All poems

魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem

读山海经·其十

Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas, No. 10

陶渊明

Tao Yuanming

游仙Theme 言志Theme 隐逸Hermitage

精卫衔微木，将以填沧海。
刑天舞干戚，猛志固常在。
同物既无虑，化去不复悔。
徒设在昔心，良辰讵可待。

Jingwei carries a tiny twig, to fill the vast ocean.
Xingtian brandishes shield and axe, his fierce will forever stands.
Now as another thing, no sorrow; transformed, no regret.
In vain the former heart remains; how can the good time be awaited?

Listen

Meaning

This poem celebrates the indomitable spirit of mythical figures Jingwei and Xingtian, who persist despite overwhelming odds. It also conveys the poet's lament over unfulfilled ambitions and the passage of time, revealing Tao Yuanming's 'fierce-looking' side contrasting with his usual tranquility.

精卫鸟衔着微小的树枝，将要用来填平浩瀚的沧海。刑天挥舞着盾牌与板斧，刚猛的斗志本就长存不灭。同样化为异物既已无所顾虑，形躯化去也不再后悔。空怀着往昔的壮烈之心，美好的时辰岂可等待？

Appreciation

In this poem, Tao Yuanming juxtaposes two mythical images: Jingwei carrying a tiny twig to fill the sea and Xingtian brandishing shield and axe. The contrast between small strength and great objectives highlights determination. The later four lines turn into reflection, expressing sorrow that the good time never comes. The poem is vigorous and melancholy, distinct from Tao's usual placid style.

【白话串讲】 “精卫衔微木，将以填沧海。刑天舞干戚，猛志固常在”——陶渊明读《山海经》，为精卫和刑天热血沸腾：明知填不满海，也要填；头被砍了，还要舞。田园诗人的心里，住着一个战士。【意象与手法】全诗以精卫、刑天两个神话意象并列，起笔「衔微木」「填沧海」以小抗大，愈见其志之坚；「刑天舞干戚，猛志固常在」正面立骨，气势磅礴。后四句转入议论，「同物既无虑，化去不复悔」写死而不已，「徒设在昔心，良辰讵可待」笔锋一转，于赞美中透出壮志空老的悲凉。刚健沉郁，迥异于陶诗平澹【情感与主旨】陶渊明晚年躬耕隐居，于闲居披览《山海经》《穆天子传》等异书，作《读山海经》十三首，借神话抒怀，此为其十。时值晋宋易代，陶已退隐，诗虽写神话题材，实寄寓对壮志难酬、世路坎坷的感慨，亦见其「金刚怒目」式的刚健一面，与其冲淡诗风互为表里【名句点睛】中高考常考本诗「刚健」一面与陶诗总体风格的关系。考点一：「刑天舞干戚，猛志固常在」的「固」字与鲁迅「金刚怒目」之评；考点二：「精卫衔微木，将以填沧海」以小抗大的悲壮；考点三：末二句「徒设」「讵可待」的壮志空老之悲

Background

In his later years, Tao Yuanming lived in seclusion as a farmer. While reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas and other books of marvels, he wrote a series of thirteen poems titled 'Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas'. This tenth poem praises the unyielding spirit of Jingwei and Xingtian. Living in the transitional period between Jin and Song dynasties, Tao expressed his feelings about unachieved ambitions and life's hardships, showing a 'fierce-looking' side of his personality.

陶渊明（约365—427），字元亮，一说名潜，字渊明，浔阳柴桑人，东晋末至南朝宋初诗人，田园诗派创始人。其晚年躬耕隐居，于闲居之际披览《山海经》《穆天子传》等奇书异志，作《读山海经》十三首，借神话抒怀，此为其第十首。时值晋宋易代：义熙十四年（418）刘裕弑晋安帝，元熙二年（420）刘裕代晋称帝，改国号宋——陶渊明亲历易代，心怀故国而身已退隐，其「金刚怒目」式的刚健之作多产生于此期。此诗咏精卫填海、刑天舞戚二事，颂扬不屈不挠的斗志：精卫衔微木以填沧海，明知不可为而为之；刑天断首犹操干戚以舞，死而不已。诗人借神话寄寓对壮志难酬、世路坎坷的感慨，亦见其冲淡诗风之下深藏的刚健一面，是理解陶渊明「浑身静穆」之外「金刚怒目」的重要作品。此诗为《读山海经》组诗中最著名的一首，历代论陶者无不提及，是理解陶渊明「金刚怒目」一面、打破其「隐逸诗人」刻板印象的关键之作。

Art

The poem juxtaposes two mythological images. The opening lines contrast the tiny twig with the vast sea, emphasizing resolve. 'Xingtian wields shield and axe, his fierce will forever stands' directly expresses the theme. The last four lines shift to commentary, revealing a pathos of wasted ambition. The style is vigorous and melancholy, differing from Tao's usual plainness.

