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五代 Five Dynasties · 词 Ci lyric

虞美人·春花秋月何时了

The Beautiful Lady Yu: When Will Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon End?

李煜

Li Yu

亡国Conquered nation 愁情Grief 李煜Li Yu

春花秋月何时了，往事知多少。
小楼昨夜又东风，故国不堪回首月明中。
雕栏玉砌应犹在，只是朱颜改。
问君能有几多愁，恰似一江春水向东流。

When will spring flowers and autumn moon end? How much of the past do I know?
Last night upon the small tower the east wind blew again; In the bright moon, I cannot bear to look back at my lost domain.
The carved railings and jade steps should still remain, But only the rosy faces have changed.
If you ask me how much sorrow I have, It is just like a river of spring water flowing east.

Listen

Meaning

The poet questions the endless cycle of beautiful natural scenes, which remind him of countless painful memories. The return of the east wind on the small tower brings back the unbearable memory of his lost kingdom in the moonlight. The ornate buildings likely remain, but the people have aged and changed. Finally, he compares his boundless sorrow to the endless flow of a spring river eastward.

春花秋月这轮回不息的景致，究竟要到何时才是尽头，那过往的往事啊，又岂能一一数清。小楼昨夜又吹起了东风，在那明月照耀之下，故国实在不忍回首。雕花的栏杆、玉石的台阶应该都还在，只是当年的人已换了容颜。若问你到底还有多少愁绪，正恰似那一江春水，浩荡地向东奔流。

Appreciation

The poem employs the technique of using joyful scenes (spring flowers, autumn moon) to contrast with deep sorrow. The repeated 'again' emphasizes the cyclical torment. The contrast between the unchanging palace and changed faces highlights the pain of loss. The final metaphor transforms abstract grief into a vivid, flowing river, making it one of the most famous expressions of sorrow in Chinese literature.

【白话串讲】 “问君能有几多愁，恰似一江春水向东流”——这是李煜的绝命词。写完这首词不久，他就被赐死。一个亡国之君用生命写下的愁，成了宋词的开篇绝唱。【意象与手法】全词由问天起笔，以自答收束，结构圆融。上片以“春花秋月”“东风”“明月”等永恒之景，反衬人事无常【情感与主旨】李煜为南唐后主，公元975年国破降宋，被俘至汴京，封违命侯，软禁其间。此词相传作于978年七夕，是其绝笔【名句点睛】常考亡国之痛及“问君能有几多愁，恰似一江春水向东流”的比喻赏析；乐景写哀情手法

Background

Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang, was captured when his kingdom fell in 975. He was taken to the Song capital and placed under house arrest. According to legend, he wrote this poem on the night of the Qixi Festival in 978. When the Song emperor heard the line 'I cannot bear to look back at my lost kingdom,' he suspected Li Yu of disloyalty and ordered his death by poison. Thus, this poem is considered his final, blood-written masterpiece.

李煜为南唐末代君主，世称李后主。他继位时南唐已臣服于宋，国势日蹙；开宝八年即公元九七五年，宋军破金陵，李煜出降，被俘至汴京，太祖授违命侯之号，实为软禁。此后三年，他由一国之主变为阶下之囚，日夕以泪洗面，词风亦由前期的宫廷绮丽一变为后期的沉痛悲慨，《虞美人》即此期最著者。据宋人王铚《默记》等笔记所载，此词作于太平兴国三年即公元九七八年七夕前后，时李煜生日，命故妓作乐歌此词，声闻于外，宋太宗闻之大怒，遂赐牵机药鸩杀之，故此词相传为其绝笔。传闻虽未必尽实，然词中故国不堪回首之语，确已触犯降王的忌讳，其见祸不难想见。虞美人本为唐教坊曲名，后用作词调，双调五十六字，上下片各四句，两仄韵两平韵，声情摇曳，宜于抒写幽怨。文本上略有异文：往事知多少一作往事知多少，各本大体一致；雕栏玉砌之雕一作雕、彫；只是朱颜改之朱颜，一本作朱颜。就传统脉络言，亡国之音古已有之，而多出于旁观者之叹；李煜以亲历亡国的君主身份自道其痛，遂使个人身世之感获得了普遍的生命悲慨，这是词体由伶工之词变为士大夫之词的关键一步。

