葉嘉瑩教授講於萬佛聖城
Lectures by Professor Yeh Jiaying at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
上次有一位旁聽的朋友問我，第十三首中的「醒醉還相笑，發言各不領」，能不能理解為作者對醒者和醉者兩個人的話都聽不明白。我認為不能這樣理解，因為「醒者」在這裡是比喻世俗一般人的看法，他們喜歡計較得失利害，算計如何升官發財，以為這是很清醒、很明智的做法；「醉者」代表那種純真、按照自己的性情理想去生活的人。
Last time, a friend in the audience asked whether the line in the thirteenth poem—
“The sober and the drunk laugh at each other, / Not understanding each other’s words”—
could be interpreted to mean that the poet understands neither the sober nor the drunk. I do not think so. Here, “the sober” is a metaphor for ordinary worldly people. Such people are inclined to calculate gains and losses, weigh benefit and harm, and scheme for status and wealth. In doing so, they regard themselves as clear-minded and intelligent. By contrast, “the drunk” represents those who are innocent, who live in accordance with their natural dispositions and inner inspiration.
陶淵明有一句詩說得好，他說「任真無所先」（《連雨獨飲》）。這個「任」，是任憑的意思。他要任憑自己純真的天性，去走自己的生活道路，而這正是那些斤斤計較利害得失的人所不能理解的。由於這兩種人對人生的看法不同，所走的道路不同，所以他們說出話來，互相之間也不能瞭解。我說過，這是一種比喻，陶淵明是在表現自己內心之中矛盾的思想感情。
Tao Yuanming expresses this idea well in his poem “Drinking Alone on Rainy Days,” where he writes, “Nothing surpasses following one’s genuine nature.” To “follow” here means to allow oneself to be guided by one’s own pure and authentic nature, and to walk one’s own path in life. This is precisely what those who carefully calculate gain and loss cannot understand. Because these two kinds of people hold fundamentally different views of life, they walk different paths; therefore, they cannot understand one another. As I mentioned before, this contrast serves as a metaphor through which Tao Yuanming expresses his inner tensions and reflections.
今天我們看第十四首詩：Today we will go through the fourteenth poem
故人賞我趣，挈壺相與至。
班荊坐松下，數斟已復醉。
父老雜亂言，觴酌失行次。
不覺知有我，安知物為貴。
悠悠迷所留，酒中有深味！
Old acquaintances who appreciated my taste
Arrived with wine kettles in hand.
They sat upon the grass beneath a pine tree
And soon were drunk after a few rounds.
Elders spoke freely and at random;
The order of serving wine fell into disarray.
Unaware even of the self,
Still less of things to be cherished—
At ease, resting where we were,
We savored the deep flavor of the wine.
我們看了這麼多首飲酒詩，其實都是在說人生問題，而不是說飲酒，有的根本整首詩就沒有提到酒。如果說這二十首詩裡真正講飲酒的，那實在就是這一首了。陶詩裡，提到飲酒有不同的情況：一種是獨飲，如「秋菊有佳色」那一首中的「汎此忘憂物，遠我遺世情。一觴雖獨進，杯盡壺自傾」；一種是和不相知者同飲，如「清晨聞叩門」那一首中的「深感父老言，稟氣寡所諧。紆轡誠可學，違己詎非迷！且共歡此飲，吾駕不可回」。還有一種情況，就是和互相知賞的朋友同飲，現在要講的這一首就屬於這一種。Many of Tao Yuanming’s poems about drinking are, in fact, about life rather than wine itself. Some do not even mention wine explicitly. Among these twenty poems, this is the only one that directly depicts the act of drinking. In Tao’s poetry, we can observe several different situations in which drinking occurs. One is drinking alone. For example, in “Autumn Chrysanthemums Are Lovely,” he writes:
“I drink my cup in solitude,
And when it is empty, I refill it from my flask.”
Another situation is drinking in the company of those who do not understand him. In “Hearing Knocks at the Door at Dawn,” he writes:
“The elder’s words are deeply felt,
Yet by nature I remain an unyielding recluse…
Let us share a drink together,
Though I will not alter my course.”
