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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

菩萨蛮·风柔日薄

Buddhist Dancers: Soft Wind, Pale Sun

李清照

Li Qingzhao

婉约Graceful and restrained 思乡Homesickness

风柔日薄春犹早，夹衫乍著心情好。
睡起觉微寒，梅花鬓上残。
故乡何处是，忘了除非醉。
沉水卧时烧，香消酒未消。

Soft wind, pale sun, spring still early.
Just changed into a lined coat, feeling light.
Waking from sleep, I sense a slight chill,
Plum blossoms on my temples are half gone.
Where is my homeland?
I forget it only when drunk.
Aloeswood burned before I slept;
The incense has faded, but the wine hasn't cleared.

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Meaning

The poem depicts an early spring morning with a light mood, but soon turns to deep homesickness. The poet says she can only forget her homeland when drunk, and even after the incense burns out, her drunkenness lingers, showing her endless sorrow.

春风柔和、日色浅淡，春天来得尚早，刚换上夹衫，心情颇好。睡醒后觉微微寒意，鬓边插的梅花已经残败。故乡究竟在何处呢？除非醉了才能把乡愁遗忘。临睡前点燃沉水香，如今香气已散，而酒意却还未消去。

Appreciation

Starting with a light description of early spring, the poem suddenly shifts to intense homesickness. The line 'I forget it only when drunk' uses an extreme expression to emphasize the depth of longing. The contrast between the fading incense and lingering wine highlights persistent melancholy.

【白话串讲】风柔日暖，李清照换了夹衫，心情本来不错，可梅花残了，她又想家了：“故乡何处是，忘了除非醉”——只有喝醉才能忘掉乡愁。【意象与手法】上片五句写早春初醒，风柔日薄、夹衫乍著、微寒残梅，笔调轻淡闲雅，似无忧无虑【情感与主旨】此词当作于李清照南渡之后，流寓江浙之时。靖康之乱，北宋覆亡，词人随夫赵明诚辗转南下，故乡青州、汴京皆已沦陷【名句点睛】此诗为宋李清照之作，精要赏析详见下方深度赏析。

Background

This ci was written after Li Qingzhao fled south following the fall of the Northern Song. Exiled from her hometown, she encounters early spring and is overwhelmed by nostalgia. The poem captures the pain of a displaced person masking sorrow with a cheerful start.

此词当作于李清照南渡之后、流寓江浙之时。靖康二年（1127），金兵攻陷汴京，北宋覆亡，李清照随夫赵明诚仓皇南渡，建炎三年（1129）赵明诚病逝于建康，此后李清照孑然一身，辗转漂泊于浙江、江苏一带，先后流寓绍兴、杭州、金华等地。她与赵明诚屏居的青州故第、收藏金石书画的归来堂，以及汴京的旧居，皆已沦于兵火，或毁于战乱，或散佚殆尽。词中「故乡何处是」的「故乡」，既是青州、汴京的具体所在，也是那再也回不去的故国山河。此词表面写早春初醒的闲适，笔调轻淡，而内里却是「忘了除非醉」的沉痛乡愁。全词以「心情好」起，以「酒未消」结，中间暗转，把乡愁藏在一片闲适的春景与微醺的酒意之下，愈淡愈深，愈闲愈痛。这种「以淡写浓、以乐写哀」的笔法，正是李清照南渡后词风的显著特征——早年的明朗轻快已随国破家亡而沉潜为一种表面的平静与内里的苍凉。还应交代的是，此词在李清照年谱中的系年尚有异说：或以为作于南渡之初的建炎年间，或以为作于绍兴年间流寓江浙之时，然无论何说，其为南渡后的思乡之作则无疑。「风柔日薄」的早春，本是令人愉悦的节候，而李清照从中感到的，却是「故乡何处是」的锥心之问，节候之暖与心境之寒的反差，正是此词情感结构的核心。

Art

The first half uses gentle imagery like soft wind, pale sun, and a light coat to create a carefree mood, then abruptly turns with 'Where is my homeland?' The ending pairs mental drunkenness with physical scent, achieving a lingering aftertaste.

