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元 Yuan · 散曲 Sanqu song

天净沙·夏

Sky Clear Sand · Summer

白朴

Bai Pu

写景scenery 闲适leisure 时序Theme

云收雨过波添，楼高水冷瓜甜，绿树阴垂画檐。
纱厨藤簟，玉人罗扇轻缣。

Clouds withdraw, the rain has passed, the waves swell higher;
The tower stands high, the water cool, the melon sweet;
Green trees cast shade that droops before the painted eave.
Behind the gauze curtain, a cane mat—
A fair one waves a silk fan, her light gauze robe agleam.

Listen

Meaning

After rain clouds lift, the river swells with new water; the tall tower feels cool by the water and the melon tastes sweet. Green shade droops from the trees before the painted eaves. Behind the gauze net a cane mat lies; a beautiful woman waves a silk fan, dressed in thin silk. The lyric paints a cool, leisurely summer scene.

云散雨收，江波因雨水而涨添；楼阁高敞，井水沁凉，瓜儿清甜。绿树浓阴低垂在彩画的屋檐。纱帐里的藤席上，美人轻摇罗扇，身着素绢薄衫。

Appreciation

The song wins by plain description: in just over twenty characters it sketches a picture of cool summer pleasure. The first three lines form a 'tripod antithesis' (three parallel phrases) engaging sight, touch and taste; the verbs 'swell', 'sweet', 'droop' are finely chosen. The last two lines turn from scene to person, showing grace within coolness, with a faint motion (the waving fan) inside stillness—elegant and composed.

【白话串讲】 “楼高水冷瓜甜，绿树阴垂画檐”——白朴写夏天：云收雨过，水波添满，高楼水冷，瓜甜阴凉。纱帐藤席，玉人摇着罗扇。原来古人的夏天，这么清凉。【意象与手法】此曲以白描取胜，二十余字勾勒出一幅清夏行乐图。前三句「云收雨过波添，楼高水冷瓜甜，绿树阴垂画檐」为鼎足对，分别以视觉（云、楼、树）、触觉（波添、水冷、阴垂）、味觉（瓜甜）多感官写夏，炼字精切；后二句「纱厨藤簟，玉人罗扇轻缣」由景及人，于清凉中现风姿，静景中暗含轻摇罗扇之动。【情感与主旨】白朴（1226—约1306），字太素，号兰谷，元代杂剧家、散曲家，「元曲四大家」之一。金亡后流寓南方，终身不仕，隐居以终。《天净沙》春夏秋冬四首是其散曲代表作，此夏景篇约作于其江南隐居时期，借四时景物抒写闲适自得之情，虽写炎夏而无烦热之苦，正见其冲淡心境。【名句点睛】常考前三句鼎足对的构成与多感官写景（视觉、触觉、味觉）、「添」「甜」「垂」等动词的锤炼之妙，以及「玉人罗扇轻缣」由景及人的闲雅点睛。

Background

Bai Pu (1226–c.1306), courtesy name Taisu, style name Langgu, was a Yuan dramatist and sanqu lyricist, one of the 'Four Great Masters of Yuan Drama'. After the fall of Jin he wandered south and never served in office, living in retirement. His set of four 'Sky Clear Sand' pieces (spring, summer, autumn, winter) is a representative of his sanqu; this summer piece dates likely from his Jiangnan retirement. As many Yuan scholars withdrew from the world, Bai Pu used the four seasons to voice leisurely contentment—writing of hot summer without any discomfort, revealing his calm mind.

白朴（1226—约1306），字太素，号兰谷，隩州（今山西河曲）人，元代杂剧家、散曲家，「元曲四大家」之一，代表作《梧桐雨》《墙头马上》。白朴生于金末，幼遭丧乱，其父白华为金朝枢密院判，金亡后家道中落，白朴遂无意仕进，元中统初有人荐之于朝，他再三逊谢，终身不仕，流寓真定、金陵、杭州等地，以诗酒自娱。其散曲《天净沙》春夏秋冬四首，是写四时景物的组曲名篇，此夏景篇约作于其江南隐居时期。时元初士人多避世，白朴借四时景物抒写闲适自得之情——夏日炎热本易生烦躁，此曲却通篇清凉安闲，云收雨过、水冷瓜甜、绿阴画檐、玉人罗扇，不见一丝暑气烦热，正见其冲淡心境与对江南清夏生活的安然享受，是元散曲「清丽」一派的代表。白朴之父白华仕金为显官，金亡后白朴流离南方，其《天净沙》四时组曲写尽江南四时之美，实含故国之思与隐逸之志于景物之中；此首写夏之清凉，正是乱世避居者于江南寻得的安宁片刻，其闲适背后自有深意，不可仅以写景视之。

