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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

苏武慢

The Slow of Su Wu

蔡伸

Cai Shen

雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断。
青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱。
楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚。
望碧云空暮,佳人何处,梦魂俱远。
忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面。
书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨。
两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍。
尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼。

The wild geese alight on the level sand,
The smoke veils the cold water,
At the old fort, the sound of the reed-pipes breaks off.
The green hills faint, faint,
The withered leaves rustle, rustle,
At the edge of the sky, the dusk crows scattered and confused.
In the tower, the yellow dusk,
The single sail, the thousand-li return journey,
The years are turning late.
I look to the blue clouds, the empty evening,
Where is the beloved?
The dream and the soul, both distant.
Remembering the old wandering, the deep hall, the vermilion door,
The small garden, the fragrant path,
I still think of the peach-blossom face.
The letters fill the brocade scroll,
The resentment fills the golden strings,
Hard to write the inch-heart's quiet grievance.
The parting sorrow of the two places,
The one vessel of the fragrant wine,
Desolate, I lean on the dangerous railing throughout.
All the lingering,
Relying on the western wind,
To blow dry the tearful eyes.
Listen

Meaning

A lyric of the autumn wandering and the longing, written by Cai Shen. The wild geese alight on the level sand, the smoke veils the cold water, at the old fort, the sound of the reed-pipes breaks off — the cold scene of the autumn. The green hills faint, faint, the withered leaves rustle, rustle, at the edge of the sky, the dusk crows scattered and confused — the desolate scene of the autumn. In the tower, the yellow dusk, the single sail, the thousand-li return journey, the years are turning late — the turning of the years. I look to the blue clouds, the empty evening, where is the beloved? The dream and the soul, both distant — the distant beloved. Remembering the old wandering, the deep hall, the vermilion door, the small garden, the fragrant path — I still think of the peach-blossom face — the remembered past. The letters fill the brocade scroll, the resentment fills the golden strings, hard to write the inch-heart's quiet grievance — the written grievance. The parting sorrow of the two places, the one vessel of the fragrant wine, desolate, he leans on the dangerous railing throughout — the sorrow and the wine. All the lingering, relying on the western wind, to blow dry the tearful eyes — the close's reliance on the wind. The lyric is the autumn longing: the cold scene, the distant beloved, and the close's tearful eyes dried by the western wind.

雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断。青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱。楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚。望碧云空暮,佳人何处,梦魂俱远。忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面。书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨。两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍。尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The wild geese alight on the level sand, the smoke veils the cold water, at the old fort, the sound of the reed-pipes breaks off. In the tower, the yellow dusk, the single sail, the thousand-li return journey, the years are turning late. Remembering the old wandering, the deep hall, the vermilion door, the small garden, the fragrant path, I still think of the peach-blossom face. All the lingering, relying on the western wind, to blow dry the tearful eyes. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the cold autumn scene and the years turning late, through the distant beloved and the remembered past, to the written grievance and the sorrow of the two places, and the close's reliance on the western wind to dry the tears. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the gathering of the autumn longing: the cold scene of the wild geese and the dusk crows, the peach-blossom face of the remembered past, and the close's reliance on the western wind — the longing gathered from the scene, the memory, and the close's helpless wind. [Emotional Tone] Cold, desolate, and sorrowful: the lyric is the autumn longing of the wandering, the cold scene and the distant beloved, the close's dried tears.

