宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
祝英台近
The Approach of Zhu Yingtai
采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路。
斗草溪根，沙印小莲步。
自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处。
昼闲度。
因甚天也悭春，轻阴便成雨。
绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮。
有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫。
Circling, the ancient garden,
The bamboos, cold, the emerald and the mist, the road.
Playing, the grass, at the root of the brook,
The sand, printing, the small lotus steps.
From the self, pitying, the two temples, the clear frost,
One year, the Cold Food,
Again, the body, in, the deep places, of the clouds and the mountains.
The daytime, idly, passing.
Because, what matter, the heaven, also, grudging, the spring,
The light shade, then, becoming, the rain.
The green, darkening, the long pavilion,
The dream of the return, taking, the advantage, of the wind and the catkins.
The affectionate, the flower shadows, the railings,
The oriole sounds, the door paths,
Understanding, to retain, me, the instant, the gazing, standing.
Meaning
A lyric of the garden and the memory, written by Wu Wenying. Gathering the hidden fragrance with circling the ancient garden, the bamboos cold with the emerald and the mist road, and the playing of the grass with the small lotus steps — the garden of the opening. Pitying the two temples with the clear frost, the body in the deep places of the clouds and the mountains — the pity of the poet. The daytime idly passing with the heaven grudging the spring, the light shade becoming the rain, the green darkening the long pavilion with the dream of the return taking the advantage of the wind and the catkins — the rain and the dream. And the close's affectionate flower shadows with the oriole sounds, understanding to retain me the instant gazing — the close's gazing. The lyric is the garden and the memory: the fragrance, the pity, and the close's gazing standing.
采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路。斗草溪根，沙印小莲步。自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处。昼闲度。因甚天也悭春，轻阴便成雨。绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮。有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] Gathering, the hidden fragrance, circling, the ancient garden, the bamboos, cold, the emerald and the mist, the road. Playing, the grass, at the root of the brook, the sand, printing, the small lotus steps. From the self, pitying, the two temples, the clear frost, one year, the Cold Food, again, the body, in, the deep places, of the clouds and the mountains. The daytime, idly, passing. Because, what matter, the heaven, also, grudging, the spring, the light shade, then, becoming, the rain. The green, darkening, the long pavilion, the dream of the return, taking, the advantage, of the wind and the catkins. The affectionate, the flower shadows, the railings, the oriole sounds, the door paths, understanding, to retain, me, the instant, the gazing, standing. [Structure and Thought] The lyric moves from the garden of the fragrance and the ancient paths, through the pity of the frost and the rain of the spring, to the close's flower shadows and the oriole sounds retaining the instant gazing. [Key Technique] The lyric's art is the close of the gazing: the dream of the return with the wind and the catkins, and the close's flower shadows retaining the instant — the memory gathered in the dream and the close's gazing. [Emotional Tone] Cold, delicate, and lingering: the lyric is the garden, the pity and the close's gazing standing.
【白话串讲】 吴文英写《祝英台近》：“采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路”——“斗草溪根，沙印小莲步”——“自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处”——“绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮”——他写寒食羁旅——归梦趁风絮。 【意象与手法】 “采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路”写采幽香；“斗草溪根，沙印小莲步”写沙印莲步；“自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处”写自怜两鬓；“绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮”以归梦趁风絮写思归；结以“有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫”写霎时凝伫。含蓄深婉。 【情感与主旨】 吴文英写寒食羁旅之作，写寒食时节身在云山深处的孤寂与归梦之思，是梦窗词中羁旅写情的代表作。 【名句点睛】 常考“自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处”以两鬓清霜写羁旅；“绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮”以归梦趁风絮写思归。
Background
Wu Wenying (c. 1200-1260), the master of the ci of the late Song, wrote this 'The Approach of Zhu Yingtai' of the garden and the memory — the lingering of the parting. The garden of the fragrance with the ancient paths, the pity of the frost with the rain of the spring, and the close's flower shadows with the oriole sounds retaining the instant gazing — the lyric gathers the memory of the poet, the delicacy of the scene. The lyric is one of the famous works of the master's lyrics of the memory.
