宋 Song · 诗 Poem
玉蝴蝶
The Jade Butterfly
晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉。
短景归秋，吟思又接愁边。
漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒。
想幽欢。
土花庭甃，虫网阑干。
无端。
啼蛄搅夜，恨随团扇，苦近秋莲。
一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前。
故园晚、强留诗酒，新雁远、不致寒暄。
隔苍烟。
楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟。
Pitying the idle leaves,
Still, embracing, the cool cicadas.
The short scene, returning to the autumn,
The chanting thoughts, again, connecting, the sorrow side.
The water clock, first, long, the dream soul, hard to restrain,
The man, gradually, old, the wind and the moon, all, cold.
Thinking, the hidden joy.
The moss flowers, the courtyard, the paved bricks,
The insect webs, the railings.
Without the cause.
The crying mole crickets, stirring the night,
The grief, following, the round fans,
The bitterness, near, the autumn lotus.
One flute, facing the tower,
The Lady Xie, shedding the tears, standing, before the wind.
The old garden, late, forcing to stay, the poems and the wine,
The new geese, far, not sending, the greetings.
Across the green mist.
The Chu fragrance, the silk sleeves,
Who, accompanying, the beautiful woman.
Meaning
A lyric of the autumn and the sorrow, written by Shi Dazu. The evening rain with the idle leaves embracing the cool cicadas, the short scene returning to the autumn with the chanting thoughts connecting the sorrow — the autumn of the opening. The water clock first long with the dream soul hard to restrain, the man gradually old with the wind and the moon all cold, and the hidden joy with the moss flowers and the insect webs — the old age and the hidden joy. The crying mole crickets stirring the night with the grief following the round fans, the one flute facing the tower with the Lady Xie shedding the tears — the night and the flute. And the close's old garden late with the new geese far, the Chu fragrance with the silk sleeves, who accompanying the beautiful woman — the close's asking. The lyric is the autumn and the sorrow: the cool cicadas, the night and the flute, and the close's who accompanying.
晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉。短景归秋，吟思又接愁边。漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒。想幽欢。土花庭甃，虫网阑干。无端。啼蛄搅夜，恨随团扇，苦近秋莲。一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前。故园晚、强留诗酒，新雁远、不致寒暄。隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The evening rain, not yet, destroying the palace trees, pitying the idle leaves, still, embracing, the cool cicadas. The short scene, returning to the autumn, the chanting thoughts, again, connecting, the sorrow side. The water clock, first, long, the dream soul, hard to restrain, the man, gradually, old, the wind and the moon, all, cold. Thinking, the hidden joy. The moss flowers, the courtyard, the paved bricks, the insect webs, the railings. Without the cause. The crying mole crickets, stirring the night, the grief, following, the round fans, the bitterness, near, the autumn lotus. One flute, facing the tower, the Lady Xie, shedding the tears, standing, before the wind. The old garden, late, forcing to stay, the poems and the wine, the new geese, far, not sending, the greetings. Across the green mist. The Chu fragrance, the silk sleeves, who, accompanying, the beautiful woman. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the autumn of the cool cicadas and the sorrow thoughts, through the old age and the hidden joy, and the night with the flute of the Lady Xie, to the close's old garden with the new geese far, the who accompanying asked. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the sorrow of the autumn: the cool cicadas and the crying mole crickets of the night, and the close's who accompanying the beautiful woman — the sorrow gathered in the night and the close's asking. [Emotional Tone] Cold, sorrowful, and lonely: the lyric is the autumn, the night and the close's who accompanying.