此诗以精卫、刑天两个神话意象并列，刚健沉郁，迥异于陶诗平澹。起笔「精卫衔微木，将以填沧海」以小抗大：「微木」写其小，「沧海」写其大，以小填大、以弱抗强，愈见其志之坚，起笔即见悲壮；「刑天舞干戚，猛志固常在」正面立骨：「舞」字写其挥动之姿，「固」字斩钉截铁，写猛志之不可磨灭，气势磅礴。后四句转入议论：「同物既无虑，化去不复悔」写死而不已——既已化为异物，无所顾虑；形躯化去，亦不后悔，递进一层，写精卫刑天之志超越生死；「徒设在昔心，良辰讵可待」笔锋一转，于赞美中透出壮志空老的悲凉——空怀昔日壮心，而良辰难待，壮烈之中含沉郁。全诗前四句写神话之烈，后四句发己身之慨，咏古与自伤交织，刚健中见沉郁，是陶诗「金刚怒目」一面的代表作。尤可注意者，前四句与后四句之间，「同物」「化去」之哲理为转折枢纽，由咏古之烈转入自伤之悲，过渡自然，深得「兴寄」之旨。

Allusions

Jingwei comes from the Classic of Mountains and Seas: the daughter of the Flame Emperor drowned in the East Sea and transformed into a bird, constantly carrying twigs and stones to fill the sea. Xingtian also from the same source: he fought the Heavenly Emperor and was beheaded, then used his nipples as eyes and navel as mouth, continuing to fight. Tao uses these allusions to praise the spirit of unyielding resistance and eternal struggle.

此诗用典即神话本事，精卫、刑天皆出《山海经》。精卫典出《山海经·北山经》：炎帝之女名女娃，游于东海，溺而不返，化为精卫鸟，常衔西山之木石，以堙于东海——以微木填沧海，写复仇与不屈之志；「衔微木」「填沧海」以小抗大，正是精卫精神的核心。刑天典出《山海经·海外西经》：刑天与帝争神，帝断其首，葬之常羊之山，刑天乃以乳为目、以脐为口，操干戚以舞——「刑天舞干戚」写断首犹战、死而不已的猛志，「干戚」为盾与斧，刑天以乳为目、以脐为口而操干戚，其状惨烈而志弥坚。陶潜拈此二典，意在表彰「猛志常在」「死而不已」的抗争精神，是对神话原型「复仇不屈」母题的诗意提炼；而「同物」「化去」云云，又暗含齐物论与生死观——既已化物，何虑何悔？将神话的刚烈升华为哲理的超越，正是陶渊明融神话、哲理于一炉的本领。其融神话、哲理、身世于一炉的写法，亦开后世「咏物言志」诗之先河。

Commentary

Lu Xun commented that Tao Yuanming was not always carefree, pointing to the 'fierce-looking' poem featuring 'Xingtian wields shield and axe, his fierce will forever stands.' Zhu Xi said Tao's poetry is natural, but this poem shows unusual intensity. Gong Zizhen also admired the 'fierce will' lines, seeing Tao's true character.

鲁迅《且介亭杂文二集》评陶渊明「并非整天飘飘然」，指出其有「金刚怒目式」之作，首举「刑天舞干戚，猛志固常在」——此评揭示了陶诗常被忽略的刚健一面，成为陶诗研究的经典论断。朱熹谓陶诗「出于自然」，而「此篇独见激烈」，亦注意到其异于冲淡之作。清人龚自珍《己亥杂诗》有「陶潜诗喜说荆轲，想见停云发浩歌。吟到恩仇心事涌，江湖侠骨恐无多」之句，极赏陶公「猛志」之篇，以为见其风骨。此诗在陶渊明创作中的意义，在于打破「隐逸诗人」的单一形象：隐居躬耕的陶渊明，心中仍有精卫填海、刑天舞戚的猛志，只是良辰难待、壮志空老——故冲淡其表、激烈其里，静穆与金刚怒目并存，正是陶渊明人格与诗风的完整面目，也是理解晋宋易代之际士人心态的重要窗口。此诗于文学史之意义，正在于证明陶渊明诗风的多面性：田园之静与猛志之烈，本是一体之两面。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient-style poem (one of Tao Yuanming's 'Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas' series)五言古诗（陶潜《读山海经》组诗之一）

