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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

谢池春·残寒销尽

Pool of the Thanking Spring: The Remnant Cold, Completely Gone

李之仪

Li Zhiyi

爱情Love 时序Theme 愁思sorrow

残寒销尽,疏雨过、清明后。
花径敛馀红,风沼萦新皱。
乳燕穿庭户,飞絮沾襟袖。
正佳时,仍晚昼。
著人滋味,真个浓如酒。
频移带眼,空只恁、厌厌瘦。
不见又思量,见了还依旧。
为问频相见,何似长相守。
天不老,人未偶。
且将此恨,分付庭前柳。

The remnant cold, completely gone.
The dawn rain, new and clear.
The cold of the soft, the slanted wind and the thin.
The curtain folds the small, the white and the deep courtyard.
The flower paths gather the remaining red,
The wind pools entwine the new wrinkles.
Not seeing, again the thinking,
Having seen, still the same as before.
For the sake of the asking, the frequent meetings,
How compares to the long keeping together?
I say to the flower,
I speak to the moon,
Who would know the quiet feelings?
The heaven does not grow old,
The man is not yet paired.
Listen

Meaning

A lyric of the parting and the keeping, written by Li Zhiyi. The remnant cold, completely gone, the dawn rain, new and clear — the cold of the soft, the slanted wind and the thin — the clearing of the spring and the soft cold. The curtain folds the small, the white and the deep courtyard — the small, white courtyard. The flower paths gather the remaining red, the wind pools entwine the new wrinkles — the remaining red and the new wrinkles of the water. Not seeing, again the thinking; having seen, still the same as before — the thinking and the sameness. For the sake of the asking, the frequent meetings, how compares to the long keeping together? — the question of the meetings against the keeping. I say to the flower, I speak to the moon, who would know the quiet feelings? — the quiet feelings told to the flower and the moon. The heaven does not grow old, the man is not yet paired — the close's not yet paired. The lyric is the parting and the keeping: the remaining red of the spring, the question of the meetings, and the close's not yet paired.

残存的春寒消尽,疏雨过后,时值清明之后。花径上收敛着残红,风吹池沼,漾起新皱。乳燕穿飞于庭户之间,柳絮沾上衣襟袖口。正是美好的时节,却仍是昼长夜短的晚昼。这撩人的滋味,真个浓郁如酒。频频移动腰带的孔眼,空空地只是这般恹恹消瘦。不见时又思量,见了还依旧。试问频频相见,怎比得上长相厮守。天不会老,人却未能成双。姑且将这番离恨,交付庭前的柳树吧。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The remnant cold, completely gone. The dawn rain, new and clear. The flower paths gather the remaining red, the wind pools entwine the new wrinkles. Not seeing, again the thinking, having seen, still the same as before. For the sake of the asking, the frequent meetings, how compares to the long keeping together? I say to the flower, I speak to the moon, who would know the quiet feelings? The heaven does not grow old, the man is not yet paired. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the clearing spring and the courtyard, through the remaining red and the new wrinkles, and the thinking of the not seeing, to the question of the meetings against the keeping, and the close's telling to the flower and the moon with the not yet paired. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the question of the meetings and the keeping: the frequent meetings asked against the long keeping together; and the close's heaven not growing old with the man not yet paired — the longing gathered in the question and the close. [Emotional Tone] Clear, longing, and quiet: the lyric is the parting and the keeping, the question of the meetings and the close's not yet paired.

【白话串讲】 李之仪写谢池春:“残寒销尽,疏雨过、清明后”。“花径敛馀红,风沼萦新皱”——“著人滋味,真个浓如酒”——“不见又思量,见了还依旧”——他写相思。 【意象与手法】 上片以细腻笔触写春暮时序,敛、萦炼字精工;下片直抒相思,「不见又思量,见了还依旧」写尽矛盾心理;「天不老,人未偶」无理而深;末以分付庭前柳托物寄恨。 【情感与主旨】 此词写春暮怀人、相思消瘦之情:愿长相守而不得,故频相见犹不满足,离恨无处可放,只得交付庭前杨柳,情深而婉,是李之仪爱情词的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考「不见又思量,见了还依旧」的矛盾心理描写,以及「分付庭前柳」的托物寄恨。

Background

Li Zhiyi (1048–1117), the lyric master of the Song, wrote this 'Pool of the Thanking Spring' of the parting and the keeping — the spring and the absent beloved. The clearing spring and the small white courtyard, the remaining red of the flower paths and the new wrinkles of the wind pools, the thinking of the not seeing, the question of the frequent meetings against the long keeping together, and the close's heaven not growing old with the man not yet paired — the lyric gathers the longing of the parting, the question and the quiet close. The lyric is one of the representative works of the master.

