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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

贺铸·六州歌头·少年侠气

Six State Song: Youthful Chivalry

贺铸

He Zhu

豪放bold and unrestrained 言志expressing ambition

六州歌头·少年侠气少年侠气,交结五都雄。
肝胆洞,毛发耸。
立谈中,死生同。
一诺千金重。
推翘勇,矜豪纵。
轻盖拥,联飞鞚,斗城东。
轰饮酒垆,春色浮寒瓮,吸海垂虹。
闲呼鹰嗾犬,白羽摘雕弓,狡穴俄空。
乐匆匆。
似黄粱梦,辞丹凤;
明月共,漾孤篷。
官冗从,怀倥偬;
落尘笼,簿书丛。
鹖弁如云众,供粗用,忽奇功。
笳鼓动,渔阳弄,思悲翁。
不请长缨,系取天骄种,剑吼西风。
恨登山临水,手寄七弦桐,目送归鸿。

Youthful chivalry, I befriended heroes of five capitals.
Utmost sincerity, hairs bristle with indignation.
In casual talk, we shared life and death.
A promise as heavy as a thousand gold.
We praised the brave, boasted of unrestrained boldness.
Light carriages gathered, side by side we galloped, east of the city.
Loudly drinking at taverns, spring colors floating in cold jars,
As if sucking the sea and spitting a rainbow.
At leisure we called hawks and set dogs, drew bows with white feathers,
Emptying the cunning dens in no time.
Joy too fleeting.

Like a dream of yellow millet, I left the Phoenix Palace;
Only the bright moon accompanied my lonely sail.
As a petty official, burdened with busy trivialities;
Fallen into the dust trap, buried in piles of documents.
My warrior cap one of many, assigned only coarse tasks,
Suddenly no chance for great feats.
Fifes and drums stir, the tune of Yuyang plays,
I think of the grieving old man.
Unable to request the long tassel to capture the Heavenly Pride breed,
My sword roars in the west wind.
I resent that when climbing mountains or crossing waters,
I can only play the seven-stringed lute and watch the returning swans.
Listen

Meaning

The poem contrasts the poet's youthful chivalric adventures in the capital with his later frustrated career as a low-ranking official, expressing longing for heroism and grief over unfulfilled ambitions.

少年时一身侠气,结交五都豪雄。肝胆相照,怒发冲冠。立谈之间便生死与共,一诺重逾千金。推举骁勇,自矜豪纵。轻车簇拥,并辔飞驰,奔驰在京城之东。在酒垆轰饮,春色浮于寒瓮,气概如吸海垂虹。闲时唤鹰嗾犬,搭白羽于雕弓,狡兽之穴顷刻成空。欢乐太匆匆。 恍如黄粱一梦,辞别京师;唯明月相伴,荡漾孤篷。做着冗散微官,心怀倥偬;陷落尘网,埋首簿书丛中。鹖弁之流如云众多,只供粗使,奇功忽然难建。笳鼓声动,渔阳鼙弄,令我这位悲翁神伤。不能请得长缨,缚取敌酋,宝剑在西风中怒吼。恨只恨登山临水之时,手抚七弦琴,目送归鸿远去。

Appreciation

Background: He Zhu came from a military family but remained in low positions all his life. This poem recalls his youthful chivalry in the first stanza and his depressed middle age in the second, lamenting his unfulfilled ambitions. Interpretation: The first stanza uses a series of short lines to portray the passion of youthful heroes and hunting pleasures; the second stanza turns sharply with 'like a dream of yellow millet,' describing his frustrating official career and lack of opportunity to serve the nation. The lines about not being able to request the long tassel and the sword roaring in the west wind are stirring, and the poem ends with the lute and swans, expressing endless sorrow. Art: The short three- and four-character lines create a rapid, urgent rhythm, dashing in the first stanza and subdued in the second, interweaving heroism and indignation. It is a rare masterpiece among bold and unrestrained ci of the Northern Song.