A third situation is drinking with friends who truly understand and appreciate him. The present poem belongs to this third category.
在「秋菊有佳色」那一首裡，陶淵明寫他白天在田裡幹了一天活之後，「日入群動息，歸鳥趨林鳴」，到黃昏鳥都歸巢了，他也回到自己的家裡。在他的東籬之下，菊花開得非常美麗，他就摘了菊花的花瓣灑在酒中，喝上一杯酒。他說，每當這個時候，我就有一種非常平安、遠離塵世的感覺。這是陶淵明獨飲時的感受。
In “Autumn Chrysanthemums Are Lovely,” Tao Yuanming also describes how, after a day of labor in the fields, “at sunset all grows quiet, and the birds return to the woods.” As evening falls and the birds return to their nests, he too makes his way home. Beneath his eastern fence, chrysanthemums bloom in quiet beauty. He gathers their petals and floats them in his wine. Whenever he is able to enjoy himself in this way, he feels serene and far removed from the dusty world. This expresses the state of mind he attains when drinking alone.
那麼，什麼叫「不相知者」？就是沒有共同語言的那種人。沒有共同語言也可以在一起喝酒嗎？這話很難說，他講的其實是一種做人的態度。儒家四書之中有一本書叫《中庸》，《中庸》裡邊說：「故君子和而不流，強哉矯。」有的人做人像一只刺蝟一樣，覺得自己很好看，別人都有那麼多缺點，誰碰到他，他就用針去刺人家一下子。儒家認為這是不好的，一個人應該平和地與人相處。但既然要平和地與人相處，有的人就隨波逐流了，別人做壞事，他也跟著做壞事。儒家認為這也不好。《中庸》提倡「和而不流」，就是說，待人處事要平和寬容，但絕不同流合污。所以你看，陶淵明對勸他出仕的那個人，並沒有像嵇康對待山濤那樣狠狠地罵人家一頓，而是與他「且共歡此飲」，但是「吾駕不可回」。回答得多麼堅決！
What, then, does it mean that “they do not understand each other”? It refers to people who do not share a common language—not merely in words, but in outlook and values. Can people drink together without such a shared understanding? This is difficult to answer, for what Tao Yuanming is ultimately discussing is an attitude toward life. In the Confucian classic The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong), it is said: “The gentleman is in harmony with others but does not conform to them—how admirable this is!” Some people behave like hedgehogs: they always think highly of themselves and dwell on the faults of others, pricking anyone who offends them. Confucianism regards such an attitude as unskillful, for human beings ought to live in harmony with one another. Yet there is another extreme: in trying to get along with others, some people simply drift with the crowd. If others do wrong, they follow along and do wrong as well. This, too, is considered unskillful. Therefore, The Doctrine of the Mean teaches us to “be in harmony without conforming.” One should be peaceful, harmonious, and broad-minded in dealing with others, yet never follow the crowd in doing what is wrong. In this light, we can see how Tao Yuanming treated the person who urged him to take up an official post. Unlike Ji Kang (223–263), who harshly rebuked Shan Tao (205–283), Tao Yuanming chose a different response: he could “happily drink together” with such a person, yet at the same time firmly state that “my cart will not turn back.” What a resolute answer!
