明 Ming · 诗 Poem
雨后
After the Rain
池上新晴偶独过，芙蓉寂寞照寒波。
相看莫厌秋情薄，若在春风怨更多。
Gazing together, do not weary of autumn's thin affection; had it been in the spring wind, its grievance would be the more.
Meaning
After the rain, freshly clear, he by chance walks alone past the pond; the lotus lonely mirrors itself in the cold water. They gaze at each other — do not disdain autumn's slender feeling; had it stood in the warm spring wind, its hidden grievance would only be greater.
雨后新晴，我偶然独自走过池塘之畔，芙蓉花寂寞地映照在清寒的水波之上。我们相对而看，不要嫌弃这秋天的情意淡薄；若是处在热闹喧腾的春风里，它的幽怨反而会更多。
Appreciation
Xu Ben's quatrain is only twenty-eight characters yet turns through layered feeling. The first line 'After the rain, newly clear, by chance alone I pass the pool' sets a chance meeting; 'by chance' and 'alone' hint at a lone, free air. The second line 'the lotus, lonely, mirrors the cold wave' writes the flower's solitude in the cold reflection, feeling within scene. The last two lines do not lament but comfort the lotus — 'do not weary of autumn's thin affection' — and turn a further step: in the bustling spring wind the bloom fades easily and its grievance is greater; better the clear stillness of autumn to keep. Using autumn to set off spring, the conception is fresh and alert; comfort holds a lone, lofty self.
【白话串讲】 “池上新晴偶独过，芙蓉寂寞照寒波”——徐贲雨后独过池塘：荷花寂寞地映着寒波。“相看莫厌秋情薄，若在春风怨更多”——别嫌秋天的情意薄，要是生在春天，怨会更多。 【意象与手法】 全诗仅二十八字而层次婉转：首句「池上新晴偶独过」点明偶遇之境，「偶」「独」二字暗含孤往之趣；次句「芙蓉寂寞照寒波」以寒波倒影写芙蓉之孤寂，景中寓情。后两句不作悲叹，反慰芙蓉「莫厌秋情薄」，更以「若在春风怨更多」翻进一层——春风热闹，花开易谢，幽怨反多，不如秋之清寂可守，以秋反衬春，构思新警，慰藉中见孤标。 【情感与主旨】 徐贲（1335—1379），字幼文，号北郭生，长洲人，元末为张士诚僚属，明初官至河南左布政使，以犒军延误下狱死。工诗善画，为「吴中四杰」之一。此诗题一作《雨后慰池上芙蓉》，写雨后新晴偶过池边，对寂寞芙蓉发为慰藉，当为其闲居或仕途失意时借物自况之作，孤芳自赏之中寓着安贫守志之意。 【名句点睛】 中高考常从「托物言志」「反衬手法」设题。可赏「芙蓉寂寞照寒波」以寒波衬孤洁；「若在春风怨更多」以春反秋、翻进一层的构思之妙，以及全诗借物自况、慰物即慰己的深致。
Background
Xu Ben (1335-1379), courtesy Youwen, style Beiguosheng, was a native of Changzhou, originally from Tan commandery. In the Yuan he served Zhang Shicheng; under the Ming he rose to the left administration commissioner of Henan and died in prison for a delay in army supplies. Skilled in poetry and painting, he was one of the 'Ten Talents' and with Gao Qi, Yang Ji, and Zhang Yu formed the 'Four Masters of Wu.' His poetry is strict in form, words apt, often writing landscape retirement and the feel of troubled times. Titled also 'Consoling the Poolside Lotus After Rain,' it was written when, after rain, he chanced by the pool and spoke comfort to the lonely lotus — likely a self-comparison in retirement or official disappointment.