《谢池春·残寒销尽》是北宋词人李之仪的代表作。李之仪(约1035—1117)字端叔,号姑溪居士,沧州无棣人,与苏轼、黄庭坚交游甚密,曾入苏轼幕,元祐年间为枢密院编修官,后因党争被贬,晚年居当涂。其词承晏欧一脉,清婉雅丽,尤以爱情词著称,《卜算子·我住长江头》千古传诵,与《谢池春》同为他的爱情名篇。此词写春暮怀人:上片以细腻之笔写清明后的残春之景——残寒销尽、疏雨过后,花径残红、池沼新皱、乳燕穿户、飞絮沾袖,春已将暮而昼日正长;下片转写相思——因相思而消瘦(频移带眼),因相思而矛盾(不见又思量,见了还依旧),因相思而愿长相守(为问频相见,何似长相守),终以「天不老,人未偶,且将此恨,分付庭前柳」托物寄恨。全词以春暮之景起兴,以相思之恨收束,景中含情、情中见景,是宋代婉约词写时序相思的典型之作,也折射出北宋士大夫阶层聚少离多、以词传情的文化生活。

Art

The lyric's art is the art of the question and the quiet feeling. The spring opens: the remnant cold, completely gone, the dawn rain, new and clear — the cold of the soft, the slanted wind and the thin — the clearing of the spring; the curtain folds the small, the white and the deep courtyard — the small, white courtyard of the spring. The scene follows: the flower paths gather the remaining red, the wind pools entwine the new wrinkles — the remaining red of the paths and the new wrinkles of the pools. The thinking: not seeing, again the thinking; having seen, still the same as before — the thinking of the not seeing, the sameness of the seen. The question: for the sake of the asking, the frequent meetings, how compares to the long keeping together? — the meetings asked against the keeping. And the close gathers the quiet feeling: I say to the flower, I speak to the moon, who would know the quiet feelings? — the quiet feelings told to the flower and the moon; the heaven does not grow old, the man is not yet paired — the not yet paired of the close — the parting and the keeping, the question and the quiet close, gathered in the lyric.

此词章法上片写景、下片抒情,而景情相生、层层转进。上片以时序起笔:「残寒销尽,疏雨过、清明后」——春寒消尽、疏雨初过、时值清明之后,点明春暮的节候;继写春暮之景:「花径敛馀红」——花径上残红将尽,敛字写春之将去;「风沼萦新皱」——风吹池水,漾起新的波纹,萦字写波纹之细密;「乳燕穿庭户」——乳燕穿飞庭户之间,写春的生机;「飞絮沾襟袖」——柳絮沾上衣袖,写春的飘逝。四句两两相对:花径对风沼、乳燕对飞絮,一静一动,一收一放,残红与飞絮俱是春暮之象。然「正佳时,仍晚昼」——此时节仍是美好的,只是昼长夜短;「著人滋味,真个浓如酒」——这撩人的春暮滋味,浓郁如酒。上片由景入情,以「浓如酒」的比喻,把春暮的滋味写得浓郁醇厚,为下片的相思作了铺垫。下片直抒相思:「频移带眼」——用沈约「革带常应移孔」之典,写因相思而消瘦,频频收紧腰带;「空只恁、厌厌瘦」——白白地只是这般恹恹消瘦;「不见又思量,见了还依旧」——不见时思念,见了面相思依旧,写尽相思的矛盾与无解;「为问频相见,何似长相守」——试问频频相见,怎比得上长相厮守,点出相思的根源在于不能长相守;「天不老,人未偶」——天不会老,人却未能成双,以天之永恒反衬人之离散;「且将此恨,分付庭前柳」——将这离恨交付庭前杨柳,以景收束,托物寄恨。全词由春暮之景写到相思之恨,由外部之景写到内心之情,层层深入,末以托物收束,含蓄不尽。

