All poems

唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

蝉

The Cicada

虞世南

Yu Shinan

咏物Object poem 言志Theme 哲理Philosophy

垂緌饮清露，流响出疏桐。
居高声自远，非是藉秋风。

Hanging down the tassels, drinking the clear dew,
The flowing sound, coming out of the sparse parasol tree.
Standing high, the sound, naturally far,
Not being the relying on the autumn wind.

Listen

Meaning

A poem of the cicada and the high standing, written by Yu Shinan. Hanging down the tassels, drinking the clear dew — the flowing sound, coming out of the sparse parasol tree — the cicada drinking the dew and the sound of the tree. Standing high, the sound, naturally far — not being the relying on the autumn wind — the far sound of the high standing, not relying on the wind. The poem is the cicada and the high standing: the clear dew, the far sound, and the close's not relying on the autumn wind.

蝉垂下像帽缨一样的长长触须，吸吮着清冽甘甜的露水，悠扬嘹亮的鸣声从稀疏的梧桐树枝间传出。因为它身居高处，声音自然传得又远又清，并不是凭借秋风的力量才被送到远方。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Hanging down the tassels, drinking the clear dew, the flowing sound, coming out of the sparse parasol tree. Standing high, the sound, naturally far, not being the relying on the autumn wind. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the cicada drinking the dew and the sound of the sparse tree, through the high standing, to the close's not relying on the autumn wind. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the high standing of the cicada: the clear dew and the sparse parasol tree, and the close's sound far by itself, not relying on the autumn wind — the high character gathered in the close. [Emotional Tone] Clear, high, and proud: the poem is the cicada, the clear dew and the close's not relying on the wind.

【白话串讲】虞世南写《蝉》：“垂緌饮清露，流响出疏桐”——“居高声自远，非是藉秋风”——蝉居高处声传得远，不是靠秋风——他写高洁。【意象与手法】前两句写蝉的形象与声音，后两句由声及理，层层深入。垂緌是形，饮清露是高洁的品格，流响出疏桐是清亮的声音从高处流泻而出，居高声自远则把听觉引向哲理。诗人把蝉的习性、品性与人的修养一一对应，形神兼备，理趣盎然。【情感与主旨】诗人心性刚直，位高而不自恃，故能于蝉声中读出身正自远、德高自鸣的自信。所谓居高，是人格的高度、品德的厚度，而非权位的高下。这首诗之所以传诵千年，正在于它把咏物写得既贴切又超拔，让一只小小的蝉，承载起中国人对君子之德的全部想象。【名句点睛】常考“垂緌饮清露，流响出疏桐”写蝉的形貌与清响；“居高声自远，非是藉秋风”由声及理，写高洁者不假外力而声名自远。

Background

Yu Shinan (558–638), the minister of the early Tang, wrote this 'The Cicada' of the cicada and the high standing — the self of the high character. The cicada drinking the clear dew with the sound coming out of the sparse parasol tree, the high standing with the sound naturally far, and the close's not relying on the autumn wind — the poem gathers the high character of the cicada, the self of the poet. The poem is one of the famous poems of the three cicadas of the Tang.

虞世南，字伯施，越州余姚人，唐初杰出的书法家与文学家，凌烟阁二十四功臣之一。他历仕陈、隋、唐三朝，贞观年间官至秘书监，深受唐太宗敬重，被时人誉为德行、忠直、博学、文词、书翰五绝兼备。虞世南为人沉静寡欲，志性刚烈，议论持正，唐太宗曾盛赞他临危不惧、见义敢为，是真正的大丈夫。蝉一诗与骆宾王的在狱咏蝉、李商隐的蝉并称唐代咏蝉三绝，是虞世南咏物小诗中的代表作。此诗大约作于贞观年间，诗人借咏蝉以自况，以蝉之高洁清举自喻其德。相传唐太宗曾命虞世南写诗，又常与他讨论历代兴亡得失，君臣相得，虞世南在朝堂之上不阿谀、不趋附，恰如秋蝉栖于高枝、饮露自洁。全诗仅二十字，纯写蝉的形貌、声音与习性，却句句关合人的品德与操守，把咏物与言志熔铸为一，是唐初咏物诗从南朝宫体秾艳柔靡之风转向寄兴言志的典范，为后来盛唐咏物诗的开阖气象导夫先路。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the high standing. The cicada opens: hanging down the tassels, drinking the clear dew — the cicada drinking the dew; the flowing sound, coming out of the sparse parasol tree — the sound of the sparse tree. The height follows: standing high, the sound, naturally far — the far sound of the high standing. And the close gathers the character: not being the relying on the autumn wind — the not relying on the wind — the high character of the cicada, the far sound by itself — the poem, the high standing and the close's not relying, gathered in the close.