【白话串讲】 “少年侠气,交结五都雄。肝胆洞,毛发耸。立谈中,死生同。一诺千金重”——贺铸写少年时的侠气:一诺千金,生死与共。可惜英雄老去,“长剑铗,欲生苔”——剑都生了青苔。 【意象与手法】 此词艺术上以短句叠加造成强烈节奏感。上片连用「肝胆洞,毛发耸。立谈中,死生同」「推翘勇,矜豪纵」「轻盖拥,联飞鞚」等三、四字短句,如联骑骤驰,写出侠少豪情与射猎之酣畅,音节骏快;下片「似黄粱梦」一转,节奏由驰骤入顿挫,「官冗从,怀倥偬;落尘笼,簿书丛」排比压抑,「不请长缨,系取天骄种,剑吼西风」陡起壮怀,「剑吼」拟人,悲愤如裂,结以「手寄七弦桐,目送归鸿」淡远收束,大开大阖,刚健沉郁 【情感与主旨】 贺铸(字方回)为宋太祖孝惠皇后族孙,娶宗室女,然性格耿介,终身只作冗散小官。此词约作于晚年,上片回忆少年时在汴京结交豪侠、驰骋射猎的意气,下片写中年以后沉沦下僚、壮志难酬的悲愤,借词一泄英雄失路之痛,乃《东山词》中压卷之作 【名句点睛】 中高考考点:一、上片短句铺排的艺术效果(节奏骏快、豪气逼人);二、「似黄粱梦」的转折结构与今昔对比;三、「剑吼西风」的拟人炼字与报国无门之愤

Background

He Zhu (courtesy name Fanghui) was a distant relative of Emperor Taizu of Song and married a princess, but his upright character kept him in minor official posts all his life. This poem was written in his later years. The first stanza recalls his youthful days in the capital Bianjing, befriending heroes and hunting; the second stanza describes his middle-age stagnation in lowly positions and frustration at unrealized ambitions. 'Leaving the Phoenix Palace' refers to leaving the capital. 'Petty official' and 'warrior cap' refer to his own humble military rank. The Northern Song was weak, and many literati desired to serve the state but were buried in paperwork. He Zhu, as a descendant of a general, ended up 'assigned only coarse tasks,' so he used this poem to vent his grief over a hero's lost path. This piece is the crown of his 'Dongshan Ci,' praised by Zhang Lei as 'gorgeous as visiting the halls of Jin and Zhang.'

贺铸(1052—1125),字方回,自号庆湖遗老,卫州共城人,宋太祖孝惠皇后族孙,娶宗室女,然性格耿介尚气,不媚权贵,故终身只作承信郎、泗州通判等冗散小官,郁郁不得志。此词约作于晚年,上片回忆少年时在汴京(今开封)结交豪侠、驰骋射猎的意气风发,下片写中年以后沉沦下僚、壮志难酬的悲愤。「辞丹凤」指离开京城,丹凤门为汴京宫门,代指京师;「官冗从」「鹖弁」皆自谓微末武职。北宋自澶渊之盟后,对外积弱,对内党争不断,文人多有用世之志而困于簿书,武备不修而边患频仍;贺铸以将门之后、宗室之亲,竟落得「供粗用」的境地,故借词一泄英雄失路之痛。此词乃《东山词》中压卷之作,张耒誉为「盛丽如游金、张之堂」,是理解贺铸「侠骨」与北宋武人处境的关键作品。此词不仅为贺铸个人抒情之作,亦是北宋武人集团集体失意的缩影,其史料价值与文学价值并存,历来为词史研究者所重。