【白话串讲】 史达祖写《玉蝴蝶》：“晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉”——“短景归秋，吟思又接愁边”——“漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒”——“想幽欢。土花庭甃，虫网阑干”——他写秋思——人渐老风月俱寒。 【意象与手法】 “晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉”以凉蝉抱叶写秋；“短景归秋，吟思又接愁边”写吟思接愁；“漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒”写风月俱寒；“想幽欢。土花庭甃，虫网阑干”忆旧日幽欢；结以“隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟”写谁伴婵娟。含蓄深婉。 【情感与主旨】 史达祖写秋思怀人之作，写秋景凄清、人老风月寒与对旧日幽欢的追忆，以“谁伴婵娟”写怀人之情，是史达祖词中秋思写情的代表。 【名句点睛】 常考“晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉”以凉蝉抱叶写秋；“隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟”写谁伴婵娟。
Background
Shi Dazu (c. 1163–1220), the poet of the Southern Song, wrote this 'The Jade Butterfly' of the autumn and the sorrow — the loneliness of the old. The cool cicadas with the sorrow thoughts, the old age with the wind and the moon cold, the night with the crying mole crickets and the flute of the Lady Xie, and the close's old garden with the who accompanying asked — the lyric gathers the sorrow of the autumn, the loneliness of the poet. The lyric is one of the famous works of the poet's lyrics of the autumn.
《玉蝴蝶》为南宋词人史达祖所作词。史达祖（1163—约1220），字邦卿，号梅溪，汴（今河南开封）人，南宋词人，词以咏物见长，人称「梅溪词」。此词写秋思怀人。词中「晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉」写晚雨未摧；「短景归秋，吟思又接愁边」写吟思接愁；「漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒」写风月俱寒；「想幽欢。土花庭甃，虫网阑干」写想幽欢；「无端。啼蛄搅夜，恨随团扇，苦近秋莲」写啼蛄搅夜；「一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前」写谢娘悬泪；「故园晚、强留诗酒，新雁远、不致寒暄」写新雁远；「隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟」写谁伴婵娟。史达祖此词以秋思怀人、谁伴婵娟写其秋思，含蓄深婉，是史达祖词中的名篇。此篇《玉蝴蝶》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《玉蝴蝶》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 autumn sorrow. The autumn opens: the evening rain, not yet, destroying the palace trees — the evening rain; pitying the idle leaves — still, embracing, the cool cicadas — the cool cicadas of the leaves; the short scene, returning to the autumn — the short scene of the autumn; the chanting thoughts, again, connecting, the sorrow side — the sorrow thoughts. The old age follows: the water clock, first, long, the dream soul, hard to restrain — the dream soul of the long night; the man, gradually, old, the wind and the moon, all, cold — the old age of the wind and the moon; thinking, the hidden joy — the hidden joy; the moss flowers, the courtyard, the paved bricks — the moss of the courtyard; the insect webs, the railings — the webs of the railings. The night: without the cause — the crying mole crickets, stirring the night — the mole crickets of the night; the grief, following, the round fans — the grief of the round fans; the bitterness, near, the autumn lotus — the bitterness of the lotus; one flute, facing the tower — the flute of the tower; the Lady Xie, shedding the tears, standing, before the wind — the Lady Xie of the wind. And the close gathers the asking: the old garden, late, forcing to stay, the poems and the wine — the old garden of the poems and the wine; the new geese, far, not sending, the greetings — the new geese not sending; across the green mist — the Chu fragrance, the silk sleeves — who, accompanying, the beautiful woman — the who accompanying of the close — the autumn, the night and the close's asking, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、以景写情」见长。全词上片写晚雨未摧与风月俱寒，下片写谢娘悬泪与谁伴婵娟。上片「晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉」写晚雨未摧：晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉；「短景归秋，吟思又接愁边」写吟思接愁：短景归秋，吟思又接愁边；「漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒」写风月俱寒：漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒；「想幽欢。土花庭甃，虫网阑干」写想幽欢：想幽欢，土花庭甃，虫网阑干。下片「无端。啼蛄搅夜，恨随团扇，苦近秋莲」写啼蛄搅夜：无端，啼蛄搅夜，恨随团扇，苦近秋莲；「一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前」写谢娘悬泪：一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前；「故园晚、强留诗酒，新雁远、不致寒暄」写新雁远：故园晚、强留诗酒，新雁远、不致寒暄；「隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟」写谁伴婵娟：隔苍烟，楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，是史达祖词中的名篇。
Allusions
'The water clock' (lou) is the water clock — the clock of the water, the long night; 'the round fans' (tuan shan) are the round fans — the fans of the autumn, the grief following; 'the Lady Xie' (Xie niang) is the Lady Xie — the lady of the songs, the tears before the wind; 'the Chu fragrance' (Chu xiang) is the Chu fragrance — the fragrance of the Chu, the silk sleeves; 'the beautiful woman' (chan juan) is the beautiful woman — the beauty of the close, the who accompanying.
