Crossing the Sea (泛海) by Wang Shouren · Chinese Poem Audio and Explanation

Meaning

Danger and ease were never lodged in my breast—what differs it from floating clouds crossing the vast sky? In the still night the sea's waves roll thirty thousand li; under the bright moon, on the heavenly wind, I fly my staff and descend.

艰险与平易原本都不滞留在胸中，与浮云飘过太空有何分别。夜深人静，海涛汹涌三万里，在明月之下、天风之中，我如飞锡而行，飘然降下。

Appreciation

The poem is four lines: first it reasons, then it depicts scene; the realm of principle and the realm of things fuse without seam. The first couplet 'Danger and ease were never lodged in my breast—what differs it from floating clouds crossing the vast sky' uses Chan to illuminate the mind, treating honour and hurt as passing clouds, lofty in intent. The second couplet 'In the still night the sea's waves thirty thousand li; under the bright moon, on the heavenly wind, I fly my staff and descend' suddenly turns to the vast sea scene; 'thirty thousand li' writes the immensity, 'bright moon' and 'heavenly wind' write the clear vastness, and 'fly my staff' turns the poet into a walker who rides danger like calm, drifting beyond things. Writing firmness through grand scene, the Way in the scene, with none of the dry rigidity of a reasoning poem—bright and vast in realm.

【白话串讲】王阳明被贬路上遇险，写下《泛海》：“险夷原不滞胸中，何异浮云过太空”——艰难险阻不放在心上，像浮云飘过太空。“夜静海涛三万里，月明飞锡下天风”——一个被贬之人的豪气。【意象与手法】此诗四句，前说理后写景，理境与物境圆融无间【情感与主旨】王守仁为明代著名哲学家、军事家。正德元年（1506），守仁上疏救戴铣，触怒权阉刘瑾，遭廷杖四十，贬为贵州龙场驿丞【名句点睛】重点：一、主旨，表现诗人贬谪险境中“险夷不滞”的超然定力与心学修养

Background

Wang Shouren was a famous Ming philosopher and strategist. In the first year of Zhengde (1506), Shouren submitted a memorial to save Dai Xian, offending the powerful eunuch Liu Jin; he was beaten forty times in court and banished to Longchang post-station in Guizhou. On the way to exile, crossing the sea (or said boating the East Sea), amid the raging waves and danger, his heart unshaken, he wrote this poem to show his firmness. At the time Liu Jin's faction filled the court, the future unsure; an ordinary man would fear, but Shouren could 'never lodge danger and ease in his breast'—precisely because he had awakened that 'the mind is principle', not burdening the heart with circumstance. This poem is the direct showing of his early Mind-learning thought in verse, and a record of spiritual self-rescue in peril.

王守仁（1472—1529），字伯安，号阳明，浙江余姚人，明代著名哲学家、军事家，心学集大成者。此首《泛海》的创作时地，历来有歧说。最通行的一种说法，是正德元年（1506）所作。是年冬，王守仁上疏救南京给事中戴铣等言官，触怒权阉刘瑾，遭廷杖四十，贬为贵州龙场驿丞。赴谪途中，或取道海路，遂有此泛海之作。另一说认为此诗作于正德十四年（1519）平定宁王朱宸濠叛乱之后，时王守仁以军功受疑，功高不赏，处境凶险，诗中「险夷原不滞胸中」正是其时的自我宽解。两说于时地相去甚远，然所指向的心境则一：王守仁在生死荣辱的关口，以心学修养化解外界的险恶。王守仁的心学，主张「心外无物」「心外无理」，又标举「致良知」，认为万事万物之理不在心外，人的喜怒哀乐、顺逆穷达，皆可在一念之间安顿。此诗正是这一思想的诗化表达——把险与夷、祸与福都看作不滞于心的浮云，唯有一颗不动的心，足以横渡三万里海涛。诗中「飞锡」用佛教典故，可见王守仁融会儒释的学养。全诗仅四句，前二句说理，后二句写景，理境与物境圆融无间，是理学诗中的上乘。王守仁一生，先遭廷杖贬谪，后平宸濠之乱而立不世之功，然功高受忌，谤议随之，屡经险夷而能不动于心，此诗正是其心学修养与人生阅历交相印证之作。

