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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

玉楼春·红酥肯放琼苞碎

Spring in the Jade Pavilion: The Red Butter, Willing, to Let, the Jade Buds, Broken

李清照

Li Qingzhao

咏梅Theme 托物Theme

红酥肯放琼苞碎。
探著南枝开遍未。
不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意。
道人憔悴春窗底。
闷损阑干愁不倚。
要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起。

The red butter, willing, to let, the jade buds, broken.
Probing, the southern branch, opened, or not.
Not knowing, the reserved, how much, the fragrance,
But seeing, the hidden, the infinite meaning.
The man of the way, haggard, under the spring window.
Weary, harming, the railings, the sorrow, not, leaning.
Coming, to want, the small drinking, then, come, stop,
Not necessarily, tomorrow, the wind, not, rising.

Listen

Meaning

A lyric of the mume and the feeling, written by Li Qingzhao. The red butter willing to let the jade buds broken, probing the southern branch opened or not — the opening of the mume. Not knowing the reserved how much the fragrance, but seeing the hidden the infinite meaning — the hidden fragrance. The man of the way haggard under the spring window, weary harming the railings the sorrow not leaning — the haggard of the poet. And the close's coming to want the small drinking then come stop, not necessarily tomorrow the wind not rising — the close's urging. The lyric is the mume and the feeling: the opening buds, the hidden fragrance, and the close's urging of the drinking.

红酥肯放琼苞碎。探著南枝开遍未。不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意。道人憔悴春窗底。闷损阑干愁不倚。要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The red butter, willing, to let, the jade buds, broken. Probing, the southern branch, opened, or not. Not knowing, the reserved, how much, the fragrance, but seeing, the hidden, the infinite meaning. The man of the way, haggard, under the spring window. Weary, harming, the railings, the sorrow, not, leaning. Coming, to want, the small drinking, then, come, stop, not necessarily, tomorrow, the wind, not, rising. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the opening of the mume buds and the hidden fragrance, through the haggard of the poet under the spring window, to the close's urging of the small drinking, the tomorrow wind not necessarily not rising. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the urging of the close: the mume of the opening with the hidden meaning, and the close's come to drink, the tomorrow wind — the feeling gathered in the mume and the close's urging. [Emotional Tone] Delicate, haggard, and urging: the lyric is the mume, the hidden fragrance and the close's drinking.

【白话串讲】李清照写《玉楼春·红酥肯放琼苞碎》：“红酥肯放琼苞碎。探著南枝开遍未”——“不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意”——“道人憔悴春窗底。闷损阑干愁不倚”——“要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起”——她写梅花与春愁。【意象与手法】此词是李清照写咏梅惜春的名篇，写红梅的琼苞与惜春的愁绪，是李清照词中「以咏梅写惜春」的名篇。上片写红梅：「红酥肯放琼苞碎，探著南枝开遍未」写红梅的琼苞与南枝；「不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意」写红梅的蕴藉之香。下片写惜春：「道人憔悴春窗底，闷损阑干愁不倚」写春窗底下的憔悴；「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写小酌惜春，是千古名句。全词以红梅的琼苞写惜春的愁绪，那「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写尽惜春的无奈，是李清照「以咏梅写惜春」的名篇。【情感与主旨】此词约作于李清照与赵明诚婚后（约建炎南渡前）的某个早春，写红梅初放与惜春的愁绪。李清照爱梅（《孤雁儿》小序云「世人作梅词，下笔便俗。予试作一篇」），此词即写其早春见红梅初放、惜春伤春。词中「红酥肯放琼苞碎，探著南枝开遍未」写红梅初放——红酥（红梅如红酥）肯放琼苞碎（放出如琼玉碎开的花苞），探著南枝开遍未（探看那南枝开遍了没有），写尽红梅初放的娇艳与探梅的关切；「不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意」写红梅的蕴藉——不知那红梅酝藉（蕴藉）几多香，但见包藏（蕴藏）无限意，写尽红梅的幽香与深意；下片「道人憔悴春窗底，闷损阑干愁不倚」写春窗憔悴——道人（李清照自称，她自号易安居士，也曾学道）憔悴春窗底，闷损阑干愁不倚（闷损（闷坏）阑干（懒得倚）愁不倚），写尽春窗底下的憔悴与愁闷；「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写小酌惜春——要来小酌便来休（要来小酌便来罢），未必明朝风不起（未必明朝不起风），那「未必明朝风不起」写尽惜春的无奈——趁花未谢，快来小酌，明朝风起，花便谢了。全词以红梅的琼苞写惜春的愁绪，那「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写尽惜春的无奈与及时行乐，是李清照「以咏梅写惜春」的名篇。【名句点睛】常考“红酥肯放琼苞碎，探著南枝开遍未”写红梅琼苞之美；“要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起”写惜春的无奈，是千古名句。

