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魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem

读山海经·其一

Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas, No. 1

陶渊明

Tao Yuanming

隐逸reclusion 读书reading

孟夏草木长，绕屋树扶疏。
众鸟欣有托，吾亦爱吾庐。
既耕亦已种，时还读我书。
穷巷隔深辙，颇回故人车。
欢言酌春酒，摘我园中蔬。
微雨从东来，好风与之俱。
泛览周王传，流观山海图。
俯仰终宇宙，不乐复何如。

In early summer, grass and trees flourish;
Around the house, the trees spread their shade.
The birds rejoice in having a shelter,
And I too love my humble cottage.
Having plowed and sown, I now have time
To return and read my books.
A deep lane cuts off the rutted track,
Often turning back old friends' carriages.
With joy, I pour spring wine,
Pick vegetables from my garden.
A light rain comes from the east,
A gentle breeze accompanies it.
I skim through the Chronicle of King Zhou,
And glance at the Pictures of Mountains and Seas.
In a moment, I travel through the universe,
If this is not happiness, what is?

Listen

Meaning

The poet describes his joyful life in early summer: farming, reading, drinking wine with homegrown vegetables, and enjoying the natural beauty. He concludes that such a life brings him ultimate happiness.

初夏草木生长，环绕屋舍的树木枝叶繁茂。众鸟欣然有所依托，我也喜爱我的茅庐。耕种之事既已完毕，便时常回来读我的书。偏僻里巷阻隔了深辙大车，也屡屡回绝了故人的车驾。欢然酌饮春酒，采摘园中的蔬菜。微雨从东面飘来，好风也一同吹至。广泛浏览《穆天子传》，随意观看《山海经图》。俯仰之间遍览宇宙，这样的生活还有什么不快乐呢。

Appreciation

This is the first poem in Tao Yuanming's series 'Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas'. It depicts the joy of a reclusive life of farming and reading in early summer. The poet uses simple language to express his contentment, starting with the lush surroundings and his love for his hut, then moving to his daily activities, and finally to the spiritual pleasure of reading mythical texts.

【白话串讲】陶渊明种完地，读读《山海经》：“众鸟欣有托，吾亦爱吾庐”——鸟有树枝可栖，我也爱我的小屋子。微雨好风里，他把读书过成了最好的日子。【意象与手法】诗以白描写景起，由外境写到内情，由耕、读的实务写到酌酒、摘蔬的闲趣，再入微雨好风的天然之助，最后落于泛览、流观的神游【情感与主旨】陶渊明归隐后躬耕自资，于农事之暇读书自娱【名句点睛】此诗为魏晋陶渊明之作，精要赏析详见下方深度赏析。

Background

After retiring from official life, Tao Yuanming farmed for a living and read for pleasure. This series of poems was likely written in his later years when he lived on his farm. This first poem sets the tone, describing the leisure after farming and the joy of reading mythologies like the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Chronicle of King Zhou.

《读山海经》是陶渊明的组诗，凡十三首，此为其一，通篇总写隐居读书之乐，为后十二首的咏史抒怀定下基调。组诗作于陶渊明归隐之后，具体系年诸家略有出入，王瑶系于义熙四年（408年）前后，逯钦立以为作于义熙初年，总之是陶渊明辞去彭泽令、归耕浔阳柴桑之后的数年间。此时诗人已决意与官场决裂，躬耕自资，于农事之暇以读书、饮酒为精神寄托。诗题所谓《山海经》，指晋人郭璞注本《山海经》十八卷，附有图赞；「周王传」即《穆天子传》，记周穆王驾八骏西巡见西王母事，二书皆属搜奇志怪之列。陶渊明于农闲时泛览此类异书，正见其精神世界不为田园所囿，尚有一片神游八极的天地。此诗版本于《陶渊明集》各本文字无大异，「欢言酌春酒」句或作「欢然」，义近。就创作阶段而言，此诗较《饮酒》组诗或略早，心态更为安闲满足，尚未掺入晋宋易代之际的忧惧，是陶渊明田园诗中最能代表其平和心境的一章。此诗又是《读山海经》组诗的「序诗」，其地位略同于《饮酒》二十首之序。诗中「既耕亦已种，时还读我书」的自叙，与《五柳先生传》「好读书，不求甚解」的自况相印证，可证其读书非为经世致用，纯为娱情自适。就版本而言，「欢言酌春酒」句，宋本或作「欢然」，盖「言」为语助，义近而音更协，故今本多从「言」字。