Art

The poem is four lines: first it reasons, then it depicts scene; the realm of principle and the realm of things fuse without seam. The first couplet 'Danger and ease were never lodged in my breast—what differs it from floating clouds crossing the vast sky' uses Chan to illuminate the mind, treating honour and hurt as passing clouds, lofty in intent. The second couplet 'In the still night the sea's waves thirty thousand li; under the bright moon, on the heavenly wind, I fly my staff and descend' suddenly turns to the vast sea scene; 'thirty thousand li' writes the immensity, 'bright moon' and 'heavenly wind' write the clear vastness, and 'fly my staff' turns the poet into a walker who rides danger like calm, drifting beyond things. Writing firmness through grand scene, the Way in the scene, with none of the dry rigidity of a reasoning poem—bright and vast in realm.

此诗四句，前说理后写景，理境与物境圆融无间，在理学诗中独标高格。首句「险夷原不滞胸中」开门见山，直揭心学宗旨。「险夷」并举，写尽人间的艰险与平易，「原不滞」三字以斩截的语气，表明二者皆不停留在胸中，不为外境所动。次句「何异浮云过太空」以比况补足首句，谓险夷之来去，如浮云飘过太空，云自去来，而天自湛然，此即心体的不动。三句「夜静海涛三万里」陡然转入写景，从说理落到眼前的实境——夜深人静，海涛汹涌，绵延三万里，境界阔大而雄浑。末句「月明飞锡下天风」更进一层，写明月之下、天风之中，诗人如持锡飞行的神僧，飘然降下。此句以「飞锡」这一佛门意象自况，把渡海的艰险化为御风而行的超然。章法上，前二句虚写心境的超越，后二句实写泛海的景象，虚实的转换之间，说理不生硬，写景不空疏，理与景相发。炼字上，「滞」字写心的执着与否，「过」字写浮云之轻，「飞」字写超然之态，「下」字写飘然之姿，各尽其妙。全诗二十八字，有哲理，有气势，有奇想，是王守仁诗中境界最开阔的一首。此诗前二句以「险夷」「浮云」的比喻说理，后二句以「海涛」「飞锡」的意象写景，理语与景语相衔无痕，说理而能形象，写景而能超逸，在以议论为诗的理学诗中，别有一种豪迈的气象，故能独标高格。

Allusions

'Fly my staff' is Buddhist: a monk on pilgrimage carries a staff; because his going and stopping are as free as flight, it is called 'flying staff' (from Shi Shi Yao Lan). Here it means the spirit's transcendence, not turned by circumstance, quietly matching Shouren's proof of 'Mind-learning', seeing danger as calm. 'Floating clouds' transforms Confucius 'unjust wealth and honour are to me as floating clouds' and Li Bai's 'floating clouds, a traveller's thoughts', meaning outward honour and hurt need not cling. 'Vast sky' and 'heavenly wind' mean the mind's openness. Every line has a Chan-principle root, yet is uttered in poetic language, not falling into principle's trap.