Background

Li Qingzhao (1084–c. 1155), the greatest woman poet of the ci, wrote this 'Spring in the Jade Pavilion: The Red Butter, Willing, to Let, the Jade Buds, Broken' of the mume and the feeling — the sorrow of the haggard. The opening of the mume buds with the hidden fragrance, the haggard under the spring window, and the close's urging of the small drinking with the tomorrow wind — the lyric gathers the feeling of the mume, the haggard of the poet. The lyric is one of the famous works of the poet's lyrics of the mume.

此词约作于李清照与赵明诚婚后（约建炎南渡前）的某个早春，是李清照写咏梅惜春的词。李清照爱梅，其《孤雁儿》小序云：「世人作梅词，下笔便俗。予试作一篇，乃知前言不妄耳。」可见其对咏梅词的重视。此词即写其早春见红梅初放、惜春伤春。词中「红酥肯放琼苞碎，探著南枝开遍未」写红梅初放——「红酥肯放琼苞碎」写红梅如红酥，肯放出如琼玉碎开的花苞（「红酥」写红梅的红嫩如酥，「琼苞碎」写花苞如琼玉碎开），「探著南枝开遍未」写探看那南枝开遍了没有（「探著」写探看、「南枝」写南向的枝（南枝先开花），「开遍未」写开遍了没有），写尽红梅初放的娇艳与探梅的关切；「不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意」写红梅的蕴藉——「不知酝藉几多香」写不知那红梅蕴藉（蕴藉写含蓄、含蕴）几多香，「但见包藏无限意」写但见其包藏（蕴藏）无限意，那「不知酝藉几多香」写尽红梅的幽香（那蕴藉的香，不知几多），「但见包藏无限意」写尽红梅的深意（那包藏的意，无限），写尽红梅的幽香与深意；下片「道人憔悴春窗底，闷损阑干愁不倚」写春窗憔悴——「道人憔悴春窗底」写道人（李清照自称，她自号易安居士、也曾学道）憔悴于春窗底下，「闷损阑干愁不倚」写闷损（闷坏）得阑干（懒得倚）愁不倚（愁得不想倚阑干），写尽春窗底下的憔悴与愁闷；「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写小酌惜春——「要来小酌便来休」写要来小酌便来罢（那「休」写罢了、来罢），「未必明朝风不起」写未必明朝不起风（那风一起，花便谢了），写尽惜春的无奈——趁花未谢，快来小酌，明朝风起，花便谢了。此词是李清照「以咏梅写惜春」的名篇，那「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写尽惜春的无奈与及时行乐，是理解其「早春惜花心境」的关键作品。

Art

The lyric's art is the art of the mume feeling. The mume opens: the red butter, willing, to let, the jade buds, broken — the jade buds of the red butter; probing, the southern branch, opened, or not — the probing of the southern branch; not knowing, the reserved, how much, the fragrance — the reserved fragrance; but seeing, the hidden, the infinite meaning — the hidden meaning. The haggard follows: the man of the way, haggard, under the spring window — the haggard of the spring window; weary, harming, the railings, the sorrow, not, leaning — the sorrow not leaning. And the close gathers the urging: coming, to want, the small drinking, then, come, stop — the small drinking of the close; not necessarily, tomorrow, the wind, not, rising — the tomorrow wind — the mume, the haggard and the close's urging, gathered in the lyric.

此词的艺术特色可从四个层面解析。其一，以咏梅写惜春的构思。全词以红梅的琼苞（红酥琼苞、酝藉香、包藏意）写惜春的愁绪（憔悴春窗、闷损阑干、小酌惜春），那红梅的初放正是惜春的由头，那惜春的愁绪正是红梅的深化，以咏梅写惜春、情景交融。其二，以探梅写关切。「探著南枝开遍未」以「探著」写探梅的关切——探看那南枝开遍了没有，那「探著」写尽对红梅的关切（如探问故人），以探梅写关切、生动传神。其三，以「包藏无限意」写深意。「不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意」以「不知」「但见」写红梅的蕴藉——那蕴藉的香不知几多，那包藏的意无限，那「不知」「但见」写尽红梅的含蓄与深意。其四，以「未必明朝风不起」写收束。「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」以「要来小酌便来休」写及时行乐，以「未必明朝风不起」写惜春的无奈——那明朝的风一起，花便谢了，那「未必明朝风不起」以惜春收束，写尽无奈的感慨。四重手法层层推进，使此词成为李清照词中「以咏梅写惜春」的名篇。

