宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
应天长
Matching the Sky's Duration
条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色。
正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食。
梁间燕，前社客。
似笑我、闭门愁寂。
乱花过，隔院芸香，满地狼藉。
长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁。
又见汉宫传烛，飞烟五候宅。
青青草，迷路陌。
强带酒，细寻前迹。
市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识。
The drizzling mist, playing the clear,
The pond, everywhere, filled with the spring colors.
It is the night hall, without the moon,
Deep and deep, the dark, the cold food festival.
The swallows between the beams, the guests of the former society.
Seeming to laugh at me, the closed door, the sorrow and the solitude.
The tangled flowers, passing,
The fragrance of the rue across the courtyard,
The ground, all, in disorder.
Long remembering, that time,
The chance meeting,
Outside the suburbs, stopping the painted carriage.
Again, seeing the Han palace, passing the candles,
The flying smoke, the houses of the five marquises.
The green grass, confusing the roads.
Forcing the wine, carefully, seeking the former traces.
The market bridge, far,
Under the willows, the homes of the men,
Still, knowing each other.
Meaning
A lyric of the spring and the memory, written by Zhou Bangyan. The gentle wind spreading the warmth with the drizzling mist playing the clear, the pond filled with the spring colors, and the night hall without the moon with the dark cold food festival — the spring of the opening. The swallows between the beams seeming to laugh at the closed door with the sorrow, and the tangled flowers with the fragrance of the rue and the disorder — the sorrow and the disorder. Long remembering that time with the chance meeting and the painted carriage, and the Han palace passing the candles with the five marquises — the memory of the meeting. The green grass confusing the roads with the seeking of the former traces, and the close's market bridge far with the homes of the men still knowing each other — the close's knowing. The lyric is the spring and the memory: the spring colors, the memory of the meeting, and the close's still knowing each other.
条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色。正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食。梁间燕，前社客。似笑我、闭门愁寂。乱花过，隔院芸香，满地狼藉。长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁。又见汉宫传烛，飞烟五候宅。青青草，迷路陌。强带酒，细寻前迹。市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The gentle wind, spreading the warmth, the drizzling mist, playing the clear, the pond, everywhere, filled with the spring colors. It is the night hall, without the moon, deep and deep, the dark, the cold food festival. The swallows between the beams, the guests of the former society. Seeming to laugh at me, the closed door, the sorrow and the solitude. The tangled flowers, passing, the fragrance of the rue across the courtyard, the ground, all, in disorder. Long remembering that time, the chance meeting, outside the suburbs, stopping the painted carriage. Again, seeing the Han palace, passing the candles, the flying smoke, the houses of the five marquises. The green grass, confusing the roads. Forcing the wine, carefully, seeking the former traces. The market bridge, far, under the willows, the homes of the men, still, knowing each other. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the spring colors and the dark cold food festival, through the swallows and the disorder, and the memory of the meeting with the painted carriage, to the close's market bridge far with the homes still knowing each other. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the memory of the meeting: the chance meeting of the past with the painted carriage, and the close's seeking the former traces with the homes still knowing — the memory gathered in the meeting and the close's knowing. [Emotional Tone] Elegant, nostalgic, and warm: the lyric is the spring, the memory of the meeting and the close's still knowing each other.
【白话串讲】 周邦彦写《应天长》：“条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色”——“正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食”——“梁间燕，前社客。似笑我、闭门愁寂”——“长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁”——他写寒食怀旧——邂逅相逢。 【意象与手法】 “条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色”写春色满塘；“正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食”写寒食夜堂；“梁间燕，前社客。似笑我、闭门愁寂”写梁间燕；“长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁”忆邂逅相逢；结以“市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识”写柳下人家。含蓄深婉。 【情感与主旨】 周邦彦写伤春追忆之作，写寒食春色与邂逅相逢的旧忆，以梁间燕笑我写闭门愁寂，是清真词中追忆往昔的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“梁间燕，前社客。似笑我、闭门愁寂”以梁间燕写愁寂；“长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁”忆邂逅相逢。
Background
Zhou Bangyan (1056–1121), the master of the ci of the Song, wrote this 'Matching the Sky's Duration' of the spring and the memory — the memory of the meeting. The spring colors with the dark cold food festival, the swallows laughing at the closed door with the disorder, the memory of the chance meeting with the painted carriage, and the close's seeking the former traces with the homes still knowing each other — the lyric gathers the memory of the spring, the nostalgia of the meeting. The lyric is one of the famous works of the master's lyrics of the memory.