Art

The poem has a circular structure, beginning with a question to heaven and ending with a self-answered metaphor. The first half uses eternal natural images to contrast with human transience; the second half contrasts the unchanged palace with changed faces. The final metaphor transforms temporal grief into spatial vastness, elevating personal sorrow to a universal level. This work marks the shift from the ornate style of the Huajian school to the expression of deep national tragedy.

全词以问起、以答收，结构圆融而气脉贯注。开篇春花秋月何时了，不写愁而先向天发问：春花秋月本是人间最可赏之景，词人却问它何时终了，一句便把常人眼中的美好翻转为难以承受的负担，乐景写哀情之法用得极为峻急。往事知多少承上而下，由外景转入内心，无限身世遂括于一问之中。小楼昨夜又东风，以一又字点出时间的循环：东风年年而来，囚居之人年年如是，无变化处正是最深的绝望。故国不堪回首月明中则将地点、时间与情感一并收拢，明月照人，故国宛在心目，而偏偏不堪回首，愈不敢想愈是想，笔法极为曲折。下片雕栏玉砌应犹在，只是朱颜改，以物之犹在与人之已改对举，物是人非四字的全部分量都压在这一联的转折之中；应字为想象之辞，词人身在汴京，宫殿只能悬想，故此联全是心中之景，愈见其虚渺可伤。结二句问君能有几多愁，恰似一江春水向东流，自设问答，以具象之水量喻抽象之愁量，愁遂有了体积、有了流速、有了不可阻挡的方向。全词由问天而问己，由永恒之景而无常之事，由虚拟之宫阙而奔涌之江水，层层推进而以一气呵成之势收束，故千载以来读之，犹觉悲从中来。

Allusions

'Spring flowers and autumn moon' draws on the tradition of eternal nature contrasting with human life, reminiscent of Li Shangyin. 'Lost kingdom' refers to the Southern Tang. 'Carved railings and jade steps' symbolize the palace in Jinling. The 'river of spring water' metaphor for sorrow follows Li Bai's similar use of water for sorrow, but here it is more expansive and poignant.

此词纯以白描与比喻取胜，不使故实，然其意象皆有渊源。春花秋月并举以指代四时之美景，是唐宋诗词的习用语汇，而以永恒之景反衬无常之人事，则可上溯《诗经》《楚辞》以来的物我对照传统。东风为春之信使，李煜前期词中的东风多与游赏之乐相连，此处却成为唤醒故国记忆的凶信，同一意象而情味全反，最见其身世之变。月明为羁旅思乡之最常见触媒，自汉魏以来相沿不绝，而此处所思非乡而是国，故所含的沉重远过一般乡思。雕栏玉砌指南唐宫苑的华美建置，玉砌谓玉石铺成的台阶，实为想象中的旧宫；朱颜一语兼含二义：一指宫中人之容颜衰改，一指词人自身鬓发已非当年，甚或暗指宫阙彩饰的褪色，历来注家于此聚讼而并存诸说，其含蓄正在于不加限定。以水喻愁则是词史上的重要脉络：《论语》有子在川上之叹，李白有请君试问东流水、别意与之谁短长，皆以流水状情之绵长；而李煜此句独以一江春水的浩大体量写愁之多，兼取其不尽、其奔涌、其不可回，遂成千古绝唱。何时了之了，训终结、完了；不堪训不能承受；恰似训正如，皆宋人口语，可见此词语言之浅近自然。

Commentary

Wang Guowei in 'Renjian Cihua' praised Li Yu's post-capture poems as 'written with blood,' stating that his scope broadened and his emotions deepened. Wang Mingqing's 'Mo Ji' records that this poem led to his death, showing the profound sincerity of his grief.

