Tang poem · five-character old-style poem唐诗 · 五言古诗

gǎn感yù遇shí十èr二shǒu首·qí其yī一

zhāng张jiǔ九líng龄Zhang Jiuling · Tang唐

Stirred by What I Meet, No. 1 of Twelve

lán兰yè叶chūn春wēi葳ruí蕤

guì桂huā华qiū秋jiǎo皎jié洁

xīn欣xīn欣cǐ此shēng生yì意

zì自ěr尔wéi为jiā佳jié节

shuí谁zhī知lín林qī栖zhě者

wén闻fēng风zuò坐xiāng相yuè悦

cǎo草mù木yǒu有běn本xīn心

hé何qiú求měi美rén人zhé折

Underlined words have notes: tap one. The Pinyin button below shows or hides all pinyin. 一 and 不 are marked with the tone you actually say.字下有虚线的，点开有注释。下方的“拼音”按钮可以显示或隐藏全部拼音。“一”“不”标的是实际读出来的变调。

Line by line逐句翻译

兰叶春葳蕤In spring the orchid leaves grow thick and full.春天的兰草，叶子长得茂盛又繁密。
桂华秋皎洁In autumn the osmanthus flowers bloom bright and white.秋天的桂花，开得明亮又洁白。
欣欣此生意They are so full of life,它们这样生机勃勃，
自尔为佳节and of themselves they make the season fine.自然而然就成了美好的时节。
谁知林栖者Who would have thought the hermits in the woods谁想到住在山林里的隐士，
闻风坐相悦would catch their scent on the wind and come to love them?闻到香气，就因此爱上了它们。
草木有本心But plants give off their scent because that is their own nature.可是草木散发香气，是出于自己的本性，
何求美人折They do not ask any fine person to come and pick them.哪里是为了求人来把它们折下来欣赏呢？

Words字词注释

兰lán: lán: the orchid, a plant with long thin leaves and sweet-smelling flowers.兰：兰草，一种叶子细长、开花很香的草。
葳蕤wēi ruí: wēi ruí: lush and full, with leaves hanging thick.葳蕤：草木长得茂盛、枝叶下垂的样子。
桂华guì huā: guì huā: osmanthus flowers, which bloom in autumn and smell sweet.桂华：桂花。华，同“花”。
皎洁jiǎo jié: jiǎo jié: bright and clean white.皎洁：明亮洁白。
欣欣xīn xīn: xīn xīn: full of life and joy.欣欣：生机勃勃、很有精神的样子。
生意shēng yì: shēng yì: the force of life, the urge to grow. It does not mean business here.生意：生机，活下去、长起来的力量。不是做买卖。
自尔zì ěr: zì ěr: of themselves, naturally.自尔：自然而然地，自己就这样。
佳节jiā jié: jiā jié: a fine season.佳节：美好的时节。
林栖者lín qī zhě: lín qī zhě: people who live in the woods, that is, hermits.林栖者：住在山林里的人，就是隐士。
闻风wén fēng: wén fēng: catching the scent on the wind, and also hearing of their good name.闻风：闻到兰桂的香气，也指听说它们的美名。
坐zuò: zuò: and so, because of this. Some explain it as "deeply".坐：因此，因而。也有人解释为“深深地”。
相悦xiāng yuè: xiāng yuè: to love them.相悦：喜爱它们。
本心běn xīn: běn xīn: the nature something is born with.本心：天生的本性。
美人měi rén: měi rén: here, the fine people who admire the flowers, that is, the hermits. Another reading says it hints at the emperor.美人：这里指那些赏花的人，就是上面说的林栖者。一说暗指君王。
折zhé: zhé: to pick, to break off.折：折下来。

How to read it读音

华huā: Here the character means "flower", so it is read huā. Guì huā is the osmanthus flower. Some read it huá, its usual sound.“华”在这里同“花”，读 huā。“桂华”就是桂花。也有人按字面读 huá。
为wéi: Here the character means "to become", so it is read wéi.“为”在这里是“成为”的意思，读 wéi。

Background创作背景

Zhang Jiuling was a chief minister under Emperor Xuanzong. He was honest and dared to speak the truth. Later the scheming minister Li Linfu gained power. In 736 Zhang lost his post as chief minister, and the next year he was sent away to Jingzhou as a lower official. The twelve poems called "Stirred by What I Meet" are usually thought to have been written in Jingzhou. The title means being moved by what has happened to oneself. This is the first one. It uses the orchid and the osmanthus to speak of his own heart.

张九龄做过唐玄宗的宰相，为人正直，敢说真话。后来奸臣李林甫得势，张九龄在开元二十四年（736年）被罢去宰相，第二年又被贬到荆州做长史。《感遇》十二首一般认为是他在荆州时写的。“感遇”就是对自己的遭遇有所感触。这是第一首，借兰草和桂花说自己的心志。

The poet作者

Zhang Jiuling (678–740) came from Qujiang in Shaozhou, today's Shaoguan in Guangdong. He was a well-known good chief minister of the Tang, and also a poet. His poems are fresh and plain, and he often used plants to show his character. He also wrote the famous line "Over the sea the bright moon rises; far apart, we share this moment."

张九龄（678—740），韶州曲江（今广东韶关）人，唐朝有名的贤相，也是诗人。他的诗清新淡雅，常常借草木来寄托自己的品格。《望月怀远》里的“海上生明月，天涯共此时”也是他写的。

The mood意境

The first four lines are about plants. There are orchids in spring and osmanthus in autumn. Each grows well in its own season, and no one has to arrange it. Then the poem turns. The hermits catch the scent and come to love them. But the poet says plants are fragrant because they are born that way. They do not do it so people will pick them or praise them. This is the poet's own attitude. He is honest because that is his nature, not to win praise or a high post. Even after being sent away, he will not change. The tone is calm, but the poem stands firm.

前四句写花草：春天有兰，秋天有桂，它们各自在自己的季节里长得好好的，不用谁来安排。后四句忽然一转：隐士闻到香气，喜欢上了它们。可是诗人说，草木香，是因为它天生就香，并不是为了让人来折、来夸。这就是诗人自己的态度：我做一个正直的人，是我的本性，不是为了求别人看重、求官位。就算被贬了，也不改变。全诗语气平和，却很有骨气。