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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

漆园

The Lacquer Garden

王维

Wang Wei

咏怀Personal Reflection

古人非傲吏，自阙经世务。
偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树。

The man of old was no haughty official;
He simply lacked the talent for ordering the world.
By chance he lodged in one petty office,
And lounged at ease beneath a few trees.

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Meaning

Wang Wei writes about the Lacquer Garden at his Wang River estate, named for the post that Zhuangzi once held, and uses the ancient philosopher as a mask for himself. He argues that Zhuangzi was not a proud official scorning the world; he simply had no gift for public business, and so happened to hold a small office and spent his time idling among a few trees. The poem is a modest self-portrait: the poet, like Zhuangzi, holds office without ambition for it and keeps his real life among trees.

古人非傲吏，自阙经世务。偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The ancient man was not a haughty clerk; he simply lacked the ability to manage the age. By accident he came to rest in one small post, and spent his time at ease beneath a handful of trees. [Structure] Two couplets: the first defends and explains Zhuangzi, the second applies him to the poet. The movement from ancient example to present self is the whole poem. [Imagery] The final image is deliberately small — not a forest, not a mountain, but a few trees whose shadows stir. Its modesty is the point. [Feeling] The tone is self-deprecating and quiet. By claiming to lack talent for government rather than to disdain it, the poet avoids the posture of the proud recluse and chooses a humbler excuse. What remains is a picture of a man content to be peripheral, holding a post he never sought and keeping his true life elsewhere, among trees.

【白话串讲】王维写《漆园》：“古人非傲吏，自阙经世务”——“偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树”——他写庄周做漆园吏——自嘲自己只是个微官。【意象与手法】此诗写隐逸，以自况写隐逸，是王维的名篇。前二句写庄子：「古人非傲吏，自阙经世务」写古人非傲吏、自阙经世务——写尽庄子的非傲；后二句写自况：「偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树」写偶寄一微官、婆娑数株树——写尽王维的隐逸。全诗以自况写隐逸，写尽庄子的非傲与王维的隐逸，是王维的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写隐逸，以自况写隐逸，是王维的名篇。此诗为王维《辋川集》之一，写漆园而自况庄子。漆园在蓝田辋川，庄子曾为漆园吏，王维购得辋川别业后，以漆园自比庄子，写自己偶寄微官而心怀隐逸之志。此诗写庄子：古人非傲吏，自阙经世务——写古人非傲吏、自阙经世务，写尽庄子的非傲；偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树——写偶寄一微官、婆娑数株树，写尽王维的隐逸。全诗以自况写隐逸——那「自阙经世务」写尽庄子的非傲，「婆娑数株树」写尽王维的隐逸，写尽庄子的非傲与王维的隐逸，是理解王维辋川诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「古人非傲吏，自阙经世务」写庄子的非傲；「偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树」写王维的隐逸；以及全诗以自况写隐逸、以咏物写志趣的手法。

Background

Wang Wei (701-761), courtesy name Mojie, styled the Layman Mojie, was a native of Puzhou, present-day Yongji in Shanxi; with Meng Haoran he forms the pairing Wang and Meng, and he is the leading figure of Tang landscape and pastoral poetry. Su Shi's verdict that his poems contain painting and his paintings poetry has shaped his reception ever since. In the Tianbao period he bought the Wang River estate at Lantian, wandered there with friends such as Pei Di, and wrote the twenty poems of the Wang River Collection, each on a single spot. The Lacquer Garden is one of those spots, named after the office Zhuangzi is said to have held as keeper of a lacquer garden in Meng. The poem thus identifies the owner with the ancient philosopher: a man who holds office and yet whose heart belongs to retirement.

此诗写隐逸，以自况写隐逸，是王维的名篇。王维（701—761），字摩诘，号摩诘居士，蒲州（今山西永济）人，唐代诗人，与孟浩然并称「王孟」，为山水田园诗派代表，苏轼评其「诗中有画，画中有诗」。此诗为王维《辋川集》之一，写漆园而自况庄子。漆园在蓝田辋川，庄子曾为漆园吏，王维购得辋川别业后，以漆园自比庄子，写自己偶寄微官而心怀隐逸之志。此诗写庄子：「古人非傲吏，自阙经世务」写古人非傲吏、自阙经世务——写尽庄子的非傲（古人非傲吏，自阙经世务）；「偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树」写偶寄一微官、婆娑数株树——写尽王维的隐逸（偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树）。全诗以自况写隐逸，写尽庄子的非傲与王维的隐逸，是理解王维辋川诗的重要篇章。王维于天宝年间购得蓝田辋川别业，与裴迪等友人游赏其间，作《辋川集》二十首，每首写一景点。漆园即辋川中的一处庄园，取庄子曾为蒙漆园吏之事命名。王维以此园自况，写自己虽任朝廷之官而心存隐逸，正是其「晚年惟好静」的人生选择。

