All poems

元 Yuan · 散曲 Sanqu song

沉醉东风·春情

Cheerful in East Wind: Spring Feelings

徐再思

Xu Zaisi

爱情Love 春思Spring Longing

一自多才间阔，几时盼得成合？
今日个猛见他，门前过。
待唤着怕人瞧科。
我这里高唱当时水调歌，要识得声音是我。

Since parting from my talented man, when could I hope to be united?
Today I suddenly see him passing by my door.
I want to call him but fear being seen.
I loudly sing the 'Water Melody' song we used to sing, so he may recognize my voice.

Listen

Meaning

The poem describes a young woman who suddenly sees her lover passing by after a long separation. She hesitates to call him publicly and instead sings a familiar song to secretly signal her presence.

自从与心爱的人久别之后，日日夜夜盼着相聚，却不知要到几时才能如愿。今日猛然看见他从门前经过，想唤他一声，又怕被人瞧见。我在这里故意高声唱起当年离别时给他唱过的《水调歌》，好让他听出这歌声是我。

Appreciation

This short lyric captures a dramatic moment of surprise and shyness. The vivid psychological depiction and colloquial language create a lively, genuine character.

【白话串讲】一个女子和心上人分别多日，忽然看见他从门前过。想叫他，又怕被人看见——“我这里高唱当时水调歌，要识得声音是我”——她故意大声唱起他听过的歌，让他听出是自己。【意象与手法】此曲以戏剧性瞬间取胜，七句之内一波三折。先以「一自」「几时」二句倒叙久别之盼，铺垫情深；陡接「今日个猛见他，门前过」，一个「猛」字写意外之喜，节奏骤紧；「待唤着怕人瞧科」一转，写少女欲呼还休的娇羞与顾虑，心理细如毫发；结句「高唱当时水调歌」以巧思传情——不便明呼，便借旧曲遥递心声，白描中见灵慧，情态毕现。全曲不设丽辞，纯以口语白描叙事，而人物如在目前，深得北曲本色当行之妙。【情感与主旨】徐再思（约1280—1330后）号甜斋，嘉兴人，与贯云石（酸斋）齐名，合称「酸甜乐府」。此曲为代言体情歌，借少女之口写怀春乍见恋人的娇憨一幕，将久别之盼、乍见之喜、欲呼还休之羞、以歌传情之巧层层写出，表现少女活泼纯真、聪慧热情的性格，寄寓对真挚爱情的赞美。全曲情调轻快明媚，一扫同类闺怨题材的愁苦，充满市井生活的活泼生气。【名句点睛】若命题，可从三处入手：一、人物形象，分析少女活泼纯真、聪慧热情的性格——「猛见」写其真情流露，「怕人瞧科」写其娇羞矜持，「高唱水调歌」写其大胆巧思；二、心理描写，「猛见」「待唤着怕人瞧科」如何表现惊喜与娇羞的矛盾；三、「高唱当时水调歌，要识得声音是我」的以歌传情之妙，旧曲暗号、声以识人，正是全曲诗眼所在。

Background

Xu Zaisi (c. 1280-1330), styled Tianzhai, from Jiaxing, was as famous as Guan Yunshi (Suanzhai). Their works are known as the 'Sour-Sweet Yuefu'. His sanqu often depict natural scenery and boudoir feelings, with a clear and beautiful style. This piece is a persona lyric, written in the Yuan dynasty. Such 'boudoir sentiment' pieces were often performed in entertainment settings, with male writers adopting a female voice.

