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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

竹枝词九首·其九

The, Words, of, the, Bamboo, the, Branches, the, Ninth, of, the, Nine

刘禹锡

Liu Yuxi

民歌people 田园Pastoral life

山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家。
银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲。

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Meaning

A poem of the mountain and the life, written by Liu Yuxi. On the mountain the layers of the layers the peach and the plum flowers, among the clouds the smoke and the fire are the houses of the people — the scene of the opening. The silver bracelets the gold hairpins coming to carry the water, the long knives the short bamboo hats going to burn the slash and the burn — the life of the close. The poem is the mountain and the life: the scene, and the close's life.

山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家。银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] On, the, mountain, the, layers, of, the, layers, the, peach, and, the, plum, flowers, among, the, clouds, the, smoke, and, the, fire, are, the, houses, of, the, people. The, silver, bracelets, the, gold, hairpins, coming, to, carry, the, water, the, long, knives, the, short, bamboo, hats, going, to, burn, the, slash, and, the, burn. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the scene of the flowers with the smoke, through the houses of the people, to the close's the life of the carrying the water. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the life: among the clouds the smoke and the fire are the houses of the people, and the close's the silver bracelets the gold hairpins coming to carry the water the long knives the short bamboo hats going to burn the slash and the burn — the mountain gathered in the scene and the close's life. [Emotional Tone] Fresh, lively, and rustic: the poem is the flowers, the houses and the close's life.

【白话串讲】刘禹锡写《竹枝词九首·其九》：“山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家”——“银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲”——他写巴蜀山民的生活。【意象与手法】此诗写民歌，以田园写民歌，是刘禹锡的名篇。前二句写山景：「山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家」写山上层层桃李花、云间烟火是人家——写尽山间的桃李；后二句写耕作：「银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲」写银钏金钗来负水、长刀短笠去烧畲——写尽烧畲的耕作。全诗以田园写民歌，写尽山间的桃李与烧畲的耕作，是刘禹锡的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写民歌，以田园写民歌，是刘禹锡的名篇。此诗为刘禹锡任夔州刺史时所作的《竹枝词九首》之九，写巴蜀山乡的风土人情。竹枝词是巴渝一带的民歌，刘禹锡仿民歌体作《竹枝词》，此篇写山乡春景与农事。此诗写山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家；银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲。此诗写山景：山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家——写山上层层桃李花、云间烟火是人家，写尽山间的桃李；银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲——写银钏金钗来负水、长刀短笠去烧畲，写尽烧畲的耕作。全诗以田园写民歌——那「云间烟火是人家」写尽云间的烟火，「长刀短笠去烧畲」写尽烧畲的耕作，写尽山间的桃李与烧畲的耕作，是理解刘禹锡民歌诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家」写山间的桃李；「银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲」写烧畲的耕作；以及全诗以田园写民歌、以对仗写农事的手法。

Background

Liu Yuxi (772-842), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Words, of, the, Bamboo, the, Branches, the, Ninth, of, the, Nine' of the mountain and the life — the life of the mountain in the Bashu. The scene of the flowers with the smoke, and the close's the life of the carrying the water — the poem gathers the freshness of the poet, the charm of the mountain. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the folk songs.

