All poems

先秦 Pre-Qin · 诗经 Classic of Poetry

鹤鸣

The Crane Cries

诗经

Book of Songs

哲理Philosophy 咏物Object poem

鹤鸣于九皋，声闻于野。
鱼潜在渊，或在于渚。
乐彼之园，爰有树檀，其下维萚。
他山之石，可以为错。
鹤鸣于九皋，声闻于天。
鱼在于渚，或潜在渊。
乐彼之园，爰有树檀，其下维谷。
他山之石，可以攻玉。

A crane cries in the nine marshes; its sound is heard in the wild.
A fish hides in the deep, or rests by the islet.
Delightful is that garden; there grows a sandalwood tree, with withered leaves below.
A stone from another hill may serve to polish jade.
A crane cries in the nine marshes; its sound is heard to the sky.
A fish rests by the islet, or hides in the deep.
Delightful is that garden; there grows a sandalwood tree, with the paper-mulberry below.
A stone from another hill may serve to cut jade.

Listen

Meaning

A crane cries in the nine marshes; its sound is heard in the wild. A fish hides in the deep, or rests by the islet. Delightful is that garden; there grows a sandalwood tree, with withered leaves below. A stone from another hill may serve to polish jade. A crane cries in the nine marshes; its sound is heard to the sky. A fish rests by the islet, or hides in the deep. Delightful is that garden; there grows a sandalwood tree, with the paper-mulberry below. A stone from another hill may serve to cut jade.

仙鹤鸣叫在曲折沼泽，声音传遍四野。鱼儿潜藏在深渊，有时游到小洲边。喜爱那座园子，那里有檀树挺立，树下落叶铺地。他山之石，可用来琢玉为错。仙鹤鸣叫在深泽，声音传到高天。鱼儿游在小洲，有时潜回深渊。喜爱那座园子，那里有檀树挺立，树下生着楮树。他山之石，可用来琢磨美玉。

Appreciation

The whole poem is pure metaphor; not one word states affairs, yet every line is a figure. The crane crying in the nine marshes figures the worthy man whose fame spreads though he hides; the fish hiding or resting figures the worthy now hidden now shown; the sandalwood in the garden figures good timber, the withered leaves and paper-mulberry below figure the mixed wood beside it. It closes with 'a stone from another hill may serve to polish jade' to state the theme, lodging sense in objects. Restrained and meaningful, images set side by side yet meaning shows—a 'Minor Court' piece of special reasoned interest.

【白话串讲】 “鹤鸣于九皋，声闻于野”——鹤在深泽里鸣叫，声音传到原野。“他山之石，可以攻玉”——别的山上的石头，可以磨玉。这首诗告诉我们：别人家的长处，可以帮自己成长。【意象与手法】全诗纯用比兴，无一字直陈政事，而句句设喻：鹤鸣九皋喻贤士虽隐而声名远播，鱼潜渊渚喻贤者或隐或显，园中檀树喻良材、其下萚谷喻伴生之杂木。末以「他山之石，可以攻玉」点题，托物言理。含蓄蕴藉，意象并置而意自显，是小雅中别具理趣之作。【情感与主旨】《鹤鸣》出自《诗经·小雅》。据《诗序》「《鹤鸣》，诲宣王也」，旧说以为大臣借园中景物为喻，劝周宣王招致隐居的贤才，寓「招隐求贤」之意。诗中鹤鸣、鱼潜、檀树、他山石皆有所指。今人亦视其为借自然景物说理、隐含隐逸情怀与用人之道的哲理诗，不一定坐实于某王。【名句点睛】中高考赏析常考：①全诗比兴手法、托物言理的特点；②「他山之石，可以攻玉」的象征意与沿用；③「鹤鸣九皋」的意象内涵；④二章复沓中的细微变化。

Background

'The Crane Cries' comes from the 'Minor Court' of the 'Book of Songs'. By the 'Preface' 'The Crane Cries instructs King Xuan'; the old reading took a minister using garden scenes as figures to urge King Xuan to summon recluses, holding a 'summon the hidden, seek the worthy' meaning. The crane, fish and sandalwood all point to something. Moderns also read it as a poem of reasoning through nature, hinting reclusive feeling and the way of using men, not pinned to one king.