词中「晚雨未摧宫树」「闲叶犹抱凉蝉」「短景归秋」「吟思接愁边」「漏初长」「梦魂难禁」「风月俱寒」「想幽欢」「土花庭甃」「虫网阑干」「无端」「啼蛄搅夜」「恨随团扇」「苦近秋莲」「一笛当楼」「谢娘悬泪立风前」「故园晚」「强留诗酒」「新雁远」「不致寒暄」「隔苍烟」「楚香罗袖」「谁伴婵娟」等语，皆含典故故实。「晚雨未摧宫树」写晚雨未摧宫树；「闲叶犹抱凉蝉」写闲叶犹抱凉蝉；「短景归秋」写日短归秋（用《楚辞》「日短景」之意，亦写秋日短景）；「吟思接愁边」写吟思接愁边；「漏初长」写漏初长（漏为更漏）；「梦魂难禁」写梦魂难禁；「风月俱寒」写风月俱寒；「想幽欢」写想幽欢；「土花庭甃」写庭甃生苔（土花为苔藓）；「虫网阑干」写阑干挂虫网；「无端」写无端；「啼蛄搅夜」写啼蛄搅夜；「恨随团扇」用班婕妤团扇之典（团扇秋来见弃，写恨）；「苦近秋莲」写苦近秋莲（莲心苦）；「一笛当楼」写一笛当楼；「谢娘悬泪立风前」写谢娘悬泪立风前；「故园晚」写故园晚；「强留诗酒」写强留诗酒；「新雁远」写新雁远；「不致寒暄」写不致寒暄；「隔苍烟」写隔苍烟；「楚香罗袖」写楚香罗袖；「谁伴婵娟」写谁伴婵娟（婵娟为月，亦指美人）。词人以团扇秋莲、楚香罗袖等语入词，不着痕迹，而把秋思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 famous works of Shi Dazu's lyrics of the autumn, quoted for the cold of its scene and the asking of its close. The cool cicadas of the idle leaves, and the who accompanying the beautiful woman, are among the admired passages of the poet's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's loneliness: the sorrow gathered in the night, to the close's asking.
这首《玉蝴蝶》，是史达祖写秋思怀人之作，写晚雨未摧、吟思接愁、谁伴婵娟之情，含蓄深婉。上片写晚雨未摧与风月俱寒：「晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉」——晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉。写晚雨未摧：晚雨未摧宫树、可怜闲叶犹抱凉蝉——晚雨未摧宫树、闲叶抱凉蝉；「短景归秋，吟思又接愁边」——短景归秋，吟思又接愁边。写吟思接愁：短景归秋、吟思又接愁边——日短归秋、吟思接愁；「漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒」——漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒。写风月俱寒：漏初长梦魂难禁、人渐老风月俱寒——漏长梦魂难禁、人老风月俱寒；「想幽欢。土花庭甃，虫网阑干」——想幽欢，土花庭甃，虫网阑干。写想幽欢：想幽欢、土花庭甃，虫网阑干——想幽欢、庭甃生苔、阑干挂网。下片写谢娘悬泪与谁伴婵娟：「无端。啼蛄搅夜，恨随团扇，苦近秋莲」——无端，啼蛄搅夜，恨随团扇（用团扇之典），苦近秋莲（写莲心苦）。写啼蛄搅夜：无端啼蛄搅夜、恨随团扇，苦近秋莲——啼蛄搅夜、恨随团扇、苦近秋莲；「一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前」——一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前。写谢娘悬泪：一笛当楼、谢娘悬泪立风前——笛声当楼、谢娘悬泪立风前；「故园晚、强留诗酒，新雁远、不致寒暄」——故园晚、强留诗酒，新雁远、不致寒暄。写新雁远：故园晚强留诗酒、新雁远不致寒暄——故园晚强留诗酒、新雁远无寒暄；「隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟」——隔苍烟，楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟。写谁伴婵娟：隔苍烟、楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟——隔苍烟、楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟。这「隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟」，是全词之结：以谁伴婵娟写其怀人之思。全词含蓄深婉，以景写情，正是史达祖词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉。
The evening rain, not yet, destroying the palace trees, pitying the idle leaves, still, embracing, the cool cicadas.
