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唐 Tang · 词 Ci lyric

忆秦娥·箫声咽

Remembering the Lady of Qin: The Sound of the Flute Chokes

李白

Li Bai

怀古History 离别Parting 思妇Theme

箫声咽，秦娥梦断秦楼月。
秦楼月，年年柳色，灞陵伤别。
乐游原上清秋节，咸阳古道音尘绝。
音尘绝，西风残照，汉家陵阙。

Year after year, the green of the willows —
At Baling, the sorrow of the parting.
The west wind, the setting light,
The tombs of the Han house.

Listen

Meaning

The famous close of Li Bai's 'Remembering the Lady of Qin: The Sound of the Flute Chokes.' The poem begins with the flute choking in the moonlight of the Qin tower, the longing of the Qin lady; the memory turns to the year after year of the green willows — at Baling, the sorrow of the parting — the green willows of the years and the sorrow of the partings at Baling. And the close gives the vast sorrow of the time: the west wind, the setting light, the tombs of the Han house — the setting sun over the tombs of the Han, the vast, cold scene of the dynasties. The close is the famous gathering of the sorrow of the ages: the west wind and the setting light over the tombs of the Han house.

箫声呜咽，秦娥从梦中惊醒，只见秦楼上一轮明月。秦楼月，年年柳色青青，都是当年灞陵送别的伤心之地。乐游原上清秋时节，咸阳古道上音信断绝。音信断绝，西风残照之中，唯有汉家陵墓的宫阙。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Year after year, the green of the willows — at Baling, the sorrow of the parting. The west wind, the setting light, the tombs of the Han house. [Structure and Thought] The passage moves from the green willows of the years and the sorrow of the partings at Baling, to the close's vast scene: the west wind, the setting light, the tombs of the Han house. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the gathering of the sorrow of the ages: the parting sorrows of the willows gathered into the vast scene of the setting sun over the tombs of the Han — the personal sorrows gathered into the sorrow of the dynasties. [Emotional Tone] Vast, cold, and sorrowful: the passage is the close of the remembered Qin, the west wind and the setting light over the tombs of the Han house.

【白话串讲】李白写《忆秦娥·箫声咽》：“箫声咽，秦娥梦断秦楼月”——“秦楼月，年年柳色，灞陵伤别”——“乐游原上清秋节，咸阳古道音尘绝”——“音尘绝，西风残照，汉家陵阙”——他被誉为“百代词曲之祖”。【意象与手法】此词传为李白所作，是《忆秦娥》这一词牌的创始之作，被誉为「百代词曲之祖」。上片以箫声、秦楼月、灞陵柳写思妇的离别之愁：「箫声咽」以呜咽的箫声起笔，先声夺人；「秦娥梦断秦楼月」写秦娥梦断，唯见秦楼明月；「年年柳色，灞陵伤别」以年年柳色写灞陵送别的年年伤心，是千古名句。下片以乐游原、咸阳古道、西风残照、汉家陵阙写怀古之思：「乐游原上清秋节」写清秋登临；「咸阳古道音尘绝」写音信断绝；「音尘绝」叠句回环；「西风残照，汉家陵阙」以西风残照写汉陵的苍凉，是千古名句。全词由「灞陵伤别」的闺怨转向「汉家陵阙」的怀古，由个人的离别愁绪升华为历史的沧桑之感，气象阔大，意境苍茫。【情感与主旨】此词传为李白（701—762）所作，具体作年已不可考。上片写秦娥（秦地女子）梦断秦楼，想起年年灞陵送别的伤心——那「年年柳色」写时光流转中不变的别情，那「灞陵伤别」写送别地的伤心；下片写清秋登乐游原，望咸阳古道而音信断绝，唯见西风残照中的汉家陵阙——那「咸阳古道」曾是秦汉京畿的通衢，如今音尘断绝；那「汉家陵阙」写汉朝帝陵的宫阙，在夕阳残照中历尽千年沧桑。全词以「秦娥」的闺怨起笔，以「汉家陵阙」的沧桑收束，将个人的离别之愁升华为历史的兴亡之感，气象雄浑，意境苍茫，被后人推为「百代词曲之祖」，是怀古词与闺怨词的重要源头，也是李白作为「诗仙」之外词作传世名篇的代表。【名句点睛】常考“年年柳色，灞陵伤别”写灞陵送别的年年伤心；“西风残照，汉家陵阙”写怀古的苍凉，被誉为“百代词曲之祖”。

Background

'Remembering the Lady of Qin: The Sound of the Flute Chokes' is one of the most famous lyrics attributed to Li Bai — the earliest of the 'tune of the Lady of Qin,' the model of the lyric. The poem moves from the flute choking in the moonlight of the Qin tower and the longing of the Qin lady, through the green willows of the years and the sorrows of the partings at Baling, to the close's vast scene: the west wind, the setting light, the tombs of the Han house. The close is among the most famous of all the Chinese lyric — the sorrow of the ages gathered in the setting light over the tombs of the Han.

