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元 Yuan · 曲 Qu song

蟾宫曲·春情

Toad Palace Song: Spring Sentiment

贯云石

Guan Yunshi

相思Lovesickness 散曲小令Sanqu Short Lyric 爱情Love 少女Maiden

平生不会相思，才会相思，便害相思。
身似浮云，心如飞絮，气若游丝。
空一缕余香在此，盼千金游子何之。
证候来时，正是何时？
灯半昏时，月半明时。

All my life I never knew lovesickness; only now I know it, and at once I fall ill with lovesickness.
My body like floating clouds, my heart like flying willow catkins, my breath like a trailing silk thread.
In vain a wisp of lingering fragrance remains here; I yearn for my precious wanderer—where has he gone?
When do these symptoms come? Just when the lamp is half dim, and the moon half bright.

Listen

Meaning

The poem portrays a young girl who, never having experienced love, suddenly falls victim to lovesickness. Her body drifts like clouds, her mind flutters like willow down, and her breath is faint as a silken thread. Left only with a lingering fragrance from her absent beloved, she suffers most intensely in the twilight hours when the lamp and moon are half bright.

活了这一生都不懂得什么叫相思，才刚刚懂得相思，便害上了相思。身子像飘浮的云，心像纷飞的柳絮，气像一缕游丝。空留下一丝余香在这里，盼望那贵重的游子去了哪里。这相思病发作的时候，正是什么时候？是灯火半昏半暗时，月亮半明半亮时。

Appreciation

This short lyric by Guan Yunshi is a masterpiece of Yuan Sanqu on lovesickness. The opening lines, with the triple repetition of 'xiangsi' (lovesickness), capture the overwhelming onset of first love: from never knowing it to being instantly consumed. The three similes of clouds, willow catkins, and silk thread vividly depict a lovesick maiden's physical and mental state. 'An empty wisp of lingering fragrance' reveals the cause: her beloved is far away. The concluding question and answer sets the most unbearable moment in the half-lit, half-dark night, creating a hazy and poignant atmosphere. The language is colloquial yet refined, blending folk-song simplicity with literary artistry.

【白话串讲】 “平生不会相思，才会相思，便害相思”——贯云石写相思：不会相思，一学会就害相思。“身似浮云，心如飞絮，气若游丝”——“证候来时，正是何时？灯半昏时，月半明时”——相思病发作，总在灯半昏、月半明时。【意象与手法】连环叠韵与博喻写态。开篇“平生不会相思，才会相思，便害相思”三句连环叠唱，如珠走盘，写出从未懂情到骤然深陷的措手不及；“身似浮云，心如飞絮，气若游丝”以鼎足对连用三喻，从身、心、气三方面写相思之深。语言本色如话，兼具民歌的天然与文人的精巧。【情感与主旨】写少女初尝相思的痴态，“空一缕余香在此，盼千金游子何之”点出情人远去之因；末句“证候来时，正是何时？灯半昏时，月半明时”以问答收束，把相思最难捱的时分落在半昏半明的朦胧夜境，意境幽渺。【名句点睛】常考“平生不会相思，才会相思，便害相思”连环叠韵的痴绝；“灯半昏时，月半明时”以朦胧夜色写相思最深的时分。

Background

Guan Yunshi (1286–1324), originally named Xiaoyunshi Haiya, also known as Suanzhai and Ludao Daoist, was of Uyghur descent and born into a prominent military family. He excelled in both letters and martial arts, serving as a high official before resigning to live in seclusion in Jiangnan. He was equally famous as Xu Zaisi (Tian Zhai), together known as 'Suan-Tian Yuefu.' Deeply steeped in Chinese culture, his Sanqu ranged from bold to elegant. 'Toad Palace Song: Spring Sentiment' was likely written during his Jiangnan seclusion, reflecting the frank and emotional style of Yuan Sanqu. As a Central Asian, he used fluent Chinese to depict a young Chinese maiden's lovesickness, showing both the cross-ethnic appeal of Yuan Qu and his keen observation of everyday life.

