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魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem

归园田居·其一

Returning to Live in the Countryside (No. 1)

陶渊明

Tao Yuanming

田园Pastoral 隐逸Hermitage 归乡Returning Home

少无适俗韵，性本爱丘山。
误落尘网中，一去三十年。
羁鸟恋旧林，池鱼思故渊。
开荒南野际，守拙归园田。
方宅十余亩，草屋八九间。
榆柳荫后檐，桃李罗堂前。
暧暧远村，依依墟里烟。
狗吠深巷中，鸡鸣桑树颠。
户庭无尘杂，虚室有余闲。
久在樊笼里，复得返自然。

While young, I was not used to worldly cares,
And nature loved the hills and mountains deep.
By mishap fell into the world affairs' net,
And was entangled in it for thirty years.
The caged bird longs for its old forest,
The pond fish yearns for its native deep.
I open up wasteland at the southern field,
Keeping my simplicity, I return to farm.
My land a dozen acres or so,
My thatched cottage eight or nine rooms.
Elms and willows shade the back eaves,
Peaches and plums spread before the hall.
Dimly in the distance a village lies,
Curling smoke gently from the cottages.
A dog barks in the deep alley,
A cock crows on top of a mulberry tree.
My house is free from worldly dust,
And quiet is my empty room.
Long trapped in the cage of officialdom,
I now return to nature's freedom.

Listen

Meaning

The poet recounts leaving officialdom to return to rural life, expressing joy in simple living and freedom from worldly constraints.

从小我便没有迎合世俗的性情，天性本就热爱山丘田园。谁知却误入仕途的尘网，这一去竟蹉跎了三十年的光阴。像被羁绊的飞鸟眷恋旧日的山林，如池中游鱼思念故去的深渊。如今在南野开荒，守着这份愚拙回归田园。宅旁十余亩薄田，草屋八九间。榆树柳树荫蔽着后檐，桃树李树排列在堂前。远处村落隐隐约约，村中炊烟依依相伴。深巷里狗吠声声，桑树顶上雄鸡啼鸣。庭院没有半点尘俗杂事，空屋之中自有余闲。久困在樊笼里，如今重又返回了自然。

Appreciation

Starting with a direct statement of his innate love for nature, the poet contrasts the 'dusty net' of officialdom with the freedom of pastoral life. Using metaphors like 'caged bird' and 'pond fish,' he vividly conveys his longing for home. The middle stanzas offer a serene picture of his farm, with details of land, trees, dogs and cocks, showing his contentment. The final couplet powerfully ends with the relief of escaping the cage.

【白话串讲】陶渊明说“误落尘网中，一去三十年”——他把做官比作掉进网里，把回家种田比作鸟回树林、鱼回深潭。这是中国第一次有人如此坚定地辞职，还辞得这么漂亮。【意象与手法】全诗以白描见长，语言质朴如话却意境醇厚【情感与主旨】陶渊明出身士族，曾任江州祭酒、彭泽令等职，因不肯“为五斗米折腰向乡里小人”，于四十一岁辞官归隐，躬耕于柴桑【名句点睛】常考厌弃官场、向往田园的主旨；“羁鸟”“池鱼”比喻及“尘网”“樊笼”的象征

Background

Tao Yuanming (365-427), a hermit poet of the Eastern Jin period, served minor official posts but resigned at age 41, unwilling to bow for a petty salary. This poem is the first of a series written shortly after his return to rural life, expressing his joy at escaping officialdom.