此诗写民歌，以田园写民歌，是刘禹锡的名篇。刘禹锡（772—842），字梦得，洛阳人，唐代文学家、哲学家，有「诗豪」之称，与柳宗元并称「刘柳」，与白居易并称「刘白」。此诗为刘禹锡任夔州刺史时所作的《竹枝词九首》之九，写巴蜀山乡的风土人情。竹枝词是巴渝一带的民歌，刘禹锡仿民歌体作《竹枝词》，此篇写山乡春景与农事。此诗写山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家；银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲。此诗写山景：「山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家」写山上层层桃李花、云间烟火是人家——写尽山间的桃李（山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家）；「银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲」写银钏金钗来负水、长刀短笠去烧畲——写尽烧畲的耕作（银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲）。全诗以田园写民歌，写尽山间的桃李与烧畲的耕作，是理解刘禹锡民歌诗的重要篇章。唐穆宗长庆四年（824），刘禹锡自夔州赴和州途中，将任夔州刺史时所作的《竹枝词》九首整理成篇。巴渝地区山高水险，乡民刀耕火耨，刘禹锡以民歌体写山乡春景与农事，此篇为第九首，写桃李满山、烟火人家与负水烧畲的日常生活。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the life. The scene opens: on, the, mountain, the, layers, of, the, layers, the, peach, and, the, plum, flowers — the peach and the plum of the layers of the layers; among, the, clouds, the, smoke, and, the, fire, are, the, houses, of, the, people — the smoke and the fire of the houses of the people. The life follows: the, silver, bracelets, the, gold, hairpins, coming, to, carry, the, water — the silver bracelets of the carrying the water; the, long, knives, the, short, bamboo, hats, going, to, burn, the, slash, and, the, burn — the long knives of the burn the slash and the burn — the scene, the houses and the close's life, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以白描写山景。「山上层层桃李花」以白描写山景——那「层层桃李花」写尽层层的桃李，以白描写尽山间的桃李。其二，以设问写人家。「云间烟火是人家」以设问写人家——那「是人家」写尽云间的人家，以设问写尽云间的烟火。其三，以对仗写农事。「银钏金钗来负水」以对仗写农事——那「长刀短笠去烧畲」写尽烧畲的农事，以对仗写尽烧畲的耕作。其四，以细节写风俗。「长刀短笠去烧畲」以细节写风俗——那「烧畲」写尽烧畲的耕作，以细节写尽烧畲的耕作。此外，此诗前二句写山间的桃李，后二句写烧畲的耕作，由景及农，正是民歌诗「以俗写真」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以田园写民歌，写尽山间的桃李与烧畲的耕作，是刘禹锡的代表作。此诗还善于以「山上层层桃李花」的「层层」写桃李之层叠——那「山上层层桃李花」写尽层层的桃李，正是以层写叠，以「层层」写尽山间的桃李。又善以「云间烟火是人家」的「是」字写烟火之确认——云间烟火是人家，正见烟火人家的一体，以「是」字写尽云间的人家。

Allusions

'The slash and the burn' (shao she) is the burn the slash — the burning of the slash, the cultivating of the close — the cultivation of the slash and the burn, the farming of the mountain; 'the short bamboo hats' (duan li) are the short bamboo hats — the hats of the short, the going of the close.

此诗的用语深植于民歌与田园传统。「桃李花」令人想到「桃李花」写桃李的意象——也令人想到「桃李春风一杯酒」的意象；「烟火」令人想到「烟火」写炊烟的意象——也令人想到「暖暖远人村，依依墟里烟」（陶渊明）的意象；「人家」令人想到「人家」写人家的意象——也令人想到「白云生处有人家」（杜牧）的意象；「银钏金钗」令人想到「银钏金钗」写银钏金钗的意象——巴渝女子装饰，也令人想到「钗钏」的意象；「负水」令人想到「负水」写背水的意象——也令人想到「负薪汲水」的意象；「烧畲」令人想到「烧畲」写烧荒种田的意象——也令人想到「刀耕火种」的意象。全诗化用桃李花、烟火、人家、银钏金钗、负水、烧畲的意象，以田园写民歌，正是刘禹锡「诗豪」而善民歌、承田园传统写风俗之本领。「桃李花」令人想到「桃李花」写桃李的意象——也令人想到「桃之夭夭」（《诗经》）的意象；「负水」令人想到「负水」写背水的意象——也令人想到「临水而居」的意象，以负水写山乡。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Liu Yuxi's poems of the folk songs, quoted for the freshness of its opening and the charm of its close. The smoke and the fire of the houses of the people, and the silver bracelets of the carrying the water, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's freshness: the mountain gathered in the scene, to the close's life.

此诗历来被推为刘禹锡民歌诗的名篇，也是唐诗写巴渝风俗的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以田园写民歌，清新自然」；近人更指出「银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲」写烧畲的耕作，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四句的绝句写尽山间的桃李与烧畲的耕作——那山上，那层层，那桃李花，那云间，那烟火，那是人家，那银钏，那金钗，那来负水，那长刀，那短笠，那去烧畲，都写尽了刘禹锡笔下的竹枝词；那「长刀短笠去烧畲」更以细节写尽烧畲的耕作。此诗与刘禹锡《竹枝词·其一》（「杨柳青青江水平」）同为竹枝词名篇，一写「闻郎江上唱歌声」的情歌（竹枝词其一），一写「云间烟火是人家」的风俗（竹枝词其九）；又与范成大《四时田园杂兴》的田园传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写田园风俗的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解刘禹锡民歌诗的窗口，也是唐诗写巴渝风俗的经典——那烧畲的短笠，穿越千年，仍在诉说着山间的烟火。

