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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

恶树

The, Bad, Tree

杜甫

Du Fu

咏物诗poetry 理趣Theme 晚年夔州Theme 庄周Theme 达观Theme

独绕虚斋径，常持小斧柯。
幽阴成颇杂，恶木剪还多。
枸杞因吾有，鸡栖奈汝何。
方知不材者，生长漫婆娑。

Alone, circling, the, path, of, the, empty, study,
Often, holding, the, little, axe, handle.
The, shady, places, becoming, quite, mixed,
The, bad, trees, cut, and, still, many.
The, wolfberry, because, of, my, having, it,
The, roosting, place, what, to, do, with, you.
Then, I, know, the, useless, timber,
Growing, wildly, in, the, sprawling, branches.

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Meaning

A poem of the tree and the reflection, written by Du Fu. Alone circling the path of the empty study, often holding the little axe handle — the cutting of the opening. The shady places becoming quite mixed, the bad trees cut and still many — the toil of the middle. The wolfberry because of my having it, the roosting place what to do with you — the questioning of the middle. And the close's then I know the useless timber, growing wildly in the sprawling branches — the close's reflection. The poem is the tree and the reflection: the axe, the bad trees, and the close's useless timber.

独自绕行空斋外的小径，手中常握着一把小小的斧柄。幽暗阴湿处草木混杂，讨厌的杂树剪了又生，总也剪不光。枸杞因我照料而为我所有，鸡儿栖宿，却也奈何你不得。如今才懂得，那些不成材的树木，反倒恣意生长，枝叶婆娑自在。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Alone, circling, the, path, of, the, empty, study, often, holding, the, little, axe, handle. The, shady, places, becoming, quite, mixed, the, bad, trees, cut, and, still, many. The, wolfberry, because, of, my, having, it, the, roosting, place, what, to, do, with, you. Then, I, know, the, useless, timber, growing, wildly, in, the, sprawling, branches. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the cutting of the axe and the empty study, through the toil of the bad trees with the questioning of the wolfberry, to the close's the reflection of the useless timber. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the reflection: the bad trees cut and still many, and the close's growing wildly in the sprawling branches — the tree gathered in the questioning and the close's reflection. [Emotional Tone] Toilsome, questioning, and reflective: the poem is the axe, the trees and the close's timber.

【白话串讲】杜甫写恶树：“独绕虚斋径，常持小斧柯”——他拿着斧头砍恶树。“幽阴成颇杂，恶木剪还多”——恶木剪了又长。“方知不材者，生长漫婆娑”——他讽刺那些无才却长得茂盛的人。【意象与手法】以恶木与枸杞对照，小斧柯一笔白描见日常；尾联化用《庄子》栎社树不材之喻，由实入虚。【情感与主旨】由园圃细事会通出处之理，于贫病困顿中求得精神解脱，语淡而见旷达自解。【名句点睛】「方知不材者，生长漫婆娑」轻轻收束，将剪伐的执拗化为对造化的默许，最堪玩味。

Background

Du Fu (712-770), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Bad, Tree' of the tree and the reflection — the toil of the cutting with the philosophy of the uselessness. The axe of the empty study with the bad trees cut, the questioning of the wolfberry, and the close's the useless timber — the poem gathers the reflection of the poet, the philosophy of the nature. The poem is one of the works of the poet's poems of the reflection.

此诗当作于唐代宗大历元年（公元七六六年）至大历三年间，杜甫流寓夔州（今重庆奉节）之时。诗人自晚年入蜀，辗转成都草堂、夔州瀼西与东屯，于困顿贫病中仍经营小园，亲事农圃，种药植果，以济晨炊。夔州地卑气湿，峡江多阴，园中杂树丛生，既有枸杞、果木之嘉者，亦有妨苗乱径之恶木荆榛。老杜不耐其乱，遂常持斧柯芟剪，于劳作之间触类旁通，发为人生之慨。此诗即记其剪伐恶木之事，并由园圃之理会通庄周材与不材之辨。宋代叶梦得《石林诗话》论杜诗每于精细处见理趣，谓其琐屑题咏亦能寄托深远，此篇正属此类。清代仇兆鳌《杜诗详注》系此诗于夔州诸作，引朱鹤龄说，以为因小见大、托物寓怀。又王嗣奭《杜臆》独标其达观之旨。园事虽细，而身世之感、出处之思已隐然其中，足见诗人虽处困穷，仍于寻常日用中体察天道物理，不作衰飒之音，反有旷达之致，诚晚年诗境成熟之证。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the reflection. The cutting opens: alone, circling, the, path, of, the, empty, study — the empty study of the circling; often, holding, the, little, axe, handle — the little axe of the holding. The toil follows: the, shady, places, becoming, quite, mixed — the shady places of the mixed; the, bad, trees, cut, and, still, many — the bad trees of the cut; the, wolfberry, because, of, my, having, it — the wolfberry of the having; the, roosting, place, what, to, do, with, you — the roosting place of the questioning. And the close gathers the reflection: then, I, know, the, useless, timber — the useless of the timber; growing, wildly, in, the, sprawling, branches — the sprawling branches of the growing — the cutting, the toil and the close's reflection, gathered in the poem.

