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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

凤栖梧·伫倚危楼风细细

Feng Qi Wu · Leaning on the High Tower in the Fine Breeze

柳永

Liu Yong

怀人Yearning for someone 相思Lovesickness 离愁Parting sorrow 恋情Romantic love

伫倚危楼风细细，望极春愁，黯黯生天际。
草色烟光残照里，无言谁会凭阑意。
拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味。
衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。

I lean long on the high tower, the wind so fine;
I gaze to the horizon, spring grief dimly rises from the skyline.
In the grass's green and the misty glow of the setting sun,
Without a word, who understands my feelings as I lean on the rail?
I think of giving myself to careless revelry to seek a drunken spell,
Facing wine and singing aloud, forced joy still has no taste.
My girdle grows slowly loose—I will not regret,
For her I melt away, haggard and worn.

Listen

Meaning

Standing alone on a high tower in a fine wind, the poet gazes into the distance as spring sorrow darkly rises from the horizon. In the twilight scene of grass and mist, no one understands his railing-leaning thoughts. He tries to find release in wine and song, but forced pleasure is tasteless. Yet his belt gradually loosens as he grows thin, and he declares he will never regret it, for it is willingly for her sake that he fades away.

久久倚立高楼，微风细细吹来，极目远望，春愁黯黯地从天边升起。草色烟光笼罩在落日余晖里，默默无言，谁领会我倚栏的心意。打算放浪疏狂图个一醉，对着酒当着歌，勉强寻乐却仍无滋味。衣带渐渐宽松终不后悔，为了她甘愿教人憔悴。

Appreciation

This is a masterpiece of longing for a distant beloved. The upper stanza depicts climbing high and gazing far; the wind, the high tower, and the long standing pose imply solitude. The grief is not said to arise in the heart but to emerge dimly from the edge of the sky, making the abstract emotion concrete and dynamic. The line 'Without a word, who understands my railing-leaning heart?' expresses absolute isolation. The lower stanza attempts to dispel grief through wild drinking and singing, but finds forced pleasure utterly flavorless. The final couplet, 'My girdle loosens gradually, yet I will never regret; for her I willingly grow haggard,' turns suffering into a resolute vow, writing tender feeling with vigorous strokes. The whole poem moves from scene to feeling, from drunkenness to vow, blending a wanderer's dejection and a lover's longing. The last two lines, quoted by Wang Guowei as the second realm for those achieving great causes and learning, show the poem's broad resonance.

【白话串讲】 “伫倚危楼风细细，望极春愁，黯黯生天际”——柳永写相思：独自倚楼。“拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味”——想醉，却无味。“衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴”——为她消瘦也不后悔。王国维把它当作人生第二境界。【意象与手法】上片写登高望远，“望极春愁，黯黯生天际”不写愁在心中而写愁生天际，化无形为有形；“草色烟光残照里”写望中之景，“无言谁会凭阑意”写无人会心的孤寂。下片“拟把疏狂图一醉”由放而收，终以“衣带渐宽终不悔”以健笔写柔情。【情感与主旨】柳永怀念远方恋人的名作，把漂泊异乡的落魄与怀恋意中人的缠绵融为一体，结尾二句被王国维借作古今成大事业大学问者第二境界，是婉约怀人之作的典范。【名句点睛】常考“衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴”以健笔写柔情，被王国维引为人生第二境界；“望极春愁，黯黯生天际”化无形之愁为有形。

Background

This lyric is traditionally attributed to Liu Yong, though it also appears in Ouyang Xiu's collection with minor textual variants. Liu Yong (originally Liu Sanbian) was an early Northern Song ci poet who suffered setbacks in his official career and spent years wandering through cities and pleasure quarters, writing in a colloquial and intimate style. This poem was likely composed while he was traveling away from his beloved. The spring grief and lonely tower are at once the wanderer's homesickness and the lover's separation sorrow, often merged in Liu Yong's works. The final vow of wasting away without regret not only expresses a lover's constancy but also echoes the poet's frustrated life and unappreciated talent. Understanding this background helps one grasp the melancholy of 'who understands my railing-leaning heart'—it is not merely romantic but also a lament over failed ambition and the lack of a sympathetic ear.

