宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
水调歌头·秋色渐将晚
Shuidiaogetou: Autumn Colors Gradually Darken
秋色渐将晚，霜信报黄花。
小窗低户深映，微路绕敧斜。
为问山翁何事，坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华。
徙倚望沧海，天净水明霞。
念平昔，空飘荡，遍天涯。
归来三径重扫，松竹本吾家。
却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁，边马怨胡笳。
谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙。
Small window, low gate, deep in shadow; a faint path winds aslant.
I ask the old mountain man what weighs on him — sitting and watching the years lightly pass, resigning himself to double temples gone grey.
He lingers, gazing at the vast sea, sky clear, water bright with rosy clouds.
Thinking of the past, in vain I drifted, roaming to the ends of the earth.
Returned, I sweep the three paths anew; pines and bamboo were ever my home.
Yet I resent the mournful wind that rises now and then, the new wild geese drifting among the clouds, border horses lamenting the Hu reed-pipe.
Who is like the old man of the Eastern Mountain, who cleared the Hu sands with a smile in conversation?
Meaning
Written in retirement, the lyric seems to dwell on seclusion yet betrays a constant anxiety for the threatened frontier, ending with the poet's wish to be another Xie An who could sweep away the invaders with ease — a late-life lament of unspent heroism.
秋色渐深，霜信报予黄花（菊）。小窗低户深深掩映，微路盘绕倾斜。试问山翁（自谓）何事，坐看流年轻轻逝去、甘任双鬓斑白？徘徊望沧海，天净水中明霞。念往昔，空自飘荡、走遍天涯。归来重扫三径，松竹本是我的家。却恨悲风时起，云间新雁冉冉，边马怨胡笳。谁似东山谢安老，谈笑间净扫胡沙。
Appreciation
The first part paints the retired setting — autumn chrysanthemums, a small window, a winding path — and the poet's half-resigned musing on passing years, closing on the open vista of sea and rosy clouds. The second recalls a life of wandering and a return to pines and bamboo, yet suddenly the mournful wind, new geese, and border pipes intrude with the worry of frontier war. The close, 'who is like the old man of the Eastern Mountain', summons Xie An to voice a heroic will to save the state, turning quiet into fervor. Restrained yet turbulent, the lyric embodies the Southern-Song practice of 'breathing heroic air into lyrics'.
【白话串讲】 “秋色渐将晚，霜信报黄花”——叶梦得写秋天。“坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华”——他看着年华老去。“念平昔，空飘荡，遍天涯”——“归来三径重扫，松竹本吾家”——他归隐了。“却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁”——他放不下国事。 【意象与手法】 “霜信报黄花”点时令；“三径松竹”用陶渊明典写隐；“悲风新雁边马胡笳”组接边患图景；“东山老”用谢安典明志。 【情感与主旨】 表面写隐居，实则心系家国，于闲适与忧愤间往复，抒发烈士暮年、壮志难酬之悲，是南渡词人“以气入词”的代表。 【名句点睛】 “谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙”——以谢安自许，于隐居闲居中迸发报国壮志，沉郁顿挫。
Background
Ye Mengde was a poet of the Southern-Song transition who had meritorious service against the Jin. In late life, forced into retirement at Mount Bian in Huzhou by Qin Hui's peace policy, he wrote this lyric after withdrawing — dwelling in the woods yet anxious over the frontier.
《水调歌头·秋色渐将晚》为宋代叶梦得所作，是写秋色将晚、北望胡沙、报国之志的词。叶梦得（1077—1148），字少蕴，号石林居士，吴县人，宋代词人。此词：秋色渐将晚，霜信报黄花。小窗低户深映，微路绕敧斜。为问山翁何事，坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华。徙倚望沧海，天净水明霞。念平昔，空飘荡，遍天涯。归来三径重扫，松竹本吾家。却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁，边马怨胡笳。谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙。全词写秋色将晚、北望胡沙、报国之志，是叶梦得词的名篇。
Art
A shuidiaogetou in two parts: the first sketches the retired scene and sighs at passing years, the second recalls a drifting life and frontier worry. It draws heavily on allusion (the old mountain man, the three paths, the Eastern Mountain) and folds emotion in three turns, with rugged bone beneath elegant ease.
