宋 Song · 诗 Poem
游山西村
A Visit to a Village West of the Mountain
莫笑农家腊酒浑，丰年留客足鸡豚。
山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村。
箫鼓追随春社近，衣冠简朴古风存。
从今若许闲乘月，拄杖无时夜叩门。
In a good year they have plenty of chicken and pork to entertain guests.
Hills upon hills and streams upon streams, I doubt there is a way;
Willows dark and blossoms bright, another village appears.
Flutes and drums follow, the Spring Festival is near;
Simple clothes and caps preserve ancient customs.
From now on, if I am allowed to wander idly by moonlight,
I will come knocking at your door with my cane at any time.
Meaning
The poem recounts a spring visit to a neighboring village, where the poet is warmly welcomed by farmers. It describes the winding landscape leading to hidden villages, the approach of the Spring Festival with its rustic celebrations, and the poet's desire to return. The poem expresses joy in rural hospitality and a philosophical insight about finding hope in difficulty.
不要笑话农家腊月里酿的酒浑浊，丰收年景里待客，鸡豚鱼肉十分丰足。山峦重叠、溪水迂回，正疑惑已经无路可走，忽然柳色深暗、花光明艳处又现出一个村庄。箫声鼓点相随不绝，春社祭祀的日子就要临近；村民衣冠简朴，古时的淳朴风尚依然留存。从今以后若还允许我趁着月色闲游，我一定拄着拐杖，随时在夜里来叩门造访。
Appreciation
This poem is celebrated for its vivid imagery and philosophical depth. The fourth couplet 'Hills upon hills...' is especially famous for conveying the idea that perseverance leads to breakthroughs. Lu You uses simple language to depict a journey, embedding life lessons in natural scenery.
【白话串讲】 “山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村”——陆游在浙江的山村里喝农家酒，走迷了路，忽然看到前面的村庄。这句话后来救过无数在困境里的人。 【意象与手法】 全诗以游踪为线，移步换景，层层递进。首联写农家待客之情，颔联写山水之景而寓哲理，颈联写村社风俗，尾联写别后之约，四联各有所司而浑然一体。艺术高峰在颔联「山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村」，景中寓理、以明暗对照破开困境。 【情感与主旨】 此诗作于宋孝宗乾道三年（1167）初春，陆游因力主抗金遭劾罢归，闲居故乡山阴。诗中既写罢官后的乡居生活与农家情谊，更在「柳暗花明」的哲理中寄寓对时局转机的信念，于闲适风光里藏着一颗未忘国事的心。 【名句点睛】 常考「山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村」的景中寓理——困境中往往孕育转机，以及「莫笑」「足」「拄杖无时夜叩门」等字词所见的农家情谊与人情美。
Background
This poem was written in early spring of 1167 (Qiandao 3), when Lu You was 43. Because of his strong advocacy for resisting the Jin, he was demoted and forced to retire to his hometown Shanyin (modern Shaoxing). This political setback allowed him to experience rural life intimately. The poem records a casual outing to a neighboring village, capturing the hospitality of farmers and the pre-festival atmosphere, subtly reflecting his mixed feelings after dismissal.
陆游，字务观，号放翁，南宋爱国诗人。此诗作于宋孝宗乾道三年（1167）初春，时陆游四十三岁。此前一年（乾道元年），陆游自隆兴（今江西南昌）通判任上，因力主抗金、反对和议，为当权者所忌，被以「交结台谏、鼓唱是非」之罪弹劾，罢官归里，闲居故乡山阴（今浙江绍兴）三山乡。政治上的失意，使他退处田园，却也让他真正贴近了乡村、农人与土地。山西村即其寓居三山乡附近的邻村，诗中记一次寻常的春日游村：农家留饮、社日将近、山水盘桓、月夜之约，皆是乡居生活的实录。然而诗人胸中并非全无波澜——他一生以恢复中原为志，所谓「位卑未敢忘忧国」，罢官闲居只是暂时的退守。此诗写于初春，农事方兴、社日将临，万物复苏的景象暗合诗人心中「否极泰来」的期待，故「山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村」一联，既是写景，亦是言志，寄寓了他在政治挫折中对国家、个人前途的乐观信念，是陆游田园诗中寄慨最深的一首。
Art
The poem follows the travel route, gradually unfolding. Its artistic peak is the fourth couplet: using repetition of 'hills' and 'streams' to create a sense of obstruction, then a sudden turn with color contrast (dark willows vs. bright blossoms) to break the difficulty, embedding philosophy in scenery. The third couplet uses sound and sight to depict customs. The language is plain yet full of twists, exemplifying Lu You's 'clear and fluid' style.