此词作者旧题柳永，亦见欧阳修集作《蝶恋花》，字句小异，然以意境论，柳永飘泊异乡、多写羁旅艳情的身世最相契合，一般归于柳永。柳永原名三变，北宋前期词人，早年仕途蹉跎，长期流连市井、漫游各地，以浅近俚俗之词行世，尝有忍把浮名换了浅斟低唱之句，致累试不第。此词当作于其漂泊在外、怀念意中人之时，具体年代难确，约在真宗咸平后。词中危楼独倚、春愁黯黯，既是江湖游子的羁旅之愁，也是与恋人远隔的相思之愁，二者在柳词中常融为一体。北宋都市繁华而科举艰难，柳永这样的才子沉沦下僚、流转坊曲，其怀人词往往带着身世落拓的暗影：衣带渐宽不悔，既是恋情的坚执，也是漂泊者无处安放的深情。理解这一背景，方能懂无言谁会凭阑意中那点落寞，不止儿女，亦关功名失意、知音难遇的孤怀。柳永沉沦下僚、流转坊曲，其怀人词常带身世落拓的暗影，衣带渐宽不悔既是恋情坚执，也是漂泊者无处安放的深情，故危楼独倚中孤怀不止儿女。

Art

The artistry lies in writing tender feeling with firm strokes and using abrupt turns to convey deep commitment. The opening line creates a long, still posture on a high tower. 'Spring grief dimly rises from the skyline' objectifies emotion as image. The lower stanza begins with an attempt to escape through wild drunkenness, but it is negated by 'forced joy still has no taste,' showing the depth of sorrow. The final couplet rises like a sudden peak, transforming longing into a sinewy oath. The poem moves from low-spirited melancholy to determined endurance, with the conclusion giving backbone to soft sentiment. Though Liu Yong is known for expansive description, this piece is remarkably concentrated and implicit, making it a gem among his short lyrics.

此词艺术在以健笔写柔情、以顿挫写沉挚。上片起伫倚危楼风细细，危楼见立足之高、伫倚见凭栏之久，风细细写春寒料峭；望极春愁，黯黯生天际不写愁生于心而写愁从天际生出，化抽象为具象、变静态为流动，是柳词炼句之妙。草色烟光残照里写望断天涯之景，无言谁会凭阑意收以孤寂，上片由景入情、由外而内。下片拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味，以放浪图醉写消愁之法，却以强乐无味否定，笔势开阖，愁不可遣；终以衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴振起，以决绝之誓收缠绵之思。全词由抑（春愁、谁会）到扬（不悔、消得），情感由低回转坚毅，结二句如异军突起，把怀人之柔情写得有筋骨。柳词本以铺叙见长，此首却含蓄凝练，情景相生，是其小令中之精品。上片由景入情、下片由醉及誓，结以健笔写柔情，情感由低回转坚毅，把怀人之思写到不惜憔悴的境地，哀而不伤、怨而不怒，是婉约怀人之极则。

Allusions

The imagery and allusions are both apt and refined. 'High tower' echoes Li Bai's 'The Fearful Tower' (危楼高百尺). 'Spring grief rising dimly from the skyline' evokes Jiang Yan's 'Fu on Parting' (黯然销魂) and the distant sorrow in the Chu Ci. 'Grass color and misty light' draws on Tang poems by Meng Haoran and Wang Wei. 'Facing wine and singing aloud' directly quotes Cao Cao's 'Short Song' (对酒当歌). 'The girdle gradually loosens' derives from the 'Nineteen Old Poems' (相去日已远，衣带日已缓), while 'haggard and worn' alludes to Song Yu's 'Summoning the Soul' (形容枯槁). Liu Yong weaves these allusions into colloquial language, creating a masterpiece of longing. Later Wang Guowei in 'Poetic Talks in the Human World' borrowed the final couplet as the second realm for those pursuing great achievements, elevating romantic devotion into a symbol of unremitting dedication.

词中意象与用典都典雅而贴切。危楼出于李白《夜宿山寺》手可摘星辰式的登高意象，写立高望远。春愁承汉唐以来伤春传统，黯黯生天际暗用江淹《别赋》黯然销魂与《楚辞》天际愁生之思。草色烟光化孟浩然、王维的春草暮烟，写望中之迷蒙；凭阑意近李煜独自莫凭栏的孤倚。对酒当歌直引曹操《短歌行》对酒当歌，人生几何，柳永反用其意，写强乐无味，自具身世之悲。衣带渐宽出于《古诗十九首》相去日已远，衣带日已缓，写因相思而瘦；为伊消得人憔悴的憔悴本宋玉《招魂》形容枯槁之意。这些故实经柳永以白话连缀，遂成怀人绝唱；后来王国维《人间词话》更借衣带渐宽二句为成大事业者第二境界，使其由恋情升华为执着精神之象征，意象之用可谓大而化之。危楼、春愁、凭阑、对酒当歌、衣带渐宽诸意象皆有所本，对酒当歌反用曹诗，衣带渐宽本古诗十九首，柳永以白话连缀遂成绝唱，后更被借为治学立业之境。

Commentary

In the upper stanza, the poet stands and leans on a high tower in a fine wind, gazing far into the spring sorrow that darkly rises from the edge of the sky. The scene of grass color, misty light, and setting sun deepens the desolation. The line 'Without a word, who understands my railing-leaning heart' reveals his utter isolation. In the lower stanza, he contemplates a wild, drunken release, singing before his wine, but forced pleasure has no taste—this deepens the grief. Then the final couplet suddenly lifts: his girdle loosens as he grows thin, yet he will never regret, willingly wasting away for her. The earlier sorrow and failed escape are all gathered into a stubborn vow. The poem proceeds from scene to feeling, from drunkenness to vow, fusing the wanderer's downfall with the lover's devotion. It is restrained yet intense, the greatest example of the subtle, romantic ci style.

