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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

鸟鸣涧

The Dale of Singing Birds

王维

Wang Wei

山水Landscape 春夜Spring Night 禅意Zen

人闲桂花落，夜静春山空。
月出惊山鸟，时鸣春涧中。

Man at leisure, cassia flowers fall.
Quiet night, spring mountain empty.
Moon rises, startles mountain birds.
They chirp now and then in the spring stream.

Listen

Meaning

In the quiet of a spring night, when the mind is at ease, one perceives the subtle falling of cassia blossoms. The mountain is empty and still. The bright moon startles the birds, and their occasional calls ring through the ravine, deepening the sense of tranquility.

人闲适安然，竟觉桂花悄然飘落；春夜沉寂，山中一片空明。明月升起，清辉惊动了山鸟，不时在春涧中啼鸣。

Appreciation

The poem uses the slightest movements—falling flowers, rising moon, bird calls—to contrast with and emphasize the profound stillness of the spring mountain. The character 'xian' (leisure) is the key: only when the heart is empty can one perceive such delicate changes. From inner calm to outer stillness, the poem moves through 'stillness—emptiness—startle—call', arriving at a harmonious blend of motion and stillness, sound and silence.

【白话串讲】人闲下来，才能听见桂花落地的声音；月亮升起，惊得山鸟叫了两声。王维这首小诗只有二十个字，却让整个春天都安静了下来。【意象与手法】诗仅二十字而动静相生。首句“人闲桂花落”以“闲”字领起，人之闲静方能感知花落之微，是通感式的静中见动【情感与主旨】《鸟鸣涧》属《皇甫岳云溪杂题》组诗（一说辋川之作），约作于王维早年游历或隐居期间。皇甫岳为王维友人，云溪为其别业【名句点睛】重点考查“以动衬静”手法，尤其是“月出惊山鸟，时鸣春涧中”如何以鸟鸣反写幽静

Background

This poem is part of a series titled 'Miscellaneous Poems on the Cloud Stream of Huangfu Yue' (or possibly written in Wangchuan), composed during Wang Wei's early travels or seclusion. Huangfu Yue was a friend who owned a villa called Cloud Stream. The poem captures the tranquility of a spring night in the mountains, reflecting Wang Wei's Buddhist contemplation and his ability to capture the eternal stillness within momentary movements. It represents his aesthetic of 'quiet beauty'.

王维《鸟鸣涧》属《皇甫岳云溪杂题》组诗，共五首，此为其一。皇甫岳为王维友人，云溪为其别业，地在何处今已难确考，一说在润州（今江苏镇江）一带。此诗约作于王维早年游历或隐居期间，具体年份无确证。也有论者将其归入辋川诸作，但《皇甫岳云溪杂题》与《辋川集》实为两组，题名、对象各异，不宜混同——前者为友人别业而作，后者为自家辋川而作。诗题「鸟鸣涧」，写的是春夜山涧的幽静。首句「人闲桂花落」中「桂花」二字，历来有争议：诗明言「春山」「春涧」，自当是春夜，而桂花通常秋日盛开，故有学者疑此诗实写秋景，「春」字或为传写之误；但通行的解释是，桂花有四季桂、月桂等品种，春日亦可开花，且「桂花」亦可泛指花，不必拘泥。也有论者以「桂花」暗指月中桂树，与后文「月出」相应。沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》于此诗「桂花」不置辩，而重在赏其以动衬静之妙。王维笃信佛教，诗多写空山、静夜、落花、鸟鸣，以极微之声写极静之境，此诗即此类禅趣小品的代表。《皇甫岳云溪杂题》五首，或写云溪之景，或抒闲居之趣，皆以冲淡见长，而此首写春夜之静最负盛名。皇甫岳其人生平虽不详，然王维与之游，可见二人同气相求、皆好山水禅悦之趣。此诗虽短，而「人闲」「夜静」「月出」「鸟鸣」四层转折，层层相扣，正见王维五绝以少总多、以简驭繁的功力。

Art

In just twenty characters, the poem interweaves motion and stillness. 'Man at leisure, cassia flowers fall'—the character 'xian' introduces a state of inner stillness that allows perception of tiny motion. 'Quiet night, spring mountain empty' directly paints the vast emptiness. 'Moon rises, startles mountain birds, they chirp now and then in the spring stream' uses the light of the moon and the sound of birds to contrast with the mountain's stillness. The technique of using motion to highlight stillness and sound to accentuate silence is masterfully employed.

