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宋 Song · 词 Ci lyric

定风波·莫听穿林打叶声

Ding Feng Bo: Don't Listen to the Rain Beating Through the Forest

苏轼

Su Shi

言志Aspiration 豁达Broad-mindedness 抒情Lyricism

莫听穿林打叶声，何妨吟啸且徐行。
竹杖芒鞋轻胜马，谁怕？
一蓑烟雨任平生。
料峭春风吹酒醒，微冷，山头斜照却相迎。
回首向来萧瑟处，归去，也无风雨也无晴。

Don't listen to the rain beating through the forest, why not chant and stroll slowly?
Bamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than horses, who's afraid?
A straw cape suffices for a lifetime of mist and rain.
The chilly spring wind sobers me up, a bit cold, but the setting sun over the mountain greets me.
Looking back at the bleak place I came from, I return home, neither wind nor rain nor sunshine.

Listen

Meaning

The poet describes a sudden rainstorm during a journey, expressing his calm and carefree attitude toward life's ups and downs: one can transcend external circumstances and remain at peace.

不要去听那穿林打叶的雨声，不妨放声吟啸、缓缓前行。拄着竹杖、穿着草鞋，比骑马还要轻快，又有什么可怕？一身蓑衣，任凭平生的烟雨。料峭的春风吹醒了酒意，微微生寒，山头的斜阳却迎面照来。回头看刚才风雨萧瑟的地方，归去吧——既无所谓风雨，也无所谓晴明。

Appreciation

In the fifth year of Yuanfeng (1082), Su Shi was exiled to Huangzhou. On a trip to Shahu, he encountered rain while his companions were in a panic, but he remained composed. The first stanza describes walking in the rain: ignoring the sound of rain, chanting and strolling slowly, feeling that bamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than horses. The bold line 'Who's afraid?' reveals his tenacity and open-mindedness. The second stanza depicts the clearing sky and the setting sun greeting him. Finally, looking back at the rainy path, he realizes that wind and rain, clearness and overcast, are all transient. The imagery of 'beating through the forest' portrays rain through sound, while 'a straw cape suffices for a lifetime of mist and rain' shifts from concrete to abstract. The three short phrases 'Don't listen,' 'Why not,' and 'Who's afraid' progress layer by layer, the tone becoming more relaxed. The concluding line uses double negation to achieve a light touch. The poem is not just about encountering rain, but about an attitude toward life: external storms and sunshine are like worldly gains and losses; if one can transcend them, one can face life fearlessly. The broad-mindedness also harbors the calm and pride of one who has endured hardships. The famous line 'A straw cape suffices for a lifetime of mist and rain' elevates a momentary rain into a graceful attitude toward a life of hardships, epitomizing Su Shi's spirit.

【白话串讲】去沙湖途中遇雨，别人都狼狈躲雨，苏轼却拄着竹杖慢慢走，边走边吟诗。“一蓑烟雨任平生”——一场春雨，被他走成了人生的隐喻。【意象与手法】即事明理，以小见大。全词以途中遇雨这一生活琐细入笔，却翻出人生大智慧【情感与主旨】元丰五年（1082），苏轼因「乌台诗案」贬居黄州已近三年，躬耕东坡，自号东坡居士【名句点睛】常考：①旷达超脱的人生态度与「一蓑烟雨任平生」的潇洒；②即事说理、以小见大的手法；③情景理交融

Background

In the fifth year of Yuanfeng (1082), Su Shi had been exiled to Huangzhou for nearly three years due to the 'Crow Terrace Poetry Case.' He farmed at Eastern Slope and called himself 'Dwelling Master of Eastern Slope.' One day, while traveling with friends to Shahu, they encountered rain on the road, and the rain gear had been taken away. All his companions were in a panic, but Su Shi alone remained unperturbed. Later, he wrote this poem to record the event, titled 'Ding Feng Bo.' At this time, although he was in adversity, his state of mind gradually became open-minded.

