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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

四时读书乐·夏

Summer: The Joy of Reading

翁森

Weng Sen

读书Reading 闲适Leisure and Contentment 田园Pastoral Life

修竹压檐桑四围，小斋幽敞明朱曦。
昼长吟罢蝉鸣树，夜深烬落萤入帏。
北窗高卧羲皇侣，只因素稔读书趣。
读书之乐乐无穷，瑶琴一曲来薰风。

Tall bamboo bends over the eaves, mulberry trees surround,
The small study, quiet and open, bright with crimson morning sun.
Long days, after chanting, cicadas sing amidst the trees;
Deep nights, when the lampwick's ash falls, fireflies drift past the curtain.
Lying at ease by the north window, a peer of the Fuxi age,
Only because long versed in the taste of reading.
The joy of reading—how boundless it is!
A tune of the jade zither arrives with the warm south breeze.

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Meaning

The poem depicts the tranquil pleasure of reading in a summer study, surrounded by bamboo and mulberry trees, from long daylight to deep night, culminating in the boundless inner joy that comes from loving books, symbolized by a zither melody carried by the warm southern breeze.

修长的竹子垂压着屋檐，四周种满桑树；小小的书斋幽静敞亮，洒满灿烂的晨曦。白昼漫长，吟诵罢听得蝉鸣在树间；夜深时分灯花落尽，萤火虫飞入帷帐。北窗下高卧闲适，如同羲皇时代的无忧之人；只因为向来深谙读书的意趣。读书的快乐乐无穷尽，一曲瑶琴随风送来和煦的薰风。

Appreciation

This is the 'Summer' section of Weng Sen's Four Seasons of Reading, a set of four poems encouraging learning. Unlike many didactic works that emphasize hardship, Weng celebrates the inherent delight of reading. The poem weaves natural imagery—bamboo, cicadas, fireflies, and the summer breeze—with the reader's quiet contentment, presenting an ideal of scholarly leisure rooted in Confucian 'finding joy in learning' (Kong Yan pleasure). It rejects the bitter, utilitarian view of study and instead presents it as a source of endless personal happiness.

【白话串讲】 “修竹压檐桑四围，小斋幽敞明朱曦”——翁森写夏天读书：修竹压檐。“昼长吟罢蝉鸣树，夜深烬落萤入帏”——“读书之乐乐无穷，瑶琴一曲来薰风”——他写读书的乐趣。夏天读书，还有瑶琴相伴。【意象与手法】 “修竹压檐、小斋幽敞”写居所清幽；“昼长吟罢蝉鸣、夜深烬落萤入帏”以蝉鸣、萤火点缀昼夜读书的闲适；“北窗高卧羲皇侣”化用陶渊明北窗高卧之典；末二句“读书之乐乐无穷、瑶琴一曲来薰风”以薰风瑶琴作结。将读书与竹、蝉、萤、清风等自然景物交融。【情感与主旨】翁森《四时读书乐》之夏，写夏日读书之趣。不落苦读说教，而营造逍遥自得、乐在其中的意境，不劝功名而劝乐趣，正合儒家“孔颜乐处”之旨，成为古代蒙学倡导读书之乐的经典。【名句点睛】常考“读书之乐乐无穷，瑶琴一曲来薰风”以瑶琴薰风写读书之乐；“昼长吟罢蝉鸣树，夜深烬落萤入帏”以蝉萤点缀读书时光。

Background

Weng Sen (c. 13th century), style name Xiuqing, was a recluse scholar from Xianju, Zhejiang, living in the late Song and early Yuan dynasties. After the fall of the Song, he refused office and devoted himself to teaching in Anzhou Mountain, founding the Anzhou Academy. He produced a set of four poems titled Four Seasons of Reading, which later became widely used in traditional Chinese primary education and was included in the Siku Quanshu. The poems emphasize the joy of reading rather than the pursuit of fame, reflecting his philosophy of learning as self-cultivation and personal delight, a notable contrast to the prevailing 'bitter study' narratives.