此诗之妙，在以游踪为线、以景理交织。首联「莫笑农家腊酒浑，丰年留客足鸡豚」以亲切的劝语起笔：诗人先设一「莫笑」的对话姿态，仿佛对读者说——别嫌农家的腊酒浑浊，丰收年景里待客的鸡豚可是十分丰足！「莫笑」与「足」字，把农家的坦诚好客写得跃然纸上，起笔即见人情美。颔联「山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村」是全诗艺术高峰：以「重」「复」叠写山水的缠叠阻隔，以「疑无路」写行路者心理的困顿，忽而「柳暗花明」，明暗色彩对比（暗对明）猛然破开困境，眼前豁然一亮，新村宛在。此联写景极真切，寓意极深远，景与理浑然一体，遂成千古名句。颈联「箫鼓追随春社近，衣冠简朴古风存」由景转入风俗：箫鼓之声相随不绝，是春社祭祀将临的热闹；衣冠简朴、古风犹存，是乡村淳朴古俗的写照，视听结合，写出了诗人对古风淳俗的欣赏。尾联「从今若许闲乘月，拄杖无时夜叩门」以抒情收束：诗人与村人订下后约——若得闲暇，当乘月而来，拄杖随时叩门。「无时」二字写出情谊之厚、往来之密，余韵亲切而悠长。全诗语言浅近如话，而波澜顿挫、理趣盎然，正是陆游七律「清空一气、流转自如」的本色。
Allusions
The 'Spring Festival' (春社) refers to the ancient ritual of sacrificing to the earth god. According to the Record of Rites, in mid-spring a day was chosen for the people to perform the sacrifice. Later, the fifth wu-day after the Beginning of Spring was set as the Spring Festival, when neighbors gathered to feast and pray for a good harvest. The line 'Flutes and drums follow, the Spring Festival is near' depicts this custom. Lu You ends with 'ancient customs remain,' implicitly referencing the Book of Songs and Tao Yuanming's pastoral tradition, connecting the present festival with ancient simplicity.
此诗用典不多而皆有深意。「春社」是古代祭祀土神、祈求丰年的节日，典出《礼记·月令》仲春之月「择元日，命民社」，后世以立春后第五个戊日为春社，届时邻里聚会、设酒娱神、祈求年丰，是古代乡村最重要的民俗节日之一。陆游诗中「箫鼓追随春社近」正写春社将至、箫鼓相随的热闹景象，而「衣冠简朴古风存」则把眼前的社日与远古的淳风相接——社日之俗源远流长，正是「古风」的活化石。此种写法暗承《诗经》农事诗（如《豳风·七月》「九月肃霜，十月涤场，朋酒斯飨，曰杀羔羊」）的农事传统，又上接陶渊明田园诗（如《归园田居》「狗吠深巷中，鸡鸣桑树颠」）的隐逸田园意象，将农家、古风、社日熔铸为一幅古朴淳厚的风俗画。至于「拄杖」，暗用《礼记》「五十杖于家，六十杖于乡」之说及老来拄杖的传统意象，诗人时年四十三而以拄杖自写，既见其乡居闲适之态，亦含岁月蹉跎之感。全诗以常见风俗、寻常物象入诗而不着斧凿，正是宋诗「以文为诗、以俗为雅」的典范。
Commentary
Lu You's poems about resisting the Jin account for about half of his output (Liang Qichao), but his pastoral travel poems are also fresh and readable. Qing scholar Fang Dongshu praised the fourth couplet as 'having a unique style in its path. Modern scholar Qian Zhongshu noted it 'depicts scenery with layers and is full of philosophical interest.' This couplet has transcended its original context to become a common Chinese expression for a turn of fortune.
