宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
夜飞鹊·河桥送人处
Night-Flying Magpies: The Place of Seeing Off at the River Bridge
河桥送人处，凉夜何其。
斜月远堕馀辉。
铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣。
相将散离会，探风前津鼓，树杪参旗。
华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟。
迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归。
何意重红满地，遗钿不见，斜径都迷。
兔葵燕麦，向残阳、欲与人齐。
但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西。
How the cool night is.
The slanting moon, far, sinking, the remaining light.
The tears of the copper candle, already, flowed out,
The drizzling cool dew, wetting the clothes.
About to part, the gathering of the farewell,
Listening to the drum of the ford before the wind,
The ginseng and the banner stars, at the tips of the trees.
The piebald steed, understanding the meaning,
Even with the lifted whip, also, of itself, going slow.
Far and long, the road turning, the clear wilderness,
The speech of the men, gradually, not heard,
In vain, carrying the sorrow, returning.
How to think, the red flowers, filling the ground,
The fallen ornaments, not seen,
The slanting paths, all, lost.
The rabbit mallow, the wheat,
Toward the remaining sun,
Wanting to be equal with the men.
But lingering, spreading the grass,
Sighing, pouring the wine,
Looking to the utmost, the west of the sky.
Meaning
A lyric of the seeing off and the sorrow, written by Zhou Bangyan. The place of seeing off at the river bridge with the cool night, the slanting moon with the remaining light, and the tears of the copper candle with the cool dew — the scene of the farewell night. About to part, the gathering of the farewell with the drum of the ford and the ginseng stars, the piebald steed understanding the meaning going slow — the parting and the slow steed. The road turning the clear wilderness with the speech not heard, carrying the sorrow returning, and the red flowers filling the ground with the fallen ornaments not seen — the return and the red flowers. The rabbit mallow and the wheat with the remaining sun wanting to be equal with the men, and the close's lingering with the wine poured, looking to the west of the sky — the lingering of the close. The lyric is the seeing off and the sorrow: the farewell night, the slow return, and the close's lingering and the west of the sky.
河桥送人处，凉夜何其。斜月远堕馀辉。铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣。相将散离会，探风前津鼓，树杪参旗。华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟。迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归。何意重红满地，遗钿不见，斜径都迷。兔葵燕麦，向残阳、欲与人齐。但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The place of seeing off at the river bridge, how the cool night is. The slanting moon, far, sinking, the remaining light. The tears of the copper candle, already, flowed out, the drizzling cool dew, wetting the clothes. About to part, the gathering of the farewell, listening to the drum of the ford before the wind, the ginseng and the banner stars, at the tips of the trees. The piebald steed, understanding the meaning, even with the lifted whip, also, of itself, going slow. Far and long, the road turning, the clear wilderness, the speech of the men, gradually, not heard, in vain, carrying the sorrow, returning. How to think, the red flowers, filling the ground, the fallen ornaments, not seen, the slanting paths, all, lost. The rabbit mallow, the wheat, toward the remaining sun, wanting to be equal with the men. But lingering, spreading the grass, sighing, pouring the wine, looking to the utmost, the west of the sky. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the cool night of the seeing off and the slow steed, through the return with the red flowers and the lost paths, to the close's lingering with the wine poured, looking to the west of the sky. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the slow of the parting: the steed going slow of itself, and the close's lingering with the wine — the sorrow of the seeing off gathered in the slow and the close's lingering. [Emotional Tone] Cool, lingering, and sorrowful: the lyric is the seeing off, the slow return and the close's west of the sky.
【白话串讲】 周邦彦写《夜飞鹊·河桥送人处》：“河桥送人处，凉夜何其。斜月远堕馀辉”——“铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣”——“华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟”——“迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归”——他写送别——华骢会意行迟。 【意象与手法】 “河桥送人处，凉夜何其。斜月远堕馀辉”写送人之景；“铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣”写凉露沾衣；“华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟”以马行迟写惜别；“迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归”写空带愁归；结以“但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西”写极望天西。含蓄深婉。 【情感与主旨】 周邦彦写送别追忆之作，写河桥送人、凉夜斜月与别后空带愁归的惆怅，以“华骢会意行迟”写惜别之深，是清真词中送别词的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟”以马行迟写惜别；“迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归”写别后归愁。
Background
Zhou Bangyan (1056–1121), the master of the ci of the Song, wrote this 'Night-Flying Magpies: The Place of Seeing Off at the River Bridge' of the seeing off — the sorrow of the farewell. The cool night of the river bridge with the slanting moon, the piebald steed going slow of itself, the return with the red flowers and the lost paths, and the close's lingering with the wine poured looking to the west of the sky — the lyric gathers the sorrow of the seeing off, the deep lingering of the parting. The lyric is one of the famous works of the master's lyrics of the farewell.
