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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

苏幕遮·燎沉香

Sumuzhe · Burning Incense Wood

周邦彦

Zhou Bangyan

羁旅Traveling 思乡Homesickness 咏物Object Chant

燎沉香，消溽暑。
鸟雀呼晴，侵晓窥檐语。
叶上初阳干宿雨，水面清圆，一一风荷举。
故乡遥，何日去。
家住吴门，久作长安旅。
五月渔郎相忆否。
小楫轻舟，梦入芙蓉浦。

Burning incense wood to drive away the humid summer heat.
Birds call out in the clear sky, at dawn they twitter under the eaves, peeping in.
Leaves dry last night's rain with the rising sun;
On the water, clear and round, one by one, lotus leaves lift in the wind.
My hometown is far away; when can I return?
My home is at Wu Gate, but I have long been a traveler in Chang'an.
In the fifth month, do you remember me, the fishing lads?
With a small oar and light boat, I enter the Lotus Isle in my dream.

Listen

Meaning

The poem depicts a fresh summer morning scene after rain, from burning incense and bird calls to lotus leaves lifted by wind. The peaceful beauty triggers a sudden longing for the distant hometown, ending with a dream of returning to the lotus-filled waters of Jiangnan.

点燃沉香，消解闷热潮湿的暑气。鸟雀在晴日的呼唤声中，拂晓时偷偷在檐下叽喳。初升的太阳晒干荷叶上隔夜的雨珠，水面上清润圆正的荷叶，在风中一一挺举。故乡遥遥，何时才能回去？我家住吴门，却长久羁旅在长安。五月里，故乡的渔郎还记得我吗？我乘着小桨轻舟，在梦中回到了那芙蓉盛开的浦口。

Appreciation

The upper stanza paints a vivid, tranquil scene of summer morning: incense dispels the humid heat, birds announce the clear weather, and lotus leaves stand tall in the wind. The lower stanza turns abruptly to homesickness, expressing the weariness of long separation from home. The line 'one by one, lotus leaves lift in the wind' is hailed as a masterpiece for capturing the spirit of the lotus. The contrast between joyful scenery and melancholy feelings creates a subtle, sorrowless effect.

【白话串讲】周邦彦在京城烧香消暑，看荷叶在风里一一举起。他忽然想家了：故乡那么远，什么时候才能回去？梦里的小船，已经划进了江南的荷花塘。【意象与手法】上片写景炼字极工：“燎”“消”开篇即点暑气渐散；“呼晴”“窥檐语”赋予鸟雀灵性【情感与主旨】周邦彦（1056—1121）字美成，号清真居士，钱塘（今杭州）人。此词约作于其客居汴京（长安，借指京城）期间【名句点睛】考点：①“一一风荷举”的炼字与画面感；②上片写景角度（嗅觉、听觉、视觉）的转换；③以乐景写哀情、虚实结合

Background

Zhou Bangyan (1056–1121), courtesy name Meicheng, styled Qingzhen Jushi, was from Qiantang (now Hangzhou). This poem was likely written during his stay in Bianjing (Chang'an used as metonym for the capital). Northern Song scholars often left their hometowns for official posts, and memories of the water towns of Jiangnan frequently entered their dreams. This poem expresses his homesickness upon seeing lotus in summer.

周邦彦《苏幕遮·燎沉香》约作于其客居汴京时期。周邦彦字美成，号清真居士，钱塘（今杭州）人，宋神宗元丰初献《汴都赋》受知，后历任太学正、庐州教授、溧水知县等，徽宗朝提举大晟府，长期宦游在外。词中「家住吴门，久作长安旅」一句，明言其久客京城（长安借指汴京）而思念吴门故里，故系于其供职汴京之时较为合理，具体年份难以确指。吴门即苏州一带，泛指其钱塘故乡所在的吴地；「长安」自汉代以来即为京城的代称，此处借指汴京。词写五月夏日清晨，雨后初晴，荷花盛放，词人触景生情，兴起思乡之念，遂有「梦入芙蓉浦」之想。周邦彦词以「富艳精工」著称，此词却以清丽自然见长，是其词集中较少见的疏朗之作。关于「沉香」，即沉水香，宋人夏日焚之以消暑气，属日常风雅；「溽暑」指潮湿闷热的暑天，正合五月节令。此词上片写景之清新与下片思乡之真切相映成趣，是北宋词中以乐景写哀情的典范。周邦彦词素以「富艳精工」著称，王国维《人间词话》称其「创意之才少，创调之才多」，而此词却以清丽自然见长，是其集中较少见的疏朗之作，故尤为论者所重。关于此词的作年，或谓在元祐年间周邦彦供职汴京、任太学正前后，其时他离乡已久，思归之情日切，遂于夏日清晨触景生情，写下了这首思乡的名篇。