此词小序云：「三月七日，沙湖道中遇雨，雨具先去，同行皆狼狈，余独不觉。已而遂晴，故作此。」作于宋神宗元丰五年（一〇八二年），时苏轼因「乌台诗案」贬居黄州（今湖北黄冈）已近三年。沙湖在黄州东南，苏轼曾往相田（查看购置的田产），途中遇雨遂有此作。乌台诗案是北宋党争中的文字狱，苏轼以诗讽政下狱，几死，贬黄州团练副使，实为软禁，生活困顿，躬耕东坡，自号东坡居士。政治上的重创与人生际遇的陡转，使此词表面写途中遇雨，实则写面对人生风雨的旷达。北宋党争酷烈，士大夫因言获罪者众，苏轼此词所达「一蓑烟雨任平生」之境，既是个人修持，亦折射出贬谪文人于逆境中以求精神超越的普遍心态。词牌《定风波》本唐教坊曲，音节于平缓中含顿挫，宜写即事说理、旷达超脱之情，与此词题旨相得益彰。小序云三月七日沙湖道中遇雨，雨具先去，同行皆狼狈，余独不觉，已而遂晴，故作此。作于元丰五年，时苏轼因乌台诗案贬居黄州近三年，躬耕东坡，自号东坡居士。政治重创使此词表面写遇雨，实写面对人生风雨的旷达。北宋党争酷烈，此词所达一蓑烟雨任平生之境，折射贬谪文人求精神超越的普遍心态。

Art

Using a small incident to illustrate a grand principle. The entire poem starts from the trivial matter of encountering rain on the road, yet brings forth great wisdom about life. The language is free and unrestrained, using colloquial expressions ('Who's afraid?,' 'Why not'), and the rhythm is broken as if walking. The first stanza describes during the rain, the second stanza describes after the rain stops, forming a complete circle. The concluding line 'neither wind nor rain nor sunshine' closes the whole piece with Zen insight.

此词即事明理、以小见大，于平易的生活片段中翻出人生大智慧，是苏词「理趣」与「旷达」风格的典范。上片写雨中：「莫听穿林打叶声，何妨吟啸且徐行」以「莫听」「何妨」两个反跌，写出不为外物所动的从容；「竹杖芒鞋轻胜马，谁怕？一蓑烟雨任平生」以竹杖芒鞋对鞍马，以「轻胜」二字翻物质之贫为精神之富，「谁怕」反问见胆气，「任平生」三字将眼前风雨升华为平生际遇的坦然。下片写雨后：「料峭春风吹酒醒，微冷，山头斜照却相迎」写寒暖交替、阴晴瞬变，暗喻人生祸福相倚；结以「回首向来萧瑟处，归去，也无风雨也无晴」，由具体归途转入哲理收束，风雨晴明皆成虚妄，归于平常心。全词以口语入词，节奏舒徐，设色清淡，景、情、理三层递进而浑融无迹，体现苏轼「行云流水」「随物赋形」的艺术至境。此词即事明理、以小见大，于平易生活片段翻出人生大智慧。上片莫听何妨两个反跌写不为外物所动，竹杖芒鞋轻胜马以贫为富，谁怕见胆气，一蓑烟雨任平生将眼前风雨升华为平生际遇的坦然；下片料峭春风微冷斜照写寒暖交替、阴晴瞬变，结以回首向来萧瑟处归去也无风雨也无晴，由行旅转入哲理。景情理三层递进而浑融。

Allusions

The phrase 'bamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than horses' draws on the hermit image of 'straw sandals and bamboo staff' from earlier poets, expressing ease in exile. 'A straw cape' inherits the fisherman image from Zhang Zhihe's 'green bamboo hat, green straw cape,' hinting at a desire for reclusion. 'Neither wind nor rain nor sunshine' blends the Chan Buddhist concept of 'neither being nor non-being,' using ordinary language to convey transcendent philosophy.