此诗纯用白描，不假雕饰，以园中剪树之事起笔，层层推展至哲理之悟，章法看似平易而实具匠心。首联「独绕虚斋径，常持小斧柯」以行动写人，孤寂中见勤笃，一个「小」字抑其斧而显劳作之日常与谦卑；颔联「幽阴成颇杂，恶木剪还多」以因果相生，写出恶木之顽强与剪之不已的循环；颈联「枸杞因吾有，鸡栖奈汝何」以嘉树与恶木对照，一得一无奈，语气稍带诙谐；尾联「方知不材者，生长漫婆娑」陡然振起，由实入虚，点出全篇主旨。全诗以叙事为经，以议论为纬，叙事中寓理，理又反照其事，形成事理相生之妙。用笔省净，无一笔闲，字句皆从阅历中来。中间两联对仗工稳而自然，不因对而伤气，正杜甫晚年律诗炉火纯青处。其结构由园事而及哲理，如抽丝剥茧，渐入胜境，看似信手，实则惨淡经营，于短章中具起承转合之全功，非率尔操觚者所能到。再细味其句法，首尾以叙事起、以悟理终，中间两联一写剪伐之实、一写物我之对，四层递进如剥笋见心，而表面上却似漫不经意，此正老杜晚年炉火纯青处。常持小斧柯之小字，抑其器而显其勤，独绕虚斋径之独字，状其境而见其孤，二字已立全篇之骨。幽阴成颇杂、恶木剪还多以因果相生写物性之顽，枸杞因吾有、鸡栖奈汝何以对照写得失之辨，对仗工稳而气脉不断，绝无律诗易犯之板重。至尾联方知不材者、生长漫婆娑，由实入虚，如画龙点睛，前面所有剪伐、有无、奈何之纠结，尽收于漫婆娑三字之和解。此种由园事而及哲理、从事理相生而归于达观的结构，看似平易，实则惨淡经营，于短章中具起承转合之全功，非率尔操觚者所能到，亦足证夔州时期少陵律法之臻于化境。

Allusions

'The wolfberry' (gou qi) is the wolfberry — the berry of the wolfberry, the useful of the plant; 'the roosting place' (ji qi) is the roosting place — the place of the roosting, the tree of the fowl; 'the useless timber' (bu cai zhe) is the useless timber — the timber of the useless, the philosophy of the close.

诗中用典多本道家与诗骚之传统。「不材者」显出《庄子·人间世》栎社树之喻：匠石过齐曲辕，见栎社树其大蔽牛，匠石不顾，曰「是不材之木也，无所可用，故能若是之寿」。庄子借以明「无用之用」「周将处乎材与不材之间」之旨。杜甫取此，以恶木之「不材」反照己身，暗含自嘲与自解，亦见其于流寓中求得精神解脱之苦心。「鸡栖」一词渊源有自，《诗经·王风·君子于役》云「鸡栖于埘」「鸡栖于桀」，本写农家日暮之景，杜诗移以状园中鸡埘，既存古意又切眼前。「婆娑」见《尔雅》「婆娑，舞也」，后引申为枝叶扶疏摇曳之貌，此处形容不材之树恣意生长。诸典皆融化无迹，与白描之体相称，非獭祭可比。尤可贵者，庄子玄理经老杜以园中实感点化，遂由寓言化为切身体认，典不压事，事不掩典，堪称水中着盐之化境，于此可见杜诗用事之妙。若就用事之脉络再作申说，庄周不材之喻本带出世之意，杜甫却以入世之身、困顿之遇接之，遂使玄理化为切身体认。诗人流寓夔州，贫病相仍，而犹亲事农圃、经营小园，于剪恶存良之间体会造化之工，其以恶木之婆娑反照己身之拘羁，既有自嘲之谑，亦有自解之达。鸡栖一语本诸诗经君子于役，写农家日暮之常景，杜诗移以状园中鸡埘，存古意而切眼前，可见其点化经语之自然。婆娑形容枝叶扶疏，自古雅训诂而来，入此诗则生意盎然。诸典皆融化无迹，与白描之体相称，绝无獭祭堆垛之嫌。尤可贵者，庄子玄理经老杜以园中实感点化，遂由寓言化为躬行，典不压事、事不掩典，堪称水中着盐之化境。于此可见杜诗用事之妙，不在繁征，而在能使古人之意与今人之境呼吸相通。

