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南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 诗 Poem

游敬亭山

Visiting Jingting Mountain

谢朓

Xie Tiao

山水诗Landscape Poetry 南朝齐Southern Qi Dynasty 谢朓Xie Tiao

兹山亘百里，合沓与云齐。
隐沦既已托，灵异居然栖。
上干蔽白日，下属带回溪。
交藤荒且蔓，樛枝耸复低。
独鹤方朝唳，饥鼯此夜啼。
泄云已漫漫，夕雨亦凄凄。
我行虽纡组，兼得寻幽蹊。
缘源殊未极，归径窅如迷。
要欲追奇趣，即此陵丹梯。
皇恩竟已矣，兹理庶无睽。

This mountain stretches for a hundred miles or more,
Layer upon layer, its peaks with clouds do soar.
Hidden hermits here have found their dwelling place,
Wondrous spirits also abide in this space.
Its summit thrusts upward, veiling the bright sun,
Its base winds downward where the creeks have run.
Tangled vines grow wild and spread without restraint,
Curved branches rise aloft, then droop as if they faint.
A lone crane cries out in the morning light,
A hungry flying squirrel shrieks in the night.
The drifting clouds have spread in vast array,
The evening rain falls cold and drear, day by day.
Though I am bound by an official's silken cord,
I also gain this hidden path to explore.
Tracing the source, I have not reached its end,
The homeward road is dim and seems to blend.
I long to chase that wondrous, strange delight,
And climb this rosy ladder to the height.
Imperial favor has at last declined,
May this mountain truth be with my mind aligned.

Listen

Meaning

The poem depicts the magnificent and secluded scenery of Jingting Mountain, expressing the poet's longing for reclusion and his mixed feelings of political disappointment and spiritual consolation amid his official duties.

这座敬亭山绵延横贯百里，重重叠叠的山峰与云天相接。隐逸的高士既然已经托身于此，灵异的神物也安然栖息其间。向上的山势直插云霄，遮蔽了太阳；向下的山脚连接着曲折回旋的溪流。交错的藤蔓荒芜而又蔓延，弯曲的树枝高耸而又低垂。孤独的仙鹤才在清晨长鸣，饥饿的鼯鼠便在夜里悲啼。飘散的云气已经弥漫一片，傍晚的冷雨也凄凉落下。我虽身系官印、羁于职务，却也得以探寻这幽僻的小路。沿着水源前行却始终未到尽头，归去的路径深远迷茫如同迷途。正想要追寻那奇绝的意趣，就此登上那丹霞般的云梯。皇家的恩宠终究已经消歇，而这山林的道理希望与我不相违背。

Appreciation

This is a masterpiece of Southern Dynasties landscape poetry. The first twelve lines vividly portray the mountain's grandeur and mysterious seclusion through layered imagery, while the final eight lines turn to personal reflections on official life and reclusive aspirations. The poem skillfully interweaves scene and emotion, reality and imagination, with elegant and harmonious language that anticipates the regulated verse of the Tang Dynasty.

【白话串讲】谢朓游敬亭山：“兹山亘百里，合沓与云齐”——山与云齐。“独鹤方朝唳，饥鼯此夜啼”——“我行虽纡组，兼得寻幽蹊”——他虽做官，却能来寻幽。李白写“众鸟高飞尽”的敬亭山，谢朓早就游过。【意象与手法】以铺排之笔写山势，“兹山亘百里，合沓与云齐”总揽，再以干、溪、藤、枝、鹤、鼯、云、雨八景层层皴染，营造清寂荒寒而气象阔大的山中世界；后幅由景及人，以“我行虽纡组，兼得寻幽蹊”自解宦缚。语言清丽圆转，对仗工稳而不板滞，已开唐人律法先声。【情感与主旨】作于谢朓出任宣城太守期间，前写敬亭山雄奇幽邃之貌，后转入身世之感与宦游之思，把政治失意化为林泉之趣，以山水写心迹，标志南朝山水诗由玄言余绪走向情景交融的关键一步。李白“相看两不厌，只有敬亭山”正从此山的诗意血脉中脱出。【名句点睛】常考“兹山亘百里，合沓与云齐”以铺排总揽山势；“我行虽纡组，兼得寻幽蹊”以自解写宦游与山水之趣。

Background

Xie Tiao (464–499), courtesy name Xuanhui, was a renowned landscape poet of the Southern Qi Dynasty and one of the 'Eight Friends of the Jingling Prince.' In the second year of Jianwu (495), he was appointed governor of Xuancheng, a position resulting from political exclusion. Seeking spiritual refuge in the beautiful landscapes of Xuancheng, he wrote this poem while visiting Jingting Mountain, which is located north of the city. The poem reflects his inner conflict between official duties and reclusive ideals, as well as the broader political turmoil of the era.

