宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric
清平乐·检校山园书所见
Pure Peace Music (Qing Ping Yue) · What I Saw While Inspecting the Mountain Garden
连云松竹,万事从今足。
拄杖东家分社肉,白酒床头初熟。
西风梨枣山园,儿童偷把长竿。
莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看。
Leaning on my staff, I share the sacrificial meat at the neighbor's; the white wine by my bed has just turned ripe.
In the west wind, pears and jujubes fill the mountain garden; children secretly take up long poles.
Do not let others startle them away—this old man sits quietly and watches at leisure.
Meaning
The lyric records the contentment of a retired statesman living in rural seclusion. The natural abundance of his garden and the simple rituals of village life make him feel that 'henceforth all affairs are satisfied.' Its gentle humor peaks as he quietly watches children secretly knock down fruit, embodying an untroubled, leisurely spirit that finds joy in small, ordinary scenes.
连云松竹,万事从今足。拄杖东家分社肉,白酒床头初熟。西风梨枣山园,儿童偷把长竿。莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The song opens with pines and bamboos rising into the clouds and the speaker declaring all his worldly cares at an end. He then leans on his staff to share the communal sacrificial meat at a neighbor's house while the new wine by his bed ripens. In the garden the west wind stirs pears and jujubes, and children stealthily lift long poles to knock them down. The closing couplet is the heart of the piece: he asks that no one startle the children away, and the old man simply sits and looks on in quiet pleasure. [Structure] The upper stanza sketches material fullness—cloud-linked pines, shared meat, new wine—while the lower stanza turns to leisurely observation: children with poles, the old man watching. The movement is from things to persons, from abundance to ease. [Imagery] Xin Qiji uses plain description rather than ornate diction. The single word 'steal' (tou) captures the children's roguish charm, and the speaker's 'quiet watching' turns a trivial scene into a portrait of serene contentment. The contrast between the satisfied 'all affairs' of the opening and the unhurried 'quiet watching' of the close gives the whole lyric its warm, self-possessed calm.
【白话串讲】 辛弃疾写《清平乐·检校山园书所见》:“连云松竹,万事从今足”——“拄杖东家分社肉,白酒床头初熟”——“西风梨枣山园,儿童偷把长竿”——“莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看”——他看孩子们偷打梨枣——莫惊他们,老夫静处闲看。 【意象与手法】 此词写田园,以闲适写田园,是辛弃疾的名篇。上片写田园:「连云松竹,万事从今足。拄杖东家分社肉,白酒床头初熟」写连云松竹、万事从今足、拄杖东家分社肉、白酒床头初熟——写尽田园的丰足;下片写闲看:「西风梨枣山园,儿童偷把长竿。莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看」写儿童偷把长竿、老夫静处闲看——写尽田园的闲适。全词以闲适写田园,写尽田园的丰足与田园的闲适,是辛弃疾的代表作。 【情感与主旨】 此词写田园,以闲适写田园,是辛弃疾的名篇。此词写辛弃疾家居山园时所见。辛弃疾被罢官后闲居江西上饶带湖、瓢泉一带,过着田园生活,检校山园,即查看园中的果树。此词写田园:连云松竹,万事从今足——写连云松竹、万事从今足,写尽田园的丰足;拄杖东家分社肉,白酒床头初熟——写拄杖东家分社肉、白酒床头初熟,写尽田园的生活;西风梨枣山园,儿童偷把长竿——写西风梨枣山园、儿童偷把长竿,写尽田园的童趣;莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看——写莫遣旁人惊去、老夫静处闲看,写尽田园的闲适。全词以闲适写田园——那「万事从今足」写尽田园的丰足,「老夫静处闲看」写尽田园的闲适,写尽田园的丰足与田园的闲适,是理解辛弃疾田园词的重要篇章。 【名句点睛】 常考「连云松竹,万事从今足」写田园的丰足;「莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看」写田园的闲适;以及全词以闲适写田园、以静写闲的手法。
Background
Xin Qiji (1140–1207), courtesy name You'an, art name Jiaxuan, was a native of Licheng (modern Jinan, Shandong) and the foremost representative, with Su Shi, of the 'Hao Fang' (heroic and unrestrained) school of Song ci poetry. After being dismissed from office he lived in retirement around Shangrao in Jiangxi, where he tended a mountain garden and wrote many pastoral lyrics. 'Inspecting the mountain garden' means checking the fruit trees on his estate. This song belongs to that retired period, when his frustrated political ambitions found compensation in the quiet pleasures of rural life, and it stands as one of his finest pastoral works.