Commentary

This poem is one of the works of Du Fu's poems of the reflection, quoted for the toil of its opening and the philosophy of its close. The bad trees cut and still many, and the useless timber growing wildly, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's reflection: the tree gathered in the questioning, to the close's timber.

历来注家于此诗多着眼其托喻之妙。仇兆鳌《杜诗详注》引旧注云「公借恶树以喻小人」，又引朱鹤龄之说，谓枸杞喻君子、恶木喻小人，剪恶存良，见其去邪勿疑之志，与《左传》「除恶务本」之训相契。王嗣奭《杜臆》则另出手眼，以为「方知不材者，生长漫婆娑」正用庄周之意，言恶木以不材而得全其天年，反讽世之劳形役智者，其说更近老杜本色。浦起龙《读杜心解》综而论之，称此诗「以小喻大，即物明理，的是夔州晚年手笔」。近人梁启超《饮冰室合集》论文人园居诗，亦以杜之此类小品为「于琐屑中见性情」之证。诸家虽或主比兴、或主达观，要皆肯定其理趣双融、语淡味永，非徒模山范水者所能到。而自宋迄清，注杜者如赵次公、黄希黄鹤父子和《九家集注杜诗》，于此等细诗亦必为之疏通证明，尤见杜诗虽小而弥珍之故。统而论之，此诗虽为题咏园圃之细什，而身世之感、出处之思、齐物之悟皆隐然其中，足见诗人虽处困穷，仍于寻常日用中体察天道物理，不作衰飒之音，反有旷达之致。仇兆鳌主比兴、以恶木喻小人，王嗣奭主达观、以不材会庄周，浦起龙综言以小喻大、即物明理，诸家之说虽各有取向，而要皆肯定其理趣双融、语淡味永。自宋迄清，注杜者如赵次公、黄希黄鹤父子及九家集注，于此等细诗亦必为之疏通证明，尤见杜诗虽小而弥珍之故。梁启超论文人园居诗，亦以此类小品为于琐屑中见性情之证。今人读杜，多好其沉郁顿挫之巨篇，而于夔州晚年此类清深小品，往往轻忽，实则老境渐熟、不从艰涩中求工，正少陵诗艺登峰之实迹，此恶树一篇，亦可为读杜者示以小中见大之法门。

Prosody

Form A regulated poem of the reflection (wu yan lü shi)五言律诗

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the regulated poem that carries the reflective philosophy.平水韵下平五歌（柯、多、何、娑）

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the reflection: the level opening with the cutting, the turning with the questioning, and the close's fall with the timber.仄起首句不入韵式，首句「独绕虚斋径」为仄仄平平仄，合乎律格；中二联对仗工稳，平仄妥帖。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its philosophy: the cadences of the regulated poem, and the close — 'sheng zhang man po suo' — falls with the branches, the sound of the reflection of the pruning poet.此诗为标准的五言律诗，八句四十字，中间两联「幽阴成颇杂，恶木剪还多」「枸杞因吾有，鸡栖奈汝何」俱成对仗，属正格律句。用韵依平水韵下平五歌部，柯、多、何、娑四字同部，一韵到底，无出韵、重韵之失。首联「独绕虚斋径」仄仄平平仄，属仄起不入韵体，与「常持小斧柯」平仄相俪，起手便合律。颔联「幽阴成颇杂」平仄平平仄、「恶木剪还多」仄仄仄平平，粘对无误。颈联「枸杞因吾有」平仄平平仄、「鸡栖奈汝何」平平仄仄平，亦合。尾联「方知不材者」平平仄平仄（特定变格「平平仄平仄」，属律诗允许之「拗救」式）、「生长漫婆娑」平仄仄平平，收束从容。通篇声律谨严而不板滞，对仗自然如话，正杜甫晚年律诗「从心所欲不逾矩」之境。其内容与形式相得益彰，说理而不伤格，叙事而不累声，足为后人法，亦可见夔州时期少陵律法之臻于化境。