《鹤鸣》出自《诗经·小雅》，为《小雅》中较短的篇章，共二章。关于此诗的主旨，历代主要有两种说法。其一为「招隐求贤」说：《诗序》云「《鹤鸣》，诲宣王也」，郑玄笺进一步申说，以为此诗是大夫借园中景物为喻，规谏周宣王招致隐居的贤才——「鹤鸣于九皋」喻贤者虽处卑下之地而其声名远播，「鱼潜在渊」喻贤者或隐或显，「乐彼之园」喻朝廷，「他山之石」喻他国贤才，全诗以景物为喻，劝宣王求贤若渴、广纳贤才。其二为「哲理」说：今人多不坐实于某王，视其为借自然景物说理的哲理诗，以为诗写隐逸贤者之德（鹤鸣、鱼潜）、园圃之美（檀树、他山之石），隐含隐逸情怀与用人之道。周宣王时期，西周已由盛转衰，宣王号称「中兴」，然亦多失政，故诗中「诲宣王」之说并非无据。无论何种解读，此诗「以比兴言理」的特点一望可知，是《诗经》中较早、也最纯粹的哲理诗之一，其「他山之石，可以攻玉」一语，更成为千古流传的成语。

Art

The whole poem is pure metaphor; not one word states affairs, yet every line is a figure. The crane crying in the nine marshes figures the worthy man whose fame spreads though he hides; the fish hiding or resting figures the worthy now hidden now shown; the sandalwood in the garden figures good timber, the withered leaves and paper-mulberry below figure the mixed wood beside. It closes with 'a stone from another hill may serve to polish jade' to state the theme, lodging sense in objects. Restrained and meaningful, images set side by side yet meaning shows—a 'Minor Court' piece of special reasoned interest.

此诗艺术上以「全篇比兴、托物言理」为最大特色。全诗无一字直陈政事，而句句设喻：首句「鹤鸣于九皋，声闻于野」以鹤鸣起兴——鹤本水鸟，栖于九曲沼泽之中，其声却能传于四野，喻贤士虽隐于卑下之地，其才德名声终能远播天下，是「以物喻人」的典型；「鱼潜在渊，或在于渚」写鱼或潜深渊、或游洲渚，喻贤者出处不一，或隐或显，进退自如；「乐彼之园，爰有树檀，其下维萚」写园中檀树挺立、树下落叶（萚）铺地，檀树喻贤良之才，其下之萚（或谷、楮）喻陪衬之材，园圃之乐正是朝廷得人之乐；末句「他山之石，可以攻玉」以琢玉为喻——他山的石头，可以用来琢磨美玉，喻别国贤才可为己国所用、他人之长可补己身之短，是全诗的点题之句。全诗二章复沓，仅将「野」换「天」、「渚/渊」互换、「萚」换「谷」、「错」换「玉」，意象并置而意自显，含蓄蕴藉，以小雅中最短的篇幅，写出了最深的说理，是《诗经》「托物言理」的典范。

Allusions

'A stone from another hill may serve to polish jade' is the thousand-year famous line born of this poem (from here), later broadly meaning using outside force to achieve, taking others' strength to mend one's own. 'Nine marshes' means a winding, deep marsh; 'polish' is the rough stone for cutting jade; 'cut jade' is polishing jade. All are Zhou jade-work facts and place names, not story allusions, yet 'cut jade' as a figure reached far.