《虞美人》是李煜词中传诵最广、评价最高的一篇，也是词史上公认的杰作。历代论者多推其真挚沉痛。王国维《人间词话》论李后主之词以血书者也，又谓后主之词，真所谓以血书者，并称其俨有释迦、基督担荷人类罪恶之意，虽语出主观，却道出此词何以能超越亡国之君的个人哀怨而具普遍感染力。清人论词多称李煜白描高妙、不假雕琢，此词无一僻字、无一冷典，而字字沉重，正是最好的例证。传播史上，此词因其绝笔的传说而格外动人，宋人笔记如《默记》记其歌此词而致祸之事，后世诗话、词选辗转传述，遂使词与词人的命运合为一体，读者每读至故国不堪回首，便不能不想到那杯牵机药，情感的分量因此倍增。就词体史的地位言，王国维谓词至李后主而眼界始大、感慨遂深，遂变伶工之词而为士大夫之词，此词正是这一转变的标志：在它以前，词多写闺情别怨、宴游行乐；此词以之写亡国之痛、生命之悲，词的题材与格调由此上升到与诗并驾的高度。末句问君能有几多愁、恰似一江春水向东流，历来被视为以景喻情的极则，宋以后咏愁者几乎无不受其笼罩，李清照的载不动许多愁、贺铸的一川烟草满城风絮，皆可视为对这一句法的回应。今日此词长期入选中学教材，其名句更早已成为汉语中形容愁绪的通用表达。

Prosody

Form Ci poem (tune of 'The Beautiful Lady Yu')词，虞美人调，双调五十六字，上下片各四句，本为唐教坊曲名

Rhyme Upper stanza: 了、少 (oblique), 风、中 (level); Lower stanza: 在、改 (oblique), 愁、流 (level)四换韵，两句一韵：上片了、少押上声筱韵，风、中押平声东韵；下片在、改押上声贿韵，愁、流押平声尤韵。仄韵与平韵交替，仄声句急而平声句缓

Tone pattern Alternating oblique and level tones with a shift between stanzas依虞美人格律，七言与五言、七言与九言相间；上下片皆以七言起、以九言结，句中平仄有定式，而结句九字为上六下三或上四下五的长句，声调宛转悠长

Reading note Begins with a question and ends with a metaphor; uses happy scenes to contrast sorrow; this is Li Yu's final work expressing grief over his lost kingdom.虞美人一调的声情特征，在于仄韵与平韵的反复交替以及长短句的强烈对比，李煜此词把这一体制的表现力发挥到了极致。上片以七言起句，何时了三字落在仄声上声韵，音短而带顿挫，如强抑其气；接以五言往事知多少，仍押仄韵，两句一气而声调压抑。随后风、中转入平声东韵，开口宏亮、收音悠长，音色忽然放开，恰与东风、月明的辽阔景象相应，而愈显小楼之局促。下片同法：在、改押上声，声音短促而带惋惜之意，只是朱颜改五字读来如轻轻一叹；末二句转平声尤韵，愁、流二字收音绵长不绝，尤其结句九言一气奔泻，恰似一江春水向东流之句，声与义完全合一——句子本身的长度与流动感，就是那条不断东去的江水。全词四换韵、四段声情，抑扬相间，每一次由仄转平都是一次情感的放开，而放开之后又复收束，故读之如波澜起伏，终以最长最缓的一句收尾，余音不绝。词本合乐而歌，此调之宛转凄怨，与词中身世之感相得，遂成音辞两美之作。

Line by line

春花秋月何时了，往事知多少。

The poet asks when the eternal natural scenes will end, implying the endlessness of sorrow over past events.

春花秋月这轮回不息的景致，究竟要到何时才是尽头，那过往的往事啊，又岂能一一数清

Spring flowers and autumn moon—when will they end? How much of the past can be known?