《游山西村》是陆游七律中最脍炙人口的一首。清代方东树《昭昧詹言》评其颔联「以游径见处，别有风调」，谓其于寻常游径中写出不寻常的境界。今人钱锺书《宋诗选注》则称此联「写景有层次而理趣盎然」，准确点出「景中寓理」的特质。此联之所以千古传诵，正在于它超越了具体的山水：诗人把旅途中的一次「疑无路—又一村」的经验，提炼为对人生处境的普遍启示——困境之中往往孕育转机，绝处常能逢生。这一哲理使该联成为汉语中表达「转机」「希望」的通用语，至今仍被广泛引用。就全诗而言，此诗写于陆游罢官闲居之际，政治上正值「山重水复疑无路」的困顿，而诗中却一片春光和煦、人情温厚，可见诗人虽遭挫折而不失信念的乐观人格。梁启超称陆游「言恢复者十之五六」，此诗虽为田园纪游，然「柳暗花明」的转机之思，何尝不是诗人对恢复中原的隐微寄托？一联写景之句，遂兼有诗艺之精、人格之光、时代之影，这正是《游山西村》超越一般田园诗的原因。
Prosody
Line by line
莫笑农家腊酒浑，丰年留客足鸡豚。
Do not laugh at the cloudy wine brewed by farmers in the twelfth month; in a good harvest year, they entertain guests with abundant chicken and pork. The words 'do not laugh' and 'abundant' reflect the farmers' warm hospitality, setting a human touch from the start.
不要笑话农家腊月里酿的酒浑浊，丰收年景里招待客人，鸡豚鱼肉十分丰足。
Do not mock the turbidity of the farmers' December wine; in a year of plenty they feast their guests with chicken and pork in abundance.
首联以亲切的劝语起笔，写农家待客的盛情。「莫笑」二字先设对话姿态——仿佛诗人正对读者或游人说话：别嫌农家的腊酒浑浊！这一「劝」字，既写出农家的坦诚，亦见出诗人的随和，主客之情从第一句起便已热络。「腊酒」指腊月酿的酒，农家自酿，色浊而味厚，一个「浑」字写实而不掩饰；「足鸡豚」写丰年待客之丰盛——鸡豚鱼肉应有尽有，「足」字是诗眼，一字见出农家倾其所有的慷慨。此联的妙处在以家常语写家常情：不夸饰、不渲染，只说酒浑、鸡足，而农家的质朴好客、丰收年景的喜悦，尽在这两句家常话中。全诗起笔便见人情美，为后文的游村、订约作了情感铺垫，也使整首田园诗有了温厚的底色。
The first couplet opens with an affectionate word of persuasion, writing the farmers' warm hospitality. 'Do not mock' sets a conversational stance, as if the poet were addressing the reader or a fellow traveler: do not scorn the December wine for being cloudy. This 'persuasion' shows the farmers' frankness and the poet's easy grace; host and guest are warm from the first line. 'December wine' is home-brewed in the twelfth month, cloudy yet full-bodied; the word 'cloudy' is stated honestly without concealment. 'Feast guests with chicken and pork in abundance' writes plenty in a good year; the word 'abundance' is the poetic eye, showing at one stroke the farmers' generosity in giving all they have. The couplet's charm lies in writing homely feeling in homely words — no ornament, no exaggeration, only cloudy wine and ample chicken — yet the farmers' honest hospitality and the joy of a harvest year are all in these two plain lines. The poem opens with human warmth, preparing the emotion for the later village visit and the promise to return, and gives the whole pastoral piece a generous, affectionate ground tone.
山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村。
Hills upon hills, streams upon streams, I doubt there is a way; willows dark, blossoms bright, another village appears. This describes a sudden turn from difficulty to hope, embedding philosophy in scenery, a famous couplet of philosophical insight.
山峦重叠、溪水迂回，正疑惑已经无路可走，忽然柳色深暗、花光明艳处又现出一个村庄。
Hills fold on hills, streams wind and wind; I doubted the road was ending, when through deep willows and bright flowers another village appears.
