All poems

宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

临江仙·夜归临皋

Immortal by the River · Returning to Lingao at Night

苏轼

Su Shi

抒怀Expressing Feelings 旷达Broad-mindedness 隐逸Hermitage 夜饮Night Drinking

夜饮东坡醒复醉，归来仿佛三更。
家童鼻息已雷鸣。
敲门都不应，倚杖听江声。
长恨此身非我有，何时忘却营营。
夜阑风静縠纹平。
小舟从此逝，江海寄余生。

Drinking at Eastern Slope, sober then drunk again,
Returning, it seems already midnight.
The houseboy's snoring sounds like thunder.
Knocking at the door yields no answer,
Leaning on my staff, I listen to the river's sound.

I often regret that this body is not my own,
When can I forget the daily hustle and bustle?
The night is deep, the wind calm, the ripples smooth.
I wish to sail away in a small boat,
And spend the rest of my life on the river and sea.

Listen

Meaning

The poem narrates the poet drinking at East Slope, returning drunk at midnight, unable to enter his home, so he listens to the river. This leads to a reflection on his lack of freedom in official life and a desire to escape to the natural world, embodying a broad-minded yet somber mood.

夜里在东坡饮酒，醒而复醉，归来时仿佛已到三更。家童的鼻息已响如雷鸣。敲门都不应声，只得拄杖听那江涛之声。常恨此身不由自己，何时才能忘却世俗的奔忙。夜深风静，水面波纹如绸般平展。真想乘一叶小舟从此逝去，将余生托付江海。

Appreciation

The poem uses the mundane detail of a snoring servant to contrast with the stillness of the night. The later philosophical reflection uses Taoist ideas to express weariness with worldly affairs and a yearning for freedom. The famous lines 'I wish to sail away in a small boat' evoke a transcendent escape.

【白话串讲】苏轼半夜喝完酒回家，敲门没人应，干脆倚着杖听江声。然后他说：“小舟从此逝，江海寄余生”——一个人被生活关在门外，却把自己交给了江海。【意象与手法】上片白描醉归，「家童鼻息已雷鸣」以俗笔写真趣，反衬夜之静；「敲门都不应，倚杖听江声」以动作写无奈与超然。下片「长恨此身非我有」用《庄子》语，直抒身不由己之慨；「夜阑风静縠纹平」以景写心，「小舟从此逝，江海寄余生」以景结情，由实入虚，潇洒中藏身世之悲【情感与主旨】元丰五年（1082）苏轼谪居黄州，于东坡筑雪堂，常夜饮其中。某夜醉归临皋亭寓所，家童酣睡不应，遂倚杖听江，触发此词。词写贬谪生活中以酒自遣的潦倒与借庄周哲理自我开解的旷达，是苏词以诗为词、以哲思入词的典型【名句点睛】把握由叙事到抒怀的结构层次；理解「听江声」「小舟从此逝」的虚实之妙；识记《庄子》「身非我有」「营营」的典故出处；体会东坡式旷达中深藏的孤寂

Background

In 1082, during his exile in Huangzhou, Su Shi often drank at his hut on East Slope. One night, returning to his lodging at Lingao, his servant was asleep, inspiring this poem. It was written the same year as 'The First Red Cliff Ode', reflecting a both broad-minded and melancholy state of mind.

元丰二年（1079），苏轼因乌台诗案下御史台狱，几至死地，次年贬为黄州团练副使，本州安置，不得签书公事，形同流放。元丰五年（1082）春，他在黄州城东的荒坡上垦田自给，取号东坡居士，并于此年筑雪堂，常与友人夜饮其间。此词即写某夜酒醉归临皋亭寓所（苏轼初到黄州时的居所）的真实经历：家童酣睡不应，敲门无果，只得倚杖独立，静听江声。同年，苏轼还写有《前赤壁赋》《后赤壁赋》与《定风波·莫听穿林打叶声》，皆为贬谪中自我开解的旷达之作，可见黄州实为其文学创作的丰收期与精神转折点。此词作于大醉之后而笔致清醒，于放达中超脱中见沉郁，反映了他由苦闷走向超然的心路历程：前期尚多「拣尽寒枝不肯栖」的孤愤，至此已化为「江海寄余生」的从容，是研究苏轼贬谪心态转变的关键文本，其旷达与沉郁并存的复杂心境，正为后世所传诵，遂与《赤壁赋》并传于人口。

Art

The first half uses simple description, with the snoring adding realism and contrast to the quiet night. 'Leaning to listen to the river' shows resignation and transcendence. The second half uses quotations from Zhuangzi and an imagined escape, moving from reality to fantasy, blending scene, emotion, and philosophy.

