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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

鹊桥仙·华灯纵博

Magpie Bridge Immortals: Under the Blazing Lamps We Gambled at Play

陆游

Lu You

华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举。
酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父。
轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨。
镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与。

Under the blazing lamps we gambled at play,
With carved saddles we raced and shot —
Who remembers now the bold deeds of those years?
The wine-guzzlers, one and all, have won their marquisates,
While I alone have gone to be a fisherman on the river's edge.
An eight-foot light boat,
A low awning of three panels —
I have taken possession of the mist and rain of the duckweed isles.
Mirror Lake always belonged to the idle man —
Why should I need the bestowal of the imperial grace?
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Meaning

A lyric of the retired hero, written by Lu You in his later years. He recalls the bold deeds of his youth — gambling under the blazing lamps, racing and shooting with carved saddles — and asks who remembers them now. The wine-guzzlers of those days have one and all won their marquisates, while he alone has gone to be a fisherman on the river's edge. But the lyric turns the exile into a triumph: his eight-foot light boat, with its low awning of three panels, has taken possession of the mist and rain of the duckweed isles; and Mirror Lake always belonged to the idle man — why should he need the bestowal of the imperial grace? The lyric is the classic statement of the hero who refuses to beg for what is already his by nature.

华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举。酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父。轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨。镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Under the blazing lamps we gambled at play; with carved saddles we raced and shot — who remembers now the bold deeds of those years? The wine-guzzlers, one and all, have won their marquisates; I alone have gone to be a fisherman on the river's edge. An eight-foot light boat, a low awning of three panels — I have taken possession of the mist and rain of the duckweed isles. Mirror Lake always belonged to the idle man — why should I need the bestowal of the imperial grace? [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the heroic youth (the lamps, the racing, the shooting) through the irony of the present (the guzzlers' marquisates, the fisherman's exile) to the turn of the close: the boat and the mist and rain are already his, and the imperial grace is not needed. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the turn of the exile into a triumph: the 'who remembers' of the opening is answered by the close — the hero needs no one's remembrance, for the lake and the mist are his by nature. [Emotional Tone] Proud, ironic, and finally triumphant: the lyric is the hero's answer to the world that has passed him over — he has what the world cannot give.

【白话串讲】 陆游写《鹊桥仙·华灯纵博》：“华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举”——“酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父”——“轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨”——“镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与”——他写归隐——镜湖元自属闲人。 【意象与手法】 “华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举”写当年豪举无人记；“酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父”以酒徒封侯反衬自己渔父；“轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨”写渔父之闲；结以“镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与”以镜湖写旷达。旷达愤激。 【情感与主旨】 陆游写咏怀抒愤之作，以当年豪举无人记、酒徒封侯而己独渔父写壮志难酬之愤，又以镜湖自属闲人写旷达自解，是陆游词中的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父”以酒徒封侯写壮志难酬；“镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与”以镜湖写旷达愤激。

Background

Lu You (1125–1210) was the greatest patriotic poet of the Southern Song, whose youth was spent in the hope of recovering the lost north and whose later years were spent in retirement near Mirror Lake in his native Shanyin. This lyric was written in those years, looking back on the bold deeds of youth and the careers of his contemporaries. 'Mirror Lake' (Jinghu) is the great lake of Shanyin, where Lu You retired; 'the imperial grace' alludes to the legend of He Zhizhang, the Tang poet to whom the emperor presented Mirror Lake — the grace that Lu You declares unnecessary, since the lake belongs to the idle man by nature.