Art

This poem achieves a strong rhythmic effect by stacking short lines. In the first stanza, series of three- and four-character lines (e.g., 'Utmost sincerity, hairs bristle with indignation,' 'We praised the brave, boasted of unrestrained boldness,' 'Light carriages gathered, side by side we galloped') resemble a galloping cavalry, vividly portraying the heroic passion and hunting exuberance. The rhythm is swift. The second stanza turns abruptly with 'like a dream of yellow millet,' changing from swift to faltering: 'As a petty official, burdened with busy trivialities; fallen into the dust trap, buried in piles of documents' is a series of depressing lines; then 'Unable to request the long tassel to capture the Heavenly Pride breed, my sword roars in the west wind' rises suddenly with fierce ambition, the personification of 'roars' expressing indignation; the poem ends with 'I can only play the seven-stringed lute and watch the returning swans,' fading into a distant sorrow, turning heroism into desolation. The whole piece alternates between grand and restrained, robust and melancholy.

此词艺术上以短句叠加造成强烈节奏感,大开大阖,刚健沉郁。上片连用「肝胆洞,毛发耸。立谈中,死生同」「推翘勇,矜豪纵」「轻盖拥,联飞鞚」等三、四字短句,如联骑骤驰、鼓点连击,写出侠少豪情与射猎之酣畅,音节骏快,气势逼人;「轰饮酒垆,春色浮寒瓮,吸海垂虹」以夸张写豪饮之态,「闲呼鹰嗾犬,白羽摘雕弓,狡穴俄空」写射猎之捷,画面飞动。下片「似黄粱梦」一转,节奏由驰骤入顿挫:「官冗从,怀倥偬;落尘笼,簿书丛」排比压抑,写尽官场困顿;「笳鼓动,渔阳弄,思悲翁」以边警之音写忧愤;「不请长缨,系取天骄种,剑吼西风」三句陡起壮怀,「剑吼」拟人,悲愤如裂;结以「手寄七弦桐,目送归鸿」淡远收束,豪气转为苍凉。全词今昔对照、以乐衬悲,是北宋豪放词中悲壮一路的杰作。全词今昔对照、以乐衬悲,上片愈是骏快,下片愈见沉痛,章法之妙,正在于以节奏之变写心境之变,是「以声传情」的典范。

Allusions

'A promise as heavy as a thousand gold' uses the story of Ji Bu from Records of the Grand Historian: 'A thousand gold is not as good as Ji Bu's promise,' emphasizing chivalric faithfulness. 'Like a dream of yellow millet' comes from the Tang story 'The Tale of the Pillow' by Shen Jiji, where Lu Sheng dreams of a lifetime while millet is cooking, symbolizing the illusion of worldly success; here it laments the vanishing of youthful exhilaration. 'Phoenix Palace' refers to the capital (the Phoenix Gate), 'leaving the Phoenix Palace' means leaving the capital. 'Long tassel' comes from the Han History story of Zhong Jun, who requested 'a long tassel to tie up the King of Nanyue and bring him to the palace,' a metaphor for offering to fight for the country; 'Heavenly Pride breed' refers to the Xiongnu (the proud sons of Heaven), representing enemy leaders. 'Tune of Yuyang' uses the allusion of the drums at Yuyang (An Lushan rebellion), hinting at border alarms. These allusions are all apt for his personal situation and the times, powerful and poignant.

此词用典精切,皆合身世与时代。「五都」指汉代的洛阳、邯郸、临淄、宛、成都五大都市,代指天下豪雄汇聚之地;「一诺千金」用《史记·季布栾布列传》「得黄金百斤,不如得季布一诺」,写侠义重然诺。「黄粱梦」典出唐沈既济传奇《枕中记》:卢生于邯郸客店枕吕翁之枕入梦,历尽荣华,梦醒而黄粱未熟,喻人生功名富贵如梦幻,此处叹少年豪兴转头成空。「丹凤」指京城丹凤门,代指京师,「辞丹凤」即离京。「鹖弁」为武官之冠(鹖鸟好斗,其羽为武冠装饰),借指武职;「渔阳弄」用白居易《长恨歌》「渔阳鼙鼓动地来」之渔阳鼙鼓典,暗寓边警。「长缨」语本《汉书·终军传》:终军自请「愿受长缨,必羁南越王而致之阙下」,喻请战报国;「天骄种」指匈奴(匈奴自称「天之骄子」),代指敌酋。「目送归鸿」化用嵇康《赠秀才入军》「目送归鸿,手挥五弦」,写无可奈何之放怀。用典皆贴切身世,沉郁有力,无一处空泛。其用典之密而不滞,亦为词家所称道。