Art

The song wins by plain description, sketching a cool summer pleasure scene in just over twenty characters. The first three lines—'Clouds withdraw… the waves swell; the tower high… the melon sweet; green trees… the painted eave'—form a tripod antithesis, engaging sight (clouds, tower, trees), touch (swelling waves, cool water, drooping shade) and taste (sweet melon) through multiple senses, with precise diction. The last two lines—'gauze curtain, cane mat; a fair one, silk fan, light robe'—move from scene to person, showing grace within coolness; a faint motion (the waving fan) lives inside the stillness, leisurely and refined.

此曲以白描取胜，二十余字勾勒出一幅清夏行乐图，章法精炼、感官交错。前三句「云收雨过波添，楼高水冷瓜甜，绿树阴垂画檐」为鼎足对（三句互对），分别写天、地、人三个层次：首句写天象之变——云收雨过，江波因雨而添，「添」字见水势之活；次句写暑中之凉——楼高风凉、井水沁冷、瓜味清甜，以「冷」「甜」写触觉味觉，暑中见清凉；三句写庭院之景——绿树浓阴低垂画檐，以「垂」字写静中有态。三句一句一景，视觉、触觉、味觉交错，把清凉之感写得可触可尝。后二句「纱厨藤簟，玉人罗扇轻缣」由景及人：纱帐藤席是夏之卧具，玉人轻摇罗扇、身着薄绢，是夏之人物，于清凉中现风姿，静景中暗含摇扇之动，闲雅有致。全曲无一句写「热」，而清凉自生，正是「不著一字，尽得风流」的写法。全曲五句，一句一景，如五幅扇面连缀，而由天象、居处、庭院、卧具到人物，镜头由远及近、由物及人，章法井然；『不著一字苦热』而清凉自生，正是白朴写景『以不写为写』的高境。

Allusions

The song uses no obvious allusion, formed purely from things seen, embodying the 'natural-colour' strain of Yuan sanqu. Only 'gauze curtain' (sha chu) is a common summer furnishing since Tang and Song; 'fair one' (yu ren) derives from Shi Jing 'a girl like jade' and Du Mu's 'where does the fair one teach the flute', continuing the tradition of 'fair one' for a beauty, yet already merged into everyday leisure, not hindering its natural freshness.

此曲无明显用典，纯以即目之景成篇，正体现元散曲「本色」一路的自然清新。「纱厨」指纱帐，为唐宋以来夏日常见的居室陈设，白居易《夏日》「纱厨藤簟方丈室」即咏夏日纱帐藤席之凉，白朴此曲「纱厨藤簟」暗承其意，写出暑中卧具之清凉；「玉人」语本《诗经·召南·野有死麕》「有女如玉」及杜牧《寄扬州韩绰判官》「二十四桥明月夜，玉人何处教吹箫」，以「玉人」代指美人，是沿用已久的典雅代称，然已融入日常闲居语境，不碍其天然清新。「罗扇」即纨扇、罗衣之扇，为传统夏令风物；「轻缣」指轻薄的细绢衣衫。全曲以寻常器物、常见典故写眼前清夏之景，不堆垛、不炫学，正是元曲「以俗为雅、以真为美」审美取向的体现。又『罗扇』暗含班婕妤『裁成合欢扇』的团扇传统与杜牧『轻罗小扇扑流萤』的秋意，此处以罗扇写夏之轻凉，化用前人意而翻新，正是元曲『以俗为雅』的典型笔法；器物之典皆化入日常，不碍其天然。

Commentary

The four-season 'Sky Clear Sand' are always named together; moderns say Bai Pu's sanqu is 'clear and beautiful to the bone'. An earlier critic said of this summer piece 'not a word of heat, yet coolness arises of itself'. Set against Ma Zhiyuan's 'Autumn Thought'—one sorrowful, one leisurely—they stand as twin gems of the Yuan short lyric, showing the wonder of one tune, two realms. Even Wang Guowei, who prized Ma's work, had to admire Bai Pu's limpid scenery.

