的点睛之笔。

The two lines write still remembering that day, the key of the ci's recall. Still I remember that day writes the still-remembering, that day; green shade, the door closed writes the green shade, the closed door. Two lines, one the remembered day, one the green shade and closed door, the remembered day for the recall, the closed door for the green shade hiding the door, exhausting the scene. Writing the old through memory, restrained and tactful, the pointed brush.

欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑。

I seek the traces of former days, but grieve in vain: it has all become an autumn garden.

欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑。

I long to seek the old traces, but vainly grieved — the garden has turned to autumn.

此二句写空惆怅，是全词写惆怅之态的关键。「欲寻前迹」写欲寻前迹，「欲寻」写想要寻找、「前迹」写往日之迹；「空惆怅、成秋苑」写空惆怅成秋苑，「空惆怅」写空自惆怅、「成秋苑」写已成秋苑。两句一写欲寻前迹、一写空惆怅成秋苑，以欲寻前迹写寻旧、以空惆怅成秋苑写惆怅而苑已秋，写尽欲寻前迹、空惆怅成秋苑之情。以景写怅，含蓄而深婉，是「以景写怅」的点睛之笔。

The two lines write the vain grief, the key of the ci's wistfulness. I long to seek the old traces writes the seeking, the old traces; but vainly grieved — the garden has turned to autumn writes the vain grief, the autumn garden. Two lines, one the seeking of the old traces, one the vain grief and autumn garden, the seeking for the old, the vain grief for the garden already autumn, exhausting the scene. Writing wistfulness through scene, restrained and tactful, the pointed brush.

天涯梦短。

Dreams are short at the sky's edge.

天涯梦短。

A dream at the edge of the world, too short.

此句写天涯梦短，是全词写梦短之慨的关键。「天涯梦短」写天涯梦短，「天涯」写天涯、「梦短」写梦短。一句以「天涯」写天涯之远、「梦短」写梦之短，写尽天涯梦短之情——天涯虽远而梦短。以梦写慨，含蓄而深挚，是「以梦写慨」的点睛之笔。此句以寥寥数语写尽深意，情韵兼胜，正是全诗点睛之笔。其于字句之间暗藏波澜，于平易之中寄寓曲折，尤当反复涵泳，方能得其三昧。

The line writes the dream at the edge of the world too short, the key of the ci's dream-short sigh. A dream at the edge of the world, too short: the edge of the world for the distance, the dream short for the brief dream. One line, the edge of the world for its far, the dream short for its brief, exhausting the edge-of-the-world dream too short. Writing the sigh through the dream, restrained and deep, the pointed brush. The line writes the depth in scant words, the feeling and flavor both fine, the pointed stroke. Its hidden undercurrents call for repeated brooding.

但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉。

Only a few dots of red petals still recognize the mournful beauty of the Western Garden.

但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉。

But for a few red blossoms, still recognizing the west garden's pathos.

尾二句写西园凄婉，是全词立意的落点。「但数点红英」写但数点红英，「但」写只、「数点红英」写数点红花；「犹识西园凄婉」写犹识西园凄婉，「犹识」写还认得、「西园凄婉」写西园之凄婉。两句一写但数点红英、一写犹识西园凄婉，以数点红英写残花数点、以犹识西园凄婉写西园之凄婉，写尽数点红英、犹识西园凄婉之情。以红英写旧，含蓄而深挚，是全词最动人处，也是「以红英写旧」的点睛之笔。

The closing two lines write the west garden's pathos, the landing point of the ci. But for a few red blossoms writes the but, the few red blossoms; still recognizing the west garden's pathos writes the still-recognizing, the west garden's pathos. Two lines, one the few red blossoms, one the recognized pathos, the few red blossoms for the remnant blooms, the west garden's pathos for its pathos, exhausting the scene. Writing the old through the red blossoms, restrained and deep, the most moving place, the pointed brush.

Study

Word focus

孤 'Lone' — the word that fixes the manner of the journey: a single small boat drifting alone over the eastern marsh, so that every remembered scene of green shade and wine stains is set against present solitude. 「孤」字写泛孤艇，是写孤舟独泛的关键。「泛孤艇」着一「孤」，写孤单——着一「孤」字，写孤艇独泛，见其游之孤。一字写尽孤艇之态，是「以一字写游」的妙笔。「孤」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
何限 'How limitless' — an exclamation over the wine-stained sleeves and mossy steps of memory: the scenes of those days were without end, which is precisely why their loss is without end. 「何限」写事何限，是写往事无限的关键。「酒痕罗袖事何限」着一「何限」，写多少——着一「何限」，写酒痕罗袖之事何限，见其往事之多。两字写尽何限之事，是「以词写忆」的点睛之词。「何限」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
散 'To scatter' — from the classical phrase 'wind-tossed clouds, scattered like rain once gone', used of companions dispersed after parting; one syllable holds the vanity of all gatherings. 「散」字写风流云散，是写别后离散的关键。「别后总、风流云散」着一「散」，写离散——着一「散」字，用风流云散之意写别后离散，见其聚散无常。一字写尽云散之慨，是「以一字用典」的点睛之词。「散」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。
凄婉 'Mournful and plaintive' — the tone of the Western Garden as the closing red petals still recognize it: beauty surviving only as grief, the garden's present state in two words. 「凄婉」写西园凄婉，是写西园之态的关键。「犹识西园凄婉」着一「凄婉」，写凄凉婉转——着一「凄婉」，写西园凄婉，见其景之凄。两字写尽凄婉之态，是「以词写景」的点睛之词。「凄婉」一字之用而全篇生色，与诗中情韵相为表里，正见诗人炼字之精与匠心之独运。读者于此等处若细细体会，自能领会其于平淡之中见功力、于寻常处见神奇之妙。