《应天长》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」。此词写伤春追忆。词中「条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色」写春色满塘；「正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食」写寒食夜堂；「梁间燕，前社客。似笑我、闭门愁寂」写梁间燕；「乱花过，隔院芸香，满地狼藉」写乱花满地；「长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁」写邂逅相逢；「又见汉宫传烛，飞烟五候宅」写汉宫传烛；「青青草，迷路陌。强带酒，细寻前迹」写细寻前迹；「市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识」写柳下人家。周邦彦此词以伤春追忆、邂逅相逢写其追忆之情，含蓄深婉，是周邦彦词中的名篇。此篇《应天长》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 memory. The spring opens: the gentle wind, spreading the warmth — the warmth of the gentle wind; the drizzling mist, playing the clear — the clear of the drizzling mist; the pond, everywhere, filled with the spring colors — the spring colors of the pond; it is the night hall, without the moon — deep and deep, the dark, the cold food festival — the dark of the cold food. The sorrow follows: the swallows between the beams, the guests of the former society — seeming to laugh at me, the closed door, the sorrow and the solitude — the swallows laughing; the tangled flowers, passing — the fragrance of the rue across the courtyard — the ground, all, in disorder — the disorder of the flowers. The memory: long remembering that time — the chance meeting — outside the suburbs, stopping the painted carriage — the meeting of the past; again, seeing the Han palace, passing the candles — the flying smoke, the houses of the five marquises — the candles of the palace. And the close gathers the seeking: the green grass, confusing the roads — forcing the wine, carefully, seeking the former traces — the seeking of the traces; the market bridge, far — under the willows, the homes of the men — still, knowing each other — the knowing of the close — the spring, the memory and the close's knowing, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、今昔对照」见长。全词上片写春色满塘与梁间燕，下片写邂逅相逢与柳下人家。上片「条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色」写春色满塘：条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色；「正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食」写寒食夜堂：正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食；「梁间燕，前社客。似笑我、闭门愁寂」写梁间燕：梁间燕，前社客，似笑我、闭门愁寂；「乱花过，隔院芸香，满地狼藉」写乱花满地：乱花过，隔院芸香，满地狼藉。下片「长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁」写邂逅相逢：长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁；「又见汉宫传烛，飞烟五候宅」写汉宫传烛：又见汉宫传烛，飞烟五候宅；「青青草，迷路陌。强带酒，细寻前迹」写细寻前迹：青青草，迷路陌，强带酒，细寻前迹；「市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识」写柳下人家：市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识。全词含蓄深婉，今昔对照，是周邦彦词中的名篇。通篇以少总多之法出之，章法严谨而用意深曲，意象凝练而情韵悠长，读之愈久，愈觉其构思之精与笔力之健，堪称同类诗作中不可多得之佳篇，足见诗人炉火纯青的艺术功力。
Allusions
'The cold food festival' (han shi) is the cold food festival — the festival of the cold food, the dark night; 'the former society' (qian she) is the former society — the society of the swallows, the guests of the former; 'the rue' (yun xiang) is the rue — the fragrance of the rue across the courtyard; 'the Han palace, passing the candles' (Han gong chuan zhu) is the Han palace passing the candles — the candles of the cold food of the Han; 'the five marquises' (wu hou) are the five marquises — the houses of the five marquises, the flying smoke.
词中「条风」「霏雾弄晴」「夜堂无月」「寒食」「梁间燕」「前社客」「芸香」「狼藉」「邂逅相逢」「油壁」「汉宫传烛」「五候宅」「青青草」「迷路陌」「细寻前迹」「市桥」「柳下人家」等语，皆含典故故实。「条风」写春之风（东北风为条风）；「霏雾弄晴」写霏微之雾弄晴；「夜堂无月」写夜堂无月；「寒食」写寒食节（禁烟火）；「梁间燕」写梁间之燕；「前社客」写社前归来之燕（社为祭社之日）；「芸香」写芸草之香；「狼藉」写杂乱；「邂逅相逢」写不期而遇；「油壁」写油壁车（以油涂壁之车），「郊外驻油壁」写郊外停车；「汉宫传烛」用韩翃《寒食》「日暮汉宫传蜡烛，轻烟散入五侯家」之典，写寒食传烛；「五候宅」写五侯之家；「青青草」写青青之草；「迷路陌」写路径迷离；「细寻前迹」写细寻旧迹；「市桥」写市桥；「柳下人家」写柳下人家。词人以条风、梁间燕、前社客、油壁、汉宫传烛、五候宅等典入词，不着痕迹，而把伤春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 memory, quoted for the elegance of its spring and the knowing of its close. The swallows laughing at the closed door, and the homes still knowing each other, are among the admired passages of the master's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's nostalgia: the memory gathered in the meeting, to the close's still knowing.
