宋 Song · 诗 Poem
竹马子
The Bamboo Horse
登孤垒荒凉，危亭旷望，静临烟渚。
对雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛，微收烦暑。
渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序。
览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处。
向此成追感，新愁易积，故人难聚。
凭高尽日凝伫。
赢得消魂无语。
极目霁霭霏微，暝鸦零乱，萧索江城暮。
南楼画角，又送残阳去。
The dangerous pavilion, the vast, the looking,
The quiet, facing, the misty islets.
Facing, the rainbow, the hanging, the rain,
The strong wind, brushing, the railings,
The faint, gathering, the vexing heat.
Gradually, feeling, one leaf, startling, the autumn,
The remaining cicadas, the noisy, the evening,
The clear autumn, the sequence of the time.
Viewing, the scene, thinking, the former joy,
Pointing, the Divine Capital,
Not the mist, not the haze, the deep places.
Toward, this, becoming, the chasing, the feelings,
The new sorrows, easy, to accumulate,
The old friends, hard, to gather.
Leaning, the height, the whole day, the gazing, standing,
Winning, the soul-dissolving, without the words.
The utmost, the eyes, the clear mist, the faint and the fine,
The dusk crows, the scattered and the disordered,
The desolate and the lonely, the river city, the evening.
The south tower, the painted horn,
Again, sending off, the remaining sun, going.
Meaning
A lyric of the autumn and the memory, written by Liu Yong. Ascending the lone fort with the dangerous pavilion, facing the rainbow and the hanging rain with the strong wind brushing the railings — the pavilion of the opening. Gradually feeling the one leaf startling the autumn with the remaining cicadas noisy the evening, and viewing the scene thinking the former joy pointing the Divine Capital — the autumn and the former joy. Toward this becoming the chasing feelings with the new sorrows easy to accumulate, the old friends hard to gather, leaning the height the whole day gazing — the gazing of the poet. And the close's the dusk crows scattered with the river city desolate, the south tower painted horn sending off the remaining sun — the close's sending. The lyric is the autumn and the memory: the pavilion, the gazing, and the close's painted horn.
登上孤垒荒凉之地，于危亭旷望，静临烟渚。对雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛，微微收起烦暑。渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序。览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处。向此成追感，新愁易积，故人难聚。凭高尽日凝伫。赢得消魂无语。极目霁霭霏微，暝鸦零乱，萧索江城暮。南楼画角，又送残阳去。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] Ascending, the lone fort, the desolate and the wild, the dangerous pavilion, the vast, the looking, the quiet, facing, the misty islets. Facing, the rainbow, the hanging, the rain, the strong wind, brushing, the railings, the faint, gathering, the vexing heat. Gradually, feeling, one leaf, startling, the autumn, the remaining cicadas, the noisy, the evening, the clear autumn, the sequence of the time. Viewing, the scene, thinking, the former joy, pointing, the Divine Capital, not the mist, not the haze, the deep places. Toward, this, becoming, the chasing, the feelings, the new sorrows, easy, to accumulate, the old friends, hard, to gather. Leaning, the height, the whole day, the gazing, standing, winning, the soul-dissolving, without the words. The utmost, the eyes, the clear mist, the faint and the fine, the dusk crows, the scattered and the disordered, the desolate and the lonely, the river city, the evening. The south tower, the painted horn, again, sending off, the remaining sun, going. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the pavilion of the rainbow and the rain, through the autumn with the former joy and the gazing of the height, to the close's dusk crows with the river city evening, the painted horn sending off the remaining sun. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the close of the horn: the new sorrows with the old friends hard, and the close's painted horn sending off the remaining sun — the memory gathered in the gazing and the close's horn. [Emotional Tone] Desolate, deep, and sorrowful: the lyric is the autumn, the gazing and the close's painted horn.