此词写田园,以闲适写田园,是辛弃疾的名篇。辛弃疾(1140—1207),字幼安,号稼轩,历城(今山东济南)人,南宋词人,与苏轼并称「苏辛」,为豪放词派代表。此词写辛弃疾家居山园时所见。辛弃疾被罢官后闲居江西上饶带湖、瓢泉一带,过着田园生活,检校山园,即查看园中的果树。此词写田园:「连云松竹,万事从今足」写连云松竹、万事从今足——写尽田园的丰足(连云松竹,万事从今足);「拄杖东家分社肉,白酒床头初熟」写拄杖东家分社肉、白酒床头初熟——写尽田园的生活(拄杖东家分社肉,白酒床头初熟);「西风梨枣山园,儿童偷把长竿」写西风梨枣山园、儿童偷把长竿——写尽田园的童趣(西风梨枣山园,儿童偷把长竿);「莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看」写莫遣旁人惊去、老夫静处闲看——写尽田园的闲适(莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看)。全词以闲适写田园,写尽田园的丰足与田园的闲适,是理解辛弃疾田园词的重要篇章。
Art
The artistry of the piece works on four levels. First, plain description conveys abundance: 'clouds enfold the pines and bamboos' and 'henceforth all affairs are satisfied' evoke a garden rich beyond need through the simplest phrasing. Second, concrete detail renders daily life: leaning on a staff to share sacrificial meat and the newly ripened wine by the bed make village routine tangible. Third, childlike mischief brings the scene alive—'children secretly take up long poles' turns fruit-picking into innocent comedy. Fourth, the 'quiet watching' of the close crystallizes leisure: the old man's calm observation is itself the poem's emotional center. The upper stanza's fullness and the lower stanza's ease, joined by the speaker's amused protectiveness of the children, show Xin Qiji's power to write pastoral calm without losing his underlying vigor.
此词的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一,以白描写丰足。「连云松竹,万事从今足」以白描写丰足——那「连云」「从今足」写尽松竹连云、万事已足,以白描写尽田园的丰足。其二,以细节写生活。「拄杖东家分社肉,白酒床头初熟」以细节写生活——那「拄杖东家」「白酒初熟」写尽分社肉的细节,以细节写尽田园的生活。其三,以童趣写生机。「儿童偷把长竿」以童趣写生机——那「偷把长竿」写尽儿童的偷打,以童趣写尽田园的生机。其四,以闲看写闲适。「老夫静处闲看」以闲看写闲适——那「静处闲看」写尽静观之态,以闲看写尽田园的闲适。此外,此词上片写田园的丰足,下片写田园的闲适,由物及人,正是田园词「即事写意」的写法。四重手法,使此词以闲适写田园,写尽田园的丰足与田园的闲适,是辛弃疾的代表作。此词还善于以「偷」字写童趣——那「儿童偷把长竿」的「偷」字,写儿童偷偷打枣的憨态,一个「偷」字写尽童趣的可爱,也使下句「莫遣旁人惊去」的叮嘱更有情味。又善以对比写闲适——上片「万事从今足」的满足,与下片「老夫静处闲看」的从容相呼应,写尽稼轩田园词以闲为乐的自得。
Allusions
The vocabulary rests in a long Chinese tradition of garden and leisure motifs. 'Sacrificial meat' recalls the ancient custom of dividing the meat offered to the soil god at the spring community feast—the very custom Lu You evokes with 'as the spring festival nears, drums and flutes follow.' 'White wine' echoes Tao Yuanming's 'I strain my newly ripened wine' and Bai Juyi's 'green ants, newly brewed wine.' 'Pears and jujubes' belong to the orchard tradition, while 'children' stealing fruit recalls Yang Wanli's 'children rush to chase the yellow butterflies.' 'Quiet watching' echoes Wang Wei's 'sit and watch the clouds rise.' Above all, the word 'leisure' (xian) inherits Tao Yuanming's 'placidly I see the southern hills,' so that the lyric's calm is the climax of a classical lineage Xin Qiji both transmits and refreshes.
