宋 Song · 诗 Poem
春日偶成
A Spring Day, Composed at Leisure
云淡风轻近午天，傍花随柳过前川。
时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年。
I walk by the flowers, follow the willows, crossing the stream ahead.
People of the time do not know the joy within my heart,
And would say I steal leisure to ape the young.
Meaning
The poet strolls through spring scenery and finds a quiet joy that onlookers mistake for mere idleness, revealing the Neo-Confucian delight in nature's vitality.
云色淡、风儿轻，已近正午时分；我傍着春花、顺着垂柳，漫步走过前面的河川。旁人哪里懂得我心中的怡然之乐，只当我是偷得清闲、学那少年人恣意游赏。
Appreciation
The poem opens with a pale, light wash of color and a leisurely walk, establishing a mood of composure. What distinguishes it is the pivot in the last couplet: the 'people' misread the poet's serenity as frivolous play. This misunderstanding becomes the vehicle for a deeper truth—the philosopher's joy is inward and self-sufficient. The plain diction carries a weight of contentment rare in occasional verse.
【白话串讲】 “云淡风轻近午天，傍花随柳过前川”——程颢写春日：云淡风轻。“时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年”——别人不懂我的快乐，以为我学少年偷闲。理学家也有春天。 【意象与手法】以“云淡风轻”设色，“傍花随柳”写行，“近午天”“过前川”写时空，白描中见从容闲适。 【情感与主旨】写春日闲游的恬淡之乐，流露理学家于自然中体悟生机、悠然自得的胸襟。 【名句点睛】“时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年”——以旁人误解反衬内心真乐，理趣与情趣交融。
Background
Cheng Hao was a Northern Song Neo-Confucian thinker. This poem records a spring outing, finding the joy of a Confucian sage in the most ordinary of scenes.
《春日偶成》为宋代程颢所作，是写春日闲游、余心之乐的诗。程颢（1032—1085），字伯淳，号明道，洛阳人，宋代理学家、诗人。此诗：云淡风轻近午天，傍花随柳过前川。时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年。全诗写春日闲游、余心之乐，是程颢诗的名篇。
Art
Uses plain sketching (bai miao) with light coloring and a flowing brush to convey leisure.
《春日偶成》艺术上以春日闲游的描摹与余心之乐的理趣见长。全诗四句：首写云淡风轻——“云淡风轻近午天，傍花随柳过前川”写云淡风轻近午天、傍花随柳过前川；末写余心之乐——“时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年”写时人不识余心乐、将谓偷闲学少年。全诗以春日闲游写余心之乐，正是程颢诗理趣的笔法。
Allusions
Allusions in 'Casual Lines on a Spring Day' run through 'thin clouds and a gentle breeze,' 'near the noon sky,' 'beside flowers, along willows,' 'the stream ahead,' 'stealing leisure,' and 'imitating the young.' Each phrase is simply what it names; the whole poem describes a leisurely spring outing and the joy of a contented heart, its allusions natural and its philosophical delight self-evident -- the manner of Cheng Hao's verse.
《春日偶成》用典在“云淡风轻”“近午天”“傍花随柳”“前川”“偷闲”“学少年”。“云淡风轻”写云淡风轻；“近午天”写近午天；“傍花随柳”写傍花随柳；“前川”写前川；“偷闲”写偷闲；“学少年”写学少年。全诗以这些意象写春日闲游、余心之乐，用典自然而理趣自见，正是程颢诗的笔法。
Commentary
Earlier critics praised it as 'composed and leisurely, with the flavor of the Lian-Luo (Cheng school) way.'
《春日偶成》是程颢诗的名篇，也是宋诗中写理学情趣的代表作。此诗写春日闲游、余心之乐，向为论者称道。论者多赏其春日闲游的描摹与余心之乐的理趣——“云淡风轻近午天，傍花随柳过前川”写云淡风轻近午天、傍花随柳过前川，理趣之极；“时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年”写时人不识余心乐、将谓偷闲学少年，更见其乐。程颢为理学宗师，其诗以冲和理趣著称，此诗正是其代表——以春日闲游写余心之乐，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
云淡风轻近午天，傍花随柳过前川。
Clouds thin, wind light, near midday; leaning on flowers, following willows, I cross the stream ahead.