《鹊桥仙·华灯纵博》为宋代词人陆游所作词。陆游（1125—1210），字务观，号放翁，越州山阴（今浙江绍兴）人，南宋诗人、词人。此词写咏怀抒愤，为罢官闲居之作。词中「华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举」写华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举；「酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父」写酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父；「轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨」写轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨；「镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与」写镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与。陆游此词以咏怀抒愤、又何必君恩赐与写其抒愤之情，旷达愤激，是陆游词中的名篇。此篇《鹊桥仙·华灯纵博》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。此篇《鹊桥仙·华灯纵博》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 lyric's art is the art of the triumphant turn. The first stanza builds the contrast: the blazing lamps and carved saddles of the heroic youth against the 'who remembers now'; the wine-guzzlers' marquisates against the poet's fisherman's exile. The second stanza then performs the turn: the eight-foot light boat and the low awning are described with loving particularity, and their possession — the mist and rain of the duckweed isles — is declared a conquest. The close delivers the lyric's full statement: Mirror Lake always belonged to the idle man; why should he need the imperial grace? The hero who was passed over is re-posed as the hero who has refused — the exile turned into a triumph.

此词艺术上以「旷达愤激、以今写昔」见长。全词共八句，由华灯纵博而谁记当年豪举而独去作江边渔父。起「华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举」写华灯纵博：华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举；「酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父」写独去作江边渔父：酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父；「轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨」写轻舟八尺：轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨；结「镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与」写又何必君恩赐与：镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与。全词以今写昔，由华灯纵博而又何必君恩赐与，旷达愤激，是陆游词中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。

Allusions

'The wine-guzzlers, one and all, have won their marquisates' (jiutu yi qu feng hou) alludes to the drinking companions of the Han hero who won their rewards while the true hero was forgotten — the irony of the world's distribution of honors. 'Mirror Lake' is the great lake of Shanyin, where Lu You retired; the allusion to He Zhizhang, whom the emperor rewarded with the lake, completes the turn: the poet has no need of the imperial present, for the lake belongs to the idle man by nature. 'The duckweed isles' are the islands of the lake, and 'the mist and rain' are the very weather of the fisherman's possession.

词中「华灯纵博雕鞍驰射谁记当年豪举」「酒徒一一取封侯独去作江边渔父」「轻舟八尺低篷三扇占断苹洲烟雨」「镜湖元自属闲人又何必君恩赐与」等语，皆含典故故实。「华灯纵博雕鞍驰射谁记当年豪举」写华灯纵博雕鞍驰射谁记当年豪举；「酒徒一一取封侯独去作江边渔父」写酒徒一一取封侯独去作江边渔父；「轻舟八尺低篷三扇占断苹洲烟雨」写轻舟八尺低篷三扇占断苹洲烟雨；「镜湖元自属闲人又何必君恩赐与」用镜湖之典（镜湖即鉴湖，在绍兴，唐玄宗曾赐贺知章镜湖一曲），写镜湖元自属闲人又何必君恩赐与。词人以镜湖之典入词，不着痕迹，而把咏怀抒愤之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸典故的体现。此等用典之法，熔铸古今而不着痕迹，既不炫博以示学，亦不拘泥于旧解，正见诗人学养之深与运思之巧。读者于此等处尤当细心玩味，方能领会其言外之旨与味外之味。

Commentary

This lyric is one of Lu You's most famous expressions of the retired hero's pride, quoted for the perfect turn of the exile into a triumph. The closing declaration — 'Mirror Lake always belonged to the idle man — why should I need the bestowal of the imperial grace?' — is often cited as the classic statement of the hero's independence, and the lyric as a whole is read as Lu You's answer to the world that passed him over.

这首《鹊桥仙·华灯纵博》，是陆游写咏怀抒愤之作，写华灯纵博、谁记当年豪举、独去作江边渔父、又何必君恩赐与之情，旷达愤激。起「华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举」——华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举。写华灯纵博：华灯纵博、雕鞍驰射、谁记当年豪举——纵博、驰射、当年豪举；「酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父」——酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父。写独去作江边渔父：酒徒一一取封侯、独去作江边渔父——取封侯、江边渔父；「轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨」——轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨。写轻舟八尺：轻舟八尺、低篷三扇、占断苹洲烟雨——轻舟八尺、苹洲烟雨；结「镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与」——镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与。写又何必君恩赐与：镜湖元自属闲人、又何必君恩赐与——属闲人、君恩赐与。这「镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与」，是全词之结：以又何必君恩赐与写其抒愤。全词旷达愤激，以今写昔，正是陆游词中的名篇。