徐再思（约1280—约1330后）号甜斋，嘉兴（今浙江嘉兴）人，元代后期散曲名家，与贯云石（号酸斋）齐名，时人并称「酸甜乐府」。其生平记载甚少，曾任嘉兴路吏，后游宦江浙一带；所作散曲多写自然风景、闺阁闲情与江南风物，风格清丽自然、明快晓畅，与酸斋之豪放俚俏恰成对照。此曲《沉醉东风·春情》为代言体情歌，当属其寄情于市井风情之作。元代散曲兴起于勾栏瓦舍与歌筵酒席之间，本就是供歌妓演唱的通俗文体，「闺情」「春情」一类题材多由男性文士代拟女性声口，以合歌者身份；本曲即借少女之口，写怀春少女久别恋人、乍见其门前经过时欲呼还休的娇憨一幕。曲中「多才」「瞧科」「水调歌」等语汇皆带浓重的市井口语色彩，可见作者熟稔勾栏语言；全曲仅七句，却将一个瞬间的情态写得活灵活现，正体现元曲「以俗为雅」「当行本色」的美学追求，也反映出元代都市文化中市民审美对文人创作的渗透。

Art

This piece excels in capturing a dramatic instant: first recalling the long separation, then suddenly seeing him pass by. The word 'meng' (suddenly) conveys unexpected joy. The hesitation to call and the clever solution of singing a song reveal the girl's shyness and intelligence, all in plain language.

此曲以戏剧性瞬间取胜，章法精妙，七句之内一波三折。起二句「一自多才间阔，几时盼得成合」用倒叙手法先写久别之盼：「一自」领起，点明离别之久，「几时盼得」以反问写企盼之切，将积蓄已久的相思一笔托出，为后文的乍见预作铺垫。第三、四句陡接「今日个猛见他，门前过」，一个「猛」字写意外之喜，节奏由缓转骤，仿佛平静的心湖突然被投石激起浪花；「今日个」的口语化措辞更添现场感，使人如见少女骤然抬眼、又惊又喜的神态。第五句「待唤着怕人瞧科」一转，写少女欲呼还休的矛盾心理——想唤他一声，又怕被人瞧见，娇羞与顾虑交织，心理刻画细如毫发；「待」字写犹豫，「怕」字写顾忌，两个虚字将少女的内心挣扎写得纤毫毕现。结句「我这里高唱当时水调歌，要识得声音是我」以巧思传情：不便明呼，便借旧曲遥递心声，高声唱起当初离别时唱过的曲子，让他凭声音认出自己。这一收束既出人意料，又在情理之中，将少女的聪慧活泼、大胆热情与含蓄娇羞统一于一个动作之中。全曲白描叙事，不设丽辞，而情态毕现，语言素朴清新，深得北曲本色当行之妙。

Allusions

'Water Melody' (Shuidiao Ge) is a famous tune. According to 'Biji Manzhi', Emperor Yang of Sui had it composed. Here it refers to the song they sang at parting. 'Duocai' is a Yuan opera term for lover, 'jiankuo' means long separation, 'qiaoke' means being caught. The language is colloquial and lively.

本曲用典不多，惟「水调歌」一事稍涉本事。据《碧鸡漫志》记载，隋炀帝开凿汴河时曾制《水调歌》，唐代大曲《水调》之歌头即后世词牌《水调歌头》；此处「当时水调歌」并非确指某曲，而是泛称恋人离别时所唱之歌，因旧曲承载着二人共同的记忆，故少女重唱此曲，既是以歌传情，亦是以歌唤起对方的回忆，可谓不着一字、尽得风流。除典故外，此曲多用元曲习语：「多才」为元曲中对情郎的习称，犹言风流才子，饱含亲昵之意；「间阔」即久别相隔，为宋元俗语；「瞧科」则本是杂剧术语（科范，指戏曲中指示演员动作的舞台提示），此处借作「被人察觉」之义，将戏曲语言引入抒情小曲，市井趣味盎然。此外「成合」「盼得」等词亦皆口语。整体而言，此曲几乎不事雕琢、不用书袋，以市井口语成篇，而情感的真切、情境的生动反在其上；这正体现元曲「文而不文，俗而不俗」的语言理想——虽无深奥典故，却以日常语言写尽深情，比之堆砌典故之作，更具直击人心的力量。

Commentary

Yuan opera connoisseurs praise this piece for its vivid portrayal and charm. Xu Zaisi's 'sweetness' lies in this innocent and lively sentiment, a masterpiece of natural expression in sanqu love songs.

