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明 Ming · 诗 Poem

感怀

Reflections on Life

刘基

Liu Ji

感怀reflection 壮志ambition

结发事远游，逍遥观四方。
天地一何阔，山川杳茫茫。
众鸟各自飞，乔木空苍凉。
登高见万里，怀古使心伤。
伫立望浮云，安得凌风翔。

Bound my hair and took to far wandering, free and easy viewing the four quarters.
How vast is heaven and earth; hills and streams dim and boundless.
The many birds each fly their own way; the tall tree stands lone and desolate.
I climb high and see ten thousand li; recalling the olden days wounds the heart.
I stand long gazing at the floating clouds—how can I rise on the wind and soar?

Listen

Meaning

From the time my hair was bound I left home for far travel, roaming free and easy to view the four quarters. How vast are heaven and earth; the hills and streams stretch dim and boundless. The many birds each spread their wings and fly; the tall tree stands only in lonely desolation. Climbing high I see ten thousand li; recalling antiquity wounds the heart. Standing long I gaze at the floating clouds—how may I rise on the wind and soar free?

束发成年便离家远游，逍遥自在地观览四方。天地是何等广阔，山川连绵一片渺茫。众鸟各自振翅高飞，高大的树木徒然呈现苍凉。登上高处望见万里江山，怀想古事使人心生悲伤。久久伫立眺望那飘浮的云，怎样才能乘风自由翱翔。

Appreciation

The whole piece lodges feeling in scene and intent in objects, its structure opening and closing with measure. The first four lines unfold, from the narrative 'bound my hair and took to far wandering', the vast space of 'how vast is heaven and earth'; the middle two lines compare 'the many birds each fly' to those who have attained station, contrasting the self-pitying loneliness of 'the tall tree stands lone and desolate'; the end gathers strength through 'climb high, recall the old' and 'stand long gazing at the clouds', finally drawing out the question of ambition 'how can I rise on the wind and soar'—majestic within the desolation.

【白话串讲】刘基年轻时写《感怀》：“结发事远游，逍遥观四方”。“登高见万里，怀古使心伤”——登高望远，怀古伤今。“伫立望浮云，安得凌风翔”——他望着浮云，想乘风飞翔。【意象与手法】全篇景中寓情、托物言志，章法开阖有度。前四句由「结发事远游」的叙事拓开「天地一何阔」的宏大空间；中二句以「众鸟各自飞」喻得志者，反衬「乔木空苍凉」的自况孤寂；末以「登高怀古」「伫立望云」蓄势，终引出「安得凌风翔」的壮志之问，于苍凉中见豪迈。【情感与主旨】刘基（1311—1375），字伯温，明初杰出军事谋略家、文学家，与宋濂、高启并称「明初诗文三大家」。其早年胸怀匡世大志，却久屈下僚、屡遭困顿，直至晚年佐朱元璋开国。此五言《感怀》当作于其未遇、远游观览之时，借天地山川、浮云飞鸟抒写怀才不遇、渴望乘时奋飞之志。【名句点睛】常考：①托物言志，「众鸟」「乔木」的象征意涵；②炼字，「空苍凉」的「空」字如何写孤寂；③「安得凌风翔」的化典与壮志；④「登高怀古」的沉郁之气。

Background

Liu Ji, courtesy Bowen, was an outstanding early-Ming military strategist and man of letters, ranked with Song Lian and Gao Qi as one of the 'Three Great Masters of Early Ming Letters'. In his youth he harbored a great wish to order the world, yet long stayed in low post and met repeated hardship until late in life he aided Zhu Yuanzhang to found the dynasty. This five-character 'Reflections' was likely written in his unmet time, wandering and viewing, borrowing heaven, earth, hills, clouds, and birds to voice the unrecognized talent and the wish to seize the moment and soar.