Commentary

Song dynasty writer Zhang Lei in his 'Preface to Dongshan Ci' praised He Zhu's ci as 'gorgeous as visiting the halls of Jin and Zhang, seductive as pulling the sleeves of Qiang and Shi, pure as Qu and Song, tragic as Su and Li.' This poem combines both tragic and pure styles. Qing dynasty critic Chen Tingzhuo in 'Baiyuzhai Cihua' commented: 'Fanghui's 'Six State Song' is tragic and stirring, flowing in one breath; learning from Su Dongpo but gaining his bone.' Modern scholar Long Yusheng also said this poem 'gallops like a horse in the first stanza and rushes like a rapid in the second, opening a new path for bold and unrestrained ci of the Northern Song.' Although Wang Guowei valued artistic conception, he could not help but admire its deep and unyielding spirit.

宋人张耒《东山词序》盛称贺铸词「盛丽如游金、张之堂,妖冶如揽嫱、施之袂,幽洁如屈、宋,悲壮如苏、李」,此词正兼悲壮与幽洁二美。清人陈廷焯《白雨斋词话》评:「方回《六州歌头》,悲壮激越,一气舒卷,学东坡而得其骨。」近人龙榆生谓此词「上片如骏马注坡,下片如急湍赴壑,为北宋豪放词别开生面」。王国维论词重意境,亦不能不叹其沉郁磊落之气。此词在词史上的意义有二:其一,以《六州歌头》这一本为军乐鼓吹的长调写英雄失路之悲,音节与内容高度契合,开后来张孝祥《六州歌头·长淮望断》之先声;其二,将少年侠气与中年悲愤对照写来,以短句骏快之节奏写豪情、以排比顿挫之节奏写悲愤,为豪放词提供了「以节奏表情」的范式,是北宋末豪放词向南宋爱国词过渡的关键之作。此词与张孝祥《六州歌头·长淮望断》并称,为《六州歌头》词牌之双璧,可见其在词史上的经典地位。

Prosody

Form Ci: Six State Song (Liuzhou Getou), 143 characters in two stanzas词·《六州歌头》双调一百四十三字
Rhyme Pingshui Rhyme: alternating rising and falling tones (东, 中, 同, 重, 纵, 空, 虹, 翁, 篷, 丛, 功, 弄, 种, 鸿, etc.)仄声韵为主,东、中、同、重、纵、空、虹、翁、篷、丛、功、弄、种、鸿等字间押(词林正韵第一部)
Tone pattern Primarily three- and four-character lines with alternating level and oblique tones, creating urgency三、四字短句为主,平仄交错,音节急促悲壮
Reading note This tune originally was military music, with a stirring and tragic sound, most suitable for expressing heroism and indignation.此词为词牌《六州歌头》,双调一百四十三字,此调本为鼓吹曲(军乐),音节悲壮,最宜抒豪情与愤懑,贺铸选用此调写英雄失路,正是内容与形式的高度契合。用韵上,全词以词林正韵第一部仄声韵(东、中、同、重、纵、空、虹、翁、篷、丛、功、弄、种、鸿等)间押,仄韵短促有力,与短句骏快的节奏相配,声情激越。句法上,此调以三、四字短句为主,贺铸更将短句密集叠加:「肝胆洞,毛发耸。立谈中,死生同」「官冗从,怀倥偬;落尘笼,簿书丛」,如连珠炮发,音节急促,正合侠气奔涌与悲愤填膺之情;至「似黄粱梦」则稍缓,至「剑吼西风」「目送归鸿」则又由激转沉。全词节奏随情感起伏:上片如骏马注坡,骏快无前;下片如急湍赴壑,顿挫沉郁,是《六州歌头》一调中音节与内容结合最完美的作品,开南宋爱国词用此调之先声。

Line by line

少年侠气,交结五都雄

Youthful chivalry, I befriended heroes of five capitals.