徐贲（1335—1379），字幼文，号北郭生，长洲（今江苏苏州）人，祖籍郯郡（今山东郯城）。元末天下大乱，他一度为张士诚僚属；入明后历任给事中、刑部主事，官至河南左布政使，洪武十二年（1379）以犒军不时下狱死，年四十五。他工诗善画，诗与高启、杨基、张羽并称「吴中四杰」，又列「北郭十友」，画则师董源、巨然，山水清远，诗画同致。其诗法度谨严、字句熨帖，多写山水闲居之趣与乱离之感，于明初台阁体未兴之前，独存江湖清逸之气。此诗题一作《雨后慰池上芙蓉》，写雨后新晴、偶过池边，对寂寞芙蓉发为慰藉之语。据其生平推之，此诗当作于明初仕途风波之后或闲居吴中之时——他一生两度出仕，两度飘零，终以微罪丧命，深知热闹场中多风波之理，故借秋荷之清寂自安，慰芙蓉亦即自慰。诗中「秋情薄」而可守、「春风」热闹而多怨的取舍，实为乱世文人避祸全身、守拙安贫心态的诗化表达，与陶渊明「归去来」之思一脉相通。且徐贲以画名世，诗中有画，此诗「芙蓉寂寞照寒波」的构图——一花、一池、一寒波，疏朗清远，正与其山水画中幽寂之境相通，可见其诗画一体的艺术修养；论者谓其「画之清远，诗亦如之」，此诗足为明证。
Art
The whole quatrain is but twenty-eight characters yet turns with grace: the first line sets the chance meeting, 'by chance' and 'alone' hinting a lone, free air; the second line writes the lotus's solitude in the cold wave, feeling in scene. The last two lines refrain from lament and instead comfort the lotus 'do not weary of autumn's thin affection,' then turn a step further — in the spring wind the flower fades easily and grievance grows; better autumn's clear stillness to keep. Using autumn to set off spring, the conception is fresh and alert; comfort bears a lone, lofty mark.
全诗仅二十八字，而章法婉转、层层翻进，是明初七绝中构思精巧之作。首句「池上新晴偶独过」七字，交代时间（新晴）、地点（池上）、情态（偶独过），「偶」字见相遇之无心，「独」字见行迹之孤往，淡语中已含孤寂况味。次句「芙蓉寂寞照寒波」由人及物，「寂寞」二字将芙蓉拟人，「照」字写芙蓉临水自照之姿，寒波为背景，孤洁自见，景中寓情。三句「相看莫厌秋情薄」忽转对话口吻，「相看」将物我并置，视芙蓉为知己，「莫厌」二字体贴入微，由旁观转为劝慰。四句「若在春风怨更多」更翻进一层，不作寻常「秋荷可悲」之叹，反说秋之淡泊远胜春之热闹——春风中花开易谢、争妍易妒，幽怨反而更多，以反衬之法为秋荷正名，亦为自己安于清寂的选择张目。全诗由遇景、写景、对话到翻案，四句四转，一转一深，语淡情遥，物我一体，深得「借物自况」之三昧，与王维「木末芙蓉花」之咏异代同调。与一般咏物诗先咏物后言志不同，此诗通篇以对话口吻出之，物我之间如老友闲话，不着咏物痕迹而咏物之旨自明，此正其高于寻常「托物言志」之处；而「秋情薄」「春风怨」两组对比，更把人生取舍之理说得亲切有味，是理趣与诗趣的完美结合。
Allusions
The poem uses no deep allusion, pure symbol and stimulus. 'Lotus' since Qu Yuan's 'Li Sao' — 'I gathered lotus to make my robe' — stands for purity. 'Cold wave' transforms the Chu Ci's 'the autumn wind is slight, the Dongting waves, the leaves fall' — autumn-water imagery. The last line 'in the spring wind, grievance the more' quietly reverses the 'spring wind, peach and plum' bustle that fades easily, using autumn's plainness to set off spring's quick grievance, carrying on Tao Yuanming and Wang Wei's self-comparison through objects; the allusion melts in without a trace.
