明 Ming · 诗 Poem
墨梅
Ink Plum
我家洗砚池头树，朵朵花开淡墨痕。
不要人夸好颜色，只留清气满乾坤。
Every blossom bears the trace of faint ink marks.
It does not want praise for its beautiful color,
It only leaves its pure fragrance to fill the universe.
Meaning
The poet describes a plum tree by his ink-washing pool, whose blossoms are tinged with faint ink marks. The plum does not seek praise for its color, but only wants its pure fragrance to fill the world, symbolizing the poet's own lofty character and disdain for worldly fame.
我家洗砚池边有一株梅树，朵朵花开都带着淡淡的墨色痕迹。它不须要别人夸赞颜色娇艳，只愿把清香之气弥漫在天地之间。
Appreciation
The poet uses the imagery of 'faint ink marks' to symbolize simplicity and elegance, and 'pure fragrance' to represent spiritual integrity. Contrasting with common 'good color', the poem expresses detachment from fame and wealth. The allusion to the ink-washing pool hints at the poet's identity as a painter, while the last line elevates personal virtue to cosmic scale.
【白话串讲】 王冕画梅花，不用彩色，只用淡淡的墨痕。“不要人夸好颜色，只留清气满乾坤”——这首诗，是画家的自况，也是中国文人清高气节的宣言。 【意象与手法】 此诗最妙处在于以色写神、托物言志。诗人不写梅之红艳而写“淡墨痕”，以水墨之素代胭脂之丽 【情感与主旨】 王冕（1287—1359），元末明初著名画家、诗人，号煮石山农。此诗题于其自画墨梅图上，是其咏梅组诗的代表作 【名句点睛】 考点多为名句默写、意象分析与主旨理解。须默“不要人夸好颜色，只留清气满乾坤”；理解“淡墨痕”与“清气”的象征义
Background
Wang Mian (1287-1359), a famous painter and poet of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, styled himself 'Zhushi Shannong' (Mountain Farmer of Boiled Stone). This poem is inscribed on his own ink-plum painting, a representative work in his series of plum-blossom poems. Born into a farming family, he failed many imperial examinations and never held official post. In his later years, he lived in seclusion at Jiuli Mountain in Kuaiji, consoling himself by painting and chanting about plums. The aloof attitude in the poem reflects his disdain for power and his integrity.
王冕（一二八七—一三五九），字元章，号煮石山农，浙江诸暨人，元末明初著名画家、诗人。出身农家，少孤贫，白天牧牛、夜窃佛寺灯读，后从韩性学，工画梅，创以胭脂作没骨体，又善画墨梅。此诗题于其自画墨梅图上，是其咏梅组诗的代表作，原作或题画而兼自咏。元末纲纪弛紊、士多隐沦，王冕一生拒荐不仕，隐居九里山，以画梅自给，诗画皆托孤高之志。墨梅一题，承宋人林逋暗香疏影之咏梅传统，而王冕以水墨写梅、以画理入诗，别开生面。其诗不写梅之红艳而写淡墨痕，正合其画家身份与不求闻达的心境。明代咏物诗多重寄托，王冕此作以梅自况，写不慕荣利、清气满乾坤的襟抱，与其《白梅》冰花个个葫芦提等同调，皆为元明之际遗民清节之音。其以梅自况、以画写心，诗画合一，于题画诗中别树一帜，不慕荣利而独标清气，足窥元明之际文人立身之则与审美之趣。
Art
The most brilliant aspect is using color to convey spirit and expressing aspirations through objects. The poet does not write about the plum's red beauty but 'faint ink marks', substituting ink's plainness for rouge's allure. The last line 'only leaves its pure fragrance to fill the universe' transforms visual 'purity' into ethereal 'purity', using synesthesia and hyperbole to make the plum's spirit fill heaven and earth. The language is simple yet the realm is lofty.
此诗艺术最妙在以色写神、托物言志。首句我家洗砚池头树点明所咏乃自家池边墨梅，洗砚池暗用王羲之临池学书典故，既切画家身份又带书卷气。次句朵朵花开淡墨痕以淡墨写梅，不施胭脂而独尚水墨之素，以墨痕代花色，是画家题画诗的独到视角。三四句不要人夸好颜色，只留清气满乾坤由形入神，以不要、只留的取舍句式，将梅花由视觉之美转为道德之香。全诗由实（池头树、淡墨痕）到虚（清气、乾坤），由物（梅）到人（己），不即不离。修辞上以淡墨痕对好颜色，以形色之淡反衬气味之清，对比巧妙；结句满乾坤三字境界大开，由一树之梅扩及天地之间，气象浑宏。短短四句，题画而超乎画，咏物而归于志，诚题画诗之上品。由实到虚、由物到人，不即不离，于淡墨痕中见清气，于池头树中见乾坤，章法自然意脉浑成，题画而超乎画，咏物而归于志。综而言之，《墨梅》正是以如此艺术匠心，于尺幅之间见千里之势，言有尽而意无穷，足见作者驾驭语言、熔铸意境之深厚功力，故能历久而不失其动人之处。
Allusions
'Ink-washing pool' alludes to Wang Xizhi's practice of washing his brush in a pond until the water turned black, pointing to the origin of the ink-plum's ink and claiming a lofty literary lineage. 'Pure fragrance' inherits the tradition of comparing fragrance to virtue from Chu Ci, and paired with 'universe', it draws from the Book of Changes, endowing personal integrity with cosmic breadth.