此词传为唐代诗人李白所作，是词牌《忆秦娥》的创始之作。词牌《忆秦娥》又名《秦楼月》，其名即源于此词「秦娥梦断秦楼月」一句，是唐五代词中最重要的词牌之一。关于此词的作者，历来有争议：旧题李白作，宋人黄昇《花庵词选》收录并推为「百代词曲之祖」；近人亦有疑为晚唐五代无名氏所作的说法，但传统上仍多归于李白名下。此词写作背景无确切记载，从内容看，写的是思妇闺怨与怀古伤今交织的情怀。上片写秦娥梦断秦楼、年年柳色、灞陵伤别——「秦娥」指秦地的女子（相传秦穆公之女弄玉与夫萧史吹箫乘凤而去，「秦娥」亦含此典）；「灞陵」在长安城东，是古人送别之地（灞桥折柳送别是汉唐以来的风俗），「灞陵伤别」写送别地的伤心。下片写清秋登乐游原、咸阳古道音尘绝、西风残照汉家陵阙——「乐游原」在长安城南，是唐代登高游赏胜地；「咸阳古道」指由长安通往咸阳（秦都）的大道，曾是秦汉京畿的通衢；「汉家陵阙」指西汉帝王陵墓（如茂陵、平陵等）前的宫阙建筑。全词由思妇的离愁写到历史的兴亡，由闺怨之情升华为怀古之思，气象苍茫，是唐五代词中罕见的「以小词写大境界」之作，也是中国词史早期最重要的名篇之一。

Art

The passage's art is the art of the gathering sorrow. The willows and the partings: year after year, the green of the willows — at Baling, the sorrow of the parting — the green of the years and the sorrows of the partings, the willows of the leaving. And the close gathers the sorrows into the vast scene: the west wind, the setting light, the tombs of the Han house — the west wind of the autumn, the setting light of the day, and the tombs of the Han house of the ages — the personal sorrows of the partings gathered into the sorrow of the dynasties, the vast, cold close of the poem. The green willows and the tombs of the Han, the partings and the ages, gathered in the setting light.

此词的艺术特色可从四个层面解析。其一，双片对照的结构。上片写思妇闺怨（秦娥梦断、灞陵伤别），下片写怀古伤今（乐游原、汉家陵阙），由个人之情写到历史之思，以「灞陵」的送别到「咸阳古道」的兴亡，步步扩大，气象由婉约转苍茫，结构完整而递进。其二，叠句回环的章法。「秦楼月」与「音尘绝」两处叠句，既承上（秦楼月重复「秦娥梦断秦楼月」的「秦楼月」，音尘绝重复前句），又启下（年年柳色、西风残照），回环往复，如箫声呜咽，加强了声情与节奏感，是此词章法上最显著的特点。其三，以景结情的笔法。「年年柳色，灞陵伤别」以柳色写别情，「西风残照，汉家陵阙」以残照陵阙写兴亡，皆以景语作结，不言愁而愁自深，不言古而古意苍茫。其四，意象的苍茫。「箫声」「秦楼月」「柳色」「乐游原」「咸阳古道」「西风残照」「汉家陵阙」等意象，由庭院闺阁到古道陵阙，时空跨度极大，那「西风残照」的苍凉、「汉家陵阙」的雄浑，正是盛唐气象与历史沧桑的结合。四重手法，使此词成为唐五代词中气象最阔大的作品，无愧「百代词曲之祖」之誉。

Allusions

'The green of the willows' (liuse) is the green of the willows of the years, the willows of the parting — the willow branch, the gift of the parting; 'Baling' (Baling) is the place of the famous partings — the bridge where the travelers parted, the willows of Baling; 'the west wind' (xifeng) is the autumn wind; 'the setting light' (canzhao) is the setting sun; 'the tombs of the Han house' (Han jia lingque) are the tombs and the towers of the Han dynasty — the relics of the Han house, seen in the setting light.