【白话串讲】 蔡伸写《苏武慢》:“雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断”——“青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱”——“楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚”——“忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面”——他写秋思——烟笼寒水。 【意象与手法】 “雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断”写羁旅之景;“青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱”写秋景萧瑟;“楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚”写年华将晚;“忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面”以桃花人面忆旧;结以“尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼”写凭仗西风。含蓄深婉。 【情感与主旨】 蔡伸写羁旅怀人之作,写秋景萧瑟、年华将晚与对旧游桃花人面的追忆,以“凭仗西风吹干泪眼”写悲愁,是蔡伸词的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断”以烟笼寒水写羁旅;“忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面”以桃花人面忆旧。

Background

Cai Shen (1088–1156), the lyric master of the Song, wrote this 'Slow of Su Wu' of the autumn longing — the wandering and the beloved. The wild geese and the dusk crows of the cold autumn, the single sail of the return journey and the years turning late, the remembered peach-blossom face of the old wandering, and the close's reliance on the western wind to blow dry the tearful eyes — the lyric gathers the autumn longing of the wandering, the cold scene and the helpless close. The lyric is one of the representative works of the Song lyric of the longing.

《苏武慢》为南宋词人蔡伸所作词。蔡伸(1088—1156),字伸道,自号友古居士,莆田(今福建莆田)人,南宋词人。此词写羁旅怀人。词中「雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断」写羁旅之景;「青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱」写秋景萧瑟;「楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚」写年华将晚;「望碧云空暮,佳人何处,梦魂俱远」写佳人何处;「忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面」写桃花人面;「书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨」写书盈恨满;「两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍」写两地离愁;「尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼」写凭仗西风。蔡伸此词以羁旅怀人、桃花人面写其怀人之情,含蓄深婉,是蔡伸词中的名篇。此篇《苏武慢》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 gathered longing. The cold scene opens: the wild geese alight on the level sand, the smoke veils the cold water, at the old fort, the sound of the reed-pipes breaks off; the green hills faint, faint, the withered leaves rustle, rustle, at the edge of the sky, the dusk crows scattered and confused — the cold and the desolate autumn. The years turn: in the tower, the yellow dusk, the single sail, the thousand-li return journey, the years are turning late; I look to the blue clouds, the empty evening, where is the beloved? The dream and the soul, both distant — the turning years and the distant beloved. The memory: remembering the old wandering, the deep hall, the vermilion door, the small garden, the fragrant path — I still think of the peach-blossom face — the remembered past of the beloved. The written grievance: the letters fill the brocade scroll, the resentment fills the golden strings, hard to write the inch-heart's quiet grievance — the resentment beyond the writing. And the close: the parting sorrow of the two places, the one vessel of the fragrant wine, desolate, he leans on the dangerous railing throughout; all the lingering, relying on the western wind, to blow dry the tearful eyes — the sorrow, the wine, and the close's helpless reliance on the wind. The cold scene, the distant beloved, and the dried tears — the autumn longing gathered in the lyric.

此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、以景写情」见长。全词上片写羁旅之景与年华将晚,下片写桃花人面与两地离愁。上片「雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断」写羁旅之景:雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断;「青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱」写秋景萧瑟:青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱;「楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚」写年华将晚:楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚;「望碧云空暮,佳人何处,梦魂俱远」写佳人何处:望碧云空暮,佳人何处,梦魂俱远。下片「忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面」写桃花人面:忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面;「书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨」写书盈恨满:书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨;「两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍」写两地离愁:两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍;「尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼」写凭仗西风:尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼。全词含蓄深婉,以景写情,是蔡伸词中的名篇。

Allusions

'The level sand' (ping sha) is the flat sand of the shore — the alighting of the wild geese; 'the old fort' (gu lei) is the old fortress — the sound of the reed-pipes breaking off; 'the peach-blossom face' (tao hua ren mian) is the face of the beloved — the allusion of the peach blossom and the human face, the remembered beauty; 'the brocade scroll' (jin zhou) is the brocade of the letters — the letters of the longing; 'the golden strings' (jin hui) are the strings of the zither — the resentment filling the strings.