云淡风轻近午天，傍花随柳过前川。
Thin clouds, light breeze, near midday; I stroll past flowers and willows, crossing the stream in front.
首写云淡风轻近午天、傍花随柳过前川，是全诗写春日闲游的起点。“云淡风轻近午天”写云淡风轻近午天——“云淡风轻近午天”写云淡风轻、将近午天——云淡风轻近午天；“傍花随柳过前川”写傍花随柳过前川——“傍花随柳过前川”写傍着花随着柳、行过前川——傍花随柳过前川。二句写云淡风轻近午天、傍花随柳过前川：云淡风轻近午天，傍花随柳过前川。以“云淡风轻近午天”写云淡风轻、天气晴和，以“傍花随柳过前川”写傍花随柳、闲行过川，正是程颢诗写春日闲游的起点——云淡风轻，傍花过川。
The first two lines, clouds thin, wind light, near midday and leaning on flowers, following willows, I cross the stream ahead, are the starting point of the poem's spring idling. Clouds thin, wind light, near midday writes the thin clouds, light breeze, the sky near noon; leaning on flowers, following willows, I cross the stream ahead writes the flowers and willows beside, the crossing the stream. Two lines write the bright weather and the idle stroll by flowers and willows, precisely the starting point of Cheng Hao's spring idling — thin clouds and light breeze, the flowers and the stream. The lines write the opening of the poem's spring wandering in the bright weather and the flowers and willows, the model of the Song philosophical poem's scenic rise, the calm ease already in the words.
时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年。
Men of the time know not the joy in my heart; they will say I steal leisure, playing the youth.
时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年。
Men of the day do not know the joy within me; they will think I am stealing leisure to act like a carefree youth.
末写时人不识余心乐、将谓偷闲学少年，是全诗写余心之乐的归结。“时人不识余心乐”写时人不识余心乐——“时人不识余心乐”写时人不识我心中的乐——时人不识余心乐；“将谓偷闲学少年”写将谓偷闲学少年——“将谓偷闲学少年”写将以为我偷闲学少年——将谓偷闲学少年。二句写时人不识余心乐、将谓偷闲学少年：时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年。以“时人不识余心乐”写时人不识、余心自乐，以“将谓偷闲学少年”写将谓偷闲、学少年游，正是程颢诗写余心之乐的归结——时人不识，余心自乐。
The last two lines, men of the time know not the joy in my heart; they will say I steal leisure, playing the youth, are the close of the poem's inner joy. Men of the time know not the joy in my heart writes the men not knowing, the joy in my heart; they will say I steal leisure, playing the youth writes the will-say, the stealing leisure and the youth's play. Two lines write the men not knowing and the self-joy, the will-said stealing leisure and the youth's wandering, precisely the close of Cheng Hao's inner joy — the men not knowing, the heart self-joyous. The lines write the poem's close: the world misreading the wise man's calm as a youth's idle sport, the self-sufficiency all the deeper in the contrast, the model of the Song philosophical poem's writing joy in plain words.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
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白居易《钱塘湖春行》写钱塘湖早春、行游之景，与本首同为诗写春日行游。差异在情致：程颢写理学之乐；白居易写景物之美。一写“心”之乐，一写“景”之美。两者并读，可见诗写春日行游的两种情致。
村居 Dwelling in the Village 高鼎 · 同为诗写春日闲适，一写余心之乐一写儿童放鸢，一静一乐 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
高鼎《村居》写二月春景、儿童放纸鸢，与本首同为诗写春日闲适。差异在情致：春日偶成写理学家之乐；村居写乡村儿童之乐。一写“心”之静，一写“嬉”之乐。两者并读，可见诗写春日闲适的两种情致。