Prosody

Form Queqiaoxian (Magpie Bridge Immortals), a lyric of fifty-six characters词（鹊桥仙）
Rhyme The poem rhymes on the oblique-tone words ju, fu, yu and yu in the yu rhyme group, in the tune's pattern.此调为鹊桥仙。押韵：「举」「父」「雨」「与」押语御部韵。此词依鹊桥仙词牌填制，音节顿挫，正与写咏怀抒愤的旷达愤激相称，也见其以鹊桥仙写抒愤的沉郁。
Tone pattern The opening is bold and reminiscent with the lamps and the racing; the middle turns with the guzzlers' honors; the close rises into the triumphant cadence of the lake possessed and the grace refused.句式上，「华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举」写华灯纵博，音节豪迈；「酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父」写独去作江边渔父，音节愤激；「轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨」写轻舟八尺，音节旷达；结「镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与」写又何必君恩赐与，音节冷峭。全词音节随情起伏，由豪迈而愤激、由旷达而冷峭，正合鹊桥仙「沉郁」之妙，读来如咏怀抒愤、又何必君恩赐与之音，旷达而动人。
Reading note This is the Queqiaoxian tune. The rhyme falls on the oblique-tone yu group — ju, fu, yu and yu — in the tune's pattern. The syllables follow the feeling: the opening 'huadeng zongbo, diaoan chishe' is bold and heroic; 'jiutu yiyi qu feng hou' turns sharp with the irony; 'qingzhou bachi, dipeng san shan' is easy and free with the boat; and the close 'you hebi, jun en ci yu' is cold and defiant. The whole moves from the heroic through the resentful to the triumphant, the cadence of the hero who refuses the world's grace.此调为鹊桥仙，是陆游写咏怀抒愤之作，也是其词中的名篇。全词的艺术特色在于「旷达愤激、以今写昔」：「华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举」写华灯纵博、「酒徒一一取封侯，独去作、江边渔父」写独去作江边渔父、「轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨」写轻舟八尺、「镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与」写又何必君恩赐与。全词旷达愤激，以今写昔。尤为精妙者，是「镜湖元自属闲人」用镜湖之典；而「又何必、君恩赐与」写尽君恩赐与之情，正是陆游词「旷达愤激」的典范，为历代选本所常收。《鹊桥仙·华灯纵博》一诗之所以读来声情并茂，正在于诗人以声韵配合情思、以节奏烘托意境，音节之长短、平仄之起伏，皆与诗意相为表里，此亦可见中国古典诗歌声律之美与匠心之工。

Line by line

华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举。

Under the blazing lamps we gambled at play, with carved saddles we raced and shot — who remembers now the bold deeds of those years?

华灯纵博，雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举。

Beneath the bright lanterns the bold gaming, on the carved saddle the mounted archery — who remembers the brave deeds of that year?

起句写华灯纵博，起笔即见其博。「华灯纵博」写华灯纵博，「华灯」写华灯、「纵博」写纵博；「雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举」写雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举，「雕鞍驰射」写雕鞍驰射、「谁记当年豪举」写谁记当年豪举。一句写华灯纵博雕鞍驰射谁记当年豪举，以华灯纵博写纵博、以谁记当年豪举写当年豪举，写尽华灯纵博、雕鞍驰射，谁记当年豪举之情。以博起兴，旷达而愤激，是「以博起兴」的妙笔。

The opening writes the bright lanterns and bold gaming, the gaming present at the first stroke. Beneath the bright lanterns the bold gaming writes the bright lanterns and the free gaming; on the carved saddle the mounted archery, who remembers the brave deeds of that year? writes the carved saddle and the gallop-and-shoot, the who-remembers-the-brave-deeds. One line exhausting the lantern-gaming, saddle-shooting, and the who-remembers, the bold gaming through the free gaming, the brave deeds through the who-remembers. Rising on gaming, detached and resentful, a wondrous brush of rising-on-gaming.

