All poems

元 Yuan · 散曲 Sanqu song

四块玉·马嵬坡

Four Pieces of Jade · Mawei Slope

马致远

Ma Zhiyuan

怀古Nostalgia for the past 历史History

睡海棠，春将晚，恨不得明皇掌中看。
《霓裳》正舞到腰偏，翠盘飞起香风扇。
海棠衰，翠辇辞金殿，情凄切。

Sleeping crabapple, spring is ending,
The Ming Emperor wishes he could hold her in his palm and gaze.
The Rainbow Skirt Dance bends to the waist,
Green plates rise, fragrant fans flutter.
The crabapple fades,
The imperial carriage leaves the golden hall,
Heartfelt sorrow.

Listen

Meaning

This short lyric describes the tragic love story of Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei at Mawei Slope. It contrasts the peak of their romance and revelry with the sudden fall into sorrow and death.

那如睡海棠般的杨妃，春色将残，明皇恨不得将她置于掌中细看。正当《霓裳羽衣曲》舞到腰肢轻摆、翠盘飞旋香风满扇之时，繁华骤歇——海棠凋衰，翠辇辞别金殿，马嵬赐死，一片凄切。

Appreciation

The lyric uses the image of a 'sleeping crabapple' to compare Yang Guifei's beauty, and describes the emperor's infatuation. The middle part depicts the splendor of the Rainbow Skirt Dance. The ending abruptly shifts to decay and farewell, creating a strong contrast between prosperity and decline, highlighting the transience of glory and the tragedy of love.

【白话串讲】马嵬坡上，杨贵妃被赐死，唐玄宗保不住自己最爱的人。马致远写：“恨不得明皇掌中看”——再大的皇帝，也护不住一段爱情。【意象与手法】全曲短小精悍，前三句以“睡海棠”喻杨妃、写宠爱之深；中二句铺陈《霓裳》歌舞之盛，极写承平繁华【情感与主旨】马致远，号东篱，元曲四大家之一。此〔南吕·四块玉〕《马嵬坡》咏唐玄宗与杨贵妃之变【名句点睛】默写易错：“睡海棠”之“棠”勿作“堂”；“恨不得明皇掌中看”之“皇”易误作“黄”

Background

Ma Zhiyuan, also known as Dongli, was one of the Four Great Masters of Yuan opera. This lyric, set to the tune 'Four Pieces of Jade', recounts the incident at Mawei Slope in 756 AD during the An Lushan Rebellion, when Emperor Xuanzong was forced to order Yang Guifei's death. Ma Zhiyuan uses this historical event to express feelings about the impermanence of life and power.

马致远（约1250—1321以后），号东篱，大都人，元曲四大家之一，曾为江浙行省务官，晚年退隐。此首〔南吕·四块玉〕《马嵬坡》，咏唐玄宗与杨贵妃的故事。马嵬坡在今陕西兴平市西，是杨贵妃的殒身之地。唐天宝十五载（756）六月，安史叛军攻破潼关，玄宗仓皇西逃，行至马嵬驿，随行禁军哗变，诛杀宰相杨国忠，并迫使玄宗赐杨贵妃自缢，一代红颜就此香消玉殒。这一事件，是中唐以降诗人反复吟咏的题材，白居易《长恨歌》、杜牧《过华清宫绝句》、李商隐《马嵬》、郑畋《马嵬坡》等，皆由此生发。马致远此曲，即承这一咏史传统，而取元曲小令的体式，以极短的篇幅写尽杨妃由宠极到殒命的巨变。元人咏史，常借古人酒杯，浇自己块垒，马致远一生沉沦下僚、志不得伸，其写马嵬之变，于繁华骤歇的感慨中，亦不无对世事变幻、红颜易逝的叹惋。此曲以「睡海棠」起，以「情凄切」结，前后对照，盛衰之感自见，是元曲咏史小令中的精悍之作。杨妃与玄宗的悲剧，自中唐以来便是诗家常题。天宝十五载（756）马嵬之变，禁军哗变，诛杨国忠，逼玄宗赐死杨妃，一代红颜香消玉殒，盛唐的繁华亦随之落幕。马致远以元曲小令咏之，不取白居易《长恨歌》的铺叙，不取杜牧《过华清宫》的微讽，而独以海棠之睡衰，写尽盛衰之变，是元人咏史之曲的别调。

Art

The piece is short but powerful. The first three lines use metaphor and hyperbole to show the emperor's deep affection. The middle two lines vividly describe the dance and music. The final three lines abruptly turn to sorrow, with the repeated 'crabapple' image creating a stark contrast and a sense of dramatic reversal.