Allusions

'The flower paths' (hua jing) are the paths of the flowers — the remaining red gathered; 'the wind pools' (feng zhao) are the pools of the wind — the new wrinkles entwined; 'the heaven does not grow old' (tian bu lao) is the heaven that does not grow old — the lasting of the heaven; 'the man is not yet paired' (ren wei ou) is the not yet paired of the man — the unpaired close.

此词用典不多而皆恰到好处。其一是带眼频移之典:《梁书·沈约传》载沈约与徐勉书,自陈老病消瘦,「百日数旬,革带常应移孔」,以腰带移孔写身体消瘦;李之仪以频移带眼写因相思而消瘦,承此典而用其瘦,含蓄雅致。其二是天不老之典:李贺《金铜仙人辞汉歌》「天若有情天亦老」,以天若有情也会衰老,反证天之无情;李之仪「天不老」反用其意:天不会老,而人却未能成双——天之永恒对照人之离散,更见离恨之深。其三是庭前柳之典:柳与留谐音,古有折柳送别之俗(《诗经》「昔我往矣,杨柳依依」),柳遂成惜别相思的意象;分付庭前柳——将离恨交付杨柳,既是托物寄恨,又是以柳写别:柳能系别情,故恨可托之。其四是乳燕飞絮的意象:乳燕穿户写春之生机,飞絮沾袖写春之飘逝,一荣一谢,正见时序之流转,暗含韶华易逝、欢聚难长之意。其五是残红新皱的意象:花径敛馀红写花之将尽,风沼萦新皱写波之新生,一新一旧,正写春暮时节新旧交替的微妙光景,为相思之情提供了时令的背景。全词用典皆化入眼前景与心中情,无一处生硬,正是宋词以典写情的本色。

Commentary

This lyric is one of the representative works of Li Zhiyi, quoted for the question of its middle and the close's not yet paired. The question of the meetings against the keeping, and the heaven not growing old with the man not yet paired, are among the admired passages of the master's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's quiet feeling: the longing of the parting gathered in the question and the close's unpaired.

《谢池春·残寒销尽》是李之仪爱情词的代表作,以春暮之景写相思之恨,情景交融,婉转情深。词中最动人处在「不见又思量,见了还依旧」二句:不见时苦苦思念,见了面相思却依旧——这矛盾的心理写尽了相思的无解:相思不是见面所能解除的,因为根源在于不能长相守;于是引出「为问频相见,何似长相守」的千古一问——频繁的相见,怎比得上长相厮守?这一问,道出了天下有情人共同的愿望,也道出了聚少离多的无奈。从词史看,李之仪上承晏殊、欧阳修的婉约传统,下开周邦彦典雅一脉,此词写相思而不涉艳冶,以含蓄清雅见长;「频移带眼」的含蓄、「天不老,人未偶」的沉痛、「分付庭前柳」的寄托,皆见其词笔之精。此词与《卜算子·我住长江头》(「我住长江头,君住长江尾,日日思君不见君,共饮长江水」)同为李之仪爱情词的双璧:一以奔放直白见长,一以含蓄婉转见胜,可见其风格的多样。历代词选多录此词,以为宋代时序相思词的代表,其艺术魅力历千年而不衰。