Art

Four techniques carry twenty characters. First, argument: the opening line is a judgement, not a picture, and it corrects a received opinion — Zhuangzi was not proud. Second, plain self-account: the second line explains the first with disarming modesty, replacing disdain with acknowledged inability. Third, understated description: the word for 'by chance' makes office an accident rather than a vocation, and the diminutive 'one petty office' shrinks it further. Fourth, the closing image: a few trees whose shadows move, which stands for the whole of the poet's real life. The poem's method is self-depiction through an ancient figure, moving from past to present without ever naming the present speaker. The final picture is small on purpose: simplicity of garden figures simplicity of heart.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以议论写庄子。「古人非傲吏」以议论写庄子——那「非傲吏」写尽庄子的非傲，以议论写尽庄子的襟怀。其二，以自白写庄子。「自阙经世务」以自白写庄子——那「自阙」写尽庄子的自谦，以自白写尽庄子的非傲。其三，以白描写微官。「偶寄一微官」以白描写微官——那「偶寄」「微官」写尽微官的偶寄，以白描写尽王维的隐逸。其四，以咏物写志趣。「婆娑数株树」以咏物写志趣——那「婆娑数株树」写尽漆园的树木，以咏物写尽王维的隐逸。此外，此诗前二句写庄子的非傲，后二句写王维的隐逸，由古及今，正是辋川诗「以古自况」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以自况写隐逸，写尽庄子的非傲与王维的隐逸，是王维的代表作。此诗还善于以「偶寄一微官」的「偶」字写为官的偶然——那「偶寄」写做官只是偶然寄身，并非本志，一个「偶」字写尽仕非所愿的淡泊。又善以「婆娑数株树」的「数株」写园林之简——数株之树，正是漆园之简淡，以园之简写心之淡。

Allusions

The 'haughty official' is an established epithet: a Jin dynasty poem about roaming as an immortal says that the Lacquer Garden had a haughty clerk, and Wang Wei pointedly denies it, arguing that Zhuangzi had no ambition to be proud of refusing. 'Ordering the world' recalls the Confucian alternative of serving when in office and cultivating oneself when out of it; Zhuangzi here represents the latter. The petty post echoes Tao Yuanming's refusal to bow for five pecks of rice, though Wang Wei's version is gentler — he stays in office but does not take it seriously. The word for the stirring of foliage comes from a celebrated anecdote about a locust tree whose spreading shade had lost all vitality, and here it suggests quiet, unhurried ease.

此诗的用语深植于隐逸与自况传统。「傲吏」令人想到「傲吏」写庄子为漆园吏的典故——郭璞《游仙诗》「漆园有傲吏」，也令人想到「庄周梦蝶」的意象；「经世务」令人想到「经世务」写经邦济世的意象——也令人想到「经世致用」的意象；「微官」令人想到「微官」写小官的意象——也令人想到「微官何足道」的意象；「婆娑」令人想到「婆娑」写枝叶纷披的意象——《世说新语》「槐树婆娑」，也令人想到「婆娑起舞」的意象。全诗化用傲吏、经世务、微官、婆娑的意象典故，以自况写隐逸，正是王维「冲淡」而善用典、承隐逸传统写志趣之本领。「傲吏」典出晋郭璞《游仙诗》「漆园有傲吏，莱氏有逸妻」——以「傲吏」称庄子为漆园吏之傲世；王维却翻进一层，说「古人非傲吏」，为庄子辩解其非傲而实为不屑经世之务，正是自写怀抱。又「婆娑」令人想到《世说新语·黜免》「槐树婆娑，无复生意」之语，以婆娑写树影摇曳之态。又「经世务」令人想到《孟子·尽心上》「穷则独善其身，达则兼善天下」的出处观，庄子自阙经世之务，正是「独善其身」的一面；「微官」令人想到陶渊明「不为五斗米折腰」辞彭泽令的典故，以微官写其不屑之意，正与陶潜同调。

Commentary

The poem is counted among the finest of the Wang River Collection and as the representative piece on the Lacquer Garden. Qing critics described it as detached and reserved; modern readers single out the closing couplet as its memorable lines. Its distinction lies in tone: rather than the grand gesture of renunciation, it offers a modest admission of incapacity, which makes the retreat credible rather than theatrical. Read with the companion poem to Pei Di, which shows the poet leaning on a staff at his brushwood gate, it reveals the two registers of the collection — friendship and self-scrutiny. It also belongs to the long tradition of retirement verse descending from Tao Yuanming.