全词以时间流程为序，上片白描夜归的实景，下片转入哲理的抒怀，由实入虚、由叙入理，章法自然天成。「醒复醉」写酒沉之深，「仿佛三更」写醉眼迷离，两句白描已见借酒浇愁的潦倒；「家童鼻息已雷鸣」以俗语写真趣，鼾声如雷反衬出夜的寂静；「敲门都不应」写人事的阻隔，「倚杖听江声」则陡然一转，由被拒的窘迫转入对自然的倾听，境界顿开，是上片的点睛之笔。下片「长恨此身非我有」直用《庄子》，「何时忘却营营」以问句深自警醒，一恨一问，见出内心的挣扎；「夜阑风静縠纹平」以景写心，江面的平静正是心潮平息的外化；结句「小舟从此逝，江海寄余生」以虚写实，将解脱之想托于扁舟江海，潇洒超脱之中仍藏身世之悲，是典型的东坡式旷达，景、情、理三者交融无间，浑成一体，可视为东坡黄州时期人生哲学最凝练的词化表达，历来为词家所推重，其章法之妙，实开词中议论一体。

Allusions

'This body is not my own' is from Zhuangzi's 'Knowledge Rambling in the North'. 'Forget the hustle and bustle' also alludes to Zhuangzi. The ending image of sailing on the river comes from the Taoist ideal of the recluse, reflecting strong Daoist influence.

「此身非我有」出自《庄子·知北游》：「舜问乎丞曰：道可得而有乎？……汝身非汝有也，汝何得有夫道。」意谓人的身体性命皆非一己私有，而是天地自然所与，苏轼借以抒发身不由己、为功名俗务所役的感慨，哲思陡深。「营营」出《庄子·庚桑楚》：「无使汝思虑营营。」营营指往来奔波、思虑不休，苏轼问「何时忘却营营」，正是对世俗奔忙的深深厌倦，也是对自身陷于官场、身不由己的反思。「小舟从此逝，江海寄余生」则化用《庄子·让王》中江海扁舟的隐逸意象，兼采《楚辞·渔父》乘桴浮海的精神，将道家逍遥游的境界化为可感的画面，道家色彩鲜明。然东坡并非真要遁世，而是借道家的超然来安顿现实中的自己，以出世之心行入世之事，故其旷达中有深情，放逸中有担当，此正是东坡高于一般隐逸者之处；其化用《庄子》而不为其所囿，亦是此词思想深度的所在，历来为论者所称道。

Commentary

According to Ye Mengde, the local governor heard the line about sailing away and thought Su Shi had actually left, but found him snoring loudly, showing how realistic his poetic persona could be.

据叶梦得《避暑录话》记载，此词传出后，黄州郡守徐君猷闻「小舟从此逝，江海寄余生」之句，以为苏轼真的乘舟遁去，大惊失色，急往临皋察看，却见苏轼正鼾声如雷——此事虽未必尽实，却生动说明此词飘然出尘之态几可乱真，也可见时人对东坡行止的关切与惊异。清人陈廷焯《白雨斋词话》评苏词胸有万卷、笔无点尘，此词正是笔无点尘的写照：以家常琐事入词而毫不俚俗，以庄周哲理入词而毫不枯涩。在词史上，此词与《定风波》《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》同为黄州时期的代表作，标志着苏轼由东坡居士到精神超越的完成，也是宋词由婉约走向豪放的关键一环，其以诗为词、以议论为词的手法，更为词体打开了新的境界，影响及于辛弃疾等后来豪放词人，其历史地位已为词史所公认；此词以一夕之景写一生之怀，尤见以少总多之妙，历千年而不易，洵为东坡词中逸品。

Prosody

Form Cí meter: Linjiang Xian (54 characters, five lines per stanza, three rhymes per stanza)词牌《临江仙》，双调五十八字（徐昌图体），上下片各五句、三平韵

Rhyme Rhyming in the same group: geng, ming, sheng, ying, ping, sheng押平声庚青韵：更、鸣、声、营、平、生，一韵到底，韵字清亮悠远

Tone pattern Mix of seven-character lines and three-character lines; the transition from narrative to philosophical reflection上下片句式相同，皆为七、五、五、三、五言相间，长短错落；过片「长恨此身非我有」承上启下，由叙入理，节奏由密转疏。