孔子曾說：「鳥獸不可與同群，吾非斯人之徒與而誰與？」（《論語 • 微子》）做為一個人生活在世間，鳥獸不可能成為我的同類伴侶，那麼如果我不和我同類的人在一起，我還能夠和誰在一起呢？人總是要生活在人群之中的，於是就有一個和人相處的問題。有的人沒走邪路，是因為沒有交壞朋友，那當然也很好；可是真正的強者，縱然有壞朋友，仍不會走邪路而堅持自己的路，這就是「和而不流」。更何況，常常像刺蝟一樣用針刺人，對人對己都沒有好處，如果你能夠平和地與人相處，而又堅持走自己的路，說不定別人會受你的感染而改邪歸正，也來走你的這一條路呢。所以這就是儒家所主張的做人的態度。
Confucius once said, “I cannot keep company with birds and beasts. If I do not associate with human beings, with whom shall I associate?” (Analects, “Wei Zi”). Living in this world as human beings, we must dwell among others; thus, the question of how to get along with people inevitably arises. Some avoid wrongdoing simply because they lack bad companions; this is, of course, good. But those who possess genuine strength will not follow an unwholesome path even when surrounded by unwholesome influences. Instead, they persist in walking their own proper path—this is precisely what it means to be “in harmony without conforming.” At the same time, if one constantly offends others—like a hedgehog bristling with spines—this brings no benefit to oneself or to others. If, however, one can live in peace and harmony with others while steadfastly maintaining one’s own path, then perhaps others may be influenced and gradually turn from wrong to right. This, indeed, is the attitude that Confucianism advocates for conducting oneself in the world.
今天我們看的這一首，講的是第三種情形，是陶淵明真的見到與他互相知賞的那些朋友了。「故人賞我趣，挈壺相與至」：他說，我的一些很欣賞我的老朋友，提著酒壺結伴來看我了。「趣」是什麼意思？那是屬於你感覺中的一種味道。因為有時你可以感覺到跟這個人在一起，與跟那個人在一起的味道是不同的。陶淵明做出種田歸隱的選擇，有很多人不能理解，但也有一些老朋友欣賞他這種做人的態度，或者說是一種做人的風味。所以他們結伴來看望他了。
The poem we will explore today belongs to the third scenario: Tao Yuanming drinking with friends who truly appreciate and understand him.“Old acquaintances who appreciated my taste arrived with wine kettles in hand.” Here, he tells us that several old friends—those who genuinely understood and appreciated him—came to visit, bringing wine with them. What does “taste” mean in this context? It refers to one’s sensibility, one’s inward perception and appreciation of life. At times, we can feel that being with one person is quite different from being with another. Many people could not understand Tao Yuanming’s decision to withdraw from official life and live in rural seclusion. Nevertheless, there were still a few old friends who appreciated the spirit and “flavor” of his way of life. It was these friends who came together to visit him.
來了之後，他們就「班荊坐松下，數斟已復醉」。「班荊」這個詞出於《左傳 • 襄公二十六年》「班荊相與食，而言復故」。說的是兩個老朋友在道路上遇見了，他們就找了一些乾草鋪在地下，坐在上面吃東西聊天。這正是寫一份故人的情趣。你要請一個新朋友來做客，總要把房間打掃得乾淨整齊，不能讓他一進門就看到你房間裡亂七八糟的。可是你的老朋友早就認識你了，他對你從裡到外都知道得清清楚楚，你對他沒什麼可隱藏的，也用不著準備什麼宴席，不管是飲酒也好，喝茶也好，大家所追求的，是彼此知賞的一份情趣。
After they arrived, they “sat upon grass laid on the ground beneath a pine tree, and after a few rounds of wine, they were once again slightly drunk.” The phrase ban jing (laying out grass to sit on) comes from the Zuo Zhuan, “The Twenty-Sixth Year of Duke Xiang”: “They spread grass upon the ground, sat down to eat, and spoke together as before.” It describes two old friends who meet along the road, lay down some grass, and sit together to eat and converse. This scene conveys the simple yet genuine warmth shared between old friends. When inviting a new acquaintance to one’s home, one might carefully tidy the room so that no disorder is seen upon entering. But with an old friend—someone who has known you for a long time and understands you thoroughly—there is nothing to conceal. There is no need for elaborate preparation or a formal banquet. Whether it is wine or tea does not matter; what is truly valued is the “taste” of mutual understanding and appreciation.