《元曲鉴赏辞典》评此曲「神态毕现，饶有情趣」，赞其以白描手法刻画人物、语言素朴清新。此评可谓的当：全曲七句，句句写少女的所见、所思、所行，无一笔景物铺陈，却将一个怀春少女的娇憨天真、聪慧热情写得呼之欲出，这在以抒情见长的散曲中别具叙事小说的趣味。徐再思与贯云石并称「酸甜乐府」：酸斋（贯云石）之曲俚俗俏皮、豪放不羁，甜斋（徐再思）之曲则清新流丽、温婉多情；此曲之「甜」，正在于这种天真娇憨、不假雕饰的生活情味——少女高唱旧曲的小小狡黠，读来令人莞尔，恰如蜜糖入口，甜而不腻。在元代散曲的闺情题材中，此曲堪称本色当行的代表作：它不写深闺怨妇的悲苦，而写市井少女的机灵，将爱情写得轻快明媚，一扫同类题材的愁云惨雾，展现出市民文化中乐观活泼的一面。后世论元曲者常以此曲为例，说明散曲「以俗为雅」「当行本色」的文体特征，其在中国韵文史上的价值，正在于以七句小令写活一个永恒可爱的少女形象。

Prosody

Form Sanqu in Shuangdiao mode, tune 'Cheerful in East Wind'散曲·双调《沉醉东风》

Rhyme Rhymes on 'he, guo, ke, wo' (Gege rhyme, Central Plains Rhyme)押「合、过、科、我」四韵，属《中原音韵》歌戈韵部，一韵到底，声调圆转悠扬

Tone pattern Northern opera pattern: 7-7, 7-7, 5-5, 7-7, irregular lengths北曲句式为七七、七七、五五、七七，长短错落，节奏随情流转

Reading note Adopts a female persona with colloquial speech, flowing naturally.此曲为北曲双调《沉醉东风》小令，句式定格为七七、七七、五五、七七，凡七句。全曲押「合、过、科、我」四字，皆属《中原音韵》歌戈韵部，一韵到底，韵律单纯而回环；「合」为入声作平声，「过、科、我」皆平仄相间，韵脚处声调圆转，唱来悠扬动听。句式的长短错落亦与情思相应：起二句七言，音节舒缓，正合久别思念的低回；「今日个猛见他，门前过」为五言、三言相接，节奏骤然收紧，恰似乍见之惊；结句七言延展，歌声扬起，收束于悠长余韵。尤可注意者，此曲以代言体女子口吻行文，口语入律，「今日个」「我这里」「要识得」等衬字虚词自然流走，不避俚俗而音律自谐，深得北曲「依字行腔、以声传情」之妙，是散曲中口语化与音乐性结合得极好的范例，亦可见元人小令依情定式、声情并茂的创作传统。

Line by line

一自多才间阔

Since parting from her lover, longing never ceases.

自从与情郎久别之后

Ever since my talented lover and I parted long ago,

开篇「一自」领起，点明思念的起点与长度：自从与心爱的情郎久别之后，这份相思便从未间断过。一个「自」字含时间之久，「间阔」二字写相隔之远，久别未逢的怅惘已在不言之中。紧接着「几时盼得成合」以反问出之，写日思夜盼却始终未能如愿的焦灼，「几时」二字将漫长的等待具象化，仿佛每一日都在问、都在盼。两句倒叙，把久别之盼写得饱满，既是少女心事的自然流露，也为下文「今日个猛见他」的意外重逢蓄足情势——正因为盼得久、盼得苦，乍见之喜才格外强烈。这种先写盼、后写见的章法，使短短七句的曲子有了起伏跌宕的节奏感，也为全曲奠定了深情而轻快的基调。

The opening 'ever since' fixes the point and length of longing: since the long parting from her beloved, this lovesickness has never once broken. The word 'since' holds the duration; 'parted long ago' the distance — the ache of long separation speaks between the lines. The question that follows, 'when will our longing be fulfilled?' voices the daily, nightly hoping that never comes true, 'when' making the long wait concrete, as if every day were spent asking and hoping. The flashback fills the long parting with longing, the natural outpouring of a young girl's heart, and lays the charge for the sudden meeting to come — precisely because she has hoped so long and sorely, the joy of the first sight is all the stronger. Writing hope first, meeting second, gives the short seven-line song its rhythm of rise and fall, and sets its tender yet sprightly tone.