上片写登高怀远。伫倚危楼风细细，先布景：危楼、细风、久立，已含孤寂；望极春愁，黯黯生天际，极目而春愁自天际黯黯涌生，不写愁在胸而写愁在天边，想象奇警。草色烟光残照里，写望中所见，草色烟光、夕阳残照，迷蒙而苍凉；无言谁会凭阑意，由景转入内心，默默凭栏而无人会心，孤怀难诉。下片写醉不得遣而终不悔。拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味，想借放浪狂歌排遣，却觉勉强为欢全无滋味，愁之深至此——酒与歌皆不能解。衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴，终以健笔写柔情：身渐瘦、带渐宽，却始终不悔，宁可为你憔悴。两句把前文的春愁、谁会、无味全部收束为一种执拗的誓言，情感由低回转坚定。通篇由景及情、由醉及誓，把漂泊者的相思写到不惜憔悴的境地，哀而不伤、怨而不怒，是婉约怀人之极则。由伫倚危楼到春愁天际，由强乐无味到衣带渐宽，通篇景情相生、开阖动荡，把落拓游子的相思写到有筋骨，遂不仅为艳科，而具沉挚之格。

Prosody

Reading note The tune is a double strophe of sixty characters. The rhythm is relaxed and lingering at the opening ('伫倚危楼风细细'), then becomes more abrupt and staccato in the lower stanza ('拟把—对酒—强乐'). The concluding couplet, '衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴,' rises with firm oblique tones, matching the unyielding determination. Though colloquial in language, the syllabic pattern is strictly regulated, showing Liu Yong's mastery of both sound and sense.《凤栖梧》即《蝶恋花》，唐教坊曲，双调六十字，上下片各四仄韵。柳永此首上片伫倚危楼风细细，望极春愁，黯黯生天际，草色烟光残照里，无言谁会凭阑意，下片拟把疏狂图一醉，对酒当歌，强乐还无味，衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。句式以七字句为主，间以四字、三字（风细细、终不悔），节奏由上片舒缓（伫倚危楼—望极春愁）到下片顿挫（拟把—对酒—强乐）。仄韵凄切，与春愁相称；上片危、际、里、意递转，下片醉、味、悔、悴递转，韵密情长。最见声情处在结句衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴，以七言振起，仄声收束（悔、悴皆仄），声情由低回转坚毅，恰合不悔之决绝。整体平仄合律，而语近白话，宜其流传之广；王国维引为境界说第二境，亦因其音节虽婉而骨力自遒，能承载执着之精神。

Line by line

衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。

Leaning long on the high tower while the wind blows fine—describes the poet's prolonged, motionless stance in a gentle breeze.

The belt grows ever looser, and still I do not repent; for her, I would gladly waste to this haggardness.

这是全词的词眼，也是中国文学写痴情最决绝的一联。衣带渐宽本于《古诗十九首》衣带日已缓，写因相思消瘦；柳永加终不悔三字，把被动的消瘦转为主动的抉择——我宁可瘦下去，也绝不后悔。为伊消得人憔悴更以消得（值得）二字，把憔悴写成甘愿的代价。两句以健笔写柔情，气骨遒上，与上文春愁、谁会、无味的低回形成强反差，如异峰突起。它之所以被王国维引为古今成大事业大学问者之第二境界，正因这股不悔的执拗可通于一切锲而不舍的追求：恋人、学问、功业，其精神同在执着。柳词本多俚俗，此联却洗练刚健，把儿女之情写到有筋骨，是婉约词中罕见的以决绝胜缠绵之笔，也是千古传诵的爱情誓言。

This couplet is the eye of the ci, and the most resolute declaration of devoted love in all Chinese literature. The belt grows ever looser draws on the Nineteen Old Poems' the belt day by day loosens, writing the wasting from longing; Liu Yong adds I do not repent, turning the passive thinning into an active choice — I will waste, and never regret. For her, I would gladly waste to this haggardness uses worth (deserving) to write the haggardness as a price willingly paid. Two lines write the tender feeling with a vigorous brush, the sinew strong, in sharp contrast to the winding spring grief, who understands, tastelessness above, like a peak rising suddenly. Wang Guowei cites it as the second realm of those who achieve great cause and great learning, precisely because this stubborn refusal to repent reaches all unremitting pursuit: lover, scholar, hero, the spirit is one in devotion. Liu Yong's ci is often vulgar, and this couplet is washed clean and firm, writing love's feeling with bone, the rare close-to-longing stroke of the graceful school, a love vow recited through the ages.