刘基（1311—1375），字伯温，青田（今浙江文成）人，元末明初杰出的政治家、军事谋略家、文学家，辅佐朱元璋建立明朝，封诚意伯，与宋濂、高启并称「明初诗文三大家」。刘基少聪慧，元至顺年间中进士，然元末政治腐败，其虽怀匡世大志，却久屈下僚，历任高安县丞、江浙儒学副提举等微职，屡遭排挤，郁郁不得志；后弃官归隐，著《郁离子》以言志，直至五十岁方出山辅佐朱元璋。此五言《感怀》当作于其未遇之时、远游观览之际——元末天下将乱，刘基周游四方，目睹山河之壮与世道之弊，怀才不遇之感与乘时奋飞之志交织于心，遂借天地山川、浮云飞鸟抒写怀抱。诗题「感怀」即「感事抒怀」之意，是刘基早年「蓄志待时」心境的写照：观四方而见天地之阔，见众鸟高飞而自伤乔木苍凉，登高怀古而心生悲伤，然终以「安得凌风翔」作结——苍凉之中不失豪迈，正是其「郁离子」式的深沉与「诚意伯」式的抱负的合体。

Art

此诗艺术上最显著的特点是景中寓情、托物言志，章法开阖有度，由叙事拓境、以物象自况、借问句抒志，层层递进而一气流转。前四句由「结发事远游」的叙事起笔，拓开「天地一何阔」的宏大空间——「逍遥观四方」写游历之志，「天地一何阔，山川杳茫茫」以「一何」加强感叹，写天地之广、山川之渺，境界顿开，而人之渺小自在其中。中二句「众鸟各自飞，乔木空苍凉」是托物言志的关键：众鸟高飞，喻得志者纷纷；乔木苍凉，自况怀才不遇——一「空」字写乔木徒然苍凉，孤寂之极。末四句「登高见万里，怀古使心伤」由景入情，登高望远、怀古伤今，沉郁顿生；「伫立望浮云，安得凌风翔」以问作结——望浮云而思乘风，以「安得」之问收束，苍凉中见豪迈，把怀才不遇之悲转化为乘时奋飞之志。全诗由阔而寂、由悲而奋，开阖有度，沉郁而雄健。再就「豪」与「悲」的交织言，全诗情感并非单向沉郁：前四句之「阔」含少年豪气，中二句之「空」「苍」见失意之悲，末二句「安得凌风翔」复振起豪情——悲而不馁、郁而能奋，正是「沉郁顿挫」的本质：沉郁是底色，顿挫是节律，豪迈是归宿。这种「于苍凉中见豪迈」的复合情感，使此诗超越了单纯「怀才不遇」的哀叹，而具有了进取者的精神高度，亦是刘基日后佐太祖开国、运筹帷幄的气魄之先声。

Allusions

The lyric uses and transforms several allusions: 'bound my hair' means binding the hair at adulthood, marking how early he wandered; 'rise on the wind' transforms the line from the Chu Ci·Far Roaming 'I wish to lift lightly and roam far' and the Zhuangzi·Free and Easy Wandering image of riding the wind aloft, writing the wish to rise and soar; 'tall tree' is from the Mencius, 'what is called the old state is not that it has tall trees', here using the tall tree's lonely desolation to pity his own fall. The allusions come naturally, aiding the deep, restrained air.

此诗用典与化用数处，皆融化入景，助成沉郁之气。「结发」指束发成年——古礼男子二十而冠，束发以示成年，此处写「结发事远游」，谓少年立志、远游四方，暗含「读万卷书，行万里路」的壮怀。「凌风翔」化用《楚辞·远游》「愿轻举而远游」「载营魄而登霞兮，掩浮云而上征」及《庄子·逍遥游》「抟扶摇而上者九万里」之意，写渴望超拔奋飞、乘时而起，是「乘云气，御飞龙」的逍遥之想。「乔木」本《孟子·梁惠王下》「所谓故国者，非谓有乔木之谓也，有世臣之谓也」——孟子以乔木喻故国之世臣，刘基此处反用其意，以高大树木的徒然苍凉自况沦落，暗含「虽有大木之材而无用武之地」之叹。「浮云」取《论语·述而》「不义而富且贵，于我如浮云」之清高意，兼取古诗「浮云蔽白日」之蔽贤意，写望云而思高举。隶事自然，无堆砌之痕。又，「观四方」暗用《礼记·王制》「天子五年一巡守……命大师陈诗以观民风」之「观风」古义，亦含「四方之志」的壮怀；「逍遥」取《庄子·逍遥游》之「逍遥」义，写游历之自得，而「天地一何阔」正承《逍遥游》「天之苍苍，其正色邪」的宇宙视野，可见刘基于儒道两家皆有所取，其志在经世，其胸次则通于逍遥，正是「外儒内道」的典型士人心态。

Commentary

Ming critics say Liu Ji's poetry is 'deep and restrained, forming a school of its own'; his five-character ancient poems draw on Han and Wei, plain and honest yet with opening breath. Moderns say this 'Reflections' 'shows the intent to soar and seize the moment within loneliness and desolation'; the closing 'how can I rise on the wind and soar' follows the distant meaning of Far Roaming and Free and Easy Wandering, best showing Liu Bowen's spirit of 'storing intent and awaiting the time' in his unmet years.