《夜飞鹊·河桥送人处》为北宋词人周邦彦所作词。周邦彦（1056—1121），字美成，号清真居士，钱塘（今浙江杭州）人，北宋词人，精通音律，词风典雅精工，为婉约词集大成者，人称「词中老杜」。此词写送别追忆。词中「河桥送人处，凉夜何其。斜月远堕馀辉」写送人之景；「铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣」写凉露沾衣；「相将散离会，探风前津鼓，树杪参旗」写散离会；「华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟」写马亦行迟；「迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归」写空带愁归；「何意重红满地，遗钿不见，斜径都迷」写遗钿不见；「兔葵燕麦，向残阳、欲与人齐」写兔葵燕麦；「但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西」写极望天西。周邦彦此词以河桥送人、空带愁归写送别追忆之情，含蓄深婉，是周邦彦词中的名篇。此篇《夜飞鹊·河桥送人处》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 slow parting. The night opens: the place of seeing off at the river bridge — how the cool night is — the cool night of the bridge; the slanting moon, far, sinking, the remaining light — the remaining light of the moon; the tears of the copper candle, already, flowed out — the tears of the candle; the drizzling cool dew, wetting the clothes — the cool dew. The parting follows: about to part, the gathering of the farewell — listening to the drum of the ford before the wind — the drum of the ford; the ginseng and the banner stars, at the tips of the trees — the stars of the tips; the piebald steed, understanding the meaning — even with the lifted whip, also, of itself, going slow — the slow steed. The return: far and long, the road turning, the clear wilderness — the speech of the men, gradually, not heard — in vain, carrying the sorrow, returning — the sorrow of the return; how to think, the red flowers, filling the ground — the fallen ornaments, not seen — the slanting paths, all, lost — the red flowers and the lost paths; the rabbit mallow, the wheat — toward the remaining sun — wanting to be equal with the men — the mallow and the wheat. And the close gathers the lingering: but lingering, spreading the grass — sighing, pouring the wine — looking to the utmost, the west of the sky — the lingering of the close — the cool night, the slow steed and the close's west of the sky, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、以景写情」见长。全词上片写送人之景与散离会，下片写空带愁归与极望天西。上片「河桥送人处，凉夜何其。斜月远堕馀辉」写送人之景：河桥送人处，凉夜何其，斜月远堕馀辉；「铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣」写凉露沾衣：铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣；「相将散离会，探风前津鼓，树杪参旗」写散离会：相将散离会，探风前津鼓，树杪参旗；「华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟」写马亦行迟：华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟。下片「迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归」写空带愁归：迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归；「何意重红满地，遗钿不见，斜径都迷」写遗钿不见：何意重红满地，遗钿不见，斜径都迷；「兔葵燕麦，向残阳、欲与人齐」写兔葵燕麦：兔葵燕麦，向残阳、欲与人齐；「但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西」写极望天西：但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，是周邦彦词中的名篇。
Allusions
'The copper candle' (tong zhu) is the copper candle — the candle of the copper, the tears flowed; 'the ginseng and the banner stars' (can qi) are the ginseng and the banner stars — the stars of the night, the constellation; 'the piebald steed' (hua cong) is the piebald steed — the steed of the parting, going slow; 'the rabbit mallow, the wheat' (tu kui, yan mai) are the rabbit mallow and the wheat — the wild plants of the desolate, the growth of the path; 'the west of the sky' (tian xi) is the west of the sky — the far west of the close, the looking of the utmost.
词中「河桥」「凉夜何其」「斜月远堕」「铜盘烛泪」「凉露」「津鼓」「参旗」「华骢」「清野」「遗钿」「兔葵燕麦」「残阳」「班草」「欷歔」「酹酒」「极望天西」等语，皆含典故故实。「河桥」写河上之桥（送别之处）；「凉夜何其」用《诗经·小雅·庭燎》「夜如何其」之语，写夜之几何；「斜月远堕」写斜月远堕；「铜盘烛泪」写铜盘中之烛泪；「凉露沾衣」写凉露沾湿衣裳；「津鼓」写渡口之鼓；「参旗」为星名（参旗星），「树杪参旗」写树梢见参旗之星；「华骢」写花骢马（青白杂毛之马）；「清野」写清旷之野；「遗钿」写遗落之钿（首饰）；「兔葵燕麦」用刘禹锡《再游玄都观》诗序「兔葵燕麦，动摇春风」之语，写荒芜之景；「残阳」写夕阳；「班草」写铺草而坐（班荆之意）；「欷歔」写叹息；「酹酒」写以酒洒地祭奠；「极望天西」写极目望西天。词人以河桥、津鼓、参旗、华骢、遗钿、兔葵燕麦、班草、酹酒等典入词，不着痕迹，而把送别追忆之情写得真切可感，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 the famous works of Zhou Bangyan's lyrics of the farewell, quoted for the slow of its steed and the lingering of its close. The piebald steed going slow of itself, and the lingering with the wine poured, are among the admired passages of the master's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's depth: the sorrow of the seeing off gathered in the slow, to the close's lingering and the west of the sky.