此诗历来被推为王维辋川诗的名篇，也是《辋川集》二十首中写漆园的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以自况写隐逸，淡远含蓄」；近人更指出「偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树」写王维的隐逸，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四句的绝句写尽庄子的非傲与王维的隐逸——那古人，那非傲吏，那自阙，那经世务，那偶寄，那一微官，那婆娑，那数株树，都写尽了王维笔下的漆园；那「婆娑数株树」更以咏物写尽王维的隐逸。此诗与王维《辋川闲居赠裴秀才迪》（「寒山转苍翠」）同为辋川名篇，一写「复值接舆醉」的闲居（辋川闲居），一写「偶寄一微官」的漆园（漆园）；又与陶渊明《归去来兮辞》「归去来兮」的隐逸传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写隐逸的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解王维辋川诗的窗口，也是中国诗写漆园的经典——那婆娑的树影，穿越千年，仍在诉说着王维的隐逸。

Prosody

Form Five-character quatrain诗·五言绝句

Rhyme Lines two and four rhyme in a single oblique-tone rhyme.五绝，押「务」「树」韵（去声七遇），一韵到底，音节淡远

Tone pattern A five-character quatrain rhyming in an oblique tone; the cadence is remote and level, matching the detachment of the poem's self-portrait.此诗为五言绝句，押仄声韵，一韵到底，音节淡远，正合隐逸的淡远。

Reading note The unusual choice of an oblique rather than level rhyme suits a poem about withdrawal: the sound is clipped and unemphatic. The first couplet argues a case about the ancient philosopher, the second applies it to the poet. Read it evenly and without accent, letting the closing image of a few trees carry the whole meaning.此诗为五言绝句，四句——「古人非傲吏，自阙经世务。偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树」，押「遇」韵（务、树），一韵到底，音节淡远。全诗以自况写隐逸：前二句写庄子的非傲（古人非傲吏、自阙经世务），后二句写王维的隐逸（偶寄一微官、婆娑数株树）。四句短章，前写古人，后写自况，以「婆娑数株树」写尽王维的隐逸，正见王维「冲淡」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以淡远的语调读「自阙经世务」的庄子，以恬淡的语调读「婆娑数株树」的隐逸，结句要读得淡远而有余韵，方能传达出王维的淡远含蓄。王维绝句以「冲淡」著称，此诗正是其辋川绝句的典范。

Line by line

偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树

By chance he lodged in one petty office, and lounged at ease beneath a few trees.

偶寄一微官，婆娑数株树。

Lightly lodged in a petty office, I dally in the branches of a few trees.

此二句是全诗写隐逸的核心，以偶寄一微官写微官，以婆娑数株树写数株树，写尽王维的隐逸，是千古名句。「偶寄一微官」写偶寄一微官——那「偶寄」写偶寄，「一微官」写一微官，写尽微官的偶寄；「婆娑数株树」写婆娑数株树——那「婆娑」写婆娑，「数株树」写数株树，写尽数株树的婆娑。这句的深意在于：它以「偶寄一微官」的微官与「婆娑数株树」的数株树，写尽王维的隐逸——偶寄一微官，那「偶寄一微官」写尽微官的偶寄——偶寄微官，正是仕非所志的写照，那「偶寄」写尽王维的隐逸；婆娑数株树，那「婆娑数株树」写尽数株树的婆娑——婆娑数株树，正是漆园树木的写照，那「婆娑」写尽王维的隐逸；那「偶寄一微官」写尽微官的偶寄，那「婆娑数株树」写尽数株树的婆娑，一写官，一写树，写尽王维的隐逸——偶寄微官而婆娑树间，正是身在官场而心在园林的写照；此二句以微官、树写尽王维的隐逸，也让此二句成为全诗写隐逸的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我当着个小官，没事就在园子里看看树」，则失其淡远；唯以「偶寄一微官」写微官、「婆娑数株树」写数株树，写尽王维的隐逸，也让此二句成为全诗写隐逸的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem's reclusion, writing the petty office through lightly lodged in a petty office and the trees through I dally in the branches of a few trees, exhausting Wang Wei's withdrawal. Lightly lodged in a petty office is precisely the picture of office as not his calling; I dally in the branches of a few trees precisely the picture of the Qiyuan trees. The deep meaning: lightly lodged in petty office and lingering among the trees, precisely the picture of the man in office with his heart in the garden. One writes the office, one the tree, exhausting the reclusion. Were it said plainly I hold a small post and when free I look at the trees in the garden, the distant calm would be lost; only through the lightly lodged petty office and the dallying trees is the reclusion exhausted, making the lines the core of the poem.

古人非傲吏，自阙经世务

The man of old was no haughty official; he simply lacked the talent for ordering the world.

