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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

苏舜钦·沧浪亭

The Canglang Pavilion

苏舜钦

Su Shunqin

山水landscape 感怀reflection

沧浪亭一迳抱幽山，居然城市间。
高轩面曲水，修竹慰愁颜。
迹与豺狼远，心随鱼鸟闲。
吾甘老此境，无暇事机关。

A path winds to embrace a secluded hill, yet within the city's din.
A lofty porch faces the winding stream; tall bamboos soothe the worried brow.
My trace is far from jackals and wolves; my heart follows the fish and birds at leisure.
I am content to grow old in this place, with no time for scheming.

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Meaning

A path winds to embrace a secluded hill, yet it sits right within the city. A lofty porch faces the winding stream; the tall bamboos soothe the worried brow. My footsteps keep far from the jackals and wolves (the wicked); my heart follows the fish and birds in leisure. I am content to grow old in this spot, with no time to busy myself with intrigue.

一条小径环抱幽山，竟坐落在城市之中。高敞轩窗面对曲水，修竹抚慰愁容。行迹远离豺狼（奸邪），心神随鱼鸟悠闲。我甘愿终老此境，无暇钻营权术。

Appreciation

This five-character regulated poem opens on the disjunction of 'a garden-hill within the city': 'a path winds to embrace a secluded hill, yet within the city's din' finds seclusion amid the noisy world, novel in conception. The middle two couplets are neatly antithetical: 'a lofty porch faces the winding stream' against 'tall bamboos soothe the worried brow', thing and self consoling each other; 'my trace far from jackals and wolves' against 'my heart follows the fish and birds', using 'jackals and wolves' for the wicked and 'fish and birds' for freedom, showing character through contrast. The closing 'I am content to grow old here, with no time for scheming' states the breast directly, joining the joy of retirement with a disdain for court intrigue. The language is plain yet the feeling true; beneath the leisurely calm hides the lone pride and injustice after demotion, a fine work of the Song manner of 'tempering feeling with reason'.

【白话串讲】 “一迳抱幽山，居然城市间”——苏舜钦被贬后建沧浪亭：一条小径环抱幽山。“迹与豺狼远，心随鱼鸟闲”——远离豺狼，心随鱼鸟。“吾甘老此境，无暇事机关”——我甘心老死在这里。【意象与手法】全诗以“城市山林”的错位感开篇：“一迳抱幽山，居然城市间”于喧嚣中得幽境，立意新颖。中二联对仗工稳【情感与主旨】苏舜钦（1008—1048），字子美，北宋诗人，与梅尧臣并称“梅苏” 【名句点睛】中高考常考：一、立意，“城市山林”的反差之妙；二、对仗，中二联如何以物我、人禽对比写志趣

Background

Su Shunqin (1008-1048), courtesy Zimei, was a Northern Song poet ranked with Mei Yaochen as the 'Mei and Su'. In the fourth year of Qingli (1044), for supporting Fan Zhongyan's New Policies, he was impeached by the conservative faction over the 'Shrine-Offering at the Communications Office' affair and dismissed; he retired to Suzhou, bought a former Wu-Yue garden for forty thousand cash, built a pavilion named 'Canglang' (from the 'Canglang Stream' song in the Mencius), and styled himself the Old Man of Canglang. This five-character regulated poem writes the ease of that retirement. The background of the failed New Policies and the banished worthy makes 'my trace far from jackals and wolves' a veiled scorn for his enemies, and 'no time for scheming' a disdain for intrigue, beneath the leisure hides the lone pride and anger after demotion.

《沧浪亭》为北宋诗人苏舜钦所作。苏舜钦（1008—1048），字子美，梓州铜山人，北宋诗人，与梅尧臣并称“苏梅”。此诗写沧浪亭之幽与闲居之志：一迳抱幽山，居然城市间；高轩面曲水，修竹慰愁颜；迹与豺狼远，心随鱼鸟闲；吾甘老此境，无暇事机关。全诗写沧浪亭之幽与闲居之乐，是苏舜钦谪居苏州时的代表作。

Art

The poem opens on the disjunction of 'a garden-hill within the city': 'a path winds to embrace a secluded hill, yet within the city's din' finds seclusion amid the noisy world, novel in conception. The middle two couplets are neatly antithetical: 'a lofty porch faces the winding stream' against 'tall bamboos soothe the worried brow', thing and self consoling; 'my trace far from jackals and wolves' against 'my heart follows the fish and birds', with 'jackals and wolves' for the wicked and 'fish and birds' for freedom, showing character through contrast. The closing 'I am content to grow old in this place, with no time for scheming' states the breast directly, joining the joy of retirement with a disdain for court scheming. The language is plain yet the feeling true; beneath the leisurely calm hides the lone wrath after demotion, a fine Song work of 'tempering feeling with reason'.

