All poems

元 Yuan · 曲 Qu song

塞鸿秋·代人作

Song of the Autumn Wild Geese: Written for Another

贯云石

Guan Yunshi

元曲Yuan Opera 闺情Boudoir Sentiment 相思Lovesickness 咏史Historical Reflection

战西风遥天几行征雁过，感起我南朝千古伤心事。
展花笺欲写几句知心事，空教我停霜毫半晌无才思。
往常得兴时，一扫无瑕疵。
今日个病厌厌，刚写下两个相思字。

Facing the west wind, in distant sky a few lines of wild geese pass,
Awakening in me a heartbreak of a thousand years from the Southern Dynasties.
I spread out the floral stationery to write a few lines of heartfelt words,
But in vain I stop my frost-white brush, for half a while no inspiration.
In days past when inspiration struck, I would sweep through without flaw.
But today, languid and ill, I have just written down two words: 'longing for you.'

Listen

Meaning

The poem depicts an autumn scene: the speaker watches wild geese flying south in the west wind, stirring deep historical sorrow for the Southern Dynasties. He tries to write his feelings on fine paper but is stuck for words. Recalling his past ease in writing, he contrasts it with his current listlessness, and can only write the word 'longing'—capturing the ineffable depth of lovesickness.

迎着西风，遥望长天，几行南飞的大雁掠过；这景象勾起了我心中南朝千古的伤心往事。我铺开花笺，想要写几句知心的话，却白白让手中霜毫停了半晌，竟想不出半句。往常兴致来时，挥笔一挥便毫无瑕疵；如今却病恹恹的，勉强只写下“相思”两个字。

Appreciation

The poem opens with a broad, bleak scene of wild geese against the west wind, triggering historical melancholy. The procrastination in writing vividly conveys the weight of emotion. The contrast between past fluency and present blockage emphasizes the depth of lovesickness. The final line, 'just written down two words: longing,' is a masterstroke, condensing immense feeling into a single word.

【白话串讲】贯云石替一个女子写信给远方的人，摊开信纸想写知心话，笔停了半天，最后只写下两个“相思”字。元曲里的相思，写得又俏皮又心酸。【意象与手法】此曲艺术最妙处在“以无从下笔写尽相思”：前以“战西风遥天几行征雁过”开阔起笔，引出“南朝千古伤心事”的历史之悲【情感与主旨】贯云石为维吾尔族散曲大家，出身将门，却厌弃官场，晚年退隐钱塘，号“芦花道人”，与阿里西瑛、徐再思等交游，以散曲自适【名句点睛】常考“刚写下两个相思字”以少胜多、以无写有的反衬手法；“南朝千古伤心事”由眼前之景引入历史兴亡的虚实结合

Background

Guan Yunshi was a prominent Yuan dynasty Sanqu writer of Uyghur descent. He rejected officialdom and retired to Qiantang, calling himself 'Reed Flower Taoist.' This piece, titled 'Written for Another,' is believed to be written on behalf of a woman expressing longing, or perhaps voicing his own feelings through a feminine persona. Yuan Sanqu often deals with love and reclusion; Guan's style is elegant and unrestrained. This work, infusing historical melancholy, is one of his representative pieces.

贯云石（一二八六至一三二四），本名小云石海涯，维吾尔族，出身将门，父为阿里海牙。元散曲大家，号酸斋，又号芦花道人，与徐再思（甜斋）并称「酸甜乐府」。他文武双全，袭父职为两淮万户府达鲁花赤，后辞官归隐钱塘，潜心诗文散曲。此曲题「代人作」，当是代女子抒写相思，亦或借闺情以遣文人幽怀。元散曲多写男女情思与隐逸之趣，贯云石之作清俊疏宕，此首更以「南朝千古伤心事」注入历史苍凉，于小令中见深沉，是其代表作之一。词人将眼前征雁、花笺、霜毫等寻常物事，与千古兴亡之悲层层绾合，使一首代言之作兼具身世之慨与家国之思，足见其「清俊」一格中亦藏沉郁。贯云石身为色目文人而深得汉文化抒情精髓，此曲恰是多元文化交融下元曲「以俗为雅、以浅写深」的绝佳例证，亦折射元代士人于异代之下借闺情与古事双重建构的精神世界。酸斋身为色目文人而深得汉文化抒情精髓，此曲以闺情与古事双重建构精神世界，恰是元曲多元文化交融下「以俗为雅、以浅写深」的绝佳例证。贯云石由将门子而退隐钱塘，身份的转换使其词心兼具草原的疏朗与江南的婉约，代言体之小曲遂能容纳千古之悲，足见元曲包容异质文化的开阔气象。