Prosody

Form Xiechichun (Pool of the Thanking Spring), a short lyric中调《谢池春》(双调六十六字,上下片各六句,仄韵)
Rhyme The lyric rhymes on the oblique-tone words of the group — the turning, oblique rhyme that carries the quiet longing.上片押后、皱、袖、昼、酒(去声宥韵),下片押瘦、旧、守、偶、柳(去声宥韵),全词一韵到底,韵脚密而收促,声情低回婉转,与相思的缠绵相称。
Tone pattern The cadence is that of the parting: the level opening with the clearing spring, the turning with the question of the meetings, and the close's fall with the not yet paired.词牌句式长短错落:上片三四五、五四、五四,参差有致;韵脚全用去声宥韵,句尾重而抑,读来如低语絮叨;「不见又思量,见了还依旧」以口语入词,节奏自然,如家常语。
Reading note The lyric's sound matches its quiet feeling: the short, turning cadence of the parting, and the close — 'tian bu lao, ren wei ou' — falls with the not yet paired, the sound of the quiet longing of the unpaired.《谢池春》为双调中调,六十六字,上下片句式相同,是宋代较少见的词牌,李之仪此词为其中名作。此词用韵极见绵密:后、皱、袖、昼、酒、瘦、旧、守、偶、柳十字全押去声宥韵,一韵到底,韵脚密集(几乎句句押韵),读来如絮语连绵、低回婉转,正合相思之情的缠绵悱恻;去声字句尾重而长,如一声声轻叹。句式上,上片以三字句(疏雨过、清明后)起,短促轻快,如雨声疏疏;接五字对仗(花径敛馀红,风沼萦新皱),工整清丽;再转五四句式(乳燕穿庭户,飞絮沾襟袖;正佳时,仍晚昼),参差错落,如春景之流转;末以七字句(著人滋味,真个浓如酒)舒展,如酒意之浓郁。下片频移带眼、空只恁厌厌瘦、不见又思量、见了还依旧,句式密集而口语化,如相思之絮叨;末以四四句式(天不老,人未偶;且将此恨,分付庭前柳)收束,短促而沉痛。全词声情由疏雨之轻快到絮语之缠绵,由春景之明丽到离恨之沉痛,声随情转、情随声深,是音律与内容高度统一的佳作。

Line by line

花径敛馀红,风沼萦新皱。

The flower paths gather the remaining red, the wind pools entwine the new wrinkles.

花径上收敛着残存的落红,风吹池沼,漾起新的波纹。

The flower path gathers the leftover red; the wind on the pond winds new ripples.

此二句写春暮之景,是全词炼字最精处。花径敛馀红——花径之上,残红将尽,敛字用得奇警:落花本是零落的,敛字却写它们被收敛起来,仿佛春在收拾自己的残局——残红敛去,春将归去;一个敛字,把春之将去写得既从容又凄凉。风沼萦新皱——风吹过池沼,水面漾起新的涟漪,萦字写波纹之细密曲折,如丝如缕,萦绕不去;新皱二字更妙——波纹是新的,而皱字暗含心皱:池水有新的波纹,词人心中却有旧的愁纹。两句对仗精工:花径对风沼、敛对萦、馀红对新皱,一写花之落、一写水之波,一静一动,而残红之凋与波纹之生,正写春暮时节新旧交替的微妙光景。以景写时,以物写心,残红与新皱之间,春将尽而愁未已,正是李之仪以细笔写时序的功力。

These two lines write the late-spring scene, the whole ci's character-refining's finest place. The flower-path-gathers-the-leftover-red — the flower path's above, the remnant red's about-to-end, the lian word's alert use: the fallen flowers' originally the scattering, the lian word's and yet writing their gathered-up, as if the spring's tidying its own wreckage — the remnant red's gathered away, the spring's about-to-return; the one lian word, turning the spring's about-to-go's both composed and bleak. The wind-on-the-pond-winds-new-ripples — the wind's brushing the pond, the water's surface's new ripples, the ying word writing the ripple's fine-and-winding, like silk threads, the lingering's no-going; the new-ripples two words' the wonder — the ripple's new, and yet the zhou word's secretly carrying the heart-ripple: the pond water's new ripple, the poet's heart's and yet the old grief-ripple. Two lines' parallel craft fine: the flower-path-to-wind-pond, lian-to-ying, leftover-red-to-new-ripples, one writing the flower's falling and one the water's wave, one-static-one-motion, and yet the remnant-red's fading and the ripple's arising, precisely writing the late-spring's old-new-turning subtle light. Using the scene for the season-writing, the thing for the heart-writing, between the remnant red and the new ripples, the spring's about-to-end and the grief's unending, precisely Li Zhiyi's fine-brush-for-the-season craft.

不见又思量,见了还依旧。

Not seeing, again the thinking, having seen, still the same as before.