Line by line

独绕虚斋径，常持小斧柯。

Alone, circling, the, path, of, the, empty, study, often, holding, the, little, axe, handle.

独自绕行空斋外的小径，手中常握着一把小小的斧柄。

Alone I walk the path by my empty hut, often holding a small axe handle.

起笔即勾勒出诗人晚年园居的孤清身影。「虚斋」二字点出居室之简素，亦暗含心境之空明；「独绕」见其无人作伴，唯有园中草木相与周旋。「常持小斧柯」一语尤耐寻味，老杜不以斧钺自壮，而以「小」字抑之，显其劳作之日常与谦卑，毫无逞能之意。斧柯虽小，却是诗人料理生活、维系性灵的依凭。两句叙事极静，却于静中蓄满力度，仿佛可见白发诗人徘徊苔径、时时芟剪的身影。这种将身体劳作写入律诗的笔法，正见杜甫「即事名篇」、不避细琐的写实精神，也为后文由事入理埋下伏笔。更重要的是，一个「常」字把偶发动作写成生命状态，透露出流寓夔州时生活的节律与安贫守拙的姿态，于孤寂中见韧性，非泛泛闲适语可比。

The opening at once outlines the poet's late-life garden dwelling solitary-clear figure. Empty hut two characters name the dwelling's simplicity, also secretly hold the mind's clear emptiness. Alone I walk shows no companion, only the garden's plants to deal with. Often holding a small axe handle one phrase most savor-worthy: Old Du does not use the axe to aggrandize himself, but the small character suppresses it, showing the labor's daily and humble, no showing-off intent. Though the axe handle small, it is the poet's reliance for tending life, sustaining spirit. The two lines' narrative most still, yet within stillness stored full force; as if seeing the white-haired poet pacing the mossy path, constantly trimming. This brush of writing bodily labor into regulated verse, precisely showing Du Fu's event-naming, not-avoiding-trifles realistic spirit, also planting伏笔 for the later from-event-to-principle. More important, one often writes the occasional action as a life state, revealing the Kui-zhou exile life rhythm and the poor-contented, plain-keeping posture; showing resilience within loneliness, not comparable with generic leisure words.

幽阴成颇杂，恶木剪还多。

In the dark dampness weeds grow mixed; the bad trees I cut, yet more return.

幽暗阴湿处草木混杂，讨厌的杂树剪了又生，总也剪不光。

In the damp shade growth runs tangled; the bad trees I cut, yet they return more.

此联写剪树之实况，而「剪还多」三字意蕴悠长。恶木之生命力竟如此顽强，剪之不已而旋生旋长，恰成一种近乎荒诞的循环，引人玩味。若作比兴读，则小人、恶习、世纷莫不类此，去之难而附之易；若作达观读，则正见「不材」之物自有其存身之道，非人力所能尽除。杜甫以极平实的语言写出这种徒劳中的执着，既不抱怨亦不退却，只如实记录。这种对「多」与「剪」之间张力的白描，使全诗的理趣有了扎实的生活根基，而非悬空说理。与此同时，句中暗含一种幽默与反讽：人欲剪之而木自生之，造化之工岂人谋可夺？老杜于困顿中仍能以冷静之眼观物，不以怨怼损其清明，足见其胸次之旷，亦为此诗终能归于达观预作铺垫。

This couplet writes the tree-cutting real situation, yet cut, yet more three characters' meaning long. The bad wood's vitality actually so stubborn, cutting it unceasing yet it sprouts and grows; precisely forms an almost absurd cycle, inviting savoring. If read as bi-xing, then petty men, bad habits, worldly turmoil all are like this - hard to remove, easy to attach. If read as open-minded, then precisely shows the useless thing's own way of survival, beyond human power to remove. Du Fu uses the most plain language to write this persistence within futility, neither complaining nor retreating, only如实 recording. This plain description of the many-cut tension gives the whole poem's principle-delight a solid life ground, rather than hanging argument. Meanwhile, the line secretly holds a kind of humor and irony: man wishes to cut it, yet the tree self-sprouts; can creation's work be taken by human scheming? Old Du in hardship still observes things with a calm eye, not letting resentment damage his clarity; fully showing his breast's open-mindedness, also preparing the poem's eventual return to open-mindedness.