Art

The upper stanza uses meticulously refined diction: 'burn' and 'drive away' open with dissipating summer heat; 'call out' and 'peep' personify the birds; 'clear and round' depicts shape, and 'lift' captures dynamic spirit. The lower stanza directly declares 'hometown far away' and ends with a dream of returning to the lotus pond, shifting smoothly from reality to illusion, creating a sense of depth and lingering emotion.

此词的艺术特色在于上片写景精工而富层次，下片抒情真挚而见虚实。上片开篇「燎沉香，消溽暑」以嗅觉写焚香消暑的闲适，为全词铺一层清幽的底色。「鸟雀呼晴，侵晓窥檐语」转写听觉，一个「呼」字写鸟雀争鸣报晴的热闹，「窥檐语」写其拂晓时在檐间窥探啁啾的情态，赋鸟雀以灵性，清晨的生机扑面而来。「叶上初阳干宿雨，水面清圆，一一风荷举」三句写荷，是千古名笔：初阳晒干宿雨，写时间的推移；「水面清圆」写荷叶的形态，「清」状其色之鲜、「圆」状其形之正；「一一风荷举」写荷叶在风中挺立之姿，「举」字尤为传神，把荷叶的亭亭劲秀写活。下片「故乡遥，何日去」直抒乡思，「家住吴门，久作长安旅」交代羁旅之由，「五月渔郎相忆否」以问句写对故人的思念，「小楫轻舟，梦入芙蓉浦」以梦境收束，虚实相生。全词上片以荷花之景铺垫下片芙蓉浦之梦，景情贯通，浑然一体。此词以乐景写哀情的对照亦极可称道。上片的荷塘清景愈是明丽可人，下片的乡思便愈显得深重悠长——词人分明面对的是异乡的荷花，心中浮现的却是故乡的芙蓉浦，眼前之乐与心中之哀在「荷」这一意象上叠合，遂使景物成为乡愁的触媒。这种「以清丽之景写沉郁之情」的笔法，比直抒胸臆更见含蓄，也正是周邦彦「浑厚和雅」词风的具体体现。

Allusions

'Chang'an' originally referred to the Han and Tang capital, but Song poets often used it to refer to Bianjing (Kaifeng), not literal Xi'an. 'Wu Gate' refers to Suzhou; Zhou was from Qiantang, so here it broadly denotes his Jiangnan hometown. 'Lotus Isle' refers to a lotus-filled waterway. The poem uses few obscure references, starting with the everyday detail of burning incense to dispel summer heat.

此词用典不显，而意象皆有源流。「沉香」焚以消暑，是宋人风雅生活的写照，沉香的意象在诗词中多与清幽、闲适相连，此词以之起兴，先定清雅的基调。「长安」借指京城，是自汉以来诗词中习见的代称，如李白「长安不见使人愁」，周邦彦以「久作长安旅」自道久客京华，含蓄而不直白。「吴门」为苏州之别称，周邦彦籍钱塘，与吴门同属吴地，以「吴门」代故乡，取其声韵之美与地域之亲。「芙蓉浦」即荷花盛开的水滨，荷花意象在古典文学中源远流长，《诗经·泽陂》「彼泽之陂，有蒲与荷」已开咏荷之端，楚辞亦多以荷为香草美人，周邦彦以「梦入芙蓉浦」作结，既呼应上片的「风荷举」，又寄托归乡之思。「渔郎」暗含渔隐的意味，唐人诗中的渔父形象多与归隐、乡思相连，如张志和《渔歌子》，此词以「渔郎相忆否」发问，思乡之中又透出对隐逸生活的向往。「吴门」的指代亦有一说，或以为即指词人故里钱塘，钱塘古属吴地，与苏州同为「吴中」，故以「吴门」代指故乡，取其泛指之义，不必坐实为苏州。周邦彦以「吴门」对「长安」，一南一北，一水乡一帝都，地理的对照中自有情感的张力。「五月渔郎」的「渔郎」，则暗含渔隐之意，唐人张志和《渔歌子》「青箬笠，绿蓑衣，斜风细雨不须归」的渔父形象，正是归隐之志的象征，词人以「渔郎相忆否」发问，思乡之外更见其倦于宦游、向往归隐的深层心态。

Commentary

Wang Guowei in 'Human Words Remarks on Poetry' commented: 'Leaves dry last night's rain with the rising sun; on the water, clear and round, one by one, lotus leaves lift in the wind' truly captures the spirit of the lotus. Zhou Ji in 'Comments on Four Song Lyricists' praised Zhou Bangyan's lyrics as 'profound and graceful'; this piece is subtle and restrained, revealing the poet's genuine homesickness.

