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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

小池

Little Pond

杨万里

Yang Wanli

写景Scenery 咏物Object-Chanting 自然Nature

泉眼无声惜细流，树阴照水爱晴柔。
小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头。

The spring silently cherishes its thin stream,
The tree shadow loves the water clear and soft.
Only the lotus tip emerges from the pond,
A dragonfly has already perched aloft.

Listen

Meaning

The spring silently cherishes its thin stream; the tree shadow reflects on the water, loving the gentle sunshine. A tiny lotus leaf has just emerged with its pointed tip, but a dragonfly has already landed on it.

泉眼悄然无声，像是怜惜那一缕细细的水流；树影映照在水面，仿佛喜爱这晴日里柔和的波光。小小的荷叶才刚刚露出尖尖的角儿，早已有蜻蜓轻轻立在了上头。

Appreciation

The poet captures a fresh early summer moment by a small pond: the spring cherishes the stream, the tree shadow loves the water, tender and quiet; the new lotus has just shown its tip, and a dragonfly has already perched, full of life. The first two lines use personification with 'cherish' and 'love', creating a quiet, delicate scene. The last two lines use 'just' and 'already' to show time coincidence, depicting the liveliness of nature. The poem is known for its refined diction and fresh observation.

【白话串讲】 “小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头”——泉眼、树阴、小荷、蜻蜓，杨万里用二十八个字，画出了初夏最安静的一角。细小的美好，被他写成了永恒。【意象与手法】此诗最见诚斋体之妙在拟人化与炼字。「泉眼无声惜细流，树阴照水爱晴柔」以「惜」「爱」赋自然以人情，静景中溢出温柔；「小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头」以「才」「早」二字写瞬间的巧合与机趣，画面轻盈灵动，语言浅白如口语而韵味悠长。【情感与主旨】杨万里一生作诗两万余首，自成「诚斋体」，以活脱通透、善捕捉自然小景著称。此诗于寻常小池之景中捕捉初夏的生机与情趣，以小见大，于细微处见生意，是诚斋体小诗的标本。【名句点睛】常考「小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头」的画面描写与炼字（「才」「早」）——一写生命之新，一写天机之敏。

Background

Yang Wanli wrote over 20,000 poems, forming the 'Chengzhai style', known for vividly capturing natural scenes. This poem was likely written during his early official career or at home, on an early summer day by a pond. He abandoned the rigid style of the Jiangxi school and turned to nature; this poem epitomizes his principle of finding vitality in ordinary scenes.

杨万里（1127—1206），字廷秀，号诚斋，吉州吉水（今江西吉安）人，南宋中兴四大诗人之一。他一生作诗两万余首，数量居南宋诗人之冠，早年学江西诗派，中年后尽焚旧作，转向「师法自然」，自成「诚斋体」，以活脱通透、善捕捉自然小景著称。此诗约作于其早年任地方官或家居期间，具体年月难确考，当写于初夏观池所得。诗人摒去江西诗派瘦硬之习，主张「万象毕来，搜抉于微」，此诗正是其创作主张的缩影——于平常小池之景中，写出别人不经意的生机与情趣。宋人爱写自然小景，杨万里尤善于此，他曾在诗论中自述「传宗传派我替羞，作家各自一风流」，强调自成一家。此诗写泉、树、荷、蜓四物，俱是寻常，而一经诗人点化，便觉活泼灵动，童趣盎然，是诚斋体小诗的典型标本，也是宋诗「以俗为雅、以活见长」一路的典范。全诗二十八字，正是其「眼前景、口头语，便是诗家绝妙辞」主张的生动注脚。

Art

The poem's artistry lies in personification and diction. 'Cherish' and 'love' personify the spring and tree shadow, infusing stillness with tenderness; 'just' and 'already' create a moment of coincidence and wit, light and lively. The entire poem depicts a small scene but conveys profound vitality, with simple language and lasting charm, embodying Yang Wanli's poetic pursuit.

