SU Shi – Lyrics to the Melody of an Immortal Who Lived in a Cave
With skin like ice and bones like jade,She perspires not looking cool and refreshed.From the hall by the water waft breezes full of subtle scents.Through the drawn embroidered curtains, the moon sneaks a look of her,She hasn't retired for the night, askew are the her pillow and hairpins in her hair.
I rise to take her delicate hand, quiet is the courtyard and its environs,A star or two the Milky Way cross between whiles.How deep is the night, wonder I?Approaching midnight is the time,Moonlight pales as the northern stars low slide.I count with my fingers when the season of westerlies would arrive,Before I could become aware of it, lapsed has fleeting time.
上片写花蕊夫人帘内欹枕。首二句写她的绰约风姿:丽质天生,有冰之肌、玉之骨,本自清凉无汗。接下来,词人用水、风、香、月等清澈的环境要素烘托女主人公的冰清玉润,创造出境佳人美、人境双绝的意境。其后,词人借月之眼以窥美人欹枕的情景,以美人不加修饰的残妆——“钗横鬓乱”,来反衬她姿质的美好。上片所写,是从旁观者角度对女主人公所作出的观察。
下片直接描写人物自身,通过女主人公与爱侣夏夜偕行的活动,展示她美好、高洁的内心世界。“起来携素手,”写女主人公已由室内独自倚枕,起而与爱侣户外携手纳凉闲行。“庭户无声”,制造出一个夜深人静的氛围,暗寓时光在不知不觉中流逝。“时见疏星渡河汉”,写二人静夜望星。以下四句写月下徘徊的情意,为纳凉人的细语温存进行气氛上的渲染。以上,作者通过写环境之静谧和斗转星移之运动,表现了时光的推移变化,为写女主人公纳凉时的思想活动作好铺垫。结尾三句是全词点睛之笔,传神地揭示出时光变换之速,表现了女主人公对时光流逝的深深惋惜。
这首词写古代帝王后妃的生活,在艳羡、赞美中附着作者自身深沉的人生感慨。全词清空灵隽,语意高妙,想象奇特,波澜起伏,读来令人神往。
值得注意的是,花蕊夫人本是孟昶的宠妃,后蜀灭亡之后,花蕊入宋,以“十四万人齐解甲,更无一人是男儿”的诗句令赵匡胤大为倾倒。不久,孟昶暴亡,花蕊成了太祖的贵妃,据说跟太宗赵光义也有瓜葛。对这样一个与三个皇帝有绯闻的“亡国之妃”,苏轼坦然地把她刻画得几近仙女,且毫不避讳地写她与孟昶的爱情。此词在宋朝广为传唱,还没有一个道学家跳出来说三道四。