葉嘉瑩教授講於萬佛聖城
Lectures by Professor Yeh Jiaying at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
今天要講的第十五首，是結構比較複雜的一首。
Today we are discussing the fifteenth poem, which has a relatively complex structure.
貧居乏人工，灌木荒余宅。
班班有翔鳥，寂寂無行跡。
宇宙一何悠，人生少至百。
歲月相催逼，鬢邊早已白。
若不委窮達，素抱深可惜。
Living in poverty, I cannot afford to hire workers,
And so my house has become overgrown with shrubs.
Birds fly vividly across the sky;
My dwelling is lonely, rarely visited by anyone.
The universe is eternal, yet
Human life seldom reaches a hundred years.
Time presses on relentlessly,
And my temples have already turned gray.
If I do not accord with the conditions of poverty and wealth,
I will go against my original resolve—and that would be a great pity.
「貧居乏人工，灌木荒余宅」，這是從實在的景物寫起的。陶淵明家裡很窮，沒錢僱人來為他工作，結果家門前就長了許多灌木。他用了一個「荒」。他說這灌木使他住宅變得很荒蕪。你要知道，鳥類最喜歡草木茂盛的地方，因為在那些地方可以找到草籽、小蟲等食物，因此他家門前是「班班有翔鳥，寂寂無行跡」。
The first two lines, “Living in poverty, I cannot afford to hire workers; / And so my house has become overgrown with shrubs,” describe the scene as it appeared. Tao Yuanming’s family was too poor to employ servants to tend the courtyard; as a result, the front yard became thick with shrubs and wild growth. The word huāng (荒, “barren” or “overgrown”) is used here as a verb, meaning “to fall into neglect” or “to become overgrown.” He suggests that the shrubs give his home a deserted appearance. It is well known that birds favor places with lush vegetation, where grass seeds and insects are abundant. Thus, the scene before his house is described as: “Birds fly vividly across the sky; / My dwelling is lonely, rarely visited by anyone.”
這「翔鳥」和前邊的「灌木」都是很平常的詞，但陶淵明讀過很多書，他用的語彙常常是有出處的，這幾句出於《詩經 • 周南 • 葛覃》：「黃鳥于飛，集于灌木。」「班班」也有出處，《後漢書 • 文苑傳》有「不敢班班顯言」，注解說是「明貌」，就是顯著、分明的樣子。「寂寂無行跡」是說沒有人來看望他。陶淵明還寫過這樣兩句詩：「窮巷隔深轍，頗迴故人車。」（《讀山海經》）他把話說得很含蓄婉轉，不說故人都不理他了，而說是因為自己住的巷子太窄，他們的車馬進不來，所以只好轉回去了。
“Flying birds” and “bushes” may seem like ordinary expressions, yet Tao Yuanming, being highly learned, often drew upon classical sources. These lines echo a passage from the Book of Odes, “Ge Tan” in the Odes of Zhou and the South: “Orioles flew about, alighting on thick bushes.” The term bān bān (班班) can be traced to the Book of the Later Han, “Biographies of Literary Figures,” where it appears in the phrase “not daring to make things too obvious.” In this context, bān bān conveys vividness or distinctness. “Lonely is my house that rarely anyone visits” indicates that few people came to see him. Tao Yuanming expresses a similar sentiment in another poem:
“Deep in seclusion, in a shabby lane,
Carriages turn back before reaching my door.”
(On Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas)
He writes with subtlety and restraint. Rather than stating directly that former friends had abandoned him, he implies it by describing how the narrow alley prevents carriages from entering.
事實是陶淵明出身士大夫家族，親戚朋友都是讀書做官的人，現在他選擇了種田，離開了他原來所屬的那個社會階層，不但親戚朋友不來看他，連他妻子家人都不能諒解他。因此在他門前來往的，只有那些飛來飛去的鳥。
In fact, Tao Yuanming came from a well-educated, aristocratic family; his relatives and friends were scholars and officials. Yet he chose a life of farming, departing from his social class. As a result, not only did his friends and relatives refrain from visiting him, but even his own family struggled to understand or accept his choice. Thus, those who “visited” him were only the birds in flight—an image captured in the vivid expression bān bān.