少年时一身侠气,结交五都的豪雄

In my youth, full of knight-errant spirit, I made friends with the heroes of the five great capitals.

开篇立骨,以「侠气」二字统摄上片,是全文纲目。「少年」点明时段——青春年少、意气方遒;「侠气」写其气概——尚义任侠、豪放不羁,是全词情感的底色与基调;「交结五都雄」写其交游——所交皆天下豪雄,「五都」用汉代五大都市之名,极言其交游之广、气类之盛。此三句如快刀劈面,直截了当,不写侠之行事,先写侠之气概与交游,人物形象已跃然纸上。在章法上,「侠气」二字为全词立起标杆:上片所写肝胆、生死、一诺、豪饮、射猎,皆「侠气」的具体展开;下片的「似黄粱梦」之叹、「剑吼西风」之愤,亦由少年侠气与中年遭遇的反差而生。起笔立骨,全词魂魄系于三句,是此词章法之纲。

The opening sets the bone, the two words knight-errant spirit governing the first stanza, the outline of the whole piece. Youth names the time — young and high-spirited; knight-errant spirit writes the bearing — honoring the code, wild and uncurbed, the emotional base of the ci; made friends with the heroes of the five great capitals writes the company — all the friends were heroes of the realm, the five capitals using the Han five great cities for the breadth of the acquaintance and the strength of the brotherhood. The three lines are like a quick knife to the face, straightforward, writing not the knight's deeds but the knight's bearing and company, the figure already leaping onto the page. In structure, the knight-errant spirit sets the ci's standard: the liver and gall, the life and death, the one promise, the fierce drinking, the archery below, all its unfolding; the second stanza's millet-dream sigh and the sword-roar anger grow from the contrast between the youth's spirit and the middle years' lot. The opening sets the bone, and the ci's soul hangs on these three lines, the structural outline of the piece.

一诺千金重

A promise as heavy as a thousand gold.

一诺重逾千金

One promise weighs heavier than a thousand pieces of gold.

此句用《史记》季布之典,写侠义重然诺的本色,是全词五字短句中最有分量的一句。「一诺千金」本为成语,贺铸加一「重」字,将比喻化为分量:诺言本身如有重量,重于千金,掷地有声。「重」字写其分量,亦写其郑重——侠者立身以信,一诺既出,千金不易,生死不计。此句置于「立谈中,死生同」之后,写侠者相交之道:立谈之间即可托以生死,因彼此一诺千金、生死相许。短短五字,写尽侠义精神的核心——信。在节奏上,此句是上片短句链中的重音,如鼓点中的一记重锤,将前句的疾驰之势稳稳收住,又为后文「推翘勇,矜豪纵」的豪纵之态蓄势,是全词节奏与情感的双重枢纽。

The line uses the Records of the Grand Historian's Ji Bu allusion, writing the knight's keeping of his word, the most weighty of the ci's five-character short lines. One promise weighs heavier than a thousand pieces of gold was by nature a set phrase, and He Zhu adds the word weighs, turning the metaphor into a weight: the promise itself has a weight, heavier than a thousand gold, striking the ground. The word weighs writes the weight, and the earnestness — the knight stands by trust, the word once given, a thousand gold cannot move it, life and death not reckoned. The line follows the in a standing talk, life and death as one, writing the knight's bond: in a standing talk they entrust life and death, for each keeps the promise heavier than gold and answers with life. Five characters write the core of the knight's spirit — trust. In rhythm, the line is the stress in the first stanza's chain of short phrases, like the heavy stroke in the drumbeat, steadying the dash of the line above, and storing force for the bold abandon below, the double hinge of rhythm and feeling.