【白话串讲】 柳永写《竹马子》：“登孤垒荒凉，危亭旷望，静临烟渚”——“对雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛，微收烦暑”——“渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序”——“览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处”——他写登临怀远——一叶惊秋。 【意象与手法】 “登孤垒荒凉，危亭旷望，静临烟渚”写登高之景；“对雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛，微收烦暑”写雨后之景；“渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序”写一叶惊秋；“览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处”写怀人之情；结以“南楼画角，又送残阳去”写日暮之景。婉转深挚。 【情感与主旨】 柳永写登高怀人之作，写登孤垒、一叶惊秋与望神京怀故人的情思，是柳永羁旅词中的名篇。 【名句点睛】 常考“渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序”以一叶惊秋写秋感；“览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处”写望神京怀人。
Background
Liu Yong (c. 987–1053), the master of the slow ci, wrote this 'The Bamboo Horse' of the autumn and the memory — the sorrow of the height. The pavilion of the rainbow and the rain, the autumn with the former joy, and the close's dusk crows with the painted horn sending off the remaining sun — the lyric gathers the memory of the poet, the desolation of the autumn. The lyric is one of the famous works of the master's lyrics of the memory.
《竹马子》为北宋词人柳永所作词。柳永（约987—约1053），字耆卿，原名三变，崇安（今福建武夷山）人，北宋著名词人，多写羁旅行役与市井生活，词风婉约，长于铺叙，人称「凡有井水处，即能歌柳词」。此词写登高怀人。词中「登孤垒荒凉，危亭旷望，静临烟渚」写登高之景；「渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序」写秋景之感；「览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处」写怀人之情；「向此成追感，新愁易积，故人难聚」写故人难聚之叹；「凭高尽日凝伫。赢得消魂无语」写凝伫消魂之态；「极目霁霭霏微，暝鸦零乱，萧索江城暮。南楼画角，又送残阳去」写日暮之景。柳永多写羁旅行役，此词以登高望远、怀想故人之情写羁旅之愁，婉转深挚，是柳永羁旅词中的名篇，也是其「婉约铺叙」词风的典型体现。此篇《竹马子》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 memory. The pavilion opens: ascending, the lone fort, the desolate and the wild — the lone fort of the ascending; the dangerous pavilion, the vast, the looking — the vast looking of the pavilion; the quiet, facing, the misty islets — the misty islets; facing, the rainbow, the hanging, the rain — the rainbow of the rain; the strong wind, brushing, the railings — the wind brushing the railings; the faint, gathering, the vexing heat — the gathering of the heat. The autumn follows: gradually, feeling, one leaf, startling, the autumn — the one leaf startling the autumn; the remaining cicadas, the noisy, the evening — the cicadas of the evening; the clear autumn, the sequence of the time — the sequence of the autumn; viewing, the scene, thinking, the former joy — the former joy of the thinking; pointing, the Divine Capital, not the mist, not the haze, the deep places — the Divine Capital of the pointing. The gazing: toward, this, becoming, the chasing, the feelings — the chasing of the feelings; the new sorrows, easy, to accumulate — the new sorrows; the old friends, hard, to gather — the old friends hard; leaning, the height, the whole day, the gazing, standing — the gazing of the height; winning, the soul-dissolving, without the words — the soul-dissolving. And the close gathers the horn: the utmost, the eyes, the clear mist, the faint and the fine — the clear mist of the eyes; the dusk crows, the scattered and the disordered — the dusk crows scattered; the desolate and the lonely, the river city, the evening — the river city evening; the south tower, the painted horn — the painted horn; again, sending off, the remaining sun, going — the sending off of the close — the pavilion, the autumn, the gazing and the close's horn, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「铺叙登高、由景入情」见长。全词上片写登高之景与秋景之感，下片写怀故人之情与日暮之景。上片「登孤垒荒凉，危亭旷望，静临烟渚」写登高之景：登上孤垒荒凉之地，于危亭旷望，静临烟渚；「对雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛，微收烦暑」写登高所见：对雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛，微微收起烦暑；「渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序」写秋景之感：渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序；「览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处」写怀人之情：览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处。下片「向此成追感，新愁易积，故人难聚」写故人难聚之叹；「凭高尽日凝伫。赢得消魂无语」写凝伫消魂之态；「极目霁霭霏微，暝鸦零乱，萧索江城暮。南楼画角，又送残阳去」写日暮之景。全词铺叙登高，由景入情，是柳永羁旅词中的名篇。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 Divine Capital' (Shen jing) is the Divine Capital — the capital of the divine, the pointing of the memory; 'the soul-dissolving' (xiao hun) is the soul-dissolving — the dissolving of the soul, the gazing; 'the river city' (jiang cheng) is the river city — the city of the river, desolate; 'the painted horn' (hua jiao) is the painted horn — the horn of the painted, the sending off of the close.