為什麼是「班班」？「班班」是分明的樣子，在車水馬龍的大街上，你能如此分明地看到一隻鳥嗎？那些鳥早就被大街上嘈雜的聲音嚇跑了。只有在荒涼的草木叢中，你才能從容地觀察一隻鳥。對於一個詩人來說，往往是「情動於中，而形於言」，詩歌中的每一個字都傳達出詩人的感受。陶淵明為什麼說他看那些鳥看得那麼分明？第一是因為他的門前很荒涼，只有飛來飛去的鳥；第二是因為他的心裡很寂寞，沒有人來看望他，也沒有人從他門前走過。這「班班有翔鳥」，其實是要為下一句「寂寂無行跡」作一個相反的陪襯。
Why is it described as “vividly” (bān bān, 班班)? “Vividly” suggests something distinct and clearly perceived. On a bustling street, would one be able to observe birds so clearly? The noise and commotion would have long since driven them away. Only in a quiet, undisturbed place—amid overgrown shrubs—can one calmly watch birds at leisure. A poet expresses outwardly what he feels inwardly. In poetry, every word carries the poet’s state of mind. Why, then, was Tao Yuanming able to see the birds so distinctly? First, his courtyard was still and undisturbed, with nothing but the movement of birds. Second, his heart was deeply solitary—rarely did anyone come to visit him. No one passed by; much less did anyone stop at his door. Thus, “Birds fly vividly across the sky” is not merely a description of scenery. It is intentionally set in contrast with the following line: “My dwelling is lonely, rarely visited by anyone.” The vivid movement of the birds only deepens the stillness and desolation of human absence.
作詩不能靠死板的方法，只知起承轉合那些死板的模式，永遠作不出好詩來。陶詩在章法上有很多不同的變化，宋朝的陳師道曾讚美他：「淵明不為詩，寫其胸中之妙爾。」（《後山詩話》）陶淵明雖然給後世留下許多好詩，但他不是像一般人那樣，找個好題目為了作詩，或者作詩為了出名。他只是寫他自己內心之中，微妙的感情和思想的變化。這些思想感情怎樣活動，他就把它們怎樣寫下來了，他能夠把那種「情動於中」的感情表達得恰到好處。感情的變化是豐富的，所以陶詩章法的變化也是豐富的。
One should not approach poetry in a rigid, formulaic way. If one merely follows a fixed structure—beginning the line, stating the theme, shifting perspective, and concluding neatly—one will never produce truly living poetry. Tao Yuanming’s work is rich with subtle variation in literary technique. The Song dynasty poet Chen Shidao praised him, saying: “Yuanming does not write poems; he simply expresses the wonder within his mind” (Houshan’s Notes on Poets and Poetry). Although Tao Yuanming left many outstanding poems to later generations, he was not like those who deliberately seek striking topics or pursue fame through writing. Rather, he recorded the subtle movements of his thoughts and feelings just as they arose. Whatever his mind carried, he set it down naturally. For this reason, the emotional shifts in his poetry are especially rich, and so too are the variations in his composition.
比如「栖栖失群鳥」的那一首，全詩都是寫一隻鳥，從牠尋找一個棲身之處，到牠找到了一棵孤生松，到「托身已得所，千載不相違」，完全是一種單線的、有順序的發展，那一步步承接的內容，讀者是可以想像得到的。但現在這一首就不同了。前四句很簡單，似乎就是寫眼前景物，但他忽然跳起來接上下邊兩句：「宇宙一何悠，人生少至百。」接得真是好！
For example, in an earlier poem (the fourth poem), the line “A distressed bird, strayed from the flock” introduces a single image that unfolds in a linear progression. The poem follows the bird as it searches for a place to rest, until it finally settles upon a solitary pine tree. Up to the line, “Having found a secure perch, she will not leave it for a thousand years,” the development is gradual and continuous. Each line follows naturally from the previous one, allowing the reader to anticipate what comes next. This poem, however, is quite different. The first four lines appear simple, as though merely describing the immediate scene. Yet suddenly, Tao Yuanming makes a striking leap:
“The universe is eternal,
But the lives of people rarely reach a hundred.”
What a vast and unexpected transition—from the smallness of a courtyard to the boundlessness of time and existence.
陶淵明的飲酒詩，題目雖然是飲酒，但他寫到的都是人生中的重要問題。像人生究竟應該掌握什麼，生活的意義、價值、理想都是什麼等等，他都考慮到了。在飲酒詩的第一首中，他就曾提出「寒暑有代謝，人道每如茲」。「代」是輪流更換，「謝」是消失。《千字文》上說：「寒來暑往，秋收冬藏。」春夏秋冬的四季，就這樣一個接著一個過去了；季節如此，人生也是如此。每一個人都會過去，每一個時代也都會過去。
Although the Drinking poems take wine as their theme, they all touch upon fundamental questions of life. Tao Yuanming reflects on what we should truly hold onto, as well as the meaning, value, and purpose of human existence.