此诗二十字，动静相生，层次井然。首句「人闲桂花落」以「闲」字领起，是通篇之根——唯有人心闲静，方能感知桂花飘落这样极细微的声响与动态，是静中见动。次句「夜静春山空」承「闲」而来，点明时、地，「空」字既写春山之夜的空明，又暗含禅意，为全诗铺开一片静谧的底色。三、四句「月出惊山鸟，时鸣春涧中」是神来之笔：明月升起，清辉乍现，竟惊动了栖息的山鸟，鸟儿不时在春涧中啼鸣。以「月出」之光惊「山鸟」之眠，再以「时鸣」之声破「春涧」之静，是双重反衬——月光之动衬夜之静，鸟鸣之声衬涧之幽。全诗前二句写「人」之闲与「山」之空，后二句写「月」之出与「鸟」之鸣，由人及物、由静及动、由无声及有声，最终仍归于静，恰如禅家所谓「见山是山」之后的空明之境。此诗与《鹿柴》同以动衬静，而笔致更为空灵，花落、月出、鸟鸣，皆极细微的动，反衬出极深广的静，是王维以微写静、以动写寂的典范。此诗的妙处还在于「无我」与「有我」的微妙平衡：前二句「人闲」「空」透出人的静观，后二句纯写月与鸟，人不复现，而人的闲静仍弥漫于字里行间，物我两忘而境自空明，正是禅诗的最高境界。王维此诗与《鹿柴》合观，一以声写静、一以光写暗，皆二十字而成禅境，是其「以动衬静」手法的双璧。全诗纯以白描出之，无一字说禅而禅味满纸，此正是王维高于一般禅诗作者之处。

Allusions

The imagery of birds in a mountain stream echoes Tao Qian's idyllic scenes and Xie Lingyun's landscape poetry. The motif of birdsong in a ravine appears as early as the Book of Songs, and by the Six Dynasties it had become a symbol of reclusive tranquility. Wang Wei's closing image of the 'spring stream' not only describes the actual landscape but also alludes to the Buddhist realization of 'the mountain is even more quiet when birds sing', elevating the scene to a level of Zen insight.

此诗意象清空，而源流深远。「桂花」与月的关联，源自月中桂树的古老神话——传说月中有桂树，吴刚伐桂，嫦娥、玉兔、桂树构成了月宫的核心图景，故「桂花落」与后文「月出」遥相呼应，花落与月升之间隐有神话的暗线。「月出」一语，本出《诗经·陈风·月出》「月出皎兮，佼人僚兮」，原写月下怀人，后世遂以「月出」为一固定意象，王维借其字面而转写月出惊鸟的刹那，翻旧为新。「以动衬静」的写法，其先声在王籍《入若耶溪》「蝉噪林逾静，鸟鸣山更幽」，王维「时鸣春涧中」正是王籍「鸟鸣山更幽」的转写与深化。「春山」与「空」的相配，则深植于王维自己的禅学修养——《维摩诘经》所谓「空」，是王维晚年观物的根本视角，故「春山空」之「空」，既是景象，也是禅理。此外，「桂花落」的细微，令人联想到禅家「一花一世界」的观照方式，于一花之落见宇宙之静。全诗无一典而字字有来历，正是禅诗化典无痕的典范。关于「桂花」所指，除春桂、月中桂二说外，尚有「桂花落」为虚写、泛指花落之说，各说并陈而难定于一，此一歧说本身亦说明王维此诗意象的开放性与禅意的不落言筌。「春山空」的「空」字，既是《金刚经》「应无所住而生其心」的心境呈现，也是王维晚年「空山」系列意象的共同底色。「桂花」与「月」的神话关联，又使此诗在春夜之景外，隐然接通了月中桂树的遥远想象。

Commentary

Song critic Liu Chenweng praised Wang Wei's poems as 'Wang Youcheng's most accomplished words'. Ming critic Hu Yinglin called them 'leisurely, distant, pure and moist, unmatched through the ages'. The Qing scholar Huang Shucan remarked, 'Marvelous in its absence of words and colors, yet the profound and secluded delight appears by itself'—capturing the very essence of Wang Wei's spirit.