枸杞因吾有，鸡栖奈汝何。

The, wolfberry, because, of, my, having, it, the, roosting, place, what, to, do, with, you.

枸杞因我照料而为我所有，鸡儿栖宿，却也奈何你不得。

The wolfberry is mine through my care; the roost-tree - what can I do with you?

颈联以嘉树与恶木对举，一「有」一「奈」，语气诙谐而含深意。枸杞为药饵佳卉，因诗人爱护而归属己手，是人力可及之「材」；鸡栖虽古雅有出处，于园事却属无可奈何之存在，暗指那剪不厌的恶木。「奈汝何」三字以轻俏口吻收束无奈，绝无愤激，反见老杜与物相忘的从容。对仗工而不滞，用典自然，将《诗经》鸡栖之句化入眼前光景。此联承上启下，由具体的「有」与「奈」逼出尾联对「不材」的彻悟，章法如抽丝剥茧，渐入胜境。值得玩味的是，诗人对「有」与「奈」的并列，恰构成一种存在论的对照：可据有者未必长久，不可奈何者却自在繁生，这种悖论式的体察，正是庄周齐物思想的民间版，经杜老以园事道出，便格外真切可贵。

The third couplet sets fine trees and bad wood against each other, one mine, one what-can-I-do, tone humorous yet deep meaning. Wolfberry is the herb's fine plant, through the poet's care belongs to his hand, the reachable material. The roost-tree though ancient and sourced, yet in garden affairs is a helpless existence, secretly referring to the cut-not-finished bad wood. What can I do with you? three characters close helplessness with light playfulness, absolutely no indignation, instead showing Old Du's forgetting-things composure. Parallel refined yet not blocked, using allusions natural, transforming the Book of Songs's roost-line into the眼前 scene. This couplet carries above and opens below, from concrete mine and what-can-I-do forcing out the closing couplet's thorough awakening to the useless; craft like cocoon-drawing, gradually entering the fine realm. Worth savoring is the poet's mine-and-what-can-I-do juxtaposition precisely forming an ontological contrast: the holdable may not last, the helpless yet self-thriving; this paradox-type observation is precisely Zhuangzi's equal-things thought's folk version, spoken through Old Du's garden affairs, hence especially true and valuable.

方知不材者，生长漫婆娑。

Then, I, know, the, useless, timber, growing, wildly, in, the, sprawling, branches.

如今才懂得，那些不成材的树木，反倒恣意生长，枝叶婆娑自在。

Now I know the useless ones grow wild and luxuriant, their branches swaying.

尾联为全篇眼目，由园事跃入哲理，化用《庄子》栎社树之喻而别有会心。「方知」二字道出历经剪伐后方得的了悟，非少年时悬空所得；「不材者」反得「漫婆娑」之自在，正与庄子「无所可用故能若是之寿」相印证。杜甫此处并非消极避世，而是以园中实感会通庄周，于困顿中寻得一种精神上的解脱与平衡。诗以「婆娑」这一摇曳生姿的意象收束，画面由斧柯之肃杀重回草木之生意，余味悠然。以小物写大旨，语淡而旨远，正是夔州晚年诗「老境渐熟，不从艰涩中求工」的典范。全诗至此完成由实到虚的跃升，前面所有剪伐、有无、奈何的纠结，尽收于「漫婆娑」三字的和解之中，显示了杜诗小品的哲学厚度与艺术圆满。

The closing couplet is the whole piece's eye, leaping from garden affairs into philosophy, transforming Zhuangzi's Li-Society-Tree metaphor with unique insight. Now I know two characters speak the awakening gained after cutting, not youth's void attainment. The useless ones yet get wild and luxuriant's freedom, precisely confirming Zhuangzi's useless-thus-able-to-last. Du Fu here is not passive world-avoidance, but using the garden's real feeling to meet Zhuangzi, seeking a spiritual release and balance in hardship. The poem closes in the swaying image of luxuriant growth, the picture returning from the axe's bleakness to the plants' life, aftertaste leisurely. Using small things to write great purport, words plain yet meaning far; precisely Kui-zhou late poems' old-realm-gradually-mature, not-seeking-craft-from-obscurity model. The whole poem here completes the solid-to-void leap; all the previous cutting, mine-and-not, helpless entanglement, all gathered into the wild-and-luxuriant three-character reconciliation; showing Du poetry's small-piece philosophical depth and artistic perfection.