In the first Drinking poem, he writes:
“Winter and summer come and go—
So too do the affairs of the world.”
The word dài (代) means to alternate or cycle, while xiè (謝) means to decline or pass away. As stated in the Thousand Character Classic: “Winter departs and summer arrives; autumn gathers and winter stores.” The four seasons follow one another in constant succession—and so it is with human life. Each person passes, and each era comes and goes in turn.
陶淵明還寫過五首《歸園田居》，其中一首的結尾說：「人生似幻化，終當歸空無。」人生在世界上，就像《金剛經》所說的「如夢幻泡影」，轉眼就消失了，就什麼都沒有了。
Tao Yuanming also wrote a five-poem series titled Returning to the Countryside and Farming. The conclusion of one poem reads: “Life is an illusion; / In the end, all returns to emptiness.” Human life in this world, as the Vajra Sutra teaches, is “like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows.” Everything we experience vanishes in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing behind.
從這裡我們可以看到，陶淵明對人生的認識有一個很基本的觀念，就是他認識到了人生的短暫和空無。在飲酒詩的「顏生稱為仁」那一首裡，他還說：「客養千金軀，臨化消其寶。」你把你自己看得那麼重要，吃好的，穿好的，住好的，用千金來保養你的肉體，可是你的肉體能夠永遠存在嗎？總有一天你要幻化歸於空無。
From this, we can see that Tao Yuanming’s understanding of life rests upon a fundamental insight: life is brief, fleeting, and ultimately empty. In the eleventh of the Drinking poems, which begins, “Master Yan was renowned for his benevolence,” Tao writes, “You spend a thousand taels of gold to sustain the body, yet when it perishes, all is gone.” People may consider themselves important, nourishing and preserving the body at great cost—but can it truly be maintained forever? Inevitably, the day comes when nothing remains.
這道理似乎很簡單，但真正認識它是需要智慧的，所謂「達人解其會，逝將不復疑」。我們說「智慧」，它與一般人常說的「聰明」是不同的。比別人想得快、計算得精明，那是聰明；而對人生看得透徹，有一種超出人生的覺悟，那才是智慧。陶淵明能夠把握自己的一生，沒有迷失在世俗的名譽利祿的道路之中，那才是智慧。一個人先要認識到人生的短暫空無，然後才能夠超出這些物質欲望的貪求和競爭。
This principle may seem easy to understand, yet to truly realize it requires wisdom. Thus it is said (in the first poem), “The wise understand these conditions and harbor no doubts.” Here, “wisdom” is not the same as what ordinary people call “intelligence.” Quick thinking and clever calculation are forms of intelligence; but a penetrating clarity regarding life, culminating in transcendental awakening, is wisdom. Tao Yuanming was able to comprehend his life without losing himself in the worldly pursuit of fame and profit—this is wisdom. Only by recognizing the transient and empty nature of life can one transcend the greed and competition that arise from material desire.
陶淵明本來有機會做官，而做了官至少可以不愁吃，不愁穿。他為什麼不肯做官呢？連他妻子都不明白他為什麼。因為不做官，所以他饑寒困苦，所以他「貧居乏人工，灌木荒余宅。班班有翔鳥，寂寂無行跡」。他為什麼寧可忍受這樣的困苦，就正因為他有「人生似幻化，終當歸空無」的認識。因此，用「宇宙一何悠，人生少至百」來承接上面四句；看起來很突然，似乎不連貫，其實在他心裡的思想感情中是連貫的。他今天能夠安於這貧窮勞苦的生活，與他對人生短暫空無的認識有很密切的關係。
Tao Yuanming did, in fact, have opportunities to serve as an official. Had he chosen that path, he would not have worried about food or clothing. Why, then, did he refuse? Even his wife could not fully understand his reasons. Because he declined official life, he endured poverty and hardship. Thus he writes:
Living in poverty,
I cannot afford to hire workers;
My house has become overgrown with shrubs.
Birds fly vividly across the sky;
My dwelling is lonely, rarely visited by anyone.
He willingly accepted such hardship because he understood that “life is like an illusion; all returns to emptiness.” Therefore, he follows these lines with:
“The universe is eternal,
But human life rarely reaches a hundred years.”
At first glance, this transition may seem abrupt or disconnected. Yet inwardly, it is entirely coherent. It is precisely because he perceived the impermanent and empty nature of life that he was able to remain at peace within his impoverished and difficult circumstances.