此诗最见诚斋体之妙，在拟人化与炼字二字。首联「泉眼无声惜细流，树阴照水爱晴柔」，以「惜」「爱」二字赋自然以人情：泉眼本是无声的泉口，着一「惜」字，便似在怜惜那一缕细流，舍不得它流走；树阴本是静态的投影，着一「爱」字，便似在喜爱这晴日里柔和的波光，静景之中溢出脉脉温情。诗人把无情之物写得有情，正是诚斋体「以物观物」的独到之处。次联「小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头」，以「才露」「早有」二字写瞬间的巧合与机趣：荷叶初生，卷曲如角，刚刚探出水面，蜻蜓便已先知先觉地立在上面，一「才」一「早」，把生命的萌发与天机的灵动写在一帧画面里。全诗句句写小景，却以小见大，于细微处见生意；语言浅白如口语，而韵味悠长，正是杨万里「死蛇解弄活泼泼地」的诗学追求——把死景写活，把俗景写雅，这正是诚斋体独步南宋诗坛的原因。全诗一气浑成，不露斧凿之痕，正是诚斋体「活法」的最高境界。

Allusions

No obscure allusions; pure white sketch. 'Pointed tip' refers to the curled shape of a tender lotus leaf, a careful observation of nature. The dragonfly on the lotus is a common scene in early summer in Jiangnan, but Yang Wanli transforms it into a novelty. This reflects the Song poetry trend of treating common things as elegant and living.

此诗不用僻典，纯以白描取胜，而其趣味正在「无典而自成一典」。「尖尖角」指初生荷叶卷曲如角之状，是诗人对自然物态的精细观察，非用事典，然一经写出，便成咏荷的经典意象——后世写荷之新生者，无不借「尖尖角」三字；今人更以「小荷才露尖尖角」喻新人新事之萌蘖，其意象生命力已远超一首小诗的范围。「蜻蜓立上头」为江南初夏常见之景，杨万里不过信手拈来，化熟为奇，正见其观察之细、捕捉之敏。诗中以「泉」「树」「荷」「蜓」四种寻常物象构筑初夏小池的完整生态，泉为源、树为荫、荷为景、蜓为趣，四者相生相济，正是宋诗「以俗为雅」的体现。与江西诗派掉书袋之风迥异，杨万里主张「闭门觅句非诗法，只是征行自有诗」，此诗正是其「征行得诗」、师法自然的产物，全诗无一字涉典而自有深致，恰是诚斋体与江西诗派分道扬镳的明证。诗中「惜」「爱」「才」「早」诸字，皆寻常字眼而用之不俗，正见其炼字之妙。

Commentary

Yang Wanli's style is called 'Chengzhai style', praised by Zhou Bida as 'lively'. Qian Zhongshu in 'Selected Poems of the Song Dynasty' noted his 'skill in writing ordinary things with wit'. This poem is a model of the Chengzhai style, and today the line 'just emerged lotus tip' is often used to imply the emergence of new things.

杨万里诗风号诚斋体，宋人周必大称其诗「活脱」；钱锺书《宋诗选注》谓其「擅长写平凡事物的灵趣」，此诗正是其说之绝佳例证。全诗二十八字，写小池一隅的初夏景致，无一奇字、无一僻典，而生机流转、机趣横生，诚斋体之标本也。诗以小见大，于泉、树、荷、蜓的微观世界中见出天地的生意；语言浅白如口语，而情韵深长，读之如见一幅清丽的水墨小品。此诗自宋代以来流传极广，后世蒙学、选本无不收录；今人更以「才露尖尖角」喻新人新事之萌蘖，以「早有蜻蜓立上头」喻敏锐的发现与先机，其现代生命力不减于古诗。就文学史而言，此诗代表宋诗由江西派的瘦硬转向自然清新的一路，与范成大田园诗、陆游纪游诗共同构成南宋小诗的高峰，足见诚斋体在中国诗歌史上的独特地位。此诗之广为流传，正说明真正的诗不在辞藻之奇，而在观物之细、寄情之真。