此词的意象与用语深植于历史与乐府传统。「秦娥梦断秦楼月」写秦娥——「秦娥」令人想到秦穆公之女弄玉的典故：弄玉嫁与萧史，萧史教其吹箫，后夫妻乘凤凰飞去（《列仙传》），「秦娥」「秦楼」「箫声」皆暗含此典，那「箫声咽」既写现实中的箫声呜咽，也暗含弄玉吹箫的仙话，虚实相生；「梦断秦楼月」写梦醒唯见秦楼明月，令人想到「月下怀人」的传统。「年年柳色，灞陵伤别」写灞陵送别——「灞陵」（灞桥）是长安东郊的送别之地，汉唐人有折柳送别的风俗（柳谐音「留」），「灞陵伤别」令人想到「渭城朝雨浥轻尘，客舍青青柳色新」（王维《送元二使安西》）的折柳送别传统，也令人想到汉文帝灞陵的历史。下片「乐游原上清秋节」写乐游原——乐游原是长安城南的高地，是汉唐登高游赏胜地，令人想到李商隐「向晚意不适，驱车登古原。夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏」（《乐游原》）的登原感慨；「咸阳古道音尘绝」写咸阳古道——咸阳是秦都，「咸阳古道」令人想到秦汉京畿的兴亡，那「音尘绝」写音信断绝，令人想到「雁足传书」的典故（音信）与「音尘绝」的苍凉；「西风残照，汉家陵阙」写汉家陵阙——「汉家陵阙」指西汉帝王陵墓前的宫阙，令人想到「西风残照」的衰飒意象与「宫阙万间都做了土」（张养浩《山坡羊·潼关怀古》）的历史沧桑。全词化用弄玉吹箫、灞桥折柳、乐游原、咸阳古道、汉家陵阙等历史与文学意象，以闺怨写别情、以陵阙写兴亡，正是李白「以史入词」的大家手笔。

Commentary

This close is among the most famous passages of all the Chinese lyric, quoted for its gathering of the ages. The green willows and the sorrows of Baling, and the west wind and the setting light over the tombs of the Han, are among the most quoted lines of the tradition. Critics praise the close's vastness: the personal sorrows gathered into the sorrow of the dynasties, the setting light over the tombs of the Han house.

此词历来被推为中国词史的奠基之作，被誉为「百代词曲之祖」（宋人黄昇《花庵词选》）。历代论者对此词评价极高：明代王世贞《艺苑卮言》称其「上有气象，下有骨力」；清人刘熙载评此词「关河冷落」之气象，谓其「足冠千古」。在文学史上，此词的特殊价值在于：它是词牌《忆秦娥》的创始之作，确立了该词牌的基本格式与声情；它以「秦娥梦断秦楼月」「西风残照，汉家陵阙」等意象，将思妇闺怨与历史兴亡熔于一炉，以婉约之体写苍茫之境，开怀古词之先河；那「年年柳色，灞陵伤别」写尽离别之愁，「西风残照，汉家陵阙」写尽兴亡之慨，都是千古名句。此词与传为李白所作的《菩萨蛮·平林漠漠烟如织》并称「百代词曲之祖」，是唐五代词中最具气象的两首，也是中国词从民间小曲走向文人词的关键作品。对于今日读者，此词是理解中国词「以婉约写苍茫」传统的窗口，也是感受李白「诗仙」之外词作境界的经典——那呜咽的箫声、西风的残照、汉家的陵阙，穿越千年，仍在诉说着盛唐气象与历史沧桑。

Prosody

Form Yiqinie (Remembering the Lady of Qin), a short lyric词（忆秦娥，双调四十六字）

Rhyme The lyric rhymes on the oblique-tone words bie and que of the close — the short, oblique rhyme that carries the vast sorrow.全词押仄声入声韵（咽、月、别、节、绝、阙），入声短促急收，正合箫声呜咽与离别苍凉的声情。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the gathering: the level fall with the green willows and the sorrows of the partings, and the close's cold fall with the west wind and the setting light over the tombs.此词为「忆秦娥」词牌，双调四十六字，上下片各五句，押仄声韵。全词按内容可分为两片：上片写思妇闺怨（箫声咽、秦娥梦断、秦楼月、年年柳色、灞陵伤别）；下片写怀古伤今（乐游原、咸阳古道、音尘绝、西风残照、汉家陵阙）。声调上，全词以「秦楼月」「音尘绝」两处叠句回环，一咏三叹，正合箫声呜咽的声情；押入声韵，短促急收，更添苍凉之气。