此诗用典不多，而皆有所本。「险夷」一词，指艰险与平易，语本《周易》「危者使平，易者使倾」之思，亦暗合孟子「富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移，威武不能屈」的养气之说，王守仁用之以写心体之不动。「浮云过太空」的浮云意象，渊源极古，孔子「不义而富且贵，于我如浮云」，以浮云喻无足轻重之物；杜甫「丹青不知老将至，富贵于我如浮云」承之；禅宗则以浮云喻妄念，慧能「本来无一物，何处惹尘埃」一系，常以云之去来喻心之染净。王守仁此处合儒禅二义，谓险夷如浮云过空，不染心体。「飞锡」是佛门典故，锡即锡杖，为僧人所持，飞锡谓僧人以神通乘锡杖飞行，或借指僧人云游。此典见于《高僧传》诸书，唐代以降诗中习用，如岑参「君持飞锡去」，王维、刘长卿等亦有飞锡之语。王守仁以「飞锡」自况，写其渡海如神僧御空而行，险涛不足惧。另「月明」与「天风」，皆清旷高朗之象，月明照心之澄澈，天风状超然之高蹈，与「海涛三万里」的险恶形成对照，见出诗人俯视险阻的胸襟。「险夷」二字，又暗合《周易》「危者使平，易者使倾」的忧患之思及孟子养气之论；「月明」「天风」的清旷，则可上溯《庄子·逍遥游》「御风而行」的逍遥境界，王守仁合儒道释三家，而归于一心之不动，其学养之博，于此可见。合儒、道、释三家之思，而归于一心之不动，此诗遂成心学境界的诗化结晶。

Commentary

A Ming critic said Shouren's poems 'all speak of what he gained'; this one most shows the man. Modern Liang Qichao praised Wang Yangming as 'a heroic man', saying his poems are 'bright and majestic'. His disciple Qian Dehong included this poem in the Complete Works of Wang Wencheng; it has always been seen as proof of the master's 'unmoved heart in peril'. Moderns hold it a rare fusion of scene and feeling among philosopher-poets, not falling into principle's trap.

王守仁不以诗名，其诗名往往为心学之名所掩，然其诗实有可观，尤以境界阔大、气象光明见称。此首《泛海》，历来被视为王守仁心学诗的压卷。明人论王阳明诗，或谓其「豪迈俊爽，一如其人」，此诗「夜静海涛三万里，月明飞锡下天风」二句，气魄之大，想象之奇，在明诗中罕有其匹。清人钱谦益编《列朝诗集》，于王守仁诗亦有所录。此诗之传，一则因其诗境，一则因其人——王守仁以理学宗师而兼有诗才，其「险夷原不滞胸中」一句，几成为其心学的格言，后人论其「不动心」之旨，多引此诗为证。在理学诗的传统中，此诗与邵雍《击壤集》、朱熹《观书有感》诸作并观，可见理学诗亦有大境界——邵雍以「诗以明道」，朱熹以「半亩方塘」写理，王守仁则以「海涛」「飞锡」写心体之超越，皆能不落言筌。此诗在后世传播甚广，凡言王阳明之胸襟气象，言心学之「不动心」，无不首引此诗，其影响已越出诗坛，成为一种人格境界的象征。此诗在后世影响极广。阳明心学自明中叶以后大行，学者推尊「致良知」之旨，此诗「险夷原不滞胸中」遂与「知行合一」「致良知」并称，成为阳明思想的诗化注脚。近人于王阳明诗，多以此首与《龙潭夜坐》等并推，谓其能于理学之外，独得诗家三昧，气象之光明，在明诗中尤为罕见。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (seven-character jue)七言绝句

Rhyme Ping-shui rhyme, upper-level one dong group (breast, sky, wind), first line enters rhyme平水韵上平一东韵，「中」「空」「风」三字相押，首句入韵，一韵到底

Tone pattern Level-onset, first-line-enters-rhyme form; level-oblique per rule此诗为七绝平起首句入韵式。首句「险夷原不滞胸中」为仄平平仄仄平平，次句「何异浮云过太空」为平仄平平仄仄平，三句「夜静海涛三万里」为仄仄仄平平仄仄，末句「月明飞锡下天风」为仄平平仄仄平平。首句、次句、末句首字有拗（一三五不论），全篇粘对不失，声调流转。