不见的时候又苦苦思量,见了面,相思却还依旧。

Apart, I think of you; meeting, the longing is as before.

此二句写相思的矛盾心理,是全词最传神处,也是千古传诵的名句。不见又思量——见不到时,苦苦思念,日思夜想;见了还依旧——好不容易见了面,相思却依然如故,并不因相见而稍减。这矛盾的心理写尽了相思的本质:相思不是因不见而生,而是因不能长相守而生——所以见了面,相思依旧,甚至更添一层「见面又将离别」的怅惘。不见与见了、思量与依旧,两组对照,把相思的无解写得入木三分:想思量,见了也思量;离是愁,聚亦是愁,愁根在不能长相守。这两句以口语般的浅语(不见、见了、思量、依旧),写尽天下有情人共同的心事,正如晏几道「相思本是无凭语,莫向花笺费泪行」之深婉,而更见家常的亲切。十个字,道尽了聚散离合中爱情的永恒困境。

These two lines write the longing's contradictory psychology, the whole ci's most vivid place, and the through-the-ages famed line. The apart-I-think-of-you — the not-seeing's, the bitter thinking, day-and-night thinking; the meeting-the-longing-is-as-before — the hard-won's meeting, and yet the longing's as ever, not because of the meeting's the slight abatement. This contradictory psychology's exhausting the longing's essence: the longing's not the not-seeing's arising, and yet the no-long-together's arising — hence the meeting, the longing as before, even the meeting-and-soon-parting's wistfulness's one layer further. The not-seeing and meeting, the thinking and as-before, two groups of contrast, writing the longing's no-solution's to-the-bone: the would-think, the meeting's also-think; the parting's grief, the gathering's also grief, the grief's root's in the no-long-together. These two lines using the colloquial-like shallow words (not-seeing, meeting, thinking, as-before), exhausting the world's lovers' common heart, precisely like Yan Jidao's the-longing-originally-has-no-proof-words's deep-gentle, and yet the more seeing the homely friendliness. Ten characters, uttering the gathering-parting's love's eternal predicament.

为问频相见,何似长相守。

For the sake of the asking, the frequent meetings, how compares to the long keeping together?

试问频频相见,怎比得上长相厮守。

Let me ask: how do frequent meetings compare with lifelong being together?

此二句由矛盾的心理追问到相思的根源,是全词情感的核心。为问——试问、请问,语气商量而恳切;频相见——频频地相见,本是许多相思之人求之不得的;何似——哪里比得上;长相守——长久地厮守在一起。这二句的逻辑是:既然见了还依旧,既然相思不减,那么频频相见又有什么用?终不如长相守——只有长相厮守,才能终结这无尽的相思。这一问,问出了相思的终极答案:相见是治标,厮守才是治本;频相见而相思不减,正因不能长相守。与秦观「两情若是久长时,又岂在朝朝暮暮」的旷达相反,李之仪此问是执着的:他不以久长自慰,而直问何似长相守——把有情人共同的心愿说得如此直白恳切。这二句以问句出之,不作回答,而答案已在读者心中:长相守,正是天下离人共同的渴望。

These two lines from the contradictory psychology's questioning to the longing's root, the whole ci's emotional core. The wei-wen — let-me-ask, the tone's consulting-and-earnest; the frequent-meetings writing the often meeting, originally the many longing people's hard-to-get; the he-si — how-compare; the long-together writing the long staying together. These two lines' logic: since the meeting's as-before, since the longing's un-abated, then the frequent-meeting's of-what-use? The ultimately's no-like-the-long-together — only the long staying together, then able to end this unending longing. This one question, asking out the longing's ultimate answer: the meeting's the symptom treatment, the staying-together's the root treatment; the frequent-meeting's and yet the longing's un-abated, precisely because of the no-long-together. With Qin Guan's if-the-love's-lasting-long's why-the-morning-and-evening's openness's opposite, Li Zhiyi's this question's the insistence: he's not the lasting-for-comfort, and yet the direct asking the how-compare-the-long-together — turning the lovers' common wish's so plain-and-earnest. These two lines' on-the-question, no answer's given, and yet the answer's already in the reader's heart: the long-together, precisely the world's parted people's common longing.