Reading note This poem exemplifies Su Shi's use of cí to express personal philosophy, transforming a trivial event into a profound meditation.此词为《临江仙》徐昌图体，双调五十八字，上下片结构相同，皆为七五五三五句式，韵脚密集，每片三平韵，读来流畅而富音乐性。全词以平声韵一韵到底，韵字「更、鸣、声、营、平、生」均属庚青韵部，音色明亮舒展，与词中夜饮、江声、江海的意境相谐。上片以叙事为主，句式紧凑，如「敲门都不应」三字一顿，顿挫有致，模拟敲门不应、独立夜江的节奏；下片以抒怀为主，「长恨此身非我有，何时忘却营营」以问句作折，抑扬分明，声情与辞情相凑。苏词以诗为词，此词于词律之外融入散文句法与议论笔致，气脉舒展自如，突破了花间以来词体以婉约为宗的传统，是词体解放的典范，也为后来豪放词的发展开辟了道路，在中国词史上具有承前启后的意义。

Line by line

夜饮东坡醒复醉，归来仿佛三更。

Drinking at Eastern Slope, sober then drunk again; returning, it seems already midnight. The 'sober then drunk' shows repeated drinking to drown sorrow, while 'seems' captures drunken haziness, hinting at the loneliness of exile.

夜里在东坡饮酒，醒而复醉，归来时仿佛已到三更。

Drinking at night on the Eastern Slope, sobering then reeling drunk; when I got back, it was nearly the third watch.

起句以「醒复醉」写饮酒之酣沉，一醒一醉、循环往复，见出借酒浇愁的潦倒；「仿佛三更」写醉中神志恍惚、不觉夜深，仿佛二字更添迷离之感。两句看似平淡的叙事，已把贬谪生活中以酒自遣的无奈与孤寂写足，醉是逃避，醒是清醒的痛苦，醒而复醉正是痛苦与逃避的无限循环，为下片「何时忘却营营」的追问蓄足情绪，也为全词的旷达与悲慨双重基调埋下伏笔。

The opening writes the drinking in the wakeful-and-drunk cycle, showing the dereliction of drowning grief in wine. Sobering then reeling drunk: one sober, one drunk, turning and returning, the helplessness of the wine-drowning and the deep-seated gloom; nearly the third watch writes the drunken trance, the hour blurred. The two lines seem plain narrative, and yet the exile's self-drowning through wine is fully written: drunkenness the escape, sobriety the waking pain, the sobering-and-reeling the endless cycle of pain and flight, storing the emotion for the questioning below, and hiding the double tone of the ci's equanimity and grief.

家童鼻息已雷鸣。敲门都不应，倚杖听江声。

The houseboy's snoring sounds like thunder. Knocking yields no answer; I lean on my staff and listen to the river. The snoring contrasts with the quiet night, and being shut out turns the poet toward nature, finding solace in the river's sound.

家童的鼻息已响如雷鸣。敲门都不应声，只得拄杖听那江涛之声。

The servant boy snores like thunder; knocking at the door brings no answer, and leaning on my staff, I listen to the river.

「鼻息已雷鸣」以夸张俗语写真，鼾声如雷反衬出夜的寂静，妙趣横生；「敲门都不应」写人事的阻隔，暗寓世态与身世的隔膜；「倚杖听江声」是全词转折之眼，由被拒的窘迫转向对江声的倾听，把失意的处境升华为与天地相往来的超然，旷达之致自此而生。江声既是实景，又是自然之道的象征，听江声即与天地对话，孤寂之中见出超然，是化窘迫为审美的妙笔，意境疏放，令人神往。

The snores like thunder exaggerates the plain fact, the snoring thunder set against the night's silence, the humor abundant; knocking brings no answer writes the human barrier, secretly the estrangement of the world and the self; leaning on my staff, I listen to the river is the turning eye of the ci, from the embarrassment of the refused knock to the listening of the river sound, raising the frustrated lot to the detachment of traffic with heaven and earth, the equanimity born here. The river sound is at once the real scene and the symbol of nature's way; listening to the river is conversing with heaven and earth, the detachment within the loneliness, the wondrous brush of turning embarrassment into aesthetic, the realm spare and free, transporting.

长恨此身非我有，何时忘却营营。

I often regret that this body is not my own; when can I forget the daily hustle and bustle? This directly expresses weariness with the lack of self-determination, using a line from Zhuangzi, deepening the philosophical tone.

常恨此身不由自己，何时才能忘却世俗的奔忙。

I always grieve that this body is not my own; when shall I forget the endless scheming?