此曲短小精悍，而结构极见匠心。前段写「盛」：「睡海棠，春将晚」以海棠喻杨妃，写其慵懒娇憨之美；「恨不得明皇掌中看」写玄宗宠爱之深，恨不能将杨妃捧于掌中，「掌中」二字，极写其珍视。中段写「歌舞之盛」：「《霓裳》正舞到腰偏，翠盘飞起香风扇」二句，写《霓裳羽衣曲》舞到酣处，腰肢轻摆，翠盘飞旋，香风满扇，把承平岁月的繁华推到了顶点。后段写「衰」：「海棠衰」三字陡转，与开篇「睡海棠」遥相对照，同一株海棠，由「睡」而「衰」，盛衰之变一瞬之间；「翠辇辞金殿」写杨妃被逐出宫、身死马嵬，翠辇一辞，金殿永诀；「情凄切」三字收束，直抒其悲。全曲以「海棠」为线索，前后照应：睡海棠是初盛之态，海棠衰是末路之形，一睡一衰，宠辱立判。章法上，先盛后衰，先扬后抑，写盛愈极，则写衰愈痛。炼字上，「睡」「掌中」「偏」「飞」「辞」各尽其妙，而以「衰」字最沉。全曲不着一「死」字，而杨妃之亡、繁华之逝，尽在不言之中。全曲以「海棠」为一篇之线索，前呼后应：开篇「睡海棠」写其娇慵承宠，是杨妃一生最得意的时刻；中段《霓裳》、翠盘写其歌舞之盛，是承平岁月最繁华的景象；后段「海棠衰」三字陡转，同一株海棠，由睡而衰，杨妃的一生遂由盛入亡。以同一意象的前后变化，写尽宠辱之变、盛衰之替，是此曲章法最见匠心处，而全曲不着一死字，杨妃之亡尽在不言中。

Allusions

'Sleeping crabapple' alludes to a story where Emperor Xuanzong compared Yang Guifei's drunken beauty to a 'crabapple still not fully awake in spring', a phrase borrowed from Su Shi. 'Rainbow Skirt Dance' refers to a famous court dance composed by the emperor himself. 'Green plate' alludes to a dance prop used by Yang Guifei. The farewell scene evokes Bai Juyi's 'Song of Everlasting Sorrow'.

此曲用典皆关乎杨妃与唐宫旧事。「睡海棠」一语，典出北宋惠洪《冷斋夜话》所引《杨妃外传》（一作《太真外传》）：玄宗登沉香亭，诏太真妃子，时妃子卯酒未醒，玄宗笑曰「岂是妃子醉，直海棠睡未足耳」。自此「海棠春睡」遂成杨妃的代称，海棠亦与杨妃结下不解之缘，苏轼「只恐夜深花睡去」即由此化出。马致远以「睡海棠」开篇，是直接沿用这一典故，点出所咏之人。「掌中」二字，暗用汉成帝后赵飞燕「掌上舞」之典，相传飞燕体轻，能为掌上之舞；马致远移以写玄宗欲将杨妃「掌中看」，写其宠爱之深，宠之如珍玩，爱之如掌珠。《霓裳》即《霓裳羽衣曲》，相传为唐玄宗据西凉乐曲润色而成，杨贵妃善舞此曲，白居易《长恨歌》「渔阳鼙鼓动地来，惊破霓裳羽衣曲」已将其与安史之乱相连。「翠盘」指舞盘，唐代有盘舞之戏，妃嫔于翠盘上起舞。「翠辇」为帝王后妃之车，饰以翠羽。诸典并用，皆集中于杨妃与玄宗的承平旧事，而马嵬之变的历史阴影，则隐于「衰」「辞」二字之后，不待明言而自现。「海棠春睡」之典，自惠洪《冷斋夜话》出，遂成杨妃的代称，苏轼「只恐夜深花睡去」即由此化出；「掌中」暗用赵飞燕掌上舞之典，写玄宗之溺爱。马致远合二典于一曲，以海棠喻杨妃之美，以掌中写玄宗之宠，而海棠之衰、掌中之覆，又暗伏马嵬之变的悲剧，用典之精，在于前后照应。

Commentary

Sui Shusen's 'Complete Sanqu of the Yuan Dynasty' praises Ma Zhiyuan's 'Four Pieces of Jade' for their depth. Modern critics note that this Mawei Slope piece, through the metaphor of the crabapple, captures a moment of splendor followed by desolation, echoing the tragic mood of Ma's play 'Autumn in Han Palace'.