Reading note Wang Yangming's poem of feeling on the way to exile; the realm of principle and things fused此诗为七绝平起首句入韵格，韵脚「中」「空」「风」同属平水韵上平一东。「东」韵属洪音，开口而亮，读来有恢宏之气，正合此诗境界之开阔。三韵字中，「中」是方位，写心之所在；「空」是高远，写太空之无垠；「风」是流动，写天风之浩荡，三字声义相发，韵脚与意象浑然一体。平仄上，首句「险夷原不滞胸中」以「仄平平仄仄平平」起，「险」字仄声突兀而起，如当头一喝，正合议论入诗的语气；次句「何异浮云过太空」连用「浮云」两个平声，轻而远，如云之飘；三句「夜静海涛三万里」连用三个仄声「夜静海」，声调顿挫，如涛之拍岸，末以「三万里」三个仄声收束，写海之浩渺；末句「月明飞锡下天风」，「月明」一仄一平，清光乍现，「下天风」三个平声悠长收束，如神僧自天而降，余韵袅袅。全诗声情与哲理、意境三者相契，是七绝中以声写心的范例。末句以平声悠长收束，如御风而下的余韵，声与境俱清。

Line by line

险夷原不滞胸中

Peril and ease originally do not linger in the breast.

艰险与平易原本都不滞留在胸中

Danger and safety, by their nature, do not linger in the breast.

首句七字，直揭心学宗旨，是通篇的纲领。「险夷」并举，囊括人间的顺境与逆境、祸与福、穷与达；「原不滞」三字，以一个「原」字强调这本是心体的当然状态——险与夷，本就不应滞留在胸中，不为外境所牵。「滞」字是全句之眼，它写的是心的执着与胶着，人之忧惧，皆因一念「滞」于得失；而一旦不滞，则险夷皆如过眼。此句以议论入诗，却因「胸中」二字的亲切，而无理学诗常见的理障，读来直是心学家的自誓。王守仁此时或遭廷杖、或处功高受疑之境，而能作此语，正是其「不动心」工夫的体现。

The mind. Peril and ease originally do not linger in the breast. The peril-and-ease that do not linger are the Yangming heart-learning thesis. To have stated the non-attachment would be a thesis; the peril-and-ease-originally-do-not-linger-in-the-breast is the thesis.

何异浮云过太空

What are they but floating clouds crossing the sky?

与浮云飘过太空有何分别

What are they other than floating clouds crossing the great sky?

次句以比况承接首句，把抽象的「不滞」化为可感的意象。「何异」二字，将「险夷不滞胸中」与「浮云过太空」并举，谓险夷之来去于心，正如浮云飘过太空，云自聚散，而天自湛然。「浮云」取其轻、取其无常、取其无根，「太空」取其高、取其大、取其永恒，两者对举，见出心的广大与不动——浮云再怎么翻涌，也不过是太空中倏忽来去的过客，搅不动天的宁静。此句暗合孔子「于我如浮云」的典故，而更进一层：孔子以浮云喻富贵之无足轻重，王守仁则以浮云喻一切险夷祸福之不足萦怀，儒者的淡泊与心学家的超然，在此融而为一。

The clouds. What are they but floating clouds crossing the sky? The floating clouds over the sky are the simile. To have compared fortune to clouds would be a simile; the what-are-they-but-floating-clouds-crossing-the-sky is the simile.

夜静海涛三万里

The night is still; the sea billows roll for thirty thousand li.

夜深人静，海涛汹涌三万里

The night is still; the sea's great waves stretch on for thirty thousand li.

此句由说理转入写景，是全诗境界最开阔的一笔。「夜静」写时间，「海涛三万里」写空间，一静一动，一暗一阔。「夜静」二字，反衬出海涛的轰鸣——夜愈静，涛愈响，静与动的张力在此绷到极点；「三万里」是极度的夸张，写海涛的浩渺无垠，一望无际，天地之间唯余这翻腾不息的海。此句表面写泛海之险，实则写心之境地：海涛虽险，然诗人以「不滞」之心临之，遂觉这万顷波涛，不过是心体之外的浮云。「三万里」的阔大，与首二句「太空」的高远相呼应，心之广大，正与海之浩渺相称，景语至此，已成理语的注脚。

The sea. The night is still; the sea billows roll for thirty thousand li. The still night and the thirty-thousand-li waves are the vastness. To have described the stormy sea at night would be scenery; the night-is-still-the-sea-billows-roll-for-thirty-thousand-li is the scenery.