陶淵明院子裡不是有一棵松樹嗎？就是他「提壺撫寒柯，遠望時復為」的那一棵。當老朋友到來的時候，他們把松樹下邊的草鋪一鋪平，就在那裡坐下來飲酒。「數斟」，不一定是數杯。一杯酒，你喝了一點兒，再給你添上一點兒，就這樣斟了幾次，大家就都有些醉意了。當然，這個「已復醉」不是說醉得人事不知，而是說在微醉之後。這個時候，大家就能更真誠、更坦率地彼此相對，就像他接下來所說的，「父老雜亂言」。「父老」，是對老年人比較尊敬的稱呼。陶淵明的這些朋友都是有些年歲的了，對人生的艱難困苦都是經歷體驗過的。像陶淵明，就曾經歷了幾次出仕，幾次退隱，經歷了許多的挫折失意。這個「雜亂言」不是美麗的詞藻，但是寫得很好，給人一種非常真率的感覺。
Was there not a pine tree in Tao Yuanming’s courtyard, as mentioned in the poem: “I lift my flask and hang it on a cold branch, / Gazing into the distance from time to time”? When his old friends arrived, they simply pressed down the grass beneath the pine tree and sat there to drink. “A few pours” does not necessarily mean several full cups of wine. It may be a single cup, passed around and replenished little by little; after a few such rounds, everyone becomes gently intoxicated. Of course, “becoming drunk again” here does not mean losing control or awareness, but rather entering a state of mild intoxication. In such a state, people become more sincere and open with one another. This is reflected in the next line: “The elders spoke freely and at random.” The term “elders” is a respectful form of address. These companions of Tao Yuanming were all somewhat advanced in years and had experienced many hardships in life. Tao Yuanming himself, for instance, entered official service several times and resigned repeatedly, encountering many frustrations along the way. The phrase “spoke at random” does not suggest careless or crude speech; rather, it conveys a sense of naturalness and spontaneity—speech uncontrived and genuine.
孔子曾教導他的學生，「非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非禮勿言，非禮勿動」（《論語 • 顏淵》），因為年輕人往往缺少一種把持、掌握的能力，看了那些不正當的事情容易動搖、改變自己，所以孔子主張年輕人對非禮的事情不看、不聽、不說也不做。可是這並不是人生的最高境界。孔子還說過：「三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不逾矩。」（《論語 • 為政》）他說，當我七十歲的時候，我可以心裡想做什麼就做什麼，想說什麼就說什麼，而我說出來的話、做出來的事，自然不會不合規矩。這才是人生完美的最高境界。
Confucius once instructed his students: “Do not look at what is improper; do not listen to what is improper; do not speak what is improper; do not do what is improper” (Analects, “Yan Yuan”). Young people, lacking firm self-restraint, are easily influenced by external conditions; thus, Confucius advised them to guard their senses and actions carefully. Yet this is not the ultimate ideal, for it requires constant restraint and vigilance. Confucius also said: “At thirty, I stood firm; at forty, I was free from confusion; at fifty, I understood Heaven’s mandate; at sixty, my ear was attuned; at seventy, I could follow my heart’s desires without overstepping the bounds.” (Analects). This describes the highest state of human development: when one’s actions and speech flow naturally from the heart, and yet never depart from what is right.
孔子是在七十歲才做到的，而有的人，則是「群居終日，言不及義」（《論語 • 衛靈公》），一群人混在一起，從早到晚說的話，沒有一句是正當的，別人不敢說的我敢說，說得越低級、越下流，越得意。那不是成熟，而是一種墮落。
Confucius attained this state only in his seventies. Yet there are also those who, as the Analects describes, “spend the whole day together in idle talk” (Analects, “Duke Ling of Wei”). Such people gather and converse endlessly, but rarely speak of anything proper. They say what others would not dare to say; the more they speak, the more unrestrained and indecent they become, and even take pride in it. This is not maturity, but dissipation.
所以天下不同的人，有不同的境界，有不同的規矩。「父老雜亂言」，既不是頭腦保持清醒時那種拘謹、計較的話，也不是「群居終日，言不及義」那種無聊的話，而是朋友之間吐露內心真誠的話。
Therefore, people in the world differ in their states of mind and in the principles they follow. The line “the elders spoke freely and at random” refers neither to the cautious, calculating speech of the sober, nor to the frivolous chatter of those who indulge in idle talk. Rather, it describes the sincere and unguarded words exchanged among true friends.