陶渊明《归园田居·其一》是组诗《归园田居》五首的第一首，约作于东晋义熙二年（406），即诗人辞官归隐的次年。陶渊明（365—427），字元亮，一名潜，浔阳柴桑人。他出身没落士族，曾祖陶侃为东晋大司马，至渊明时家道中落。诗人少有高趣，博学善文，却生当晋宋易代、门阀政治腐败之世，不甘屈身事人。他先后仕于江州祭酒、桓玄幕、镇军参军、建威参军，最终于义熙元年（405）任彭泽令，到官八十余日，逢郡遣督邮至，属吏请束带见之，渊明叹曰：我岂能为五斗米折腰向乡里小儿！即日解印绶去职，赋《归去来兮辞》以明志，从此躬耕隐居，直至贫病而终。此诗正是归田初期所作，写弃官返初的欢欣与对田园生活的礼赞。在文学传统上，汉魏以来写归隐者多（如张衡《归田赋》、潘岳《闲居赋》），然多属仕途失意后的牢骚或士大夫的雅趣，真正以农人自居、把耕作写得亲切踏实的，陶渊明为第一人。组诗把归田、耕种、访友、饮酒、读书一一写来，首次将田园提升为独立的诗歌审美对象，开田园诗一派，对王维、孟浩然、韦应物、柳宗元直至苏轼影响深远。版本上此诗文字较为稳定。

Art

Plain language yet rich imagery. The poem uses white sketching (baimiao) to depict rural scenes, with visual and auditory details. Metaphors like 'dust net' and 'cage' form a frame. Verbs like 'shade' and 'spread' are precise. The style is simple, natural, and sincere.

全诗二十句，以叙事起、以写景承、以抒情结，章法井然而情致酣畅。起首四句直抒归意：少无适俗韵，性本爱丘山总提天性，误落尘网中，一去三十年以尘网喻仕途、以三十年写蹉跎，悔意与解脱交织。五六句羁鸟恋旧林，池鱼思故渊以比兴申足归志，暗用《古诗十九首》越鸟巢南枝之意而更凝练。以下八句写归田实景：开荒南野际，守拙归园田承上启下，方宅十余亩至鸡鸣桑树颠则铺陈草屋、榆柳、桃李、远村、炊烟、狗吠、鸡鸣，由近及远、由静入动，纯用白描，如展开一幅田园风物长卷，用语质直而画面鲜活。末二句户庭无尘杂，虚室有余闲收束于内心，久在樊笼里，复得返自然以樊笼对尘网、以返自然绾合首句性本爱丘山，首尾环合。艺术上最突出者有三：一是白描见长，不假丽藻而意境醇厚；二是对仗自然（方宅对草屋、榆柳对桃李、狗吠对鸡鸣），工稳而不板；三是比喻精警，尘网、羁鸟、池鱼、樊笼一气贯穿，将抽象的仕隐抉择化为可感意象。全诗语言如话，却余味深长，是陶诗质而实绮、癯而实腴的典范。

Allusions

'Dust net' and 'cage' allude to the Daoist disdain for worldly entanglement, likening official life to a trap. 'Caged bird' and 'pond fish' draw from the Han yuefu theme of longing for home. 'Keeping simplicity' echoes the Daoist concept of 'great skill seems clumsy.'

此诗用典与化用多在意象脉络，浑然不觉其痕迹。其一为尘网与樊笼，以网、笼喻官场束缚，渊源自《庄子·外物》的削迹捐势与《楚辞·招隐士》的笼鸟之喻；汉乐府《艳歌何尝行》已有空负樊笼之叹，渊明以尘网、樊笼叠用，写尽仕途如陷罗网之痛。其二为羁鸟恋旧林，池鱼思故渊，明显化用《古诗十九首》胡马依北风，越鸟巢南枝的思归传统，又近《楚辞·哀郢》鸟飞反故乡兮、狐死必首丘的故土之念——羁鸟、池鱼既是诗人自况，亦暗合万物各归其根的天道。其三为守拙，拙对巧而言，巧指逢迎取巧的官场手段，拙指朴野本性；此词承老子大巧若拙与《庄子》拙于用大之旨，渊明以守拙明志，标举不屑机心的人格。其四为虚室，暗用《庄子·人间世》虚室生白，谓空明之心能生光明，户庭无尘杂、虚室有余闲正写此心境的澄明闲适。其五为返自然，自然一词在魏晋玄学中既可指道家之道（本来如此），亦指田园之天然；渊明复得返自然既是回到田园，更是回到本真之性，与郭象注《庄》独化于玄冥之境遥通。版本上，一去三十年或作十三年，盖渊明自太元十八年初仕至义熙元年归，首尾恰约十三年，三十年疑为传写之误或举成数，然今本多作三十年，影响不大。

Commentary

Su Shi praised Tao's poems as 'plain but lush, thin but full.' Shen Deqian noted they 'flow naturally from a lofty heart.' This poem established the pastoral style in Chinese poetry.