似黄粱梦,辞丹凤

Like a dream of yellow millet, I left the Phoenix Palace.

恍如黄粱一梦,辞别了京师

Like a millet dream, I bade farewell to the capital.

此二句是上片与下片的转折枢纽,章法上大阖,情感上陡转。「似黄粱梦」用《枕中记》卢生之梦:少年侠气、快意恩仇,恍如一场黄粱美梦,醒时一切成空——五个字将上片的热闹繁华一笔勾销,乐境忽成空幻,今昔对照由此展开。「辞丹凤」点出转折的事实:离开京城,即离开当年交结五都雄、驰骋斗城东的舞台,从此沦落江湖、沉埋下僚。此二句的妙处在于以「梦」写「辞」:辞京非仅地理的离开,更是青春的结束、理想的破灭,故以梦喻之。上片越热闹,此转越惊心;「似黄粱梦」四字如当头棒喝,为下片「官冗从」「簿书丛」的压抑铺陈定下基调,是此词章法最见功力之处。

The two phrases are the turning hinge between stanzas, the grand closing in structure, the sharp turn in feeling. Like a millet dream uses the Pillow Book's Lu Sheng dream: the youth's knight-errantry, the joy of vengeance, all like a millet dream, and waking all void — five characters cancel the first stanza's splendor at one stroke, the joy suddenly turned illusion, the contrast of then and now opening. I bade farewell to the capital names the fact of the turning: leaving the capital is leaving the stage where the five-capital heroes were made and the east of the city was galloped, and from then on sinking in the rivers and lakes, buried in the lowly clerk's office. The beauty of the two phrases: writing the farewell through the dream — leaving the capital is not only the geographic departure, but the ending of youth, the breaking of the ideal, hence the dream. The more splendid the first stanza, the more startling the turn; the four characters like a millet dream are the blow on the head, fixing the tone for the second stanza's clerk's drudgery and the ledger's clutter, the most skillful structural stroke of the piece.

不请长缨,系取天骄种,剑吼西风

Unable to request the long tassel to capture the Heavenly Pride breed, my sword roars in the west wind.

不能请得长缨,缚取敌酋,宝剑在西风中怒吼

No long cord asked to bind the barbarian chief; the sword roars in the west wind.

此三句陡起壮怀,是全词情感的高潮。「不请长缨」用终军请缨之典,反其意而用之——不是不愿请缨,而是请缨无路、报国无门,「不」字含多少愤懑;「系取天骄种」写壮志——缚取敌酋、扫清边患,是少年侠气在国难当头的升华;「剑吼西风」以拟人写剑:宝剑不甘埋没,于西风中怒吼,剑犹如此,人何以堪——「吼」字写尽壮心不已、报国无路之愤。此三句由「笳鼓动,渔阳弄,思悲翁」的边警铺垫而来:边患已急,而我竟不能请缨杀敌,唯有佩剑空鸣。「吼」字是全词最有力的一笔,将无声的悲愤化为有声的怒吼,是侠者之气与志士之愤的完美结合,也是此词「悲壮激越」风格的最高体现。

The three phrases rise suddenly in bold feeling, the emotional climax of the ci. No long cord asked to bind the barbarian chief uses the Zhong Jun allusion in reverse — not that he would not volunteer, but that no road to volunteer, no road to serve, the word no holding how much resentment; the bind the barbarian chief writes the vow — binding the chieftain, sweeping the border, the youth's knight-errantry raised at the national crisis; the sword roars in the west wind personifies the sword: the sword refuses burial, roaring in the west wind, if the sword is thus, how can the man bear it — the word roar writes the unspent will, the road-less resentment. The three phrases rise from the border alarm of the wind instruments sounding, the Yuyang play, thinking of the sad old man: the border peril is urgent, and yet I cannot volunteer to kill, only the idle sword's sound. The word roar is the ci's mightiest stroke, turning the silent grief into the audible roar, the perfect fusion of the knight's spirit and the patriot's anger, the highest expression of the ci's somber, fierce, soaring style.