《飲酒詩》最後一首的最後兩句是，「但恨多謬誤，君當恕醉人」——我很抱歉我說了許多錯話，但是你們應該寬恕我，因為我喝醉了。陶淵明為什麼這樣說？因為他在這二十首詩裡邊所討論的，是在將要改朝換代，有人請他出去做官，這樣一個仕隱取捨的問題。這是很嚴重的事，說錯了話就有殺身之禍。因此大家平時有許多話是不敢說的，而在好朋友聚會喝過幾杯酒之後，大家都放鬆了，說話也不再有什麼顧忌。這時候就「父老雜亂言，觴酌失行次」：誰的酒喝光了，誰就倒酒；你給我倒，我給他倒，或自己給自己倒，不再像開始斟酒時那樣按照一定的次序；心裡藏著的話，這時候也就都說出來了。
In the final poem of the Drinking series, Tao Yuanming writes:
“I may have uttered many rambling words above;
I hope you gentlemen will forgive me.”
Here he is saying, in effect: “I may have spoken imperfectly—please forgive me, for I was drinking.” Why does he say this? Because throughout these twenty poems, he is addressing a profound and dangerous question: whether to enter official life or withdraw from it during a time of dynastic transition. This was no trivial matter—one careless word could cost a person his life. Thus, there were many things that people ordinarily dared not discuss. Yet after a few rounds of wine among trusted friends, they would relax and speak more freely. “The elders spoke freely, and the order of serving wine fell into disorder.” At first, wine may have been served according to custom and sequence; but as the gathering grew more relaxed, such formalities dissolved. One person poured for another, or for himself—no fixed order remained. In this atmosphere, people began to reveal their innermost thoughts.
魏晉之間和晉宋之間，是中國歷史上政治鬥爭最激烈的時代。擁護新朝？還是擁護舊朝？有名望的讀書人和朝廷中的士大夫往往被迫要選擇一個立場。很多文人都不得善終，比如魏晉之間的詩人嵇康，因為說了得罪新朝的話：「又每非湯武而薄周孔。」（嵇康,〈與山巨源絕交書〉）就被殺了。另一個詩人阮籍也很有名，司馬昭想拉攏他，為自己的兒子司馬炎——就是後來篡奪了曹魏政權的晉武帝——娶阮籍的女兒，結成兒女親家。阮籍不願意背棄曹魏，又不敢直接拒絕，就每天喝酒，據說一直醉了六十天不醒，司馬昭對他沒有辦法，只好作罷。所以，魏晉和晉宋之間有那麼多人酗酒，就是由於這種不得已的政治背景在裡邊。這是我們應該瞭解的。
During the Wei–Jin and Jin–Song periods, political struggles were especially intense and often ruthless. Scholars and officials were forced to choose between rival regimes—whether to support the old or the new—and many met tragic ends as a result. For example, the poet Ji Kang, one of the Seven Worthies of the Bamboo Grove, was executed during the Wei–Jin period after expressing views that offended the ruling powers. It is said that he openly criticized revered figures such as King Tang of Shang, King Wu of Zhou, the Duke of Zhou, and even Confucius (“Letter on Severing Ties with Shan Tao”). Another well-known figure is Ruan Ji (210–263). Sima Zhao, who held power in the Cao-Wei court, sought to draw Ruan Ji into his political camp by arranging a marriage between his son Sima Yan and Ruan Ji’s daughter. Ruan Ji was unwilling to betray Cao-Wei, yet he dared not refuse openly. Instead, he resorted to drinking constantly—reportedly remaining intoxicated for sixty consecutive days. In the end, Sima Zhao abandoned the plan. Later, Sima Yan usurped the throne and established the Jin dynasty as Emperor Wu. Thus, the prevalence of drinking during the Wei–Jin and Jin–Song periods was not merely a matter of personal habit; it was closely tied to the oppressive and perilous political climate of the time. This is the historical background we must keep in mind.