天不老,人未偶。

The heaven does not grow old, the man is not yet paired.

天不会老,人却未能成双。

Heaven does not grow old, and yet the person has no mate.

此二句以天之永恒反衬人之离散,是全词最沉痛的句子。天不老——天不会老,天是永恒的,春去秋来、年复一年,天永远不老;人未偶——人却未能成双成对,未能长相厮守。四字两顿,两相对照:天不老写天之无情与永恒,人未偶写人之有情而离散;天若有情天亦老,天之所以不老,正因其无情;而人正因为有情,才要承受不能相守的苦痛。这二句反用李贺「天若有情天亦老」之意:李贺说天若有情也会老,李之仪说天不老而人未偶——天之永恒越是长久,人的离散便越是凄楚;天越是不老,人越是无偶,对照之下,离恨便有了宇宙般的重量。六字句短意深,如一声沉重的叹息:天何曾管人间的聚散,而人却要在无情的天地间承受有情之苦。此二句以理写情,无理而深,是宋词以哲理写相思的绝句。

These two lines using the heaven's eternity for the person's-separation's setting-off, the whole ci's most grief-stricken line. The heaven-does-not-grow-old — the heaven's not-old, the heaven's eternal, the spring-goes-autumn-comes and year-after-year, the heaven's forever-not-old; the person-has-no-mate — the person's and yet the no-coupling, the no-long-staying-together. Four characters' two pauses, the two's contrast: the heaven-not-old's writing the heaven's ruthlessness-and-eternity, the person-no-mate's writing the person's feeling-and-separation; the heaven-if-feeling's-the-heaven's-also-old, the heaven's why's not-old, precisely because of the ruthlessness; and yet the person's precisely because of the feeling, hence must bear the no-staying-together pain. These two lines reverse-using Li He's the-heaven-if-feeling-would-also-grow-old meaning: Li He's saying the heaven-if-feeling's-also-old, Li Zhiyi's saying the heaven's-not-old-and-yet-the-person's-no-mate — the heaven's eternity's the longer, the person's separation's the more miserable; the heaven's the more-not-old, the person's the more-no-mate, the contrast's beneath, the parting grief's hence the universe-like weight. Six characters' short-words-and-deep-meaning, like a heavy sigh: the heaven's when's managed the human gathering-parting, and yet the person's must within the ruthless heaven-and-earth's bear the feeling pain. These two lines using the reason for the feeling-writing, the unreasonable-and-yet-deep, the Song ci's philosophy-writes-longing quatrain.

Study

Word focus

敛 'To gather' — the flower paths gathering the remaining red, the gathering of the spring. 「花径敛馀红」之「敛」字,是全词写春暮最见功力的字。敛本为收敛、收拢之意,多用于收聚财物或收敛锋芒;此处以敛写花径上的残红——落花不是零乱铺地,而是被收敛起来,仿佛春在收拾残局、准备归去。这一拟人化的写法,把春之将去写得既有情又有序:春不是仓皇败退,而是从容地敛起最后的残红,把春天一点点收拢、带走。敛字还暗含一种怅惘:残红被敛去,春便尽了,词人眼睁睁看着春把最后的颜色收起,心中那份挽留与无奈,尽在这一个敛字里。若作「花径落残红」「花径堆残红」,则只是客观的零落;敛字则让春有了动作、有了态度,让残红成了春与词人之间最后的牵绊。以一字写时序之流转、心境之怅惘,正是李之仪炼字的精妙处。
萦 'To entwine' — the wind pools entwining the new wrinkles, the entwining of the water. 「风沼萦新皱」之「萦」字,写风吹池水之态,是全词以景写心的关键。萦本为缠绕、萦回之意,多用于写烟云缭绕、愁思萦怀;此处以萦写风吹池沼——风过水面,波纹不是扩散开去,而是萦回缠绕,如丝如缕,一圈圈地漾开。萦字写出了波纹的细密与连绵,更暗含「萦怀」之意:池水有新皱,心中亦有旧愁——波纹萦绕不去,正如愁思萦绕心头。新皱二字与萦字配合:皱是波纹,也是心上的褶皱;新皱写波纹之新,反衬心愁之旧。若作「风沼漾清波」,则只有景没有情;萦字则让波纹与愁思暗通,景中藏情。这一字之选,把春暮池沼的微景写得既细腻又深情,正是婉约词以景写心的本色——词人的相思,便在这萦绕的波纹中轻轻漾开。
分付 'To entrust' — the entrusting of the quiet feelings, the telling to the flower and the moon. 「且将此恨,分付庭前柳」之「分付」二字,是全词收束的关键。分付(又作吩咐)本为交付、托付之意,是口语化的词;此处以分付写离恨的安置——这满腔的离恨,无处可放,姑且交付给庭前的杨柳吧。分付二字妙处有三:一是举重若轻——离恨本是千斤之重,词人却只说「且将」「分付」,仿佛轻轻一放,便把这恨交给了柳树,越是轻描淡写,越是见恨之无处可放;二是托物寄恨——柳与留谐音,古有折柳送别之俗,把恨交付杨柳,正是以柳承别情,恨便有了安放之处,也有了寄寓的意象;三是无奈的自解——且字写姑且、权且,是无可奈何的自我宽慰:既然天不老而人未偶,既然不能长相守,那这恨,便只好交给柳树了。分付二字,以口语写深情,把千般离恨轻轻放下,而余韵却在柳丝间袅袅不尽,是宋词以淡语收浓情的典范。

