宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
忆秦娥
Remembering the Qin Beauty
朝朝暮，云雨定何如。
花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏。
人唱晚晴初。
The clouds and the rain, how, exactly, to be.
The flower days, through the window, the mumes, small and small,
The snowy wind, sprinkling the willows, sparse and sparse.
The men, singing, the clear of the evening, the beginning.
Meaning
A lyric of the season and the song, written by Liu Chenweng. Morning after morning, the dusk after the dusk — the clouds and the rain, how, exactly, to be — the passing of the days and the clouds and the rain. The flower days through the window with the mumes small and small, the snowy wind sprinkling the willows sparse and sparse — the mumes and the willows of the season. And the close's men singing the clear of the evening, the beginning — the song of the evening. The lyric is the season and the song: the days passing, the mumes and the willows, and the close's song of the evening.
朝朝暮，云雨定何如。花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏。人唱晚晴初。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] Morning after morning, the dusk after the dusk, the clouds and the rain, how, exactly, to be. The flower days, through the window, the mumes, small and small, the snowy wind, sprinkling the willows, sparse and sparse. The men, singing, the clear of the evening, the beginning. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the passing of the days and the clouds and the rain, through the mumes and the willows of the window, to the close's song of the clear evening. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the brevity of the scene: the small mumes and the sparse willows of the middle, and the close's song of the evening — the season gathered in the small scene and the close's song. [Emotional Tone] Light, clear, and slightly wistful: the lyric is the days passing, the mumes and the willows, and the close's song.
【白话串讲】 刘辰翁写《忆秦娥》：“朝朝暮，云雨定何如”——“花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏”——“人唱晚晴初”——他写暮色——人唱晚晴初。 【意象与手法】 “朝朝暮，云雨定何如”写朝朝暮；“花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏”写花日雪风；结以“人唱晚晴初”写晚晴。含蓄深婉。 【情感与主旨】 刘辰翁写景之作，写朝暮云雨、花日雪风与晚晴歌声，于淡景中见心绪，是刘辰翁词中清丽含蓄的小令。 【名句点睛】 常考“花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏”以花日雪风写景；“人唱晚晴初”以晚晴歌声收束。
Background
Liu Chenweng (1232–1297), the poet of the late Song and the early Yuan, wrote this 'Remembering the Qin Beauty' of the season and the song — the passing of the days. The clouds and the rain of the days with the mumes of the window and the willows of the snowy wind, and the close's men singing the clear of the evening — the lyric gathers the passing of the season, the light feeling of the song. The lyric is one of the short works of the poet's lyrics of the season.
《忆秦娥》为宋末元初词人刘辰翁所作词。刘辰翁（1232—1297），字会孟，号须溪，庐陵（今江西吉安）人，宋末词人，词多故国之思。此词写景。词中「朝朝暮，云雨定何如」写朝朝暮；「花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏」写花日穿窗；「人唱晚晴初」写人唱晚晴初。刘辰翁此词以写景、人唱晚晴初写其写景之情，含蓄深婉，是刘辰翁词中的名篇。此篇《忆秦娥》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。此篇《忆秦娥》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。此篇《忆秦娥》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 brief season. The days open: morning after morning, the dusk after the dusk — the days passing; the clouds and the rain, how, exactly, to be — the clouds and the rain. The scene follows: the flower days, through the window, the mumes, small and small — the small mumes; the snowy wind, sprinkling the willows, sparse and sparse — the sparse willows. And the close gathers the song: the men, singing, the clear of the evening, the beginning — the song of the close — the days, the mumes and the willows and the close's song, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、以景写情」见长。全词共五句，由朝朝暮、花日穿窗、雪风洒雨而人唱晚晴初。起「朝朝暮，云雨定何如」写朝朝暮：朝朝暮，云雨定何如；「花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏」写花日穿窗：花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏；「人唱晚晴初」写人唱晚晴初：人唱晚晴初。全词以景写情，由朝朝暮而梅小小、柳疏疏而人唱晚晴初，含蓄深婉，是刘辰翁词中的名篇。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。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。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 clouds and the rain' (yun yu) are the clouds and the rain — the clouds and the rain of the days; 'the flower days' (hua ri) are the flower days — the days of the flowers, the mumes of the window; 'the snowy wind' (xue feng) is the snowy wind — the wind of the snow, the willows sparse.
词中「朝朝暮」「云雨定何如」「花日穿窗梅小小」「雪风洒雨柳疏疏」「人唱晚晴初」等语，皆含典故故实。「朝朝暮」写朝朝暮（朝朝暮暮写日日夜夜）；「云雨定何如」用云雨之典（宋玉高唐赋朝云暮雨），写云雨定何如；「花日穿窗梅小小」写花日穿窗梅小小；「雪风洒雨柳疏疏」写雪风洒雨柳疏疏；「人唱晚晴初」写人唱晚晴初。词人以云雨之典入词，不着痕迹，而把写景之情写得真切可感，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。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。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 short works of Liu Chenweng's lyrics of the season, quoted for the brevity of its scene and the song of its close. The small mumes of the window, and the singing of the clear evening, are among the admired passages of the poet's short lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's lightness: the season gathered in the small scene, to the close's song.