词中意象与语典承庄子与陶渊明一脉。「一蓑烟雨任平生」化用唐张志和《渔父》「青箬笠，绿蓑衣，斜风细雨不须归」的烟波钓徒之趣，而更进一层写「任平生」的整个人生态度；「吟啸」语出晋人风度，陶渊明「登东皋以舒啸」、阮籍「啸」皆为其源，苏轼以「吟啸徐行」写贬谪中的晋人式从容。「也无风雨也无晴」则深得《庄子》齐物之旨——风雨与晴明本无分别，皆心中所执，暗合庄子「不滞于物」「哀乐不入」之境；亦与王维「行到水穷处，坐看云起时」的随遇而安相通。苏轼一生深受儒释道浸染，此词以道家齐物、禅宗平常心为底色，将政治风雨化为精神逍遥。「萧瑟」本指风雨声（如秋风萧瑟），此处借指困顿境遇。用典皆融化无痕，与其「辞达」主张一致。一蓑烟雨任平生化用张志和渔父斜风细雨不须归之趣而更进一层写任平生；吟啸语出晋人风度与陶渊明登东皋以舒啸；也无风雨也无晴深得庄子齐物之旨，哀乐不入之境，亦与王维行到水穷处坐看云起时相通。苏轼深受儒释道浸染，以道家齐物、禅宗平常心为底色，将政治风雨化为精神逍遥，用典皆融化无痕。

Commentary

The Qing scholar Zheng Wenzhuo commented that this poem 'reveals true feelings without any artificial carving.' Lin Yutang called Su Shi an 'incurable optimist,' and this poem is precisely a footnote to his broad-minded character. Writing about a transcendent state of mind in the midst of wind and rain on the road, it has been recited for thousands of years, bringing refreshment to readers' minds.

此词自南宋以来即与《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》《前赤壁赋》并列为苏轼旷达精神的代表之作。清人郑文焯评苏词「襟度洒落，如晴空摩翮」，正可为此词注脚；近人林语堂称苏轼「不可救药的乐天派」，此词即其注脚。其「一蓑烟雨任平生」「也无风雨也无晴」成为中国人面对逆境时最常被援引的精神资源，传播极广，早已超越词学范畴而进入日常语汇与人生哲学。在文学批评史上，此词被视为宋诗宋词「理趣」的佳例——不靠议论说教，而于叙事写景中自然流露哲理，情景理交融无间。今中学教材多选此词，作为理解苏轼人生态度与宋词理趣的范本。其与《赤壁赋》「逝者如斯」「物与我皆无尽」的齐物思想一脉相承，是研究苏轼贬谪文学的核心文本。此词与念奴娇赤壁怀古、前赤壁赋并列为苏轼旷达精神代表。清郑文焯评其襟度洒落如晴空摩翮。一蓑烟雨任平生、也无风雨也无晴成为国人面对逆境最常被援引的精神资源，传播极广，超越词学范畴而入日常语汇与人生哲学。今教材多选，作为理解苏轼人生态度与宋词理趣的范本，与赤壁赋齐物思想一脉相承。

Prosody

Form Ci: Ding Feng Bo (double-tune, 62 characters, alternating level and oblique rhymes)词·定风波（双调六十二字）

Rhyme Level rhymes (Geng-Qing): 声, 行, 生, 晴; oblique rhymes: 马, 怕 (Ma rhyme), 醒, 冷 (Jiong rhyme), 处, 去 (Yu rhyme)此词上片押庚青韵（声、行、生），下片换押（醒、迎、晴，属青庚蒸通押），韵脚平声悠长，声情从容闲适，与旷达之旨相称。

Tone pattern Double-tune, 62 characters: first stanza five lines, three level rhymes and two oblique rhymes; second stanza six lines, four oblique rhymes and two level rhymes; the shift between level and oblique rhymes corresponds to the rhythm of walking in the rain.双调六十二字，上片五句三平韵两仄韵，下片六句四仄韵两平韵，句式错落，多用二字、三字短句（谁怕、微冷、归去），节奏于舒缓中含顿挫。