历代评家于刘基诗评价颇高，尤重其「沉郁顿挫」之风。明人评刘基诗「沉郁顿挫，自成一家」，其五言古诗胎息汉魏，古朴质直而气势开阖——此《感怀》即其代表：上承古诗十九首之浑融、阮籍咏怀之渊放，下开明初诗之沉雄，是明五古中的佳作。近人论刘基诗，多谓其「于苍凉孤寂中见乘时奋飞之志」，此诗「安得凌风翔」之问，遥承《楚辞·远游》《庄子·逍遥游》遗意，最能体现刘伯温未遇时「蓄志待时」的精神面貌。与《郁离子》一书参看，可见刘基诗文一体的思想脉络——《郁离子》以寓言写政治哲学，此诗以意象写怀抱，而皆本于其经世之志。在明初诗坛，刘基与宋濂、高启并称三大家，其诗雄浑沉郁、文质兼备，此《感怀》正是其未遇之时的精神自传，也是理解明初士人心态的重要文本。从明初诗坛看，此诗与宋濂《送东阳马生序》之励志、高启《青丘子歌》之狂放并观，可见明初「三大家」的三种精神面貌：宋濂以道学立身，高启以才情自放，刘基以谋略济世；此《感怀》之「安得凌风翔」，正是刘基「谋略家之诗」的写照——不徒以诗人自居，而每以志士自期。后世论刘基，多赞其「开国文臣」之业，而此诗提醒我们：其凌云之志、沉郁之思，早在其未遇之时已凝为诗篇，文与功业，本出一源。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient poem (five-character gu)五言古诗（五古）

Rhyme Distant level rhyme (fang, mang, liang, shang, xiang, Yang-Tang rhyme group), ancient form not strict押平声韵，韵脚「方」「茫」「凉」「伤」「翔」等（阳唐韵，方、茫、凉、伤、翔皆阳部），一韵到底，音节宏亮。

Tone pattern Ancient-form poem, not bound by level-oblique or antithesis, carried by breath古体诗，不究平仄对仗，以气脉连贯为主；两句一联，联联递进，节奏于疏朗中见顿挫，前四句开阔、中二句沉郁、末四句苍凉而昂扬。

Reading note Liu Ji's five-character ancient draws on Han and Wei, plain and honest, deep and restrained; this is one of his representative reflection pieces.此诗为五言古诗，押平声阳韵一韵到底（方、茫、凉、伤、翔），音节宏亮开阔，正合其「志在四方」的壮怀。五古之体不究近体平仄对仗，而以气驭辞，此诗正以气胜：起联「结发事远游，逍遥观四方」疏朗开阔，如长江发源；「天地一何阔，山川杳茫茫」以「一何」「杳茫茫」写境界之宏，气脉奔放；「众鸟各自飞，乔木空苍凉」顿挫转入沉郁，一「空」字力重千钧；「登高见万里，怀古使心伤」由景入情，沉郁顿生；结以「伫立望浮云，安得凌风翔」之问，昂扬收束，气脉由阔而寂、由悲而奋，开阖有度。用韵上阳部宏亮，正合其豪迈之气；句式上五言齐整而间以虚字（一何、空、安得）传神，正是汉魏五古「以气行文、以虚字传神」的遗法。诵读时宜前四句放声开阔、中二句沉郁低回、末二句昂扬向上，方能传其「沉郁顿挫、苍凉豪迈」之致。

Line by line

结发事远游，逍遥观四方。

Bound my hair and took to far wandering, free and easy viewing the four quarters.

束发成年便离家远游，逍遥自在地观览四方。

At the coming of age I set out on distant travels, roaming freely over the four directions.

起笔叙事，写早年壮志与游历，为全诗定下开阔基调。「结发事远游」：束发成年便投身远游——「结发」用古礼「男子二十而冠束发」之意，写远游之早、立志之坚，少年豪气见于笔端；「逍遥观四方」：逍遥自在地观览四方——「逍遥」写游历之从容自得，「观四方」写游历之广、眼界之开，暗含「读万卷书，行万里路」的壮怀。两句一写「远游」、一写「观四方」，志在四方之意豁然开朗，正是刘基早年「四方之志」的自白。此联以叙事起笔而不落平铺：结发、逍遥、观四方，笔致疏朗，气势开阔，为下文「天地一何阔」的宏大境界与「乔木空苍凉」的孤寂自况铺路。

The travels. At the coming of age I set out on distant travels, roaming freely over the four directions. The capping-age departure and the free roaming are the young ambition. To have described the youthful travels would be a statement; the at-the-coming-of-age-I-set-out-on-distant-travels-roaming-freely-over-the-four-directions is the statement.