Art

The artistry lies in expressing deep longing through the inability to write: the grand opening with geese and history, the contrast between intention and blockage, the juxtaposition of past ease and present stagnation, and the final condensation into just 'longing.' The piece is structurally balanced and emotionally profound.

此曲艺术最妙处在「以无从下笔写尽相思」：前以「战西风遥天几行征雁过」开阔起笔，引出「南朝千古伤心事」的历史之悲；再以「展花笺欲写」与「停霜毫半晌无才思」的动作对比，将满腔情思化为凝滞；末以「往常得兴时，一扫无瑕疵」与「今日个病厌厌」今昔对照，结于「刚写下两个相思字」，以少胜多，举重若轻，巧思独绝。全曲以代言体出之，由景起、由史接、归于情，章法跌宕而血脉贯通。其构思之奇，在以「写不出」写「写不尽」，以「两个字」抵「千古事」，似拙实巧，似淡实浓。衬字与口语（「今日个」「空教我」）的运用更添散曲天然之趣，于精警中见活泼，是元人小令「以俗为雅」的典范。尤其值得玩味者，全曲以「欲写—停笔—往常能写—今日写不出—仅二字」的心理曲线贯穿，将不可言说的深情外化为可感的动作变迁，遂使抽象相思拥有了戏剧性的张力与节奏。全曲以「欲写—停笔—往常能写—今日写不出—仅二字」的心理曲线贯穿，将不可言说之深情外化为可感之动作变迁，遂具戏剧性张力。这种以「写不出」写「写不尽」的构思，使抒情由静态倾诉变为动态呈现，散曲衬字与口语的灵活运用更添天然之趣，诚元人小令「以无写有」修辞的巅峰手笔。

Allusions

'Southern Dynasties' refers to the short-lived dynasties of Song, Qi, Liang, Chen, often used in literature to evoke transience and historical sadness. 'Frost-white brush' (霜毫) is a metaphor for a writing brush made of white rabbit hair. 'Floral stationery' (花笺) refers to fine, decorated paper. The allusions are subtle but evoke historical depth.

「南朝」泛指宋齐梁陈偏安江南诸朝，常作繁华易逝、兴亡无常的代称，前人如杜牧「南朝四百八十寺」、辛弃疾「望中犹记，烽火扬州路」皆用之，此处借雁阵触发历史伤心，是以自然之景接通千古之悲。「霜毫」即白兔毫笔，代指笔，唐宋诗词多用，如黄庭坚「霜毫掷笔」；「花笺」指精致信笺，亦唐宋文人习语。全曲用典不着痕迹而意远，尤以「南朝千古伤心事」一句，将个人相思骤然放大为历史维度之悲，使儿女之情与家国之痛浑融无间。此种以古证今、以小见大的用典手法，正见贯云石虽为少数民族作家，却深得汉文化咏史抒怀之三昧，亦折射元季士人于异代之下借古抒怀的普遍心态。征雁本为传书之象（雁足系书），此处却先以「战西风」写其逆飞之苦，再以此为引勾连「伤心事」，物象与史事浑然相生，用典之巧，尤在似用非用之间。南朝、霜毫、花笺，或承史事或出唐宋文人习语，贯云石以看似不用典之笔融会之，使儿女之情与家国之思浑融无间，用典之妙在似用非用。征雁本为传书之象，此处先以「战西风」写其逆飞之苦，再以此为引勾连千古伤心，物象与史事相生相发，最见元曲驱使故实而归于自然的化境。

Commentary

Ren Ne's 'Introduction to Sanqu' praised Guan Yunshi as 'elegant and free.' This piece, blending boudoir sentiment with historical melancholy, displays natural language with subtle construction. It is often compared with works by Bai Pu and Ma Zhiyuan, highlighting Guan's distinctive 'graceful' style in Yuan Sanqu.

