Analysis of "破阵子·为陈同甫赋壮词以寄之" - Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

The poem "破阵子·为陈同甫赋壮词以寄之" (Pò Zhèn Zi · Wèi Chén Tóngfǔ Fù Zhuàng Cí Yǐ Jì Zhī) was written by Xin Qiji (辛弃疾, 1140–1207), one of the greatest poets of the Southern Song Dynasty. Known for his ci (lyric poetry) and his military exploits, Xin Qiji often expressed his unfulfilled ambition to reclaim northern China from the Jurchen invaders. This particular poem is a "heroic lyric" (壮词, zhuàng cí), blending vivid battlefield imagery with deep personal sorrow over unrealized dreams.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

醉里挑灯看剑
Zuì lǐ tiǎo dēng kàn jiàn
Drunk, I lit the lamp to gaze at my sword

梦回吹角连营
Mèng huí chuī jiǎo lián yíng
In dreams, I returned to the echoing horns of linked camps

八百里分麾下炙
Bā bǎi lǐ fēn huī xià zhì
Eight hundred li—roasted meat shared among the troops

五十弦翻塞外声
Wǔ shí xián fān sài wài shēng
Fifty strings of the lute played frontier tunes

沙场秋点兵
Shā chǎng qiū diǎn bīng
Autumn drills on the battlefield

马作的卢飞快
Mǎ zuò dì lú fēi kuài
Horses galloped swift as the fabled Dilu

弓如霹雳弦惊
Gōng rú pī lì xián jīng
Bowstrings twanged like thunderclaps

了却君王天下事
Liǎo què jūn wáng tiān xià shì
To fulfill the emperor’s cause, the realm’s great matter

赢得生前身后名
Yíng dé shēng qián shēn hòu míng
To win fame in life and after death

可怜白发生
Kě lián bái fà shēng
Alas—white hair grows

Line-by-Line Analysis

1. "Drunk, I lit the lamp to gaze at my sword"
   - The opening scene is intimate yet charged with tension. The poet, intoxicated, examines his sword—a symbol of his military past and unfulfilled ambitions.

2. "In dreams, I returned to the echoing horns of linked camps"
   - Dreams transport him back to the battlefield, where the sound of war horns evokes nostalgia for his youth as a warrior.

3. "Eight hundred li—roasted meat shared among the troops"
   - A reference to camaraderie among soldiers, feasting before battle. "Eight hundred li" (a vast distance) emphasizes the scale of military operations.

4. "Fifty strings of the lute played frontier tunes"
   - The se (a zither-like instrument) symbolizes both music and the sorrow of war. "Frontier tunes" reflect the harsh life on the borderlands.

5. "Autumn drills on the battlefield"
   - Autumn, a season of harvest and decay, mirrors the duality of glory and mortality in war.

6. "Horses galloped swift as the fabled Dilu"
   - Dilu was a legendary horse known for its speed, symbolizing the poet’s yearning for heroic action.

7. "Bowstrings twanged like thunderclaps"
   - The simile conveys the violence and energy of battle, contrasting with the poet’s present stillness.

8-9. "To fulfill the emperor’s cause... To win fame in life and after death"
- These lines reflect Confucian ideals of loyalty and legacy, but they are undercut by the final line.

10. "Alas—white hair grows"
    - A heartbreaking return to reality. The poet, now aged, laments his wasted potential and the futility of his dreams.

Themes and Symbolism

1. Unfulfilled Ambition
   - The poem contrasts youthful heroism with the bitterness of old age, a recurring theme in Xin Qiji’s work.

2. War and Nostalgia
   - The battlefield imagery is both celebratory and mournful, reflecting the poet’s mixed feelings about his military past.

3. Time and Mortality
   - The final line ("white hair grows") underscores the inevitability of aging and the loss of opportunity.

Cultural Context

• Xin Qiji was a patriot who fought against the Jurchen-led Jin Dynasty but was sidelined by the Southern Song court. His poetry often expresses frustration over political inaction.
• The ci form allowed poets to blend personal emotion with grand themes, making it ideal for Xin Qiji’s lament.
• The poem reflects Confucian values (loyalty, service) while also channeling the Daoist melancholy of transience.

Conclusion

"破阵子·为陈同甫赋壮词以寄之" is a masterpiece of lyrical intensity and tragic irony. Xin Qiji’s vivid battlefield dreams collapse into the quiet despair of old age, making the poem a timeless meditation on ambition and mortality. For modern readers, it resonates as a reminder of how dreams—both personal and patriotic—can be thwarted by time and circumstance. Its emotional depth ensures its place among the greatest works of Chinese literature.