《祝英台近》为南宋词人吴文英所作词。吴文英（约1200—约1260），字君特，号梦窗，四明（今浙江宁波）人，南宋词人，词风密丽深婉，为「梦窗词」之宗。此词写寒食羁旅。词中「采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路」写采幽香；「斗草溪根，沙印小莲步」写沙印莲步；「自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处」写自怜两鬓；「昼闲度。因甚天也悭春，轻阴便成雨」写悭春成雨；「绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮」写归梦趁风絮；「有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫」写霎时凝伫。吴文英此词以寒食羁旅、霎时凝伫写其羁旅之情，含蓄深婉，是吴文英词中的名篇。此篇《祝英台近》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《祝英台近》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 garden memory. The garden opens: gathering, the hidden fragrance — the hidden fragrance of the gathering; circling, the ancient garden — the ancient garden of the circling; the bamboos, cold, the emerald and the mist, the road — the cold road of the bamboos; playing, the grass, at the root of the brook — the playing of the grass; the sand, printing, the small lotus steps — the lotus steps of the sand. The pity follows: from the self, pitying, the two temples, the clear frost — the clear frost of the temples; one year, the Cold Food — the Cold Food of the year; again, the body, in, the deep places, of the clouds and the mountains — the deep places of the clouds and the mountains; the daytime, idly, passing — the passing of the daytime. The rain and the dream: because, what matter, the heaven, also, grudging, the spring — the grudging of the heaven; the light shade, then, becoming, the rain — the shade becoming the rain; the green, darkening, the long pavilion — the darkening of the long pavilion; the dream of the return, taking, the advantage, of the wind and the catkins — the dream of the return. And the close gathers the gazing: the affectionate, the flower shadows, the railings — the flower shadows of the railings; the oriole sounds, the door paths — the oriole sounds of the paths; understanding, to retain, me, the instant, the gazing, standing — the gazing of the close — the garden, the pity and the close's gazing, gathered in the lyric.
此词艺术上以「含蓄深婉、密丽以情」见长。全词上片写采幽香与自怜两鬓，下片写悭春成雨与霎时凝伫。上片「采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路」写采幽香：采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路；「斗草溪根，沙印小莲步」写沙印莲步：斗草溪根，沙印小莲步；「自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处」写自怜两鬓：自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处；「昼闲度」写昼闲度：昼闲度。下片「因甚天也悭春，轻阴便成雨」写悭春成雨：因甚天也悭春，轻阴便成雨；「绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮」写归梦趁风絮：绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮；「有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫」写霎时凝伫：有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫。全词含蓄深婉，密丽以情，是吴文英词中的名篇。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 small lotus steps' (xiao lian bu) are the small lotus steps — the steps of the lotus, the printing of the sand; 'the Cold Food' (han shi) is the Cold Food — the festival of the cold food; 'the long pavilion' (chang ting) is the long pavilion — the pavilion of the farewell, darkening; 'the wind and the catkins' (feng xu) are the wind and the catkins — the catkins of the wind, the dream of the return.
词中「采幽香」「巡古苑」「竹冷翠微路」「斗草溪根」「沙印小莲步」「自怜两鬓清霜」「一年寒食」「云山深处」「昼闲度」「悭春」「轻阴便成雨」「绿暗长亭」「归梦趁风絮」「有情花影阑干」「莺声门径」「解留我霎时凝伫」等语，皆含典故故实。「采幽香」写采幽香；「巡古苑」写巡游古苑；「竹冷翠微路」写竹冷翠微路；「斗草溪根」写斗草溪根（斗草为春日游戏）；「沙印小莲步」写沙印小莲步（莲步为女子足迹）；「自怜两鬓清霜」写自怜两鬓清霜；「一年寒食」写一年寒食（寒食为节令）；「云山深处」写云山深处；「昼闲度」写昼闲度；「悭春」写悭春；「轻阴便成雨」写轻阴便成雨；「绿暗长亭」写绿暗长亭；「归梦趁风絮」写归梦趁风絮；「有情花影阑干」写有情花影阑干；「莺声门径」写莺声门径；「解留我霎时凝伫」写解留我霎时凝伫。词人以斗草、莲步、寒食、长亭等语入词，不着痕迹，而把寒食羁旅之情写得真切可感，是善于熔铸意象的体现。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 Wu Wenying's lyrics of the memory, quoted for the delicacy of its garden and the gazing of its close. The hidden fragrance with the ancient paths, and the flower shadows retaining the instant gazing, are among the admired passages of the master's lyrics. Critics praise the lyric's lingering: the memory gathered in the pity, to the close's gazing.