贯云石（1286—1324），本名小云石海涯，号酸斋，又号芦花道人，维吾尔族，出身将门，祖、父皆显宦。他文武双全，曾任两淮万户府达鲁花赤，后辞官归隐，变姓名隐居江南，潜心诗文散曲，与徐再思（甜斋）齐名，世称酸甜乐府。贯云石深受汉文化熏陶，其散曲兼擅豪放与清丽。《蟾宫曲·春情》约作于其隐居江南、流连市井风情之时。元代散曲多写男女情爱、隐逸闲适，此曲以少女口吻写相思，正合元曲尚真率、重写情的时代风气。值得注意的是，贯云石身为色目人，却以纯熟的汉语文体写尽中原少女的春情痴态，既说明元曲已超越民族边界成为一代文学，也见出作者深入市井、体察人情的通脱襟怀。曲中少女情窦初开、一往而深的形象，正是元散曲敢于直写儿女情长、以俗为雅的典型体现。贯云石本色目将门辞官隐居江南与徐再思并称酸甜乐府。此曲以少女口吻写初恋相思正合元曲尚真率重写情之风气。身为维吾尔人而以纯熟汉语文体写中原少女春情既见元曲已超越民族成一代文学亦见作者深入市井之通脱襟怀，实为多元文化交融之证。

Art

The artistry lies in the interlocking repetitive structure and series of similes. The opening three lines, with 'xiangsi' appearing three times, create a 'single-plank bridge' effect, flowing naturally while revealing a naive maiden's infatuation. The middle triad of similes—body like clouds, heart like willow catkins, breath like silk thread—presents lovesickness as a visible malady. The final four lines, with a rhetorical question and the repeated word 'shi' (time), place the most intense suffering in the half-dim, half-bright night, leaving a lingering aftertaste. The whole piece is clear, graceful, and plain yet profound, exemplifying the natural excellence of Sanqu.

此曲艺术上最精妙处在于连环叠韵的结构与博喻写态的手法。开篇三句平生不会相思，才会相思，便害相思，以相思三字三现，形成独木桥体般的连环叠唱，如珠走盘，把从未懂情到骤然深陷的过程写得一气流转、憨态毕露，深得散曲重韵重字、不拘绳墨之趣。中间身似浮云，心如飞絮，气若游丝，则以鼎足对的形式连用三个比喻，分别从形体、心神、气息三个维度摹写相思之病：身不由己如浮云飘荡，神不守舍如飞絮纷扬，气息微弱如游丝将断，三层递进，把抽象的相思化为可见可感病态，贴切传神。末四句证候来时，正是何时？灯半昏时，月半明时，以设问自答收束，时字四现，再成叠韵，把相思最难耐的时分定格在半明半暗的朦胧夜境，意境幽渺，余味不尽。全曲疏朗俊逸，明白如话而沉挚深刻，是散曲本色当行的绝佳范例。连环叠韵与博喻写态为此曲双绝，开篇相思三字三现如独木桥体写从不识到深陷之憨痴，身似浮云心如飞絮气若游丝以鼎足对写相思之病态形神毕肖，末以灯半昏时月半明时问答收束余韵幽渺。疏朗俊逸明白如话而沉挚深刻，极尽小令之能事。

Allusions

The imagery draws on literary precedents: 'floating clouds' recalls the Nineteen Old Poems and Li Bai's 'floating clouds and wanderer's thoughts'; 'willow catkins' echoes Su Shi's lyric on willow down; 'silk thread' (yousi) continues the motif of fragile breath, akin to Li Qingzhao's melancholy. The 'lingering fragrance' alludes to a love token left by the beloved. 'Precious wanderer' (qianjin youzi) emphasizes the beloved's worth. 'Zhenghou' (symptoms) is medical terminology also used in Guan Hanqing's plays. The half-dim, half-bright night recalls Li Qingzhao's 'sudden warmth and cold, the hardest time to bear.' Thus the poem renews familiar images in a Yuan Qu manner, transforming the ordinary into elegance.

本曲虽为写情小令，意象却多有所本。身似浮云化用古诗十九首行行重行行浮云蔽白日及李白浮云游子意之意，以浮云喻身心无主、飘摇不定；心如飞絮遥承苏轼似花还似非花，也无人惜从教坠写杨花，以及诗词中以柳絮喻心神纷乱的传统；气若游丝则写气息微弱，近于病中写照，与李清照寻寻觅觅中的凄清暗通。余香指情人留下的定情之物，承古诗遗钿、香囊之类信物传统；千金游子用千金喻所欢之珍贵，游子则点出其远行未归。证候为医家术语，关汉卿剧中也常用以写相思病，贯云石以之入曲，更显本色。灯半昏时，月半明时以半明半暗的光景写相思最难捱之时，与李清照《声声慢》乍暖还寒时候，最难将息意境相近，皆以朦胧夜色烘托孤怀。全曲于常语熟象中翻新，以元曲特有的酣畅写尽少女春情。身似浮云化用古诗与李白心如飞絮承苏轼写杨花余香指定情信物千金游子用千金喻所欢证候为医家术语亦见关汉卿剧。灯半昏月半明以半明半暗写最难捱之时与李清照乍暖还寒意境相近。皆于常语熟象中翻新尽显元曲以俗为雅之妙，自然而工。