《水调歌头·秋色渐将晚》艺术上以秋色将晚的描摹与报国之志的悲壮见长。全词分两片：上片写秋色将晚——“秋色渐将晚，霜信报黄花”写秋色渐将晚、霜信报黄花，“小窗低户深映，微路绕敧斜”写小窗低户深映、微路绕敧斜，“为问山翁何事，坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华”写为问山翁何事、坐看流年轻度、拚却鬓双华，“徙倚望沧海，天净水明霞”写徙倚望沧海、天净水明霞；下片写报国之志——“念平昔，空飘荡，遍天涯”写念平昔空飘荡遍天涯，“归来三径重扫，松竹本吾家”写归来三径重扫、松竹本吾家，“却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁，边马怨胡笳。谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙”用东山老之典写却恨悲风时起、谁似东山老谈笑净胡沙。全词以秋色将晚写报国之志，正是叶梦得词悲壮的笔法。
Allusions
The 'old mountain man' refers to Shan Jian, used by the poet for himself. The 'three paths' alludes to Jiang Xu and Tao Yuanming, signifying retirement. 'Yellow blooms' are chrysanthemums. 'The old man of the Eastern Mountain' is Xie An. 'Clear the Hu sands' uses Li Bai's line 'for you I clear the Hu sands with a smile'. The Hu reed-pipe and border horses evoke frontier war.
《水调歌头·秋色渐将晚》用典在“三径”“东山老”“胡笳”“净胡沙”。“三径”用陶潜三径之典（归隐）；“东山老”用谢安东山再起之典；“胡笳”写胡笳（边声）；“净胡沙”写扫净胡沙（靖边）。全词以这些典故写秋色将晚、北望胡沙、报国之志，用典自然而悲壮自见，正是叶梦得词的笔法。
Commentary
Ye's lyrics opened the Southern-Song path of 'breathing heroic air into the form'. The three lines 'yet I resent the mournful wind' and the close 'clear the Hu sands with a smile' show heroic spirit within gloom, praised as 'rugged bone and elegant ease'.
《水调歌头·秋色渐将晚》是叶梦得词的名篇，也是南宋词中写报国之志的代表作。此词写秋色将晚、北望胡沙、报国之志，向为论者称道。论者多赏其秋色将晚的描摹与报国之志的悲壮——“秋色渐将晚，霜信报黄花”写秋色渐将晚、霜信报黄花，悲壮之极；“为问山翁何事，坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华”写为问山翁何事、坐看流年轻度、拚却鬓双华，更见其慨；“却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁，边马怨胡笳”写却恨悲风时起、边马怨胡笳，尤见其愤；“谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙”用东山老之典写谁似东山老、谈笑净胡沙，尤见其志。叶梦得为南宋初词人，其词以悲壮著称，此词正是其代表——以秋色将晚写报国之志，正是其词风。
Prosody
Line by line
秋色渐将晚，霜信报黄花。
Autumn deepens toward dusk; frost's message announces the yellow blooms.
秋色渐将晚，霜信报黄花。
The autumn colors are deepening toward dusk; the frost's messenger announces the yellow chrysanthemums.
首写秋色渐将晚、霜信报黄花，是全词写秋景的起点。“秋色渐将晚”写秋色渐将晚——“秋色渐将晚”写秋色渐渐将晚——秋色渐将晚；“霜信报黄花”写霜信报黄花——“霜信报黄花”写霜信传来、黄花报秋——霜信报黄花。二句写秋色渐将晚、霜信报黄花：秋色渐将晚，霜信报黄花。以“秋色渐将晚”写秋色渐晚、时序将暮，以“霜信报黄花”写霜信报秋、黄花已放，正是叶梦得词写秋景的起点——秋色将晚，霜信黄花。
The opening writing the autumn-colors-deepening-toward-dusk and the frost's-messenger-announces-the-chrysanthemums, the ci's autumn-scene starting point. The autumn-colors-deepening-toward-dusk writing the autumn colors' gradually deepening dusk; the frost's-messenger-announces-the-yellow-chrysanthemums writing the frost's message's coming and the chrysanthemum's autumn announcement. Two lines writing the deepening autumn and the frost-borne flowers: the autumn deepens toward dusk, the frost's messenger reports the yellow flowers. Using the autumn-colors-deepening for the autumn's late season and the time's nearing dusk, using the frost-message-and-chrysanthemums for the frost's autumn report and the flowers' blooming, precisely Ye Mengde's autumn-scene starting point — the autumn's near dusk, the frost's message and yellow flowers.