Reading note Ding Feng Bo uses alternating level and oblique rhymes to depict the experience of encountering rain on the road, achieving harmony between sound and emotion. It is a model of Su Shi's approach of 'using ci as shi' and explaining principles through events.《定风波》调名取「平定风波」之意，音节本含由动荡归平静的意味，与此词「遇雨—遂晴—悟理」的脉络天然契合。苏轼此词用韵从容，上片「声、行、生」平声绵长，写出雨中吟啸的舒缓；下片时换仄韵「醒、迎、晴」顿挫相间，写寒暖晴雨之交替。短句「谁怕」「微冷」「归去」的穿插，如行云流水，打破齐言的板滞，正合「随物赋形」之妙。全词声情由徐行而昂扬（谁怕）而归于澄明（也无风雨也无晴），依调布理，景情理交融，是宋词理趣与音乐性结合的典范。定风波调名取平定风波之意，音节本含由动荡归平静的意味，与此词遇雨遂晴悟理脉络天然契合。上片声、行、生平声绵长，写出雨中吟啸之舒缓；下片时换仄韵醒、迎、晴顿挫相间，写寒暖晴雨之交替。短句谁怕、微冷、归去穿插，如行云流水，打破齐言板滞，全词声情由徐行而昂扬而归于澄明，依调布理，景情理交融。

Line by line

莫听穿林打叶声，何妨吟啸且徐行。

Don't listen to the rain beating through the leaves in the forest; why not chant and stroll slowly? — 'Don't listen' and 'why not' show indifference to external disturbances; composure in the rain reflects inner composure, an open-minded beginning.

不要去听那穿林打叶的雨声，不妨放声吟啸、缓缓前行。

Hear not the rain threading the trees, beating the leaves; why not chant and whistle, and walk slowly on?

起笔二句即见旷达本色。「莫听」二字是主动的心理屏蔽——不去听那扰人心神的穿林打叶之声，实则是教人莫为外境所役；「何妨」一转，以反问的轻松将狼狈化为潇洒，「吟啸且徐行」写出晋人式的从容不迫。同行皆狼狈而苏轼独不觉，正在于此二字诀：外物之风雨不可控，而内心之从容可控。二句以极平易的口吻确立全词「不为境转」的主脑，景语即理语，起势便已超然，为后文「任平生」「无风雨无晴」的升华奠定基调。

The opening two lines show the broad-minded native at once. The two words hear not are the active psychological shielding — not hearing the rain that disturbs the mind, in truth teaching not to be enslaved by the outer realm; the why not turns, turning the plight into the ease through the rhetorical lightness; chant and whistle, and walk slowly on writes the Jin-style composure. The companions all in plight and Su Shi alone unaware, precisely in these two words: the outer wind and rain beyond control, and the inner composure controllable. Two lines, in the plainest tone, establish the ci's main mind of not being turned by the realm, the scenic words at once the reasoned words, the opening already transcendent, preparing the tone for the below's all my days and neither wind and rain nor clear sky.

竹杖芒鞋轻胜马，谁怕？一蓑烟雨任平生。

Bamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than horses; who's afraid? A straw cape suffices for a lifetime of mist and rain. — 'Lighter than horses' describes the joy of being free from worldly concerns; 'a lifetime' elevates the immediate rain into life's storms, opening up the realm.

拄着竹杖、穿着草鞋，比骑马还要轻快，又有什么可怕？一身蓑衣，任凭平生的烟雨。

A bamboo staff and straw sandals, lighter than a horse; what fear? In one straw cloak, I let the misty rain of all my days go as it will.

此三句为全词豪宕之脊。「竹杖芒鞋」是贬谪文人的寒素行装，本不足与「马」较，词人却说「轻胜马」，将物质之贫翻作精神之自由——无官身之累、无鞍马之羁，反觉轻快；「谁怕」二字反问，见坦荡胆气；「一蓑烟雨任平生」收束上片，将眼前一场山雨升华为平生所有风波的隐喻，一身蓑衣便足抵挡，任凭平生风雨来袭亦不改其度。三句由物及人、由景及志，把偶然遇雨写得如人生宣言，是苏轼「超然」人格最凝练的写照，千载之下读之犹觉胸襟为之开阔。