Prosody

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

Rhyme Rhymes in the level tone: 流, 柔, 头押平水韵下平十一尤韵：流、柔、头。

Tone pattern Vivid and natural以「惜」「爱」拟人，语言清新活泼、自然晓畅，声调轻快流丽，是杨万里诚斋体的标本。

Reading note A typical example of the 'Chengzhai style'.此诗为七言绝句，仄起首句入韵式：泉眼无声惜细流（平仄平平仄仄平），押下平十一尤韵，「流、柔、头」三字一韵到底，韵脚皆平声，声调悠长轻快，正合初夏小池的明丽轻灵之境。绝句体制短小，四句二十八字，须在极短的篇幅内完成起承转合：首句「泉眼无声惜细流」起，以泉入景；次句「树阴照水爱晴柔」承，以树补景，两句对偶工整，一写泉之惜、一写树之爱；第三句「小荷才露尖尖角」转，由泉树之静态转入荷蜓之动态，画面重心下移，由岸上转至水面；末句「早有蜻蜓立上头」合，以蜻蜓点荷收束，全诗画面定格于最有生机的一瞬。全诗语言浅白如口语，无一僻字，而音节流丽、韵味深长，正是诚斋体「活法」在声律上的体现——以轻快的节奏写轻快的景致，声情与辞情浑然一体，读之如见初夏池畔的清新之气扑面而来。

Line by line

泉眼无声惜细流，

The spring silently cherishes its thin stream. (The word 'cherish' personifies the spring, showing tenderness in stillness.)

泉眼悄然无声，像是怜惜那一缕细细的水流；

The spring mouth is silent, as if cherishing its thin trickle,

首句写泉，是全诗灵趣的起点。「泉眼」指泉水涌出的孔穴，「无声」写其幽静，泉流本有淙淙之声，而此处以无声状其细小，正见初夏水势之微；最妙在「惜」字，以拟人手法写泉眼对细流的怜惜之情——细流既细，泉眼便舍不得让它流走，仿佛有意放缓了水流的速度。这一「惜」字，把无情的泉眼写得有情的眷恋，静景之中溢出脉脉温情，正是诚斋体「以物观物」、赋予自然以人情味的典型笔法。若直写「泉眼无声流细水」，则景虽在而趣全无；着一「惜」字，则泉亦有情，诗亦有了灵魂，读之如见一泓幽泉于晴光下脉脉而流。

The opening line writes the spring, the whole poem's playful-delight start. The spring mouth meaning the spring's emerging aperture, the silent writing its quiet, the spring's flow's originally the gurgling sound, and yet here using the silent for its smallness, precisely seeing the early-summer water's faintness; the wonder in the xi word, using the personification for the spring-mouth's thin-trickle cherishing feeling — the thin trickle's thin, the spring mouth's reluctant to let it flow away, as if intentionally slowing the flow's speed. This one xi word, turning the feelingless spring mouth into the feeling attachment, the static scene's overflowing the tender warmth, precisely the Chengzhai-style's thing-for-things and nature's granting-humanity typical brush. If directly writing the spring-mouth-silent-flows-thin-water, then the scene's present and yet the delight's wholly absent; landing one xi word, then the spring's also feeling, the poem's also having the soul, reading it as if seeing a pool of quiet spring in the clear light's tender flow.

树阴照水爱晴柔。

The tree shadow reflects on the water, loving the gentle sunlight. (The word 'love' personifies the shadow, creating a harmonious scene.)

树影映照在水面，仿佛喜爱这晴日里柔和的波光。

The tree shade reflects on the water, loving the soft sunlight.

次句写树，与首句对偶成联。「树阴照水」写树影倒映池中，本是静态之景；着一「爱」字，便似树阴在顾盼自怜，喜爱这晴日里柔和的波光，静态的画面顿时灵动起来。「晴柔」二字炼得极精：「晴」写天气之朗，「柔」写光色之和，二字合观，写出初夏午后阳光温煦、水光潋滟的柔和氛围，是全诗情感的底色。此句与上句一写泉之惜、一写树之爱，两处拟人相互映发，使整片小池都充满了脉脉含情的气息。诗人不说人喜爱这晴柔的池景，而说树阴喜爱，正是把人的情感移入物中，物我交融，读来别有天真之趣，也见出诗人对初夏景致的由衷喜悦。

