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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

四时田园杂兴·昼出耘田

Four Seasons in the Fields: Weeding by Day

范成大

Fan Chengda

田园Pastoral 农事Farming

昼出耘田夜绩麻，村庄儿女各当家。
童孙未解供耕织，也傍桑阴学种瓜。

By day we weed the fields, at night we twist the hemp;
Each man and woman in the village takes his or her own task.
The little grandchildren, not yet able to plough or weave,
By the mulberry's shade learn how to plant seeds and grow.

Listen

Meaning

The poem describes a day in a farming village: men weed fields by day, women twist hemp by night, and even children imitate adults by learning to plant melons under a mulberry tree.

白昼男人们下田除草，夜晚女人们在家搓麻线，村庄里男女老少各司其职、各自当家。那些年幼的孙儿们还不懂如何去从事耕田织布，却也傍着桑树荫下学着种瓜。诗人以白描笔法勾勒出农家昼夜忙碌、勤劳自立的生动图景，充满生活气息。

Appreciation

Using simple, direct language, the poet paints a vivid picture of farm life—adults busy with their chores and children playfully mimicking them. The contrast between the adults' serious work and the children's innocent imitation adds warmth and charm.

【白话串讲】白天锄田，夜里搓麻，村里的男女各有各的活。小孩子还不懂种田织布，也在桑树荫下学着种瓜。范成大把中国农村的烟火气，写进了教科书。【意象与手法】诗仅四句而层次分明：前两句概写成人昼夜劳作、各司其职，后两句特写儿童效仿种瓜。运用白描，「耘田」「绩麻」「耕织」「种瓜」皆为农事术语，语言朴素如话。「未解」与「也傍」形成转折，于对比中生出童趣，构图如田园风俗画。【情感与主旨】《四时田园杂兴》共六十首，分春日、晚春、夏日、秋日、冬日五组，作于宋孝宗淳熙十三年范成大退隐石湖期间。此首属夏日组第一首，写江南农村夏忙景象，是诗人晚年田园诗的代表，反映其对农家生活的细致观察。【名句点睛】常考「童孙未解供耕织，也傍桑阴学种瓜」的童趣与劳动传统；「昼出耘田夜绩麻」的农事分工描写；全诗白描手法与田园风俗画的特点。

Background

This poem is part of a series of 60 poems on rural life written by Fan Chengda during his retirement in Shihu (Suzhou) in 1186 CE. It reflects his keen observation of southern Chinese farming communities.

范成大（1126—1193），字致能，号石湖居士，吴郡（今江苏苏州）人，南宋中兴四大诗人之一，与尤袤、杨万里、陆游齐名。《四时田园杂兴》六十首作于宋孝宗淳熙十三年（1186）范成大退隐苏州石湖期间，分春日、晚春、夏日、秋日、冬日五组，每组十二首，此首属夏日组第一首。范成大一生历官多地，曾任处州知州、四川制置使、参知政事等职，晚年退居石湖，与农民日夕相处，对江南农村的生产生活有真切观察。他这组田园诗不同于王维、孟浩然式的隐逸田园，也不同于陶渊明的躬耕自述，而是以「观察者」与「参与者」的双重身份，系统书写农家的四季劳作、风俗民情，被钱钟书誉为「中国古代田园诗的集大成」之作。此诗写江南夏忙时节农家昼夜不息的劳动场景与孩童耳濡目染的模仿，既见农事之勤，又见天伦之趣，是组诗中最脍炙人口的一首。范成大晚年退居石湖，自号石湖居士，其《四时田园杂兴》六十首被钱钟书誉为「中国古代田园诗的集大成」。与王维、孟浩然的隐逸田园诗不同，范成大笔下的田园是农民真实劳作与生活的田园，他写耕织、写灾荒、写赋税、写节俗，把农家的酸甜苦辣尽收笔底，具有风俗志的价值。此首写夏日农忙：昼耘夜绩、各当家、童孙学种瓜，四句之间，农家勤苦与天伦之趣交织，正是组诗「以组诗写四时、以实景写农家」宗旨的体现，也见南宋田园诗由隐逸之趣向民生之实的转型。

Art

The poem uses plain narrative, juxtaposing day and night, adults and children. The transition from the adults' work to the children's play is seamless, creating a balanced, lifelike sketch.