Allusions

'The red butter' (hong su) is the red butter — the red of the mume, the tender of the buds; 'the jade buds' (qiong bao) are the jade buds — the buds of the jade, the broken of the opening; 'the southern branch' (nan zhi) is the southern branch — the branch of the south, the opening first; 'the man of the way' (dao ren) is the man of the way — the poet of the way, the haggard of the poet.

此词的意象与用语深植于咏梅与惜春传统。「红酥肯放琼苞碎，探著南枝开遍未」写红梅初放——「红酥」写红梅的红嫩如酥（令人想到「红酥手，黄縢酒」（陆游《钗头凤》）的「红酥」意象——陆游写唐婉的红酥手，李清照以「红酥」写红梅的红嫩，令人想到「酥」的柔嫩），「琼苞碎」写花苞如琼玉碎开（令人想到「琼苞」的晶莹意象与「碎」的绽放——「碎」写花苞绽开如琼玉碎裂），「南枝」写南向的枝（南枝先开花，令人想到「南枝」的向阳意象与「折梅向南枝」的咏梅传统），那「红酥肯放琼苞碎」写尽红梅初放的娇艳、「探著南枝开遍未」写尽探梅的关切。「不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意」写红梅的蕴藉——「酝藉」写蕴藉（含蓄、含蕴，令人想到「酝藉」的涵养意象与「风流蕴藉」的雅致），「包藏无限意」写包藏无限意（那「包藏」写蕴藏，令人想到「含苞待放」的意象与「包藏深意」的写法），那「不知酝藉几多香」写尽红梅的幽香、「但见包藏无限意」写尽红梅的深意。「道人憔悴春窗底，闷损阑干愁不倚」写春窗憔悴——「道人」写李清照自称（她自号易安居士、也曾学道，令人想到「道人」的修道意象与「易安」的道号），「憔悴春窗底」写憔悴于春窗底下（「憔悴」令人想到「人比黄花瘦」（李清照《醉花阴》）的憔悴意象），「闷损阑干愁不倚」写闷损得懒得倚阑（「闷损」写闷坏、「阑干」写栏杆，「愁不倚」写愁得不想倚，令人想到「倚遍阑干，只是无情绪」（李清照《点绛唇》）的倚阑意象——那「愁不倚」反用其意，写愁得连阑干都懒得倚）。「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写小酌惜春——「要来小酌便来休」写要来小酌便来罢（「休」写罢了、来罢，令人想到「便来休」的口语与「休」的决绝），「未必明朝风不起」写未必明朝不起风（那「风不起」令人想到「昨夜雨疏风骤」（李清照《如梦令》）的风雨意象——「明朝风不起」正是「绿肥红瘦」的预兆，那「未必明朝风不起」暗用「昨夜雨疏风骤」的惜花传统，写尽对明朝风起的担心）。全词化用陆游、白居易（及李清照自己的《如梦令》《醉花阴》）的意象与传统，以咏梅写惜春，正是李清照「以咏物写惜春」的本领。

Commentary

This lyric is one of the famous works of Li Qingzhao's lyrics of the mume, quoted for the delicacy of its mume and the urging of its close. The red butter of the buds, and the tomorrow wind not necessarily not rising, are among the admired passages of the poet's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's feeling: the mume gathered in the hidden fragrance, to the close's urging.