此诗在艺术上最见功力处，是把咏物与言志结合得浑然无迹，物我双关而不着一字议论。前两句垂緌饮清露、流响出疏桐，用工笔写蝉之形与声：垂緌状其形貌之雅，仿佛冠缨下垂，有君子之仪；饮清露写其饮啄之高洁，不食人间烟火；流响出疏桐写其声之清越，且从疏桐之间透出，更见环境的清幽孤高。后两句居高声自远、非是藉秋风，忽然撇开形声，由现象转入理趣：蝉声传远，不在秋风的推送，而在自身所处之高。这一转，是全诗的点睛之笔。诗人没有停留在对蝉的描摹上，而是借蝉声之理写人之修养，把物的属性与人的品格熔于一炉。尤其非是藉秋风五字，翻空出奇，既抬高了蝉，也抬高了诗人自己——他不屑于凭借外力、依附权贵而扬名，自信德立则声自远。全诗二十字，前实后虚，形神兼备，理趣与情致并至，咏物而不滞于物，正是唐初咏物诗由秾丽转向清刚的标志，也为后人提供了托物言志最精粹的范本。

Allusions

'The tassels' (rui) are the tassels — the hanging tassels of the cicada, the cap of the official; 'the clear dew' (qing lu) is the clear dew — the dew drunk by the cicada, the purity; 'the sparse parasol tree' (shu tong) is the sparse parasol tree — the tree of the sound; 'the autumn wind' (qiu feng) is the autumn wind — the wind not relied upon by the sound.

诗中用典极淡而渊源甚深。垂緌之緌，本指古代冠冕下垂的缨带，礼记有緌以象缨之语，虞世南以蝉的触须比作下垂的冠缨，既写形，又暗寓礼法与君子之仪，把一个微小昆虫写得端严有度。饮清露又暗合古人以蝉为高洁之物的传统，曹植蝉赋称蝉餐洁而居高，陆云寒蝉赋更以蝉具五种美德：文、清、廉、俭、信，其首即谓头上有緌，则其文也。虞世南写蝉，正是沿此一脉，把蝉当作清高君子的化身。居高声自远非是藉秋风两句，更深得儒家修身立德的旨趣。论语讲君子务本，本立而道生；孟子讲声闻过情，君子耻之。诗人借此表明：真正的声名，来自内在德行的深厚与所处位置的高正，而非外力的吹嘘、时人的捧场。这与孔子所讲不患莫己知，求为可知也正相呼应。整首诗二十字，看似无一字用典，实则把冠缨之礼、蝉之五德、君子立身之道层层化入，咏物之中包蕴着深厚的文化积淀，读来不觉其典，只觉其理明而味永。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous three cicadas of the Tang, quoted for the high character of its close. The clear dew and the sparse parasol tree, and the not relying on the autumn wind, are among the admired images of the poet's poems of the object. Critics praise the poem's height: the cicada gathered in the high standing, to the close's not relying on the wind.