此两句是词眼，直抒胸臆。化用《庄子》「汝身非汝有」，慨叹自身为功名俗务所缚、不得自主，长恨二字见积郁之深，非泛泛之慨，而是乌台诗案后身不由己的切身之痛；「何时忘却营营」以问句出之，自问自警，可见内心仍有的挣扎。由上片实景陡转入此理语，章法陡转而不觉生硬，理中仍带深情，是苏词以议论为词、以理语入词的典范，哲思与情感融为一体，言浅而意深。

These two lines are the eye of the ci, speaking the heart directly. Borrowing Zhuangzi's your body is not yours, the sigh that the self is bound by fame and vulgar affairs, unable to rule itself; the two words always grieve show the depth of the accumulation, no ordinary sigh, but the bone-deep pain of the body's unfreedom after the Wutai poem case; when shall I forget the endless scheming? in the question, self-questioning and self-warning, showing the inner struggle still alive. The turn from the real scene of the first stanza to this argument is sudden and yet not harsh, the reason still carrying deep feeling, the model of Su Shi's argument-as-ci and reason-in-ci, thought and emotion fused, the words plain and the meaning deep.

夜阑风静縠纹平。小舟从此逝，江海寄余生。

The night is deep, the wind calm, the ripples smooth. I wish to sail away in a small boat and spend the rest of my life on the river and sea. The calm scene sets up the longing for freedom; the boat and river symbolize escape from worldly ties.

夜深风静，水面波纹如绸般平展。真想乘一叶小舟从此逝去，将余生托付江海。

The night wanes, the wind stills, the ripples smooth like silk. Let a small boat slip away from here, and I will entrust my remaining years to the rivers and seas.

「縠纹平」以绉纱喻水波，写夜深风静、江面如镜，景语即心语，风波平息正象征心境由躁入静，是上片听江声之后心境沉淀的自然结果；「小舟从此逝，江海寄余生」以虚景作结，将解脱之想托于扁舟江海，旷达高远，由实入虚。结句以景结情、以虚写实，潇洒中见孤慨，余韵悠长，遂成千古名句，也是东坡黄州时期精神超越的最凝练表达，读之令人神往而怅然。

The ripples smooth like silk uses the crepe-silk metaphor for the water, writing the deep night, the still wind, the river like a mirror, the scene at once the heart's language: the calmed waves symbolizing the mind's turn from agitation to stillness, the natural result of the mind's settling after the river listening. Let a small boat slip away from here, and I will entrust my remaining years to the rivers and seas closes in the imagined scene, placing the thought of release in the leaf-boat on the wide waters, equanimous and high, from the real to the imagined. The close ends feeling in scene, the real in the imagined, the free and easy with the lone grief within, the aftertone long, hence the famous line through the ages, and the most condensed expression of Su Shi's spiritual transcendence in the Huangzhou period, the reading transporting and wistful.

Study

Word focus

醒复醉 Sober then drunk again; indicates repeated drinking to drown sorrow, reflecting dejection in exile. 「夜饮东坡醒复醉」以三个字写尽循环往复的醉饮状态，一醒一醉、醒而复醉，见出长夜独饮、以酒自遣的潦倒，也暗含贬谪后无所依傍的孤寂。看似口语，实则意蕴深长：醉是逃避，醒是清醒的痛苦，醒而复醉正是痛苦与逃避的无限循环，是借酒浇愁而愁更愁的写照，为下片「何时忘却营营」的追问蓄足情绪，是东坡以浅语写深情的典型。

听江声 Listen to the river's sound; turning from human neglect to natural solace, showing broad-mindedness amidst solitude. 「倚杖听江声」以听代应，将人事的阻隔化为自然的倾听，一字转换，境界全出：由敲门不应的尴尬，转为独对江声的宁静，是东坡旷达人格的缩影。江声既是实景，又是自然之道的象征，听江声即与天地对话，将失意的处境升华为审美的体验。一个「听」字，写尽东坡由人间转向天地、由愤懑转向超然的精神历程，是上片的点睛之笔。

縠纹 Ripples like crepe silk; a refined description of the calm river surface, setting the stage for the wish to sail away. 「夜阑风静縠纹平」以「縠」（绉纱）喻水波，写江面之细、之平、之静，炼字雅洁，景中含理。縠纹二字既画出月下江面的柔美质感，又以江面之平写心境之静，风波之平即心潮之平，是上片听江声之后心境沉淀的必然结果，为结句小舟从此逝的放达铺平心理基础，是苏词以景写心、景理交融的佳例，见出东坡炼字不事雕琢而自见工妙的功力。