此诗与《鹿柴》并称为王维写静的五绝双璧，历来选本多所收录。《唐诗三百首》不收此诗（该书五绝未选鸟鸣涧），但《唐诗别裁集》《千家诗》等皆录之，近世中小学教材更将其列为必背篇目。清人论此诗，多赞其「以动衬静」之妙，谓「月出惊山鸟，时鸣春涧中」十字，不著一「静」字而静境全出。现代学者则多从禅学角度解读，指出「人闲」二字是理解全诗的关键——花落之微、月出之明、鸟鸣之幽，皆须以「闲」心方能体察，故诗的真正主题不在写景，而在写「闲」者的禅定心境。亦有论者将此诗与英国诗人华兹华斯等人的自然诗对读，见出中西诗人在以微小之物写宇宙之静上的相通。关于「桂花」的季节之争，学界至今未息，或主春桂、或主秋桂、或主月中桂，各执一词，此一歧说本身亦可见此诗意象的多义与耐人寻味。此诗传播极广，是王维「诗佛」面目的重要文本之一。今人更将此诗用作「以动衬静」写法的经典教材，与王籍《入若耶溪》对读，以见中国诗歌自六朝至盛唐写静手法的演进与成熟，其文学史意义亦颇为可观。此诗与《鹿柴》共同构成王维五绝写静的极致，后世论禅诗、论「以动衬静」，无不举此二诗为例，其经典地位历千载而不坠。此诗虽小，而其「以动衬静」的笔法，实为中国诗学的重要母题之一。

Prosody

Form Five-character quatrain (仄起首句不入韵)五言绝句

Rhyme Rhymes with 空 and 中 (both in the same rhyme category, upper level 1 East rhyme); 落 and 月 are entering tone, not rhymed.平水韵上平一东韵，押「空」「中」二韵，首句不入韵

Tone pattern 人闲桂花落: level-level-level-falling-falling (平平平仄仄), 夜静春山空: falling-falling-level-level-level (仄仄平平平); 月出惊山鸟: falling-falling-level-level-falling (仄仄平平仄), 时鸣春涧中: level-level-level-falling-level (平平平仄平).此诗平起首句不入韵。人闲桂花落（平平仄平仄，为平平平仄仄之特拗句），夜静春山空（仄仄平平平，末三字三平），月出惊山鸟（仄仄平平仄），时鸣春涧中（平平平仄平）。

Reading note The poem uses the slight motions of flowers falling, moon rising, and birds calling to express ultimate stillness. It is a representative example of Wang Wei's technique of using motion to highlight stillness in landscape poetry.此诗为五言绝句，押平声韵，韵脚「空」「中」同属平水韵上平一东，首句不入韵。「空」「中」皆东韵平声，音色浑厚悠远，读来有余韵袅袅之感，正合春山空寂、鸟鸣回荡的意境。就平仄论，此诗平起首句不入韵，首句「人闲桂花落」为平平仄平仄，是五言中常见的特拗句式（平平平仄仄之变）；次句「夜静春山空」仄仄平平平，末三字连用三平，属古体常见的三平调，于律绝为拗，故后人或将此诗视作近于古绝之作。这一「三平调」并非瑕疵，反使次句声调平缓舒展，与「春山空」的空旷之意若合符契。全诗平仄虽有小拗，而声韵自然流转，以平声韵一韵到底，读来如闻空谷鸟鸣、春涧流水，是声情与意境高度统一的范例。全诗以「闲」「空」二字定调，以「惊」「鸣」二字生波，平仄的起伏与声情的动静正相呼应，读来如闻空谷传音，禅味盎然。此诗声韵的流转，正与其禅境之空灵相为表里。

Line by line

人闲桂花落

At peace in heart, I watch the cassia blossoms fall.