此诗多为自然意象设喻，然其语汇与意象皆有渊源与影响。「鹤鸣于九皋」之「鹤」，自古为高洁之禽，《诗经》以鹤鸣起兴，开后世「鹤」意象（隐逸、高洁、长寿）之先河，曹植《白鹤赋》、白居易《池鹤》皆承其绪；「九皋」指曲折深远的沼泽，「九」言其深曲之极，后世「鹤鸣九皋」遂成成语，喻贤才虽隐而名声远播。「鱼潜在渊，或在于渚」以鱼之潜跃喻贤者出处，承《诗经》「鱼」意象（《小雅·鱼丽》等）而更有深意，后世「潜龙」「渊鱼」之喻皆本此。「乐彼之园，爰有树檀」以檀树喻良材，「檀」为贵重之木，其下有萚（落叶）或谷（楮树，杂木），喻良才之下有凡材陪衬。「他山之石，可以攻玉」为本诗凝出的千年名句：本指别山之石可磨玉，后泛指借外力以成事、取人之长以补己短，「错」为磨玉之石，「攻玉」即琢磨玉。《论语》「他山之石」不见，然此语自《诗经》出，历代引以言用人、交友、治学之道，影响深远。且「鹤鸣于九皋」之「皋」，《说文》训「泽边地也」，九皋即极深曲之泽畔，与「声闻于天」对照，愈见其声之远、德之高，一词而兼地理与象征双重复义。

Commentary

The 'Preface' says 'instructs King Xuan'; Zheng's commentary expands it. Zhu Xi's 'Commentary' says 'this poem's making cannot be known, yet it must be words of offering good and receiving counsel'. The modern Yu Guan-ying calls it 'all metaphor, looks like a scene-describing poem'. 'A stone from another hill may serve to polish jade' long became a saying, cited by ages for the way of using men, making friends, studying.

此诗为《诗经·小雅》中的名篇，历代评价集中于两点：一是比兴手法的纯熟，二是哲理意蕴的深远。《诗序》谓「诲宣王也」，郑笺申之；朱熹《诗集传》以为「此诗之作，不可知其所由，然必陈善纳诲之辞」，以「纳诲」定其性质。清代方玉润《诗经原始》谓其「通篇设喻，不着一正意」，正点其纯用比兴之妙。今人余冠英称其「通篇用比喻，看起来像一篇写景诗」，指出其以写景之外貌行说理之实。从文学史角度看，此诗的意义有三：其一，它是中国哲理诗（寓言诗）的源头之一，全篇以意象说理而无一字说教，开「托物言理」的传统；其二，「他山之石，可以攻玉」一语自《诗经》出而凝为成语，成为中国人用人、交友、治学的共同智慧，其生命力历三千年而不衰；其三，「鹤鸣九皋」所代表的隐逸贤才意象，对后世隐逸文学影响深远。此诗以最含蓄的笔法写最深刻的道理，是小雅中别具理趣之作，也是理解中国诗学「比兴」传统的必读篇目。

Prosody

Form Book of Songs · Minor Court (mostly four-character, with lines like 'there grows')诗经·小雅（四言为主，间以「爰有」等虚词句）

Rhyme Stanza one 'wild, islet, withered, polish' rhymes; stanza two 'sky, deep, mulberry, jade' changes rhyme一章『野、渚、萚、错』押鱼铎部；二章『天、渊、谷、玉』换韵，属真元部

Tone pattern Mostly four-character; level-oblique not traceable四言为主，重章复沓，不可考平仄

Reading note Pure metaphor; closes with a reasoned line.此诗为《诗经》四言体，属《小雅》，共二章，重章叠唱而略有变化。全诗以四言为主，间以「爰有树檀」等句，句式齐整而灵活。押韵上，一章「鹤鸣于九皋，声闻于野。鱼潜在渊，或在于渚。乐彼之园，爰有树檀，其下维萚。他山之石，可以为错」押鱼铎部（野、渚、萚、错），二章换韵，「鹤鸣于九皋，声闻于天。鱼在于渚，或潜在渊。乐彼之园，爰有树檀，其下维谷。他山之石，可以攻玉」押真元部（天、渊、谷、玉），随章换韵。二章复沓中亦有变化：「声闻于野」换「声闻于天」（由传于野到闻于天，境界愈高），「鱼潜在渊，或在于渚」换「鱼在于渚，或潜在渊」（潜与渚互换，写鱼之隐现无常），「萚」换「谷」（落叶换杂木），「错」换「玉」（错为磨玉之石，玉为琢成之器）。复沓而不板滞，换字而意愈深，正是《诗经》重章叠句「一唱三叹」的妙处。

Line by line

鹤鸣于九皋，声闻于野。

A crane cries in the nine marshes; its sound is heard in the wild.

