唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
寻西山隐者不遇
Seeking the Recluse of the Western Hills, Not Meeting Him
绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里。
扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几。
若非巾柴车，应是钓秋水。
差池不相见，黾勉空仰止。
草色新雨中，松声晚窗里。
及兹契幽绝，自足荡心耳。
虽无宾主意，颇得清净理。
兴尽方下山，何必待之子。
I knocked at the gate — no servant; peeping in, only a desk and a table.
If he is not riding his cart, then he must be fishing in the autumn water.
We missed each other and did not meet; in vain I looked up to him with respect.
Grass fresh in the new rain; pine sound in the evening window.
Reaching this, I match its deep seclusion; it is enough to cleanse heart and ear.
Though there was no host-and-guest pleasure, I gained much of the pure and quiet truth.
Only when my pleasure was spent did I go down the hill — why must I wait for that man?
Meaning
The poem tells of climbing to visit a hermit in the hills and finding him absent, yet finding contentment in the rainy grass and pine sound. It ends by turning the disappointment of not meeting into a serene satisfaction, overturning the old tale of Wang Ziyou's visit.
绝顶上一座茅屋，径直爬了三十里。敲门没有僮仆，窥见屋里只有案几。隐者若不是乘车出游，便该在秋水边垂钓。错过不曾相见，殷勤空自仰慕。草色在新雨中，松声在晚窗里。到此契合这幽绝之境，自足以荡涤心耳。虽无宾主之欢，却颇得清净之理。兴尽才下山，何必非要等到那人回来。
Appreciation
The poem recounts the whole course of a failed visit: the thirty-li climb, the empty gate, the guessing of the hermit's whereabouts. Though the two miss each other, the poet finds the hill's pure delight in fresh grass and pine sound, and awakens to the pure and quiet truth. The closing line overturns the allusion to Wang Ziyou, making not meeting seem freer than meeting. By valuing the attained scene over the sought person, it shows the Tang spirit of grasping meaning and forgetting words. Restrained and enlightened, it is a fine seek-the-recluse poem.
【白话串讲】 邱为去访西山的隐者：“绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里”——他爬上三十里高的山顶。“扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几”——敲门没人应。“草色新雨中，松声晚窗里”——“虽无宾主意，颇得清净理”——虽然没见到人，他却领悟了清净的道理。 【意象与手法】 “草色新雨”“松声晚窗”以清新视听写幽绝；结联翻案，把“不遇”写得比“遇”更自在。 【情感与主旨】 写寻隐不遇的旷达，重在所得之境而非所遇之人，体现唐人“得意忘言”的隐逸情怀。 【名句点睛】 “兴尽方下山，何必待之子”——翻王子猷之典，不遇亦欣然，旷达之至。
Background
Qiu Wei was a High-Tang poet; this poem tells of seeking a hermit of the Western Hills and not meeting him. The ending overturns the tale of Wang Ziyou visiting Dai on a snowy night — I went on a whim and turned back when the whim was spent.
《寻西山隐者不遇》为唐代邱为所作，是写寻隐不遇、得清净之理的诗。邱为（约694—约789），苏州嘉兴人，唐代诗人。此诗：绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里。扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几。若非巾柴车，应是钓秋水。差池不相见，黾勉空仰止。草色新雨中，松声晚窗里。及兹契幽绝，自足荡心耳。虽无宾主意，颇得清净理。兴尽方下山，何必待之子。全诗写寻隐不遇、得清净之理，是邱为诗的名篇。
Art
A five-character ancient poem, narrated in steps (climb — knock — guess — awaken — descend), moving from the real to the reasoned. The closing couplet states the theme and offers a fresh twist.
《寻西山隐者不遇》艺术上以寻隐不遇的描摹与清净之理的淡远见长。全诗十四句，层层写来：首写绝顶茅茨——“绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里”写绝顶茅茨、直上三十里；中写叩关不遇——“扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几”写扣关无僮仆、窥室唯案几，“若非巾柴车，应是钓秋水”写若非巾柴车、应是钓秋水，“差池不相见，黾勉空仰止”写差池不相见、黾勉空仰止；后写清净之理——“草色新雨中，松声晚窗里”写草色新雨中、松声晚窗里，“及兹契幽绝，自足荡心耳”写及兹契幽绝、自足荡心耳，“虽无宾主意，颇得清净理”写虽无宾主意、颇得清净理；末写兴尽下山——“兴尽方下山，何必待之子”写兴尽方下山、何必待之子。全诗以寻隐不遇写清净之理，正是邱为诗淡远的笔法。
Allusions
Jin chai che (veiled cart) refers to a hermit's carriage; fishing in autumn water uses a Zhuangzi allusion for a leisurely life. That man means the one sought. The pleasure-spent line reverses the tale of Wang Ziyou visiting Dai.