古人非傲吏，自阙经世务。

The ancients were not proud officials; they simply lacked the talent for managing the world.

此二句是全诗写庄子的核心，以古人非傲吏写非傲吏，以自阙经世务写自阙，写尽庄子的非傲，是千古名句。「古人非傲吏」写古人非傲吏——那「古人」写古人，「非傲吏」写非傲吏，写尽庄子的非傲；「自阙经世务」写自阙经世务——那「自阙」写自阙，「经世务」写经世务，写尽自阙的经世务。这句的深意在于：它以「古人非傲吏」的非傲吏与「自阙经世务」的自阙，写尽庄子的非傲——古人非傲吏，那「古人非傲吏」写尽庄子的非傲——古人非傲吏，正是为庄子辩解的写照，那「非傲吏」写尽庄子的襟怀；自阙经世务，那「自阙经世务」写尽自阙的经世务——自阙经世务，正是自谦的写照，那「自阙」写尽庄子的非傲；那「古人非傲吏」写尽庄子的非傲，那「自阙经世务」写尽自阙的经世务，一写非傲，一写自阙，写尽庄子的非傲——非傲吏而自阙经世务，正是庄子的写照；此二句以非傲吏、自阙写尽庄子的非傲，也为下文的微官作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写庄子的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「庄子不是傲，是懒得做官」，则失其用典；唯以「古人非傲吏」写非傲吏、「自阙经世务」写自阙，写尽庄子的非傲，也让此二句成为全诗写庄子的核心。

The two lines are the core of the poem on Zhuang Zhou, writing the not-proud official through the ancients were not proud officials and the self-confessed lack through they simply lacked the talent for managing the world, exhausting Zhuang's not-pride. The ancients were not proud officials is precisely the picture of the defense of Zhuang; they simply lacked the talent for managing the world precisely the picture of the self-deprecation. The deep meaning: not a proud official but self-confessed inapt for world affairs, precisely the picture of Zhuang. One writes the not-proud, one the self-confessed lack, exhausting the not-pride. Were it said plainly Zhuang was not proud, he simply could not be bothered to be an official, the allusive grace would be softened; only through the not-proud official and the confessed lack is Zhuang's not-pride exhausted, preparing the later petty office and making the lines the core of the poem.

Study

Word focus

寄 In 'by chance he lodged in one petty office,' the word means to lodge or sojourn temporarily. It treats official position as an accident rather than a career, so that holding office becomes a way of passing through rather than a commitment. 「偶寄一微官」之「寄」字是写隐逸的关键词，一个「寄」字写尽微官的偶寄。寄者，寄托、寄居也。王维以「偶寄一微官」写隐逸，这个「寄」字至少有双重意味：其一，写官之寄——那「偶寄一微官」写偶寄一微官，那「寄」字写尽微官的偶寄——偶寄微官，正是仕非所志的写照，那「寄」字写尽王维的隐逸；其二，写心之远——那「寄」字更是写远——寄，正见心不在此的淡远，那「寄」字写尽王维的冲淡。以「寄」字写隐逸，正是王维写辋川的枢纽——若换作「任」「居」等字，则或失其与「偶」「一微官」的配合，或失其写寄的意味；唯「寄」字，以偶寄一微官写尽微官的偶寄与心不在此的淡远，与「婆娑数株树」的婆娑相合，写尽王维的隐逸，也让「偶寄一微官」成为全诗写隐逸的名句。

婆娑 In 'lounged at ease beneath a few trees,' the word describes foliage spreading and swaying. Originally used of a tree's shade, it here suggests unhurried, unselfconscious ease, and its small scale figures the modesty of the poet's retreat. 「婆娑数株树」之「婆娑」是写园林的关键词，一个「婆娑」写尽数株树的摇曳。婆娑者，枝叶纷披、摇曳也。王维以「婆娑数株树」写园林，这个「婆娑」至少有双重意味：其一，写树之婆娑——那「婆娑数株树」写婆娑数株树，那「婆娑」写尽数株树的摇曳——婆娑数株树，正是漆园树木的写照，那「婆娑」写尽园林的清幽；其二，写情之闲——那「婆娑」更是写闲——婆娑，正见观树的闲适，那「婆娑」写尽王维的隐逸。以「婆娑」写园林，正是王维写辋川的枢纽——若换作「摇曳」「扶疏」等词，则或失其与「数株树」「偶寄一微官」的配合，或失其写婆娑的意味；唯「婆娑」二字，以婆娑数株树写尽数株树的摇曳与观树的闲适，与「偶寄一微官」的偶寄相合，写尽王维的隐逸，也让「婆娑数株树」成为全诗写园林的名句。

漆园