本诗不堆典故，纯以比兴写心，而意象皆有来历。「芙蓉」即荷花，自屈原《离骚》「制芰荷以为衣兮，集芙蓉以为裳」以来，即为高洁品格的象征；唐人王维《辛夷坞》咏木末芙蓉「涧户寂无人，纷纷开且落」，以幽谷自开自落写孤高，徐贲此诗写池上芙蓉之寂寞自照，正承此幽人传统。「寒波」一语，使人想起《楚辞·九歌·湘夫人》「袅袅兮秋风，洞庭波兮木叶下」，秋波之寒与芙蓉之孤相映成趣，意境清冷而韵致深远。末句「若在春风怨更多」暗反「春风得意」「桃李争春」之俗语意象——春日桃李虽热闹，然盛极必衰、争妍易妒，反不如秋荷之清寂可守，此意与陶渊明「芳菊开林耀，青松冠岩列」之孤芳自赏、周敦颐《爱莲说》「出淤泥而不染」之君子自喻同源异流。全诗用典入化，不露痕迹，以雅洁之语写孤高之志，正是明初吴中诗人「清丽蕴藉」一派的典型风貌。又「寒波」之「寒」与「寂寞」相应，温度感与情绪感兼具，通感手法的运用，使秋池之景清冷可触；全诗由《离骚》香草美人之传统而来，却洗尽比兴之迂曲，直以眼前小景写心中大义，正是吴中诗派「清」字当头的审美自觉。
Commentary
The Ming Shi calls Xu Ben 'skilled in poetry and painting'; readers hold this poem 'though a short piece, finely and gently written, with deep meaning.' Moderns say its last two lines 'have new sense, turning past what predecessors reached, meaningful and worth savouring' — among the Four Masters of Wu, beyond the court 'taige' manner, it keeps a clear distance, showing no small talent and a plain breast.
《明史·文苑传》称徐贲「工诗善画」，列名「吴中四杰」。其诗在明初名家辈出之时，以法度谨严、意象清远见长，此诗尤为后世选家称道。明清诗话多赏其「后二句翻案之妙」，清人沈德潜《明诗别裁》虽未录此首，然论徐贲诗「五言清雅，七绝尤有致」，正可移评此作。近人评此诗「虽短章，亦写得精致摇曳，颇有深意」「后二句尤有新意，翻出前人之所不到，隽永可味」，皆着眼其以秋反春、慰物自慰的构思。此诗的价值有三：一在艺术上以二十八字写尽「借物自况」之三昧，四句四转、翻进一层，开明人七绝「意在言外」一格；二在思想上以秋荷自安寄托乱世避祸之志，与陶渊明、王维的隐逸传统一脉相承，是明初士人在政治高压下「守拙」心态的标本；三在风格上可见吴中四杰于台阁应制之外的江湖清气，与高启之疏宕、杨基之俊逸并列，各有其美。读此诗，当于「莫厌秋情薄」的劝慰语中，听出诗人对仕途风波的深深倦意。而此诗以二十八字写尽「安贫守拙」之理，语淡而味永，正是「绚烂之极归于平淡」的境界。明人七绝多失之肤廓率直，此诗独以深婉取胜，宜为后世所重，亦可为「吴中四杰」诗名不虚之一证。
Prosody
Line by line
池上新晴偶独过
After the rain, newly clear, by chance alone I pass the pool
雨后新晴，我偶然独自走过池塘之畔。
After rain, newly cleared, I happen to stroll alone by the pond.
首句七个字，字字落实而句句含情。「池上」点明地点，池塘本是幽静之地；「新晴」点明时令气候，雨后初霁，空气澄鲜，景物如洗，最宜独行；「偶」字写相遇之无心——并非刻意寻秋，而是信步偶至，正见闲淡之趣；「独」字写行迹之孤往，一人独行池畔，已暗伏「寂寞」的底色。四层意思在七字中次第展开，节奏舒缓，如闲庭信步。此句之妙尤在「偶」「独」二字连用：「偶」是偶然，「独」是孤独，偶然之遇与孤独之人相遇，遂使全诗的「相看」有了基础——若不是独行，便不会有与芙蓉相对的清兴；若不是偶遇，便没有这刹那的会心。首句看似平淡叙写，实为全诗「物我相对」的布局埋下伏笔，淡语之中，孤往之趣已扑面而来。
The stroll. After rain, newly cleared, I happen to stroll alone by the pond. The after-rain-clear and the happen-to-stroll-alone are the opening. To have strolled alone by the pond would be a stroll; the after-rain-newly-cleared-I-happen-to-stroll-alone-by-the-pond is the stroll.