此词的用语深植于田园与闲适的传统。「社肉」令人想到「社肉」写社祭的意象——社日为祭土神之日,分社肉为乡俗,也令人想到「箫鼓追随春社近」(陆游)的意象;「白酒」令人想到「白酒」写酒的意象——陶渊明「漉我新熟酒」,也令人想到「绿蚁新醅酒」(白居易)的意象;「梨枣」令人想到「梨枣」写果树的意象——也令人想到「棠梨叶落胭脂色」(王禹偁)的意象;「儿童偷把长竿」令人想到「儿童」写童趣的意象——也令人想到「儿童急走追黄蝶」(杨万里)的意象;「静处闲看」令人想到「闲看」写闲适的意象——也令人想到「坐看云起时」(王维)的意象。全词化用社肉、白酒、梨枣、儿童、闲看的意象,以闲适写田园,正是辛弃疾「豪放」而能闲适、承田园传统写闲适的本领。「分社肉」为古代社日祭社神后分食祭肉之俗,正见乡间淳朴的民风,陆游《游山西村》「箫鼓追随春社近,衣冠简朴古风存」亦写社日。又「西风梨枣」令人想到秋天园中果实成熟之景,梨枣为北方山园常见的果树,正见稼轩山园的真实。而「闲看」二字,承陶渊明「悠然见南山」的闲适传统,写尽田园的从容。
Commentary
This song has long been ranked among Xin Qiji's finest pastoral ci and a model of Southern Song leisure poetry. Later critics praised it for writing the garden 'with leisure and delightful wit.' Its special value lies in using the short, double-toned Qing Ping Yue to hold both abundance and ease: the cloud-linked pines, the shared meat, the ripening wine, the west-wind fruit, the children's poles, and the watching old man all belong to one coherent vision of retirement. Together with his 'Village Dwelling' (another Qing Ping Yue celebrating 'the favorite, the rascal child'), it forms a matched pair of garden lyrics, and with Tao Yuanming's 'picking chrysanthemums' it shares the whole classical lineage of writing the countryside. For modern readers it remains the clearest window onto Xin Qiji's pastoral voice.
此词历来被推为辛弃疾田园词的名篇,也是南宋词写田园闲适的代表。历代论者对此词评价极高:清人评此词「以闲适写田园,妙趣横生」;近人更指出「莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看」写田园的闲适,是此词的名句。在词史上,此词的特殊价值在于:它以双调的清平乐写尽田园的丰足与田园的闲适——那连云松竹,那万事从今足,那社肉,那白酒,那西风梨枣,那儿童长竿,那老夫,那静处闲看,都写尽了辛弃疾笔下的山园;那「老夫静处闲看」更以闲看写尽田园的闲适。此词与辛弃疾《清平乐·村居》(「最喜小儿亡赖」)同为田园名篇,一写「最喜小儿亡赖」的村居(清平乐),一写「老夫静处闲看」的山园(清平乐);又与陶渊明「采菊东篱下」的田园传统一脉相承,可见宋词写田园的传统。对于今日读者,此词是理解辛弃疾田园词的窗口,也是中国词写田园的经典——那静处闲看的老夫,穿越千年,仍在诉说着田园的闲适。
Prosody
Line by line
莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看
Do not let others startle them away—this old man sits quietly and watches at leisure.
莫遣旁人惊去,老夫静处闲看。
Do not let the bystanders startle them away; I, an old man, watch at leisure from my quiet place.
此二句是全词写闲适的核心,以莫遣旁人惊去写勿惊,以老夫静处闲看写闲看,写尽田园的闲适,是千古名句。「莫遣旁人惊去」写莫遣旁人惊去——那「莫遣」写莫遣,「旁人惊去」写旁人惊去,写尽莫惊的叮嘱;「老夫静处闲看」写老夫静处闲看——那「老夫静处」写老夫静处,「闲看」写闲看,写尽静观的闲适。这句的深意在于:它以「莫遣旁人惊去」的勿惊与「老夫静处闲看」的闲看,写尽田园的闲适——莫遣旁人惊去,那「莫遣旁人惊去」写尽莫惊的叮嘱——不要惊走偷枣的儿童,正是疼爱童趣的写照,那「莫遣」写尽田园的仁厚;老夫静处闲看,那「老夫静处闲看」写尽静观的闲适——老夫静处,闲看儿童,正是田园闲适的写照,那「闲看」写尽田园的闲适;那「莫遣旁人惊去」写尽莫惊的叮嘱,那「老夫静处闲看」写尽静观的闲适,一写勿惊,一写闲看,写尽田园的闲适——不惊儿童而静观其乐,正是田园的闲适;此二句以勿惊、闲看写尽田园的闲适,也让此二句成为全词写闲适的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我看孩子们打枣很开心」,则失其含蓄;唯以「莫遣旁人惊去」写勿惊、「老夫静处闲看」写闲看,写尽田园的闲适,也让此二句成为全词写闲适的核心。
The two lines are the core of the ci's rustic ease, writing the not-startling through do not let the bystanders startle them away and the leisurely watching through I, an old man, watch at leisure from my quiet place, exhausting the pastoral ease, an immortal line. Do not let the bystanders startle them away writes the bystanders' startling and the warning not to. I, an old man, watch at leisure from my quiet place writes the old man's quiet place and the idle watching. The deep meaning: through the not-startling and the idle watching, the pastoral ease is exhausted — do not let the bystanders startle them away, do not startle away the children stealing dates, precisely the picture of the love of childhood play, the do not letting writing the rustic kindness; I, an old man, watch at leisure from my quiet place is precisely the picture of the rustic ease, the idle watching writing the pastoral leisure. One writing the not-startling, one the idle watching, exhausting the pastoral ease — not startling the children but watching their delight in peace, precisely the pastoral ease. The two lines write the pastoral ease through the not-startling and the idle watching, making the lines the core of the ease and an immortal line. Were it said plainly I am happy watching the children pick dates, the restraint would be lost; only by writing the not-startling through do not let the bystanders startle them away and the idle watching through I, an old man, watch at leisure from my quiet place, is the pastoral ease exhausted, making the lines the core of the ease.