这首《夜飞鹊·河桥送人处》，是周邦彦写送别追忆之作，写河桥送人、凉夜斜月、空带愁归之情，含蓄深婉。上片写送人之景与散离会：「河桥送人处，凉夜何其。斜月远堕馀辉」——河桥送人处，凉夜何其，斜月远堕馀辉。写送人之景：河桥送人之处，凉夜何其深，斜月远堕、留其馀辉——以凉夜斜月写送别之夜；「铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣」——铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣。写凉露沾衣：铜盘烛泪已流尽，霏霏凉露沾衣——烛泪流尽、凉露沾衣，写夜之深、别之久；「相将散离会，探风前津鼓，树杪参旗」——相将散离会，探风前津鼓，树杪参旗。写散离会：相将散去离会，探风前津鼓之声、树杪参旗之星——津鼓、参旗，写天将明而散离会；「华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟」——华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟。写马亦行迟：华骢亦会人意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟——马尚不忍行，人不忍别可知。下片写空带愁归与极望天西：「迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归」——迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归。写空带愁归：迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归——人渐远去、语渐无闻，独带愁归；「何意重红满地，遗钿不见，斜径都迷」——何意重红满地，遗钿不见，斜径都迷。写遗钿不见：何意重红满地，遗钿不见、斜径都迷——红花满地、遗钿不见，旧径都迷；「兔葵燕麦，向残阳、欲与人齐」——兔葵燕麦，向残阳、欲与人齐。写兔葵燕麦：兔葵燕麦，向残阳、欲与人齐——荒芜之景，与残阳相映；「但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西」——但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西。写极望天西：但徘徊班草、欷歔酹酒，极望天西——班草酹酒、极望天西，写尽送别后之徘徊。这「但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西」，是全词之结：以极望天西写送别后之怅望。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，正是周邦彦词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
河桥送人处，凉夜何其。
At the river bridge where I saw you off — how late the cold night is?
河桥送人处，凉夜何其。
At the river bridge's farewell place, how far gone is the cold night?
首二句写送人之景，起笔即见其境。「河桥送人处」写河桥送人处，「河桥」写河上之桥、「送人处」写送别之处；「凉夜何其」写凉夜何其，「凉夜」写清凉之夜、「何其」用诗经「夜如何其」之语，写夜之几何。两句一写河桥送人处、一写凉夜何其，写尽河桥送人、凉夜深沉之境。以景起兴，含蓄而清冷，是「以景起兴」的妙笔。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。
The opening two lines write the farewell scene, the first stroke at once seeing its realm. The river-bridge's-farewell-place writing the bridge and the farewell place; how-far-gone-is-the-cold-night using the Book-of-Songs's how-far-the-night meaning, writing the night's depth. Two lines one writing the bridge farewell and one the cold night's depth, exhausting the river-bridge farewell and cold-night's deep realm. Using the scene's uprising, reserved and cold-clear, the scene-uprising wondrous brush.
华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟。
The piebald steed, understanding the meaning, even with the lifted whip, also, of itself, going slow.
华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟。
The dappled horse understands; though I raise the whip, it still goes slowly.
此三句写马亦行迟，是全词写不忍别离的关键。「华骢会意」写华骢会意，「华骢」写花骢马、「会意」写其能会人意；「纵扬鞭、亦自行迟」写纵扬鞭亦自行迟，「纵扬鞭」写即使扬鞭、「亦自行迟」写仍自行得迟。三句一写华骢会意、一写纵扬鞭亦自行迟，以马之不忍行写人之不忍别——马尚如此，人何以堪。以物写情，含蓄而深挚，是「以物写情」的点睛之笔。
These three lines write the horse's slow-going, the whole ci's no-bearing-to-part key. The dappled-horse-understands writing the dappled horse and its understanding; though-I-raise-the-whip-it-still-goes-slowly writing the whip-raising and slow-going. Three lines one writing the horse's understanding and one the whip-raised-and-yet-slow, using the horse's no-bearing-to-go for the person's no-bearing-to-part — the horse's thus, let alone the person. Using the thing for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the thing-writes-feeling telling stroke.
迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归。
The long road winds through the clear plain; voices fade away; I return in vain, bearing grief.
迢递路回清野，人语渐无闻，空带愁归。
The long road winds through the clear plain; voices fade to silence; I return in vain, bearing grief.
此三句写空带愁归，是全词写别后之况的关键。「迢递路回清野」写迢递路回清野，「迢递」写其路之远、「路回清野」写路回于清旷之野；「人语渐无闻」写人语渐无闻，「人语渐无闻」写人声渐渐听不见；「空带愁归」写空带愁归，「空带」写徒然带着、「愁归」写含愁而归。三句一写路回清野、一写人语渐无闻、一写空带愁归，写尽人渐远去、语渐无闻、独带愁归之况。以归写愁，含蓄而深挚，是「以归写愁」的点睛之笔。
These three lines write the vain-return-with-grief, the whole ci's post-parting condition key. The long-road-winds-through-the-clear-plain writing the road's distance and the plain; the voices-fade-to-silence writing the human voice's fading; I-return-in-vain-bearing-grief writing the vain grief's return. Three lines one writing the road's winding, one the fading voices, one the vain return, exhausting the person's far-going, voices' fading, lone grief's return. Using the return for the grief-writing, reserved and deep, the return-writes-grief telling stroke.
但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西。
But lingering, spreading the grass, sighing, pouring the wine, looking to the utmost, the west of the sky.
但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西。
I linger where we spread the grass, sigh and pour the wine, gazing far to the west.
尾三句写极望天西，是全词立意的落点。「但徘徊班草」写但徘徊班草，「但」写只是、「徘徊」写徘徊、「班草」写铺草而坐；「欷歔酹酒」写欷歔酹酒，「欷歔」写叹息、「酹酒」写以酒洒地；「极望天西」写极望天西，「极望」写极目而望、「天西」写西天（人去之方）。三句一写徘徊班草、一写欷歔酹酒、一写极望天西，写其徘徊班草、叹息酹酒、极目望西天——人已去而犹极望天西。以望写情，含蓄而深挚，是全词最动人处，也是「以望写情」的点睛之笔。
The closing three lines write the far-gazing-west, the whole ci's intention landing. The I-linger-where-we-spread-the-grass writing the lingering and the grass-spreading; the sigh-and-pour-the-wine writing the sigh and the libation; gazing-far-to-the-west writing the far gaze and the west (the gone person's direction). Three lines one writing the lingering-on-grass, one the sigh-and-libation, one the far-west-gaze, writing the lingering, sigh, and far gaze — the person's gone and yet still's the far-west-gaze. Using the gaze for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the whole ci's most moving place, the gaze-writes-feeling telling stroke.
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Liu Yong's 'The Bell of the Rain' — 'the cold cicadas, mournful and cutting' — is the farewell of the riverside; Zhou Bangyan's 'Night-Flying Magpies' — 'the place of seeing off at the river bridge' — is the farewell of the river bridge — the two farewells of the Song, the one of the cicadas, the other of the magpies.
柳永《雨霖铃·寒蝉凄切》「寒蝉凄切，对长亭晚，骤雨初歇」「今宵酒醒何处？杨柳岸，晓风残月」，写离别之凄切与别后之思，是宋词写离别的名篇；周邦彦《夜飞鹊》则以「河桥送人处，凉夜何其。斜月远堕馀辉」「华骢会意，纵扬鞭、亦自行迟」「但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西」写河桥送人、马亦行迟。两词同写送别之景与别后之思：一写寒蝉凄切对长亭晚、以别时写思，一写河桥送人凉夜何其、以马迟写别；一为柳永之婉约、一为周邦彦之精工，并读正可见宋词写「送别」的两种笔法，皆于送别之夜见别离之情。
黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵 Seeing Meng Haoran Off to Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower 李白 · 同写送别江上、目送远人，一写孤帆远影碧空尽唯见长江天际流、一写徘徊班草欷歔酹酒极望天西，皆于目送之中见别情 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
李白《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》「孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流」，写目送孤帆远去、唯见长江，是唐诗送别名篇；周邦彦《夜飞鹊》则以「但徘徊班草，欷歔酹酒，极望天西」写送别后极望西天。两篇同写送别江上、目送远人：一写孤帆远影碧空尽唯见长江天际流、以望尽写别情，一写徘徊班草欷歔酹酒极望天西、以徘徊写别情；一为李白之飘逸、一为周邦彦之深婉，并读正可见诗与词写「目送送别」的两种笔法，皆于目送之中见别情。