这首《祝英台近》，是吴文英写寒食羁旅之作，写采幽香、自怜两鬓、霎时凝伫之情，含蓄深婉。上片写采幽香与自怜两鬓：「采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路」——采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路。写采幽香：采幽香、巡古苑，竹冷翠微路——采幽香、巡古苑、竹冷翠微路；「斗草溪根，沙印小莲步」——斗草溪根，沙印小莲步。写沙印莲步：斗草溪根、沙印小莲步——溪根斗草、沙印莲步；「自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处」——自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处。写自怜两鬓：自怜两鬓清霜、一年寒食，又身在云山深处——两鬓清霜、一年寒食、身在云山深处；「昼闲度」——昼闲度。写昼闲度：昼闲度——白昼闲度。下片写悭春成雨与霎时凝伫：「因甚天也悭春，轻阴便成雨」——因甚天也悭春，轻阴便成雨。写悭春成雨：因甚天也悭春、轻阴便成雨——天悭春、轻阴成雨；「绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮」——绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮。写归梦趁风絮：绿暗长亭、归梦趁风絮——绿暗长亭、归梦趁风絮；「有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫」——有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫。写霎时凝伫：有情花影阑干、莺声门径，解留我霎时凝伫——花影阑干、莺声门径、解留我凝伫。这「有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫」，是全词之结：以霎时凝伫写其流连。全词含蓄深婉，密丽以情，正是吴文英词中的名篇。
Prosody
Line by line
采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路。
Gathering, the hidden fragrance, circling, the ancient garden, the bamboos, cold, the emerald and the mist, the road.
采幽香，巡古苑，竹冷翠微路。
Gathering fragrant flowers, wandering the old garden, along the cool green path through bamboo.
首三句写采幽香，起笔即见其境。「采幽香」写采幽香，「采」写采摘、「幽香」写幽静之香花；「巡古苑」写巡古苑，「巡」写巡游、「古苑」写古老之园苑；「竹冷翠微路」写竹冷翠微路，「竹冷」写竹之冷、「翠微路」写翠微之路。三句一写采幽香、一写巡古苑、一写竹冷翠微路，以采幽香写采花、以巡古苑写游苑、以竹冷翠微路写路径，写尽采幽香、巡古苑、竹冷翠微路之情。以游起兴，含蓄而清远，是「以游起兴」的妙笔。
The opening three lines, gathering fragrant flowers, fix the scene at once. Gathering fragrant blooms gives the act of picking quiet-scented blossoms; wandering the old garden gives the slow roam through ancient grounds; the cool green path through bamboo sets the route shadowed and chill. The three phrases move from gathering, to wandering, to the path itself, laying out the quiet scene of a stroll among ruins. Rising through the act of wandering, restrained and remote, this is a fine instance of opening by movement.
自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处。
From the self, pitying, the two temples, the clear frost, one year, the Cold Food, again, the body, in, the deep places, of the clouds and the mountains.
自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处。
Pitying myself, white frost has gathered at both temples; again the Cold Food Festival finds me deep in cloud-wrapped hills.
此三句写自怜两鬓，是全词写其身世的关键。「自怜两鬓清霜」写自怜两鬓清霜，「自怜」写自我怜惜、「两鬓清霜」写两鬓如霜；「一年寒食」写一年寒食，「一年」写一年、「寒食」写寒食节；「又身在、云山深处」写又身在云山深处，「又身在」写又身在、「云山深处」写云山深处。三句一写自怜两鬓清霜、一写一年寒食、一写又身在云山深处，以两鬓清霜写老之至、以一年寒食写节之至、以云山深处写身之远，写尽自怜两鬓清霜、一年寒食又身在云山深处之情。以老写慨，含蓄而深挚，是「以老写慨」的点睛之笔。
These three lines, pitying the frosted temples, are key to the ci self-portrait. White frost at both temples gives the coming of age; another Cold Food Festival gives the return of the season; once more deep in cloud-wrapped hills gives the distance of his exile. Frosted temples mark old age, the recurring festival marks the passage of the year, and the clouded hills mark how far he lies from home. Writing regret through the signs of age, restrained and deep, this is the piercing stroke of self-pity.
绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮。
Green shadows deepen by the farewell pavilion; my dream of home rides the wind-borne catkins.
绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮。
Green shadows thicken by the farewell pavilion; my homeward dream drifts on the wind-borne catkins.
此二句写归梦趁风絮，是全词写归思的关键。「绿暗长亭」写绿暗长亭，「绿暗」写绿暗、「长亭」写长亭；「归梦趁风絮」写归梦趁风絮，「归梦」写归乡之梦、「趁风絮」写趁着风絮。两句一写绿暗长亭、一写归梦趁风絮，以绿暗长亭写亭之绿暗、以归梦趁风絮写梦之飘忽，写尽绿暗长亭、归梦趁风絮之情。以梦写归，含蓄而深婉，是「以梦写归」的点睛之笔。
These two lines, the homeward dream riding catkins, are key to the ci longing. Green shadows deepen by the farewell pavilion gives the darkened greenery of the parting place; my homeward dream rides the wind-borne catkins makes the dream as fluttering and unsteady as the drifting seeds. The pavilion dense green sets the scene; the dream flight matches the catkins wafting. Writing return through dreams, restrained and tender, this is the piercing stroke of homesickness.
有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫。
The affectionate, the flower shadows, the railings, the oriole sounds, the door paths, understanding, to retain, me, the instant, the gazing, standing.
有情花影阑干，莺声门径，解留我、霎时凝伫。
The affectionate shadows of flowers on the balustrade, the orioles song along the path, know how to hold me, standing rapt a moment.
尾三句写霎时凝伫，是全词立意的落点。「有情花影阑干」写有情花影阑干，「有情」写有情、「花影阑干」写花影照阑干；「莺声门径」写莺声门径，「莺声」写莺声、「门径」写门前小径；「解留我、霎时凝伫」写解留我霎时凝伫，「解留我」写懂得留我、「霎时凝伫」写一时凝神伫立。三句一写有情花影阑干、一写莺声门径、一写解留我霎时凝伫，以花影阑干写花、以莺声门径写莺、以解留我凝伫写其留连，写尽花影莺声、解留我霎时凝伫之情。以留写情，含蓄而深挚，是全词最动人处，也是「以留写情」的点睛之笔。
The final three lines, standing rapt a moment, land the ci meaning. Affectionate flower shadows on the balustrade give blossoms casting loving shadows; orioles song along the path gives the birdsong by the gate; know how to hold me, standing rapt a moment gives the scene power to detain. Flowers on the rail, orioles on the path, the momentary pause of lingering - the natural world seems to understand and hold him. Writing feeling through the act of lingering, restrained and deep, these lines are the most moving passage of the ci and its closing stroke.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare 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」，写秋景离愁、独自凝愁，是宋词写愁的名篇；吴文英《祝英台近》则以「自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处」「绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮」写自怜两鬓、归梦趁风絮。两词同写独自凝愁、秋景如画：一写槛菊愁烟兰泣露、以菊烟写愁，一写自怜两鬓清霜、以霜鬓写慨；一为晏殊之温润、一为吴文英之密丽，并读正可见宋词写「独自凝愁」的两种笔法，皆于秋景之中见独自凝愁。
虞美人·春花秋月何时了 The Beautiful Lady Yu: When Will Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon End? 李煜 · 同写身世之慨、归梦难凭，一写故国不堪回首月明中、一写归梦趁风絮，皆于归梦之中见身世之慨 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、身世之慨，是写愁的千古名篇；吴文英《祝英台近》则以「自怜两鬓清霜，一年寒食，又身在、云山深处」「绿暗长亭，归梦趁风絮」写自怜两鬓、归梦趁风絮。两词同写身世之慨、归梦难凭：一写故国不堪回首月明中、以明月写故国之思，一写归梦趁风絮、以梦絮写归思；一为帝王之血泪、一为吴文英之密丽，并读正可见词写「身世归梦」的两种情致，皆于归梦之中见身世之慨。