翁森，字秀卿，号石屏，宋末元初浙江仙居人。宋亡之后，他绝意仕进，隐居乡里，在安洲山中创办安洲书院，以朱子之学教授生徒，订立学规，一时从学者众。其生平事迹不见于正史，仅赖方志与族谱略传，然其《四时读书乐》一组诗，却借蒙学课本与《四库全书》而传之久远。这组诗分春夏秋冬四首，主旨不在劝人苦读求功名，而在倡导读书本身之乐，与历来悬梁刺股、囊萤映雪的苦学叙事大异其趣。此为其夏一首。宋末元初，社会动荡，士大夫或殉国或隐遁，翁森选择以教育守先待后，其诗亦透着乱世中一份难得的从容。读书于他既是安身立命之学，也是避世养志之方。诗中写竹、写蝉、写萤、写薰风，皆日常可见之景，而读书之乐即在此寻常风物之中，足见其将学问化入生活的达观。其诗以乐教为归，与当时书院讲学之风相表里，亦可见宋代理学影响下读书观之转向：由外铄之功利，归于内发之悦乐，意义非浅。

Art

The poem is built around the serene environment of a summer study, moving from the outer setting to inner feelings, from day to night. The first couplet paints the physical scene with vivid verbs: 'pressing' bamboo and 'bright' sunlight. The second couplet uses cyclic imagery of cicadas and fireflies to mark the passage of time, showing the reader's absorbed leisure. The third couplet alludes to Tao Yuanming's famous 'north window' recline, linking the reader to the ancient sage-emperor Fuxi, while the final couplet directly proclaims the boundless joy and closes with the pleasing sound of a zither and the warm breeze. The language is plain yet lyrical, avoiding didacticism, and achieves a natural, flowing rhythm suitable for recitation.

此诗通篇以夏日书斋为中心，由外而内、由昼而夜、由景及人，层层展开一幅读书乐境图。起二句修竹压檐桑四围，小斋幽敞明朱曦，先写居所环境：修竹垂檐，桑树绕屋，书斋幽静而敞亮，晨曦满室，是清雅而不孤寒的读书之所。三四句昼长吟罢蝉鸣树，夜深烬落萤入帏，以蝉鸣与萤火点缀昼夜，白昼吟诗听蝉，深夜灯尽看萤，时间流转中皆是读书人的闲适。五六句北窗高卧羲皇侣，只因素稔读书趣，用陶渊明北窗高卧之典，写读书人参透意趣后的自在，点明乐之根源在内心稔熟。末二句读书之乐乐无穷，瑶琴一曲来薰风，以薰风瑶琴收束，声色俱足而余韵悠长。全诗不事雕琢，语言浅近如谣，却善于将自然景物与读书情趣交融，以乐景写乐情，一洗劝学诗苦读说教之弊，意境逍遥，气韵流转，于平淡中见真趣，是古代劝学诗中别开生面之作。通篇无一句说教，而读书之趣自见，正是翁森以诗为教的高明处，也是此诗能入童蒙而传久远的缘由。

Allusions

The key allusion is 'north window high recline' (北窗高卧), drawn from Tao Yuanming's letter to his sons, where he recalls lying under the north window in summer, enjoying the cool breeze, and feeling like 'a man of the age of Fuxi'—a carefree ideal state. 'Fuxi' (羲皇) refers to the mythical emperor who represents a state of primitive simplicity and contentment. The phrase 'warm south breeze' (薰风) also echoes the ancient 'South Wind Song' attributed to Emperor Shun, where the gentle south wind is said to relieve the people's distress; here it symbolizes the harmonious, restorative effect of reading.