Related Reading

卜算子·我住长江头 Song of the Divination: I Live at the Head of the Long River 李之仪 · 李之仪爱情词的双璧 Both are the works of Li Zhiyi on the longing — the river of the longing, the question of the meetings — the two longings of the same master.

Li Zhiyi's 'Song of the Divination' — 'I live at the head of the long river, you at the tail' — is the longing of the river, the shared drinking of the river water; 'Pool of the Thanking Spring' — 'the frequent meetings, how compares to the long keeping together' — is the longing of the question — the two longings of the same master, the one of the river, the other of the question.

《卜算子·我住长江头》「我住长江头,君住长江尾。日日思君不见君,共饮长江水」与《谢池春》同是李之仪的爱情名篇,而风格迥异。卜算子以江水起兴,直白奔放:日日思君不见君,共饮长江水——以江水之相连写相思之不绝,语浅情深,一气呵成;谢池春以春暮起兴,含蓄婉转:不见又思量,见了还依旧,为问频相见,何似长相守——以矛盾心理写相思之无解,层层转进,缠绵悱恻。一为直抒胸臆的民歌风,一为吞吐含蓄的词人语;一写相思之不绝,一写相思之无解。二词合观,可见李之仪爱情词的两副笔墨,也可见宋代爱情词由直白向含蓄、由民歌向文人化的演进。

浣溪沙·一曲新词酒一杯 Silk-Washing Stream: A New Song, a Cup of Wine 晏殊 · 同写时序之感,一伤逝一怀人 Both are the lyrics of the time and the keeping — the helpless flowers of Yan Shu, the question of the meetings of Li Zhiyi — the two sorrows of the passing time.

Yan Shu's 'Silk-Washing Stream' — 'helplessly the flowers fall' — is the sorrow of the passing time; Li Zhiyi's 'Pool of the Thanking Spring' — 'the frequent meetings, how compares to the long keeping together' — is the longing of the meetings and the keeping — the two sorrows of the passing time, the one of the flowers, the other of the meetings.

晏殊《浣溪沙》「无可奈何花落去,似曾相识燕归来」与《谢池春》同写春暮时序之感,而所感不同。晏殊之感是伤逝:无可奈何花落去——对春之将去、时光流逝的惆怅,是对宇宙人生的普遍感慨,超脱而雍容;李之仪之感是怀人:花径敛馀红,飞絮沾襟袖——以春暮之景起兴,落笔全在相思,是对具体之人的执着牵挂,深婉而缠绵。晏词由时序入哲思,燕子归来尚可慰藉;李词由时序入离恨,柳絮沾袖徒增怅惘。一伤时之不可留,一恨人之不能守,正见宋代士大夫词中时序题材的两种取向。二词同以春暮为背景,同以景写情,合观可见宋词写时序的深厚传统。