这首《应天长》，是周邦彦写伤春追忆之作，写条风布暖、梁间燕、邂逅相逢之情，含蓄深婉。上片写春色满塘与梁间燕：「条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色」——条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色。写春色满塘：条风布暖、霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色——春风布暖、春色满塘；「正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食」——正是夜堂无月，沈沈暗寒食。写寒食夜堂：正是夜堂无月、沈沈暗寒食——寒食夜堂、无月而暗；「梁间燕，前社客。似笑我、闭门愁寂」——梁间燕，前社客，似笑我、闭门愁寂。写梁间燕：梁间燕、前社客，似笑我闭门愁寂——燕子归来、似笑我闭门；「乱花过，隔院芸香，满地狼藉」——乱花过，隔院芸香，满地狼藉。写乱花满地：乱花过、隔院芸香，满地狼藉——乱花满地、隔院芸香。下片写邂逅相逢与柳下人家：「长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁」——长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁。写邂逅相逢：长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁——忆当年郊外邂逅、油壁停车；「又见汉宫传烛，飞烟五候宅」——又见汉宫传烛，飞烟五候宅。写汉宫传烛：又见汉宫传烛、飞烟五候宅——以韩翃寒食传烛之典写寒食；「青青草，迷路陌。强带酒，细寻前迹」——青青草，迷路陌，强带酒，细寻前迹。写细寻前迹：青青草、迷路陌，强带酒、细寻前迹——草迷旧径、带酒寻迹；「市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识」——市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识。写柳下人家：市桥远、柳下人家，犹自相识——柳下人家犹自相识。这「市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识」，是全词之结：以柳下人家犹相识写其追忆。全词含蓄深婉，今昔对照，正是周邦彦词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色。
The gentle wind, spreading the warmth, the drizzling mist, playing the clear, the pond, everywhere, filled with the spring colors.
条风布暖，霏雾弄晴，池塘遍满春色。
The gentle wind spreads warmth, the fine mist plays in the clear sky; spring color fills the pond.
首三句写春色满塘，起笔即见其春。「条风布暖」写条风布暖，「条风」写春之风、「布暖」写散布暖意；「霏雾弄晴」写霏雾弄晴，「霏雾」写霏微之雾、「弄晴」写弄出晴光；「池塘遍满春色」写池塘遍满春色，「池塘」写池塘、「遍满春色」写春色满塘。三句以条风布暖写春风之暖、以霏雾弄晴写雾之弄晴、以池塘遍满春色写春色之盛，写尽春风布暖、池塘满春之景。以景起兴，含蓄而明丽，是「以景起兴」的妙笔。
The opening three lines write the spring-color's pond-full, the first stroke at once seeing the spring. The gentle-wind-spreads-warmth writing the spring wind and the warmth's spreading; the fine-mist-plays-in-the-clear-sky writing the fine mist and the clear light; spring-color-fills-the-pond writing the pond and the color's fullness. Three lines using the wind's warmth for the spring wind's warmth, the mist's clear-sky for the mist's play, and the pond-full-color for the spring's abundance, exhausting the wind's warmth and pond-full spring. Using the scene's uprising, reserved and bright, the scene-uprising wondrous brush.
梁间燕，前社客。
The swallow between the beams, the guest from before the spring sacrifice.
梁间燕，前社客。
The swallow between the rafters, a guest back from before the spring sacrifice.
此二句写梁间燕，是全词由景写人的关键。「梁间燕」写梁间燕，「梁间燕」写梁上之燕；「前社客」写前社客，「前社客」写社前归来之燕（燕为社客）。两句一写梁间燕、一写前社客，以梁间燕写燕之在梁、以前社客写燕为社前归来之客，写尽春来燕归、梁间筑巢之景。以燕写春，含蓄而灵动，是「以燕写春」的点睛之笔。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。
These two lines write the beam's swallow, the whole ci's scene-writes-person key. The swallow-between-the-rafters writing the beam's swallow; the guest-back-from-before-the-spring-sacrifice writing the sacrifice-returned swallow. Two lines one writing the beam's swallow and one the sacrifice's guest, using the beam's swallow for the swallow's beam, and the sacrifice-guest for the swallow's pre-sacrifice return, exhausting the spring-returned-swallow's beam-nesting scene. Using the swallow for the spring-writing, reserved and lively, the swallow-writes-spring telling stroke.