颔联是全诗的艺术高峰，也是千古传诵的哲理名句。就写景而言，此联极真切：山峦重重叠叠，溪流迂回曲折，人行其间，往往生出「疑无路」的错觉；而转过一个山坳，柳色深暗、花光明艳，一座村庄豁然在目。「重」「复」叠写山水的缠叠阻隔，「疑」字写行路者心理的困顿，「又一村」的「又」字写惊喜的转折，明暗色彩的强烈对照（暗对明）更使画面鲜明如画。就寓意而言，此联景中寓理：人生亦如行路，山穷水尽之际，往往正是柳暗花明之时，困境中常孕育着转机。这层哲理使一联写景之句获得了超越山水的高度，成为中国人表达「希望」「转机」的通用语。全联对仗工稳、语言浅近，而理趣盎然，写景、言志、哲理三位一体，是宋诗「理趣」之美的典范。
The second couplet is the artistic summit of the poem and a philosophic line cherished for a thousand years. As landscape it is vivid: hills upon hills, winding streams, and the traveler often doubts the road has failed; then, rounding a bend, deep willows and bright flowers suddenly reveal a village. 'Fold' and 'wind' repeat the tangling barriers of hill and stream; 'doubted' writes the traveler's perplexity; the 'another' of 'another village' writes the turn to delight; the strong contrast of dark willows against bright flowers makes the picture clear as a painting. As meaning, the line embeds principle in scenery: life is like a road, and where hills end and waters fail, willows darken and flowers brighten; out of hardship is often born a turn. This philosophy lifts a single descriptive couplet above mere scenery, making it the common Chinese phrase for 'hope' and 'turning point.' Steady in parallel, plain in language yet alive with principle, it fuses landscape, resolve and philosophy into one — a model of the 'reasoned delight' beauty of Song verse.
箫鼓追随春社近，衣冠简朴古风存。
Flutes and drums follow as the Spring Festival approaches; simple clothes and caps preserve ancient customs. This depicts rustic tradition, implicitly praising simplicity.
箫声鼓点相随不绝，春社祭祀的日子就要临近；村民衣冠简朴，古时的淳朴风尚依然留存。
Flutes and drums follow one another as the spring sacrifice draws near; the villagers' dress is plain, and the old customs survive.
颈联由山水转入风俗，写乡村的社日之乐与淳朴古风。「箫鼓追随」写春社将临的热闹——箫声、鼓声相随不绝，村民成群结队，准备祭祀土神、祈求丰年，声音的描写使画面由静转动、由寂转闹；「春社近」点出时令，立春后第五个戊日为春社，是古代乡村祈求丰收的重要节日。「衣冠简朴」写村民的穿着朴素无华，「古风存」三字是此联之眼——诗人从村民简朴的衣冠、古朴的习俗中，看到先民淳厚风尚的留存，流露出由衷的欣赏与欣羡。此联视听结合，既写声（箫鼓）又写形（衣冠），既写眼前之俗（社日）又写远古之风（古风），把一次寻常的游村写出了历史的纵深。在诗人看来，这淳朴的古风正是乱世中难得的净土，其中隐含着对官场浇薄世风的含蓄对照。
The third couplet moves from hills and streams to customs, writing the joy of the village sacrifice and the survival of ancient simplicity. 'Flutes and drums follow' writes the bustle as the spring sacrifice approaches — flutes and drums without a break, villagers gathering to sacrifice to the god of the soil and pray for a good harvest; sound turns the picture from still to noisy. 'The spring sacrifice draws near' fixes the season: the spring She sacrifice falls on the fifth wu day after the start of spring, a major village festival for praying for harvest. 'Plain dress' writes the villagers' unadorned clothing, and 'the old customs survive' is the eye of the couplet: from their simple dress and archaic rites, the poet sees the survival of the plain ways of old, and shows heartfelt appreciation and envy. Sound and sight are combined — flutes and drums for the ear, dress for the eye, the present sacrifice and the ancient custom — giving an ordinary village visit historical depth. To the poet, this simple old way is a rare pure land in a troubled age, implicitly set against the shallow, worldly ways of official life.
从今若许闲乘月，拄杖无时夜叩门。
From now on, if I am allowed to wander idly by moonlight, I will come knocking at your door with my cane at any time. The phrase 'at any time' shows deep friendship; the poet wishes to visit again, leaving a warm aftertaste.