瞭解了這些政治背景，我們就能體會到，「班荊坐松下，數斟已復醉。父老雜亂言，觴酌失行次」那種人與人之間的友誼和情趣，是多麼難得與可貴的境界，他說那時候是「不覺知有我，安知物為貴」。人之所以有煩惱，就是因為這個「我」字當頭。你把「我」看得很重，心裡就有許多人我利害的計較，就把外物也分出許多貴賤來。可是《莊子‧秋水》說：「以道觀之，物無貴賤。」如果把「我」字放下，以「道」的眼光來看外物，你就會覺得那些外物的貴賤得失都是無所謂的了。你把自己的「我」忘了，怎麼會還有那些外物得失的計較呢？
With this political background in mind, we can better appreciate how rare and precious Tao Yuanming’s friendships were, as well as the spirit of his interactions with others, as reflected in the following lines:
They sat upon grass laid beneath a pine tree;
After a few rounds of wine, they grew gently intoxicated.
The elders spoke freely and at random;
The order of serving wine fell into disarray.
He continues:
“Unaware even of the self,
Still less of things to be cherished.”
Human afflictions arise from the notion of a “self”—something we cling to and take with utmost seriousness. Preoccupied with gain and loss, self and others, benefit and harm, we begin to discriminate between what is “noble” and what is “base.” Yet in Zhuangzi, “Autumn Waters,” it is said: “From the perspective of the Way, things have no distinction of high or low.” If one is able to let go of the self and contemplate things from the standpoint of the Dao, then external distinctions—gain and loss, honor and disgrace—lose their significance. Once the self is forgotten, how could one still be concerned with the fortunes and misfortunes of external things?
上次我講「擺落悠悠談，請從余所之」的時候說過，「悠悠」有兩個意思，一個是遠的，一個是不相干的。就是說，你真正得道還是沒有得道，內心有沒有平安，只有你自己知道，別人講你什麼話都是不相干的，你不要去管他。可是，「悠」還有悠忽的意思，那是一種沉醉迷朦的樣子。
Earlier, when discussing the line “Disregarding all frivolous talk, I prefer to follow my heart’s dictates,” I mentioned that the term youyou (悠悠) can mean both “distant” and “irrelevant.” That is to say, whether one has truly realized the Way, whether one possesses inner peace—only one knows this for oneself. The judgments of others are remote and need not concern us.
那麼「悠悠迷所留」呢？「所留」就是所止，所止的是什麼地方？在那沉醉的世界中，一切物我的計較、利害的煩惱都變得很遠很遠。
If we read “lost in the place of rest”— refers to the place where one abides. In such a state, all calculations of self and other, all concerns over gain and loss, recede into the distance.
「酒中有深味」這句話真的很難講清楚。因為你一定要能夠像陶淵明那樣，從飲酒中領略到這麼多人生的體驗，才有資格說這句話，大街上那些糊里糊塗的醉鬼是沒有資格說這句話的。陶淵明這二十首飲酒詩一路寫下來，講的是一種內心的境界。他所說的「酒中有深味」的那個滋味，是他內心對人生反省之後的一種感受。
It is, in truth, difficult to fully explain the line “the deep flavor of wine.” One must possess a depth of life experience like that of Tao Yuanming to truly speak these words. The muddled drunkard on the street cannot claim such insight. In all twenty of his Drinking poems, Tao is not merely speaking of wine, but of an inner state of being. The “deep flavor of wine” is, in fact, the distilled insight of his reflection on life.
不過在這二十首詩裡邊，比較而言，這首詩還是真正寫到了飲酒。而且陶淵明認為，飲酒的最高境界就是達到一種「不覺知有我，安知物為貴」的狀態，那是把人世間一切得失利害都能夠放下來的一種境界。
Yet among the twenty poems, this is the only one that directly depicts the act of drinking. Moreover, Tao Yuanming suggests that the highest state of drinking is precisely this:
“Unaware even of the self,
Still less of things to be cherished.”
In such a state, all worldly concerns—gain and loss, benefit and harm—are set aside.♦