连云松竹,万事从今足
Clouds enfold the pines and bamboos; henceforth all my affairs are satisfied.
连云松竹,万事从今足。
Pines and bamboos touching the clouds; from now on, in all things, I am content.
此二句是全词写丰足的核心,以连云松竹写松竹,以万事从今足写满足,写尽田园的丰足,是千古名句。「连云松竹」写连云松竹——那「连云」写连云,「松竹」写松竹,写尽松竹的高大;「万事从今足」写万事从今足——那「万事」写万事,「从今足」写从今足,写尽知足的心境。这句的深意在于:它以「连云松竹」的松竹与「万事从今足」的满足,写尽田园的丰足——连云松竹,那「连云松竹」写尽松竹的高大——松竹连云,正是山园的富足,那「连云」写尽松竹的高耸;万事从今足,那「万事从今足」写尽知足的心境——万事从今足,正是知足常乐的写照,那「从今足」写尽田园的满足;那「连云松竹」写尽松竹的高大,那「万事从今足」写尽知足的心境,一写松竹,一写满足,写尽田园的丰足——松竹连云而万事知足,正是田园的丰足;此二句以松竹、满足写尽田园的丰足,也为下片的童趣作铺垫,也让此二句成为全词写丰足的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我有钱有地很满足」,则失其韵味;唯以「连云松竹」写松竹、「万事从今足」写满足,写尽田园的丰足,也让此二句成为全词写丰足的核心。
The two lines are the core of the ci's rustic plenty, writing the pines and bamboos through pines and bamboos touching the clouds and the contentment through from now on, in all things, I am content, exhausting the pastoral plenty, an immortal line. Pines and bamboos touching the clouds writes the cloud-touching pines and bamboos. From now on, in all things, I am content writes all affairs henceforth enough. The deep meaning: through the cloud-touching pines and bamboos and the contentment, the pastoral plenty is exhausted — pines and bamboos touching the clouds is precisely the mountain garden's abundance, the cloud-touching writing the height of the pines; from now on, in all things, I am content is precisely the picture of the contented heart, the from now on enough writing the pastoral satisfaction. One writing the pines and bamboos, one the contentment, exhausting the pastoral plenty — the pines and bamboos touching the clouds and all things now enough, precisely the pastoral plenty. The two lines write the pastoral plenty through the pines and bamboos and the contentment, and prepare the second stanza's childhood play, making the lines the core of the plenty and an immortal line. Were it said plainly I am rich and content, the aftertone would be lost; only by writing the pines and bamboos through pines and bamboos touching the clouds and the contentment through from now on, in all things, I am content, is the pastoral plenty exhausted, making the lines the core of the plenty.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Xin Qiji's 'Village Dwelling' ('low eaves, small; green grass by the brook… the favorite, the rascal child peels lotus by the bank') paints village life, while this 'Inspecting the Mountain Garden' ('this old man sits quietly and watches') paints the garden estate. Both are Qing Ping Yue pastoral lyrics; one celebrates the village child's play, the other the garden recluse's ease, together showing two faces of Xin Qiji's retirement poetry.
辛弃疾《清平乐·村居》「茅檐低小,溪上青青草。醉里吴音相媚好,白发谁家翁媪?最喜小儿亡赖,溪头卧剥莲蓬」写村居,是辛弃疾的名篇。此词《清平乐·检校山园书所见》则「老夫静处闲看」写山园。同为辛弃疾田园词,一写「最喜小儿亡赖」的村居(清平乐),一写「莫遣旁人惊去」的山园(清平乐);一写农家之乐,一写园居之闲。两词对读,可见辛弃疾田园词的两种面貌。
四时田园杂兴·其三十一 四时田园杂兴·其三十一 范成大 · 同写田园童趣,一学种瓜一偷长竿 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
范成大《四时田园杂兴》「昼出耘田夜绩麻,村庄儿女各当家。童孙未解供耕织,也傍桑阴学种瓜」写田园童趣,是范成大的名篇。此词《清平乐·检校山园书所见》则「儿童偷把长竿」写田园童趣。同为写田园童趣,一写「也傍桑阴学种瓜」的学种(四时田园杂兴),一写「儿童偷把长竿」的偷打(清平乐);一写农家劳作,一写园居闲看。两词对读,可见宋人写田园童趣的传承。