此词历来被推为李清照「以咏梅写惜春」的名篇，也是「红酥肯放琼苞碎」「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」等名句的出处。历代论者对此词评价较高：论者多指出此词以「红酥肯放琼苞碎」写红梅初放的娇艳，以「不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意」写红梅的蕴藉，以「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写惜春的无奈，是李清照咏梅词中的佳作。在文学史上，此词的特殊价值在于：它以红梅写惜春写出了惜花的深婉——那「红酥肯放琼苞碎」写尽了红梅初放的娇艳（红嫩如酥、琼苞如碎），那「探著南枝开遍未」写尽了探梅的关切（如探问故人），那「不知酝藉几多香，但见包藏无限意」写尽了红梅的幽香与深意（那蕴藉的香、包藏的意，正是红梅的含蓄）；而那「道人憔悴春窗底，闷损阑干愁不倚」写尽了惜春的憔悴与愁闷；那「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」更是千古名句——要来小酌便来罢，未必明朝不起风，那「未必明朝风不起」写尽惜春的无奈——趁花未谢，快来小酌；明朝风起，花便谢了，正是「花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝」式的惜花与及时行乐。词中「红酥肯放琼苞碎」写红梅初放，是名句；「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」写惜春无奈，更是千古名句。此词与李清照的《如梦令》（「昨夜雨疏风骤」「应是绿肥红瘦」）一样，都是写惜花的名篇，一写「绿肥红瘦」的惜春，一写「未必明朝风不起」的惜梅。对于今日读者，此词是理解李清照「惜花心境」与「以咏梅写惜春」手法的窗口，也是感受中国词「惜春」传统的典范——那红酥琼苞、包藏的无限意、春窗底下的憔悴、未必明朝风起的担心，穿越千年，仍在诉说着一个爱梅词人「花开堪折直须折」的惜春。

Prosody

Form A short ci lyric of the mume (ci diao)词（玉楼春，双调五十六字）

Rhyme The lyric rhymes on the level and the oblique of the group — the cadence of the short ci that carries the delicate feeling.上片押仄声寘未韵（碎、未、意），下片押仄声寘未韵（底、倚、起），韵脚皆属仄声，韵音短促低回，正合其咏梅惜春的风格。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the mume: the level opening with the buds, the turning with the haggard, and the close's rise with the urging of the drinking.此词为「玉楼春」词牌，双调五十六字，上下片各三仄韵，以七言的整齐与错落为抒情服务。全词按内容可分为两片：上片写红梅（红酥肯放琼苞碎、探著南枝开遍未、不知酝藉几多香、但见包藏无限意）；下片写惜春（道人憔悴春窗底、闷损阑干愁不倚、要来小酌便来休、未必明朝风不起）。声调上，全词以七言句的整齐写咏梅惜春的起伏，韵脚皆属仄声，韵音短促低回，正合其咏梅惜春的风格。

Reading note The lyric's sound matches its delicacy: the cadences of the short ci, and the close — 'wei bi ming chao feng bu qi' — rises with the wind, the sound of the urging of the poet.此词是「玉楼春」双调小令，以七言句的整齐写咏梅惜春，正是李清照「以词写情」的本领。全词两片：上片写红梅（红酥肯放琼苞碎、探著南枝开遍未、不知酝藉几多香、但见包藏无限意），下片写惜春（道人憔悴春窗底、闷损阑干愁不倚、要来小酌便来休、未必明朝风不起）。声调上，全词以仄声韵为韵脚，韵音短促低回，配合「红酥肯放琼苞碎」的娇艳与「未必明朝风不起」的无奈，全篇音节低回而不失深婉。诵读此词，宜以明快的语调读上片的红梅（红酥肯放琼苞碎），以低回的语调读下片的惜春（未必明朝风不起），尤其「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」两句，要读得无奈而深沉，方能传达出李清照「以咏梅写惜春」的深意。李清照词以「婉约」著称，此词正是其「以咏梅写惜春」的经典。

Line by line

红酥肯放琼苞碎。

Red cream, at last opens its jade-like buds in shards.

红梅如红酥，肯放出如琼玉碎开的花苞。

The red plum, soft as red cream, dares to open its jade-bright flower buds in fragments.

这句是写红梅初放的名句，以「红酥」「琼苞碎」写红梅初放的娇艳，生动而传神。「红酥」写红梅的红嫩如酥——那红梅的花色红嫩如酥，「红酥」写红梅的红嫩（那「红酥」写红梅如红酥般红嫩柔润，令人想到「红酥手」的柔嫩），写尽红梅的红艳与柔嫩；「肯放琼苞碎」写肯放出如琼玉碎开的花苞——「肯放」写肯放出（那「肯放」写花苞的开放，如主动放出），「琼苞碎」写花苞如琼玉碎开（那「琼苞」写花苞的晶莹如琼玉，「碎」写花苞绽开如琼玉碎裂），那「肯放琼苞碎」写尽花苞初放的娇态——那晶莹的花苞，如琼玉碎开般绽放，写尽红梅初放的娇艳。这句的深意在于：它以「红酥」「琼苞碎」写红梅初放的娇艳——那「红酥」写红梅的红嫩（如酥般柔润），那「琼苞碎」写花苞的晶莹（如琼玉般晶莹，绽开如碎），那「红酥肯放琼苞碎」写尽红梅初放的红艳与晶莹；而那「肯放」二字，更写尽花苞开放的主动与娇媚——那红梅「肯放」琼苞碎开，如一位娇媚的女子「肯」展容颜，写尽红梅的娇艳与生机；而这「红酥肯放琼苞碎」的初放，正是后文「要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起」的惜梅铺垫——那初放的红梅如此娇艳，才值得「探著南枝」「要来小酌」，才怕「明朝风不起」而花谢。以「红酥」写红嫩、以「琼苞碎」写晶莹，正是李清照「以咏物写娇艳」的本领，也让这句成为写红梅初放的名句。