晚雨未摧宫树，可怜闲叶，犹抱凉蝉。
Evening rain has not beaten down the palace trees; on their idle leaves, alas, a chill cicada still clings.
首三句写晚雨未摧，起笔即见其秋。「晚雨未摧宫树」写晚雨未摧宫树，「晚雨」写傍晚之雨、「未摧宫树」写未摧折宫中之树；「可怜闲叶」写可怜闲叶，「可怜」写可怜、「闲叶」写闲叶；「犹抱凉蝉」写犹抱凉蝉，「犹抱」写犹自抱着、「凉蝉」写秋凉之蝉。三句一写晚雨未摧宫树、一写可怜闲叶、一写犹抱凉蝉，以晚雨未摧写雨之未摧、以闲叶写叶之闲、以凉蝉写蝉之凉，写尽晚雨未摧宫树、闲叶犹抱凉蝉之情。以秋起兴，含蓄而深婉，是「以秋起兴」的妙笔。
The opening three phrases write evening rain that has not beaten down the trees, and autumn is visible from the first stroke. 'Evening rain has not beaten down the palace trees' — evening rain, and yet it has not broken the trees of the palace. 'On their idle leaves, alas' — the word 'alas' carries pity, 'idle leaves' the still foliage. 'A chill cicada still clings' — 'still clings' means holding on, 'chill cicada' the autumn-frosted insect. One phrase each: evening rain not beating the trees, the idle leaves, the chill cicada still clinging. Writing the unbroken rain through the unbroken rain, the idle leaves through idle leaves, the chill cicada through chill, it exhausts the feeling of evening rain over palace trees and the cicada still embracing a cold leaf. Raising feeling through autumn, restrained and deep — a fine stroke of 'raising feeling through autumn.'
漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒。
The water-clock grows long, and dreams will not be held; the man grows old, and wind and moon alike turn cold.
漏初长、梦魂难禁，人渐老、风月俱寒。
The clepsydra has just grown long, dreams hard to restrain; the man is growing old, and wind and moon both cold.
此四句写风月俱寒，是全词写其老慨的关键。「漏初长、梦魂难禁」写漏初长梦魂难禁，「漏初长」写更漏初长、「梦魂难禁」写梦魂难禁；「人渐老、风月俱寒」写人渐老风月俱寒，「人渐老」写人渐渐老去、「风月俱寒」写风月皆寒。四句一写漏初长梦魂难禁、一写人渐老风月俱寒，以漏初长写夜之长、以梦魂难禁写梦之难、以人渐老写老之至、以风月俱寒写寒之深，写尽漏长梦魂难禁、人老风月俱寒之情。以老写慨，含蓄而深挚，是「以老写慨」的点睛之笔。
These four phrases write wind and moon grown cold and are central to the ci's lament on aging. 'The clepsydra has just grown long, dreams hard to restrain' — the clepsydra newly long, the dreaming soul hard to hold. 'The man is growing old, and wind and moon both cold' — the man growing old, wind and moon alike cold. One phrase each: the long night and unruly dreams, the aging man and cold wind and moon. The long clepsydra writes the length of night, hard dreams the difficulty of dreaming, aging the coming of old age, cold wind and moon the depth of chill. Writing lament through old age, restrained and deep — an illuminating stroke of 'writing lament through age.'
无端。
For no reason at all.
无端。
For no reason at all.