Commentary

The eight lines follow a clear progression: from ignorance to awareness to affliction; from symptoms to cause; then from cause to timing. The opening triple repetition captures the shock of first love. The middle triad depicts its physical manifestations. The final question and answer fix the moment in a half-lit night, intensifying the mood. Using the simplest language and most natural repetition, the poem expresses a universal human emotion, making it an immortal piece among Yuan Sanqu love lyrics.

全曲八句，起承转合皆见巧思。首三句平生不会相思，才会相思，便害相思，以重叠的相思三字领起，写少女情窦初开、一触即陷的痴绝——正因从未识愁，一旦懂了便排山倒海，这反差本身即是诗。中间三句身似浮云，心如飞絮，气若游丝，以鼎足对写相思之状：身之飘、心之乱、气之弱，由外而内，把无形之情写得有形有态，堪称写相思病的绝唱。再二句空一缕余香在此，盼千金游子何之，由态及因，点出远方游子与手中余香，空字写尽独守的孤寂，何之写尽盼归的茫昧。末四句证候来时，正是何时？灯半昏时，月半明时，以问答作结，时字叠现，把全曲收束于一个半昏半明的朦胧夜境——恰是万籁俱寂、孤怀最难排遣之时。通篇由不懂到懂、由态到因、由因到时，脉络清晰，语言如话，却把少女的初恋相思写得入骨三分，是元散曲写情的不朽名篇。八句起承转合皆巧，三句叠唱写初开之痴三喻写病状二句点因末四句问答写最难捱之时。由不懂到懂由态到因由因到时脉络清晰。以极通俗之语极简单之重复写出人类共通之爱情体验举重若轻是元散曲写情之不朽名篇，亦开后世闺情小令之先声。

Prosody

Reading note The tune has twelve sentences with a pattern roughly 7-4-4-4-4-4-7-7-4-4-4-4. The opening uses 'xiangsi' three times, forming a 'single-plank bridge' repetition; the middle is a triple parallel; the closing repeats 'shi' four times. Such repetition would be avoided in poetry but is characteristic of Sanqu, enhancing the intense, unreserved emotion.《蟾宫曲》即《折桂令》，属双调，元散曲常用小令与重头格式，句式大致为：七、四、四、四、四、四、七、七、四、四、四、四，共十二句，此曲依《中原音韵》押支思韵。开篇平生不会相思（平平仄仄平平），才会相思（仄仄平平），便害相思（仄仄平平），三句以思字三现，形成半独木桥体的连环叠韵，格调累累如贯珠；身似浮云（平仄平平），心如飞絮（平平平仄），气若游丝（仄仄平平），为鼎足对的鼎足对（三句对三句），平仄相谐而灵动；空一缕余香在此（平仄仄平平仄仄），盼千金游子何之（仄平平平仄平平），为七言对仗；末四句证候来时（仄仄平平），正是何时（仄仄平平），灯半昏时（平仄平平），月半明时（仄仄平平），以时字四现再成叠韵。全曲首尾皆用重韵，在诗词为大忌，散曲却任之，正显其本色酣畅、不拘绳墨之趣，声情与内容之痴缠相称，是元小令声律服务于抒情的最佳例证之一。

Line by line

平生不会相思，才会相思，便害相思。

Through my whole life I never knew lovesickness—an innocent, unawakened state.

All my life I never knew lovesickness; no sooner did I learn it than I fell ill with it.