诗仅四句而层次分明，构图如一幅田园风俗画。前两句「昼出耘田夜绩麻，村庄儿女各当家」概写成人世界的劳作分工：「昼」与「夜」对举，写农家从早到晚无一刻闲暇；「耘田」是男耕，「绩麻」是女织，点出「男耕女织」的农耕社会基本分工；「各当家」三字朴质有力，写村庄儿女各自主持一份生计、各司其职，勤勉自立的精神跃然纸上。后两句「童孙未解供耕织，也傍桑阴学种瓜」由成人转写孩童：孙儿们还不懂耕织之事，却也学着大人的样子，在桑树荫下种瓜。「未解」写其年幼无知，「也傍」写其模仿成人的天性，一转折间，童趣与劳动传统的传承同时托出。全诗白描如话，不用一个形容词渲染，而农家之勤、童稚之趣、生活之味，皆在朴素的文字中自然呈现，正是范成大田园诗「以平易写真实」的典型笔法。此诗在艺术上还有一个不易察觉的妙处：「各当家」写成人各司其职是实写，「学种瓜」写孩童模仿是虚写，一实一虚、一正一戏，使全诗既有写实的质感，又有天真的趣味；而「昼出耘田夜绩麻」以「昼」「夜」对举写时间之全，「村庄儿女」与「童孙」并举写年龄之全，时间的全与人的全相合，正是「田园风俗画」的完整性所在。诗人以最朴素的语言写最真实的农家，不夸饰、不粉饰，其「以平易写真实」的笔法，正是南宋田园诗成熟的标志。

Allusions

The imagery of farming (weeding, twisting hemp, ploughing, weaving) continues the tradition of agricultural poems dating back to the Book of Songs. The poet’s emphasis on self-sufficiency echoes the ideal of a harmonious rural society.

此诗用语平实，几无典故，其「用事」主要体现在对农事诗传统的继承与化用。「耘田」「绩麻」「耕织」承《诗经·豳风·七月》「三之日于耜，四之日举趾」「昼尔于茅，宵尔索绹」以来农事诗的传统，《七月》正是中国文学史上第一部系统描写农事劳作的伟大诗篇，范成大此诗以组诗写四时农事，正与《七月》以时令为纲的体例一脉相承。「各当家」化用「男耕女织」的农耕社会图景，这一图景自《孟子》「五亩之宅，树之以桑」以来便是中国田园理想的基本形态。「桑阴」之「桑」亦是农事诗的核心意象，桑树既是养蚕织布的物质基础，又是田园风光的标志。「学种瓜」暗含劳动教育于生活之中的传统观念——孩童效仿成人，正是农耕文明技艺传承的基本方式。全诗以常语写常事，不着典故而古意自在，正见范成大深得《诗经》农事诗精神而不屑于掉书袋的本色。就农事诗传统而言，此诗还暗合《诗经》以来「重农」「悯农」的双重意蕴：《七月》写农事之勤，是「重农」；《伐檀》刺不劳而获，是「悯农」；范成大此诗写农家昼夜劳作、孩童亦学种瓜，既见农事之勤，又暗含对劳动的尊重，与《七月》的「重农」传统一脉相承。而「村庄儿女各当家」的自立自强，又与《诗经》「夙兴夜寐，毋忝尔所生」的勤勉之训相通，全诗于寻常农事中寄寓着农耕文明最基本的价值观念，正是范成大田园诗「风俗史」价值的缩影。

Commentary

Qian Zhongshu praised Fan Chengda's pastoral poems as 'the culmination of ancient Chinese pastoral poetry'. This poem, with its plain language and warm touch, is often anthologized as a model of baimiao (plain sketching).