此词上下两片形成鲜明的情绪反差，是李清照「以闲淡写深愁」的典型。上片五句写早春初醒的安闲：「风柔日薄春犹早」，风是柔的，日是薄的，春是早的，一派和煦；「夹衫乍著心情好」，换上春装，心情轻快；「睡起觉微寒」，睡醒微有寒意；「梅花鬓上残」，鬓边所簪梅花已经残败。这五句纯是生活细节的白描，笔调轻淡闲雅，几乎让人以为这是一首纯粹的春词。然而下片陡转：「故乡何处是，忘了除非醉」，一句直逼核心——故乡何在？除非一醉方能忘却。原来上片的一切闲适，都是「醉后」「睡起」的短暂安宁，是被酒意与春意暂时遮盖的乡愁。结二句「沉水卧时烧，香消酒未消」，卧前点的沉香已经烧尽，酒意却还未消去——香消而酒未消，正暗示酒醒之后、愁将更重。全词以「睡起」的闲适反衬「故乡」的沉痛，以「香消」的短暂对照「酒未消」的绵长，层层剥落，把乡愁写得入骨三分。此词艺术上最见功力处，在于「以闲淡之笔写沉痛之情」的克制。上片五句，全写早春初醒的日常琐事，笔调轻淡，几近闲适；下片才以「故乡何处是」一句陡转，把前面积蓄的平静尽数打破。这种「先扬后抑」「先淡后浓」的结构，比直写乡愁更见深沉——愈是平静，愈见乡愁之不可排遣；愈是闲适，愈见乡愁之无所不在。结句「香消酒未消」更以香与酒的消长，写愁的绵长，含蓄蕴藉，是李清照晚期词「淡中见浓」风格的典型。

Allusions

'Forget unless drunk' echoes ancient yuefu and Li Bai's idea of drowning sorrow in wine. 'Aloeswood' was a precious incense used in bedrooms. 'Plum blossoms on temples' refers to the custom of wearing flowers during festivals. Li Qingzhao weaves these elements to express her displaced grief.

此词用典不显，意象却各有源流。「风柔日薄」之「薄」，写日光浅淡，与「早春」的时令相合，营造出一种柔和而微冷的氛围。「夹衫乍著」写换季着衣，是日常生活的细节，却暗含时序流转的敏感——春装上身，又是一年，而年复一年，归乡无期。「梅花鬓上残」的「残梅」，暗用南朝寿阳公主「梅花妆」的典故，写鬓边所簪或所画梅花之残败，既是妆饰的细节，又暗喻红颜渐老、青春不再。「故乡何处是，忘了除非醉」是全词的警句，「故乡」二字，与屈原「悲故乡之辽隔」、杜甫「月是故乡明」的乡愁传统一脉相承，而「除非醉」三字，又暗合曹操「何以解忧，唯有杜康」的借酒浇愁。「沉水」即沉香，是名贵的香料，古人卧前焚之，既取其香，亦助安眠；「香消酒未消」的「消」字，与「忘了除非醉」的「醉」字呼应，构成香、酒、愁三者的消长，化用前人以酒浇愁的意象而自出新意。「故乡」一词，在中国诗歌中有悠久的传统，可上溯《诗经·豳风·东山》「我徂东山，慆慆不归」的征夫思乡，下至汉乐府《悲歌》「悲歌可以当泣，远望可以当归」、曹操《苦寒行》「悲彼东山诗，悠悠使我哀」，皆是「以歌当哭」「以酒浇愁」的先声。李清照「忘了除非醉」，正是这一传统的承续，而其新意在于「除非」二字——把「醉」说成「忘乡」的唯一途径，反证乡愁之深、之不可解，较之前人的泛写思乡，更见其决绝。

Commentary

Yang Shen praised this ci as especially profound. Shen Yifei said the line 'I forget it only when drunk' fully captures the pain of a wanderer. Modern scholars see the shift from cheer to grief as a hallmark of Li Qingzhao's post-displacement style.

此词在李清照词中属于南渡后的佳作，虽无早期《如梦令》《一剪梅》那般妇孺皆知，却因其「以淡写浓」的高妙而备受推重。词最早见于《乐府雅词》，后为毛晋《漱玉词》、王鹏运《四印斋所刻词》本《漱玉词》等辑本收录。王灼《碧鸡漫志》评李清照「作长短句，能曲折尽人意，轻巧尖新，姿态百出」，此词「风柔日薄」的轻淡笔调与「故乡何处是」的沉痛内核之间的曲折，正是「曲折尽人意」的体现。就接受史而言，此词常与李清照南渡后的其他词作并论，用以说明其晚期词风「淡中见浓、浅中见深」的特质。今人研究李清照的乡愁书写与女性意识的深化，亦多引「故乡何处是，忘了除非醉」一句，认为它把一个闺阁女子的乡愁，提升为一代流亡者的家国之痛，是其个人悲欢与时代苦难相交融的典型。还应指出，此词虽无专评传世，却在李清照词的编次与研究中占有位置。它收于《乐府雅词》，为李清照词最早的传世文本之一；毛晋《漱玉词》及后世诸辑本皆录。论李清照南渡词风者，或以《声声慢》为「浓愁」之极，以《永遇乐》为「沉痛」之极，而此词则以「淡愁」胜——淡而不浅，浅而不薄，正见易安词风的多样。今人论李清照的「乡愁书写」与「家国意识」，亦多拈「故乡何处是，忘了除非醉」一句，谓其以闺秀之笔，写出了南渡士人共同的流亡之痛。