《天净沙》四时组曲向来并称，是白朴散曲「清丽入骨」风格的代表。近人论白朴散曲，谓其「清丽入骨」——此曲写夏而无一字及「热」，唯见清凉，正是「清」之极致；前人评此夏景「不著一字苦热，而清凉自生」，与《天净沙·秋》「孤村落日残霞」的萧疏、马致远《天净沙·秋思》「枯藤老树昏鸦」的苍凉相比，此曲以清丽闲雅独标一格。马致远的《秋思》与白朴的《夏》并立为元小令双璧：一悲一闲，一苍凉一清润，同用《天净沙》曲牌而境界迥异，足见同调而异境之妙。王国维《人间词话》虽重马作「深得唐人绝句妙境」，然亦不能不服白朴写景之清润。此曲在元散曲中，是「以白描写闲适」的典范，也是理解元人避世心境与江南风物的重要文本。从文学史看，此曲与白朴《天净沙·春》《秋》《冬》组成四时画卷，开元人散曲写四时景物之先声，其清丽风格对张可久、乔吉等后起散曲家影响深远，是元散曲『清丽』一派的奠基之作，也是理解元人避世心境的重要文本。

Prosody

Form Yuan sanqu, yue mode, 'Sky Clear Sand' (short lyric)元散曲·越调·天净沙（小令）

Rhyme Rhymes on 'swell, sweet, eave, mat, robe' (Zhongyuan phonology, lian-xian group)韵脚为添、甜、檐、簟、缣，押中原音韵·廉纤韵（先天韵之细目），一韵到底，音节清亮。

Tone pattern Pattern 5-5-5, 4-4; tripod antithesis neat, tones free句式为五五五、四四，前三句为鼎足对，后二句为对句，不拘平仄，以声韵流转见长。

Reading note 'Sky Clear Sand' fixed pattern is 5-5-5, 4-4; Bai Pu used it for the four seasons; this is the summer one此曲为越调《天净沙》小令，定格句式为五五五、四四，共五句二十八字。《天净沙》本为越调曲牌，元人喜用以写景，其体制特点有三：一是前三句多为鼎足对——「云收雨过波添，楼高水冷瓜甜，绿树阴垂画檐」三句互对，句句皆工，是散曲对仗艺术的典型；二是后二句为对句——「纱厨藤簟，玉人罗扇轻缣」亦相对成文；三是用韵较密，五句五韵，一韵到底，韵脚皆平声清亮之音，读来如珠玉相击。白朴《天净沙》春夏秋冬四首，皆用此定格而各写其时：夏景写清凉闲适，秋景写萧疏苍凉，同调而异境。曲律不似诗词之严，平仄较宽，而以声韵流转、语言本色见长，此曲正体现元散曲「以俗为雅、以真为美」的特点，是揣摩《天净沙》曲牌格律与元曲本色的典范之作。

Line by line

云收雨过波添，

Clouds gathered, rain passed, the waves risen;

云散雨收，江波因雨水而涨添。

Clouds scatter, rain is over, the river waves rise;

起笔写夏雨初霁的天象，一个「添」字见水势之活。「云收雨过」写雨止云散，夏日阵雨来得快、去得也快，雨过天青，画面为之一清；「波添」写江波因雨水而上涨——阵雨初过，溪涧汇流，江面为之一涨，「添」字不用「涨」而用「添」，更见水势渐增的动态与雨后新涨的清新。此句的妙处有三：一是以「收」「过」「添」三个动词写雨霁水涨的完整过程，动态传神；二是以雨过写清凉——夏日炎热，阵雨一过，暑气顿消，虽未写「凉」而凉意已生；三是为全曲定调——雨后新凉，正是下文「水冷瓜甜」「绿阴画檐」清凉世界的前提，起笔即见白朴写夏「不著一字苦热」的高明。

The opening writes the sky after the summer shower, one word 'risen' showing the water's life. 'Clouds gathered, rain passed' the rain ended, clouds scattered — summer showers come fast, go fast, after rain the sky clears, the picture cleaned; 'the waves risen' the river swollen by the rain — the shower just passed, streams joining, the river risen, the word 'risen,' not 'swollen,' showing the growing motion and the freshness after rain. The genius is threefold: three verbs 'gathered,' 'passed,' 'risen' writing the whole process of cleared sky and risen water, motion vivid; rain-passing writing cool — summer heat, the shower over, the heat gone, 'cool' unwritten yet born; and fixing the song's tone — new cool after rain, the premise of the 'cold water, sweet melon' and 'green shade, painted eaves' cool world below, the opening already showing Bai Pu's art of writing summer 'without one word of the heat.'