《寻西山隐者不遇》用典在“巾柴车”“仰止”“之子”“兴尽”。“巾柴车”写巾车（以布盖车，隐者之车）；“仰止”写仰止（《诗经》高山仰止）；“之子”写之子（那人）；“兴尽”用《世说》王子猷雪夜访戴兴尽而返之典。全诗以这些典故写寻隐不遇、清净之理，用典自然而淡远自见，正是邱为诗的笔法。
Commentary
The Tang Poetry Selection says layer upon layer advancing; the ending turns the case, so the wonder of not meeting surpasses meeting. The Shiren Yuxie praises its ease in landscape leisure.
《寻西山隐者不遇》是邱为诗的名篇，也是盛唐山水隐逸诗中写寻隐的代表作。此诗写寻隐不遇、得清净之理，向为论者称道。论者多赏其寻隐不遇的描摹与清净之理的淡远——“绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里”写绝顶茅茨、直上三十里，淡远之极；“扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几”写扣关无僮仆、窥室唯案几，更见其朴；“若非巾柴车，应是钓秋水”写巾柴车、钓秋水，尤见其隐；“虽无宾主意，颇得清净理”写无宾主意、得清净理，尤见其理；“兴尽方下山，何必待之子”用兴尽之典写何必待之子，尤见其达。邱为为盛唐诗人，其诗以淡远著称，此诗正是其代表——以寻隐不遇写清净之理，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里。扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几。
On the summit stands a thatched hut; straight up, thirty li. I knock at the gate - no servant appears; peeping in, I see only desks and tables.
绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里。扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几。
A thatched cottage on the highest peak, straight up thirty li. I knock, yet no servant answers; peeping in, I see only tables and desks.
首写绝顶茅茨、叩关不遇，是全诗写寻隐之行的起点。“绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里”写绝顶茅茨、直上三十里——“绝顶一茅茨”写绝顶之上一座茅屋，“直上三十里”写直上三十里——绝顶茅茨，直上三十里；“扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几”写扣关无僮仆、窥室唯案几——“扣关无僮仆”写敲门没有僮仆，“窥室唯案几”写窥视室内只有案几——扣关无仆，窥室案几。四句写绝顶茅茨、叩关不遇：绝顶一茅茨，直上三十里。扣关无僮仆，窥室唯案几。以“绝顶一茅茨”写绝顶茅屋、隐者所居，以“直上三十里”写登山三十里、寻访之远，以“扣关无僮仆”写叩门无仆、寂然无人，以“窥室唯案几”写窥室惟案几、主人已出，正是邱为诗写寻隐之行的起点——绝顶茅茨，扣关不遇。
The opening writes the thatched hut on the summit and knocking without meeting, the starting point of the journey to find the recluse. On the summit stands a thatched hut: a cottage atop the peak, the recluse's dwelling. Straight up, thirty li: the climb of thirty li, the distance of the search. I knock at the gate - no servant appears: knocking, no page, silent and empty. Peeping in, I see only desks and tables: peering in, only the furniture, the master gone. The four lines write the summit hut, the thirty-li climb, the knock without servant, the room's bare tables - Qiu Wei's starting point for the seeking journey: the hut on the summit, the knock unanswered.
若非巾柴车，应是钓秋水。差池不相见，黾勉空仰止。
If not driving a curtained cart, he must be fishing the autumn waters. Our paths cross and we do not meet; my earnest admiration rises in vain.
若非巾柴车，应是钓秋水。差池不相见，黾勉空仰止。
If not off in a curtained cart, he must be fishing the autumn waters. Our paths crossed and missed; my reverent admiration is all in vain.
中写若非巾柴车、黾勉空仰止，是全诗写不遇之由的深化。“若非巾柴车，应是钓秋水”用巾柴车之典写若非巾柴车、应是钓秋水——“若非巾柴车”用巾柴车之典写若非驾着巾柴车外出，“应是钓秋水”写应是在秋水垂钓——若非巾车，应是钓水；“差池不相见，黾勉空仰止”用仰止之典写差池不相见、黾勉空仰止——“差池不相见”写错过不相见，“黾勉空仰止”用高山仰止之典写殷勤空自仰慕——差池不见，空自仰止。四句写若非巾柴车、黾勉空仰止：若非巾柴车，应是钓秋水。差池不相见，黾勉空仰止。以“若非巾柴车”用巾柴车之典写隐者驾车外出，以“应是钓秋水”写应是在秋水垂钓，以“差池不相见”写参差错过、不得相见，以“黾勉空仰止”用高山仰止之典写殷勤仰慕、空自怅望，正是邱为诗写不遇之由的深化——巾车钓水，空自仰止。
The middle lines write if not in the curtained cart, then fishing autumn waters, the deepening of the reason for missing him. If not driving a curtained cart uses the allusion: if not gone out in a covered cart. He must be fishing the autumn waters: surely angle in the autumn stream. Our paths cross and we do not meet: the crossing of missed paths. My earnest admiration rises in vain uses the high-mountain-worshipped allusion: the eager admiration, empty gazing upward. The four lines write the curtained cart, the autumn fishing, the missed crossing, the empty admiration - the deepening: cart or water, and the yearning in vain.