The second line writes the tree, with the opening's couplet pairing. The tree-shade-reflects-on-the-water writing the tree shadow's mirrored in the pool, originally the static scene; landing one ai word, then as if the tree shade's self-gazing, loving this clear-day's soft light-wave, the static picture's at once enlivened. The clear-soft two words' refining's extreme: the clear writing the weather's brightness, the soft writing the light-and-color's gentleness, the two words' joint view, writing the early-summer-afternoon sunlight's warm and water-light's shimmering soft atmosphere, the whole poem's emotional ground. This line and the above's one writing the spring's cherishing and one the tree's loving, the two personifications' mutual mirror, making the whole little pool's filled with the tender feeling's breath. The poet's not the person's loving this clear-soft pool scene, and yet the tree shade's loving, precisely the human emotion's moving into the thing, the thing-and-self fusion, reading it's with the innocent delight, and seeing the poet's early-summer-scene heartfelt joy.

小荷才露尖尖角，

A tiny lotus leaf has just emerged with its pointed tip. (The word 'just' captures the moment of new life, showing meticulous observation.)

小小的荷叶才刚刚露出尖尖的角儿，

The tiny lotus leaf has just shown its sharp little point,

第三句是全诗由静入动的枢纽，也是千古传诵的名句。「小荷」写荷叶之幼小，「才露」写其刚刚探出水面，捕捉的正是生命萌发的那一瞬间——荷叶初生时卷曲如角，尚未展开成圆盘，诗人以「尖尖角」三字状其形，观察入微，用词新奇，把初生荷叶的娇嫩形态写得如在目前。这一句的妙处在时间感的把握：「才露」二字写出荷叶破水而出的瞬间，仿佛画面刚刚定格，一切都新鲜到带着水汽。诗人于万千景物中独独捕捉到这一转瞬即逝的初生之态，正见其「万象毕来、搜抉于微」的功力，也正因捕捉的是萌发的瞬间，全诗才充满了清新生机与向上的意味。

The third line is the whole poem's stillness-to-motion hinge, and the through-the-ages famed line. The tiny-lotus-leaf writing the leaf's smallness, the just-shown writing its just-broken-water-surface, capturing precisely the life's sprouting split second — the lotus leaf's first-born's curled like a horn, not yet spread into a round disk, the poet's using the sharp-little-point three words for its form, the observation's fineness, the wording's new, turning the first-born leaf's tender form's as-in-present-eye. This line's wonder in the time-sense's grasp: the just-shown two words writing the leaf's water-breaking instant, as if the picture's just-frozen, everything's fresh to the water-carrying. The poet's among the ten-thousand-things' alone capturing this fleeting first-born pose, precisely seeing his ten-thousand-phenomena-arrive-and-search-in-the-minute craft, and precisely because of the sprouting-instant's captured, the whole poem's filled with the fresh vitality and upward meaning.

早有蜻蜓立上头。

A dragonfly has already landed on its tip. (The word 'already' contrasts with 'just', creating a lively and unexpected encounter.)

早已有蜻蜓轻轻立在了上头。

Already a dragonfly has alighted on its tip.

末句是全诗的点睛之笔，与上句一「才」一「早」，构成最精彩的呼应。荷叶才露尖角，蜻蜓便已先知先觉地立在其上，「早有」二字写蜻蜓之捷足先登，仿佛它早已等候多时，专等荷叶出水。这一巧合的画面充满机趣：叶之新与蜓之灵，一静一动，一刚一柔，相映成趣；「立」字写蜻蜓轻轻停驻之态，不着「飞」「落」而蜻蜓的轻盈自在尽出。两句合观，「才露」写生命之新，「早有」写天机之敏，于极小的景致中写出天地间生生不息的灵趣，童趣盎然，活泼透脱，正是诚斋体「活法」的最高境界。全诗至此戛然而止，而画面之外的生机仍在绵延，余味无穷。

The closing line is the whole poem's telling stroke, with the above's one just and one already, forming the most wonderful echo. The lotus leaf's just-shown sharp point, the dragonfly's already's known-and-alighted on it, the already-there two words' writing the dragonfly's forefoot's first, as if it's already waiting long, exclusively for the leaf's water-emerging. This coincidental picture's filled with the living wit: the leaf's new and the dragonfly's agility, one-still-one-motion, one-firm-one-soft, the mutual charm; the li word writing the dragonfly's light-perching pose, not landing the fly and land, and yet the dragonfly's lightness-and-ease's fully out. Two lines' joint view, the just-shown writing the life's new, the already-there writing the heaven's-wit's quickness, within the extreme small scene's writing the heaven-and-earth's life's endless playful delight, the childlike abundance, the liveliness-and-ease, precisely the Chengzhai-style's living-method's highest realm. The whole poem to here's abrupt stop, and yet the picture's beyond's vitality's still extending, the aftertaste endless.