谢朓字玄晖，陈郡阳夏人，与谢灵运同族，世称小谢，为南朝齐著名山水诗人，竟陵八友之一。齐明帝建武二年，谢朓受排挤由中书郎出为宣城太守，政治上的失意与远离中枢的怅惘，促使他在宣城的青山秀水中寻求精神寄托。敬亭山在宣城北郊，山有敬亭，风景清幽，自谢朓游赏题诗之后，遂成为千古诗山。此诗即作于宣城太守任上，诗人放览敬亭之胜，既写山川之奇，亦寄身世之慨。南朝一代，门阀倾轧、皇权更迭频繁，士人多以山水自娱、以林泉自隐，谢朓亦不能免。他虽身居郡守，心实慕隐，诗中「隐沦既已托，灵异居然栖」已透露托身山水的向往；而「我行虽纡组，兼得寻幽蹊」则直言虽牵于官守而犹得探幽，足见其于吏职与隐趣之间勉力调和。末以「皇恩竟已矣」收束，暗含对朝恩消歇、出处两难的深沉感慨，是研究谢朓晚期心态与南朝山水诗转型的重要作品。

Art

The poem is notable for its meticulous yet vivid description and the interplay of the real and the imaginary. It opens with a grand panoramic view, then shifts to mythological and spiritual associations. The middle section employs eight pairs of contrasting images—sun and stream, vines and branches, crane and squirrel, clouds and rain—arranged in a balance that suggests a landscape scroll. The language is lucid and melodious, with antithetical couplets that foreshadow the metrical rules of Tang poetry, while the overall rhythm remains fluid and free.

本诗艺术上最显著的特征是工笔铺写与虚实相生之妙。起首二句以「亘百里」「与云齐」大笔勾勒，总写山势雄远高峻，是远观之实景；三四句转入「隐沦」「灵异」，以神人托居、灵物幽栖的想象虚写，一实一虚，笔触腾挪，摇曳生姿。中间八句排比山中八景，以「上干」对「下属」、「交藤」对「樛枝」、「独鹤」对「饥鼯」、「泄云」对「夕雨」，两两相对，骈散相间，于整饬中见流动。其写物能抓住特征：藤之荒蔓、枝之低耸、鹤之朝唳、鼯之夜啼、云之漫漫、雨之凄凄，皆以视听结合、动静互衬之法出之，构成清寂幽寒而又气象开阔的意境。后八句由景及情，以「纡组」与「幽蹊」对举，点出宦迹与幽赏之矛盾；「缘源殊未极，归径窅如迷」以行踪的迷惘暗喻心路的彷徨；末二句以议论收束，将山水之趣上升到「兹理」的体悟。全诗语言清丽圆美，已具永明体声律对仗之规，启唐人律绝之法门。谢朓此诗虽为五古而骈偶已密，中间数联几无不对，却因意脉流转而不觉其板滞，足见永明体新变之妙，亦为唐人律法导夫先路。清人王夫之评小谢诗『琢句使人不能遽解，而成诵乃觉其远』，此诗层叠皴染而终归于清空，恰可为证，其在诗史上自有不可轻代之地位。

Allusions

The term 'yilun' (隐沦) derives from Huan Tan's 'Xinlun', referring to reclusive hermits, while 'lingyi' (灵异) evokes supernatural beings, adding a mystical aura to the mountain. 'Jiuzhi' (樛枝) comes from the 'Book of Songs' ('Southern, the Twisted Tree'), describing drooping branches. 'Danti' (丹梯) appears in Six Dynasties poetry as a metaphor for a path to immortality or a towering peak. These allusions are seamlessly integrated, enriching the poem's texture without overshadowing its natural flow.

诗中意象多有所本，而又脱化无痕。「隐沦」一词出自桓谭《新论》，谓天下神人五种之二，后世用以指隐逸之士；诗人言「隐沦既已托」，既实写山中高士遗迹，亦暗喻己身托身山水之愿。「灵异」则承接神话传统，赋予敬亭山以神性色彩，与南朝山水诗中常见的仙隐意趣一脉相承。「上干蔽白日」之「干」为冲犯之意，以山势之高拟人格之昂藏；「下属带回溪」之「回溪」本为曲折溪流之常语，经谢朓锤炼便见婉转。至如「樛枝」出自《诗经·樛木》「南有樛木」，本指向下弯曲之木，此处状枝柯低垂之态，雅驯而精确。「丹梯」一语，南朝诗中多指高入云霄的山峰或升仙之梯，鲍照、江淹诗中屡见，谢朓用以收束探幽之兴，暗含超越尘网、凌虚出世之想。凡此种种，皆可见谢朓熔铸典实、运化古语以写新景的功力，其意象渊源上接《诗经》《楚辞》之比兴，下启唐人山水之清空，实为六朝诗史承前启后之关捩。