词中「雁落平沙」「烟笼寒水」「古垒鸣笳」「青山隐隐」「败叶萧萧」「暝鸦」「片帆」「归程」「年华将晚」「碧云空暮」「佳人」「梦魂」「邃馆朱扉」「小园香径」「桃花人面」「书盈锦轴」「金徽」「寸心幽怨」「两地离愁」「危阑」「西风」「泪眼」等语,皆含典故故实。「雁落平沙」写雁落于平沙(平沙落雁为潇湘八景之一);「烟笼寒水」用杜牧《泊秦淮》「烟笼寒水月笼沙」之意;「古垒鸣笳」写古垒上鸣笳之声;「青山隐隐」写青山隐隐(用杜牧「青山隐隐水迢迢」之意);「败叶萧萧」写败叶萧萧;「暝鸦」写暮鸦;「片帆」写一片孤帆;「归程」写归途;「年华将晚」写年华将暮;「碧云空暮」用江淹「日暮碧云合」之意;「佳人」写所思之人;「梦魂」写梦魂;「邃馆朱扉」写深邃之馆与朱红之门;「小园香径」写小园香径(用晏殊「小园香径独徘徊」之意);「桃花人面」用崔护《题都城南庄》「人面桃花相映红」之典,写旧日之人;「书盈锦轴」写书信堆满锦轴(用窦滔妻苏氏织锦回文之典);「金徽」写琴徽(金饰之徽);「寸心幽怨」写寸心幽怨;「两地离愁」写两地离愁;「危阑」写高楼之栏;「西风」写西风;「泪眼」写含泪之眼。词人以烟笼寒水、桃花人面、书盈锦轴、金徽、小园香径等典入词,不着痕迹,而把羁旅怀人之情写得真切可感,是善于熔铸典故的体现。

Commentary

This lyric is one of the representative works of the Song lyric of the longing, quoted for the desolation of its close. The cold scene of the wild geese and the dusk crows, and the reliance on the western wind to dry the tears, are among the admired passages of the lyric. Critics praise the lyric's longing: the autumn gathered from the cold scene and the memory, to the helpless close of the dried tears.

这首《苏武慢》,是蔡伸写羁旅怀人之作,写雁落平沙、楼上黄昏、桃花人面之情,含蓄深婉。上片写羁旅之景与年华将晚:「雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断」——雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断。写羁旅之景:雁落平沙、烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断——雁、烟、笳声,写尽羁旅苍茫之景;「青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱」——青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱。写秋景萧瑟:青山隐隐、败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱——青山败叶、暝鸦零乱,写尽秋景萧瑟;「楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚」——楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚。写年华将晚:楼上黄昏、片帆千里归程,年华将晚——片帆归程、年华将晚;「望碧云空暮,佳人何处,梦魂俱远」——望碧云空暮,佳人何处,梦魂俱远。写佳人何处:望碧云空暮、佳人何处,梦魂俱远——佳人何处,梦魂俱远。下片写桃花人面与两地离愁:「忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面」——忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面。写桃花人面:忆旧游邃馆朱扉、小园香径,尚想桃花人面——以崔护桃花人面之典,写旧日之人;「书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨」——书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨。写书盈恨满:书盈锦轴、恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨——书难写寸心之怨;「两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍」——两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍。写两地离愁:两地离愁、一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍——两地离愁,倚遍危阑;「尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼」——尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼。写凭仗西风:尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼——凭仗西风吹干泪眼。这「尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼」,是全词之结:以吹干泪眼写其无奈。全词含蓄深婉,以景写情,正是蔡伸词中的名篇。