此诗自唐以来地位日隆，至宋被推为田园诗之不祧之祖。钟嵘《诗品》列陶渊明为隐逸诗人之宗，谓其源出于应璩，又协左思风力，虽评其诗质直，已定其格。唐代山水田园诗派王维、孟浩然、储光羲、韦应物皆承其脉，然多写隐逸之闲，少其躬耕之真。至宋，苏轼极推渊明，前后和陶诗逾百首，以为其诗质而实绮、癯而实腴，此评最得陶诗三昧；朱熹亦谓陶渊明诗人皆说是平淡，据某看他自豪放，但豪放得来不觉耳。明代许学夷《诗源辩体》称陶诗愈淡愈浓；清代沈德潜《古诗源》录此诗并评：公诗多信笔直书，不过人间常事，而高致绝俗。近人梁启超称陶渊明是唐以前第一个纯任灵性、不受拘束的诗人。此诗的传播史，实即田园审美确立的历程：在它之前，诗中的田园多为背景或比兴；在它之后，田园本身即是目的与归宿。现代教育中，此诗与《桃花源记》并列入选教材，尘网、樊笼、返自然成为中国人表达厌弃官场、向往本真的高频语汇，其经典地位历千载而不衰。

Prosody

Form Five-character ancient poem五言古诗（古体诗）

Rhyme Level-tone rhymes on -ian/-an: shan, nian, yuan, tian, qian, yan, dian, xian, ran.全诗二十句，押平声先删韵，山、年、渊、田、间、前、烟、颠、闲、然古音相近，先删通押，一韵到底；韵脚疏朗，与田园闲适、从容舒缓的情调相协。

Tone pattern Calm and unhurried, with natural pauses after the second character, typical of five-old style.古体诗不绳以近体平仄黏对，以气运句、以意驭声。五言句式自然顿挫，不避重复（如两在、两归），但求气韵流畅；中间写景八句多用对仗（方宅对草屋、榆柳对桃李、狗吠对鸡鸣），工稳而不滞板，诵读时当于叙事处稍快、写景处稍缓，以见层次。

Reading note Circular structure: begins with love of hills and ends with returning to nature; 'dust net' and 'cage' echo each other.此诗为五言古体，与唐代律诗迥异：它不以对仗工稳、平仄精严取胜，而以章法的首尾环合与意象的贯穿取胜。二十句分为三层——前四句叙事立论，中八句白描写景，末四句抒情收束，而尘网、羁鸟、池鱼、樊笼、园田、自然等意象如脉络贯穿，使叙事、写景、抒情浑成一体，毫无散漫。韵脚一押到底不换，正显心境的安定专一，与那些转韵酬唱、情绪起伏的乐府歌行形成对照。句式上多用虚字（本、误、久、复）与口语（十余亩、八九间近乎田家计数），使议论不枯燥、写景不滞重。这种以古淡之体写至深之志、以常事常语见高致的艺术取向，正是陶渊明区别于颜延之年辈雕琢诗风的根本处——他不以声律辞藻胜，而以风神气韵胜，开后世田园诗平淡美学的宗风，故沈德潜谓其高致绝俗、信笔直书而人间常事皆成至文。

Line by line

少无适俗韵，性本爱丘山。

From youth I lacked interest in worldly affairs; by nature I love hills and mountains. This opens the poem, declaring the reason for reclusion.

从小我便没有迎合世俗的性情，天性本就热爱山丘田园。

As a youth I had no turn for the world; my nature loved hills and mountains.