洗砚池用王羲之临池学书、池水尽墨典故，出《晋书·王羲之传》，王冕以之自况，既点画家身份，又暗含力学自修之意。墨梅之墨本水墨画术语，王冕创墨梅一派，以浓淡水墨写梅之神，此诗淡墨痕即其画法自白，亦含不尚铅华之喻。清气一词渊源深远，本指梅之幽香，更与儒家清气、逸气及道家清虚相通，宋人咏梅已多言香，林逋疏影横斜水清浅，暗香浮动月黄昏以暗香写梅，王冕易暗香为清气，更重精神之洁。乾坤本《周易》天地之称，泛指宇宙。颜色本指容色，此处兼指梅花之红艳与世俗之浮华。不要人夸暗用李白天生我材或陶渊明不为五斗米折腰的孤高意脉，典故化于无形，是题画诗以画理、书典入诗的自然流露。洗砚池之书香、淡墨痕之画理、清气之德性三者交融，遂使梅由自然物升为人格物，典故化于无形而自见风骨。观《墨梅》用典使事之妙，正在于不泥于古而能化用无痕，信手拈来皆成佳境，既增诗境之厚重，又不失自然浑成之趣，非徒摭拾故实以炫博者也。
Commentary
Wang Mian was known as the 'Master of Ink Plum' for his plum paintings done in boneless style with rouge, yet his poetry is slender and pure. Modern critics say his poetry and painting are united in solitary pride. Xu Wei praised his painting as 'Plum blossoms not in peach-blossom color', matching the line 'It does not want praise for its lovely hue', showing his artistic integrity.
此诗自明清以来即为咏梅名篇，与林逋《山园小梅》、陆游《卜算子·咏梅》并峙，而独以画家的淡墨视角与满乾坤的格局见长。清代沈德潜《明诗别裁集》收录王冕诗，推其高洁。近世语文教材多取此诗为托物言志范文，与于谦《石灰吟》、郑燮《竹石》并列，考点常聚于淡墨痕与清气的象征义及不要人夸、只留清气的取舍句式。其传播之广，尤在只留清气满乾坤一句，成为中国人表达不慕荣利、独立天地之清标的经典语码，亦与王冕拒仕元明、隐居画梅的生平相互发明。今人读之，既可见元明之际遗民以梅自况、以画写心之风，亦可见题画诗由状物到言志的升华。其诗画合一、以素代艳的审美，对后世文人画与题画诗影响深远。其不慕荣利、独立天地的清标，与元明遗民守节之风相表里，遂为后世题画咏物之典型范式，清气满乾坤一语尤足垂训。由古及今，评骘《墨梅》者代不乏人，或赏其辞章，或味其情志，虽各有侧重而皆许为名篇，其艺术生命之活跃、在文学史上地位之重要，于此可见一斑。
Prosody
Line by line
我家洗砚池头树，
Beside the pool where I wash my inkstone, a plum tree grows. The allusion to Wang Xizhi's ink-pool hints at the poet's scholarly identity.
我家洗砚池边有一株梅树，
Beside my ink-stone washing pool stands this plum tree,
起句看似平淡叙事，实含两层匠心：我家二字拉近物我距离，明示所咏乃自家池头之梅，物即己之化身；洗砚池暗用王羲之临池学书、池水尽墨典故，既点出画家身份，又带书卷清气与力学自修之意。池头树将梅植于文人书斋之侧，暗喻士人与梅朝夕相对、以梅为友的关系。此句未写梅之色香，先写其地其主，为下文淡墨痕与清气蓄势，亦奠定全诗题画兼自咏的基调。看似闲笔，却已将地点、身份、志趣三者轻轻带出，起手便见不俗。
The pool. Beside my ink-stone washing pool stands this plum tree. The Wang Xizhi ink-pool allusion and the family tree are the opening. To have placed the plum by the ink pool would be a placement; the beside-my-ink-stone-washing-pool-stands-this-plum-tree is the placement.
朵朵花开淡墨痕。
Every blossom bears the trace of faint ink marks. 'Faint ink marks' suggests simplicity and detachment from gaudy colors.