此词在历代评价极高，尤以「叶上初阳干宿雨，水面清圆，一一风荷举」三句受推重。王国维《人间词话》评曰：「美成《苏幕遮》词，叶上初阳干宿雨，水面清圆，一一风荷举，此真能得荷之神理者。」此评成为论此词的定评。清代周济《宋四家词选》谓周邦彦词「浑厚和雅」，此词清丽处足见其本领。陈廷焯《白雨斋词话》亦盛赞此三句写荷之妙。此词因写荷名句与真挚乡情，久为《宋词三百首》《唐宋名家词选》等选本所收，是周邦彦词中传诵最广的作品之一。就接受史而言，周邦彦素以「富艳精工」「沉郁顿挫」称，此词却以清新自然见长，使读者看到一个风格多样的清真居士，也修正了人们对周词一味铺排典丽的刻板印象。近代词论家多举此词与范仲淹《苏幕遮》并读，谓同调而异趣，范词苍凉、周词清丽，各尽其妙。此词在周邦彦词中地位特殊，因其打破了人们对周词「铺排典丽」的固有印象，故常被引为「清真词亦有清丽之作」的例证。王国维《人间词话》虽于周词多所贬抑，却独于此词「叶上初阳干宿雨」三句许为「真能得荷之神理者」，可见其写景之工已获公认。此词收入《清真集》，历代选本如《宋词三百首》必录之，朱祖谋、俞陛云等皆有点评。其「一一风荷举」的「举」字，与宋祁「红杏枝头春意闹」的「闹」字，同为宋词炼字的著名公案，历来为人所称道。

Prosody

Form Sumuzhe (also known as Binyun Songling), 62 characters, double stanzas, 7 lines each stanza, 4 oblique rhymes per stanza.词，双调六十二字，前后段各七句四仄韵（《苏幕遮》）

Rhyme Uses the fourth rhyme group of Cisheng Yundu (oblique tones), rhyme characters: shu, yu, ju, qu (upper stanza); lü, pu (lower stanza, some lines unrhymed).全词押仄声韵，韵字为暑、语、雨、举（前段），去、旅、否、浦（后段），属词林正韵第四部

Tone pattern Oblique rhyme gives crispness; upper stanza depicts lotus with meticulous brushwork, lower stanza expresses homesickness directly, transitioning from scenery to emotion.此调以三字句起，继以五字、七字句相间，句式由短而长、错落有致。前段「燎沉香，消溽暑」三字对起，「叶上初阳干宿雨」七字句承之，「一一风荷举」以五字收束，音节由促转舒；后段「故乡遥，何日去」三字对起，继以六字、七字句，末以五字收，声情由低沉转悠远。

Reading note The line 'one by one, lotus leaves lift in the wind' is an acclaimed masterpiece for lotus description, showcasing precise observation; the shift to homesickness and dream ending demonstrates structural harmony.《苏幕遮》一词双调六十二字，前后段各七句四仄韵，以范仲淹「碧云天」一首为最著。周邦彦此词用韵「暑、语、雨、举、去、旅、否、浦」，皆属词林正韵第四部（鱼虞模之上去声），仄声韵字音调收敛顿挫，宜于抒写低回之情。句式上前段「燎沉香，消溽暑」三字对起，音节短促明快，写晨起焚香的轻快；「鸟雀呼晴，侵晓窥檐语」四字句与五字句相间，读来如闻鸟语之啁啾；「叶上初阳干宿雨，水面清圆，一一风荷举」七字、四字、五字参差，尤以「一一风荷举」的顿挫见风荷摇曳之姿。后段「故乡遥，何日去」三字对起，与开篇呼应，声情转而低回；「五月渔郎相忆否」的「否」字作上声，问句收束处声调上扬，恰见其相忆之切；结句「梦入芙蓉浦」以五字收，平缓悠远，如入梦境。全词声情由清丽而低回、由低回而悠远，与写景抒情的变化丝丝入扣，是周邦彦精于音律、声情相得的明证。

Line by line

燎沉香，消溽暑

I burn aloeswood to drive away the damp summer heat.