Art

The poem uses a straightforward narrative style, moving from the external scene to the internal feeling, from practical activities to spiritual enjoyment. The language is plain but meaningful, with words like 'rejoice', 'love', and 'joy' conveying a cheerful mood. The ending line elevates the whole poem to a philosophical appreciation of life.

此诗章法层层递进，由外境写到内情，再由实务写到闲趣，最后归于神游天地的精神自由。起四句「孟夏草木长，绕屋树扶疏。众鸟欣有托，吾亦爱吾庐」以白描写初夏景致，「草木长」「树扶疏」见生机之盛，「众鸟欣有托」与「吾亦爱吾庐」人鸟对举，一个「欣」字将鸟的安乐移情于人，兴而兼比。中四句「既耕亦已种，时还读我书。穷巷隔深辙，颇回故人车」转入日常生活，耕读相济，穷巷回车一句暗用《论语》颜回陋巷之典而反其意，写出隔绝尘嚣的自得。再四句「欢言酌春酒，摘我园中蔬。微雨从东来，好风与之俱」铺写闲居之乐，酌酒摘蔬、微雨好风，全是农家日常的清欢。末四句「泛览周王传，流观山海图。俯仰终宇宙，不乐复何如」陡然拓开境界，由园庐之小推向宇宙之大，读书之乐至此升华为俯仰天地的精神遨游。全诗二十句，句句平实而不板滞，以「不乐复何如」的反诘收束，畅快淋漓，是陶诗白描与兴寄结合最纯熟的范例。全诗以「不乐复何如」的反诘收束，直抒胸臆而酣畅淋漓，正是陶诗平淡中见性情的极致。其「微雨从东来，好风与之俱」一联，写风雨之来而不觉其苦，反以为助兴之乐，此种以自然风物为知己的胸襟，下开李白「相看两不厌，只有敬亭山」的境界。诗中「我」字凡三见，句法复沓而不避，正见古诗自然天成的品格。

Allusions

'Chronicle of King Zhou' refers to the Mu Tianzi Zhuan, a mythical account of King Mu of Zhou's travels. 'Pictures of Mountains and Seas' refers to the illustrated edition of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, a collection of geography and mythology. Reading such books allowed Tao to mentally roam the universe, reflecting his spiritual freedom.

「穷巷隔深辙」暗用《论语·雍也》颜回之典。孔子称颜回「一箪食，一瓢饮，在陋巷，人不堪其忧，回也不改其乐」，陶渊明以「穷巷」自况，又缀以「隔深辙」，写高官显贵的车马不至，正承颜回安贫乐道之意而更见从容。「深辙」一词亦有所本，《庄子·外物》有「枯鱼之肆」之喻中车辙积水之象，然此处指车行之辙印，言显贵车驾的往来。微雨好风之句，可溯至《诗经·邶风·谷风》「习习谷风，以阴以雨」及《诗经·豳风·东山》「我来自东，零雨其蒙」，以风雨起兴写思归或安适，陶诗化用无痕，转为田园闲趣的映衬。「泛览周王传，流观山海图」明点《穆天子传》与《山海经》二书，二书皆记仙怪奇事，陶渊明以「泛览」「流观」形容其读法，不求解而但娱情，恰与《五柳先生传》「好读书，不求甚解，每有会意，便欣然忘食」的自白相表里。「俯仰终宇宙」化用《周易·系辞上》「仰以观于天文，俯以察于地理」之意，将读书的精神漫游与圣人观照天地的方式并提，学界有谓此句暗含玄学意味，然其落脚点仍在「不乐复何如」的人间之乐，玄理已为闲情所化。又「吾亦爱吾庐」的「庐」字，暗含陶渊明《归园田居》「守拙归园田」的安身之所，与《读山海经》组诗后十二首「精卫衔微木，将以填沧海」的咏史寄慨相呼应，可见「庐」之为物，既是栖身之处，亦是精神的原乡。学界有谓此诗「众鸟欣有托」的「托」字，与《归去来兮辞》「鸟倦飞而知还」同义，皆以鸟之得所喻己之归隐。