长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁。
Long I remember that time: our chance meeting, when your oil-painted carriage stopped in the countryside.
长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁。
Long I remember that time: our chance meeting, your oil-painted carriage halted in the country.
此三句写邂逅相逢，是全词写追忆的关键。「长记那回时」写长记那回时，「长记」写长记、「那回时」写那一回；「邂逅相逢」写邂逅相逢，「邂逅」写不期而遇、「相逢」写相遇；「郊外驻油壁」写郊外驻油壁，「郊外」写郊外、「驻油壁」写停着油壁车。三句一写长记那回时、一写邂逅相逢、一写郊外驻油壁，以长记写其难忘、以邂逅相逢写不期而遇、以油壁写其人，写尽当年郊外邂逅、油壁停车之情。以忆写情，含蓄而深挚，是「以忆写情」的点睛之笔。
These three lines write the chance meeting, the whole ci's remembrance key. The long-I-remember-that-time writing the long-remember and that time; our-chance-meeting writing the unplanned encounter; your-oil-painted-carriage-halted-in-the-country writing the countryside and the halted carriage. Three lines one writing the that-time remembrance, one the chance meeting, one the halted oil-painted carriage, using the long-remember for the unforgettable, the chance meeting for the unplanned encounter, and the oil-painted carriage for the person, exhausting the bygone countryside encounter and the halted carriage. Using the remembrance for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the remembrance-writes-feeling telling stroke.
市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识。
The market bridge, far, under the willows, the homes of the men, still, knowing each other.
市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识。
The market bridge is far; beneath the willows, the old house still knows me.
尾三句写柳下人家，是全词立意的落点。「市桥远」写市桥远，「市桥远」写市桥之远；「柳下人家」写柳下人家，「柳下人家」写柳树下之人家；「犹自相识」写犹自相识，「犹自」写仍然、「相识」写认得。三句一写市桥远、一写柳下人家、一写犹自相识，以市桥远写其远、以柳下人家写旧地、以犹自相识写其尚认得，写尽市桥柳下、旧时人家犹自相识之情。以旧写情，含蓄而深挚，是全词最动人处，也是「以旧写情」的点睛之笔。
The closing three lines write the willow's house, the whole ci's intention landing. The market-bridge-is-far writing the market bridge's distance; beneath-the-willows-the-old-house writing the willow's house; still-knows-me writing the still-recognizes. Three lines one writing the bridge's distance, one the willow's house, one the still-knowing, using the bridge's distance for the far, the willow's house for the old place, and the still-recognizes for the recognition, exhausting the market-bridge-willow and the old-house's still-recognition. Using the old for the feeling-writing, reserved and deep, the whole ci's most moving place, the old-writes-feeling telling stroke.
Study
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欧阳修《蝶恋花·庭院深深深几许》「庭院深深深几许」「泪眼问花花不语，乱红飞过秋千去」，写深闺伤春，是宋词写伤春的名篇；周邦彦《应天长》则以「梁间燕，前社客。似笑我、闭门愁寂」「长记那回时，邂逅相逢，郊外驻油壁」写闭门愁寂、邂逅相逢。两词同写深闺伤春、闭门愁寂：一写庭院深深深几许、以泪眼问花写怨，一写似笑我闭门愁寂、以燕笑写寂；一为欧阳修之深婉、一为周邦彦之精工，并读正可见宋词写「伤春愁寂」的两种笔法，皆于深居之中见伤春之怨。
浣溪沙·一曲新词酒一杯 Silk-Washing Stream: A Cup of Wine, A New Song 晏殊 · 同写春景依旧、旧地重游，一写似曾相识燕归来、一写柳下人家犹自相识，皆于燕与人家之中见旧日之忆 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
晏殊《浣溪沙·一曲新词酒一杯》「无可奈何花落去，似曾相识燕归来」，写春逝之无可奈何、燕归似曾相识，是宋词写惜时的名篇；周邦彦《应天长》则以「梁间燕，前社客」「市桥远，柳下人家，犹自相识」写燕归梁间、柳下人家犹相识。两词同写春景依旧、旧地重游：一写似曾相识燕归来、以燕归写忆，一写柳下人家犹自相识、以人家写忆；一为晏殊之温润、一为周邦彦之精工，并读正可见宋词写「旧地重游」的两种笔法，皆于燕与人家之中见旧日之忆。