宇宙是長久的、綿延無盡的，而人生則是短暫無常的。我們常說：「人生不過百年而已。」可是有幾個人真的活到一百歲？《列子》的〈楊朱篇〉說：「百年，壽之大齊，得百年者千無一焉。」什麼是「歲月相催逼」？像現在1984年過去了，1985年來到了；1985年的3月馬上就要過去了，1985年的4月就要來到了。這一年一年、一月一月的時間就催你老去，使你的「鬢邊早已白」。
The universe is vast and enduring, whereas human life is brief and impermanent. We often say, “Human life does not exceed one hundred years.” Yet how many truly reach that age? The Yang Zhu chapter of the Liezi states: “To live to one hundred years is a great rarity—less than one in a thousand.” What, then, does it mean that “time presses relentlessly”? Consider: one year passes into the next; months slip by in succession. Time continually urges us forward, quietly leading us toward old age, until “the temples have turned gray.”
底下他說：「若不委窮達，素抱深可惜。」中國的儒家常常提到「窮達」兩個字，他們說：「窮則獨善其身，達則兼善天下。」（《孟子‧盡心》）這個「窮」，還不是從貧富的角度來說的。儒家讀書人的理想是「修齊治平」──修身、齊家、治國、平天下，他們最高的希望不是做帝王，而是做帝王之師，他們要引導帝王成為堯舜一樣的賢聖之君，從而使老百姓都能得到太平安樂的生活。這種理想，有希望實現當然是「達」；沒有希望實現，那便是「窮」。
At the end of this fifteenth poem, Tao Yuanming concludes:
If I do not accord with the conditions of poverty and wealth,
I will go against my original resolve—and that would be a great pity.
In Confucian thought, the terms “success” and “failure” are often discussed. As stated in Mencius (Jin Xin): “When one is in hardship (qióng), one cultivates one’s virtue; when one is in prominence (dá), one brings benefit to the world.” Here, “success” and “failure” are not defined in terms of wealth or poverty. Confucian scholars uphold the ideal of cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world. Their highest aspiration is not personal power, but to guide rulers toward becoming sage kings like Yao and Shun, so that all people may live in peace and contentment. If such ideals are realized, it is called success; if not, it is called failure.
「素抱」，是平日的懷抱，也就是你一向存在心中的品格性情。這兩句表面的意思是說：「倘若我不能把窮達觀念這種利害得失的計較放下來，倘若我常常為自己的窮達而憂慮，那麼我就不能安靜地守住自己內心的品格性情，這是很可惜的事情！」
“Ideals” refer not only to one’s aspirations, but also to one’s ongoing resolve as expressed in daily life—they are embodied in one’s character and disposition.In these two lines, Tao Yuanming is essentially saying: If I cannot let go of notions of gain and loss, advantage and disadvantage—if I remain concerned with whether I am “successful” or “unsuccessful”—then I have not truly settled my mind. Nor can I preserve the integrity of my inner character. What a pity that would be.
可是你要知道，如果沒有拿起來，怎麼提得到放下呢？佛家常常說：「才說無，便是有。」你說不怕不怕，那是你心裡想到害怕才說不怕的；你說你要放下，那是因為你還沒有放下。所以前人曾說陶淵明是「欲有為而未能者也」。就是說，陶淵明本來是想有所作為的，但在東晉那種黑暗腐敗的社會環境下，他忍受不了那種爭權奪利的官場生活，所以才放棄自己的政治理想回去種田了。作為一個懷抱儒家理想的讀書人，他沒有做到「達則兼善天下」，可是他做到了「窮則獨善其身」。
However, one must also understand this: if you have never “picked up” such notions, what is there to “put down”? In Buddhism, there is a saying often quoted: when one claims that “there is nothing,” there is in fact still something present. When you say, “I am not afraid,” it is precisely because fear still lingers in the mind. Likewise, when you speak of “letting go,” it is often because you have not yet truly let go. For this reason, some later commentators have suggested that Tao Yuanming originally aspired to realize noble Confucian ideals in society but was ultimately unable to fulfill them. In other words, he once intended to accomplish something in the world. Yet within the dark and corrupt conditions of the Eastern Jin dynasty, he could not endure an official career marked by constant scheming and competition for power and profit. Thus, he abandoned his political ambitions and returned to a life of farming. From a strictly Confucian perspective, this might be seen as a kind of “failure,” since he did not realize the ideal of “when in prominence, one brings benefit to others.” However, he did fulfill the complementary principle: “when in obscurity, one cultivates and perfects one’s virtue.” ♦