酒徒一一取封侯，

The wine-guzzlers, one and all, have won their marquisates,

酒徒一一取封侯，

The wine fellows, one by one, won their fiefdoms,

此句写酒徒一一取封侯，是全词写封侯之态的关键。「酒徒一一」写酒徒一一，「酒徒」写酒徒、「一一」写一一；「取封侯」写取封侯，「取」写取、「封侯」写封侯。一句写酒徒一一取封侯，以酒徒一一写酒徒、以取封侯写封侯，写尽酒徒一一取封侯之情。以侯写愤，旷达而愤激，是「以侯写愤」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。

This line writes the wine fellows winning fiefdoms one by one, the ci's enfeoffment-state key. The wine fellows, one by one, won their fiefdoms: the wine fellows one by one writing the wine drinkers and the one by one; the won-fiefdoms writing the winning and the enfeoffment. One line, the wine fellows through the wine drinkers, the enfeoffment through the winning, exhausting the wine fellows' one-by-one enfeoffment. Writing resentment through the fief, detached and resentful, a telling stroke of resentment-through-fief. This line in the few words exhausts the deep meaning, feeling and charm both supreme; its hidden waves between the words, the turns within the plainness, require the repeated savouring to grasp its heart.

轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨。

An eight-foot light boat, a low awning of three panels — I have taken possession of the mist and rain of the duckweed isles.

轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨。

The light boat of eight feet, the low awning of three panels, has taken over the misty rain of the duckweed isles.

此句写轻舟八尺，是全词写轻舟之态的关键。「轻舟八尺」写轻舟八尺，「轻舟」写轻舟、「八尺」写八尺；「低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨」写低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨，「低篷三扇」写低篷三扇、「占断苹洲烟雨」写占断苹洲烟雨。一句写轻舟八尺低篷三扇占断苹洲烟雨，以轻舟八尺写轻舟、以占断苹洲烟雨写苹洲烟雨，写尽轻舟八尺、低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨之情。以舟写情，旷达而愤激，是「以舟写情」的点睛之笔。

This line writes the eight-foot light boat, the ci's light-boat-state key. The light boat of eight feet writes the light boat and the eight feet; the low awning of three panels, has taken over the misty rain of the duckweed isles writes the low awning and the taking-over. One line, the light boat through the light boat, the duckweed-isle-rain through the taking-over, exhausting the eight-foot boat and the misty rain. Writing feeling through the boat, detached and resentful, a telling stroke of feeling-through-boat.

镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与。

Mirror Lake always belonged to the idle man — why should I need the bestowal of the imperial grace?

镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与。

Mirror Lake belongs by rights to the idle man; why need the emperor's grace to bestow it?

结句写镜湖元自属闲人，是全词立意的落点。「镜湖元自属闲人」用镜湖之典写镜湖元自属闲人，「镜湖」写镜湖、「元自属闲人」写元自属闲人；「又何必、君恩赐与」写又何必、君恩赐与，「又何必」写又何必、「君恩赐与」写君恩赐与。一句写镜湖元自属闲人又何必君恩赐与，以镜湖元自属闲人写属闲人、以又何必君恩赐与写君恩赐与，写尽镜湖元自属闲人、又何必君恩赐与之情。以湖写情，旷达而愤激，是全词最动人处，也是「以湖写情」的点睛之笔。

The close writes Mirror Lake belonging by rights to the idle man, the landing of the ci's theme. Mirror Lake belongs by rights to the idle man uses the Mirror Lake allusion, writing the lake and the by-rights-idle; why need the emperor's grace to bestow it? writes the why-need and the emperor's-blessing. One line, the idle-man's belonging through the by-rights, the emperor's grace through the bestowal, exhausting the lake's belonging and the grace's needlessness. Writing feeling through the lake, detached and resentful, the ci's most moving place.