从今以后若还允许我趁着月色闲游，我一定拄着拐杖，随时在夜里来叩门造访。
If hereafter I may wander at will in the moonlight, I shall lean on my staff and knock at your door by night, whenever I please.
尾联以抒情收束，是全诗情感最浓处，也是主客情谊的升华。「从今若许闲乘月」以商量语气出之——若蒙允许，我愿乘着月色再来闲游，「闲乘月」三字写尽乡居生活的闲适与诗人对此地的喜爱；「拄杖无时夜叩门」进一步放笔——拄着拐杖，不论什么时候，哪怕夜里，也要来叩门造访。「无时」二字是全联诗眼，意谓不拘何时、随时都来，把诗人与村人之间的情谊写得亲密无间：不是客套的应酬，而是如家人般的往来。此联的妙处，在于把「再来」的许诺写得如此郑重而随意——郑重者，见诗人对这一村风物人情的珍视；随意者，见诗人与农家关系的亲近。全诗以游踪起、以订约结，首尾呼应，余韵亲切悠长，正见陆游田园诗「清空一气、含不尽之意于言外」的本色。
The last couplet closes in lyric, the warmest point of the poem and the sublimation of host-guest feeling. 'If hereafter I may wander at will in the moonlight' uses a商量 tone — if you allow it, I shall come wandering by moonlight; 'wander in the moonlight' exhausts the ease of country life and the poet's love for this place. 'Leaning on my staff and knocking at your door by night, whenever I please' opens further: staff in hand, at any hour, even at night, he will come knocking. The words 'whenever I please' are the eye of the couplet — at whatever time, often and unannounced — writing the friendship between poet and villagers as intimacy without formality, like family rather than polite visiting. The charm lies in making the promise of 'return' at once solemn and casual: solemn, showing how he values this village's people and scenery; casual, showing how close his bond with the farmers is. The poem opens with a journey and closes with a promise, the two ends answering each other, the aftertaste warm and lingering — the mark of Lu You's pastoral mode, 'clear and unbroken, meaning beyond the words.'
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Meng's poem 'Opening the window to face the field garden, holding wine to talk about mulberry and hemp' also depicts simple farm hospitality. Comparing the two shows differences between Tang and Song pastoral poetry.
孟浩然《过故人庄》「故人具鸡黍，邀我至田家……开轩面场圃，把酒话桑麻」与陆游此诗同为田园做客之作，同写农家的质朴款待，而时代风格迥异。孟诗是盛唐田园诗：恬淡自然，「绿树村边合，青山郭外斜」写景明净，主客对饮话桑麻，一派盛唐隐者的闲适；陆诗是南宋田园诗：明快流转，于农家留饮之外，更有「柳暗花明」的哲理与「古风存」的历史感慨，带着宋诗特有的理趣。比较可见，盛唐田园诗重在「境」——物我两忘的田园境界；宋代田园诗重在「趣」——景中寓理的生活哲思。孟浩然以隐者身份入田园，陆游以罢官士人入田园，前者是归宿，后者是暂栖，情感底色亦随之有别。两诗并读，可见中国田园诗由唐入宋的嬗变轨迹。
清平乐·村居 Pure Serene Music · Village Living 辛弃疾 · 同写乡村生活意趣 Both describe the charm of rural life.Xin's poem depicts family harmony in a village, while Lu's records travel experiences. Both are leisurely pastoral works from the Song dynasty.
辛弃疾《清平乐·村居》「茅檐低小，溪上青青草……最喜小儿亡赖，溪头卧剥莲蓬」与陆游此诗同写宋代乡村生活，而体式、视角各异。辛词写村居：茅檐、溪草、翁媪、大儿、中儿、小儿，一家人各得其所的天伦之乐，是静观的「村居图」；陆诗写游村：留饮、行路、社日、订约，是移步换景的「游记」。辛词以白描写人，聚焦家庭温情；陆诗以赋体写事，兼含哲理感慨。两人同为南宋爱国文人（辛亦以词言恢复），皆于闲适的乡村书写中暗藏家国之忧——辛词「最喜小儿亡赖」的温情里有退居的落寞，陆诗「柳暗花明」的哲理中有待时的信念。比较二作，可见南宋文人田园书写的共同底色：田园愈宁静，胸中波澜愈难平。