朵朵花开都带着淡淡的墨色痕迹。
Every bloom is streaked with the faintest ink.
承句写梅之色，以淡墨痕三字立异：常人咏梅写红艳，王冕以画家之眼写水墨之素，朵朵花开皆带墨痕，是墨梅画法的诗中自白。淡字极关紧要，既状墨色之浅，亦喻不尚铅华、不求浓艳的品格；墨痕以画迹代花色，物我皆文人雅趣。此句由首句之树转到花，由实写形到以画理写神，已将梅花由自然物转为艺术物、再由艺术物转为人格物。淡墨痕与下文好颜色形成对比的伏笔，亦为清气满乾坤张本——色愈淡而气愈清，正是此诗以色写神的核心。
The ink. Every bloom is streaked with the faintest ink. The faint ink traces on every bloom are the painted plum's self-description. To have painted the blooms in faint ink would be a description; the every-bloom-is-streaked-with-the-faintest-ink is the description.
不要人夸好颜色，
It does not want praise for its beautiful color. The negation expresses aloofness and disdain for worldly praise.
它不须要别人夸赞颜色娇艳，
It asks no one to praise its color,
转句由形入神，以不要人夸好颜色示孤高之志。好颜色既指梅花红艳，亦喻世俗所重的浮华声名；不要人夸即不慕荣利、不求闻达，暗承陶渊明不为五斗米折腰、李白天生我材的孤高意脉。此句以否定句式斩断对外在称誉的依恋，将梅花（亦诗人自己）从取悦他人的客体转为自守本真的主体。语虽平直，骨自嶙峋，恰合王冕拒荐不仕、隐居九里山的生平。不要二字与下句只留呼应，构成全诗的取舍骨架，是由体物转向言志的关键转折。
The praise. It asks no one to praise its color. The asks-no-one-to-praise-the-color is the refusal. To have refused praise would be a refusal; the it-asks-no-one-to-praise-its-color is the refusal.
只留清气满乾坤。
It only leaves its pure fragrance to fill the universe. 'Pure fragrance' is a double entendre for both the plum's scent and the poet's character, and 'fills the universe' broadens the realm.
只愿把清香之气弥漫在天地之间。
it only wishes to leave a pure breath filling all the world.
结句收束全篇，清气双关梅之幽香与士人之清节，满乾坤三字境界大开，由一树池头之梅扩及整个天地宇宙，气象浑宏。只留与上文不要人夸呼应，示主动舍形取神、舍誉取德的抉择。清气本宋人咏梅常语，王冕易暗香为清气，更重精神之洁，与《周易》乾坤天地之象相配，使个人清节获得宇宙性的依托。此句遂成中国人表达不慕荣利、独立天地之清标的经典语码，亦与王冕以水墨写梅、拒仕守节的生平相映。四句由实到虚、由物到人，结以满乾坤收束，余味浩然。
The breath. It only wishes to leave a pure breath filling all the world. The pure breath filling the world is Wang Mian's self-portrait. To have left a pure breath in the world would be a vow; the it-only-wishes-to-leave-a-pure-breath-filling-all-the-world is the vow.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
One cherishes 'pure fragrance', the other 'pure whiteness', both achieving unity of object and self; they can be read as twin gems of Ming object-chanting poetry.
于谦《石灰吟》要留清白在人间，与王冕此诗只留清气满乾坤，同以留字收束、同主清白清气之德、同托物言志。然王诗以梅之淡墨写不慕荣利、隐居自守，偏于清逸；于诗以石灰之碎身写宁折不曲、赴难献身，偏于刚烈。一写隐逸之清、一写殉节之白，一柔一刚，恰见托物诗由清高到牺牲的两路。二诗并列为近世托物言志范文，可参读以观元明士大夫以物自况、以素（淡墨）与烈（烈火）写节的不同取径。
山园小梅 Little Plum in the Mountain Garden 林逋 · 同咏梅，宋人名句与元明墨梅诗脉相承。 Both write about plum blossoms and express feelings through the plumLin Bu's 'sparse shadows slanting' portrays the plum's ethereal beauty, while Wang Mian's ink-plum emphasizes pure fragrance; comparing them reveals different facets of the plum.
林逋疏影横斜水清浅，暗香浮动月黄昏以暗香写梅之幽，开宋人咏梅之境；王冕易暗香为清气，更重精神之洁，且以淡墨痕的画家视角写梅，由暗香之嗅觉转为清气之道德。二诗皆孤高脱俗，然林诗写隐士闲适之赏，王诗写遗民守节之志，境愈阔而意愈峻。王冕墨梅实承林逋而下，又融入元末遗民气息与文人画理，使咏梅由体物之工转为言志之坚，可并读以见咏梅诗从宋到元的演变轨迹。