起笔便见奇警。春花秋月是人间最堪赏玩之景，寻常笔墨必写其可爱，词人偏问它何时了：美景年年循环，正是提醒囚人时间仍在流走而处境永无改变，故越美越难堪，乐景写哀情于此用到极处。何时了三字含着一种近乎恳求的厌倦，是活得太苦的人才会有的口气。往事知多少紧接而下，由天上的循环之景落到心中的不可数之事，一外一内、一无穷一无数，两问相叠而愁绪的体量已隐然可测。全词的沉痛基调，就在这十三字间不容置疑地立定了。

The opening is instantly arresting. Spring flowers and autumn moon are the fairest sights on earth, and ordinary brush would write them as lovely; yet the poet asks when they will end—the fair season comes round every year, precisely reminding the prisoner that time still flows while his lot never changes, so that the fairer it is, the more unbearable, 'grief through joy' pressed to the extreme. 'When will they end' carries an almost pleading weariness, the tone of one who has lived too bitterly. 'How much of the past can be known' follows at once, moving from the circling sky-scene to the numberless matters of the heart, one outer one inner, one infinite one numberless, two questions layered and the mass of grief already faintly measurable. The mournful keynote of the whole is established beyond doubt in these thirteen characters.

小楼昨夜又东风，故国不堪回首月明中。

The word 'again' emphasizes the repetitive torment; he cannot bear to look back at his lost kingdom under the bright moon.

小楼昨夜又吹起了东风，在那明月照耀之下，故国实在不忍回首

The little tower, last night, again the east wind; the old kingdom is past remembering, in the bright moon.

此二句由泛写转入具体的一夜。小楼是囚居之所，字面轻小而处境的局促尽在其中；又字最重，东风年年吹来，人年年在此，一个又字便把数年的煎熬压缩进来，比任何铺陈都更见岁月之无情。故国不堪回首月明中语序倒装，把月明中置于句末，遂使明月成为整幅画面的背景与光源：月色照见小楼，也照见记忆中的江南宫阙。不堪回首四字尤妙，明说不敢想，实则已在想，愈是禁止自己，愈见记忆之不可控制，笔法曲折而情感真挚，是全词最见含蓄之力处。

These two lines move from the general to one specific night. 'The little tower' is the place of confinement, its name light yet the crampedness of his lot fully within it. The word 'again' is heaviest: the east wind blows every year, the man here every year, and the single 'again' compresses years of suffering, more pitiless than any铺陈. 'The old kingdom is past remembering, in the bright moon' is inverted, placing 'in the bright moon' at the end, so that the bright moon becomes the background and light source of the whole picture: the moonlight lights the little tower, and lights too the Jiangnan palaces of memory. 'Past remembering' is exquisite—saying plainly he dares not think, yet thinking all the more; the more he forbids himself, the more uncontrollable the memory, the winding brush and sincere feeling, the most reserved power of the lyric.

雕栏玉砌应犹在，只是朱颜改。

The contrast between 'should still be' and 'only' highlights the pain of things remaining but people changing.

雕花的栏杆、玉石的台阶应该都还在，只是当年的人已换了容颜

The carved rail and jade steps should still be there; only the red face has changed.

此联以物与人相对，写尽物是人非之痛。雕栏玉砌指旧日宫苑的华美，然而词人身在汴京，无从目见，故用一应字：应犹在者，是推测、是悬想，也是不忍断定其已毁的一点侥幸，一个虚字便把千里之外的宫殿写成了心中的幻影。只是二字转得极轻而分量极重，轻描淡写之下是全部的沧桑。朱颜改所指历来有异说：或谓宫人容色已衰，或谓词人自身憔悴，或兼指宫阙彩饰的剥落，正因不加限定，遂使一切因人事变迁而失色之物都被囊括进来，含蓄而无穷。

This couplet sets thing against person, exhausting the pain of things remaining while men are gone. 'The carved rail and jade steps' means the splendor of the old palace; yet the poet is in Bianjing and cannot see, so he uses 'should'—'should still be there' is conjecture, imagination, and a thread of侥幸 unwilling to judge it destroyed, a single virtual character turning the palaces a thousand li away into a phantom in the heart. The turn of 'only' is light yet weighty, beneath the light brush all the vicissitudes. What 'the red face has changed' refers to has long been debated—some say the palace women's faded looks, some the poet's own haggardness, some both the peeling of the palace paint; precisely because it is undefined, everything that has lost its color through human change is gathered in, reserved and endless.