This line is a famous one for the first opening of the red plum, using 'red cream' and 'jade-bright buds in shards' to write the loveliness of its first blossom, vivid and lifelike. 'Red cream' writes the red plum's soft, red tenderness — its color red and tender as cream, recalling the softness of 'red-cream hands' — exhausting the redness and tenderness of the flower. 'Dares to open its jade-like buds in shards' writes the opening of buds bright as broken jade; 'dares to open' writes the active, almost willful opening, 'jade-bright buds in shards' the crystal buds splitting like jade. The line exhausts the delicate state of first opening — the crystal buds blooming like shattered jade. The depth is that 'red cream' and 'jade-bright buds' write the loveliness, and the words 'dares to open' exhaust the willfulness and coquetry of the opening, like a charming woman deigning to reveal her face. This first opening prepares for the later 'come for a little drink if you will; who knows but the wind may rise tomorrow' — only because the first red plum is so lovely is it worth 'seeking the southern branch' and 'coming to drink,' and only then the fear that 'tomorrow the wind may rise' and the flowers fall. Writing red tenderness through 'red cream' and crystal through 'jade-bright buds' is Li Qingzhao's art of writing loveliness through object-praise, and makes this a famous line for the first opening of the red plum.

要来小酌便来休，未必明朝风不起。

Coming, to want, the small drinking, then, come, stop, not necessarily, tomorrow, the wind, not, rising.

要来小酌便来罢，未必明朝不起风。

If you want to come for a little drink, then come now; who knows but the wind may rise tomorrow.

这两句是全词的点睛之笔，也是千古名句，以「要来小酌便来休」写及时行乐，以「未必明朝风不起」写惜春的无奈，含蓄而深沉。「要来小酌便来休」写及时行乐——要来小酌便来罢，「要来小酌」写要来小酌（请人（或自请）来小酌赏花），「便来休」写便来罢（那「休」写罢了、来罢，写尽爽快），那「要来小酌便来休」写尽及时行乐——趁花未谢，快来小酌，那「便来休」写尽爽快与及时；「未必明朝风不起」写惜春的无奈——未必明朝不起风，「未必」写不一定（那「未必」写对未来的不确定，也暗含担忧），「明朝风不起」写明朝不起风（那风一起，花便谢了），那「未必明朝风不起」写尽惜春的无奈——不是不想等，而是「未必明朝风不起」——那明朝的风一起，花便谢了，那「未必明朝风不起」写尽对明朝风起的担心。这两句的深意在于：它以「要来小酌便来休」与「未必明朝风不起」写出了惜春的无奈与及时行乐——那「要来小酌便来休」是及时行乐（趁花未谢，快来小酌），那「未必明朝风不起」是惜春的无奈（那明朝的风一起，花便谢了，故须及时小酌）；而更深一层，那「未必明朝风不起」既是写自然的风（明朝的风一起，梅花便落），也是写人生的无常（明朝的风雨，正如人生的变故）——那「未必明朝风不起」的「未必」，写尽对未来的不确定与担忧，正是「花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝」的惜春与「人生得意须尽欢」的及时行乐；而这两句从「要小酌」到「未必明朝风不起」，正是从及时行乐到惜春无奈的转折——正因为「未必明朝风不起」，才要「要来小酌便来休」，那「便来休」的爽快，正是「未必明朝风不起」的无奈。以「便来休」写及时、以「未必明朝风不起」写无奈，正是李清照「以惜春写感慨」的本领，也让这两句成为千古名句。