这首《忆秦娥》，是刘辰翁写景之作，写朝朝暮、雪风洒雨柳疏疏、人唱晚晴初之情，含蓄深婉。起「朝朝暮，云雨定何如」——朝朝暮，云雨定何如（用云雨之典）。写朝朝暮：朝朝暮、云雨定何如——朝朝暮、云雨何如；「花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏」——花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏。写花日穿窗：花日穿窗梅小小、雪风洒雨柳疏疏——梅小小穿窗、柳疏疏洒雨；「人唱晚晴初」——人唱晚晴初。写人唱晚晴初：人唱晚晴初——晚晴初唱。这「人唱晚晴初」，是全词之结：以人唱晚晴初写其晚晴。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，正是刘辰翁词中的名篇。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。综观全诗，情真、景切、理深，三者浑融无迹，故能于短短数语之中寄无限深意，令人百读不厌。其含蓄蕴藉之处，正是中国古典诗歌以少总多、言有尽而意无穷的美学精神的生动体现。
Prosody
Line by line
朝朝暮，云雨定何如。
Morning after morning, the dusk after the dusk, the clouds and the rain, how, exactly, to be.
朝朝暮，云雨定何如。
Morning after morning, evening after evening — how will it be with cloud and rain?
首二句写朝朝暮，起笔即见其问。「朝朝暮」写朝朝暮，「朝朝」写朝朝、「暮」写暮暮；「云雨定何如」写云雨定何如，用云雨之典写云雨定何如。两句一写朝朝暮、一写云雨定何如，以朝朝暮写日日夜夜、以云雨定何如写云雨之问，写尽朝朝暮、云雨定何如之情。以问起兴，含蓄而深婉，是「以问起兴」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 mornings-and-evenings, the first stroke at once seeing the question. The morning-after-morning-evening-after-evening writing the days-and-nights; how-will-it-be-with-cloud-and-rain using the cloud-rain allusion. Two lines one writing the days-and-nights and one the cloud-rain question, using the morning-and-evening for the days-and-nights, and the cloud-rain's how for the cloud-rain question, exhausting the days-and-nights and the how-of-cloud-rain. Using the question's uprising, reserved and deep-gentle, the question-uprising wondrous brush.
花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏。
The flower days, through the window, the mumes, small and small, the snowy wind, sprinkling the willows, sparse and sparse.
花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏。
The flower-day shines through the window, the plum blossoms are tiny; the snow wind scatters rain, the willows are sparse.
此二句写花日穿窗，是全词写景的关键。「花日穿窗梅小小」写花日穿窗梅小小，「花日穿窗」写花日穿窗、「梅小小」写梅小小；「雪风洒雨柳疏疏」写雪风洒雨柳疏疏，「雪风洒雨」写雪风洒雨、「柳疏疏」写柳疏疏。两句一写花日穿窗梅小小、一写雪风洒雨柳疏疏，以花日穿窗写日穿窗、以梅小小写梅小、以雪风洒雨写雨洒、以柳疏疏写柳疏，写尽花日穿窗梅小小、雪风洒雨柳疏疏之情。以景写景，含蓄而清丽，是「以景写景」的点睛之笔。
These two lines write the flower-day's window-piercing, the whole ci's scene-writing key. The flower-day-shines-through-the-window-the-plum-blossoms-are-tiny writing the window's light and the tiny plum; the snow-wind-scatters-rain-the-willows-are-sparse writing the snow-wind's rain and the sparse willows. Two lines one writing the flower-day-and-tiny-plum and one the snow-wind-and-sparse-willow, using the flower-day for the window-piercing, the tiny plum for the small blossoms, the snow-wind's rain for the scattered rain, and the sparse willows for the sparse branches, exhausting the window light and tiny plum, the scattered rain and sparse willow. Using the scene for the scene-writing, reserved and fresh, the scene-writes-scene telling stroke.
人唱晚晴初。
The men, singing, the clear of the evening, the beginning.
人唱晚晴初。
A voice sings as the evening sky first clears.
尾句写人唱晚晴初，是全词立意的落点。「人唱晚晴初」写人唱晚晴初，「人唱」写人唱、「晚晴初」写晚晴初起。一句以「人唱」写人之唱、「晚晴初」写晚晴初起，写尽人唱晚晴初之情——人在晚晴初唱。以唱写景，含蓄而清丽，是全词最动人处，也是「以唱写景」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。
The closing line writes the person's singing's evening-clear's-beginning, the whole ci's intention landing. A-voice-sings-as-the-evening-sky-first-clears writing the human singing and the evening's first clearing. One line using the human singing for the voice and the evening-clear's-beginning for the sky's clearing, exhausting the singing at the evening's first clear. Using the song for the scene-writing, reserved and fresh, the whole ci's most moving place, the song-writes-scene telling stroke.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare 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」，写惜时感怀，是宋词小令的名篇；刘辰翁《忆秦娥》则以「花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏」「人唱晚晴初」写梅小小柳疏疏、人唱晚晴初。两词同写小令写景、含蓄蕴藉：一写无可奈何花落去、以花落燕归写惜时，一写雪风洒雨柳疏疏、以梅柳写景；一为晏殊之温润、一为刘辰翁之清丽，并读正可见宋词写「小令写景」的两种笔法，皆于小令之中见含蓄蕴藉。
晏殊·蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露 Butterfly Loves Flower · Rail Chrysanthemum in Mourning Mist, Orchid Weeping Dew 晏殊 · 同写清景凝愁、含蓄深婉，一写槛菊愁烟兰泣露、一写花日穿窗梅小小，皆于清景之中见凝愁 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
晏殊《蝶恋花·槛菊愁烟兰泣露》「槛菊愁烟兰泣露。罗幕轻寒，燕子双飞去」，写清景凝愁，是宋词写愁的名篇；刘辰翁《忆秦娥》则以「朝朝暮，云雨定何如」「花日穿窗梅小小，雪风洒雨柳疏疏」写云雨何如、梅小小柳疏疏。两词同写清景凝愁、含蓄深婉：一写槛菊愁烟兰泣露、以菊烟写愁，一写花日穿窗梅小小、以梅柳写景；一为晏殊之温润、一为刘辰翁之清丽，并读正可见宋词写「清景凝愁」的两种笔法，皆于清景之中见凝愁。