望极春愁，黯黯生天际。

Gazing to the farthest point, spring grief dimly rises from the sky's edge—the emotion is projected outward and made concrete.

Gazing to the far verge, the spring sorrow rises, dim and dark, from the sky's edge.

这是上片的炼句，也是柳永化无形为有形的妙笔。寻常写愁，多说愁生心底；柳永却说望极春愁，黯黯生天际，极目远望时，春愁竟从遥远的天际黯黯升起。这个构思的巧处有二：一是把抽象情感空间化、动态化，愁不再是闷在胸中的块垒，而是自天边漫来的暗云，画面感极强；二是暗点春愁由天际景物（草色烟光、残照）所触发，景与情由此打通。黯黯写愁之深重与不明，生天际写其来路悠远，呼应危楼伫倚的居高临下。它既避免了直说相思的浮浅，又为后文无人会凭阑意蓄势——天际之愁尚可见，心中之意却无人会。这一句以小见大，是柳词情景交融、想象新奇的代表，也最见宋人善炼虚字的本领。

This is the polished line of the first stanza, Liu Yong's magic of turning the formless into the formed. The common way writes grief born in the heart; Liu Yong says gazing to the far verge, the spring sorrow rises, dim and dark, from the sky's edge — gazing to the utmost, and the spring grief rises dimly from the far horizon. The invention has two merits: first, it spatializes and animates the abstract feeling — grief is no longer a lump pent in the breast, but a dark cloud drifting from the sky's edge, strongly pictorial; second, it hints that the grief is triggered by the horizon scenery (the grass-green, the misty light, the setting sun), scene and feeling thus connected. Dim writes the grief's depth and obscurity; rises from the sky's edge writes its distant source, answering the high leaning on the high tower. It avoids the flatness of speaking longing directly, and builds force for the who understands the thought of leaning on the rail below — the horizon grief can be seen, and the heart's meaning understood by none. The line sees the large through the small, the representative of Liu Yong's fusion of scene and feeling and strange invention.

Study

Word focus

伫倚 To stand still and lean for a long time; captures the prolonged, motionless posture of longing. 伫倚即久立倚靠，柳永伫倚危楼风细细，以伫写立之久、以倚写身之凭，合二字状出登高怀人者长时间不动、倚栏出神的姿态。这个词的妙处在静中见动、态中见心：危楼已高，伫倚更显孤身久立；风细细写春寒侵人，而人不为所动，可见其出神之深。它上承李白危楼高百尺的登高意象，下启望极春愁的远望，是连接景与情的支点。若单用立或凭便失其韵；唯伫倚并出，既有时间的延宕（伫），又有身体的依靠（倚），把漂泊游子无依而强依危楼的矛盾写得极淡极准，是柳词善写人物姿态、于细微处见情致的例子，也为全词孤寂基调定音。

消得 To be worth; to be willing to pay. Here it means that wasting away for her is a worthy sacrifice. 消得犹值得、抵得，柳永为伊消得人憔悴，意即为了她，这身憔悴是值得的。这个词的份量在于它把憔悴由被动的苦转化为主动的甘——不是无奈瘦损，而是心甘情愿的付出。消得与终不悔呼应，构成全联的决绝内核：不悔是态度，消得是价值认定。它使两句不止于写相思之深，更写出一种不计代价的执着，故能超越儿女之情而被王国维借喻治学立业。若用惹得便成被动哀怨，用教得便平；唯消得二字，把付出写得甘美而有尊严，最见柳词以常语写至情、于决绝中见温厚的本领，也是此联之所以成为千古誓言的关键。

强乐 Forced pleasure; joy that is not genuine, here rendered 'forced joy'. 强乐即强颜为欢，柳永对酒当歌，强乐还无味，写借酒歌排愁却觉勉强欢笑全无滋味。这个词的妙处在以乐写哀、以无味写至愁：常人以为酒可浇愁，柳永却说强乐无味，愁深到连欢乐都假的境地，反比直写流泪更沉。强字点出笑之勉强、心之不随，与拟把疏狂图一醉的放浪形成表里——外表疏狂，内里强乐，反差愈大，孤寂愈显。它上承无言谁会凭阑意，下启衣带渐宽终不悔，是情感由消遣失败转向执着誓言的转折：既然强乐无味，便不如坦然不悔。强乐二字，把柳词中失意游子借酒浇愁而愁更愁的典型心境写得极准，也是宋词善以无味写深哀的一例。