天地一何阔，山川杳茫茫。

How vast is heaven and earth; hills and streams dim and boundless.

天地是何等广阔，山川连绵一片渺茫。

How vast are heaven and earth; rivers and hills stretch out, dim and boundless.

两句承「观四方」而来，写天地之阔，是全诗境界的拓开。「天地一何阔」：天地是何等广阔——「一何」即「何其」，以加强语气写感叹之深，天地之阔扑面而来，境界顿开；「山川杳茫茫」：山川连绵，一片渺茫——「杳茫茫」写山川之深远辽阔，渺茫无际。两句一写天地、一写山川，由高而远，把「观四方」所见之宏大境界铺展在读者面前；而天地愈阔、山川愈茫，人之渺小、人生之须臾自在其中——这正是后文「乔木空苍凉」「怀古使心伤」的伏笔。此联以「一何」「杳茫茫」写感叹与渺茫，气象宏阔而意绪苍茫，是「以景拓境、以境寓情」的典型，亦见刘基五古胎息汉魏的古朴气魄。

The vastness. How vast are heaven and earth; rivers and hills stretch out, dim and boundless. The how-vast heaven-and-earth and the dim-boundless mountains are the opening breadth. To have exclaimed at the vast world would be a reaction; the how-vast-are-heaven-and-earth against the rivers-and-hills-stretch-out-dim-and-boundless is the reaction.

众鸟各自飞，乔木空苍凉。

The many birds each fly their own way; the tall tree stands lone and desolate.

众鸟各自振翅高飞，高大的树木徒然呈现苍凉。

All the birds fly off each on its own; the tall trees stand bleak and deserted.

两句是全诗托物言志的关键，以物象写身世，孤寂而含讽。「众鸟各自飞」：众鸟各自振翅高飞——众鸟喻得志者，各自高飞、各得其所，正是元末乱世中追名逐利之辈纷纷得势的写照；「乔木空苍凉」：高大的树木徒然苍凉——乔木自况，大木参天而无人赏识，徒然苍凉，「空」字写孤寂之极——非乔木不材，而是材大难用、无人问津，正是刘基久屈下僚的写照。两句以「众鸟」之飞对「乔木」之苍，一得志、一失意，一喧腾、一孤寂，对照鲜明；以「空」字写尽怀才不遇的落寞，讽意藏于比兴之中。此联承上启下：天地之阔衬乔木之孤，乔木之孤引「怀古」之伤，是全诗由景入情的枢纽。

The tree. All the birds fly off each on its own; the tall trees stand bleak and deserted. The birds flying off (the successful) against the bleak tall tree (the unused hero) are the Liu Ji self-portrait. To have compared the successful to birds would be a comparison; the all-the-birds-fly-off-each-on-its-own against the tall-trees-stand-bleak-and-deserted is the comparison.

登高见万里，怀古使心伤。

I climb high and see ten thousand li; recalling the olden days wounds the heart.

登上高处望见万里江山，怀想古事使人心生悲伤。

Climbing high, I see ten thousand li; thinking on the past, my heart is hurt.

两句由景入情，是全诗情感的低谷，沉郁顿生。「登高见万里」：登上高处，望见万里江山——登高望远，江山万里尽收眼底，境界愈阔，而「万里」之中，何处是吾土、何时是吾时？「怀古使心伤」：怀想古事，使人心生悲伤——登高而怀古，念古之贤才遇合、英雄得时，而己之未遇，故心伤。两句一「见」一「伤」：所见愈远，所伤愈深；江山愈壮，身世愈悲。此联是全诗情感的转折点——前四句写壮阔之景，此处转入沉郁之情，壮景与悲情相激，正是「以乐景写哀」的笔法；而「怀古」二字又暗含对元末乱世、贤才不遇的深沉感慨，为结句「安得凌风翔」的奋飞之志蓄势。

The grief. Climbing high, I see ten thousand li; thinking on the past, my heart is hurt. The climbing to see ten thousand li and the past-broken heart are the turn. To have described the historical grief would be a mood; the climbing-high-I-see-ten-thousand-li against the thinking-on-the-past-my-heart-is-hurt is the mood.