此句写无端，是全词由景入情的转折。「无端」写无端，「无端」写无缘无故。一句以「无端」写无缘无故，写尽无端而生之情——秋思无端而起。以短句顿挫，含蓄而深挚，是「以短句转折」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。
This line, 'for no reason at all,' is the turning where the ci passes from scenery to feeling. 'For no reason' means without cause. One phrase, 'for no reason,' writes feeling that arises without cause — autumn longing rising for no reason. Using a short phrase for a cadenced turn, restrained and deep, it is a fine stroke of 'turning through a short line.' In a few words it exhausts deep meaning, matching sentiment and tone; waves are hidden between the characters and turns lodged in the plainness, worth repeated pondering to grasp its inner quality.
一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前。
A flute sounds by the tower; Xie-niang stands in the wind, tears hanging on her cheeks.
一笛当楼，谢娘悬泪立风前。
A single flute by the tower; Xie-niang stands before the wind, tears hanging from her eyes.
此二句写谢娘悬泪，是全词写怀人的关键。「一笛当楼」写一笛当楼，「一笛」写一管笛、「当楼」写对着楼；「谢娘悬泪立风前」写谢娘悬泪立风前，「谢娘」写谢娘、「悬泪立风前」写含着泪立于风前。两句一写一笛当楼、一写谢娘悬泪立风前，以一笛当楼写笛声之起、以谢娘悬泪立风前写其人含泪，写尽笛声当楼、谢娘悬泪立风前之情。以笛写情，含蓄而深婉，是「以笛写情」的点睛之笔。
These two phrases write Xie-niang with hanging tears and are central to the ci's longing for the absent one. 'A single flute by the tower' — one flute, facing the tower. 'Xie-niang stands before the wind, tears hanging' — Xie-niang, tears hanging as she stands in the wind. One phrase each: the flute by the tower, Xie-niang standing tearful in the wind. The flute by the tower writes the rise of its sound, Xie-niang tearful in the wind writes the woman in tears. Writing feeling through the flute, restrained and deep — an illuminating stroke of 'writing feeling through the flute.'
楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟。
Chu-scented silken sleeves — who now keeps the moon, or her, company?
隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟。
Beyond the gray mist — Chu-scented silken sleeves; who is left to keep her fair companioned?
尾句写谁伴婵娟，是全词立意的落点。「楚香罗袖」写楚香罗袖，「楚香」写楚地之香、「罗袖」写罗衣之袖；「谁伴婵娟」写谁伴婵娟，「谁伴」写谁来相伴、「婵娟」写月亦指美人。两句一写楚香罗袖、一写谁伴婵娟，以楚香罗袖写其人、以谁伴婵娟写无人相伴，写尽隔苍烟中楚香罗袖、谁伴婵娟之情。以问写情，含蓄而深挚，是全词最动人处，也是「以问写情」的点睛之笔。
The closing writes 'who keeps the fair one company' and is where the ci's meaning lands. 'Chu-scented silken sleeves' — the scent of Chu, the sleeves of silk. 'Who now keeps the moon, or her, company?' — who comes to accompany, and 'fair one' meaning the moon and also a beautiful woman. One phrase each: Chu-scented silken sleeves, who keeps the fair one company. The scented sleeves write the person, 'who keeps her company' the absence of companion. Writing feeling through a question, restrained and deep, it is the most moving place of the ci and an illuminating stroke of 'writing feeling through a question.'
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虞美人·春花秋月何时了 The Beautiful Lady Yu: When Will Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon End? 李煜 · 同写故园之思、愁恨难消，一写故国不堪回首月明中、一写故园晚强留诗酒，皆于故园月明之中见故园之思 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
李煜《虞美人·春花秋月何时了》「小楼昨夜又东风，故国不堪回首月明中」，写故国之思、愁如春水，是写愁的千古名篇；史达祖《玉蝴蝶》则以「故园晚、强留诗酒，新雁远、不致寒暄」「隔苍烟。楚香罗袖，谁伴婵娟」写故园晚、谁伴婵娟。两词同写故园之思、愁恨难消：一写故国不堪回首月明中、以明月写故国之思，一写故园晚强留诗酒、以诗酒写故园之念；一为帝王之血泪、一为史达祖之深婉，并读正可见词写「故园之思」的两种情致，皆于故园月明之中见故园之思。