词中「雌霓」「雄风」「一叶惊秋」「残蝉」「素商」「神京」「南楼画角」等语，皆含典故故实。「雌霓」指虹之色彩淡者（霓为虹之雌者），「雄风」用宋玉《风赋》「此独大王之雄风耳」之语，「雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛」写虹挂雨、风拂槛之景；「一叶惊秋」用「一叶落而知天下秋」之意，写秋之将至；「残蝉」写晚秋之蝉，「素商」为秋之别称，「素商时序」写秋之时序；「神京」指帝都汴京，「指神京，非雾非烟深处」写遥指神京于云烟深处；「南楼画角」写南楼之号角声。词人以雌霓、雄风、一叶惊秋、素商、神京、南楼画角等意象入词，不着痕迹，而把登高怀人之情写得真切可感，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。
Commentary
This lyric is one of the famous works of Liu Yong's lyrics of the memory, quoted for the desolation of its pavilion and the horn of its close. The one leaf startling the autumn, and the painted horn sending off the remaining sun, are among the admired passages of the master's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's desolation: the autumn gathered in the gazing, to the close's horn.
这首《竹马子》，是柳永写登高怀人之作，写登孤垒、望神京、怀故人之情，婉转深挚。上片写登高之景与秋景之感：「登孤垒荒凉，危亭旷望，静临烟渚」——登上孤垒荒凉之地，于危亭旷望，静临烟渚。写登高之景：登上孤垒，于危亭旷望，静临烟渚，一片荒凉开阔；「对雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛，微收烦暑」——对雌霓挂雨，雄风拂槛，微微收起烦暑。写登高所见：虹挂雨、风拂槛，微微收起烦暑；「渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序」——渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序。写秋景之感：一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，正是秋之时序；「览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处」——览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处。写怀人之情：览景而想前欢，遥指神京于非雾非烟深处——神京在望而不可即，正是怀人之情。下片写故人难聚之叹与日暮之景：「向此成追感，新愁易积，故人难聚」——向此成追感，新愁易积，故人难聚。写故人难聚之叹：新愁易积，故人难聚，正是登高怀人最痛处；「凭高尽日凝伫。赢得消魂无语」——凭高尽日凝伫，赢得消魂无语。写凝伫消魂之态：凭高尽日凝伫，只赢得消魂无语；「极目霁霭霏微，暝鸦零乱，萧索江城暮。南楼画角，又送残阳去」——极目霁霭霏微，暝鸦零乱，萧索江城暮；南楼画角，又送残阳去。写日暮之景：极目霁霭霏微、暝鸦零乱、萧索江城暮，南楼画角，又送残阳去。这「又送残阳去」，是全词之结：画角声中，残阳又去，日复一日，羁旅之情无尽。全词铺叙登高，由景入情，正是柳永「婉约铺叙」词风的典型，也是其羁旅词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
登孤垒荒凉，危亭旷望，静临烟渚。
Ascending, the lone fort, the desolate and the wild, the dangerous pavilion, the vast, the looking, the quiet, facing, the misty islets.