《沧浪亭》艺术上以写景的幽静与抒怀的淡远见长。全诗八句，层层写来：首联写亭之幽——“一迳抱幽山，居然城市间”写幽径抱山、城市中之幽境；颔联写亭之景——“高轩面曲水，修竹慰愁颜”写轩对曲水、修竹慰颜；颈联写闲居之志——“迹与豺狼远，心随鱼鸟闲”写远豺狼、随鱼鸟；尾联写终老之愿——“吾甘老此境，无暇事机关”写甘老此境。全诗以写景的幽静写抒怀的淡远，是苏舜钦“沧浪亭”组诗的代表作。

Allusions

'Canglang' comes from the 'Canglang Song' quoted in the Mencius (the 'Canglang's water is clear, I can wash my cap-string; muddy, I can wash my feet'), hinting at taking things as they come and keeping oneself safe by wisdom; Su Shunqin took it for the pavilion's name, a self-portrait of his post-demotion mind. 'Jackals and wolves' derives from the Zuo Zhuan ('jackals and wolves block the way') and Du Fu ('jackals in the town, dragons in the wild'), meaning the treacherous at court. 'Fish and birds' inherits the Zhuangzi's bridge and Tao Qian's 'the birds return together' of carefree image. The allusions melt into plain description, leaving no trace yet bearing deep meaning, the Song poem's wonder of 'making the old new'.

《沧浪亭》用典在“沧浪”“豺狼”“鱼鸟”“机关”。“沧浪”用《孟子》“沧浪之水清兮，可以濯吾缨；沧浪之水浊兮，可以濯吾足”之典，写归隐之志；“迹与豺狼远”写远离小人；“心随鱼鸟闲”写心随鱼鸟而闲；“机关”写机心权谋。全词以这些典故写闲居之志，用典自然而意蕴深远，正是苏舜钦写归隐之志的笔法。

Commentary

Ouyang Xiu's Poetry Talk of the Six-One Recluse much admired Su Shunqin's poetry, saying 'in poetry he prized bold, free vigour'; yet this regulated poem alone favours pure elegance. The modern Qian Zhongshu, in Song Poems Selected and Annotated, said it 'among demotion poems counts as restrained and worth pondering'. Later critics often read 'The Canglang Pavilion' with its 'Record of the Canglang Pavilion', holding 'the prose is flowing, the poem is few words yet the meaning is complete'; its line 'no time for scheming' best shows the lone pride of the demoted scholar who would not join the cooperation, keeping his own clear integrity.

《沧浪亭》是苏舜钦谪居苏州时的代表作，也是其写闲居之志的名篇。此诗写沧浪亭之幽与闲居之乐，向为论者称道。论者多赏其“迹与豺狼远，心随鱼鸟闲”一联——以“远豺狼”“随鱼鸟”写远小人而近自然，淡远而有骨气；“吾甘老此境，无暇事机关”写终老此境，更见其志。苏舜钦因事罢官而退居苏州，筑沧浪亭以自适，此诗正是其写照——以亭之幽写志之远，正是其清刚淡远的风格。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated poem (five-character lü)五言律诗

Rhyme Ping-shui rhyme, jian group (din, brow, leisure, scheming)《沧浪亭》为五言律诗，八句，押平声韵。此诗用韵：间、颜、闲、关（删部），一韵到底，音节工整。颔联“高轩面曲水，修竹慰愁颜”为工对，颈联“迹与豺狼远，心随鱼鸟闲”为工对。