钱钟书《宋诗选注》评范成大田园诗「算得中国古代田园诗的集大成」，认为其「把田园生活里的种种方面都写到了，尤其是把劳动和农村里琐屑的事情都写进去了」，这正切中《四时田园杂兴》的价值所在——它突破了传统田园诗只写闲适隐逸的窠臼，把农家的劳作、灾害、赋税、节俗统统纳入诗境，具有风俗史的意义。此首《昼出耘田》则因其对劳动与童趣的双重书写而成为组诗中流传最广的一首：成人昼夜劳作是「勤」，孩童傍桑学种瓜是「趣」，勤与趣相映，构成一幅既辛劳又温馨的江南夏忙图。论者常以范成大的田园诗与陶渊明、王维比较：陶诗写田园是「自己种」，王诗写田园是「自己看」，范诗写田园是「替农民写」，三者的视角之别，正见中国田园诗由隐逸之趣到民生之实的演进。此诗语言平易、画面鲜活，至今仍是选本必录、课堂常讲的田园诗典范。从接受史看，此诗是《四时田园杂兴》六十首中流传最广的一首，也是中国小学、中学语文教材的常选篇目，几代中国人都是通过这首诗认识范成大与古代江南农村的。论者常以「童孙未解供耕织，也傍桑阴学种瓜」与清代袁枚《所见》、唐代胡令能《小儿垂钓》并论，共为古典诗歌写童趣的名句，而此句的独特处在于：童趣之中有劳动，天真之中见传承，把游戏与劳作、童稚与家风融为一体，其思想内涵之丰厚，远超一般的童趣诗，这正是范成大此诗历久弥新的根本原因。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain七言绝句（平起首句入韵式）

Rhyme Lines 1, 2, and 4 rhyme in the 'ma' rhyme group (six ma)押平水韵下平六麻韵，「麻」「家」「瓜」相押，首句入韵，一韵到底。

Tone pattern Level-tone opening with the first line rhyming; language is colloquial and natural首句「昼出耘田夜绩麻」平起平收，为平起首句入韵式，格律平正，音节和缓如话。

Reading note Part of a series known as 'rural epic', this poem exemplifies Fan Chengda's accessible style.此诗为七言绝句正格，平起首句入韵，押平声麻韵，三韵到底，音节平易和缓，正合田园诗的恬淡风味。七绝四句的体制，恰宜承载「概写—特写」的两层结构：前两句以对举句式概写成人昼夜劳作，后两句以转折句式特写儿童模仿种瓜，前宽后紧、前实后虚，章法简洁而层次分明。语言上全用口语与农事常语：「耘田」「绩麻」「耕织」「种瓜」皆是农家日常用语，「各当家」「未解」「也傍」更是朴素如话，几乎不事雕琢，而画面、情趣、深意俱在其中，正是范成大「田园诗语言自然平易」主张的体现。此诗虽为近体绝句，却深得乐府民歌以常语写常事的精神，与白居易《池上》等唐人写农家小景的绝句一脉相承，而更多一份对劳动本身的尊重与书写，是宋代田园诗走向成熟的一个标志。

Line by line

昼出耘田夜绩麻，村庄儿女各当家。

By day we weed the fields, at night we twist the hemp; each man and woman in the village takes his or her own task.

白天外出锄草、夜晚搓麻织布，村中男女都各司其职、当家理事。

Out at dawn to weed the fields, at night to twist hemp thread; the village men and women each run their own household.

首二句以对举写农家整日的劳作，是全诗的总纲。「昼出耘田」写白昼男丁下田除草，「夜绩麻」写夜晚妇女在家搓麻线，一昼一夜、一出田一居家，两句便勾勒出农家从清晨到深夜没有片刻停歇的忙碌图景，也点出「男耕女织」这一农耕文明的基本分工。妙在「各当家」三字：不写劳作之「苦」，而写各人「当家」的自主与尽责——村庄里的男女老少各自主持自己的一份生计，虽劳苦而井然有序、生气勃勃，这既是写实，也暗含诗人对农家勤劳自立的由衷赞许。「各」字与「昼」「夜」相应，人人有分工、时时无闲人，短短三字，农家勤勉的精神面貌已然立起，为后文孩童的模仿提供了现实的环境。

The opening two lines using the parallel for the farm household's whole-day toil, the whole poem's master plan. The out-at-dawn-to-weed-the-fields writing the day's men's field weeding, the at-night-to-twist-hemp-thread writing the night's women's home hemp-twisting, one-day-one-night, one-field-one-home, two lines then outlining the farm household's from dawn to deep-night's no-moment's-rest busy picture, and pointing out the men-plough-women-weave farming-civilization basic division. The wonder in the each-run-their-own-household three words: not writing the toil's bitterness, and yet writing each one's household-running's autonomy-and-dutifulness — the village's men-women-old-and-young each presiding over their own livelihood, though toiling and yet orderly and alive, this at once realism, and secretly the poet's heartfelt praise for the farmer's diligence-and-self-reliance. The each word and the day and night's answering, everyone's division and every moment's no-idler, three short words, the farmer's diligent spirit already standing, storing the ground for the below children's imitation's real environment.