点燃沉香，消解闷热潮湿的暑气。

Burning aloeswood incense, dispelling the damp swelter of summer.

开篇两句以嗅觉起笔，写焚香消暑的日常情景。「燎」是点燃，「沉香」是名贵的香木，焚之香气氤氲；「溽暑」是潮湿闷热的暑天，五月节候之写照。二句一「消」字，写香气的清凉之意与暑气的消散之感，为全词铺陈出一个清幽、闲适的夏日清晨氛围。以如此从容闲淡的起居入词，见出周邦彦善于捕捉日常之美、以俗为雅的本领，也为下文的荷塘清景与乡思之梦，预设了一个清凉澄澈的底色。二句以嗅觉领起，先声夺人，是全词清幽基调的定调之笔。

The opening two lines starting on the sense of smell, writing the incense-burning heat-dispelling daily scene. The liao word kindling, the aloeswood the costly fragrant wood, burning it the fragrant air's curling; the damp-summer-heat the humid sweltering summer day, the fifth-month season portrait. Two lines the one xiao word, writing the fragrance's cool meaning and the heat's dispelled feeling, laying out for the whole ci a quiet leisured summer-morning atmosphere. Using such composed leisurely dwelling for the ci, seeing Zhou Bangyan's daily-beauty-catching and the vulgar-as-elegant craft, and for the below's lotus-pond clear scene and homesickness dream, presetting a cool clear ground. Two lines leading with the smell, the sound's leading, the whole ci's quiet-tone establishing stroke.

叶上初阳干宿雨，水面清圆，一一风荷举

The morning sun dries last night's rain on the leaves; on the clear round water surface, each wind-lifted lotus stands upright.

初升的太阳晒干荷叶上隔夜的雨珠，水面上清润圆正的荷叶，在风中一一挺举。

The rising sun dries the overnight rain on the leaves; the water's surface, clear and round, the wind-lotuses rise one by one.

三句写荷，是千古传诵的名笔。「叶上初阳干宿雨」写时间的推移，初升的太阳渐渐晒干了荷叶上昨夜的雨珠，一个「干」字写出光与水的消长过程，极见观察之细。「水面清圆」写荷叶浮于水面的形态，「清」状其色泽鲜润，「圆」状其形状规整，是静态的写真。「一一风荷举」写荷叶在风中挺立的动态，「一一」写荷叶之众多而错落，「举」字尤为传神，把荷叶由水面被风吹举而亭亭直立之姿写得劲健而灵动。王国维谓此三句「真能得荷之神理」，正在于它以极洗练的笔触，兼写了荷叶的形、色、态与神。「干」「清圆」「举」三词，各尽其妙，遂使荷花之神宛在目前。

Three lines writing the lotus, the through-the-ages famed brush. The morning-sun-dries-last-night's-rain-on-the-leaves writing the time's moving, the rising sun's gradually drying the leaves' last-night rain, the one word gan writing the light-and-water's ebbing-and-flowing process, the observation's fineness. The clear-round-water-surface writing the lotus leaf's floating-on-water form, the clear describing its hue's fresh-lustrous, the round describing its shape's regular, the static portrait. The each-wind-lifted-lotus-stands-upright writing the leaves' wind-upright motion, the one-by-one writing the leaves' many-and-scattered, the ju word especially vivid, turning the leaf's water-surface wind-lifted and upright-standing pose into the vigorous-and-living. Wang Guowei holding these three lines' truly-seized-the-lotus's-spirit precisely in its using the most concise brush, jointly writing the leaf's form, color, pose, and spirit. The gan, clear-round, ju three words, each to its wonder, hence the lotus's spirit as if present.

家住吴门，久作长安旅

My home is at the Wu gate, yet long have I been a traveler in Chang'an.

我家住吴门，却长久羁旅在长安。

My home lies at the Wu gate, yet I have long been a sojourner in Chang'an.