Prosody

Form Ci·Buddhist Dancers, 44 characters, alternating oblique and level rhymes in two stanzas菩萨蛮，双调四十四字，上下片各两仄韵两平韵，四换韵

Rhyme First stanza oblique: 'zao, hao'; level: 'han, can'. Second stanza oblique: 'shi, zui'; level: 'shao, xiao'四换韵：上片起二句押仄韵早、好（词韵第八部），后二句换平韵寒、残（词韵第七部）；下片起二句换仄韵是、醉（词韵第三部），后二句换平韵烧、消（词韵第八部）

Tone pattern Alternating oblique and level rhymes, creating emotional shifts from light to heavy; plain description此调四换韵，仄平相间，声情先扬后抑。上片「早」「好」押上声皓韵，音色清亮，恰合「心情好」的轻快；换平韵「寒」「残」转低回；下片「是」「醉」复转仄韵，「醉」为去声，声调下沉；末换平韵「烧」「消」，音渐收束。四组韵脚的声调转换，与情感的明暗起伏丝丝相扣。

Reading note A masterpiece of homesickness after the Southern Song exile, noted for its light beginning and heavy end, comparable to 'Slow Slow Song'.《菩萨蛮》四换韵的声律结构，极宜表达情感的转折。李清照此词上片起二句押仄韵「早」「好」（词韵第八部，上声皓韵），上声字声调上扬，音色清亮，与「风柔日薄」「心情好」的明快正相契合；后二句换平韵「寒」「残」（词韵第七部，平声寒韵），音色转为平和而微含凄清，为「微寒」「残梅」的闲愁定调。下片起二句换仄韵「是」「醉」（词韵第三部，上去声通叶），「醉」为去声，声调由高而低，如一声沉落的叹息，恰合「忘了除非醉」的颓唐；末二句复归平韵「烧」「消」（词韵第八部，平声萧韵），音色绵长悠远，收束于「香消酒未消」的余韵。四换韵造成的四次声调转折——清亮、平和、低沉、悠长——正好对应词人情绪由闲适、微寒、颓唐到绵长的四次变化，声情与词情水乳交融。这正是《菩萨蛮》一词「四易韵脚、声随情转」的声律妙处，李清照运用得极为圆熟，见出其深于声律的功力。

Line by line

夹衫乍著心情好

The lined robe newly put on, my mood is light.

刚换上夹衫，心情颇好

I have just put on the lined robe; my mood is fairly good.

此句写早春换装的轻快，是全词中情绪最明朗的一句。「乍」字写「刚」换上的新鲜感，春衫初上身，轻便舒适，心情随之开朗。这本是极平常的生活细节，李清照信手拈来，却写得亲切有味。然而这句的「心情好」恰恰是后文「故乡何处是」的反衬——正因为此刻的愉悦是真实的、短暂的，才更显出乡愁的深重与绵长。以「好」写愁，先扬后抑，是李清照安排情绪跌宕的高妙笔法。「乍」字写换装之新，「好」字写心情之快，六字之中，春天的新鲜与心情的轻快相映，是全词情感的最高点，也为下文的急转直下埋下了落差。

This line writes the early-spring change's lightness, the ci's brightest-emotion line. The word newly writes the just-put-on freshness, the spring robe first on, light and comfortable, the mood hence bright. This by nature the extreme-ordinary life detail, Li Qingzhao taking it in hand casually, and yet writing it intimate and flavorful. And this line's mood-is-light precisely the below's where-is-my-homeland contrast — precisely because the present joy is real and brief, the homesickness's depth and length the clearer. Writing grief through the light, the rise before the fall, precisely Li Qingzhao's emotional arrangement's masterful brush. The newly writing the change's freshness, the light writing the mood's quickness, six characters, the spring's freshness and the mood's lightness answering, the ci's emotional highest point, and storing the fall for the below's sudden turn.

故乡何处是

Where is my homeland?

故乡究竟在何处呢？

Where, after all, is my homeland?

此句是全词的枢纽，也是情感的总爆发。上片的闲适春景，至此戛然而止，一句「故乡何处是」如当头一问，直逼人心。这「故乡」既是青州、汴京的具体故园，更是沦陷的中原、覆亡的故国。「何处是」三字，写尽流亡者的茫然——不是不知故乡在何方，而是明知在何方却永远回不去，这一问，问的不是地理，而是命运的绝望。以问句出之，不待回答，悲已满纸。这一问，问得茫然而又决绝——「何处是」不是不知道，而是明知回不去；正因明知，故问得愈痛。故乡既失，则举目无亲，此身如寄，一代流亡者的悲凉，尽在这一问之中。

This line is the ci's hinge, and the emotion's total outbreak. The first stanza's leisurely spring scene, here suddenly stopped, one where-is-my-homeland like a head-on question, directly pressing the heart. This homeland at once the concrete Qingzhou and Bianjing home, and the occupied central plain, the perished old country. The three words where-is, exhausting the exile's blankness — not the not-knowing-where-the-homeland-is, but the knowing-where-and-yet-the-never-returnable, this question asking not the geography, but the fate's despair. In the question, no answer waited, and the grief fills the paper. This question asked blankly and yet decisively — where-is means the not-knowing, but the knowing-the-returnlessness; precisely because of the knowing, the question the more grief-stricken. The homeland already lost, then the eye's no kin, this body like a lodger, a generation of exiles' bleakness, all within this one question.