Prosody

Form Suwuman (The Slow of Su Wu), a long lyric词(苏武慢,长调)
Rhyme The lyric rhymes on the oblique-tone words of the group — the turning, oblique rhyme that carries the cold and the longing.此词为《苏武慢》调,长调一百零八字,上片下片各十一句。押仄声韵:「断」「乱」「晚」「远」「面」「怨」「遍」「眼」押翰铣部韵。词体依词谱而定,长调铺叙,句式长短错落,音节随情起伏,正与写羁旅怀人的铺叙深婉相称,也见其以长调写怀人的自然。
Tone pattern The cadence is that of the gathered longing: the level fall with the cold scene, the turning with the memory and the grievance, and the close's fall with the reliance on the western wind.句式上,上片「雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断」写羁旅之景,音节苍茫;「青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱」写秋景萧瑟,音节低回;「楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚」写年华将晚,音节感慨;下片「忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面」写桃花人面,音节舒徐;「书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨」写书盈恨满,音节顿挫;「尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼」写凭仗西风,音节怅惘。全词音节随情起伏,由苍茫而低回、由舒徐而怅惘,正合长调「铺叙」之妙,读来如羁旅怀人、西风吹泪之音,含蓄而动人。
Reading note The lyric's sound matches its longing: the long, turning cadence of the autumn, and the close — 'jin chil liu, ping zhang xi feng, chui gan lei yan' — falls with the dried tears, the sound of the helpless reliance on the wind.此词为《苏武慢》调,是蔡伸写羁旅怀人之作,也是其词中的名篇。全词的艺术特色在于「含蓄深婉、以景写情」:上片「雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断」写羁旅之景、「青山隐隐,败叶萧萧,天际暝鸦零乱」写秋景萧瑟、「楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚」写年华将晚、「望碧云空暮,佳人何处,梦魂俱远」写佳人何处;下片「忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面」写桃花人面、「书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨」写书盈恨满、「两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍」写两地离愁、「尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼」写凭仗西风。全词含蓄深婉,以景写情。尤为精妙者,是「尚想桃花人面」化用崔护人面桃花之典写旧日之人;而「尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼」以吹干泪眼写其无奈,正是蔡伸词「含蓄深婉」的典范,为历代词选所常收。

Line by line

雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断。

The wild geese alight on the level sand, the smoke veils the cold water, at the old fort, the sound of the reed-pipes breaks off.

雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断。

Wild geese alight on the flat sand; mist shrouds the cold water; the flute's note breaks from the old ramparts.

首三句写羁旅之景,起笔即见其境。「雁落平沙」写雁落平沙,「雁落平沙」写雁落于平沙;「烟笼寒水」写烟笼寒水,化用杜牧烟笼寒水之意;「古垒鸣笳声断」写古垒鸣笳声断,「古垒」写古时营垒、「鸣笳声断」写笳声断绝。三句以雁落平沙写雁、以烟笼寒水写烟、以古垒鸣笳写声,写尽雁烟笳声、羁旅苍茫之境。以景起兴,含蓄而苍茫,是「以景起兴」的妙笔。

The opening three lines write the traveler's scene, the first stroke at once seeing the setting. The geese-alight-on-the-flat-sand writing the wild geese's resting on the shoal; the mist-shrouds-the-cold-water adapting Du Mu's mist shrouds the cold water; the old-ramparts-flute-note-breaks writing the ancient garrison and the broken reed-flute sound. Three lines using the geese-sand for the wild geese, the mist-water for the haze, the ramparts-flute for the sound, exhausting the geese-mist-flute traveler's vast bleak scene. Using the scene's uprising, reserved and desolate, the scene-uprising wondrous brush.

楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚。

In the tower, the yellow dusk, the single sail, the thousand-li return journey, the years are turning late.

楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚。

Dusk on the tower; a single sail, the thousand-li homeward road; the years already waning.

此三句写年华将晚,是全词写其慨的关键。「楼上黄昏」写楼上黄昏,「楼上黄昏」写黄昏登楼;「片帆千里归程」写片帆千里归程,「片帆」写一片孤帆、「千里归程」写千里归途;「年华将晚」写年华将晚,「年华将晚」写年华将暮。三句一写楼上黄昏、一写片帆千里归程、一写年华将晚,以楼上黄昏写登楼、以片帆归程写望归、以年华将晚写时暮,写尽登楼望归、年华将晚之慨。以慨写情,含蓄而深沉,是「以慨写情」的点睛之笔。

These three lines write the years' waning, the whole ci's sigh key. The dusk-on-the-tower writing the evening tower climb; the single-sail-the-thousand-li-homeward-road writing the lone sail and the far return; the years-already-waning writing the season's late. Three lines one writing the dusk climb, one the gazing-homeward sail, one the waning years, exhausting the tower-gazing-and-years'-waning sigh. Using the sigh for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the sigh-writes-feeling telling stroke.

忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面。

Remembering the old wandering, the deep hall, the vermilion door, the small garden, the fragrant path, I still think of the peach-blossom face.

忆旧游、邃馆朱扉,小园香径,尚想桃花人面。

I recall old wanderings — deep halls, red doors, the fragrant paths of the small garden; still I think of that face amid the peach blossoms.

此四句写桃花人面,是全词写怀人的关键。「忆旧游、邃馆朱扉」写忆旧游邃馆朱扉,「忆旧游」写忆旧日之游、「邃馆朱扉」写深馆朱门;「小园香径」写小园香径,「小园香径」写小园之香径;「尚想桃花人面」写尚想桃花人面,「尚想」写还想着、「桃花人面」用崔护人面桃花之典。四句一写忆旧游邃馆朱扉、一写小园香径、一写尚想桃花人面,以忆旧游写追忆、以桃花人面写旧日之人,写尽旧游之地、尚想其桃花人面之情。以典写忆,含蓄而深挚,是「以典写忆」的点睛之笔。

These four lines write the face-amid-peach-blossoms, the whole ci's longing-for-person key. The I-recall-old-wanderings-deep-halls-red-doors writing the remembrance and the deep halls; the small-garden-fragrant-paths writing the scented walk; still-I-think-of-that-face-amid-the-peach-blossoms using Cui Hu's face-and-peach-blossom allusion. Four lines one writing the deep-hall remembrance, one the fragrant path, one the peach-blossom face, using the old-wanderings for the recollection and the peach-blossom face for the departed person, exhausting the old-ground's and that-face's remembrance. Using the allusion for the memory-writing, reserved and deep, the allusion-writes-memory telling stroke.

尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼。

All the lingering, relying on the western wind, to blow dry the tearful eyes.

尽迟留、凭仗西风,吹干泪眼。

Linger on, linger on; I rely on the west wind to blow dry my tear-wet eyes.

尾三句写凭仗西风,是全词立意的落点。「尽迟留」写尽迟留,「尽迟留」写尽自迟留;「凭仗西风」写凭仗西风,「凭仗」写倚仗、「西风」写西风;「吹干泪眼」写吹干泪眼,「吹干」写吹干、「泪眼」写含泪之眼。三句一写尽迟留、一写凭仗西风、一写吹干泪眼,以尽迟留写其流连、以凭仗西风写其无计、以吹干泪眼写其泪,写尽迟留无计、凭仗西风吹干泪眼之情。以泪写情,含蓄而深挚,是全词最动人处,也是「以泪写情」的点睛之笔。

The closing three lines write the west-wind reliance, the whole ci's intention landing. The linger-on writing the reluctant stay; the rely-on-the-west-wind writing the leaning on; the blow-dry-my-tear-wet-eyes writing the drying of tearful eyes. Three lines one writing the lingering, one the wind-reliance, one the tear-drying, using the lingering for the reluctant stay, the wind-reliance for the helplessness, the tear-drying for the grief, exhausting the lingering-helpless west-wind-dries-tears feeling. Using the tears for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the whole ci's most moving place, the tears-writes-feeling telling stroke.