登上孤垒荒凉之地，于危亭旷望，静临烟渚。
I climb the desolate isolated rampart, gaze far from the lofty pavilion, and stand quietly by the misty islets.
首三句写登高之景，起笔即见其地。「登孤垒荒凉」写登上孤垒荒凉之地，「孤垒」写其孤，「荒凉」写其荒；「危亭旷望」写于危亭旷望，「危亭」写亭之高，「旷望」写其望之旷远；「静临烟渚」写静临烟渚，「烟渚」写烟雾笼罩之洲渚。三句一写登孤垒、一写旷望、一写静临烟渚，写尽登高望远之地与景，起笔便是荒凉旷远之境，为全词写登高怀人作铺垫，是「以景起兴」的妙笔。
The opening three lines write the scenery of climbing high, fixing the place at once. 'I climb the desolate lonely rampart' strikes the note of solitude and waste; 'gazing far from the lofty pavilion' gives the height and the unbounded view; 'quietly facing the misty islets' settles the figure by the haze-wreathed shoals. Together they lay out the terrain of looking afar, and the opening is already a landscape of barren, far-reaching solitude - preparation for the whole ci's theme of gazing from a height toward a loved one. It is a fine instance of rising through scenery.
渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，素商时序。
Gradually, feeling, one leaf, startling, the autumn, the remaining cicadas, the noisy, the evening, the clear autumn, the sequence of the time.
渐觉一叶惊秋，残蝉噪晚，正是素商之时序。
Gradually I feel one leaf startle autumn; remnant cicadas shrill at evening; it is the season of autumn's white commerce.
此三句写秋景之感，是全词由景入感的转折。「渐觉一叶惊秋」写渐觉一叶惊秋，「渐觉」写其逐渐察觉，「一叶惊秋」用一叶落而知秋之意；「残蝉噪晚」写残蝉噪晚，「残蝉」写晚秋之蝉，「噪晚」写其晚鸣；「素商时序」写素商之时序，「素商」为秋之别称。三句一写一叶惊秋、一写残蝉噪晚、一写素商时序，以「渐觉」写其对秋之渐感，写尽秋景之感——一叶落而知秋，残蝉噪而时序晚。以景写感，含蓄而有力，是「由景入感」的转折之笔。
These three lines render the feeling of autumn, the turn from scenery to emotion. 'Gradually I feel one leaf startle autumn' evokes the ancient recognition that a single falling leaf announces autumn; 'remnant cicadas shrill at evening' gives the late-season insects' evening clamor; 'the season of white commerce' names autumn's classical alias. The word 'gradually' traces the slow dawning of autumn in the poet's senses. Writing feeling through landscape with restrained force, these lines mark the turning point from scene to emotion.
览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处。
Gazing at the view I think of former joys, and point toward the imperial city, deep beyond the mists.
览景想前欢，遥指神京，于非雾非烟深处。
Surveying the scene, I think of past joys and point toward the capital, deep beyond cloud and mist.
此三句写怀人之情，是全词写情的核心。「览景想前欢」写览景想前欢，「览景」写其登高览景，「想前欢」写其想昔日之欢；「指神京，非雾非烟深处」写遥指神京于非雾非烟深处，「神京」指帝都，「非雾非烟深处」写其在云烟迷蒙深处。三句一写览景想前欢、一写遥指神京、一写其在非雾非烟深处，以「想前欢」写其怀人、以「指神京」写其所怀之所在，写尽登高怀人之情——前欢可忆，而神京在非雾非烟深处，可望而不可即。以景写情，含蓄而深挚，是「以景写情」的点睛之笔。
These three lines carry the ci's core of longing. 'Surveying the view, I think of former joys' shows the climb giving way to memory; 'pointing toward the capital, deep beyond the mists' sets the beloved's city beyond cloud and haze. The former joys are remembered, yet the capital lies deep in mist - seen only from afar, never reached. Writing feeling through scenery, with restrained depth, this is the piercing stroke of gazing from a height toward one who is out of reach.