这是组诗的开篇总纲，也是陶渊明一生的精神自白。少无适俗韵之韵指气质、情调，适俗韵即迎合世俗的禀赋；诗人说自小就没有这种禀赋，等于宣告自己天生与官场格格不入。性本爱丘山则正面点出天性——本字极重，强调热爱田园不是后天矫情，而是性命之所固有。两句一反一正，先破后立，把后来误落尘网、决然归田的因果交代得清清楚楚。值得注意的是，它没有一般弃官诗的激愤或伤感，而是以平静的口吻叙述一种天性的回归，好像在说一件再自然不过的事。这种平实恰恰来自诗人历经仕途折腾后内心的确证：他终于认清自己本属丘山。两句看似平淡，却是全诗情感的根基，后面所有对田园的礼赞、对樊笼的厌弃，都由此二句生发，故读陶诗当从此处识其本心。

This couplet is the group's opening statement, Tao's lifelong spiritual confession. No-turn-for-the-world writes he lacked the worldly temperament from youth. Nature-loved-hills-and-mountains states the innate nature; the originally character is weighty - love of fields is not acquired affectation but life's own endowment. One negative, one positive, break then build, explaining the later falling into the world-net and the decisive return. It lacks the indignation or sorrow of ordinary office-quitting poems, instead calmly stating a return to nature. The plainness comes from the poet's inner certainty after years of office struggle: he finally knows he belongs to hills. These two plain lines are the emotional ground for all that follows.

羁鸟恋旧林，池鱼思故渊。

A caged bird longs for its old forest; a pond fish yearns for its former deep. A metaphor using animals' instinct to express the poet's own homesickness.

像被羁绊的飞鸟眷恋旧日的山林，如池中游鱼思念故去的深渊。

A caged bird longs for its old woods; a pond fish misses its former deep pool.

这两句以比兴申足归田之志，是全诗最醒目的意象群。羁鸟是被系绊的飞鸟，池鱼是被困的游鱼，二者皆是诗人自况——仕途中的自己正如笼中鸟、釜中鱼，虽生犹困，不得自由。旧林、故渊则是魂牵梦绕的田园故土，恋与思二字将无生命的禽鱼写得有情有念，物我于此互通。这一比喻的妙处在于它把抽象的仕隐抉择（去官还是留任）化为人人可感的生命体验：谁不向往旧林故渊的舒展，谁愿久处羁绊？其渊源在《古诗十九首》胡马依北风，越鸟巢南枝与《楚辞》鸟飞反故乡，渊明点化之后更见凝练成对仗工稳的十字。它与前句误落尘网、后句守拙归园田形成意象链条：尘网—羁鸟—樊笼都是束缚的隐喻，旧林—故渊—园田都是自由的归处。以物喻人、以景写心，不着一苦字而苦况自见，是陶诗托物寄慨的典范。

These two lines use bi-xing to complete the return-to-fields resolve, the poem's most striking image cluster. Caged bird is a bound bird; pond fish is a trapped fish - both self-comparisons: Tao in office was like a caged bird or pond fish, alive yet unfree. Old woods and former deep pool are the longed-for homeland. Long and miss give the creatures feeling, making thing and self communicate. The metaphor's subtlety is converting the abstract office-reclusion choice into universal life experience: who does not long for the old woods and deep pool? It follows the Nineteen Old Poems's northern wind for horses and southern branches for birds, condensed by Tao into a precise parallel. The image chain: world-net, caged bird, cage are all bondage; old woods, deep pool, fields are all freedom. No bitter word, yet bitterness visible.

久在樊笼里，复得返自然。

Long trapped in a cage, I have now returned to nature. The final couplet echoes the beginning, expressing the joy of liberation.

久困在樊笼里，如今重又返回了自然。

Long held in a cage, I am now returned to nature.