历代评家论唐人咏物，多以虞世南蝉与骆宾王在狱咏蝉、李商隐蝉并举，称为咏蝉三绝。三绝同咏一物，而品格各异：虞世南写蝉，得意而自信，是居高声自远的风度；骆宾王写蝉，寄慨而含冤，是露重飞难进的幽愤；李商隐写蝉，写实而自伤，是五更疏欲断的清苦。清人沈德潜评此诗，谓命意自高，咏物诗以此为上乘，因其托物言志而不着一字议论，味在言外。清人俞陛云诗境浅说亦极赏此诗，以为前两句写蝉之形声俱肖，后两句阐发至理，使咏物诗不徒咏物而兼寓身世，方为高手。更有论者从虞世南生平着眼，以为他历事三朝而名节无亏，位极人臣而不骄不佞，正是居高声自远的注脚，诗品与人品在这里达成了统一。要之，这首小诗之妙，在于以二十字写尽蝉的形、声、性、理，更把诗人的胸襟气度自然托出，不作高调而自高，不作议论而理存，是咏物言志一路最精炼也最经典的示范，千百年来一直为选家所重，为蒙学所诵。

Prosody

Form A regulated five-character poem of the object五言绝句，仄起首句不入韵式

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level-tone tong and feng of the group — the even, level rhyme that carries the high clarity.全诗押平声东韵，韵脚为桐、风二字。疏桐与秋风遥相呼应，桐字既点出蝉所栖之高洁环境，风字又带出秋日清冽的季节氛围，韵脚虽只有两个，却把咏物的清境与言志的秋意连成一片，声情与诗情相互生发。东韵字音响亮而开阔，正合蝉声清越、志气昂扬之格，读来朗朗上口而有余韵。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the high standing: the level opening with the dew and the sound, the rising with the far sound, and the close's fall with the not relying on the wind.首句垂緌饮清露，仄平平平仄，次句流响出疏桐，平仄仄平平，两句平仄相间，节奏从容；三句居高声自远，平平平仄仄，四句非是藉秋风，平仄仄平平，由疏朗趋于顿挫。全诗以仄起而不入韵，通篇平仄谐畅，读来如蝉鸣起落，抑扬有致，与诗中由形入理、由实入虚的推进相合，声调本身也在咏唱一只秋蝉的清响。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its height: the even, level rhymes carry the cadence of the cicada, and the close — 'fei shi jie qiu feng' — falls with the not relying, the sound of the high character of the poet.此诗虽为五言绝句，却深得声情相谐之妙。首句连用三个仄声字起调，仿佛蝉鸣初起，声音短促而蓄势；次句转入平声，流响二字本身就以双声相叠，读来真有泉流涌出之感，把蝉声的绵长清亮以声调摹出。三句居高声自远，五字中三个平声，声调舒展高扬，恰如蝉声越传越远，向着高处飞去；四句非是藉秋风，仄仄仄平平，忽然一顿，以仄声收束，斩截有力，正如诗人那一声断然的否定，把全诗的诗意与声调同时推向高潮。绝句体制短小，本不易铺展，此诗却以二十字完成起、承、转、合，由形到声、由声到理、由理到志，层层递进又浑然一体。尤可称道的是，全诗虽咏蝉，却始终不着一字之褒贬议论，只以物象与声调自明，让读者从蝉声里听出人格，从物性中悟出人生，含蓄蕴藉，风骨自见，足为五绝咏物诗之楷模。

Line by line

垂緌饮清露，流响出疏桐。

Hanging down the tassels, drinking the clear dew, the flowing sound, coming out of the sparse parasol tree.

蝉垂下长长的触须，吸吮着清冽的露水，嘹亮的鸣声从稀疏的梧桐树间传出。

Drooping filaments, it drinks the clear dew; flowing sound issues from the sparse paulownia.

起笔两句，一写形，一写声，用工笔把蝉的形象立了起来。垂緌二字极见匠心，把蝉那两根细长的触须比作古人冠冕上垂下的缨带，顿时让这小虫有了君子端严的气度。饮清露点出蝉饮食之洁，不食人间烟火，暗喻品格之清。流响写蝉声如流水般清亮不绝，出疏桐则写这声音从稀疏的桐枝间透出，一个出字，让无形的声有了方向与力度。疏桐二字又别有深意，梧桐本是高洁之木，疏疏朗朗，更衬出蝉所栖之处的不凡。这两句由形及声、由声及境，层层铺写，为后文居高声自远埋下伏笔：正因它栖于疏桐之上、处在高位，它的声音才格外清远。虞世南写物，不满足于肖其形，更着意于取其神，两句之中已把蝉的清高品性写得呼之欲出。