二句自陈身世，是全词情感的枢纽。「吴门」指故乡吴地，「长安」借指京城汴京，一南一北，一故土一客居，构成空间上的遥远对峙。「家住吴门」四字含不尽的多关之思，「久作长安旅」的「久」字尤为沉痛，一个「久」字道出宦游岁月的漫长与归乡愿望的落空。二句以平淡的口语出之，不加藻饰，却在「家」与「旅」、「吴门」与「长安」的对举中，把宦游之倦、思乡之切写得真切动人，是周邦彦以浅语写深情的范例。以「小楫轻舟」的轻快反衬乡关之重，是周邦彦以景写情的细笔。

Two lines self-stating the lot, the whole ci's emotional hinge. The Wu-gate meaning the native Wu region, the Chang'an borrowing for the capital Bianjing, one south one north, one native-soil one sojourn, forming the spatial far opposition. The my-home-lies-at-the-Wu-gate four words carrying the endless home-missing, the long-have-I-been-a-sojourner's jiu word especially grief-stricken, the one jiu word uttering the official-travel years' length and the return-home wish's defeat. Two lines in the plain colloquial, no ornament, and yet within the home-and-sojourn and Wu-gate-and-Chang'an opposition, writing the official-travel weariness and homesickness's keeness, Zhou Bangyan's shallow-words-deep-feeling example. Using the small-oar-light-boat's lightness for the native-gate's weight's setting-off, Zhou Bangyan's scene-writes-feeling fine brush.

小楫轻舟，梦入芙蓉浦

With a small oar and light boat, in a dream I enter the lotus-flower shore.

我乘着小桨轻舟，在梦中回到了那芙蓉盛开的浦口。

With a small oar and light boat, in a dream I return to the lotus shore.

结拍以梦境收束，是全词虚实相生的点睛之笔。「小楫轻舟」四字写归乡之具，楫小而舟轻，意象轻盈灵动，仿佛已乘风归去；「梦入芙蓉浦」写梦中所至，芙蓉浦即荷花盛开的故乡水滨，正与上片「风荷举」的眼前之景遥相呼应——眼前的荷花勾起了故乡的荷塘，遂使思乡之情化为归乡之梦。以梦收束，不落言筌，把「何日去」的期盼托于梦中实现，虚实之间，乡思愈深，余味不尽。

The closing beat closing on the dream, the whole ci's void-solid mutual birth's telling stroke. The small-oar-light-boat four words writing the return-home vessel, the small oar and light boat, the image light-and-living, as if already wind-riding-home; the in-a-dream-I-enter-the-lotus-flower-shore writing the dream's arrival, the lotus shore i.e. the home water's lotus-blooming bank, precisely answering the first stanza's wind-lifted-lotus present scene — the present lotus's evoking the home lotus pond, hence the homesickness turning into the return-home dream. Closing on the dream, not landing in words, placing the when's-the-return expectation in the dream's fulfillment, between void-and-solid the homesickness the deeper, the aftertaste endless.

Study

Word focus

燎 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「燎」字起笔写焚香，比「焚」「烧」更具动作的绵长与光焰的幽微之感。燎是点燃并使之延烧，沉香经「燎」而香气缓缓溢出，与「消溽暑」的舒缓节奏相合，营造出夏日清晨从容闲适的氛围。一字既写实（点香的动作），又写意（香气的氤氲、暑气的消散），是全词清幽基调的定音之笔。周邦彦以「燎」领起，不假雕琢而气韵自生，可见其炼字于寻常处见工力的本领。此字与「消」字相配，一写香之起，一写暑之散，开篇即见其炼字的从容。

呼 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「呼」字写鸟雀，赋予其人的情态，是全词炼字最灵动处之一。鸟雀本只啁啾，词人著一「呼」字，便写其争相鸣叫、报告晴天的急切与热闹，仿佛群鸟齐声呼唤晴朗的到来。一个「呼」字兼写鸟声之喧与天气之晴，以动写静，反衬清晨院落的宁静。与下句「窥檐语」的「语」字相配，一呼一语，把鸟雀的灵性写足，使上片的荷塘清景更添几分生机与野趣，是周邦彦善以虚字传神、点化寻常景象的明证。「呼」字拟人，鸟雀之灵性毕现，是点化寻常景物的神来之笔。

举 The character 'lift' portrays lotus leaves standing upright in the wind, giving static leaves dynamic spirit and precise observation. 「举」字是全词写荷的传神之眼，王国维盛赞此词「真能得荷之神理」，所激赏者正在此字。荷叶本低贴水面，风过之时被吹得亭亭而立，一个「举」字写出了荷叶由低而高、亭亭挺立的那一瞬间的动态与精神。「举」有向上的力量感，把荷叶的劲秀、挺拔、生机写得气足神完，且与「一一」相配，写出满塘荷叶在风中此起彼伏、竞相挺举的壮观。以一字而写尽风荷之神，是古典诗词炼字的绝佳范例。一字而见风荷之精神，王国维所谓「得荷之神理」，正在此字。