马嵬之变是唐诗咏史的经典题材，代有名篇。白居易《长恨歌》以长篇叙事，写李杨之爱至死不渝，为杨妃翻案；杜牧《过华清宫绝句》「一骑红尘妃子笑，无人知是荔枝来」以微讽见意；李商隐《马嵬》「如何四纪为天子，不及卢家有莫愁」以议论见刺；郑畋《马嵬坡》「终是圣明天子事，景阳宫井又何人」为玄宗回护。马致远此曲，则在元曲的体式中别开一路：它不叙事、不议论、不翻案、不回护，只以「睡海棠」与「海棠衰」的意象对照，写尽盛衰之变，把咏史的感慨都收敛在「情凄切」三字之中。这种以意象对照代替议论的写法，正是元曲咏史小令与唐宋咏史诗的分别。元人咏史散曲，多取史事之一瞬，以曲家之笔点染，马致远此曲尤为凝练。后世论元曲咏史者，常将此曲与白朴《梧桐雨》、马致远《汉宫秋》并观——后二者是杂剧，以戏剧写李杨、昭君之悲，此曲是小令，以数语写尽同样之悲，虽体式不同，而感慨则一，可见马致远于历史题材的深厚功力。元人咏史散曲，多取史事之一瞬，以曲家之笔点染。此曲以海棠之睡衰写杨妃之宠亡，与白朴《梧桐雨》写李杨之悲、马致远《汉宫秋》写昭君之怨，同为元曲历史题材的名作，而此曲以三十余字写尽盛衰，尤为凝练。后世论元曲咏史，常以此曲为例，谓其能以极短之篇幅，纳极深之感慨。

Prosody

Form Sanqu short lyric (Nanlü · Four Pieces of Jade)散曲小令，〔南吕·四块玉〕

Rhyme Late, gaze, waist, flutter, fades, hall, sorrow (the rhyme scheme uses tones from the han shan and xian tian rhyme groups)押《中原音韵》，韵脚为「晚」「看」「偏」「扇」「殿」「切」，寒山、先天邻韵通押，平仄互叶

Tone pattern Short sentences, blending narrative and description, suitable for vivid storytelling此曲句式参差，三言、五言、七言相间，共八句。韵脚「晚」「看」「偏」「扇」「殿」「切」多仄声收束，声调由平转仄、由缓转急，与全曲由盛入衰、由繁华入凄切的情感走势相合。

Reading note The piece captures the before and after of the Mawei incident, using contrast to convey tragedy concisely.〔四块玉〕是南吕宫曲牌，句式短促参差，宜于写感慨之词。此曲韵脚「晚」「看」属寒山韵，「偏」「扇」「殿」属先天韵，「切」属车遮韵，寒山、先天二部在元曲中常通押，形成一种由洪而细、由开而合的声情变化。就声情论，前段写盛，韵脚「晚」「看」音色较开，读来尚从容；中段写歌舞，韵脚「偏」「扇」音色转细，如舞姿之轻盈；后段写衰，韵脚「殿」「切」音色愈促，如泣如咽，「情凄切」三字以入声作上声的「切」字收束，戛然而止，悲情毕现。全曲以韵脚的音色变化配合情感的起伏，由盛而衰、由舒而促，声与情丝丝入扣。马致远散曲极重声调，此曲虽短，而于曲律一丝不苟，可见其「曲状元」的功力。「情凄切」三字，以「切」字入声作上声收束，戛然而止，如泣如咽，把全曲的悲情推向顶点，正是曲家以声写情的妙处。全曲韵脚由寒山、先天而归于车遮之「切」，声调由开而合，由舒而促，与杨妃由宠而亡的悲剧浑然一体。

Line by line

恨不得明皇掌中看

He could hardly bear not to watch her in the palm of his hand.

明皇恨不得将她置于掌中细看

The emperor longed to hold her in the palm of his hand and gaze at her.

此句写玄宗对杨妃的宠爱，是全曲写「盛」的顶点。「恨不得」三字，写玄宗爱之深切，只恨不能将杨妃时时捧于掌中，日日看之不尽。「掌中看」三字，化用赵飞燕「掌上舞」的典故，写杨妃之轻盈可人，亦写玄宗之视若珍玩——爱到极处，反近于玩，宠到极处，亦近于轻。此句的深意正在于此：玄宗对杨妃的爱，是一种「掌中」的占有，而「掌中」之物，捧之则贵，覆手则碎，杨妃的命运早已系于这「掌中」二字。马致远以一「掌中看」，既写出承平时节的溺爱，又暗伏了马嵬之下「捧杀」的悲剧，一石二鸟，是此曲最见匠心的炼句。