Study

Word focus

华灯 'The blazing lamps' — the brilliant lamps of the gambling night, the setting of the hero's youth. 「华灯」写华灯纵博，是写华灯之态的关键。「华灯纵博」着一「华灯」，写华灯——着一「华灯」，写华灯纵博，见其灯之华。两字写尽华灯之态，是「以词写灯」的妙笔。「华灯」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。
雕鞍 'The carved saddles' — the ornate saddles of the racing and shooting, the equipment of the bold deeds. 「雕鞍」写雕鞍驰射，是写雕鞍之态的关键。「雕鞍驰射」着一「雕鞍」，写雕鞍——着一「雕鞍」，写雕鞍驰射，见其鞍之雕。两字写尽雕鞍之态，是「以词写鞍」的点睛之词。「雕鞍」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。
苹洲 'The duckweed isles' — the islands of Mirror Lake, the fisherman's possession. 「苹洲」写占断苹洲烟雨，是写苹洲之态的关键。「占断苹洲烟雨」着一「苹洲」，写苹洲——着一「苹洲」，写占断苹洲烟雨，见其洲之苹。两字写尽苹洲之态，是「以词写洲」的点睛之词。「苹洲」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。
镜湖 'Mirror Lake' — the great lake of Shanyin where Lu You retired, the lake that belongs to the idle man. 「镜湖」写镜湖元自属闲人，是写镜湖之态的关键。「镜湖元自属闲人」着一「镜湖」，写镜湖——着一「镜湖」，写镜湖元自属闲人，见其湖之镜。两字写尽镜湖之态，是「以词写湖」的点睛之词。「镜湖」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

水调歌头·明月几时有 Prelude to Water Melody: When Did the Bright Moon Begin? 苏轼 · 同写功名感怀、旷达超然，一写我欲乘风归去、一写独去作江边渔父，皆于功名之中见旷达 Both are Song lyrics of the grand, philosophical ease — Su Shi's moon and wine, Lu You's lake and boat.

Su Shi's 'Prelude to Water Melody' turns the exile's night into the great meditation on the moon and the reunion; Lu You's lyric turns the exile's lake into the possession of the idle man — the two grand assertions of the Song hero's ease.

苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》「我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒」，写功名感怀、旷达超然，是宋词长调的名篇；陆游《鹊桥仙·华灯纵博》则以「独去作、江边渔父」「镜湖元自属闲人，又何必、君恩赐与」写江边渔父、君恩赐与。两词同写功名感怀、旷达超然：一写我欲乘风归去、以乘风写超然，一写独去作江边渔父、以渔父写旷达；一为苏轼之超然、一为陆游之愤激，并读正可见词写「功名感怀」的两种笔法，皆于功名之中见旷达。

 八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天 Eight Beats of Ganzhou: Facing the Evening Rain That Spatters the Long River 柳永 · 同写江湖凝望、旷达清丽，一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写轻舟八尺低篷三扇占断苹洲烟雨，皆于江湖之中见凝望 Both are the exile's gaze over the water — Liu Yong's evening rain and wilting flowers, Lu You's mist and rain of the isles.

Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' is the great lyric of the wanderer's gaze from the tower — the evening rain, the wilting flowers, the homesickness; Lu You's lyric is the hero's answer — the boat, the mist, and the lake that needs no imperial grace.

柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」，写江湖凝望、旷达清丽，是宋词写羁旅的名篇；陆游《鹊桥仙·华灯纵博》则以「轻舟八尺，低篷三扇，占断苹洲烟雨」「酒徒一一取封侯」写苹洲烟雨、取封侯。两词同写江湖凝望、旷达清丽：一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以暮雨写清秋，一写轻舟八尺低篷三扇占断苹洲烟雨、以轻舟写江湖；一为柳永之清丽、一为陆游之旷达，并读正可见词写「江湖凝望」的两种笔法，皆于江湖之中见凝望。