诗中用典不多，却皆有所本。最核心的是北窗高卧羲皇侣，化用陶渊明之意。陶潜《与子俨等疏》自谓五六月北窗下卧，遇凉风暂至，自谓是羲皇上人，意指身处淳朴无为之境，堪比远古伏羲时代无忧之人。翁森以此写读书人高卧闲适，正取其恬淡自得、不为外物所役的精神。羲皇即伏羲，上古之君，古人常以羲皇侣喻返璞归真、超然世外之态。又末句来薰风，薰风指和暖的南风，相传舜作《南风歌》有南风之薰兮，可以解吾民之愠兮，后世遂以薰风为仁政与和乐之风的象征，此处借指读书时随风而来的和悦之气。至于四时读书乐以四季分咏，亦承袭了古代四时组诗的传统，如陶渊明《四时》与后世田园四时之咏。全诗用典而能化入寻常语，不露痕迹，既增其文化底蕴，又不碍其通俗畅达，正是翁森诗风浅近而意不浅之处。以此观之，此诗用典虽少，却句句有来处，浅近中自见深厚，非率意而成者可比。

Commentary

Weng Sen's poem occupies a special place in literary history. Though he was not among the great masters, his work survived through its inclusion in lineage textbooks and even republican-era Chinese readers. Its chief value lies in its reorientation of the purpose of study: from external reward (passing exams, attaining office) to internal joy. This aligns with the neo-Confucian pursuit of the 'joy of Confucius and Yan Hui' (孔颜乐处) and the educational philosophy propagated by Zhu Xi. The poem's simple language, natural antithesis, and vivid imagery made it accessible to children while still resonating with literati. In later ages, it influenced the ethos of academies and family education. For modern readers, it offers a refreshing reminder that learning is not merely for tests or careers but can be a lifelong source of happiness.

翁森此组诗在文学史上地位特殊，虽未入大家之列，却凭借蒙学课本而家喻户晓。《四库全书总目》收录其《白石樵唱》等，而《四时读书乐》更被历代书塾广泛采用，民国初年国文教科书亦多选之，足见其生命力。其价值首在立意：历来劝学诗多言头悬梁、锥刺股，以苦相诱，此诗却反其道而行，言读书之乐乐无穷，把读书从功利苦役中解放出来，回归孔子饭疏食饮水、曲肱而枕之的孔颜乐处。这种乐教精神，上接周敦颐寻孔颜乐处之教，下启后世书院以悦乐为学的风气。其次在表达：诗以七言为体，明白如话，对仗自然，景物鲜活动人，童蒙读之易记，文人味之亦不觉浅。清人编选古诗，于蒙学一体多取此等作品。今人读之，于应试重压下的读书观亦是一剂清凉：读书若只为功名，则乐从何来；唯当其乐在书中，方得终身受用。翁森以一介遗民书生，留此数章，竟成数百年劝学经典，亦可见文字之力量不系于名位。故虽未列大家之林，而影响所及，实远过许多名篇，足证诗之传否，不尽系于作者之名位。

Prosody

Form Seven-character ancient verse (七言古诗), in four-line sections, loose metrical pattern resembling a ballad七言古诗（四句一章，句式以七言为主，体近歌谣，不严拘近体格律）

Rhyme The rhyme is loose; the first two lines end with 围 and 曦, both in the wei rhyme group; the later lines use 帏, 趣, 风, which share a broad sonic harmony. The overall effect is a smooth, open, and expansive tone matching the leisurely and cheerful mood.全诗押韵宽松，首二句围、曦同属微韵，三四句帏、趣、风音声相协，整体以平声韵贯穿，开口舒展，读来悠扬舒畅，与闲适愉悦之情相称。

Tone pattern Not regulated verse (jintishi), thus no strict tonal parallelism, but the seven-character lines create a lively cadence. For example, the first line follows a pattern of alternating oblique and level tones, making it pleasant to recite aloud.此诗非近体，不究粘对，然句式以七言为主，节奏明快。首句修竹压檐桑四围为仄仄仄平平仄平，次句小斋幽敞明朱曦为仄平平仄平平平，大致平仄相间，诵读朗朗上口。