楼高水冷瓜甜，

A high tower, cold water, sweet melon;

楼阁高敞，井水沁凉，瓜儿清甜。

The tower high, the water cold, the melon sweet;

此句以触觉味觉写暑中之凉，是全曲「清凉」主题的正面呈现。「楼高」写楼阁高敞——楼高则风来，高敞则气爽，是居处之凉；「水冷」写井水沁凉——夏日汲井，其水自寒，是触觉之凉；「瓜甜」写瓜味清甜——暑中食瓜，其味甘美，是味觉之凉。一句三景，皆从「凉」字生发：楼高、水冷、瓜甜，一处一凉，层层叠出，把夏日的清凉写得可触可尝。此句的妙处有三：一是感官交错，视觉之楼、触觉之冷、味觉之甜，多感官并写，清凉之感立体可感；二是炼字精切，「高」「冷」「甜」三字皆寻常而各尽其妙；三是「甜」字尤妙，以味觉写暑中之乐，反衬出夏日清凉闲适的愉悦，正是白朴写景「清丽入骨」的所在。

This line writes the cool of the heat through touch and taste, the direct presentation of the song's 'cool' theme. 'A high tower' the lofty pavilion — height brings wind, openness brings air, the cool of the dwelling; 'cold water' the well-water's chill — summer drawn from the well, cold of itself, the cool of touch; 'sweet melon' the melon's sweetness — melon in the heat, its taste delicious, the cool of taste. One line, three scenes, all grown from 'cool': high tower, cold water, sweet melon, a coolness at each, layered on, the summer cool made palpable and tastable. The genius is threefold: senses interwoven, sight of the tower, touch of the cold, taste of the sweet, many senses writing cool three-dimensionally; the words 'high,' 'cold,' 'sweet,' all common yet each at its best; and the word 'sweet' especially fine, taste writing the joy of the heat, setting off the delight of summer's cool leisure — the point where Bai Pu's scenery is 'clear and beautiful to the bone.'

绿树阴垂画檐。

Green trees hang their shade over the painted eaves.

绿树枝叶浓阴低垂在彩画的屋檐。

Green trees droop their thick shade over the painted eaves.

此句写庭院之景，收束前三句的鼎足对，静中有态。「绿树阴垂」写绿树枝叶繁茂、浓阴低垂——「垂」字写树阴向下伸展之态，仿佛浓阴也怕烈日，低低地垂向檐前，为人遮出一片清凉；「画檐」指彩画的屋檐，点出这是华美的庭院楼阁，绿阴与画檐相映，色彩明丽。此句的妙处有三：一是以「垂」写静中之态，树阴本是静止的，着一「垂」字，则如浓阴有情，垂檐蔽日，动态宛然；二是色彩相映，绿树对画檐，一自然一人文，绿意盎然中见富丽闲雅；三是承上启下，前三句写天、地、庭院之清凉，此句收束景物，为下句「纱厨藤簟，玉人罗扇轻缣」由景及人作了过渡，章法井然。

This line writes the courtyard, closing the balanced triplet of the three preceding, stillness with bearing. 'Green trees hang their shade' the trees' thick foliage, dense shade drooping — the word 'droop' writing the shade's downward reach, as if the shade too feared the fierce sun, hanging low before the eaves, shielding a patch of cool for the man; 'painted eaves' the decorated eaves, marking a fair courtyard pavilion, green shade against painted eaves, the colors bright. The genius is threefold: the word 'droop' writing bearing within stillness — tree-shade is still, yet 'droop' gives it feeling, shading the eaves from the sun, the motion vivid; color answering color, green tree against painted eaves, one natural one human, the rich ease within the green; and carrying the part above to the part below, the three preceding writing sky, earth, and courtyard cool, this line gathering the scenery for the transition to the person in 'gauze curtains, rattan mat, the fair lady with her light silk fan' — the architecture orderly.

玉人罗扇轻缣。

The fair lady and her light silk fan, in thin gauze.

美人轻摇罗扇，身着素绢薄衫。

A jade-fair lady lightly waves her silk fan, clad in light thin gauze.