Commentary

The poem consists of twenty lines, with the first twelve devoted to the mountain's scenery and the last eight to the poet's feelings and reflections. The opening couplet establishes the mountain's vast scale, and subsequent lines paint a detailed picture from summit to base, from day to night, from near to far. The image of the lonely crane and hungry squirrel subtly mirrors the poet's own solitude. The couplet 'Though I am bound by an official's silken cord / I also gain this hidden path to explore' is pivotal, revealing the tension between duty and reclusion. The closing lines express resignation and a hope for harmony with nature, tinged with melancholy over lost imperial favor.

通观全诗，二十句中前十二句为写景主体，后八句为抒情议论，结构分明而气脉贯通。开篇「兹山亘百里，合沓与云齐」以空间和高度双重维度确立敬亭山的宏廓基座，以下诸句皆由此生发。中间八景，自仰望之干云、俯瞰之回溪，至近观之荒藤、低枝，再至听觉之鹤唳、鼯啼，终以视觉之漫云、凄雨收束，由远而近、由高而下、由昼而暮，层次井然如山水长卷次第展开。尤为值得注意的是「独鹤方朝唳，饥鼯此夜啼」一联，以孤鹤饥鼯的哀音点缀幽境，不惟状景，更暗含诗人孤寂自伤之投影。后幅「我行虽纡组，兼得寻幽蹊」是全诗关捩，官守与幽赏的张力于此揭示；「缘源殊未极，归径窅如迷」则以探源未穷、归路迷茫写出耽玩忘返与心绪难安的交织。结以「皇恩竟已矣，兹理庶无睽」，表面是说山林之理希望不与己违，实则于恩宠消歇的无奈中强自宽慰，一种身处末世、委运随化的苍凉尽在其中，读来余味悠长。

Prosody

Reading note The poem contains numerous antithetical couplets, yet the syntax remains flexible, avoiding stiffness. This balance of parallelism and fluidity is a hallmark of Xie Tiao's style and a key step toward Tang dynasty prosody.此诗为五言古诗，凡二十句，句句五言，属南朝山水诗中典型的「模山范水」长篇。在声律上，谢朓身处永明体兴起之际，与沈约等同创声病之说，故诗中已多讲求平仄对仗，虽非严格律诗，而骈偶之迹显然。如「上干蔽白日」对「下属带回溪」、「交藤荒且蔓」对「樛枝耸复低」、「独鹤方朝唳」对「饥鼯此夜啼」、「泄云已漫漫」对「夕雨亦凄凄」，皆两两相对，词性相侔、平仄相协，已具律联雏形。句式以对仗为主，间以散句（如「兹山亘百里，合沓与云齐」「我行虽纡组，兼得寻幽蹊」）调节气脉，使整饬中见流动，不为对仗所缚。用韵方面，全诗大致押平声支、齐、栖、低、啼、凄、蹊、迷、梯、睽诸字，一韵到底，悠长清远，与山中幽寂之境相得益彰。整体节奏舒缓从容，如览长卷，体现出六朝五言由古趋律的过渡风貌。

Line by line

兹山亘百里，合沓与云齐。

The opening couplet establishes the mountain's enormous scale, stretching a hundred li and rising to the clouds, setting a grand and lofty tone.

This mountain stretches a hundred li, piled high level with the clouds.

起笔二句为全诗奠定雄阔的基调。「亘」者横贯也，一「亘」字写出敬亭山绵延百里的磅礴气势，非止于高，尤在其广；「合沓」谓重叠攒聚，与「云齐」相呼应，将山势之高峻推至与天相接的极致。此二句纯用白描而气魄宏大，是谢朓山水诗善于发端的典型例证。更为关键的是，这联既是实景的远观，又是全诗视野的确立——以下所有幽奇细景，皆从此百里云齐的巨幅背景中次第走出。谢朓一改谢灵运山水诗常有的滞重，以清俊之笔开篇，已开唐人气象。李白后来登敬亭山而叹「相看两不厌」，其诗心正与这「合沓与云齐」的雄浑第一印象遥相呼应。

The mountain. This mountain stretches a hundred li, piled high level with the clouds. The mountain-stretches-hundred-li and the piled-high-level-clouds are the opening. To have stretched a hundred li would be a stretching; the this-mountain-stretches-a-hundred-li-piled-high-level-with-the-clouds is the stretching.