草色新雨中，松声晚窗里。及兹契幽绝，自足荡心耳。
Grass hue in the fresh rain; pine sounds at the evening window. Here I enter the utter seclusion, enough to wash heart and ear clean.
草色新雨中，松声晚窗里。及兹契幽绝，自足荡心耳。
Grass is green in the new rain; pines murmur by the evening window. Coming here, I find utter solitude, enough to wash heart and ears clean.
后写草色新雨中、自足荡心耳，是全诗写幽绝之景的深化。“草色新雨中，松声晚窗里”写草色新雨中、松声晚窗里——“草色新雨中”写草色在清新的雨里，“松声晚窗里”写松声在傍晚窗里——草色新雨，松声晚窗；“及兹契幽绝，自足荡心耳”写及兹契幽绝、自足荡心耳——“及兹契幽绝”写到此契合幽绝之境，“自足荡心耳”写自足以荡涤心耳——契此幽绝，荡涤心耳。四句写草色新雨中、自足荡心耳：草色新雨中，松声晚窗里。及兹契幽绝，自足荡心耳。以“草色新雨中”写草色新雨、青翠欲滴，以“松声晚窗里”写松声晚窗、清响入耳，以“及兹契幽绝”写到此契合幽绝之境，以“自足荡心耳”写自足荡涤心耳、尘虑皆消，正是邱为诗写幽绝之景的深化——新雨松声，荡涤心耳。
The later lines write grass hue in fresh rain and the washing of heart and ear, the deepening of the secluded scene. Grass is green in the new rain: the grass in the just-fallen rain, green and dripping. Pines murmur by the evening window: the pine sounds at the dusk window, clear in the ear. Coming here, I find utter solitude: entering this secluded-perfect realm. Enough to wash heart and ears clean: sufficient to cleanse mind and hearing. The four lines write the fresh rain's grass, the evening window's pines, the seclusion entered, the heart and ear washed - the deepening: rain and pine sound, the mind washed.
虽无宾主意，颇得清净理。兴尽方下山，何必待之子。
Though no host-guest meeting was won, I have gained the truth of purity. My fancy spent, I descend the hill; why wait for that man?
虽无宾主意，颇得清净理。兴尽方下山，何必待之子。
Though I missed the host, I have learned the way of purity; my fancy spent, I go down the hill - why wait for this man?
末写虽无宾主意、兴尽方下山，是全诗写清净之理的归结。“虽无宾主意，颇得清净理”写虽无宾主意、颇得清净理——“虽无宾主意”写虽然没有宾主相得之乐，“颇得清净理”写却也颇得清净之理——无宾主意，得清净理；“兴尽方下山，何必待之子”用兴尽之典写兴尽方下山、何必待之子——“兴尽方下山”用王子猷雪夜访戴兴尽而返之典写兴尽方才下山，“何必待之子”用之子之称写何必等待那人——兴尽下山，何必待之。四句写虽无宾主意、兴尽方下山：虽无宾主意，颇得清净理。兴尽方下山，何必待之子。以“虽无宾主意”写虽未宾主相得、不以为憾，以“颇得清净理”写颇得清净之理、不虚此行，以“兴尽方下山”用王子猷访戴之典写兴尽下山、尽兴而返，以“何必待之子”写何必等待隐者、悟理已足，正是邱为诗写清净之理的归结——不遇何必，悟理自足。
The closing writes though no host-guest meeting, yet the truth of purity, the resolution of the pure principle. Though no host-guest meeting was won: though the joy of host and guest never happened. I have gained the truth of purity: yet I have gained much of the pure principle. My fancy spent, I descend the hill uses the allusion: Wang Ziyou visiting Dai'an on a snow night, returning when the fancy was spent. Why wait for that man? uses the appellation that man: why wait for him? The four lines write no host-guest joy, gaining purity, fancy spent descending, why wait for the man - the resolution: missing him yet not minding, the principle gained is enough.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
綦毋潜《春泛若耶溪》写泛舟归隐之意，与本首同为盛唐山水隐逸诗。差异在情境：寻西山隐者不遇写访隐未遇；春泛若耶溪写泛舟自适。一写“寻”之兴，一写“泛”之趣。两者并读，可见盛唐山水隐逸诗的两种情境。
送别 Seeing Off a Friend 王维 · 同为盛唐诗写隐逸之意，一写寻隐不遇一写送别归山，皆淡远 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王维《送别》“山中相送罢，日暮掩柴扉”写送别归山、隐逸之意，与本首同为盛唐诗写隐逸。差异在情境：寻西山隐者不遇写访隐；送别写送人归隐。一写“寻”之兴，一写“送”之情。两者并读，可见盛唐诗写隐逸的两种情境。
答谢中书书 Reply to Xie Zhongshu 陶弘景 · 与本首相关联的同类或同作者作品，供对比阅读 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
此处关联陶弘景《答谢中书书》，与本首在主题、体裁或作者上相关联，可对比阅读以见其同异。