今日个猛见他，门前过

Today suddenly she sees him passing by the door.

今日猛然看见他从门前经过

Today, suddenly, I saw him passing by the gate.

「今日个」三字口语化十足，将叙事的镜头骤然拉回到眼前这一刻；「猛见他」的「猛」字是全曲的题眼，写少女毫无心理准备地骤然瞥见恋人，意外之喜如电光石火般击中心头。妙在下一句「门前过」只轻轻一点，不写相遇，不写交谈，只写他正从门前经过的短短一瞬——这正是生活中最平常、最不经意的一个场景，却因「猛见」而变得惊心动魄。节奏上，前两句的缓与「猛」字的骤相撞击，如平静水面忽投一石，波澜顿起；同时「门前过」三字也为下文埋下伏笔：他既只是路过，少女若不主动示意，这一面便转瞬即逝，这就逼出了后面「待唤着怕人瞧科」的踌躇与「高唱水调歌」的巧计。一句之内，叙事的张力已然拉满，戏剧性的火花由此点燃。

'Today,' pure vernacular, yanks the narrative camera back to this moment; 'suddenly I saw him' — the word 'suddenly' is the song's eye: the girl, utterly unprepared, catches sight of her lover, and the joy strikes like lightning. The next phrase, 'passing by the gate,' touches lightly: no meeting, no speech, only the brief instant of him walking past — the most ordinary, unguarded scene of life, yet made thrilling by the 'sudden sight.' Rhythmically, the slowness of the first lines collides with the abruptness of 'suddenly,' like a stone thrown into still water; and 'passing by the gate' plants the seed: he is only passing — if she does not signal, this meeting will vanish in a breath, forcing the hesitation and the clever ruse that follow. Within one line the dramatic tension is already wound tight.

待唤着怕人瞧科

She wants to call him but fears being seen.

想唤他一声，又怕被人瞧见

I would call out to him, yet fear the neighbors might notice.

这一句是全曲心理描写的核心，写少女欲呼还休的刹那犹豫。「待唤着」写她想唤的冲动，多少话在喉间打转；「怕人瞧科」却写她的顾虑——怕被旁人瞧见、识破心事。一个「待」字见犹豫，一个「怕」字见娇羞，两个虚字将少女内心「唤与不唤」的挣扎写得纤毫毕现。这层顾虑既来自少女的矜持与羞怯，也来自古代礼法对女子言行的束缚，时代的真实感于此流露。妙在作者没有让少女就此放弃，而是让这份「怕」催生出下文更为大胆的巧思——她不再直接呼唤，而是借歌声传情。因此这一句既是心理的停顿，也是行动的转折：它把少女的娇羞写得可爱，又把她的聪慧反衬得更鲜明。七字之中，情态毕现，堪称以少胜多的典范。

This line is the heart of the song's psychology, the instant's hesitation between calling and not. 'I would call' is the impulse, a hundred words turning in her throat; 'yet fear the neighbors might notice' is the check — afraid of being seen, of her secret read. 'Would' shows the hesitation; 'fear' the bashfulness; two small particles render the struggle of 'call or not' to the finest thread. The check comes from a young girl's reserve and shyness, and from the old code binding women's words and acts — the age's reality showing through. The poet does not let her give up; instead the 'fear' births the bolder device to come — no direct call, but speech through song. This line is both a pause of feeling and a turn of action: bashfulness made endearing, and cleverness set off the brighter. Seven characters, the whole mood on show — a model of the few defeating the many.

我这里高唱当时水调歌，要识得声音是我

So she loudly sings the old song, hoping he recognizes her voice.

我在这里故意高声唱起当初唱过的《水调歌》，好让他听出这声音是我

Here I sing aloud the old Water Tune, that he may know the voice is mine.