童孙未解供耕织，也傍桑阴学种瓜。

The little grandchildren, not yet able to plough or weave, by the mulberry's shade learn how to plant seeds and grow.

小孙儿还不会从事耕织，却也傍着桑树荫下学着种瓜。

The small grandchildren cannot yet plough or weave, yet in the mulberry shade they learn to plant melons.

后二句由成人转写孩童，是全诗童趣所在，也是流传最广的名句。「未解」写孙儿年幼，尚不懂得耕田织布之事，这是实情，也是铺垫；「也傍桑阴学种瓜」陡然一转：虽然不懂，却也学着大人的模样，在桑树荫下种起瓜来。「也」字最妙，写出孩童「看样学样」的天性——大人们各自劳作，孩子们便也煞有介事地模仿，种得好坏不论，那份认真劲儿已令人莞尔。桑阴之下，稚子学种瓜，画面清新温馨，既有劳动传统在耳濡目染中自然传承的深意，又为辛劳的农忙添上一笔天真的亮色。「未解」与「也傍」的转折，使全诗由写「勤」转入写「趣」，勤与趣相映成趣，正是此诗超越一般农事诗之处。

The latter two lines from the adult turning to the child, the whole poem's child-delight place, and the most widely famed line. The cannot-yet-plough-or-weave writing the grandchild's young age, still not knowing the ploughing-and-weaving matter, this the fact, and the foreshadowing; the yet-in-the-mulberry-shade-they-learn-to-plant-melons' sharp turn: though not knowing, and yet imitating the adults' manner, in the mulberry shade's planting melons. The yet word the wonder, writing the child's watch-and-imitate nature — the adults each toiling, the children then also in all seriousness imitating, the planting's good-or-bad regardless, that earnestness's already the smile. Beneath the mulberry shade, the little child's learning to plant melons, the picture fresh and warm, at once the farming tradition's in-the-ear-and-eye's-natural-transmission deep meaning, and the toiling farm's adding one innocent bright stroke. The cannot-yet and the yet-in's turn, turning the whole poem from diligence-writing to delight-writing, diligence-and-delight's mutual charm, precisely this poem's surpassing-the-ordinary-farming-poem place.

Study

Word focus

各当家 each takes charge of his/her own duty 「村庄儿女各当家」之「各当家」，是全诗写农家精神面貌的核心词。「当家」本指主持家务、主管生计，此处说村庄里的儿女各自主持一份生计，看似平常，实则大有深意：它写出了农家「人人有责、个个自立」的劳动秩序——不分男女老幼，各人有各人的事，各人当各人的家，勤勉、自主、有序。「各」字是题眼，与上句「昼出耘田夜绩麻」的分工描写相应：白日里男子当家于田，夜晚妇女当家于机杼，各安其分、各尽其力。这简朴的二字，把抽象的劳动观念化为具体的家庭图景，比任何夸饰都更有力量，也暗含诗人对农家自食其力精神的尊重，是范成大以平常语写深意的典范。

学 learn (implying imitation and play) 「也傍桑阴学种瓜」之「学」字，是全诗童趣的枢纽，举重若轻。孩童「未解供耕织」，本与劳作无涉，却偏偏要「学种瓜」——这个「学」字写出了儿童天然的好奇心与模仿欲：大人们日出而作、日落而息，孩子们看在眼里，便也学着刨土、下种、浇水，煞有介事地做大人做的事。一个「学」字，既有稚子憨态可掬的画面感，又暗含劳动传统代代相传的深意——农耕文明的技艺与勤勉，正是在这「学」的模仿中悄无声息地传承下去。若换作「试」「戏」等字，或失之轻浮，或失之刻意，唯有「学」字，既见其认真，又见其稚气，于朴素中见灵动，正合全诗「于平实处见真趣」的风格。