Tone pattern First line enters rhyme, oblique-onset; level and oblique per the five-lü norm五言律诗讲究平仄相间、对仗工整。此诗首联写亭之幽，音节从容；颔联写亭之景，音节清雅；颈联写闲居之志，音节淡远；尾联写终老之愿，音节坚定。全诗一韵到底，声调与闲居淡远的内容相合，是五律中清刚淡远的一路。

Reading note A Song demotion-leisure poem; neat antithesis, plain language, true feeling.《沧浪亭》为五言律诗，是苏舜钦谪居苏州时的代表作。此诗写沧浪亭之幽与闲居之志：首联写幽径抱山、城市之间，颔联写高轩曲水、修竹慰颜，颈联写远豺狼、随鱼鸟，尾联写甘老此境、不事机关。以写景的幽静写抒怀的淡远，正是苏舜钦罢官后筑沧浪亭以自适的写照，也是其清刚淡远风格的代表。

Line by line

一迳抱幽山，居然城市间。

One path embraces the quiet hill, yet here it stands, within the city.

一条小径环绕着幽静的山，居然在城市之间。

A single path winds around a quiet hill, and here it stands, within the city.

首联写亭之幽，是全诗的起笔。“一迳抱幽山”写幽径抱山——“一迳”写一条小径，“抱幽山”写环绕幽静之山——一条小径，环绕着幽山；“居然城市间”写其在城市之间——“居然”写竟然，“城市间”写在城市之中——如此幽境，居然在城市之间。两句写亭之幽：一迳抱幽山，居然在城市间。以“一迳抱幽山”写其幽，以“居然城市间”写其幽于市尘之中，正是苏舜钦写沧浪亭的笔法——城市之中而有幽山，正是归隐之佳处。

The opening couplet writes the pavilion's seclusion, the whole poem's starting stroke. The one-path-embraces-the-quiet-hill writing the sequestered path's embracing the hill; the and-here-it-stands-within-the-city writing the urban surprise. Two lines writing the pavilion's seclusion: the winding path and the urban setting. Using the path's hill-embrace for the seclusion, and the urban-place for the city-dust's amid, precisely Su Shunqin's Canglang Pavilion brush — within the city and yet the quiet hill, precisely the hermitage's fine place.

高轩面曲水，修竹慰愁颜。

The high pavilion faces the winding stream; tall bamboos console the grieving face.

高高的轩窗面对曲折的水流，修长的竹子慰藉着愁容。

The lofty pavilion faces the winding water; tall bamboos soothe the sorrowful face.

颔联写亭之景，是全诗写景的关键。“高轩面曲水”写轩对曲水——“高轩”写高敞之轩，“面曲水”写面对曲水——高轩临水，面对曲流；“修竹慰愁颜”写修竹慰颜——“修竹”写修长之竹，“慰愁颜”写慰藉愁容——修竹摇曳，慰其愁颜。两句写亭之景：高轩对曲水，修竹慰愁颜。以“高轩面曲水”写亭之临水，以“修竹慰愁颜”写竹之慰人，正是苏舜钦写沧浪亭之景、以景慰愁的笔法——轩水修竹，正可消愁。

The middle couplet writes the pavilion's scene, the whole poem's scene-writing key. The lofty-pavilion-faces-the-winding-water writing the pavilion's facing the stream; the tall-bamboos-soothe-the-sorrowful-face writing the bamboo's consoling the face. Two lines writing the pavilion's scene: the high pavilion before the winding water, the tall bamboos consoling the face. Using the pavilion's stream-facing for the water's edge, and the bamboo's face-consoling for the bamboo's easing grief, precisely Su Shunqin's Canglang Pavilion scene-and-grief-soothing brush — the pavilion, water, and bamboos fit to dispel care.

迹与豺狼远，心随鱼鸟闲。

My steps are far from jackals and wolves; my heart follows fish and birds in ease.

踪迹与豺狼远离，心随鱼鸟而闲。

My tracks are far from jackals and wolves; my heart follows fish and birds in leisure.