Commentary

Su Shi commented that Tao's poetry seems plain but is rich and elegant. Zhu Xi said that although people consider Tao's poetry bland, it is actually bold and unrestrained, just not obviously so. This poem exemplifies that: the leisure and openness hide a profound satisfaction with life.

钟嵘《诗品》列陶诗为中品，谓其「笃意真古，辞兴婉惬」，此篇正可印证「真古」二字，纯以家常语写读书之乐，无一字矫饰。萧统《陶渊明集序》称陶文「语时事则指而可想，论怀抱则旷而且真」，此诗写孟夏园庐、微雨好风，正是「旷而且真」的注脚。就选本而言，《文选》未收《读山海经》组诗，盖萧统以「事出于沉思，义归乎翰藻」为选录标准，嫌其过于质直；而宋以后选家渐重陶诗的自然，明钟惺、谭元春《古诗归》特标此篇，评「俯仰终宇宙」为「读书人语」，深赏其能将案头书卷与天地宇宙打通。清沈德潜《古诗源》论陶诗「清远闲放」，亦以此篇为闲放一路的代表。近人王国维论陶诗「无我之境」，虽举「采菊东篱下」为例，而此篇「微雨从东来，好风与之俱」的以物观物、不著情语，实同为无我之境的佳构。今人袁行霈笺注此组诗，考《山海经》版本与陶公读本之关系，指出陶渊明所读当为郭璞注本，此说为理解诗中「泛览」「流观」的读法提供了书志学依据。又清代方东树《昭昧詹言》评陶诗「任举一境一物，皆能曲肖神理」，此诗写孟夏园庐、微雨好风，皆以平易之境传冲淡之神，正可为此语之证。近人鲁迅虽谓陶渊明亦有「金刚怒目」一面，然此篇则纯是「悠然见南山」式的平和，可见陶诗境界的多重。此诗「俯仰终宇宙，不乐复何如」的结法，对后世隐逸文学的读书之乐书写影响深远，宋人尤喜化用其意。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient verse (pastoral poetry)五言古诗

Rhyme The poem rhymes on each couplet, with words like shu, lu, shu, che, shu, ju, tu, ru. It follows the even tone of the yu (fish) rhyme category.全诗二十句十韵，押平水韵上平六鱼、七虞、十一模韵（鱼虞模三部古体通押），韵脚为「疏、庐、书、车、蔬、俱、图、如」等，古体用韵宽缓

Tone pattern Tao's pentasyllabic verse is natural and unconstrained, free from the strict rules of modern style poetry.此诗为五言古体，不循近体格律，平仄任其自然。起句「孟夏草木长」为平仄仄仄平，次句「绕屋树扶疏」为仄仄仄平平，已见古体风貌；通篇以仄声字连用处甚多，如「颇回故人车」的「故」「车」相间，读来顿挫而浑朴。全诗不避同字复出，「我」字三见，正是古诗不忌重字的自由。