隐沦既已托，灵异居然栖。

The poet imagines that reclusive sages and supernatural beings have made this mountain their home, adding an air of mystery and otherworldliness.

The hidden masters have made it their home; the spirits indeed dwell there.

此联由实入虚，是谢朓山水诗中「以神理润色山川」的妙笔。「隐沦」用桓谭《新论》神人五类之典，指隐逸高士；「灵异」则泛指神灵怪异之物。诗人驰骋想象，以为如此雄奇之山必是隐者托身、灵物栖息之所，于是眼中之山顿生仙隐之气。这种虚实相生之法，既避免了纯写山容的板滞，又暗中点出自己「托身」山水的志趣——他虽为宣城太守，其神思却早已与隐沦灵异同游。一「既已」一「居然」，虚写中见出确信不疑的口吻，仿佛亲见，韵味悠长，足见小谢炼字炼意之精。

The spirits. The hidden masters have made it their home; the spirits indeed dwell there. The hidden-masters-home and the spirits-dwell-there are the otherworldliness. To have made it their home would be a making; the the-hidden-masters-have-made-it-their-home-the-spirits-indeed-dwell-there is the making.

皇恩竟已矣，兹理庶无睽。

The poet laments that imperial favor has ended, hoping that the principles of nature and reclusion will not conflict with his own heart.

The imperial grace has ended; may this truth never be denied me.

结联二句是全诗的归趣所在，也是解读谢朓此期心境的钥匙。「皇恩竟已矣」直承「我行虽纡组」，道出自己虽身系官印，而朝中恩宠、政治前程实则已经黯淡消歇，暗含建武年间受排挤出守宣城的失意。「兹理」指山水幽栖、委运自然之理；「庶无睽」是希望此理终不与己相违。表面是旷达自解，内里却是一腔无奈与苍凉。谢朓一生周旋于皇室权力漩涡，终以诬陷下狱而死，此句已隐隐预兆其出处两难之悲剧。以理语收束情景，不堕理障，反增余韵，正是小谢高于时流处。

The grace. The imperial grace has ended; may this truth never be denied me. The imperial-grace-ended and the may-this-truth-never-denied are the close. To have ended would be an ending; the the-imperial-grace-has-ended-may-this-truth-never-be-denied-me is the ending.

Study

Word focus

合沓 He ta (层叠攒聚) – describes overlapping, clustered mountain peaks, conveying both density and towering height. 「合沓」一词意为重叠、攒聚，本形容山峦层叠拥簇之貌。谢朓以「合沓与云齐」状敬亭山，既写其峰峦相拥、连绵不绝的空间形态，又极言其高峻直薄云霄，一字而兼状形与势，凝练异常。此词并非谢朓首创，六朝诗中多用于写山，然经小谢锤炼，便觉清峻有力。相较谢灵运「巉岩带远天」之滞重，「合沓」更见流动空灵，正体现永明体炼字求新、尚清尚圆的审美取向，对后世王维「连山若波涛，奔凑似朝东」一类的写法亦有启发。

樛枝 Jiu zhi (向下弯曲的树枝) – a phrase from the Book of Songs, referring to branches that curve downward; here it vividly depicts the tangled, varied forms of mountain trees. 「樛枝耸复低」之「樛」读作jiū，本义为树木向下弯曲，《诗经·周南·樛木》「南有樛木，葛藟累之」是其最早的出处。谢朓用以描写敬亭山树枝柯屈曲、时耸时垂之态，一「耸」一「低」相对，写出枝干起伏的立体感与荒寒之趣。选用典雅古字而不生僻，既见其学养，又使山景蒙上一层古厚深沉的色泽。六朝诗人好以《诗经》语汇入诗以增温雅，谢朓此用正是一例，亦可见其「字字有来历」的锤炼功夫。

窅如迷 Yao ru mi (深远昏暗如迷) – 'yao' means deep and obscure; combined with 'mi' (lost), it expresses the bewildering, dim path and hints at the poet's mental confusion. 「归径窅如迷」中「窅」读作yǎo，意为深远、幽暗，《庄子》中已有「窅然丧其天下」之用法。谢朓以「窅」状归路之深远难辨，叠以「如迷」，将探幽而忘返、寻源而未穷的物理迷途，巧妙地转化为心绪彷徨的象征。这一措语极见巧思：山中本实有路径，而诗人偏说「窅如迷」，于实景中注入主观的怅惘，是为情景交融的关键一笔。后来柳宗元「悄怆幽邃」、欧阳修「望之蔚然而深秀」诸语，皆与此「窅」字血脉相通。