香消酒未消

The incense has faded, and the wine has not.

如今香气已散，而酒意却还未消去

Now the fragrance has dispersed, and the wine's warmth has not yet left.

结句以两个「消」字相对，是全词最含蓄而沉痛的一笔。「香消」写时间之流逝——卧前点的沉香已燃尽，夜已深；「酒未消」写愁绪之绵长——借以浇愁的酒意却还未散去。「消」与「未消」的对照，暗含深意：香是外物，故易消；酒亦外物，终将消；而真正「未消」的，是那借酒也浇不灭的乡愁。以香与酒的消长，写愁的难解，言尽而意不尽，余韵悠长。「香消」之速与「酒未消」之缓，还暗含一层时间的流逝感——从卧前焚香到夜深香尽，词人独坐良久，而酒意未退，愁亦未退。香、酒、愁三者的消长，写尽了一个流亡者长夜难眠、借酒浇愁而愁更愁的孤寂。

The close in the two fade words' contrast, the ci's most restrained and grief-stricken stroke. The fragrance has faded writes the time's passing — the chen incense lit before the bed already burned out, the night deep; the wine has not writes the grief's length — the grief-drowning wine's warmth not yet dispersed. The faded and the not-faded contrast, secretly carrying the deep meaning: the fragrance the outer thing, hence easy to fade; the wine also the outer thing, will eventually fade; and the truly not-faded, is the homesickness that even the wine cannot drown. Writing the grief's un-unravelability through the incense's and wine's rise and fall, the words ended and the meaning not, the aftertone long. The fragrance's fast fading and the wine's slow not-fading, also secretly carrying the time's passing sense — from the bed-front incense to the deep-night incense-out, the poet sitting alone long, and the wine's warmth not withdrawn, the grief also not withdrawn. The incense, the wine, the grief three's rise and fall, exhausting an exile's long sleepless night and the wine-for-grief and the grief-the-greater loneliness.

Study

Word focus

薄 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「风柔日薄」的「薄」字，写日光之浅淡，是全词定调的用字。日色有「薄」与「厚」之分，春日初阳，光线柔和而微薄，着一「薄」字，便写出了早春特有的那种淡淡的、浅薄的日光。这「薄」字又与「柔」字相配，风柔日薄，营造出一种轻淡、和缓而微冷的氛围，为全词「淡中见浓」的风格定下基调。更妙的是，「薄」字暗中为下片的「微寒」伏笔——日光薄，故睡起觉微寒，一字双关，前后呼应。「薄」字还与「柔」字对举，风柔日薄，皆是「淡」的意象，共同营造出早春那种轻淡、微凉而略带感伤的氛围，与下片的乡愁在色调上暗中相通。

残 Withered; leftover (for plum blossoms), hinting at the passage of time and her own worn state. 「梅花鬓上残」的「残」字，是上片闲适中暗藏的一丝不祥。「残」写鬓边梅花之残败，既是妆饰的细节，又是时光流逝、红颜易老的暗示。梅花本是早春之物，插在鬓上，本为增添春意，如今却已「残」了，一个「残」字，把「心情好」的明快悄悄划开一道裂痕。这「残」梅，是青春将逝的叹息，也是故园难返的预兆，为上片末尾埋下了一缕不易察觉的愁绪，与下片的乡愁遥相呼应。这「残」梅，是上片闲适中唯一的一丝不谐和音，它预告了全词由闲入愁的转折，是李清照在平静笔调下暗藏针脚的细密之处。

消 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「消」字在结句「香消酒未消」中连用两次，是全词炼字的焦点。前一「消」是香之散尽，写时间的流逝与夜之深沉；后一「消」是酒意之消退，写浇愁之物的无力。两个「消」字，一实一虚，一快一慢——香消得快，酒消得慢，而真正不消的，是藏在酒意之下的乡愁。以同一字的重复对照，写出「外物易消、愁心难消」的深意，手法精妙而不露痕迹。这个「消」字，正是李清照以浅语写深愁的绝佳例证。「消」字的重复，看似平淡，实则用心——以同一字的两种时态（已消、未消）相对，写尽「外物易逝而愁心难解」的对比，浅语之中，自有深致。