人闲适安然，竟觉桂花悄然飘落

The mind at ease, one scarcely notices the cassia blossoms falling.

首句以「闲」字立骨，是全诗的根柢。桂花飘落本是极细微之事，若非人心闲静、万虑皆息，断难察觉。「人闲」与「花落」之间，隐藏着一种因果——正因为闲，才听见（或感知）花落。此句以人的静观写物的微动，静中有动，动中见静，把禅家「定」境中的观照写得入微。一个「落」字，也让无形的闲适有了可感的声音与画面，为全诗的空寂定下了基调。此句五字，字字轻而意趣深，是王维以微写静的起手之笔。此句还是全诗由静入动的发端，为后文月出、鸟鸣的连锁反应张本。

The first line is founded on the word 'at peace', the root of the whole. The cassia blossoms falling is the smallest thing, and none but a heart at peace, all anxieties stilled, could perceive it. Between 'at peace' and 'blossoms fall' lies a hidden cause: precisely because at peace, one hears (or senses) the falling. The line writes the human stillness watching the thing's faint movement, stillness within motion, motion showing stillness, writing the Zen 'samadhi' observation to the finest degree. The one word 'fall' gives the formless ease a perceptible sound and picture, tuning the poem's emptiness. Five words, every light, yet the meaning deep, Wang Wei's opening stroke of writing stillness through the minute. It is also the start of the poem's turn from still to motion, the groundwork for the moon's rising and the birds' calling below.

夜静春山空

The night is still, the spring mountain empty.

春夜沉寂，山中一片空明

The spring night is silent, the mountain void and clear.

此句点明时令与空间——春夜、空山。「静」字承上句「闲」而来，写夜的沉寂；「空」字则既写山中空无一人、空明澄澈的实景，又暗含禅家之「空」。「夜静」与「春山空」并列，静与空相互生发，铺开一片无边无际的静谧。此句看似平常，实为后二句的「月出」「鸟鸣」蓄势——唯其静极、空极，后文的月光乍现与鸟鸣偶起，才会显得那样惊心动魄，这是以静蓄动、以空含声的章法。「春山空」之「空」，又与前句「人闲」的闲静相映，心境与物境在此合一。

This line fixes the season and space — the spring night, the empty mountain. 'Still' follows the 'at peace' above, writing the night's silence; 'empty' writes both the real scene of the mountain void of people and the Zen 'void'. 'The night is still' and 'the spring mountain empty' stand together, stillness and emptiness giving birth to each other, spreading a boundless quiet. The line seems ordinary, yet it stores momentum for the next two lines' 'moon rises' and 'birds call' — precisely because still and empty to the utmost, the sudden moonlight and the occasional bird-call will startle so; this is the craft of storing motion in stillness, holding sound in emptiness. The 'empty' of 'spring mountain empty' answers the 'at peace' of 'at peace in heart', mood and scene one here.

月出惊山鸟

The moon rises and startles the mountain birds.

明月升起，清辉惊动了山鸟

The moon comes up, and its light startles the birds in the trees.

「惊」字是全诗的转折与诗眼。月出本无动静，山鸟本在安栖，诗人却写月光「惊」动了鸟——这是以鸟之惊觉反写月出之突然、清辉之皎然，亦反写此前夜色之浓、山境之静。一个「惊」字，把天象之动与生灵之动勾连起来，静夜因此有了一瞬间的震颤。以「惊」写鸟，而不写「照」写「映」，足见王维炼字之奇；这意外的惊动，非但没有破坏静谧，反而让读者更真切地感受到此前的静有多深。此句是前二句之「静」的骤然打破，也是全诗「以动衬静」的高潮。

The word 'startles' is the turn and the eye of the poem. The moon's rising is no motion, the birds were roosting in peace, yet the poet writes the moonlight as 'startling' the birds — using the birds' alarm to write the suddenness of the rising moon, the purity of its light, and also the thickness of the darkness before, the stillness of the mountain. The one word 'startles' links the heaven's movement with the creature's, and the still night shivers for an instant. Writing the birds through 'startles' rather than 'shines on' or 'lights up', shows the strangeness of Wang Wei's word-craft; and this unexpected alarm, far from breaking the quiet, makes the reader feel the more deeply how deep the stillness was. This line is the sudden breaking of the stillness of the first two lines, and the climax of the poem's 'setting stillness off through motion'.