Reading note This poem, though classical in form, is closer to a folk song in style, with simple words and a natural rhythm. The repetition of the word 'joy' (乐) twice in the final couplet adds a musical, reflective quality. Its metrical freedom and colloquial flow make it easy to memorize, contributing to its long popularity in traditional education.此诗虽列古诗一体，却极讲诵读之畅。四句一章，每句七言，句式整齐而不板滞，因内容写日常读书，故语气如话，节奏自然，恰合蒙学诵读之需。押韵方面，围、曦、帏在中古同属微韵，趣、风虽韵部稍远，然宋人读来音声相协，整体以平声阳声韵贯穿，开口舒展，与闲适愉悦之情相得益彰，绝无苦读诗之促迫。其体近歌谣，不事雕琢，正因面向童蒙，故求易记易诵。值得注意的是，诗以乐字重出（乐无穷、乐在趣），不以避复为忌，反增民歌般回环咏叹之味。这种不谨严于格律、而专注于气韵流畅的写法，使全诗朗朗上口，数百年传诵不衰，足证内容之悦乐与形式之畅达本为一体。

Line by line

修竹压檐桑四围，小斋幽敞明朱曦。

Tall bamboo weighs down the eaves, mulberry trees encircle; the small study is quiet and spacious, bright with the red morning sunlight.

修长的竹子垂压着屋檐，四周种满桑树；小小的书斋幽静敞亮，洒满灿烂的晨曦。

Tall bamboos lean over the eaves, mulberries ring it round; the small study, quiet and open, is bright with morning sun.

这一句为全诗铺设环境，亦定下清雅闲适的基调。修竹压檐写竹枝低垂几乎触檐，显出院落之幽深；桑四围则点出农桑环绕的乡居气息，二者一雅一朴，恰好是隐逸读书人理想的居所。小斋幽敞明朱曦，书斋虽小却幽静敞亮，晨曦满室，一个明字写出读书环境的开阔与朝气。两句一外一内，由院落写到书斋，由植物写到光线，不着一个乐字，而读书人之安居乐业已跃然纸上。尤其压字以动态写静景，令修竹似有重量，画面顿生质感；明字兼写自然之光与心境之朗，是景语亦情语。起笔如此从容，已暗示读书之乐不在富贵而在境与心之相得。

This line lays the environment for the whole poem, and establishes the elegant and leisured tone. The tall-bamboos-lean-over-the-eaves writing the bamboo's drooping near the eaves, showing the courtyard's seclusion; the mulberries-ring-it-round then pointing out the farming-and-silkworm rural air, the two one-elegant-one-plain, precisely the recluse reader's ideal dwelling. The small-study-quiet-and-open-is-bright-with-morning-sun, the study though small and yet quiet-and-open, the morning light filling the room, the bright word writing the reading environment's openness and vigor. Two lines one-outside-one-inside, from the courtyard to the study, from the plants to the light, not landing one joy word, and yet the reader's peace-and-contentment already leaping on the paper. Especially the lean word using motion for the still scene, making the tall bamboo's seeming weight, the picture's texture at once born; the bright word at once writing the natural light and the mind's clarity, the scene-words and yet feeling-words. The opening's so composed, already hinting the reading-joy's not in wealth-and-rank and yet in the environment-and-mind's meeting.

昼长吟罢蝉鸣树，夜深烬落萤入帏。

During the long daytime, after chanting verses, cicadas sing in the trees; in the deep night, when the lampwick's ash falls, fireflies come into the curtain.

白昼漫长，吟诵罢听得蝉鸣在树间；夜深时分灯花落尽，萤火虫飞入帷帐。

The long day over, after chanting, cicadas sing in the trees; deep night, the lamp ash falls, a firefly drifts into the curtains.

这一联写读书人昼夜不倦而自有其乐。昼长吟罢蝉鸣树，白日悠长，吟罢诗篇，耳边便是蝉鸣，以声写静，反衬书斋之幽；夜深烬落萤入帏，更深灯尽，唯有萤火飞入帷帐，以微光写夜读之伴。两句对仗工稳，昼对夜，蝉对萤，蝉鸣树对萤入帏，自然成趣。值得注意的是，诗人不写囊萤苦读之艰辛，而写萤火入帏之可爱，苦境一变而为乐境，正是此诗与历来苦学叙事之分野。烬落写灯花燃尽，暗示读书已至夜深，时间之感淡淡流出，却无丝毫倦怠，反见悠然。景物之细、体物之切，使读者如临其境，亲见夏日读书之从容。