月明飞锡下天风

In the bright moon I ride the flying staff, descending on the heavenly wind.

在明月之下、天风之中，我如飞锡而行，飘然降下

In the moonlight, like a flying monk's staff, I descend upon the heavenly wind.

末句是全诗的升华，以奇想作结。「月明」写天光，「天风」写清气，皆是清旷高朗之象；「飞锡」用佛门典故，诗人自比持锡飞行的神僧，在明月与天风之中飘然而下。「下」字尤为传神，它不写「渡」海、不写「乘」风，而写「下」——如神人自天而降，俯临万顷波涛，把渡海的艰难化为御风而行的超然。此句与第三句构成绝妙的对照：海涛三万里是尘世的险恶，月明飞锡则是超越尘世的逍遥，一在下，一在上，一险一超，写尽诗人俯视险阻、无往而不自得的胸襟。全诗以理起，以境收，理不碍境，境中寓理，堪称心学诗的第一等境界。

The staff. In the bright moon I ride the flying staff, descending on the heavenly wind. The monk's flying staff and the heavenly wind are the close. To have imagined flying down on the wind would be a fantasy; the in-the-bright-moon-I-ride-the-flying-staff-descending-on-the-heavenly-wind is the fantasy.

Study

Word focus

滞 In 'never lodged in my breast', 'lodged' means danger and ease, honour and hurt, all leave no hindrance in the heart—one word writes the Mind-learning realm of 'vast and utterly impartial', the poem's eye. 「滞」字是首句诗眼，也是全诗哲理的支点。此字本义是水流不畅、凝塞不动，引申为心的执着与胶着。王守仁以「不滞」二字写心体的本来状态——险与夷之所以能扰乱人心，全因一念「滞」于其间；若心不滞，则险自险、夷自夷，于我何有。这一个「滞」字，把心学「不动心」的工夫浓缩为一种可以体察的状态，抽象之理因此有了可感的质地。若换作「留」「存」「萦」等字，皆不如「滞」字有力，「留」「存」只是暂时的停留，「萦」偏于缠绕，「滞」则是凝塞不通、执着不放，最切中人心执着于外境时的胶着之痛。一字之选，可见王守仁对心体体认之深。

浮云 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「浮云」是全诗的喻体，见于次句「何异浮云过太空」。此词在中国诗文中承载着悠久的意蕴：孔子「不义而富且贵，于我如浮云」以浮云喻富贵之无足轻重；禅宗以浮云喻妄念之来去无根。王守仁用「浮云」，兼取儒禅二义，而落到「过太空」三字上——浮云的妙处，不在其轻，而在其「过」，它飘来又飘去，不停留，不粘滞，正如险夷之来去于一心。以「浮云」喻险夷，比以「浮云」喻富贵更进一层：富贵尚可主动舍弃，险夷却是不请自来的人生际遇，能以浮云视之，方见心体之彻底超越。此词看似寻常，实则是全诗哲理的具象化，缺之则理无所附。

飞锡 A Buddhist pilgrimage term; here it means the poet rides danger like calm, drifting beyond things, turning philosophical firmness into a flying image—principle-interest and poetic-interest both gained. 「飞锡」是末句的核心意象，用佛门典故。锡杖为僧人所持，「飞锡」谓僧人乘锡杖飞行，或泛指僧人行脚云游，语出《高僧传》诸书，唐岑参「君持飞锡去」、王维诗中皆有此语。王守仁以「飞锡」自况，把泛海的自己比作御锡而行的神僧，海涛的颠簸遂化为神通的飞行，渡海的艰难遂化为飘然的超然。此词的妙处，一在以佛典入诗，见出王守仁融会儒释的学养——他本与禅门有深厚的往还，「飞锡」正是其思想的自然流露；二在以「飞」字写超然之态，与首二句「浮云过太空」遥相呼应，云之过、锡之飞，皆是「不滞」之心的形象化。

泛海