The opening two lines one write form, one sound, using fine brush to set up the cicada's image. Drooping filaments shows special craft: comparing the cicada's two long thin feelers to the tassels hanging from ancient crowns, at once giving this small insect the gentleman's dignified air. Drinks the clear dew marks the cicada's purity of diet, eating no mortal smoke and fire, secretly metaphorizing the character's purity. Flowing sound writes the cicada's voice flowing bright like running water; issues from the sparse paulownia writes this sound passing through the sparse paulownia branches; one issues gives the soundless sound direction and force. Sparse paulownia also holds deep meaning: the paulownia is originally a pure tree, sparse and open, all the more setting off the cicada's lofty perch. These two lines pass from form to sound, from sound to setting, layer upon layer, planting the伏笔 for dwelling on high, the voice of itself carries far below: precisely because it perches on the sparse paulownia, in a high place, its voice is especially clear and far. Yu Shinan writing things is not content with copying the shape, but intent on seizing the spirit; within two lines the cicada's pure character is already ready to leap forth.

居高声自远，

Dwelling on high, its voice of itself carries far,

因为它身居高处，声音自然传得又远又清。

Dwelling on high, its song naturally carries far,

这一句由咏物转入说理，是全诗由实到虚的枢纽。前两句写蝉的形与声，到这里忽然抛开具体描写，直接点出蝉声传远的缘由在于居高。一个自字最是紧要，它表明声音传远是自然而然、水到渠成的，不靠任何外力，不假任何助缘。这与其说是在写蝉，不如说是在写一种人生态度：只要立身正、站位高、德行厚，声名自然远播，无须汲汲于求名，更无须依附于人。居高二字，既可解作所处位置之高，更可解作人格修养之高，一语双关，理趣顿生。虞世南一生历事三朝而名节无亏，位极人臣而不矜不伐，正是对这五个字的亲身践履。诗人不直接议论君子之道，而借蝉声轻轻一点，让读者自己从物象中品出人生的道理，含蓄蕴藉，言浅而味长，这种托物言志而不着议论的笔法，正是唐人咏物诗的上乘境界。

This line passes from thing-praising to reasoning, the whole poem's pivot from solid to void. The previous two lines write the cicada's form and sound; here he suddenly lays aside concrete description, directly naming the reason the cicada's voice carries far lies in dwelling on high. Of itself is most vital: showing the voice's far carrying is natural, as if water finding its level, relying on no outward force, no auxiliary condition. This is less writing the cicada than writing an attitude to life: as long as one stands upright, stands high, holds thick virtue, reputation of itself spreads far; no need to scramble for fame, still less to lean on others. Dwelling on high can be read as the position's height, and even more as the人格 cultivation's height; one word double meaning, the理趣 at once born. Yu Shinan served three reigns in his life with no blemish on his name, reached the highest ministers without boasting - precisely the personal practice of these five characters. The poet does not directly argue the gentleman's way, but lightly touches it through the cicada's voice, letting the reader taste life's principle from the thing themselves; reserved and pregnant, words shallow yet savor long. This brush of entrusting the will to the thing without argument is precisely the top realm of Tang thing-praising verse.

非是藉秋风。

not borrowing the strength of the autumn wind.

并不是凭借秋风的推送才传得远。

it does not rely on the autumn wind.