Rhyme Pingshui rhyme scheme: Group ten hui (hai, zai, hui, dai - broad rhyming in ancient style)平水韵·上平十灰（海、在、悔、待），古体通押

Tone pattern Ancient-style poem, no strict tonal patterns or parallelism古体诗，不讲究平仄对仗，五言八句，音节顿挫

Reading note Belongs to Tao's style of lyric poetry, with archaic straightforward language conveying deep emotion.此诗为《读山海经》组诗第十首，五言古诗，八句，陶渊明晚年闲居读《山海经》而作。用韵上，押平水韵上平十灰韵：海、在、悔、待四字通押，一韵到底，古体宽叶；灰韵沉郁悠长，与全诗由壮转悲的情感基调相称。句法上，此诗八句分为两层：前四句写神话，后四句发议论，每两句一意：「精卫衔微木，将以填沧海」写填海之志，「刑天舞干戚，猛志固常在」写舞戚之猛，「同物既无虑，化去不复悔」写死而不悔，「徒设在昔心，良辰讵可待」写壮志空老——四层递进，由神话之烈到哲理之思再到现实之悲，层层深入。古体不讲究平仄对仗，然此诗于不经意间多有对偶，如「同物既无虑，化去不复悔」「徒设在昔心，良辰讵可待」，工稳而不见雕琢，是古体中的「律化」倾向。全诗以古直语言写沉郁之思，音节顿挫有力，是陶诗「质而实绮，癯而实腴」风格的典型，也是《读山海经》组诗中最具「金刚怒目」色彩的一篇。

Line by line

精卫衔微木，将以填沧海

Jingwei carries a tiny twig, intending to fill the vast ocean. This contrast between the minuscule effort and the immense goal highlights the tragic determination.

精卫鸟衔着微小的树枝，将要用来填平浩瀚的沧海

Jingwei carries a tiny twig, intending to fill the vast sea.

起笔写精卫填海，以小抗大，愈显其志之坚，是全诗的第一个悲壮意象。「精卫衔微木」写精卫之小与木之微：精卫为小鸟，微木为细枝，一鸟一木，微不足道；「将以填沧海」写沧海之大与志之远：沧海浩瀚无边，以微木填沧海，如蚍蜉撼树、螳臂当车，其不可为显而易见。然「将以」二字，写精卫之决意：明知不可为而为之，衔木不止、填海不已——正是这种知其不可而为之的执拗，愈见其志之坚、其悲之壮。炎帝之女溺海化鸟，衔木填海，本为复仇，亦为不屈；陶渊明拈此神话，正是借精卫写自己：身如微木，志在沧海，易代之际的隐者，亦有填海之志而无力回天。起笔八言，微木与沧海对照，写尽悲壮，为全诗「猛志」定下基调。

The opening writes Jingwei filling the sea, small against large, all the more firm in resolve - the poem's first tragic image. Jingwei is a small bird, the twig a small branch; yet the sea is boundless, and the would-be filling is like an ant shaking a tree. Yet intending writes the resolve: knowing it cannot be done, doing it anyway - carrying twigs unceasingly, filling the sea unceasingly. This is precisely the stubbornness of acting knowing it cannot succeed, the resolve's firmness and the grief's grandeur. Tao takes this myth to write himself: body like a twig, will at the sea; the recluse in the dynastic transition also has a sea-filling will yet no power to turn the tide. Eight characters, twig against sea, exhaust the tragic, setting the poem's fierce-will tone.

刑天舞干戚，猛志固常在

Xingtian wields shield and axe; his fierce ambition remains eternal. The word '固' (gu) emphasizes the unyielding and indestructible will.

刑天挥舞着盾牌与板斧，刚猛的斗志本就长存不灭

Xingtian brandishes shield and axe; his fierce will is forever undimmed.