仙鹤鸣叫在曲折沼泽，声音传遍四野。

The crane cries in the nine-fold marsh; its voice reaches the wilds.

「鹤鸣于九皋，声闻于野」为全诗起兴，以鹤鸣喻贤士，起兴高远。「九皋」指曲折深远的沼泽——鹤所居之地极为幽深卑下；「声闻于野」写鹤鸣之声传遍四野——鹤身居深泽，其声却能远扬。此兴之妙有三：其一，以物喻人，鹤为高洁之禽，居幽深之地而鸣声远播，正如贤才隐居草野，其才德声名终能传于天下，是「身隐而名显」的绝妙象征；其二，以声写德，鹤之鸣是自然之声，贤者之德是内在之光，以「声闻于野」写德之远播，化抽象为具体，形象生动；其三，以隐写贤，「九皋」之深曲与「于野」之广远对照，愈见贤者出处之不凡——越是隐居幽深，越是声名远播。起兴两句，意象高洁，为全诗「招隐求贤」或「隐逸之德」的主旨定调，是《诗经》比兴的典范。

The crane. The crane cries in the nine-fold marsh; its voice reaches the wilds. The crane-cries-nine-fold-marsh and the voice-reaches-wilds are the opening. To have cried in the marsh would be a crying; the the-crane-cries-in-the-nine-fold-marsh-its-voice-reaches-the-wilds is the crying.

鱼潜在渊，或在于渚。

A fish hides in the deep, or rests by the islet.

鱼儿潜藏在深渊，有时游到小洲边。

Fish hide in the deep pools, or rise to the little islets.

「鱼潜在渊，或在于渚」为全诗第二层比兴，以鱼之隐现喻贤者出处。「渊」为深渊，「渚」为水中小洲；鱼或潜藏深渊，或游至洲渚，出入无定，隐现自如。此比之妙有三：其一，以鱼写贤者出处，鱼之潜渊如贤者之隐居，鱼之游渚如贤者之出仕，或隐或显，进退自如，正写贤者出处之道——不汲汲于仕进，亦不矫情于隐遁，随遇而安；其二，以鱼写贤者自由，鱼在渊渚之间来去自如，正是贤者不为世俗所羁、自有其精神自由的象征；其三，以鱼写招隐之诚，鱼之隐现无常，正需明主以诚招之，暗含「求贤须诚」之意。此句与上句「鹤鸣」并列：鹤以声显，鱼以形隐，一鸣一潜，一显一隐，从不同角度写贤者之德，比兴层层推进，含蓄而深婉。

The fish. Fish hide in the deep pools, or rise to the little islets. The fish-hide-deep-pools and the rise-little-islets are the alternation. To have hidden in the pools would be a hiding; the fish-hide-in-the-deep-pools-or-rise-to-the-little-islets is the hiding.

乐彼之园，爰有树檀，其下维萚。

That garden I love—there stands the sandalwood, and below it the shed leaves.

喜爱那座园子，那里有檀树挺立，树下落叶铺地。

Delightful that garden; there grows the sandalwood, and beneath it the fallen leaves.

「乐彼之园，爰有树檀，其下维萚」为全诗第三层比兴，以园圃喻朝廷，以檀树喻贤才。「乐彼之园」写对那座园子的喜爱——园圃之美，令人向往；「爰有树檀」写园中有檀树挺立——檀为贵重良木，喻贤良之才；「其下维萚」写檀下落叶铺地——「萚」为落叶（二章作「谷」，指楮树等杂木），喻檀下之凡材、陪衬之物。此比之妙有三：其一，以树喻人，檀树挺立如贤才在位，其下萚谷如从属之材，朝廷有贤才居上、群材辅佐，正是理想的用人之境；其二，以园喻朝，「乐彼之园」之「乐」字，暗含对「得人之朝」的向往——园因檀树而美，朝因贤才而治；其三，以象寓理，檀与其下之萚并置，又暗含「良材之下亦有凡木，贤者之下亦有庸人」的深意，用人之道，贵在兼容。此句承鹤鱼之兴而来，由物及园，由园及朝，比兴层层深入。

The garden. That garden I love—there stands the sandalwood, and below it the shed leaves. The garden-I-love and the sandalwood-stands and the shed-leaves-beneath are the parable. To have loved the garden would be a loving; the that-garden-i-love-there-stands-the-sandalwood-and-below-it-the-shed-leaves is the loving.