Prosody

Form A quatrain of the folk song (qi yan jue ju)诗·七言绝句

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the quatrain that carries the fresh charm.七绝，押「家」「畲」韵（下平六麻），一韵到底，音节清新

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the life: the level opening with the scene, the turning with the houses, and the close's fall with the burn.此诗为七言绝句，押平声韵，一韵到底，音节清新，正合民歌的清新。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its freshness: the cadences of the quatrain, and the close — 'chang dao duan li qu shao she' — falls with the burn, the sound of the life of the mountain poet.此诗为七言绝句，四句——「山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家。银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲」，押「麻」韵（家、畲），一韵到底，音节清新。全诗以田园写民歌：前二句写山间的桃李（山上层层桃李花、云间烟火是人家），后二句写烧畲的耕作（银钏金钗来负水、长刀短笠去烧畲）。四句短章，前写山景，后写农事，以「长刀短笠去烧畲」写尽烧畲的耕作，正见刘禹锡「诗豪」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以清新的语调读「云间烟火是人家」的人家，以明快的语调读「长刀短笠去烧畲」的烧畲，结句要读得清新而有余韵，方能传达出刘禹锡的清新自然。刘禹锡绝句以「诗豪」著称，此诗正是其民歌诗的典范。

Line by line

银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲

Silver bracelets and gold hairpins come to carry water; long knives and short bamboo hats go to burn the mountain fields.

银钏金钗来负水，长刀短笠去烧畲。

With silver bracelets and gold hairpins they come to carry water; with long knives and short bamboo hats they go to burn the fellow fields.

此二句是全诗写农事核心，以银钏金钗来负水写来负水，以长刀短笠去烧畲写去烧畲，写尽烧畲的耕作，是千古名句。「银钏金钗来负水」写银钏金钗来负水——那「银钏金钗」写银钏金钗，「来负水」写来负水，写尽负水的银钏；「长刀短笠去烧畲」写长刀短笠去烧畲——那「长刀短笠」写长刀短笠，「去烧畲」写去烧畲，写尽烧畲的农事。这句的深意在于：它以「银钏金钗来负水」的来负水与「长刀短笠去烧畲」的去烧畲，写尽烧畲的耕作——银钏金钗来负水，那「银钏金钗来负水」写尽负水的银钏——银钏金钗，正是女子饰物的写照，那「来负水」写尽烧畲的耕作；长刀短笠去烧畲，那「长刀短笠去烧畲」写尽烧畲的农事——长刀短笠，正是农夫装扮的写照，那「去烧畲」写尽烧畲的耕作；那「银钏金钗来负水」写尽负水的银钏，那「长刀短笠去烧畲」写尽烧畲的农事，一写负水，一写烧畲，写尽烧畲的耕作——女子负水而农夫烧畲，正是山乡的写照；此二句以负水、烧畲写尽烧畲的耕作，也让此二句成为全诗写农事核心与千古名句。若换作直说「戴银钏金钗的女子来背水，拿长刀戴短笠的男人去烧荒种田」，则失其韵味；唯以「银钏金钗来负水」写来负水、「长刀短笠去烧畲」写去烧畲，写尽烧畲的耕作，也让此二句成为全诗写农事核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's farm work, 'silver bracelets and gold hairpins come to carry water' the carrying water, 'long knives and short bamboo hats go to burn the mountain fields' the burning fields, writing the swidden farming, a famous line. 'Silver bracelets and gold hairpins come to carry water' - the silver bracelets and gold pins the women's ornaments, the women coming to carry water; 'long knives and short bamboo hats go to burn the mountain fields' - the long knives and short hats the farmers' gear, the men going to burn the swidden fields (the slash-and-burn farming of the hills). Women carrying water and farmers burning the fields, the portrait of the mountain village; one line the water, one the burning, the farming complete. If one said plainly 'women with ornaments carry water, men with knives and hats burn the fields,' the charm would be lost; only the silver bracelets and gold pins coming to carry water and the long knives and short hats going to burn the fields hold the farm life.

山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家

On the hills, tier on tier, peach and plum blossoms; among the clouds, smoke and fire - there are the homes.