伫立望浮云，安得凌风翔。

I stand long gazing at the floating clouds—how can I rise on the wind and soar?

久久伫立眺望那飘浮的云，怎样才能乘风自由翱翔。

I stand long, gazing at the floating clouds; how may I ride the wind and soar?

结句是全诗的收束与升华，于苍凉中见豪迈，以问句振起全篇。「伫立望浮云」：久久伫立，眺望飘浮的云——「伫立」写凝望之久、期待之切，「望浮云」以浮云之高远写向往之无极——云可高举，人何不能？「安得凌风翔」：怎样才能乘风自由翱翔——「安得」即「怎得」，以问句写渴望乘风高举、奋飞云霄之志，化用《楚辞·远游》「愿轻举而远游」与《庄子·逍遥游》「抟扶摇而上者九万里」之意。两句一望一问：望浮云是向往，问凌风是呼告，把怀才不遇的悲愤升华为乘时奋飞的壮志，收束全诗于昂扬之势。以问句作结，言尽而志不尽，正是刘伯温「蓄志待时」精神面貌的集中体现。

The soar. I stand long, gazing at the floating clouds; how may I ride the wind and soar? The long standing at the clouds and the how-may-I-soar question are the close. To have asked how he might soar would be a question; the I-stand-long-gazing-at-the-floating-clouds against the how-may-I-ride-the-wind-and-soar question is the question.

Study

Word focus

一何 In 'how vast is heaven and earth', 'how' means 'how very', strengthening the exclamation and unfolding the vastness of space. 「天地一何阔」之「一何」二字，即「何其、多么」，是全诗加强感叹的关键字眼，拓开空间之宏。「一何」本为汉魏古诗习语（如《古诗十九首》「上有弦歌声，音响一何悲」），刘基取以入诗，正见其五古胎息汉魏的渊源。「一何」之妙在于以虚字写惊叹：不是平淡地陈述「天地阔」，而是以「一何」加强语气，写「天地是何等广阔啊」——惊叹之情溢于言表，境界因之顿开。此二字又暗含反衬：天地愈「一何阔」，人生愈渺小，个体愈孤寂，后文「乔木空苍凉」「怀古使心伤」之悲，正由这「一何阔」反衬而出。以两个虚字写尽赞叹与苍茫，正是汉魏古诗「以虚字传神」的遗法，亦是刘基炼字的功力所在。

空 In 'the tall tree stands lone and desolate', the word 'lone' writes that the tree stands desolate in vain, pitying his own fall and loneliness. 「乔木空苍凉」之「空」字，写树木徒然苍凉、无人赏识，自况沦落孤寂，是全诗最见沉痛的用字。「空」训「徒然、白白地」——乔木高大苍劲，本可栋梁，然「空苍凉」，徒然苍凉而已，无人识其材、用其材，正喻刘基本有济世之才而久屈下僚、无所施展。此字妙在三点：一是以物写人，乔木之「空」即己之「空」，材大难用的悲愤尽在一字；二是与「众鸟各自飞」对照，鸟得时而飞、木失时而苍，「空」字写尽失时者的落寞；三是「空」字本虚，用之以实写孤寂，愈见沉痛——不是不苍凉，而是苍凉无人见、无人问，故曰「空」。一字而怀才不遇之悲毕现，是刘基炼字沉郁的典范。

安得 In 'how can I rise on the wind and soar', 'how can' means 'how may', closing with a question, the wish to soar weighing heavy. 「安得凌风翔」之「安得」二字，即「怎得、如何才能」，以问句收束全诗，渴盼奋飞之情力重千钧，是全诗的振起之字。「安得」之问妙在三点：一是以问写志——不是「愿凌风翔」的陈述，而是「安得凌风翔」的呼告，渴望之切、求之之迫尽在一问，正见其「蓄志待时」的急切；二是以问写悲——安得者，不得也，明知难得而仍问之，悲愤与希冀交织，苍凉中见豪迈；三是以问收束——结以问句，言尽而志不尽，余响袅袅，把读者的思绪引向云天之上。此二字与「伫立望浮云」相配，「望」是期待、「安得」是呼告，一静一动，把怀才不遇之悲推向乘时奋飞之志，是全诗「于苍凉中见豪迈」的点睛之笔。

感怀