恨登山临水,手寄七弦桐,目送归鸿

I resent that when climbing mountains or crossing waters, I can only play the seven-stringed lute and watch the returning swans.

恨只恨登山临水之时,手抚七弦琴,目送归鸿远去

I grieve that, climbing hills and facing waters, I must lay my hand on the seven-stringed paulownia and watch the homeward geese fly off.

结句以景结情,豪气化为苍凉,余悲不尽。「恨」字领起,写无可奈何之憾——不能请缨报国,只能登山临水,聊寄情怀;「手寄七弦桐」写抚琴,「七弦桐」即七弦琴(琴以桐木为之),化用嵇康「目送归鸿,手挥五弦」之句;「目送归鸿」写望鸿,归鸿远去而人不能归、志不能伸,望鸿之际,多少心事尽付无言。此三句的妙处在于以淡远之景收束激越之情:前句「剑吼西风」尚是怒吼,此句转抚琴望鸿,声渐低而情愈深,如高腔之后转入低吟,豪气沉淀为苍凉,悲愤化为惆怅。以「恨」字点题,以「目送归鸿」收尾,言有尽而意无穷,是豪放词「以景结情」的典范,也为全词留下袅袅余音。

The closing ends emotion in scene, the boldness turned to desolation, the grief unending. The word hate leads, writing the helpless regret — no road to volunteer and serve, only to climb the hills and face the waters, to entrust the feeling where it may; laying my hand on the seven-stringed paulownia writes the lute, the seven-stringed paulownia the seven-string qin (the qin made of paulownia wood), drawing on Ji Kang's watching the homeward geese, the hand plucking five strings; watching the homeward geese fly off writes the watching — the homeward geese flying off and the man unable to return, the will unable to stretch, all the heart's affairs handed to silence at the watching. The beauty of the three phrases: closing the soaring feeling in the distant, plain scene — the sword roars in the west wind above, and here the lute and the watched goose, the voice low and the feeling deep, like the high tune falling to the low chant, the boldness settling into desolation, the grief turning to wistfulness. The word hate names the theme, and the watching the homeward geese ends, the words ended and the meaning not, the model of the bold ci's closing emotion in scene, leaving the ci's long aftertone.

Study

Word focus

吼 to roar (personifying the sword's sound of indignation) 「剑吼西风」之「吼」字,是全词最惊心动魄的炼字。以拟人写剑鸣:宝剑本无声,而诗人写其「吼」——不是「鸣」,不是「吟」,而是「吼」,如猛兽怒吼,声震四野。此字的妙处在于把无声之愤写成有声之怒:剑之「吼」,实为人心之吼——壮士请缨无路,佩剑空鸣,剑与人同愤,物我合一。「吼」字的选择极具匠心:若用「鸣」,则只写声音,失之轻;若用「啸」,则只写意气,失之浮;唯「吼」字兼有声音之洪、怒气之烈、力度之强,正合英雄失路、郁愤难平之情。「西风」又为此吼添苍凉之境:西风萧瑟,宝剑怒吼,天地为之变色。一字之炼,全词悲愤喷薄而出,是「悲壮激越」风格的点睛之笔。
俄空 in an instant empty (describes the swiftness of hunting) 「狡穴俄空」之「俄空」,写射猎之捷,是全词写少年豪勇的精彩炼字。「俄」言顷刻、须臾之间,「空」言荡然无存——「俄空」二字,谓狡兽之穴顷刻之间便告荡空,极言射猎之神速、弓马之精熟。此二字以时间之短写武功之高:一呼一吸之间,狡穴已空,何等痛快!与上文「闲呼鹰嗾犬,白羽摘雕弓」的从容之态相配,写少年侠士射猎时的潇洒与凌厉:「闲呼」见其从容,「俄空」见其迅猛,一缓一急,节奏起伏,画面飞动。在情感上,「俄空」亦是少年意气之写照——做什么都痛快淋漓、干脆利落,与下片「簿书丛」的纠缠压抑形成强烈反差,昔之「俄空」愈显今之困顿,今昔对照由此更深一层。
倥偬 busy and urgent (describes the harassed life of a low official) 「怀倥偬」之「倥偬」,意为繁忙迫促、困顿不安,是全词写中年处境的关键词。此词本写戎马急迫(《楚辞·九叹》有「愁倥偬于山陆」),贺铸移以写官场:为冗散微官,整日繁忙迫促、心绪不宁,却忙而无功、促而无成——「倥偬」二字写尽下僚之困:不是无事之闲,而是琐事之忙;不是清闲之乐,而是困顿之苦。与少年「死生同」的从容豪侠形成强烈反差:昔之侠士,立谈生死,何等洒脱;今之微官,簿书缠身,何等局促。此词将「倥偬」置于「官冗从」与「落尘笼,簿书丛」之间,三句排比,写尽官场束缚;「倥偬」为心,尘笼为身,身不由己、心亦不安,是「供粗用」之悲的心理写真,也是下片压抑气氛的核心词。