This couplet writing the reader's day-and-night untiring and yet having its own joy. The long-day-over-after-chanting-cicadas-sing-in-the-trees, the long day, the chant over, the ear at once the cicada's song, using sound for stillness, setting off the study's quiet; the deep-night-the-lamp-ash-falls-a-firefly-drifts-into-the-curtains, the deep night and the lamp's end, only the firefly's light's drifting into the curtains, using the faint glow for the night-reading's companion. Two lines' couplet craft firm, the day-to-night, cicada-to-firefly, cicada-in-trees-to-firefly-in-curtains, the natural charm. Worth noting, the poet does not write the bag-firefly hard-reading's hardship, and yet writes the firefly-drifting-into-curtains' loveliness, the hard scene's one-turning into the joy scene, precisely this poem's and the through-the-ages hard-study narrative's dividing line. The lamp-ash-falling writing the lamp flower's burning-out, hinting the reading's already to deep night, the time's sense's flowing out, and yet no trace of weariness, instead seeing the ease. The scene's fineness and the object-depiction's truth, making the reader as if within the scene, seeing the summer reading's composure.

北窗高卧羲皇侣，只因素稔读书趣。

Lying carefree at the north window, a companion of the Fuxi era, simply because one is long familiar with the pleasure of reading.

北窗下高卧闲适，如同羲皇时代的无忧之人；只因为向来深谙读书的意趣。

Lying at ease by the north window, a companion of the age of Xi Huang; only because I have long known the joy of books.

此句由景入人，点出乐之根源。北窗高卧化用陶渊明语意，写读书人于北窗下偃卧闲适，自比羲皇时代无忧无虑之人，姿态洒脱，毫无案牍劳形之态。只因素稔读书趣一句作解，稔是熟悉、深知之意，谓读书之乐并非外铄，而是内心早已深谙其味。这就把全诗主旨说透了：乐在读书，不在功名；趣由内发，不假外求。两句一用典一作理，典实而不隔，理至而不枯。尤其素稔二字，强调这是一种长久的、浸润式的体会，非一时兴起。由此回看前幅竹影蝉声萤火薰风，方知一切景物皆为读书之趣作注，人居环境与精神境界在此完全统一。

This line from the scene entering the person, pointing out the joy's root. The lying-at-ease-by-the-north-window adapting Tao Yuanming's meaning, writing the reader's north-window-reclining leisure, self-comparing to the Xi Huang era's carefree person, the bearing free and easy, no official-burden-figure. The only-because-I-have-long-known-the-joy-of-books line as the explanation, the familiar meaning the knowing well and deeply, meaning the reading-joy's not the externally-forged, and yet the inner mind's already long known its taste. This hence stating the whole poem's theme through: the joy in reading, not in rank; the delight from within, not sought from without. Two lines one-allusion-one-principle, the allusion solid and yet not remote, the principle arrived and yet not dry. Especially the long-known two words, emphasizing this a long-lasting, soaking experience, not the momentary impulse. From this looking back to the above's bamboo shadows, cicada songs, fireflies, warm wind, then knowing all scenes all annotate the reading delight, the dwelling and the spiritual realm here fully one.

读书之乐乐无穷，瑶琴一曲来薰风。

The joy of reading is truly boundless; a tune played on the jade zither comes along with the warm southern breeze.

读书的快乐乐无穷尽，一曲瑶琴随风送来和煦的薰风。

The joy of reading is endless; a tune on the jade qin, and the warm south wind arrives.