他山之石，可以攻玉。

A stone from another hill may serve to polish jade.

他山的石头，可以用来琢磨美玉。

The stones of other hills can be used to polish jade.

「他山之石，可以攻玉」为全诗点题之句，是全诗凝出的千古名句。「他山之石」指别处山上的石头，「攻玉」即琢磨美玉——他山的粗石，可以用来打磨本山的玉石。此喻之妙有三：其一，以物言理，以石攻玉，本是琢玉工艺的常识，诗人借以言「借外力以成事」之理——别处的石头尚可琢玉，别国的贤才岂不可为己用？取人之长、补己之短，正是用人之道；其二，以小见大，从琢玉的小事中悟出治国用人的大道理，由日常之物引出深刻的哲理，正是《诗经》「托物言理」的妙处；其三，以警传世，此句自《诗经》出而凝为成语，泛指一切借外力以成事、借他人经验以自省的智慧，历三千年而不衰，是中国文化中流传最广的格言之一。此句以石喻贤、以玉喻国，点出全诗「求贤」或「用人之长」的主旨，画龙点睛。

The stone. The stones of other hills can be used to polish jade. The stones-other-hills and the polish-jade are the famous maxim. To have polished the jade would be a polishing; the the-stones-of-other-hills-can-be-used-to-polish-jade is the polishing.

Study

Word focus

九皋 A winding, deep marsh; describes the crane's secluded dwelling, hinting the worthy man's reclusive place. 「鹤鸣于九皋」之「九皋」，为全诗最凝练的意象，状鹤所居之幽深，暗喻贤士隐居之地。「九」言其多、其极，非实指九曲，「皋」为沼泽、水边高地，「九皋」即极深曲的沼泽。此词之妙有三：其一，以幽深写隐，鹤居于九曲沼泽的极深处，正是贤者深隐的象征——越是幽深之地，越见隐者之高洁；其二，以对比写显，「九皋」之幽深与「声闻于野」之广远形成强烈对照——身居至深至幽之地，而名声传于至广至远之域，愈隐愈显，正是「大隐隐于市」的反面，写贤者之德不可掩；其三，以凝练传远，「九皋」二字将鹤居之地写得既具体又空灵，后世「鹤鸣九皋」「九皋处士」遂成固定意象与典故，喻隐居贤士。二字写尽隐逸贤者的处境与声名，是《诗经》以最少的字写最深的意的典范，也是全诗比兴之象的核心。

攻 To cut, to work; 'cut jade' condenses into the figure of using outside force to achieve the good—one word full of reasoned interest. 「可以攻玉」之「攻」字，是全诗点题之句的枢纽，一字尽理趣。「攻」训治、琢磨，《诗经》时代的「攻」多指加工、整治，「攻玉」即以石磨玉，使之光润成器。此字之妙有三：其一，以工艺写理，「攻」字将琢玉的具体工艺写实——以他山之石磨治美玉，由物及理，推出「借外力以成事、取人之长以补己短」的普遍道理，理趣自现；其二，以动词传神，「攻」字有力而精准，一「攻」字写尽石与玉的相互作用——石之粗砺攻玉之瑕疵，正如他人的批评、别国的贤才，可以攻治我之不足，化「他山之石」为「成玉之资」；其三，以一字凝成语，「攻玉」与「他山之石」连用，凝为千古名句，此后「攻玉」「攻错」遂成成语典故，泛指借鉴他人以自修。一字而尽理趣，一字而传千古，正是《诗经》炼字的典范，「攻」字之妙，于此可见。

鹤鸣