凭高尽日凝伫。
From the height I stand gazing, motionless, all day long.
凭高尽日凝伫。
Leaning on the height, I stand rapt and motionless the whole day long.
此句写凭高凝伫之态，是全词写态的枢纽。「凭高尽日凝伫」写凭高尽日凝伫，「凭高」写其登高，「尽日」写其凝伫之久、整日如此，「凝伫」写其凝望伫立。一句以「尽日」写其凝伫之久、以「凝伫」写其凝望之态，写尽登高怀人、凭高尽日凝伫之态——整日凭高凝望，望神京、想前欢。以短句写态，含蓄而深沉，是「以短句写态」的妙笔，也是全词由写景转入写态的枢纽。
This line renders the posture of standing rapt on the height, the pivot of the ci's movement. 'All day long' measures the long vigil; 'stand gazing, motionless' fixes the still figure. In a short phrase it compresses the whole day of looking toward the capital and thinking of former joys. A brief line that writes the stance with restrained depth, it is the hinge on which the ci turns from landscape to the figure's own state.
极目霁霭霏微，暝鸦零乱，萧索江城暮。
Eyes strained, the post-rain haze grows dim; evening crows fly in disorder; desolate, the river city falls to dusk.
极目霁霭霏微，暝鸦零乱，萧索江城暮。
Straining my eyes, the cleared haze grows faint; dusk crows scatter in confusion; desolate, the river city deepens into evening.
此三句写日暮之景，是全词写景的落点。「极目霁霭霏微」写极目霁霭霏微，「极目」写其望之尽，「霁霭霏微」写雨后云气迷蒙；「暝鸦零乱」写暝鸦零乱，「暝鸦」写日暮之鸦，「零乱」写其乱飞；「萧索江城暮」写萧索江城暮，「萧索」写其萧瑟，「江城暮」写江城日暮。三句以极目霁霭、暝鸦零乱、萧索江城暮写日暮之景，一片萧索迷蒙，写尽登高凝伫至日暮之所见。以景写情，含蓄而苍茫，是「以景写情」的点睛之笔。
These three lines render the dusk, the landing point of the ci's scenery. 'Eyes strained, the post-rain haze grows dim' shows the cleared air thinning; 'evening crows fly in disorder' gives the scattered birds of night; 'desolate, the river city falls to dusk' settles the barren town at day's end. One desolate, misty sweep of view records all that the long vigil has beheld. Writing feeling through scenery, restrained and vast, these lines form the piercing close of the ci's landscape.
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柳永《八声甘州·对潇潇暮雨洒江天》「对潇潇暮雨洒江天，一番洗清秋」「不忍登高临远，望故乡渺邈，归思难收」，写登高望远、怀人思归，是柳永羁旅词最著名者；《竹马子》则以「登孤垒荒凉，危亭旷望，静临烟渚」「凭高尽日凝伫。赢得消魂无语」写登孤垒、凭高凝伫。两词同出柳永之手、同写登高望远怀人思归：一写暮雨江天之景、以壮阔写愁，一写孤垒危亭之景、以荒凉写愁；一为不忍登高、一为尽日凝伫，并读正可见柳永羁旅词「登高望远」的两种情致，皆以登临望远写羁旅之愁。
雨霖铃·寒蝉凄切 Bells Ringing in the Rain - Cold Cicadas' Sad Cry 柳永 · 同出柳永之手，同写登临望景、怀人思乡，一写泊舟江岸之景、一写登垒危亭之景，皆以望景写羁旅之愁 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
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；《竹马子》则以「览景想前欢，指神京，非雾非烟深处」「凭高尽日凝伫。赢得消魂无语」写登高怀人、凭高凝伫。两词同出柳永之手：一写别时之凄切、以景写情，一写登高之怀想、以凝伫写情，并读正可见柳永「婉约铺叙」词风写离别与怀人的情致，皆婉约深挚。