为问山翁何事，坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华。
Let me ask the old mountain man: why sit watching the years drift by, and let your temples turn white?
为问山翁何事，坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华。
Let me ask the old mountain man: why sit watching the years drift by, and let your temples turn white?
此句写为问山翁何事、坐看流年轻度、拚却鬓双华，是全词写自问自伤的开端。“为问山翁何事”写为问山翁何事——“为问山翁何事”写试问山中老翁为何事——为问山翁何事；“坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华”写坐看流年轻度、拚却鬓双华——“坐看流年轻度”写坐看流光轻易度过，“拚却鬓双华”写拼却两鬓霜华——流年轻度，鬓已双华。三句写为问山翁何事、坐看流年轻度：为问山翁何事，坐看流年轻度，拚却鬓双华。以“为问山翁何事”写试问山翁、何事自问，以“坐看流年轻度”写坐看流光、轻易虚度，以“拚却鬓双华”写拼却双鬓、华发已生，正是叶梦得词写自问自伤的开端——流年轻度，鬓发已华。
This line writing the let-me-ask-the-old-mountain-man, the sitting-watching-the-years-drift, and the temples-turning-white, the ci's self-questioning-and-self-grief beginning. The let-me-ask-the-old-mountain-man-what writes the trying-asking of the mountain old man's why; the sitting-watching-the-years-drift-by-and-let-your-temples-turn-white writes the sitting-watching of the flowing time's easy passing, and the betting-away of the twin-temples' frost bloom — the flowing time's easy passing, the temples already white. Three lines writing the asking and the years' drifting: let me ask the mountain old man's what, sitting watching the years drift, and let the temples double-white. Using the let-me-ask for the trying-asking and the self-question, using the sitting-watching-the-years for the seated watching and the easy frittering, using the temples-turning-white for the betting-away of the twin temples and the white hair's born, precisely Ye Mengde's self-questioning-and-self-grief beginning — the years' easy passing, the hair already white.
归来三径重扫，松竹本吾家。
Returning, I sweep the three paths again; the pines and bamboos are my true home.
归来三径重扫，松竹本吾家。
Returning, I sweep the three paths again; the pines and bamboos are my true home.
此二句用三径之典写归来三径重扫、松竹本吾家，是全词写归隐之志的深化。“归来三径重扫”用陶潜三径之典写归来三径重扫——“归来三径重扫”用陶潜三径之典写归来重扫三径——归来三径重扫；“松竹本吾家”写松竹本吾家——“松竹本吾家”写松竹本是我的家——松竹本吾家。二句写归来三径重扫、松竹本吾家：归来三径重扫，松竹本吾家。以“归来三径重扫”用陶潜三径之典写归来重扫三径、欲归田园，以“松竹本吾家”写松竹本家、隐逸之乐，正是叶梦得词写归隐之志的深化——三径重扫，松竹吾家。
These two lines using the three-paths allusion for the return-and-resweeping and the pines-and-bamboos-my-home, the ci's hermitage-will deepening. The return-to-sweep-the-three-paths-again uses Tao Qian's three-paths allusion for the return's resweeping of the three paths; the pines-and-bamboos-are-my-true-home writing the pines-and-bamboos by nature my home. Two lines writing the return and the pines-and-bamboos: returning, I resweep the three paths; the pines and bamboos are my home. Using the Tao-Qian-three-paths allusion for the return's resweeping and the farmland's desire, using the pines-and-bamboos-are-my-home for the pines-bamboos'-native-home and the hermitage's joy, precisely Ye Mengde's hermitage-will deepening — the three paths reswept, the pines and bamboos my home.
却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁，边马怨胡笳。谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙。
Yet I grieve when the grieving wind rises, when new geese drift through the clouds, when frontier horses mourn the Hu reed pipe. Who, like the old master of Dongshan, could, in talk and laughter, wipe the Hu dust clean?
却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁，边马怨胡笳。谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙。
Yet I grieve when the grieving wind rises, when new geese drift through the clouds, when frontier horses mourn the Hu pipe. Who, like the old master of Dongshan, could in talk and laughter wipe the Hu dust clean?