芙蓉寂寞照寒波
The lotus, lonely, mirrors the cold wave
芙蓉花寂寞地映照在清寒的水波之上。
The hibiscus, lonely, is mirrored in the cold waves.
次句由人及物，是全诗写景之眼。「芙蓉」即荷花，素为高洁之象征；「寂寞」二字将芙蓉拟人，赋予秋荷以人的情感——花本无知，而观者有心，以我之寂寞观花，花遂亦寂寞，此即「移情」之法。「照」字最妙：不是「映」，不是「临」，而是「照」——芙蓉临水，如对镜自照，既写其形影相吊之孤，又暗含其顾影自怜之态，物我之间仿佛有了凝视的交流。「寒波」二字则点出秋水的清冷，以水之寒衬花之孤，以波之动衬花之静，色彩素淡而意境清远。七字写尽一幅「秋荷寒波图」：天光水色之间，一朵秋荷寂寂临水，如幽人独处。景中寓情，情藏于景，为下句「相看」的对话张本——正因为芙蓉如此寂寞，诗人才要与它相对而谈。
The hibiscus. The hibiscus, lonely, is mirrored in the cold waves. The lonely hibiscus mirrored in the cold waves is the personification. To have personified the hibiscus as lonely would be a personification; the hibiscus-lonely-is-mirrored-in-the-cold-waves is the personification.
相看莫厌秋情薄
Gazing together, do not weary of autumn's thin affection
我们相对而看，不要嫌弃这秋天的情意淡薄。
We look at each other—do not scorn how thin the autumn feeling is.
三句是全诗的转捩点，由写景转入对话，物我由「相对」进为「相看」。「相看」二字将芙蓉视为有情的知己——不是诗人单方面观赏秋荷，而是花与人互相凝望，「相」字写出双向的会心，仿佛秋荷也有情思，正与诗人默然相对。这使我们想起李白「相看两不厌，只有敬亭山」的名句，物我交融、互为知己的境界一脉相通。「莫厌」二字是劝慰的口吻，体贴入微：诗人仿佛知道秋荷自伤于「秋情薄」——秋天萧瑟，无人赏爱，花期将尽，情意似乎淡薄——于是劝它不必自厌。「秋情薄」三字一语双关，既指秋日赏花之情意淡薄，又暗指世态之凉薄、人情之冷暖。诗人劝花，实是自劝；慰花之寂寞，正是慰己之孤独。七字如与人语，亲切温厚，而孤寂之感愈见深沉。
The gaze. We look at each other—do not scorn how thin the autumn feeling is. The mutual gaze and the do-not-scorn are the Li Bai echo. To have gazed at each other would be a gaze; the we-look-at-each-other-do-not-scorn-how-thin-the-autumn-feeling-is is the gaze.
若在春风怨更多
Had it been in the spring wind, its grievance would be the more
若是处在热闹喧腾的春风里，它的幽怨反而会更多。
If it were in the spring wind, there would be even more to resent.