This line writes Xuanzong's love for the Yang Guifei, the peak of the song's 'prime.' 'He could hardly bear' writes the depth of the love, only regretting he could not hold her in the palm, gazing his fill day by day. 'In the palm of his hand' adapts the allusion to Zhao Feiyan's 'dance on the palm,' writing the consort's lightness, and the emperor's treating her like a treasure — love at the extreme, nearing play; favor at the extreme, nearing lightness. The line's deep meaning is precisely this: Xuanzong's love is a 'palm' possession, and things in the palm are precious when held, crushed when turned; the consort's fate already hung on the two words 'palm.' Ma Zhiyuan, in 'watch her in the palm of his hand,' writes at once the dotage of the peaceful age, and the hidden tragedy of the 'crushing' below Mawei — one stone, two birds, the most crafted line of the song.

《霓裳》正舞到腰偏

The Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Dress — just as the dance reaches the sway of her waist.

正当《霓裳羽衣曲》舞到腰肢轻摆

Just as the Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Dance reaches the sway of her waist.

此句写杨妃舞《霓裳羽衣曲》的盛景。「《霓裳》」即唐大曲《霓裳羽衣曲》，相传为玄宗所制、杨妃善舞，是李杨承平岁月的象征；「正舞到腰偏」五字，写舞姿的极致——「腰偏」是舞到酣处、腰肢轻摆、娇软无力的瞬间，正是舞蹈最动人、也最令人忘情的一刻。「正」字尤为关键，它把全曲的时间定格在歌舞正酣、繁华正盛的一瞬，而这一瞬之后，便是渔阳鼙鼓、马嵬兵变的急转直下。白居易《长恨歌》「渔阳鼙鼓动地来，惊破霓裳羽衣曲」以「惊破」写乐极生悲，马致远则以「正舞到」三字，把悲剧的降临写得更加猝然——舞未竟而祸已至，繁华在最高处轰然折断。

This line writes the splendor of the consort's Rainbow Skirt dance. 'The Rainbow Skirt' is the great Tang suite said to be composed by Xuanzong and danced by the consort, the symbol of the Li-Yang peaceful years; 'just as the dance reaches the sway of her waist' writes the dance's extreme — 'waist swayed' the instant of the dance at its height, the waist softly turning, tender and languid, the most moving, mostTransporting moment. The word 'just' is key: it freezes the song's time in the instant of dance at its height, splendor at its peak — and after this instant comes the sudden turn of the war drums from Yuyang and the Mutiny at Mawei. Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Sorrow writes the music's end in 'startled and broken'; Ma Zhiyuan, in 'just as the dance reaches,' writes the tragedy's coming the more abruptly — the dance unfinished, disaster arrived, splendor snapped at its highest.

翠盘飞起香风扇

On the emerald platter, she spins; the fragrant wind fans out.

翠盘飞旋香风满扇

The emerald disk spins; a fragrant wind rises in the fans.

此句承上句，进一步渲染歌舞之盛。「翠盘」是饰以翠羽的舞盘，杨妃于其上飞旋起舞；「飞起」二字，写其舞姿之轻盈飘举，如凌空而起；「香风扇」三字，写舞动之际，罗扇翻飞，香风四散，嗅觉与视觉交织，一派歌舞升平的景象。此句与上句「腰偏」相承，把《霓裳》之舞的声、色、香、态写到极盛。「香风扇」的「香」字尤妙，它写的是杨妃体香、宫香、花香混杂的承平气息，这香气愈浓，愈反衬出后文马嵬坡的腥风血雨——盛时之香与乱时之腥，正是一体之两面。全曲写盛至此，已到笔饱墨酣之境，再无可进，故下句「海棠衰」的陡转，遂有千钧之力。

This line follows the last, further rendering the splendor of song and dance. 'The emerald platter' is the dance platform trimmed with kingfisher feathers, on which the consort spins; 'she spins' writes the lightness of the dance, as if rising into the air; 'the fragrant wind fans out' writes the silk fans flashing in the dance, the fragrant scent scattering — smell and sight interwoven, a scene of peaceful revelry. The line follows the last's 'waist swayed,' writing the sound, color, scent, and pose of the Rainbow Skirt dance to the extreme. The word 'fragrant' in 'fragrant wind' is especially fine: the consort's body scent, palace scent, flower scent blended in the air of peace; the richer the scent, the sharper the contrast with the bloody wind of Mawei below — the fragrance of the height and the stench of the fall are two faces of one thing. The song's writing of splendor has reached its fullness here, no further to go; so the sudden turn of the next line's 'crabapple withered' carries the weight of a thousand catties.