The three lines are the bold spine of the ci. The bamboo staff and straw sandals are the exiled scholar's plain gear, by nature not to be matched against the horse, and the poet says lighter than a horse, turning the material poverty into the spiritual freedom — no official body's burden, no saddle's bond, the more the easeful; the two words what fear, the rhetorical question, showing the open courage; in one straw cloak, I let the misty rain of all my days go as it will closes the first stanza, raising the present mountain rain to the metaphor of all the storms of life, one straw cloak enough to withstand, letting the life's wind and rain come and not altering the bearing. Three lines, from thing to person, from scene to will, writing the chance rain as if the life's manifesto, the most condensed portrait of Su Shi's transcendent personality, the breast opened wide read across the ages.

回首向来萧瑟处，归去，也无风雨也无晴。

Looking back at the bleak place I came from, I go home — neither wind nor rain nor sunshine. — 'Neither wind nor rain nor sunshine' uses double negation to express transcending gains and losses, integrating philosophy and poetic mood; it is the eye of the entire poem.

回头看刚才风雨萧瑟的地方，归去吧——既无所谓风雨，也无所谓晴明。

I look back at the bleak place I came through; go home — neither wind and rain, nor clear sky.

结拍三句由叙事跃入哲理，是全词的灵魂收束。「回首向来萧瑟处」回望方才风雨凄迷之地，此刻已云开日出；「归去」二字从容收束行旅，亦含陶渊明「归去来兮」的隐逸之趣；最要者在「也无风雨也无晴」——风雨与晴明本是外在气候的变换，于人心中却不应有分别，所谓风雨之惧、晴明之喜，皆是一时执念。此句深得庄子齐物、禅宗平常心之髓，将全词的旷达推至超越对待的最高境。它不只是写天晴，更是写心境的澄明：任它风雨晴明，我自归去，无喜无惧。余味悠长，是理趣词的点睛之笔。

The closing three lines leap from narration to philosophy, the soul's close of the ci. I look back at the bleak place I came through looks back at the rain-bewildered place, now the clouds parted and the sun out; the two words go home close the journey composedly, and also carry Tao Yuanming's home-going retirement; the most important is neither wind and rain, nor clear sky — wind and rain and clear sky by nature the outer weather's change, and in the human heart should have no distinction, the so-called fear of the storm and the joy of the clear, all the moment's fixation. The line deeply grasps Zhuangzi's equalization of things and the Chan ordinary mind, pushing the ci's breadth to the highest realm beyond the opposites. It writes not only the clearing sky, but the mind's clarity: let it storm, let it clear, I go home, no joy no fear. The aftertone long, the pointed stroke of the speculative ci.

Study

Word focus

任 'Endure' or 'let be' — writes the magnanimity to accept both favorable and adverse circumstances, expanding the momentary rain into a lifelong attitude; the soul of open-mindedness. 「一蓑烟雨任平生」之「任」字，是全词精神之核。它不作抵抗、不求解脱，而是全然地承受与交付——任凭平生烟雨加身，一身蓑衣便从容担起，不怨不避不惊。一个「任」字写出主动的豁达：不是无奈忍受，而是淡然任之、与境遇共舞。它与上片「莫听」「何妨」呼应，构成一套面对逆境的完整姿态（不听、不妨、不惧、任之）。若易以「对」「抗」「经」皆失其从容，「任」字之妙正在于顺而不屈、柔中有刚，是苏轼「随物赋形」人生观的凝练表达。

也无 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「也无风雨也无晴」中「也无」二字重复，形成「无…无…」的排摒句式，语气决绝而平静。它要摒去的不是风雨晴明本身，而是人对二者的分别执着——怕风雨、喜晴明，皆是一时心境的黏着。「也无」以双重否定将对立的二者一并抹平，归于「如如不动」的平常心。这二字承庄子「齐物」而来，将前文所有景语（雨、风、斜照）最终化为心中无别，是理趣收束的关键。平淡二字，却举重若轻地完成了由景及理的飞跃，足见炼字之深。