时鸣春涧中

They call now and then in the spring ravine.

不时在春涧中啼鸣

They call from time to time in the spring ravine.

「时鸣」写鸟啼之断续，非齐声喧闹，而是偶尔一声、两声，回荡在春涧之中。「时」字见其稀，「春涧中」见其幽，几声疏落的鸟鸣，把山涧的空寂衬得愈发幽深。这鸣声是「月出」惊动的余响，转瞬即逝，最终仍归于静。全诗由「花落」之微动，到「月出」之骤明，再到「鸟鸣」之偶响，一路以动衬静，至此收束，静与空达到了极致。王籍「鸟鸣山更幽」之意，被王维化得更加空灵、更加不着痕迹，此句正是全诗点题之笔。此句以「人闲」领起，实为全篇定下静观的态度。

'From time to time' writes the bird-calls' intermittence — not a chorus of noise, but an occasional call or two, echoing in the spring ravine. The word 'from time to time' shows their rarity, 'spring ravine' its seclusion; a few sparse calls set the ravine's emptiness off as the deeper. The call is the afterecho of the moon's startling, gone in an instant, returning at last to stillness. The whole poem, from the faint movement of 'blossoms fall', to the sudden brightness of 'moon rises', to the occasional sound of 'birds call', sets motion against stillness all the way, and closes here; stillness and emptiness reach their extreme. The meaning of Wang Ji's 'the bird's cry makes the mountain the quieter' is transformed by Wang Wei into the more void, the more traceless; this line is the poem's point-naming. The whole poem is led by 'at peace in heart', fixing the still, observing attitude from the first.

Study

Word focus

闲 leisure; a state of mental calm and emptiness that allows perception of subtle natural phenomena. 「闲」字是全诗之根，置于篇首，统摄全篇。闲是心境的空静，唯有人闲，方能感知「桂花落」的微细，方能领受「春山空」的空明，方能聆听「鸟鸣涧」的清响。这个字把外在的景与内在的心打通——不是山静，而是心闲；不是鸟鸣幽，而是听者闲。王维以「闲」字领起，正合禅家「定能生慧」之理，静观万物而万物自现其真。后世论此诗，多谓「人闲」二字是理解全篇的钥匙，其妙正在于以一字而兼写心境与物境，使全诗的静寂不流于死寂，而有了一份从容观照的生气。

空 empty; describes the mountain's emptiness and clarity, reflecting the poet's Zen view of nature. 「空」字写春山之夜的空明澄澈，兼含禅意。在实景层面，夜静无人，春山寂寂，故曰「空」；在禅理层面，王维深味佛教「色空」之旨，「空」是他观照世界的根本态度。以「空」写山，山便不仅是无人的山，更是无相、无执的禅境。此字与首句「闲」字相映——闲是心之空，空是山之静，心物两空，遂成一片浑然的静谧。它与《鹿柴》「空山不见人」的「空」同出王维禅心，是王维诗中最具个人印记的字眼之一，也点明了此诗由景入禅的深层意蕴。

惊 to startle; describes the sudden brightness of the moon startling the birds, a slight movement within stillness. 「惊」字是全诗转折的枢纽，写月出惊鸟的刹那。月出本静，鸟眠本静，诗人以「惊」字将两者勾连，写出一瞬间的骤变——清辉乍现，宿鸟惊飞。这个字至少有数层妙处：以鸟之惊反衬此前夜色之浓、山境之静；以「惊」的动感写月出之突然；更以惊动的瞬间，让读者在震中更深刻地感到静。王维不写「月照山鸟」，而写「月出惊山鸟」，一字之换，静夜遂有了戏剧性，而静的深度也被反衬到了极致，是「以动衬静」的炼字典范，也是全诗由静入动、由动复静的关键一折。

鸟鸣涧