任讷《散曲概论》称贯云石「清俊」，其小令「如天马脱羁」，潇洒不群。此曲于闺情中注入历史苍凉，语言天然而构思精巧，后世论元散曲者多以之与白朴、马致远并提，足见其「俊逸」一格在元代曲坛的地位。明人「曲中李杜」之评虽泛，然于酸斋清俊疏宕之风多所肯定。今人论元散曲，每以此曲为「以无写有」修辞范式的代表：满纸欲写而终仅二字，恰如《诗经》「心乎爱矣，遐不谓矣」之欲言又止。它既延续了词牌中「代人」、「代寄」的抒情传统，又以散曲特有的衬字、口语翻新意境，在元人相思小令中独标高格，宜其与徐再思「甜斋」之作并传，共称元代情词双璧。近人吴梅《曲学通论》亦推其「自然清丽」，以为代言体小令的矩矱，足见此曲在散曲史上的范式意义历久弥新。任讷称其「清俊如天马脱羁」，此曲于闺情中注历史苍凉，与白朴、马致远并提而别标俊逸，宜其与徐再思「甜斋」并传，共称元曲情词双璧。近人吴梅《曲学通论》亦推其自然清丽，以为代言体小令的矩矱，足见此曲在散曲史上历久弥新的范式意义，亦显酸斋「清俊」一格的深远影响。

Prosody

Form Northern opera Zheng Gong tune, Saihongqiu form; lines of 7,7,7,7,5,5,5,5 syllables; final character rhyme except first line; often uses triplet counterpoints.北曲正宫《塞鸿秋》，句式七七七七、五五五五，除首句可不押外句句押韵，多用鼎足对。

Rhyme Based on Zhongyuan Yinyun, mainly zhi-si rhyme; rhyme words: 事,事,思,时,疵,字 (first line '过' can be loosely rhymed).依《中原音韵》支思韵为主（首句「过」属歌戈可宽押），韵脚：事、思、时、疵、字（「过」首句不律亦可）。

Tone pattern Northern opera uses falling tones (qu/shang), giving a mournful sound; first half with four seven-syllable lines, then five-syllable lines with triplet ending.北曲仄声韵（去/上），声情悲咽；前半四七字句铺排，后半五字句以鼎足对收束。

Reading note A persona piece: from 'wild geese' to 'Southern Dynasties' sorrow, then contrast between 'past' and 'present,' leading from fluency to blockage; ending with 'longing' two characters, understated and poignant.此曲属北曲正宫《塞鸿秋》，正宫声情「惆怅雄壮」，最宜写悲郁之怀。句式为前四句七言、后三句五言（或作七七七七五五五五），除首句可不押韵外，余皆句句押韵，故声韵回环、一气贯注，恰与「欲写难书」的缠绵心绪相应。用韵依《中原音韵》支思部，事、思、疵、字同叶，闭口细音，呜咽低回，与「伤心」「相思」之旨密合。首句「过」属歌戈部，于北曲首句可宽叶不究，亦可见元人用韵之活。声调上平仄递换、去上交错，配合「今日个」「空教我」等衬字与口语，使文辞于严整中见天然活泼。整体看，其格律之密服务于情感之跌宕，由开阔（征雁）到凝滞（停毫）再到收束（二字），声情与章法同构，末以「相思」二字收，含蓄沉痛，是北曲小令格律与抒情高度统一的范例，亦为代言体闺情曲的声律矩矱。

Line by line

战西风遥天几行征雁过，感起我南朝千古伤心事。

Facing the west wind, in the distant sky, a few rows of wild geese pass by, awakening in me the heartbreak of a thousand years from the Southern Dynasties. This line uses the geese as a trigger to move from scene to history, setting a melancholic tone.