Study

Word focus

恶 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「恶」字为篇题与诗眼，看似寻常形容词，实为全篇价值评判的枢纽。诗人不称「杂树」「荆榛」而直曰「恶树」，已带主观好恶与道德投射，使物象裹挟人事褒贬。然细味全诗，此「恶」并非深仇大恨之恶，而是园圃日常中妨苗乱径之「恶」，带着老农式务实的不满。及至尾联悟「不材者」之自在，「恶」字遂生反讽：昔之所恶，今乃知其得天独厚。一字之中，由厌弃到释然，情绪几经翻转，足见炼字之妙在于不孤立即意，而令其在全篇脉络中渐次生辉，与「不材」「婆娑」遥相呼应，构成意义回路。更可注意者，此「恶」与儒家「疾恶如仇」之恶、与佛家「诸恶莫作」之恶皆不同，纯是生活伦理层面的轻微否定，正因其轻，反显诗人下字之真率，不事夸张，于平淡中见出性情之厚。

不材 'The, useless, timber' — the timber of the useless, the philosophy of the close. 「不材」二字凝铸《庄子·人间世》全书精髓，是此诗用典的锚点。庄子借栎社树言「不材之木」得以全生，又云「周将处乎材与不材之间」，揭示处世之两难。杜甫撷此二字置于尾联，将园中剪不厌的恶木点化为哲学符号，使一首记实小诗骤然获得思想纵深。尤为精妙者，诗人以「方知」领起，表明此「不材」之悟乃从亲身芟剪、屡剪屡生的经验中淬炼而出，非掉书袋可比。如此用典，典不压事、事不掩典，庄生之旨与少陵之身世呼吸相通，堪称「水中着盐」之化境。若将此二字换作「无用」「不肖」等泛词，则全诗立即失去思想的重量。一字之重，全在它有整部《庄子》作为背景支撑，而老杜又能使之从书卷走入园圃，从寓言化为亲历，此即杜诗「以学问为性情」的极高明处。

漫 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 尾句「生长漫婆娑」之「漫」字最见风神。「漫」有随意、不受拘管、徒然诸义，此处兼「恣意自在」与「徒然无奈」两层意味：恶木不材，故能漫然生长、婆娑自得，于人谋之外别成一种天机；而诗人百计剪之而「还多」，此「漫」亦含徒劳之叹。一字双关，举重若轻，将前文「剪还多」的纠结一笔化解为对造化的默许。若易以「自」「任」等字，便单薄无味。「漫」以虚字传神，正杜诗所谓「语不惊人死不休」在晚年渐化刚为柔、以淡语写深情的体现，虚处皆实，最堪玩索。它既收束了全诗的矛盾，又开启了余韵，使结尾不落议论的干枯，而归于意象的丰盈，一个虚字竟能承担如此结构功能，足证老杜炼字之精到。

常 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 首联「常持小斧柯」之「常」字，貌不惊人而极有分量。它点明剪树非一时兴起，而是日复一日的恒常劳作，透露出流寓夔州时生活的节律与诗人安贫守拙的姿态。与「独绕」相偕，「常」字更显孤寂中的韧性：无人相佐，唯斧柯是与，而此事竟成日常。一个「常」字把偶发动作写成生命状态，既写出园事之繁，也暗喻去恶向善、修身克己乃终生之功，非一蹴可就。后文「剪还多」之无奈，正由此「常」字铺垫而出，前后呼应，章法绵密，可见老杜下字必有脉络，从无闲笔。较之「偶持」「时持」之轻，「常」字以其时间上的绵延，赋予了这首诗一种近乎修行般的庄重感，使一首小题材的园事诗，隐然具备了人格修炼的隐喻维度。

恶树