结句是少女聪慧的集中体现，也是全曲的高潮与收束。既然不便明呼，她便别出心裁——高声唱起当初离别时给他唱过的那支《水调歌》。「当时」二字点明这支歌承载着二人共同的记忆，是独属于他们的暗号；「高唱」二字写她故意放大声音，生怕他听不见，大胆之中透着俏皮。「要识得声音是我」一句更妙：她唱的明明是歌，要的却是他「识得声音」，认人而不认歌，足见这支歌早已成为两人相认的信物。这一行动既化解了「怕人瞧科」的尴尬，又主动向恋人发出信号，将少女的大胆、热情、聪慧与含蓄统一于一体。曲终而情未终，读者仿佛看见少女仰头高歌、眼波流转的鲜活模样，余韵悠长，令人会心一笑。

The closing line is the gathering of her cleverness, the song's climax and resolution. Since a plain call will not do, she devises a ruse — singing aloud the very Water Tune she sang for him at the parting. 'Old' fixes that the song carries their shared memory, a password theirs alone; 'sing aloud' shows her deliberately raising her voice, half afraid he might not hear — boldness with a touch of mischief. 'That he may know the voice is mine' is the finest stroke: she sings the song, yet what she wants is him to know the voice — recognizing the person, not the tune, proof the song has long been their token. The act both dissolves the embarrassment of 'fear the neighbors might notice' and sends the signal to her lover, uniting boldness, warmth, wit, and reserve. The song ends, feeling unended: the reader sees the girl, head up, singing, eyes bright — long in aftertone, a smile of recognition.

Study

Word focus

猛 suddenly; expresses unexpected joy at seeing her lover. 「猛」字是全曲的诗眼，写骤见恋人的意外之喜，极炼而传神。「猛」本为副词，形容来势突然、没有预兆，此处置于「见他」之前，写出少女与恋人久别之后猝然相遇的刹那反应：既无心理准备，又来不及掩饰，惊、喜、慌、羞一齐涌上心头。若易为「忽」「乍」等字，虽亦写突然，却缺少「猛」字那种撞击感与力度——「猛」字如重锤击心，把平静心湖骤然掀起波澜的瞬间写得声情毕现。同时，「猛」字还暗含时间的对比：正因为「一自多才间阔」的久别之盼积压太久，重逢的一瞬才显得如此猛烈；字面上的骤与情感上的烈互为表里，一个副词便浓缩了全曲的情感张力，足见作者炼字的功夫。

瞧科 to be spotted; theatrical term for being caught. 「瞧科」是元曲特有的俗语，本为杂剧术语，源自「科范」（戏曲中指示演员动作的舞台提示），引申为「被察觉、被看见」之意。「怕人瞧科」四字，将少女怕被旁人识破心事的顾虑写得鲜活生动；以「瞧科」这样一个市井味十足的戏班行话入抒情小曲，既符合元曲「以俗为雅」的语言传统，也暗示了作品与勾栏瓦舍的血缘关系——曲本为歌妓演唱之词，用此类口语正合其体。这个词的妙处还在其形象性：「瞧」是视觉动作，「科」带表演色彩，二字合起来，仿佛少女的顾虑不是抽象的羞怯，而是具体可感的一个场景——她仿佛看见旁人的目光正朝这边扫来。口语入曲而情态毕现，可见徐再思对市井语言运用之熟、提炼之精。

间阔 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「间阔」为宋元俗语，意即久别、相隔，出自「间」与「阔」二字本义——「间」言分离，「阔」言久远，合起来便写出别离之久、相隔之远。若用「久别」「离别」等常见词，意思虽通，却少一分文言的雅致与时间的厚重感；「间阔」二字音节沉缓，读来仿佛能感到离别岁月的漫长。此词在元曲中多见（如「自间阔以来，音书断绝」之类），是文人将俗语雅化、雅语俗用的典型例子。在本曲中，「一自多才间阔」一句由「间阔」立骨，奠定了全曲「盼」的基调——正因为久别未逢，才有「几时盼得成合」的焦灼，才有「猛见他」的惊喜，才有「高唱水调歌」的巧计。一词之设，牵动全篇脉络，可见作者遣词之匠心。