迎西风遥望长天几行征雁掠过，勾起我南朝千古伤心事。

Battling the west wind, a few lines of marching geese cross the far sky; they stir in me the age-old grief of the Southern Dynasties.

起笔以「战西风」三字劈空而来，西风凛冽，征雁逆飞，一个「战」字既写雁阵冲风之态，亦暗喻历史长河中个体的战栗与无力。遥天几行征雁，本为寻常秋景，词人却由此骤然牵出「南朝千古伤心事」，将空间之远（遥天）与时间之深（千古）一并收束于「伤心」二字，景小意大，出手便是不凡。此句之妙，在以自然物候为引，瞬间将个人情思升格为历史维度之悲，为下文的「欲写难书」蓄足了沉郁的底色，亦定下全曲以景起、以史接、归于情的跌宕章法。尤为可味者，「战」字兼写物与人，使秋空一瞬的雁阵，成为千年兴废的隐喻性opening，举重若轻而气象已具。

The opening comes empty-handed in 'battling the west wind': the wind cutting, the geese flying against it, the word 'battling' at once the geese's charge into the gale, and a dark figure for the individual's trembling helplessness in the long river of history. A few lines of geese in the far sky, an ordinary autumn sight, yet the lyricist suddenly draws out 'the age-old grief of the Southern Dynasties,' gathering the distance of space (far sky) and the depth of time (ages) into the two words 'grief' — small scene, great meaning, an uncommon opening. The genius lies in using the natural season as a cue, instantly lifting personal feeling into the grief of history, charging the somber ground for the 'would write, yet cannot write' below, and fixing the song's起伏 architecture of opening in scene, continuing in history, closing in feeling. The word 'battling,' writing thing and person at once, turns that instant of geese in the autumn sky into the metaphorical opening of a thousand years of rise and fall — weightless handling, the bearing already there.

展花笺欲写几句知心事，空教我停霜毫半晌无才思。

I spread out the floral stationery to write a few heartfelt words, but in vain I stop my frost-white brush for half a while with no inspiration. The 'in vain' and 'half a while' emphasize the blockage, contrasting the depth of unexpressed emotion.

铺开花笺欲写知心话，却停笔半晌想不出。

I spread the flower letter-paper, would write a few words of heart-to-heart; in vain I stop the frost brush, long moments, no wit at all.

此句由历史之悲折回眼前之笔，以「展」「欲写」与「空教」「停」「半晌无才思」两组动作形成强烈反差。花笺精好、霜毫在手，本当落笔成文，却偏偏凝滞半晌、无从下笔——「空教」二字最见心力交瘁：非无才思，乃伤心太深、情至不能言也。词人于此以「写不出」反衬「写不尽」，将前句「千古伤心」的浩茫，收束为案头一笔难成的窘迫，虚实相生。这种以动作的凝滞外化内心的崩塌，比直抒胸臆更显沉痛，亦为结句「仅二字」的惊人之笔作了极自然的铺垫。全句以「展—停」的动作曲线，将不可言说的深情化为可感的戏剧性停顿，是代言体小令「以态写心」的典范。

This line turns from the grief of history back to the pen before the eyes, setting two groups of actions in sharp contrast: 'spread,' 'would write' against 'in vain,' 'stop,' 'long moments, no wit.' Flower paper fine, frost brush in hand, ready to write — yet strangely frozen, unable to begin. The words 'in vain' most show the spent strength: not lack of wit, but grief too deep, feeling beyond speech. The lyricist uses 'cannot write' to set off 'cannot write enough,' gathering the vastness of the earlier 'age-old grief' into the small embarrassment of one stroke that will not come, the void and solid born of each other. This externalizing of the heart's collapse through the freezing of action is more sorrowful than direct outpouring, and primes, most naturally, the startling close of 'only two characters.' The action curve of 'spread — stop' turns the unspeakable feeling into a palpable dramatic pause — a model of the impersonating short song, 'writing heart through pose.'