翠辇辞金殿

The emerald carriage bids farewell to the golden hall.

翠辇辞别金殿

The emerald carriage takes leave of the golden hall.

此句写杨妃的被逐与殒命，是全曲由盛入衰的落点。「翠辇」是后妃所乘的翠羽车驾，「金殿」是皇宫，二者皆富贵之极的象征；「辞」字则是诀别——翠辇一旦辞别金殿，便再不能回返，杨妃的宫廷生涯至此终结，而等待她的，是马嵬坡下的一缕白绫。此句妙在只写「辞」，不写「死」：辞别金殿的是翠辇，也是杨妃的性命与荣华，一个「辞」字，把死亡写得含蓄而沉痛。「金殿」与「翠辇」的华贵，与「辞」字的决绝，构成强烈的反差——昔日最尊贵的一切，如今一辞而空。此句与开篇「明皇掌中看」的宠爱遥相对照，掌中的爱物，终成路上的孤魂，盛衰之痛，尽在这「辞」字之中。

This line writes the consort's expulsion and death, the settling point of the song from prime to decline. 'The emerald carriage' is the feathered carriage of the empress and consorts; 'the golden hall' the imperial palace, both the symbols of the highest wealth; the word 'farewell' is the final parting — once the emerald carriage bids farewell to the golden hall, it returns no more, the consort's court life ended, and what awaits her is the white silk below Mawei slope. The genius lies in writing only the 'farewell,' not the 'death': the carriage that leaves the hall is the consort's life and glory; one word 'farewell' writes death with reserve and grief. The splendor of 'golden hall' and 'emerald carriage' against the resolve of 'farewell' — all that was most honored, emptied in one farewell. The line answers the opening's 'watch her in the palm of his hand' from afar: the love-object in the palm becomes at last a lone soul by the road, the grief of rise and fall all within that one word 'farewell.'

Study

Word focus

睡海棠 Sleeping crabapple: a metaphor for Yang Guifei's beauty, suggesting both her drunken charm and the fragility of blossoms, foreshadowing tragedy. 「睡海棠」三字是全曲开篇的意象，也是贯穿全篇的线索。「海棠」本指花，因唐玄宗以「海棠睡未足」比杨妃醉态，遂成杨妃的代称；「睡」字写其慵懒娇憨，是杨妃承平时节的写照。以「睡海棠」起笔，妙在一语双关：既是写人——杨妃如海棠般娇艳慵懒，又是写物——以花喻人，人花莫辨。更妙的是，此三字为后文「海棠衰」埋下伏笔：同一株海棠，开篇时是「睡」，是含苞待放的娇慵，后文是「衰」，是花落枝残的凋零，一睡一衰，宠辱立判，杨妃的一生，尽系于这株海棠的荣枯。以「睡海棠」开篇，是马致远此曲最见构思的一笔。

掌中 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「掌中」二字见于「恨不得明皇掌中看」，是全曲写宠爱的诗眼。「掌中」化用赵飞燕「掌上舞」的典故，写杨妃之轻盈，更写玄宗之溺爱——爱到只恨不能将她捧在掌中。然「掌中」二字自有其反讽：掌中之物，捧之则高高在上，翻掌之间即坠地成灰。玄宗以「掌中」视杨妃，是爱之，亦是不平等的占有，杨妃的荣辱生死，全系于这「掌中」的翻覆。马嵬之变，正是「掌中」二字最残酷的注脚——昔日掌中看，今朝掌中失。二字看似写爱，实则写尽帝妃之爱的脆弱与虚妄，是全曲最耐寻味的炼字。

衰 Fades: a single character that marks the turning point from prosperity to decline, encapsulating both the withering of the flower and the collapse of love and dynasty. 「衰」字见于「海棠衰」，是全曲由盛入衰的枢纽，也是分量最重的一个字。此字与开篇「睡海棠」的「睡」遥相对照：「睡」是慵懒娇艳的生机，「衰」是花落枝残的死寂，一睡一衰之间，杨妃由宠冠六宫到身死马嵬的一生，尽在其中。「衰」字本写草木的凋零，用之于海棠，则是写杨妃的香消玉殒——以花之衰，写人之亡，含蓄而不失沉痛。这一个「衰」字，又不止于写杨妃一人，它写的是整个盛唐的衰败，是「霓裳」之盛的终结，是承平岁月的落幕。以一字而兼写人衰、花衰、国衰三层，马致远炼字之工，于此可见。