结句以否定的方式收束全诗，翻空出奇，是全诗的点睛之笔。诗人不直说居高位则声名自远，而偏从反面着笔：非是藉秋风。藉是凭借、依靠的意思。秋风本是秋天常见之物，可以助力声音远播，诗人却断然加以否定，仿佛在说蝉声之远与秋风无涉。这一否定，把蝉的独立自足推到了极致，也把诗人的孤高自许写到了极处。细味其意，秋风未尝不可以喻指外力、权势、时运与人情，诗人不屑于此，正见其自信之坚、风骨之峻。唐人咏物，贵在咏物而不滞于物，此句正是如此：它表面上仍在写蝉，实则借蝉声自明心志，表明自己不依附权贵、不凭藉时势，全凭内在的德与位立身扬名。二十字的小诗，到这里戛然而止，却余味无穷，把咏物言志的理趣推到了精粹的顶点，也让千载之下的读者，依然能听到那只居高声远、不藉秋风的蝉，依然能感受到诗人那副清刚自守的傲骨。

The closing line resolves the whole poem by negation, turning the void to surprise, the poem's finishing stroke. The poet does not directly say high standing gives far reputation, but writes from the reverse: not relying on the autumn wind. Rely means leaning upon, depending on. The autumn wind is originally a common autumn thing, able to help the voice carry far; yet the poet flatly negates it, as if saying the cicada's far voice has nothing to do with the autumn wind. This negation pushes the cicada's independence and self-sufficiency to the extreme, also writing the poet's lonely self-estimation to the utmost. Savoring its meaning finely: the autumn wind may metaphorize outward force, power, fortune, and human favor; the poet disdains these, all the more showing his firm confidence and lofty bone. Tang thing-praising prizes praising the thing yet not being bound by it; this line is precisely so: on the surface still writing the cicada, in truth using the cicada's voice to declare his heart - showing he does not lean on the powerful, does not rely on the times, standing and making his name wholly by inner virtue and position. The small poem of twenty characters stops here, yet the aftertaste is endless; pushing the thing-praising, will-declaring理趣 to the quintessential apex, letting readers a thousand years on still hear that cicada high-perched and far-voiced, not borrowing the autumn wind, still feel the poet's pure, unyielding, self-keeping bone.

Study

Word focus

垂緌 'Hanging down the tassels' — the tassels of the cicada, the cap of the official. 垂緌二字是全诗的第一处点睛。緌是古代冠冕上垂下的缨带，本是礼器上的装饰，虞世南却拿来形容蝉那两根细长的触须，以冠缨拟虫须，以君子之仪写小虫之态，立刻让一只蝉带上了端庄典雅的气度。垂字下得极稳，写出触须柔软下垂、随风微颤的形态，也暗合君子谦逊垂拱、内敛自持的仪容。这一笔，把蝉从寻常的昆虫提升为高洁君子的化身，为全诗定下清雅端严的基调。更妙的是，垂緌并非凭空设喻，古人本有以蝉头有緌为文德之征的说法，虞世南用它，既写形又用典，形神两得，一字而境界全出。

流响 'The flowing sound' — the flowing sound of the cicada, the sound of the sparse tree. 流响二字写蝉声，是全诗最富动感的一笔。响已足以状声，加一个流字，便让无形的声音有了水的质感与流动的姿态，仿佛蝉鸣如清泉一般，从疏桐间绵绵不断地倾泻而出，连绵清越，不绝于耳。这一个流字，既写出蝉声的悠长，也写出其清亮，更暗示这声音带着向上的气韵，与后文居高声自远遥相呼应。虞世南不用高唱、长鸣一类直白之词，而取流响，正是要以流动的水意象来写清亮的声音，使听觉化为视觉，让读者仿佛看见那声音在枝叶间流淌。这一字的锤炼，见出诗人写声的高明，也让一只小小的蝉，鸣出了清泉般的韵致。

居高 'Standing high' — the high standing of the cicada, the height of the character. 居高二字是全诗的枢纽，也是题眼所在。表面看，它写的是蝉所栖之处在树的高处，是实写；细品之下，它写的更是人格与德行的站位之高，是虚写。一实一虚，双关交融，把咏物与言志缝合在一起。居字有安顿、自处之意，暗示这种高不是偶然的、外在的，而是自己有意选择并安守的位置；高字则涵盖处所之高与品格之高两层，既呼应前文出疏桐的栖处，又开启后文声自远的理趣。正因这一个居高，蝉声才不必借助秋风；也正因人格之居高，君子才无须依附外力。虞世南以二字托起全诗，于不动声色中完成从物到理的飞跃，堪称炼字的典范。

蝉