颈联写闲居之志，是全诗抒怀的核心。“迹与豺狼远”写远离小人——“迹”写踪迹，“豺狼”喻小人，“远”写远离——踪迹与豺狼（小人）远离；“心随鱼鸟闲”写心随鱼鸟——“心随”写心相随，“鱼鸟闲”写鱼鸟之闲适——心随鱼鸟，归于闲适。两句写闲居之志：踪迹远离豺狼小人，心随鱼鸟而闲。以“豺狼”喻小人、以“鱼鸟”喻自然，写其远离小人而亲近自然，正是苏舜钦写闲居之志的笔法——远小人而随鱼鸟，正是其罢官后心境。

The neck couplet writes the retired-life resolve, the whole poem's feeling core. The my-tracks-are-far-from-jackals-and-wolves writing the villains' distance — the jackals-and-wolves metaphor for the mean men; the my-heart-follows-fish-and-birds-in-leisure writing the heart's following the fish-and-birds' ease. Two lines writing the retired resolve: the tracks far from the wolf-like villains, the heart's at ease with fish and birds. Using the jackals-and-wolves for the mean men and the fish-and-birds for the nature, writing the villains' distance and the nature's nearness, precisely Su Shunqin's retired-resolve brush — far from the mean men and with the fish-and-birds, his post-dismissal mood.

吾甘老此境，无暇事机关。

Here I gladly grow old; I have no heart for cunning schemes.

我甘愿终老于此境，无暇再玩弄机心权谋。

I gladly grow old in this place; I have no time for cunning scheming.

尾联写终老之愿，是全诗的归结。“吾甘老此境”写甘老此境——“吾甘”写我甘愿，“老此境”写终老于此境——我甘愿终老于沧浪亭；“无暇事机关”写不事机心——“无暇”写无暇，“事机关”写玩弄机心权谋——无暇再玩弄机关。两句写终老之愿：我甘老此境，无暇事机关。以“甘老此境”写其归隐之决，以“无暇事机关”写其弃机心之志，正是苏舜钦写闲居之志的归结——终老沧浪，不事权谋。

The tail couplet writes the growing-old wish, the whole poem's close. The I-gladly-grow-old-in-this-place writing the willing-aging; the I-have-no-time-for-cunning-scheming writing the cunning-rejection. Two lines writing the growing-old wish: gladly aging here, no scheming. Using the gladly-growing-old for the hermitage's resolve, and the no-scheming for the cunning-abandonment, precisely Su Shunqin's retired-resolve close — growing old at the Canglang, no crafty plots.

Study

Word focus

抱 Personified: the path 'embraces' the secluded hill, writing the intimacy of hill and wood. “一迳抱幽山”之“抱”，写小径环绕幽山，是全诗写亭之幽的关键字。“抱”写环绕——一条小径，环绕着幽山。这一字写径与山之势：不是穿过之径，而是抱山之径；不是寻常之径，而是环绕幽山之径。以“抱”写径，正是苏舜钦炼字写幽的笔法——一个“抱”字，写尽小径环绕幽山之态。

慰 The tall bamboo 'soothes' the worry, thing and self at ease, serene. “修竹慰愁颜”之“慰”，写修竹慰藉愁容，是全诗写景慰人的关键字。“慰”写慰藉——修竹摇曳，慰其愁容。这一字写竹之作用：不是无情的竹，而是慰人之竹；不是仅可观赏之景，而是可慰愁颜之景。以“慰”写竹，正是苏舜钦以景慰愁、写沧浪亭之宜人的笔法——修竹可慰愁颜。

豺狼 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “迹与豺狼远”之“豺狼”，以豺狼喻小人，是全诗写远离小人的关键词。“豺狼”写凶残之兽，喻权奸小人——踪迹与豺狼远离。这一词写其罢官后远离小人：不是与豺狼同处，而是远之；不是退隐于朝，而是远离于市。以“豺狼”喻小人，正是苏舜钦写闲居之志、以峻词写远恶的笔法——豺狼当道，远之可也。

机关 Means court scheming and intrigue; in the disdain hides a lone pride. “无暇事机关”之“机关”，写机心权谋，是全诗写弃机心之志的关键词。“机关”写机巧权谋——无暇再玩弄机关。这一词写其弃权谋之心：不是有心机之人，而是无暇事机关；不是留恋权谋，而是厌弃之。以“无暇事机关”写弃机心，正是苏舜钦写归隐之志的归结——终老沧浪，不事权谋。