这是全诗的收束与诗眼，与开篇性本爱丘山遥相呼应，完成一个完整的回归叙事。樊笼与首段尘网同义复现，强调仕途如笼如网，困锁身心；一个久字写尽十三年（或云三十年）的压抑与忍耐，分量极重。复得二字最见欢欣——不是初次拥有，而是失而复得，故喜悦中带着失而复得的珍贵感。返自然是点睛之笔：自然在此有双重含义，既指田园山水的自然之境，更指道家所谓本来如此的本真之性；归田不仅是回到土地，更是回到被异化之前的天性。这与《归去来兮辞》复驾言兮焉求、乐夫天命复奚疑同一归趣。两句以极简的语言收束二十句的铺陈，由写景回到抒情，由外物回到内心，举重若轻。自魏晋以降，返自然成为中国人表达精神解放的最高语汇之一，其感染力正在于它道出了 every 受拘束者心底那声回归的呼唤。

This is the poem's close and eye, echoing the opening nature-loved-hills, completing a full return narrative. Cage repeats the world-net from the first stanza, stressing office as cage; the long character writes thirteen years of suppression and patience. Returned-to writes the joy most - not first possession, but recovery of what was lost. Return-to-nature is the finishing stroke: nature has double meaning, both the field landscape and the Daoist original nature. Returning to fields is not only returning to land but returning to the unalienated self. The poem closes twenty lines of description in the simplest language, from scenery back to feeling, from things back to mind. Since the Wei-Jin period, return-to-nature has become one of the highest phrases for spiritual liberation, because it voices the call of every constrained heart.

Study

Word focus

守拙 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 开荒南野际，守拙归园田之守拙二字，是陶渊明人格宣言式的用词，也是全诗的价值核心。拙与巧相对：巧指世俗中逢迎钻营、机心用事的本领，守拙则是甘守自己的朴野笨拙、不肯以心术换荣利。这个词的深意，在于它把通常被视为缺点的愚拙，反转成一种值得坚守的德行——在世人竞巧的时代，诗人偏偏以拙为安身立命之本。其思想根柢在《老子》大巧若拙与《庄子》宁武子之愚不可及，渊明以守拙明志，标举的是不屑机心、保全天真的人格高标。它与前文误落尘网呼应：当年误入的是巧的世界，如今归来守的是拙的本性；又与返自然绾合，拙即是未被文明异化之自然。二字平易，却重逾千钧，因为它正面回答了士人为何要归田这一根本问题——不为逃避，而为守心。后世苏轼和陶、乃至一切不慕荣利者，皆以守拙自况，足见此词已凝固为中国士大夫的精神徽章。

樊笼 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 久在樊笼里之樊笼，与篇首尘网构成全诗贯穿的束缚意象，是理解陶渊明弃官心理的关键词。樊指篱笆、关鸟兽的笼，笼即囚栏；樊笼合用，极写仕途对人性的禁锢——不是身体的牢狱，而是精神的无形囚笼。它比尘网更显切近可感：尘网还偏于比喻，樊笼则是伸手可触的铁栏，暗示诗人感受之深、之苦。这个意象的妙处在于把抽象的官场压抑具象为困鸟之笼，使读者立刻体会到那种喘不过气、欲出无门的窒息感。它与羁鸟、池鱼一脉相承：羁鸟思旧林、池鱼思故渊，正是对樊笼的反向渴望；久在樊笼里则是这种渴望压抑已久的爆发，于是才有复得返自然的狂喜。樊笼一词非渊明首创（汉乐府已有），但经陶诗锤炼，与尘网、返自然配套，成为中国文化中表达异化的经典隐喻，后世每言官场如樊笼，其语源正在于此。

自然 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 复得返自然之自然，是此诗乃至于陶渊明全部思想的归宿词，含意极丰。在魏晋玄学语境中，自然一词既指老庄之道（本来如此、不假人为），也指天地万物的天然状态；渊明在此将二者合一：返自然既是回到田园山水的具体之境，更是回到未被礼法、功名异化之前的本真之性。这个词的革命性在于，它把归隐的落脚点从外在的避世行为，转向内在的天性复归——不是躲进深山，而是让被扭曲的本心重新舒展。它与开篇性本爱丘山、篇中守拙一脉贯通：丘山是天性所爱，拙是本真之态，自然则是这一切的完成。自然在陶诗中反复出现（如《归去来兮辞》乐夫天命），至郭象注《庄》独化于玄冥，已具哲学高度；渊明以诗人之笔将其化为可感可居的生活，使玄理落地。二字收束全篇，举重若轻，千载之下仍是中国人精神还乡的最美符号。