Related Reading

八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Basheng Ganzhou: 'To the Drizzling Evening Rain Spilled over the River and Sky' 柳永 · 同写羁旅望远、登高临秋，一写不忍登高临远望故乡渺邈归思难收、一写望不尽苒苒斜阳抚乔木年华将晚，皆于登高望远之中见羁旅 Both are journeys with distant gazing and autumn climbing — one 'cannot bear to climb high and gaze far, toward a homeland dim and remote, the thoughts of return hard to restrain', the other 'endless, the softly sloping sunlight; stroking the tall trees, I feel the year growing late' — both find the traveler's life in climbing and gazing far.

Liu Yong's 'Basheng Ganzhou' ('I cannot bear to climb high and gaze far; toward my homeland, dim and remote, my thoughts of return are hard to restrain') writes of a traveler's distant gaze and uncontainable homesickness and is the Song dynasty's most famous lyric of the wandering life; Wang Yisun's 'Changting Yuanman' instead writes 'I drift alone in a small boat, wandering all over the eastern marsh' and 'endless, the softly sloping sunlight; stroking the tall trees, I feel the year growing late'. Both lyrics are journeys with distant gazing and autumn climbing: one uses climbing high to write thoughts of return, the other the slanting sun to write the wandering life; one is Liu Yong's clear brightness, the other Wang Yisun's restrained depth. Read together, they show two Song approaches to gazing far on a journey.

柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「不忍登高临远，望故乡渺邈，归思难收」，写羁旅望远、归思难收，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；王沂孙《长亭怨慢》则以「泛孤艇、东皋过遍」「望不尽、苒苒斜阳，抚乔木、年华将晚」写东皋过遍、抚乔木年华将晚。两词同写羁旅望远、登高临秋：一写不忍登高临远望故乡渺邈归思难收、以登高写归思，一写望不尽苒苒斜阳抚乔木年华将晚、以斜阳写羁旅；一为柳永之清丽、一为王沂孙之深婉，并读正可见宋词写「羁旅望远」的两种笔法，皆于登高望远之中见羁旅。

 晏殊·蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露 Yan Shu — 'Dielianhua: The Fence Chrysanthemums Sorrow in the Mist, the Orchids Weep with Dew' 晏殊 · 同写独自凝愁、秋景如画，一写槛菊愁烟兰泣露、一写空惆怅成秋苑，皆于秋景之中见独自凝愁 Both stand alone in sorrow amid autumn scenery — one writes 'the fence chrysanthemums sorrow in the mist, the orchids weep with dew', the other 'I grieve in vain: it has all become an autumn garden' — both find solitary grief in the autumn scene.

Yan Shu's 'Dielianhua' ('The fence chrysanthemums sorrow in the mist, the orchids weep with dew; through the light curtains a chill creeps, the swallows fly away in pairs') writes autumn scenery and parting sorrow and is the Song dynasty's most famous lyric of melancholy; Wang Yisun's 'Changting Yuanman' instead writes 'I seek the traces of former days, but grieve in vain: it has all become an autumn garden' and 'only a few dots of red petals still recognize the mournful beauty of the Western Garden'. Both lyrics stand alone in sorrow amid autumn scenery: one uses chrysanthemum mist to write sorrow, the other an autumn garden to write sorrow; one is Yan Shu's warm smoothness, the other Wang Yisun's restrained depth. Read together, they show two Song approaches to autumn scenes and solitary grief.

晏殊《蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露》「槛菊愁烟兰泣露。罗幕轻寒，燕子双飞去」，写秋景离愁，是宋词写愁的名篇；王沂孙《长亭怨慢》则以「欲寻前迹，空惆怅、成秋苑」「但数点红英，犹识西园凄婉」写空惆怅成秋苑、西园凄婉。两词同写独自凝愁、秋景如画：一写槛菊愁烟兰泣露、以菊烟写愁，一写空惆怅成秋苑、以秋苑写愁；一为晏殊之温润、一为王沂孙之深婉，并读正可见宋词写「秋景凝愁」的两种笔法，皆于秋景之中见独自凝愁。