末用东山老之典写却恨悲风时起、谁似东山老谈笑净胡沙，是全词写报国之志的归结。“却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁，边马怨胡笳”写却恨悲风时起、边马怨胡笳——“却恨悲风时起”写却恨悲风时时而起，“冉冉云间新雁”写云间新雁冉冉飞过，“边马怨胡笳”写边马怨胡笳之声——悲风新雁，边马怨笳；“谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙”用东山老之典写谁似东山老、谈笑净胡沙——“谁似东山老”用谢安东山再起之典写谁能像东山谢老，“谈笑净胡沙”写谈笑之间扫净胡沙——谁似东山，谈笑净胡沙。四句写却恨悲风时起、谁似东山老：却恨悲风时起，冉冉云间新雁，边马怨胡笳。谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙。以“却恨悲风时起”写悲风时起、边声入耳，以“冉冉云间新雁”写云间新雁、秋思绵绵，以“边马怨胡笳”写边马怨笳、胡尘未靖，以“谁似东山老，谈笑净胡沙”用谢安之典写谁似东山老、谈笑靖边，正是叶梦得词写报国之志的归结——东山谁似，谈笑净沙。
The close using the old-Dongshan-master allusion for the grieving-wind's-rising and the who-like-Dongshan's-talk-and-laughter's-wiping-clean, the ci's country-service-will's gathering. The-yet-I-grieve-when-the-grieving-wind-rises-when-new-geese-drift-through-the-clouds-when-frontier-horses-mourn-the-Hu-pipe writing the grieving wind's time-and-again rising, the cloud-borne new geese's slowly passing, and the frontier horse's mourning the Hu pipe sound — the grieving wind and new geese, the frontier horse's mourning the pipe; the who-like-the-old-master-of-Dongshan-could-in-talk-and-laughter-wipe-the-Hu-dust-clean uses the Xie-An's-Dongshan-re-arising allusion for the who-can-like-the-Dongshan-old-Xie, and the talk-and-laughter's wiping-clean of the Hu dust — who like Dongshan, talk and laughter wipe the dust clean. Four lines writing the grieving wind and the Dongshan comparison: yet I grieve when the grieving wind rises, new geese drift through the clouds, frontier horses mourn the Hu pipe. Who like the old master of Dongshan, in talk and laughter wipe the Hu dust clean? Using the grieving-wind's-rising for the grieving wind's coming and the border-sound's ear-entry, using the cloud-borne-new-geese for the cloud's new geese and the autumn longing's continuity, using the frontier-horse-mourns-the-pipe for the border horse's mourning and the Hu dust's non-quiet, using the Xie-An allusion for the who-like-Dongshan and the talk-and-laughter's border-quelling, precisely Ye Mengde's country-service-will's gathering — who like Dongshan, talk and laughter wipe the sand clean.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
叶梦得《八声甘州·寿阳楼八公山作》写八公山怀古、言志之情，与本首同为叶梦得词写怀古言志。差异在情境：水调歌头写秋色报国；八声甘州写八公怀古。一写“秋”之志，一写“古”之慨。两者并读，可见叶梦得词写怀古言志的两种情境。
水调歌头·明月几时有 Prelude to Water Melody: How Long Will the Full Moon Appear? 苏轼 · 同为水调歌头写登临之慨，一写秋色报国一写中秋怀远，一壮一达 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
苏轼《水调歌头·明月几时有》写中秋怀远、超然之情，与本首同为水调歌头。差异在情致：叶梦得秋色渐将晚写报国之志；苏轼明月几时有写怀人超然。一写“志”之壮，一写“情”之达。两者并读，可见水调歌头写登临之慨的两种情致。
念奴娇·赤壁怀古 Remembering the Red Cliff: To the Tune of Niannujiao 苏轼 · 同为宋词写怀古言志，一写秋色报国一写赤壁怀古，皆豪放 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
苏轼《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》写赤壁怀古、人生之慨，与本首同为宋词写怀古言志。差异在主题：叶梦得秋色渐将晚写报国；苏轼念奴娇写怀古。一写“志”之壮，一写“慨”之深。两者并读，可见宋词写怀古言志的两种主题。