Reading note '周王传' refers to the Mu Tianzi Zhuan, and '山海图' refers to the illustrated Classic of Mountains and Seas, which directly points to the title's theme of reading.此诗是标准的五言古诗，与陶集中《归园田居》五首同属古体正格，其用韵最见古风——「疏、庐、书、车、蔬、如」属鱼韵，「俱」属虞韵，「图」属模韵，鱼虞模三部在《广韵》中各自独立，而古体诗可通押，此正是魏晋古诗用韵宽缓、未若近体严分韵部的证据。通篇十韵，隔句一押，韵脚清朗，与初夏园庐的明快景致声情相应。古体不讲究平仄粘对，陶渊明遂能任其语势，如「微雨从东来，好风与之俱」一联，上句仄仄平平平，下句仄平仄平平，全不以律句为意，而读来自有一种从容自在的节奏。清沈德潜《说诗晬语》论古诗用韵「古体韵可通，近体韵不可通」，此篇正是其说的绝佳注脚。后世拟陶者多学其平淡字面，而于这种声调上不假绳削的浑成，往往难以企及，盖陶诗之自然在音节亦如其辞意，皆从胸襟自然流出，非人力可以强摹也。

Line by line

众鸟欣有托

All the birds rejoice in their perches.

众鸟欣然有所依托

The birds are glad to have their perch.

此句以鸟起兴，五字之中「欣」字最见精神。众鸟筑巢于绕屋的树上，各得其所，一个「欣」字写鸟之安乐，实则是诗人以鸟自比，物我之间不留痕迹。陶诗惯以鸟喻己，前有《归鸟》四章，后有《饮酒》「飞鸟相与还」，此处「有托」二字尤须细味——鸟之托是树，人之托是庐，诗人以鸟的安居反衬自己的归隐得所，兴中寓比，将抽象的心安理得化为可感的鸟栖树间之景。此句又是全篇「人鸟对举」章法的上句，与下句「吾亦爱吾庐」两相呼应，先物后人，由外及内，正是陶诗兴寄最自然的笔法。

This line opens with birds for bi-xing; the rejoice character is the spirit. The birds nest in the trees around the house, each in its place; rejoice writes their ease, yet the poet compares himself to the bird - thing and self without trace. The have-perch is to be savored: the bird's perch is the tree, the man's perch is the hut. This line is the upper half of the bird-man parallel, answering the following I too love my hut. First the thing, then the man, outside to inside - Tao's most natural bi-xing.

既耕亦已种

Plowing is done, and the sowing too.

耕种之事既已完毕

The plowing is finished, and the sowing too.

此句写农事告一段落，是全篇由劳作转入闲读的枢纽。「既」「已」两个时间副词连用，写出农时已过、身心松快的情状，一个躬耕者完成播种后的踏实感跃然纸上。陶渊明以亲身务农自食其力，故「耕」字在其诗中有切实的分量，不同于一般士大夫的虚写田园。此句与下句「时还读我书」构成「耕读」二字的生活结构——农忙则耕，农闲则读，劳逸相济，正是陶渊明理想人生的具体形态。以「耕」字领起读书之乐，足见其归隐并非无所事事的闲散，而是有劳作根基的自在，此一层意蕴使全诗的闲适不流于空泛。

This line writes the farm work's pause, the turning from labor to reading. Both already time adverbs are used, writing the farming season's end and the body's relief. Tao, who farms his own food, gives plowing real weight, unlike the official's pastoral fantasy. This line and the following then I read my books form the plow-and-read structure - farm work in season, reading in leisure - Tao's ideal life in concrete form. The plowing leading to the joy of reading shows his retirement is not idle but rooted in labor.

微雨从东来

A fine rain comes from the east.

微雨从东面飘来

A light rain drifts in from the east.