Related Reading

贺铸·踏莎行·杨柳回塘 Treading on Grass: Willows by the Winding Pond 贺铸 · 同出《东山词》,一豪放一幽洁 same poet

Both from Dongshan Ci, one bold and unrestrained, the other pure and elegant; can compare the two sides of He Zhu's style.

《踏莎行·杨柳回塘》以「当年不肯嫁春风,无端却被秋风误」写荷花之幽洁自守,寄托美人迟暮之悲,词风幽洁婉丽;此词以「少年侠气,交结五都雄」「剑吼西风」写英雄失路之愤,词风悲壮激越。两词同出贺铸《东山词》,而一写幽洁、一写豪放,正是张耒所谓「盛丽如游金、张之堂,幽洁如屈、宋」的两面。合观两词,可见贺铸词风的丰富性:既能以秾丽之笔写幽怨,又能以短句骏快写悲壮,是北宋词人中兼擅豪婉的大家。

岳飞·小重山·昨夜寒蛩不住鸣 Little Heavy Mountain: Last Night the Winter Crickets Wouldn't Stop Chirping 岳飞 · 同写报国无门、壮志未酬之悲 same theme

Both write about unfulfilled ambition and grief for the nation; can compare the indignation of a general and a scholar.

岳飞《小重山》以「欲将心事付瑶琴,知音少,弦断有谁听」写知音难觅、心事难申,沉郁低回;此词以「不请长缨,系取天骄种,剑吼西风」写请缨无路、报国无门,悲壮激越。两词同写南宋志士报国无门之悲,而岳飞为统兵大将,其悲在朝廷掣肘、知音难觅,情调沉郁;贺铸为沉沦武弁,其悲在供粗用之微、请缨无路,情调激愤。一将帅一文士,一低回一悲壮,正可见南宋爱国词的不同声口,也可比较两人处境与词风之异。

陆游·关山月 The Moon over the Mountain Pass 陆游 · 同怀北伐之志而叹功业未成 same theme

Both cherish the desire to campaign north and lament unaccomplished deeds; can mutually illustrate the tragic solemnity of Southern Song patriotic ci.

陆游《关山月》以「和戎诏下十五年,将军不战空临边」写和议误国、「遗民忍死望恢复」写遗民之痛,沉郁悲愤;此词以「笳鼓动,渔阳弄,思悲翁」写边警、「不请长缨,系取天骄种」写请缨之志,悲壮激越。两作同怀北伐之志而叹功业未成,同写边患与报国无门之悲,一为诗一为词,一沉郁一悲壮,可互证南宋爱国文学中「请缨无路」的普遍主题,也可比较诗词两种体裁写爱国情怀的不同节奏与声情。