往常得兴时，一扫无瑕疵。

In days past when inspiration struck, I would sweep through without a flaw. This line contrasts past ease with present stagnation, adding emotional depth.

往常兴致来时，挥笔毫无瑕疵。

In days of old, when the mood was on me, a sweep of the brush left no flaw.

此句以昔衬今，于回忆中勾勒往日挥洒自如、文不加点之畅快，「一扫无瑕疵」五字，将从前才思泉涌、落笔成章的自信写得淋漓。它与下句「今日个病厌厌」构成今昔强烈对照：昔日之「一扫」，正为今日之「停毫」作反衬；昔日之「无瑕疵」，愈显今日之「仅二字」的残缺与沉重。这种时间维度上的自我对勘，使相思之苦不止于当下，而成为一种对「完整自我」的丧失之悲。词人借散曲常见的今昔对比手法，于轻巧口吻中藏沉郁身世之感，举重若轻，最见酸斋构思之妙。更进一层，「往常」之顺与「今日」之滞，亦暗喻太平顺境与沦落愁境的落差，使儿女相思悄然接通人生际遇之叹。

This line sets the past against the present, sketching in memory the ease of former days, writing without correction: 'a sweep of the brush left no flaw,' five characters, the old confidence of a wit like a spring, the composition made as the brush fell. It sets in sharp contrast the next line's 'today, ill and languid': the old 'sweep' is the foil for today's 'stopped brush'; the old 'no flaw' makes all the more stark today's brokenness and weight of 'only two characters.' This self-measurement across time writes the grief of longing not only in the present, but as the loss of a 'whole self.' The lyricist uses the sanqu's common past-present contrast, hiding the somber sense of his own lot beneath a light tone — weightless handling, the wit of Suanzhai. One step further, the old fluency and today's clog darkly figure the gap between the prosperous age and the fallen, sorrowful present, secretly joining a girl's longing to the lament over life's turns.

今日个病厌厌，刚写下两个相思字。

But today, languid and ill, I have just written down two words: 'longing.' The word 'just' (刚) highlights the minimal output, condensing vast emotion into a single word, understated and poignant.

今日病恹恹，勉强只写下「相思」二字。

Today, ill and languid, I have barely written two characters: lovesickness.

结句以「病厌厌」状心神憔悴之态，点明前文「无才思」非关文思，实乃心病。而「刚写下两个相思字」七字，更是全曲诗眼：千言万语、千古伤心，最终凝缩为「相思」二字，以极少胜极多，以「无写」写「尽写」。「刚」字下得极韧，写出笔落之艰难与情意之沉重，仿佛那二字是经千回百转才自心底榨出。全曲至此，由「战西风」之开阔，历「南朝」之苍茫、「停毫」之凝滞，终归于「二字」之静默，如潮水退尽唯余沙滩，余韵无尽，是元散曲「以少总多」修辞的巅峰范例。它既收束了前文的动作曲线，又将个人相思与千古伤心一举绾合，以最轻之笔写最重之情，遂使小令而具长调之沉郁，最见贯云石「清俊」中的深致。

The closing writes the heart's wasting in 'ill and languid,' showing that the earlier 'no wit' was no failure of the pen, but a sickness of the heart. And 'I have barely written two characters: lovesickness' is the poem's eye: a thousand words, a thousand autumns of grief, at last condensed into the two characters 'lovesickness' — the few defeating the many, 'no writing' writing 'all writing.' The word 'barely' is set down with stubborn strength, writing the hardness of the falling stroke, the weight of the feeling, as if those two characters had been wrung from the heart after a thousand turns. The song, from the openness of 'battling the west wind,' through the vastness of the 'Southern Dynasties,' the frozen 'stopped brush,' closes at last in the silence of 'two characters' — like the tide gone out, only the sand left, the aftertone endless, the peak of Yuan sanqu's 'few defeating the many.' It gathers the action curve above, and ties personal longing to the grief of ages in one stroke, writing the heaviest feeling in the lightest touch, giving a short song the somberness of a long air — the depth within Guan Yunshi's clarity and grace.