此句写初夏忽至的细雨，是全篇写景最清润的一笔。「微」字限定雨势，非滂沱而是濛濛，「从东来」点出风向，东风送雨，正应孟夏时令。此句与下句「好风与之俱」连读，风雨并至而全无愁苦之意，反是助兴的佳景——农事既毕，雨来正可滋润新苗，亦可添酌酒读书的清趣。陶渊明写风雨从不着悲凉之色，此句上承《诗经》「零雨其蒙」的兴法，下启后世「好雨知时节」的咏叹，将自然界的风雨化为田园生活的一部分，于平淡中见出诗人与天时物候的亲和，是其「质性自然」最直接的流露。

This line writes the early-summer fine rain, the clearest image in the poem. Fine limits the rain - not a downpour but drizzle; from the east names the wind, east wind bringing rain, fitting the early summer. Read with the following a good wind comes with it, wind and rain together bring no sorrow but delight - the farming is done, the rain nourishes the seedlings, and adds to the wine-and-reading pleasure. Tao writes wind and rain without sorrow; this line follows the Book of Songs's soft rain and opens the later good rain knows its season tradition.

俯仰终宇宙

In a single glance I compass the universe.

俯仰之间遍览宇宙

In a lift or bend of the head I compass all the universe.

此句是全篇意境的顶点，由园庐之小一跃而至宇宙之大。「俯仰」二字写读书时低头抬头之间，极言时间之短，而「终宇宙」三字则以空间之广与之对举，一瞬之间遍览天地，正是精神漫游的极致写照。此句暗用《周易·系辞》仰观俯察之意，将凡人的读书活动提升到圣人观照天地的境界，然其落脚并不在玄理，而在下句「不乐复何如」的人间之乐。以「俯仰」写神游，既见《山海经》《穆天子传》这类奇书所开启的想象空间，也见陶渊明不为形骸所拘的精神自由，是陶诗平淡中见阔大的典型笔法。

This line is the poem's summit, leaping from the small hut to the vast universe. Lift-or-bend writes the brief moment of reading - head down, head up - while compass-the-universe writes the vast space. In an instant the universe is traversed, the extreme of spiritual roaming. The line secretly uses the Book of Changes's looking-up-and-looking-down, elevating ordinary reading to the sage's contemplation, yet landing on the following what more joy? The line shows the imagination opened by the Mountains and Seas books, and Tao's freedom from the body's bonds - plain yet vast.

Study

Word focus

欣 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「欣」字置于「众鸟有托」之前，是移情于物的关键一笔。鸟本无知，无所谓欣不欣，诗人以「欣」字写之，实是以己心度鸟情，将自己的归隐之乐投射到众鸟身上，使外景与内情打成一片。此字与下句「爱」字相对，「欣」是鸟之情，「爱」是人之情，一动物一自陈，虚实相生，共同托出「有托」二字的安顿感。陶诗用字向以冲淡见长，而「欣」字独含一股温润的喜意，正合此篇平和满足的基调，若易为「乐」「喜」则俗，易为「适」则冷，唯「欣」字能兼得鸟之天性与人之会心。

回 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「颇回故人车」的「回」字，是此句的筋节所在。「回」为使动用法，谓使故人的车驾折返，写穷巷幽深，连故友的车马也难得深入。此字表面写巷之窄、径之僻，实则写诗人与尘世往还的疏远，车既「回」，则交游简省、门庭冷落，而这冷落正是诗人所求的清净。陶渊明用「回」字而不说「阻」「绝」，是以动态的车驾折返写静态的避世，冷落之中反见自得，暗合颜回陋巷不改其乐的古意。一字之择，将地理的偏僻化为精神的主动隔绝，正是陶诗炼字于平淡处见深意的又一例。

俯仰 in a moment - literally 'look down and look up', meaning a very short time; also implies encompassing the vastness of the universe. 「俯仰」本指低头与抬头两个动作，在陶诗中却常用来写时间之短促或心境之开阔。此篇「俯仰终宇宙」以「俯仰」状读书时目随书卷上下移动的实景，又兼含片刻之间之意，与「终宇宙」的空间之广形成张力，一瞬一宇，将有限的读书动作与无限的宇宙观照勾连起来。此词的妙处在于不直说神游，而用一个最平常的读书姿势暗示精神的腾越，以实写虚、以近取远。陶渊明另有《饮酒》「俯仰终宇宙」同句复见，足见其对此语的自得，此二字实是陶诗由田园通向天地的关钥。