结句由景及人，是整幅清夏行乐图的点睛之笔。「玉人」指美人，语本《诗经》「有女如玉」及杜牧「玉人何处教吹箫」，典雅而有风致；「罗扇」写轻摇的罗纨之扇，「轻缣」写轻薄的细绢衣衫，罗扇与轻缣，皆夏令轻凉之物。此句的妙处有三：一是以人点景，前三句皆是景物，此句一人出现，整幅画面顿生活气——纱帐藤席上，玉人轻摇罗扇，静中有动，闲雅风流；二是以物写人，不写玉人之貌，只写其扇、其衣，清凉雅致之态自见，是「不写之写」的含蓄笔法；三是首尾呼应，起笔「云收雨过」的清凉，至此玉人摇扇的闲雅，全曲以景起、以人结，情景交融，清凉闲适之趣尽在其中，余味不尽。

The closing turns from scenery to person, the finishing stroke of the whole picture of summer ease. 'The fair lady' the beauty, from the Book of Songs' 'a woman like jade' and Du Mu's 'where does the fair lady teach the flute,' elegant and graceful; 'silk fan' the lightly waved silk fan, 'thin gauze' the thin, light silk robe — fan and gauze, both summer's light, cool things. The genius is threefold: person touching off the scenery — the three lines before all scenery, this line one person appearing, the whole picture suddenly alive — on the gauze curtain and rattan mat, the fair lady lightly waving her fan, stillness with motion, ease and grace; thing writing person — not the lady's face, only her fan and robe, the cool elegance self-evident, the reserved brush of 'not writing what one writes'; and the首尾 echo — the cool of the opening's 'clouds gathered, rain passed,' to the ease of the lady waving her fan, the song opening in scenery, closing in person, scene and feeling fused, the cool leisure all within, the aftertone long.

Study

Word focus

甜 Writing the melon through taste, it contrasts the cool leisure of summer—a most lively chosen word. 「楼高水冷瓜甜」之「甜」字，是写暑中清趣的神来之笔。甜本指味觉之甘美，此处写夏日食瓜之味——暑热之中，井水浸过的瓜果清甜爽口，一个「甜」字，把触觉之凉与味觉之甘融为一体，清凉之感可尝可品。此字之妙有三：一是以味写凉，「甜」字写瓜味之甘美，而瓜之甘美正因井水之冷浸，凉意透过甜味直抵心脾，比直写「凉」更见回味；二是感官交错，「楼高」是视觉，「水冷」是触觉，「瓜甜」是味觉，三字一句而三觉并呈，把夏日的清凉写得立体可感；三是语浅情深，「甜」字是口语家常字，以之入曲，亲切自然，正见元曲「本色」一路的真率，也写出暑中得清凉、闲适自得的生活之趣，一字而境界全出。

垂 Writing the tree-shade drooping before the eave, still yet with posture, echoing the openness of 'tower high'. 「绿树阴垂画檐」之「垂」字，是写静景的动态之笔。垂本义为低垂、下垂，此处写绿树浓阴向下伸展、低低垂向画檐——树阴本是静止的投影，着一「垂」字，则如浓阴有情，主动为檐下人遮出一片清凉，静中见态、物中见情。此字之妙有三：一是以动写静，「垂」字赋予静止的树阴以伸展的姿态，画面顿时生动，浓阴仿佛触手可及；二是呼应「楼高」，「楼高」写楼之上耸，「阴垂」写树之低垂，一高一低，上下相映，章法有致；三是寓凉于景，「垂」字写浓阴之厚密，正见遮阳之力的充沛，清凉之意自景物中透出，不着一「凉」字而凉意满眼。炼字至此，以寻常字写寻常景而出新意，正是白朴散曲「清丽」的功力所在。

添 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「云收雨过波添」之「添」字，是起笔句的诗眼，写雨霁水涨的动态之妙。添本义为增加、增添，此处写江波因阵雨而上涨——不说「涨」而说「添」，语意更轻、更活、更新：涨是客观的水位变化，添却带着雨水汇入、水面渐丰的动感与清新，仿佛看得见溪涧涓流注入江中、波面一层层丰盈起来。此字之妙有三：一是以轻写新，「添」字语气轻盈，正合阵雨初过、新水初涨的清新气象，若易以「涨」则失其轻灵；二是暗写清凉，波添则水活，水活则气凉，雨霁波添正是暑气顿消的先声，为全曲清凉之境作了铺垫；三是以常字写真景，「添」是口语常字，以之入曲而传神写照，正是元曲「以本色语写真趣」的所在。