Study

Word focus

惜 To cherish; personifies the spring, suggesting a gentle restraint. 「泉眼无声惜细流」之「惜」字，是诚斋体拟人手法的典型用例，也是全诗灵趣的第一源头。「惜」本义为怜惜、舍不得，此处移以写泉眼：细流既细，泉眼便似怜惜它流走，有意放缓流速，仿佛泉与流之间有了情感的牵系。这一字的妙处，在以无情之物写有情之态——泉眼本是自然物，无所谓怜惜，诗人却偏要它「惜」，正是把人的情感投射于物，使静景之中溢出脉脉温情。若换「护」字则板，「恋」字则滞，唯「惜」字兼有怜爱与不舍的双重意味，与「无声」的幽静相配，写出初夏小池静谧而含情的气韵。一字之施，全句皆活，正是杨万里炼字而能「化俗为雅、化静为动」的本领。

爱 To love; personifies the tree shadow, expressing affection for the water and sunlight. 「树阴照水爱晴柔」之「爱」字，与上句「惜」字对举，是首联拟人化的第二处落笔。「爱」字写树阴对晴光的喜爱：树影倒映池中，似在顾盼自怜，恋恋于这晴日里柔和的波光。此字之妙，在以「爱」字写出树阴与水光的相互悦纳——树阴爱水光的柔，水光亦映树阴的绿，一「爱」之间，物与物、景与景都有了情感的交流。更妙的是「爱」字与「晴柔」的搭配：晴是天气之朗，柔是光色之和，树阴所爱的正是这份和煦温婉，诗人不说人爱此景，而说树阴爱此景，物我交融，天趣盎然。「惜」「爱」二字前后呼应，使泉、树、水、光皆有人情，整片小池便成了一幅脉脉含情的图画。

才露 Just emerged; indicates the very beginning of the lotus's growth, full of freshness. 「小荷才露尖尖角」之「才露」二字，是全诗捕捉生命瞬间的关键。「才」写时间之刚，「露」写探出水面之态，二字合观，精确地定格了荷叶破水而出的那一刹那——既不是未露，也不是已展，而是刚刚露出尖尖一角，新鲜得仿佛还带着水珠。这一瞬间的选择，正见诗人观察之细、捕捉之敏：万千景物中，他不写荷之盛放，不写荷之圆绿，偏偏选取初生之态，因为唯有此刻的「才露」才凝聚着生命初发的全部生机。此二字与末句「早有」遥相呼应，一写新，一写敏，把生命的萌发与天机的感应写在同一帧画面里，使全诗充满向上的朝气与清新之气，是诚斋体「于细微处见生意」的绝佳注脚。

早有 Already; shows the dragonfly's early arrival, adding liveliness and wit. 「早有蜻蜓立上头」之「早有」二字，是末句的画龙点睛之笔，与上句「才露」构成全诗最精彩的呼应。「早」写时间之先，「有」写已然之态：荷叶才露尖角，蜻蜓便已立在其上，仿佛它早已等候多时，专等荷叶出水。这一「早」字，写出了蜻蜓的灵敏与天机的巧合——不是恰好飞来，而是先知先觉，在荷叶初生的瞬间便已感知、便已停驻。若换「忽有」则失其先知之敏，换「即有」则少其等候之意，唯「早有」写出蜻蜓与荷叶之间仿佛有约的默契，机趣盎然。「才露」与「早有」一前一后，把新生的荷叶与灵动的蜻蜓绾合成一幅天衣无缝的画面，正是杨万里「活法」诗学最生动的一次展现。

小池