These two are the illuminating stroke of the ci and a famous line through the ages, using 'come for a little drink if you will' for carpe diem and 'who knows but the wind may rise tomorrow' for the helplessness of cherishing spring, restrained and deep. 'If you want to come for a little drink, then come now' writes carpe diem — 'come for a drink' the invitation (to another or to herself) to drink and enjoy the flowers, 'then come now' the 'now,' the briskness exhausting the urge and the season. 'Who knows but the wind may rise tomorrow' writes the helplessness of cherishing spring — 'who knows' the uncertainty and hidden worry, 'the wind may rise tomorrow' the fear that once the wind rises, the flowers fall. The depth is that 'come now' is carpe diem (while the flowers yet hold, come and drink) and 'who knows but the wind may rise tomorrow' is the helplessness (tomorrow's wind will bring the fall, so drink now). More deeply, 'the wind may rise tomorrow' is at once the natural wind (once it rises, the plum blossoms fall) and the impermanence of life (tomorrow's storms are like life's turns); its 'who knows' exhausts the uncertainty and worry for the future, exactly the 'pluck the flower while you may, wait not for bare branches' of cherishing spring and 'make the most of life's delights' of carpe diem. The turn from 'come drink' to 'who knows but the wind may rise tomorrow' is precisely the turn from carpe diem to the helplessness of cherishing spring: because the wind may rise, she must 'come now'; the brisk 'then come now' is exactly the helplessness of 'who knows but the wind may rise.' Writing the season through 'come now' and helplessness through 'who knows but the wind may rise' is Li Qingzhao's art of writing feeling through the cherishing of spring, and makes these two lines famous.

Study

Word focus

碎 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「碎」字是写花苞绽开的关键字，一个「碎」字写尽琼苞绽开如碎玉的娇态，生动而传神。碎者，碎裂、碎开也。李清照以「红酥肯放琼苞碎」写花苞，一个「碎」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写花苞之绽开——「琼苞碎」写花苞如琼玉碎开，「碎」写花苞绽开的形态——那晶莹的花苞，绽开时如琼玉碎裂，一片片花瓣碎开般绽放，那「碎」字写尽花苞绽开的娇态（如碎玉般晶莹而绽放）；其二，写绽放之惊喜——「碎」字暗写绽放的惊喜——那琼苞「碎」开，如琼玉碎裂般令人惊喜（那「碎」写尽花苞绽放时的迸裂之美——不是缓缓开放，而是如琼玉碎开般迸放），那「碎」字写尽红梅初放的娇艳与惊喜。以「碎」写花苞，正是李清照炼字的本领：一个「碎」字，既是写花苞绽开的形态（如琼玉碎开），也是写绽放的惊喜（如碎玉迸放），更是写红梅的晶莹（那琼苞如琼玉，碎开而晶莹）——那「碎」字，把花苞的绽开写得如琼玉碎裂般晶莹而娇艳。若换作「开」「放」等字，则或失其「碎玉」的晶莹，或失其「迸放」的惊喜；唯「碎」字，以一字写尽琼苞绽开如碎玉的娇态与晶莹，也让「红酥肯放琼苞碎」成为写红梅初放的名句。

未必 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「未必」二字是写惜春无奈的关键字，以「未必」写对明朝风起的担忧，含蓄而深沉。未必，不一定、不见得也。李清照以「未必明朝风不起」写惜春，一个「未必」，至少有双重意味：其一，写担忧之深沉——「未必明朝风不起」写未必明朝不起风，「未必」写不一定——那「未必明朝风不起」写不能确定明朝不起风（那风一起来，花便谢了），那「未必」写尽对明朝风起的担忧——不是确定会起风，而是「未必」不起（说不定会起），正是那「未必」的担忧，更让人珍惜当下；其二，写无常之感慨——「未必」暗写人生的无常——那「未必明朝风不起」的「未必」，写尽对未来的不确定——明朝的风雨，正如人生的变故，谁也不能确定，那「未必」写尽对无常的感慨——正因为「未必明朝风不起」，才要「要来小酌便来休」，那「未必」写尽惜春与及时行乐的无常感慨。以「未必」写惜春，正是李清照炼字的本领：一个「未必」，既是写对明朝风起的担忧（说不定起风），也是写人生的无常（未来不可确定），更是写及时行乐的理由（正因为未必，才要及时）——那「未必」二字，把惜春的担忧与无常的感慨融为一体。若换作「只怕」「但恐」等词，则或失其「未必」的含蓄，或失其「不确定」的深意；唯「未必」二字，以两字写尽对明朝风起的担忧与人生的无常，也让「未必明朝风不起」成为千古名句——那「未必」，正是惜春者「莫待无花空折枝」的深意。