Study

Word focus

断 'Breaks off' — the sound of the reed-pipes breaking off, the broken sound of the old fort. 「断」字写鸣笳声断,是写羁旅之景的关键。「古垒鸣笳声断」着一「断」,写断绝——着一「断」字,写古垒笳声断绝,见其声之寂、景之苍。一字写尽笳声之断,是「以一字写声」的妙笔。「断」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。
乱 'Scattered and confused' — the dusk crows scattered and confused, the desolate scene of the autumn. 「乱」字写暝鸦零乱,是写秋景萧瑟的关键。「天际暝鸦零乱」着一「乱」,写零乱——着一「乱」字,写暝鸦零乱而飞,见秋景之萧瑟。一字写尽暝鸦之乱,是「以一字写景」的点睛之词。「乱」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。
想 'To think of' — the thinking of the peach-blossom face, the remembered beloved. 「想」字写尚想桃花人面,是写怀人的关键。「尚想桃花人面」着一「想」,写想着——着一「想」字,写其尚想着旧日之人,见其怀人之深。一字写尽怀人之深,是「以一字写情」的点睛之词。「想」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。
凭仗 'Relying on' — the reliance on the western wind, the helpless close. 「凭仗」写凭仗西风,是写其无计的关键。「凭仗西风」着一「凭仗」,写倚仗——着一「凭仗」,写其无计可施、唯倚仗西风吹干泪眼,见其无奈。两字写尽其无奈,是「以词写情」的点睛之词。「凭仗」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

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 · 同写羁旅望乡、登高怀人,一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、一写雁落平沙烟笼寒水,皆于秋景中见羁旅怀人之情 Both are the lyrics of the autumn wandering and the longing — the one the evening rain of the river, the other the cold scene of the fort — the two autumns of the longing.

Liu Yong's 'Eight Beats of Ganzhou' — 'facing the evening rain that spatters the long river' — is the wandering and the longing over the rain; Cai Shen's 'Slow of Su Wu' — 'the wild geese alight on the level sand, the smoke veils the cold water' — is the wandering and the longing of the cold autumn — the two autumns of the longing, the one of the rain, the other of the cold.

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」「不忍登高临远,望故乡渺邈,归思难收」,写羁旅望乡、归思难收,是宋词写羁旅的名篇;蔡伸《苏武慢》则以「雁落平沙,烟笼寒水,古垒鸣笳声断」「楼上黄昏,片帆千里归程,年华将晚」写羁旅苍茫、年华将晚。两词同写羁旅望乡、登高怀人:一写对潇潇暮雨洒江天、以登高写愁,一写雁落平沙烟笼寒水、以帆归写愁;一为柳永之婉约、一为蔡伸之深婉,并读正可见宋词写「羁旅怀人」的两种笔法,皆于秋景中见羁旅怀人之情。

雨霖铃·寒蝉凄切 Bells Ringing in the Rain: The Cicadas, Cold and Sorrowful 柳永 · 同写离别怀人、两地离愁,一写执手相看泪眼竟无语凝噎、一写两地离愁一尊芳酒,皆于离别中见两地相思 Both are the lyrics of the parting and the two places — the one the tearful eyes of the parting, the other the parting sorrow of the two places — the two partings of the longing.

Liu Yong's 'Bells Ringing in the Rain' — 'holding hands, looking at the tearful eyes' — is the parting of the two, the sorrow of the departure; Cai Shen's 'Slow of Su Wu' — 'the parting sorrow of the two places, the one vessel of the fragrant wine' — is the longing of the two places after the parting — the two partings of the longing, the one at the leaving, the other at the waiting.

柳永《雨霖铃·寒蝉凄切》「执手相看泪眼,竟无语凝噎」「便纵有千种风情,更与何人说」,写离别之凄切与别后之思,是宋词写离别的名篇;蔡伸《苏武慢》则以「书盈锦轴,恨满金徽,难写寸心幽怨」「两地离愁,一尊芳酒,凄凉危阑倚遍」写书盈恨满、两地离愁。两词同写离别怀人、两地离愁:一写执手相看泪眼竟无语凝噎、以无语写别,一写两地离愁一尊芳酒、以酒写愁;一为柳永之婉约、一为蔡伸之深婉,并读正可见宋词写「两地相思」的两种笔法,皆于离别中见两地相思。