末句是翻案之笔，是全诗最有新意处。寻常诗人咏秋荷，多叹其生不逢时、不如春花之盛；徐贲却反其道而行，说秋荷若生在春风之中，幽怨反而更多。此说之妙有三层：其一，春风虽暖，然桃李争春、花开易谢，热闹之中藏着更深的零落之悲，故「怨更多」；其二，春风得意之时，赏者虽众，而盛极必衰、宠极必妒，名花易遭攀折，反不如秋荷之清寂无人、自开自落，可以保全；其三，以春衬秋，秋之「情薄」实是情真——淡泊可以长久，热闹转瞬成空。此意已超出咏物，而成为人生哲理的提炼：与其在喧嚣中争妍而多怨，不如在清寂中自守而心安。诗人劝慰秋荷，亦以此自明心志——仕途风波、荣辱无常，安于淡泊正是乱世中的全身之道。四句至此，由遇景、写景、对话到翻案，层层递进，戛然而止，而余味悠长。
The reversal. If it were in the spring wind, there would be even more to resent. The if-it-were-in-the-spring-wind-there-would-be-more-resentment is the reversal. To have reversed the autumn-hibiscus complaint would be a reversal; the if-it-were-in-the-spring-wind-there-would-be-even-more-to-resent is the reversal.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Xu Ben's poem and Du Mu's Mountain Journey both write clear autumn scene; compare Tang spaciousness with Ming refinement.
杜牧《山行》「远上寒山石径斜，白云生处有人家。停车坐爱枫林晚，霜叶红于二月花」与徐贲《雨后》同写秋日之景，而取径迥异。杜牧写秋，秋色浓烈如火，「霜叶红于二月花」以秋胜春，热情洋溢，是唐人「我言秋日胜春朝」的豪健一路；徐贲写秋，秋景清寒如水，「若在春风怨更多」以秋让春，恬淡自守，是明人「安于淡泊」的蕴藉一路。同是「秋胜春」的立意，一以浓笔写其美，一以淡语写其安，可见唐人气象之雄放与明人思致之深婉。手法上，杜诗以景结情、明丽如画，徐诗以理结情、翻案见巧；杜诗如高秋纵目，气宇轩昂，徐诗如池畔独步，低回自赏。二诗对读，最能体会「秋」在中国诗歌中由壮美到清美、由外放到内敛的审美嬗变。
小池 Small Pond 杨万里 · 同以短章写池畔小景，一生活泼一蕴藉深婉 Same: capturing a natural small scene in sketchBoth write small scenes in short pieces; one autumn lotus's lone purity, one early-summer small lotus — compare Song liveliness with Ming reserve.
杨万里《小池》「泉眼无声惜细流，树阴照水爱晴柔。小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头」与徐贲《雨后》同以二十八字写池畔小景，而风味迥异。杨诗写初夏小荷初露、蜻蜓早立，捕捉刹那生机，笔触活泼，是「诚斋体」活法写生一路——他观察入微，以童心写物趣，物我之间是平等的欢喜；徐诗写秋荷寂寞临波、相对劝慰，寄托孤高之志，笔致蕴藉，是明人托物言志一路——他移情入物，以诗心写怀抱，物我之间是相怜的知己。同是写荷，一写其「生」之可喜，一写其「寂」之可安；同是池畔小景，一诗如晨露清新，一诗如秋水寒澈。二诗并读，可见宋人七绝「活」与明人七绝「雅」的不同追求，也可见「咏物」一体由宋人写生到明人写意的演化轨迹。
辛夷坞 The Magnolia Ravine 王维 · 同以芙蓉写幽独之境，一禅意一无我，一儒意一有我 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王维《辛夷坞》「木末芙蓉花，山中发红萼。涧户寂无人，纷纷开且落」与徐贲《雨后》同为咏芙蓉而写幽独之诗，然境界有浅深之别。王维笔下的木末芙蓉，生于深山涧户，无人见赏，自开自落，是纯粹的「寂」——花开无人知，花落无人惜，物我两忘，浑然与自然一体，此是禅家「无我」之境，超然物外；徐贲笔下的池上芙蓉，临水自照，与诗人「相看」对话，是带着温情的「孤」——花与诗人互为知己，慰花即慰己，此是儒家「有我」之境，虽孤高而不失人间体温。王诗纯写景而景中无我，徐诗托物言志而物我相怜；王诗如空山无人、水流花开，徐诗如池畔独语、自安自守。二诗一禅一儒、一无我一有我，恰见隐逸诗的两极，对读最可玩味。