这开篇三句是全曲的魂魄，也是元散曲中写情最为人称道的奇笔。它以相思三字的连环叠现，构成类乎独木桥体的韵律，读来如珠走玉盘，天然流转。更深层的妙处在内容的递进：平生不会写其情窦未开、浑然无知；才会相思写初识情滋味；便害相思则写一旦懂得便不可自拔——三个短句，把从不识到深陷的全过程压缩于一瞬，既写出少女的纯真懵懂，也写出爱情来袭时的排山倒海、猝不及防。这种反差正合春情题目：正因是初次，才格外深刻；正因不懂克制，才害得毫无保留。贯云石以极通俗的口语、极简单的重复，写出了人类共通的爱情体验，其举重若轻的本领，正是元曲小令以俗为雅、以浅写深的至高体现。

The opening three lines are the soul of the song, one of Yuan sanqu's most praised strokes of love-writing. The looping repetition of 'lovesickness' builds a bridge-like rhythm, flowing like pearls on a jade tray. Its deeper genius lies in progression: 'all my life I never knew' writes the heart's unopened innocence; 'no sooner learned' the first taste; 'than I fell ill' the instant plunge past holding back — three short lines compress the whole arc from ignorance to drowning, rendering a young girl's guilelessness and love's overwhelming, unexpected force. The contrast fits the very theme of spring longing: because it is first, it cuts deepest; because it cannot be moderated, it is given without reserve. Guan Yunshi writes the common experience of love in the plainest vernacular and simplest repetition — the peak of Yuan qu making depth out of the shallow.

灯半昏时，月半明时。

Only now have I learned it—the first taste of love.

When the lamp is half dim, when the moon is half bright.

这是全曲的收束，也是意境最幽渺的一笔。前面写尽相思之态、之因，至此以证候来时，正是何时的设问领起，答以灯半昏时，月半明时。半昏半明，既不是全黑也不是全亮，恰是夜色将深未深、万籁将寂未寂的朦胧时分，也正是孤身之人最易为相思所苦、最无从逃避的时刻。这两个半字用得极巧：它写出了光影的暧昧，也写出了心境的恍惚与无依——相思本就如这半明半暗的光，说不清、挥不去。与李清照乍暖还寒时候，最难将息异曲同工，却更含蓄空灵。以景结情，不著一个愁字而愁思满纸，把前面所有的痴、弱、盼、空，统统收束进这一片朦胧夜色之中，余韵悠长，是元散曲以景语收束情语的典范。

The close is also the most ethereal stroke of mood. Having written the state, cause, and symptoms of lovesickness, the song asks when these symptoms come and answers: when the lamp is half dim, when the moon is half bright. Half dark and half light — neither black nor bright — is the veiled hour as night deepens, before all sounds hush, precisely the hour when the solitary heart is most prey to longing and least able to flee it. The two 'half' words are exquisite: they render the ambiguity of light and shadow, and the trance and groundlessness of the mind — lovesickness itself is like this half-lit glow, neither to be named nor waved away. It stands with Li Qingzhao's warm-cold hardest hour, yet is more reserved and airy; landscape closing emotion, not one word of sorrow yet sorrow filling the page, gathering all the earlier foolishness, weakness, hoping, and emptiness into the veiled night — a model of Yuan sanqu closing feeling in scenery.

Study

Word focus

余香 Lingering fragrance; keepsake from the beloved 余香二字是全曲由态及因的枢纽。空一缕余香在此，写少女手中唯余情人留下的定情之物，香已微薄而将尽，人已远去而不归，一个空字写尽独守的孤寂与无望的期盼。余香既实指信物（如香囊、佩饰）残留的气息，也虚指那段爱情的余温与记忆，似实似虚，若即若离，恰如少女飘忽不定的相思之心。关汉卿剧中也常以香写痴，贯云石此处以余香对游子，一在此、一在彼，空间上的阻隔与情感上的牵系形成对照，使前面身似浮云、心如飞絮的飘荡有了具体的落点。这一个词以小见大，把少女全部的痴恋与等待都凝缩在一缕将散的香气里，是散曲炼意传神的极佳范例，亦可见元曲善于以日常物事寄深情的本色。

游丝 Floating silk thread; extremely weak and delicate 游丝指飘荡空中的蛛丝，极细极轻、将断未断，关云石用以形容相思病中少女的气息（气若游丝），是三喻中最见病弱态的一笔。身似浮云写飘荡无主，心如飞絮写纷乱不宁，气若游丝则写生机之微、气息之弱，三层由外而内、由动而静，把抽象的相思之苦化为可感的病态：人已瘦损虚弱到气息如丝。这一个意象既切合医家所谓相思致病的常理，又极具画面感与怜惜意，使读者仿佛亲见那位为情所困、弱不禁风的少女。游丝本为诗词常语（如晏殊春风不解禁杨花，蒙蒙乱扑行人面中所写飞絮游丝），贯云石移入散曲写少女，更显天然真切，与其前二喻鼎足而立，共同铸就了写相思病的千古绝唱。