山上层层桃李花，云间烟火是人家。

Tier on tier of peach and plum blooms on the hills; amid the clouds, cooking smoke - there the people dwell.

此二句是全诗写山景的核心，以山上层层桃李花写桃李花，以云间烟火是人家写是人家，写尽山间的桃李，是千古名句。「山上层层桃李花」写山上层层桃李花——那「山上层层」写山上层层，「桃李花」写桃李花，写尽层层的桃李；「云间烟火是人家」写云间烟火是人家——那「云间烟火」写云间烟火，「是人家」写是人家，写尽云间的人家。这句的深意在于：它以「山上层层桃李花」的桃李花与「云间烟火是人家」的是人家，写尽山间的桃李——山上层层桃李花，那「山上层层桃李花」写尽层层的桃李——山上层层桃李花，正是层层花开的写照，那「桃李花」写尽山间的桃李；云间烟火是人家，那「云间烟火是人家」写尽云间的人家——云间烟火是人家，正是云间炊烟的写照，那「是人家」写尽山间的桃李；那「山上层层桃李花」写尽层层的桃李，那「云间烟火是人家」写尽云间的人家，一写桃李，一写烟火，写尽山间的桃李——层层桃李而云间烟火，正是山乡的写照；此二句以桃李、烟火写尽山间的桃李，也为下文的农事作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写山景的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「山上层层都是桃花李花，云间冒烟的地方是人家」，则失其意境；唯以「山上层层桃李花」写桃李花、「云间烟火是人家」写是人家，写尽山间的桃李，也让此二句成为全诗写山景的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's mountain scene, 'on the hills, tier on tier, peach and plum blossoms' the blossoms, 'among the clouds, smoke and fire - there are the homes' the homes, writing the mountain peach and plum, a famous line. 'On the hills, tier on tier, peach and plum blossoms' - tier on tier of blossoms up the hills; 'among the clouds, smoke and fire - there are the homes' - cooking smoke among the clouds marking the dwellings. The tiered peach and plum and the cloud-wreathed cooking smoke, the portrait of the mountain village; one line the blossoms, one the smoke, the scene complete. If one said plainly 'the hills are covered with peach and plum, among the clouds are homes with smoke,' the mood would be lost; only the tier on tier of blossoms on the hills and the cooking smoke among the clouds marking the homes hold the mountain scene.

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Word focus

层层 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「山上层层桃李花」之「层层」是写山景的关键词，一个「层层」写尽层层的桃李。层层者，一层一层也。刘禹锡以「山上层层桃李花」写山景，这个「层层」至少有双重意味：其一，写花之层层——那「山上层层桃李花」写山上层层桃李花，那「层层」写尽层层的桃李——层层桃李花，正是层层花开的写照，那「层层」写尽山间的桃李；其二，写山之层——那「层层」更是写层——层层，正见山势层叠的意象，那「层层」写尽刘禹锡的民歌。以「层层」写山景，正是刘禹锡写民歌的枢纽——若换作「片片」「树树」等词，则或失其与「山上」「桃李花」的配合，或失其写层层的意味；唯「层层」二字，以山上层层桃李花写尽桃李之层层与山势之层叠，与「云间烟火是人家」的烟火相合，写尽山间的桃李，也让「山上层层桃李花」成为全诗写山景的名句。

畲 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「长刀短笠去烧畲」之「畲」字是写农事核心的关键词，一个「畲」字写尽烧畲的耕作。畲者，烧荒种田也。刘禹锡以「长刀短笠去烧畲」写农事，这个「畲」字至少有双重意味：其一，写田之畲——那「长刀短笠去烧畲」写长刀短笠去烧畲，那「畲」字写尽烧畲的耕作——去烧畲，正是烧荒种田的写照，那「畲」字写尽烧畲的耕作；其二，写俗之真——那「畲」字更是写真——畲，正见巴渝风俗的真切，那「畲」字写尽刘禹锡的民歌。以「畲」字写农事，正是刘禹锡写民歌的枢纽——若换作「田」「地」等字，则或失其与「长刀短笠」「去烧」的配合，或失其写畲的意味；唯「畲」字，以长刀短笠去烧畲写尽烧荒之种田与巴渝之风俗，与「银钏金钗来负水」的负水相合，写尽烧畲的耕作，也让「长刀短笠去烧畲」成为全诗写农事的名句。