末句收束全篇，直抒胸臆而又余韵悠长。读书之乐乐无穷，连用两乐字，一为名词一为形容词，叠用而不觉重复，反见欢愉之满溢，语气如脱口而出，恰合民歌风调。瑶琴一曲来薰风，以听觉收结：读书既毕，抚琴一曲，和煦薰风随乐而至，声色相生，物我两忘。薰风出《南风歌》，本有仁和之意，此处既写时令之风，亦喻读书所养之和气。全诗至此，由环境之乐、昼夜之乐、心境之乐，终归于一种可以无尽延展的精神愉悦。不写金榜题名，不写扬名后世，只写此时此刻琴风相与之乐，正是翁森劝学之独到：他劝的不是结果，而是过程；不是别人眼中的成就，而是自己心里的欢喜。

The closing line gathers the whole piece, direct utterance and yet the long aftertaste. The joy-of-reading-is-endless, twice using the joy word, one noun one adjective, the doubled and yet not felt-repetition, instead seeing the joy's overflow, the tone as the spontaneous utterance, precisely matching the folk-song air. The tune-on-the-jade-qin-and-the-warm-south-wind-arrives, closing on hearing: the reading done, the qin touched one tune, the warm south wind's coming with the music, sound-and-color's mutual birth, the thing-and-self both-forgotten. The warm wind from the South Wind Song, originally carrying the gentle-and-kind meaning, here at once writing the season's wind and the nurturing harmony of reading. The whole poem to this point, from the environment joy, the day-night joy, the mind joy, finally returning to a endlessly extendable spiritual pleasure. Not writing the list success, not the later fame, only writing this moment's qin-and-wind companionship, precisely Weng Sen's teaching-uniqueness: he urges not the result, and yet the process; not others'-eyes achievement, and yet his own heart's delight.

Study

Word focus

压 To press or weigh down; here it vividly describes bamboo branches hanging low, almost touching the eaves, giving a sense of lush greenery and depth. 压字是起句炼字之眼。修竹压檐，竹枝低垂似压于檐上，本是静物，着一压字便有了重量与姿态，仿佛绿意要从檐上漫下来。此字以动写静，赋予修竹一种含蓄的压迫感与生命力，使幽静的院落顿生画面质感。若易为垂或拂，则柔而无骨；唯压字既写竹之繁密高大，又暗衬书斋为绿竹环抱之幽，环境与心境相生。一字之易，境界迥别，可见翁森虽以通俗为尚，炼字却不肯草草。

明 Bright; not only describes the morning light filling the room but also suggests the clarity and openness of the reader's mind. 明字用在小斋幽敞明朱曦中，兼写物色与心境。朱曦即晨曦、朝阳，明字写阳光洒入书斋，令幽敞之室更显通透明亮。其妙在不仅状光，更透出一种精神上的开朗——读书人居此明敞之所，胸襟亦随之开阔。幽与明本相对，此处以幽状环境之静，以明状心境之朗，一静一动，一暗一明，恰成读书乐境的两种底色。且明字收于句末，音声清亮，与全诗愉悦基调相协，是景语，亦是情语。

稔 Familiar, well-versed; originally meaning grain ripening, it implies a long and deep familiarity that has matured over time, here indicating the reader's experienced taste for the joy of study. 稔字本义为庄稼成熟，引申为熟悉、深知，此处只因素稔读书趣，谓向来深谙读书之趣。此字分量极重：它把读书之乐定位为一种长期浸润、内化为生命质地后的体会，而非一时兴到。若用熟字便平淡，用知字则浅；稔字带出农耕文明里成熟、丰盈的隐喻，暗合翁森隐居乡里、以耕读为本的身份。一个稔字，把劝学的逻辑从外铄之功扭转为内发之趣，是全诗主旨的枢纽字。

薰风 Warm southern breeze, a phrase from the ancient 'South Wind Song,' symbolizing gentle, nurturing influence; in context, it represents the harmonious influence of reading that pervades the scene. 薰风指和暖的南风，典出《南风歌》南风之薰兮，可以解吾民之愠。此诗末句瑶琴一曲来薰风，以薰风收束，既是夏日真实的暖风，也象征读书所养之和平温润之气。风随琴来，将无形之乐化为可感之风，声（琴）与气（风）交织，余韵悠长。薰风不同于凄风苦雨，它温暖、和悦、滋养万物，正对应读书给人精神以滋养的题旨。翁森以一缕薰风作结，不落议论窠臼，而乐境自远。