此句正面立骨，是全诗精神所聚，也是鲁迅所谓「金刚怒目」的名句。「刑天舞干戚」写刑天之态：与帝争神，被断其首，乃以乳为目、以脐为口，操干戚（盾与斧）而舞——「舞」字写其挥动之姿，断首犹舞、失身犹战，惨烈而壮烈；「猛志固常在」写其志之坚：「固」字斩钉截铁——本来如此、终究如此，猛志不因断首而灭、不因化形而销，常在而不改。此句的深意在于「固常在」三字：刑天失去头颅，而猛志仍在；身已化异物，而斗志不灭——这正是陶渊明所推崇的抗争精神：肉体可以毁灭，精神不可屈服。以「舞」写其形，以「固」写其志，形神兼备，气势磅礴，是《读山海经》组诗中最有力的句子，也是中国诗歌中写不屈精神最著名的意象之一。

This line sets the bone, the poem's spiritual core, Lu Xun's fierce-eyed famous line. Xingtian brandishes shield and axe writes Xingtian's posture: contending with the god, beheaded, yet using nipples for eyes and navel for mouth, wielding shield and axe. Brandish writes the waving; headless yet dancing, body lost yet fighting - tragic and heroic. His fierce will is forever undimmed: forever is decisive - it was so and remains so; the fierce will is not extinguished by beheading, not consumed by transformation. The deep meaning lies in forever: Xingtian lost his head, yet the fierce will remains; body transformed, yet the fighting spirit unextinguished - this is the resistance Tao admired: the body may be destroyed, the spirit cannot submit. Brandish for form, forever for will, form and spirit complete, momentum vast - the strongest line in the Mountains and Seas series, and one of Chinese poetry's most famous images of unyielding spirit.

同物既无虑，化去不复悔

Having become another thing, there is no worry; having transformed, there is no regret. This line deepens the theme of persisting even after death, without remorse.

同样化为异物既已无所顾虑，形躯化去也不再后悔

One with all things, he has no cares; transformed away, he does not regret.

此二句由写神话转入议论，递进一层，写死而不已的精神。「同物既无虑」写生死观：精卫化为鸟、刑天化为异物，既已与万物同化，便无所顾虑——「同物」用庄子齐物论之意，物我同化、生死一体，既已化形，何虑之有；「化去不复悔」写其不悔：形躯化去，亦不复后悔——不悔争神、不悔填海，虽败犹荣、虽死无憾。「同物」「化去」皆道家庄子之言，陶渊明以之写神话人物的死而不已：不是不惧死，而是视死如归——既已化物，则生死无别；既已尽力，则成败不计。此二句将精卫刑天的刚烈升华为哲理的超越：不是蒙昧的执拗，而是看透生死后的坚持，刚中有哲、烈中有理，正见陶渊明融神话、哲理于一炉的本领，也为末二句的悲凉之转作了铺垫。

These two lines turn from myth to argument, advancing a step, writing the spirit that does not cease in death. One with all things, he has no cares writes the death-view: Jingwei turned bird, Xingtian transformed; since one with all things, what care remains? One-with-all-things uses Zhuangzi's equal-things, thing and self fused, life and death one. Transformed away, he does not regret writes the no-regret: body transformed, yet no regret for contending with the god, no regret for filling the sea - though defeated, glorious; though dead, no regret. These are Zhuangzi's terms, yet Tao uses them for the mythic figures' deathless resistance: not fearless of death, but regarding death as home - since transformed, life and death are one; since effort made, success or failure not counted. This elevates Jingwei and Xingtian's fierceness into philosophical transcendence - not stubborn ignorance, but persistence after seeing through life and death; fierce with philosophy, tragic with reason. This prepares the closing turn to desolation.

徒设在昔心，良辰讵可待

In vain he holds his former heart; how can the good time be awaited? This sudden turn from praise to lament expresses the sorrow of unfulfilled ambition.

空怀着往昔的壮烈之心，美好的时辰岂可等待

In vain remains that old resolve; how can the good hour be waited for?