Reading note The lyric's sound matches its vastness: the close — 'xifeng canzhao, Han jia lingque' — falls with the four words of the scene, the west wind and the setting light over the tombs of the Han, the sound of the ages gathered in the setting sun.此词是「忆秦娥」词牌的创始之作，以叠句回环与入声韵写呜咽的声情与苍茫的意境，正是「百代词曲之祖」的本领。全词两片：上片以箫声起笔、以灞陵伤别收束，写思妇闺怨；下片以乐游原、咸阳古道展开，以「西风残照，汉家陵阙」作结，写历史兴亡。声调上，全词以「秦楼月」「音尘绝」两处叠句造成回环往复的节奏，如箫声呜呜咽咽；押入声韵，短促急收，正合离别与兴亡的苍凉。诵读此词，宜以低沉的语调读上片的呜咽（箫声咽、梦断秦楼月），以苍凉的语调读下片的兴亡（西风残照、汉家陵阙），尤其「音尘绝，西风残照，汉家陵阙」诸句，要读得沉郁而苍茫，方能传达出这首「百代词曲之祖」的深意。唐五代词以婉约为主，此词却以婉约之体写苍茫之境，正是其不朽之处。

Line by line

年年柳色，灞陵伤别。

Year after year, the green of the willows — at Baling, the sorrow of the parting.

年年柳色青青，都是当年灞陵送别的伤心之地。

Year after year the willows green; at Baling, parting wounds the heart.

这句是写离别之愁的名句，也是千古名句，以「年年柳色」与「灞陵伤别」的对举写离别之情的年年不变，含蓄而深永。「年年柳色」写柳色的一年年青翠——柳色年年如此，从未改变，「年年」二字写尽时光的流转；「灞陵伤别」写灞陵送别的伤心——灞陵（灞桥）是长安东郊的送别之地，汉唐人有折柳送别的风俗（柳谐音留），那「灞陵伤别」写尽送别时的伤心，也暗含折柳赠别的风俗。这句的深意在于：它以「年年柳色」与「灞陵伤别」的对照，写出了别情的不随时光消逝——柳色年年绿，别情岁岁伤，那「年年」既是柳色的年年，也是伤别的年年；那灞陵既是送别的地点，也是伤心的记忆。以「柳色」写时光、以「伤别」写深情，正是此词由思妇闺怨展开的起点——从这一句的「伤别」，到下片的「汉家陵阙」，个人的离别之愁步步升华为历史的沧桑。以「年年」写流转、以「伤别」写深情，正是此词含蓄深永的本领，也让这句成为写离别愁绪的千古名句。

This is a famous line on parting's grief, also an age-famous line, using year after year the willows green and at Baling, parting wounds the heart's contrast to write parting's never-changing feeling, reserved and deep. Year after year the willows green writes the willow green year after year - the willow hue the same every year, never changed; year after year exhausts time's flowing. At Baling, parting wounds the heart writes the sorrow of parting at Baling - Baling (Ba Bridge) is the farewell place east of Chang'an; Han and Tang custom of breaking willows for farewell (willow sounds like stay); at Baling parting wounds exhausts the sorrow at farewell, and secretly the custom of breaking willow as parting gift. The line's depth lies in: using year after year the willows green and at Baling parting wounds' contrast, writes parting's feeling not fading with time - the willows green yearly, parting wounds yearly; year after year is at once the willow's yearly and the parting's yearly; Baling is at once the farewell place and the sorrow's memory. Using willow hue for time and parting's wound for deep feeling is precisely this ci's starting point from the woman's chamber grief - from this line's parting wound, to the next stanza's Han tomb towers, personal parting grief step by step sublimates into historical vicissitude. Using year after year for flowing and parting's wound for deep feeling is precisely this ci's reserved, deep skill, making this line an age-famous one for parting's grief.

西风残照，汉家陵阙。

The west wind, the setting light, the tombs of the Han house.

西风残照之中，唯有汉家陵墓的宫阙。

The west wind, the fading sunlight; the tomb towers of the Han house.