问君能有几多愁，恰似一江春水向东流。

Uses a rhetorical question and metaphor to make abstract sorrow concrete, comparing it to an endless river of spring water.

若问你到底还有多少愁绪，正恰似那一江春水，浩荡地向东奔流

If you ask how much grief I have—like a whole river of spring water flowing east.

结二句为千古名句，妙在自问自答而答非直答。问君之君，实即自指，设为他人之问，语气遂由自伤转为客观陈述，反而更显沉着。答语不说愁有多深多重，而径以一江春水的形象代之：春水者，江水最盛之时，量之多不可计；向东流者，去而不返、日夜不停，愁之无尽与不可挽回一并写出。抽象的情绪由此获得体积、流速与方向，读者不必被告知愁有多少，只需想见那浩荡东去的江面便已尽知。以有形喻无形，以可见之量测不可见之情，此句遂成词史上以景喻情的最高范例。

The closing couplet is an age-old line, exquisite in asking and answering yet answering not directly. The 'you' of 'if you ask you' is in truth himself; setting it as another's question, the tone turns from self-pity to objective statement, calmer by far. The answer says not how deep or heavy the grief, but substitutes the image of a whole spring river: spring water, the river at its fullest, measureless in amount; flowing east, going and not returning, day and night without cease, the endlessness and irrecoverability of grief written at once. Abstract feeling hereby gains volume, current, and direction; the reader need not be told how much grief, but has only to imagine that broad eastward river to know it fully. Using the tangible for the intangible, measuring the unseen by the visible, this line became the supreme model in lyric history of 'feeling through scenery.'

Study

Word focus

又 The word 'again' indicates the recurrence of spring wind, symbolizing the cyclical return of pain. 小楼昨夜又东风之又，是全词最见功力的虚字。若去此字，则只是一夜春风的记录；加此一字，便把不知第几度的循环全部带出：东风去了又来，春天谢了又开，唯有囚人的处境一成不变。时间在流动而生命被冻结，这种落差正是幽囚之苦的核心，而词人不加一句说明，只用一个又字令读者自行体会。此字与开篇的何时了遥相呼应：一问其何时终止，一叹其再度到来，构成全词时间意识的两个支点。宋词善以虚字点睛，李煜此字与后文的应、只是同属一类，皆平淡之极而沉痛之极。

朱颜 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 朱颜本谓红润的容颜，多用于形容青春美好之貌。此处只是朱颜改五字，所指却历来聚讼：一说指南唐宫中旧人容色衰残，一说指词人自身鬓改形枯，一说兼指宫阙彩绘的褪色斑驳。三说皆有理据，而其含蓄之妙正在不予裁定：无论所改者为谁之颜色，其所指向的都是同一件事——人与物皆已不复当年。与上句雕栏玉砌之犹在相对，物之不改愈显人之易改，一联之中完成物是人非的全部对照。朱字用色鲜明，与改字的黯然相激，色彩上的落差也加强了情感的冲击。

恰似 Means 'just like'; introduces the famous metaphor comparing sorrow to a river, making it tangible and vast. 恰似为宋人口语，训正如、正像，是结句得以成立的关键。词人不用如、若、犹等文言比喻词，而取此双音口语，一是语气亲切自然，与前文问君的对话情境相合；二是恰字含有分寸恰当、不多不少之意，仿佛经过反复衡量才找到这个唯一贴切的比方，遂使后面的一江春水显得不可替代。若改为好似、宛如，则语意略轻；改为如同，则语气板滞。全词语言浅近如话而句句沉重，此二字最能代表这种以口语写至情的本领，也正是李煜后期词能直击人心的重要原因。