歌曲(song)
伴随或不伴随乐器演奏，以声音表现之短且通常简单、单一的音乐作品。民谣－－以口头而非书面形式传述之不知作曲者的传统音乐－－已经存在数千年，但很少在先人资料中遗留下遗迹。实际上，所有已知的文字前社会都有歌曲的曲目。民谣常常伴随着宗教的仪式、舞蹈、劳动、或求爱，他们可能在於叙述故事或表达情感，而音乐则跟随着明显的习俗并常常是重复的。由特别的作曲者及诗人所写的歌曲则较为不落俗套，也不会触及特殊活动。在西方，世俗艺术歌曲的连续传统开始於十二、十三世纪的游吟诗人（troubadour）、行吟诗人（trouvère）以及恋诗歌手。发源於经文歌之具多音变化的歌曲则在十三世纪开始出现。十四世纪在固定乐思中产生了规模很大的多音变化歌曲。稍後，义大利牧歌成为最着名的作品。以符号表示伴奏的独奏歌曲在十六世纪出现。而浪漫的乐章使得十九世纪成为艺术歌曲的黄金时期，特别是德国利德。在二十世纪，流行歌曲取代了较文雅的艺术歌曲，而且，流行音乐在今日与流行歌曲同义。
English version：
song
Short and usually simple piece of music for voice, with or without instrumental accompaniment. Folk songs—traditional songs without a known composer transmitted orally rather than in written form—have existed for millennia, but have left few traces in ancient sources. Virtually all known preliterate societies have a repertory of songs. Folk songs often accompany religious ceremonies, dancing, labor, or courting; they may tell stories or express emotions; the music follows obvious conventions and is often repetitive. Songs written by a particular composer and poet generally are more sophisticated and are not attached to activities. In the West, the continuous tradition of secular art songs begins with the troubadours, trouvères, and minnesingers of the 12th-13th century. Polyphonic songs, originating in the motet, begin to appear in the 13th century. The 14th century produced a great body of polyphonic songs in the formes fixes. Later the Italian madrigal becomes the most distinguished genre. Notated accompaniments to solo songs appear in the 16th century. The Romantic movement made the 19th century a golden age for the art song, notably the German lied. In the 20th century the popular song displaced the more cultivated art song, and popular music is today synonymous with popular song.