这句是全词的点题之笔，也是千古名句，以「西风残照，汉家陵阙」八个字写尽历史的兴亡，气象苍茫。「西风残照」写秋日的西风与夕阳的残照——西风萧瑟、残照苍茫，「西风残照」四字写尽秋日黄昏的衰飒气象，令人想到「夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏」的苍凉；「汉家陵阙」写汉朝帝王陵墓前的宫阙——咸阳古道上，昔日繁华的帝都早已音尘断绝，唯有汉家陵阙在夕阳中历尽千年沧桑，「汉家陵阙」写尽历史兴亡的永恒见证。这句的深意在于：它以「西风残照」的衰飒与「汉家陵阙」的永恒相对照，写出了历史的无情——多少王朝兴亡、多少人事更迭，都如音尘断绝，唯有那陵阙宫阙，在残照中默然矗立；个人的灞陵伤别，在这历史的长河中，也显得渺小而短暂。那「西风残照」既是自然之景，也是历史之情；那「汉家陵阙」既是眼前之景，也是兴亡之思。以「残照」写苍凉、以「陵阙」写永恒，正是此词「以小词写大境界」的本领，也让这句成为怀古词中最苍茫的名句。

This line is the ci's theme-stroke, also an age-famous line, using the west wind, the fading sunlight; the tomb towers of the Han house in eight characters to exhaust historical rise and fall, the air vast. The west wind, the fading sunlight writes autumn's west wind and the setting sun's afterglow - west wind shrill, afterglow vast; four characters exhaust the autumn dusk's bleak air, making one think of the setting sun is infinitely fair, only it is near dusk's desolation. The tomb towers of the Han house writes the palace towers before Han emperors' mausoleums - on the Xianyang ancient road, the once-prosperous capital long silent, only the Han tomb towers standing through a thousand years in the afterglow; exhausting history's eternal witness. The line's depth lies in: using the west wind, the fading sunlight's bleakness against the tomb towers of the Han house's eternity, writing history's relentlessness - how many dynasties rose and fell, how many human changes, all like sound and dust cut off; only the tomb towers silently stand in the afterglow; personal Baling parting, in this historical river, appears small and brief. The west wind, the fading sunlight is at once natural scenery and historical feeling; the Han tomb towers at once present scenery and rise-and-fall thought. Using the fading sunlight for bleakness and tomb towers for eternity is precisely this ci's skill of writing a great realm in a small lyric, making this line the bleakest famous line among historical-musing ci.

Study

Word focus

咽 'To choke' — the sound of the flute choking, the choked beginning of the lyric. 「咽」字是起笔的关键字，一个「咽」字写尽箫声的悲凉，是全词的声情之始。咽者，呜咽、悲咽也。李白以「箫声咽」起笔，一个「咽」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写箫声之呜咽——那箫声不是清脆的，而是呜咽的、如泣如诉的，仿佛箫管中吹出的不是乐曲，而是哽咽，「咽」字以通感写尽箫声的悲凉，先声夺人；其二，写心境之悲凉——箫声所以呜咽，正因吹箫者与听箫者的心境悲凉，那「咽」字既是箫声，也是心声，暗写了思妇（秦娥）的愁绪。以「咽」字起笔，使全词一开篇便笼罩在悲凉的氛围中，为「灞陵伤别」与「汉家陵阙」的苍茫奠定基调。若换作「清」「冷」等字，则或失其呜咽的声情，或失其悲凉的氛围；唯「咽」字，以一字写尽箫声与心声的双重悲凉，也让这首词一开篇便气象不凡，堪称「起句如爆竹」。

绝 'To break off' — the breaking off of the song, the close of the lyric in the setting light. 「绝」字是下片转折的关键字，一个「绝」字写尽音信的断绝，是「音尘绝」这一叠句的词眼。绝者，断绝、穷尽也。李白以「咸阳古道音尘绝」写音信的断绝，一个「绝」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写音信之断绝——那咸阳古道上，昔日车马往来的通衢，如今音信断绝、无人往来，那「绝」字写尽人事的萧条与消息的阻断；其二，写希望之断绝——「音尘绝」叠句回环，那「绝」字既是音信的断绝，也是希望（盼望音信、盼望归人）的断绝，写尽思妇望断古道的绝望。以「绝」字写音信，正是此词由闺怨转向兴亡的关键——咸阳古道的音尘既绝，唯有西风残照中的汉家陵阙；那「绝」字，从个人的音信断绝，通向历史的兴亡（秦汉的音尘也早已断绝），以小见大，正是此词「以婉约写苍茫」的枢纽。若换作「断」「阻」等字，则或失其斩截的力度，或失其叠句回环的声情；唯「绝」字，以一字写尽音信与希望的双重断绝。