Study

Word focus

战 Facing/battling—used to describe the wild geese flying against the wind, also hinting at historical struggle; a forceful word. 「战西风」之「战」字，炼得极精。表面写征雁逆风而飞、与西风相搏之态，骨力遒劲；深层则暗含人在历史风涛中颤栗、挣扎的隐喻，一字而兼写物与人。西风本属肃杀之象，着一「战」字，便令开篇骤生紧张与苍凉，与后文「伤心事」遥相呼应。此字以动态动词提振全篇气象，较之寻常「迎西风」「对西风」，更具抗争与孤危之感，足见酸斋炼字如将用兵，虽为小令而气象不凡。更可玩味者，「战」由物及人、由景及史，使一只逆飞的秋雁成为千年兴废的隐喻性符号，起笔即定下沉郁苍凉的基调，是全曲炼字之眼，亦见元人小令「以一字振起全篇」的腕力。

空教 In vain—the word 'empty' conveys futility, reinforcing the difficulty of expressing deep sorrow. 「空教我停霜毫半晌无才思」之「空」字，是全曲情感的关键纽结。「空」者，徒然、枉然也，写出铺笺执笔却凝滞无语的徒劳，外化「欲写难写」的焦灼。它不直说伤心，而让「空」字替读者体会那份想说却说不出的窒息，以「无」写「有」、以「空」写「满」。与前句「欲写」呼应，一有一无、一热一冷，将满腔情思逼入凝滞之境，遂使结句「仅二字」的惊心更具分量，是以虚字传神、四两拨千斤的典范。散曲善用虚字（衬字）以畅气，贯云石于此以「空教我」三字衬垫，既合北曲声口，又使心理刻画细腻入微，最见其「以俗为雅」的炼字功力，亦使代言体的闺情有了真切可感的心跳。

病厌厌 Languid and ill—describes mental exhaustion rather than physical illness, a state of heartache. 「今日个病厌厌」以「病厌厌」状心神憔悴，非真病乃心病，是代言体写闺情最见体贴的一笔。「厌厌」叠字本状精神不振、恹恹欲绝之态，着一「病」字，便将抽象的相思之苦具象为可感的形销骨立。它与前句「往常得兴时，一扫无瑕疵」的畅快形成今昔反差，使「病」成为「情至不能言」的外在症候。尤为巧妙者，词人借「病厌厌」这一习见的闺情语汇，却赋予其超越儿女私情的分量——与「南朝千古伤心事」遥映，个人的恹恹之病，实则连通着历史的沉疴。炼字之重，在以寻常体态语承载深广悲怀，举重若轻，最见酸斋「清俊」中含沉郁的笔意。

刚 Just barely—contrasts with the earlier intention to write 'heartfelt words,' showing the immense effort to produce only two words. 「刚写下两个相思字」之「刚」字，看似平常口语，实乃全曲收束之力。它写出笔落之艰、情凝之重——千回百转，方「刚」挤出二字，仿佛那「相思」是自心底一丝丝榨出。与篇首「欲写几句知心事」的豪兴相较，「刚」字见证了情感由泛滥到凝缩的整个过程，以极淡之词收极浓之情。散曲善用衬字口语，「刚」字正是此类活用之妙，于不经意处见锤炼，使结句举重若轻、余味无穷。更进一层，「刚」与「两个」叠加，以数量之微反衬分量之重，遂使「相思」二字成为承载千古伤心与个人离愁的终极容器，是元人小令「以少总多」修辞的关纽，亦显贯云石炼口语如炼金的高妙。