结句笔锋陡转，于赞美中见壮志空老之悲，是全诗情感的低回处。「徒设在昔心」写往昔之壮心空存：「徒设」言空自存置，白白怀有——昔日的猛志、昔日的豪情，如今只剩空设；「良辰讵可待」写良辰之难待：「良辰」指建功立业、大展宏图之时，「讵可待」以反诘出之——美好的时辰岂可等待？言外之意：良辰已不可待，壮志已无由伸。此二句的妙处在于由古及今：精卫刑天虽败犹战、死而不悔，而自己呢？空怀猛志，良辰难待——神话的壮烈反衬现实的无奈，咏古正是自伤：陶渊明身当晋宋易代，心怀故国而无力回天，精卫填海、刑天舞戚的猛志，正是其心中未熄的烈火；而「徒设」「讵可待」的悲叹，则是烈火将熄的余烬。刚烈转沉郁，全诗以壮起、以悲收，跌宕有致，正是陶诗「金刚怒目」与冲淡悲凉并存的完整面目。

The closing line turns sharply, finding in praise the grief of will grown old, the poem's emotional depth. In vain remains that old resolve writes the old heroic heart vainly kept. In-vain writes empty - the old fierceness, the old boldness, now only vainly set. How can the good hour be waited for? writes the good hour's unavailability: the good hour is the time to accomplish great things; how-can-it-be-waited-for in rhetorical question - the good hour cannot be waited for, the will has no way to extend. The line's subtlety is the move from ancient to present: Jingwei and Xingtian, defeated yet fighting, dead yet unregretful - and myself? Vainly holding fierce will, the good hour hard to wait for - myth's grandeur sets off reality's helplessness. Tao lives in the Jin-Song transition, cherishing the old dynasty yet powerless; Jingwei's sea-filling and Xingtian's axe are the unextinguished fire in his heart; yet the in-vain and how-can-it-be-waited-for sigh are the fire's dying embers. Fierce turns to somber, the poem opens in grandeur and closes in grief - this is Tao's complete face, fierce-eyed and plain-desolate together.

Study

Word focus

固 '固' (gu): means 'originally' or 'firmly', underscoring the permanence of the fierce will. 「猛志固常在」之「固」字，是全诗最有力的炼字，斩钉截铁，强调抗争精神之不可磨灭。「固」为本来、终究、固然之意：猛志本来常在、终究常在、当然常在——刑天断首，猛志不改；身化异物，斗志不灭。此字的妙处在于以确定性写必然性：不说「猛志常在」的客观陈述，而说「猛志固常在」的必然判断——「固」字写志之坚如磐石，非外力所能夺、非死亡所能灭。若去「固」字，则只是泛泛的赞美；加一「固」字，则写尽猛志的不可动摇，如金石之声，掷地有声。此字亦是全诗精神的支点：精卫填海、刑天舞戚，其悲壮全在「固」字所写的不可磨灭之志；陶渊明以此字立骨，正是要以精卫刑天之「固」，映照自己心中那份不因易代而销的猛志。

徒 '徒' (tu): means 'in vain' or 'only', conveying a sense of futility and sorrow. 「徒设在昔心」之「徒」字，意为空自、徒然，是全诗由壮转悲的关键炼字。「徒设」言空自存置——往昔的壮心，如今空自怀有，却不能实现：「徒」字写尽壮志之虚设、豪情之空存，一字之下，多少无奈。此字的妙处在于以一字转全诗之调：前六句写精卫刑天之烈，壮怀激烈；此句一个「徒」字，笔锋陡转——神话人物死而不悔，而自己空怀壮心，良辰难待，壮烈转为悲凉。陶渊明不写「昔心尚在」的自我安慰，而写「徒设」的空虚无奈，正见其清醒与沉痛：隐者非无志，而是志不得伸；非不烈，而是烈无所施。「徒」字如一声长叹，将前文的刚烈尽数化为沉郁，是全诗情感转折的枢纽，也是理解陶渊明「金刚怒目」中深藏悲凉的关键。

衔 '衔' (xian): means 'to hold in the mouth', vividly depicting Jingwei's action, emphasizing the tiny twig and the stubborn persistence. 「精卫衔微木」之「衔」字，状精卫口含之态，与「微」字呼应，写尽知其不可而为之的执拗。「衔」为口含之意，写精卫以口衔木、往返飞翔之态：一鸟一木，衔而不放、飞而不息——「衔」字见其执著，衔木即填海，填海即复仇，一口一口、一次一次，永不停歇。「衔」的妙处在于以小写大：衔木之微，正见填海之难；执衔之坚，正见立志之固。若说「衔」仅写动作，则「衔微木」三字将动作之微与志向之大连在一起：微木难填沧海，而精卫衔之不已——愈见其悲，愈见其壮。此字亦暗含陶渊明自况：隐者如精卫，身微而志远，力薄而心坚，虽填海无成，而衔木不辍，「衔」字正是诗人精神的自画像。