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魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem

停云

Stopping the Clouds

陶渊明

Tao Yuanming

思友Longing for Friends 咏怀Personal Meditation

霭霭停云，濛濛时雨。
八表同昏，平路伊阻。
静寄东轩，春醪独抚。
良朋悠邈，搔首延伫。
停云霭霭，时雨濛濛。
八表同昏，平陆成江。
有酒有酒，闲饮东窗。
愿言怀人，舟车靡从。
东园之树，枝条载荣。
竞用新好，以怡余情。
人亦有言：日月于征。
安得促席，说彼平生。
翩翩飞鸟，息我庭柯。
敛翮闲止，好声相和。
岂无他人，念子实多。
愿言不获，抱恨如何！

The clouds hang still, and the season's rain drifts down;
All under heaven one gloom, and even the flat road is blocked.
Still I sit at my east window, and hold my spring wine alone;
Long my friend lies far away, and I scratch my head and wait.
Still the clouds, the drifting rain.
All under heaven one gloom, and the flat land becomes a river.
Wine, wine —
I drink at leisure by the eastern pane.
I wish, I wish, for one to think of;
But no boat, no carriage I may take.
The trees of the eastern garden, their branches all in bloom;
Each vies in new beauty to delight my remaining feelings.
Men have their say: the sun and moon go on their travels.
How could I but sit near, to talk of our whole life together?
Gayly the birds fly, and rest upon my court's branches;
Folding their wings, they settle; one sweet note answers another.
Is there no one else? — It is you I think of, all the while.
The wish is granted not; what a bitterness to bear.

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Meaning

In the grey weather of spring rain the poet sits alone with his wine and thinks of an absent friend. The road is impassable, the boat and carriage offer no way to him, and the birds and blossoming branches, which should be company, only deepen the solitude. The poem closes on a complaint too general to be answered — 'The wish is granted not; what a bitterness to bear' — and in that unfinished regret expresses the whole quiet difficulty of friendship in a life spent at a distance from the world.

霭霭停云，濛濛时雨。八表同昏，平路伊阻。静寄东轩，春醪独抚。良朋悠邈，搔首延伫。停云霭霭，时雨濛濛。八表同昏，平陆成江。有酒有酒，闲饮东窗。愿言怀人，舟车靡从。东园之树，枝条载荣。竞用新好，以怡余情。人亦有言：日月于征。安得促席，说彼平生。翩翩飞鸟，息我庭柯。敛翮闲止，好声相和。岂无他人，念子实多。愿言不获，抱恨如何！

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Four stanzas on thinking of a friend on a day of stopping cloud and soft rain. [Structure] The first longs, the second drinks alone, the third wishes for a talk, the fourth complains; stanza repeats stanza, each turning the same feeling a little further. [Imagery] 'Stopping the clouds' and 'the season's rain', the blossoming branches, and the birds answering one another on the court tree are all images of company — and of its absence. [Evaluation] The poem's manner is plain and its feeling is not: 'The wish is granted not' ends with a question rather than an answer. The blossoms and the singing birds stand beside the poet's solitude as a contrast, not a comfort, and that inversion is what gives the plain style its depth.

【白话串讲】陶渊明写《停云》：“霭霭停云，濛濛时雨”——“八表同昏，平路伊阻”——“静寄东轩，春醪独抚”——“良朋悠邈，搔首延伫”——“有酒有酒，闲饮东窗。愿言怀人，舟车靡从”——他写雨中怀念友人。【意象与手法】此诗写怀人，以闲居写怀人，是陶渊明的名篇。首章写怀人：「霭霭停云，濛濛时雨。八表同昏，平路伊阻。静寄东轩，春醪独抚。良朋悠邈，搔首延伫」写霭霭停云、濛濛时雨——写尽搔首延伫的良朋；次章写思酒：「停云霭霭，时雨濛濛。八表同昏，平陆成江。有酒有酒，闲饮东窗。愿言怀人，舟车靡从」写停云霭霭、时雨濛濛——写尽舟车靡从的怀人；三章写盼友：「东园之树，枝条载荣。竞用新好，以怡余情。人亦有言：日月于征。安得促席，说彼平生」写东园之树、枝条载荣——写尽说彼平生的促席；四章写飞鸟：「翩翩飞鸟，息我庭柯。敛翮闲止，好声相和。岂无他人，念子实多。愿言不获，抱恨如何」写翩翩飞鸟、息我庭柯——写尽抱恨如何的不获。全诗以闲居写怀人，写尽搔首延伫的良朋与抱恨如何的不获，是陶渊明的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写怀人，以闲居写怀人，是陶渊明的名篇。此诗为陶渊明《停云》四章，写其停云时雨之时的思友之情。陶渊明此诗写其闲居怀人之思。此诗写霭霭停云，濛濛时雨；八表同昏，平路伊阻；静寄东轩，春醪独抚；良朋悠邈，搔首延伫；停云霭霭，时雨濛濛；八表同昏，平陆成江；有酒有酒，闲饮东窗；愿言怀人，舟车靡从；东园之树，枝条载荣；竞用新好，以怡余情；人亦有言：日月于征；安得促席，说彼平生；翩翩飞鸟，息我庭柯；敛翮闲止，好声相和；岂无他人，念子实多；愿言不获，抱恨如何。此诗写怀人：霭霭停云，濛濛时雨——写霭霭停云、濛濛时雨，写尽濛濛时的时雨；八表同昏，平路伊阻——写八表同昏、平路伊阻，写尽平路伊阻的路伊阻；静寄东轩，春醪独抚——写静寄东轩、春醪独抚，写尽春醪独的独抚；良朋悠邈，搔首延伫——写良朋悠邈、搔首延伫，写尽搔首延伫的良朋；停云霭霭，时雨濛濛——写停云霭霭、时雨濛濛，写尽时雨濛的濛濛；八表同昏，平陆成江——写八表同昏、平陆成江，写尽平陆成的成江；有酒有酒，闲饮东窗——写有酒有酒、闲饮东窗，写尽闲饮东的东窗；愿言怀人，舟车靡从——写愿言怀人、舟车靡从，写尽舟车靡的靡从；东园之树，枝条载荣——写东园之树、枝条载荣，写尽枝条载的载荣；竞用新好，以怡余情——写竞用新好、以怡余情，写尽以怡余的余情；人亦有言：日月于征——写人亦有言、日月于征，写尽日月于的于征；安得促席，说彼平生——写安得促席、说彼平生，写尽说彼平生的促席；翩翩飞鸟，息我庭柯——写翩翩飞鸟、息我庭柯，写尽息我庭的庭柯；敛翮闲止，好声相和——写敛翮闲止、好声相和，写尽好声相的和；岂无他人，念子实多——写岂无他人、念子实多，写尽念子实的实多；愿言不获，抱恨如何——写愿言不获、抱恨如何，写尽抱恨如何的不获。全诗以闲居写怀人——那「搔首延伫」写尽搔首延伫的良朋，「抱恨如何」写尽抱恨如何的不获，写尽搔首延伫的良朋与抱恨如何的不获，是理解陶渊明怀人诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「霭霭停云，濛濛时雨」写濛濛时的时雨；「安得促席，说彼平生」写说彼平生的促席；以及全诗以闲居写怀人、以比兴写怀人的手法。

Background

Tao Yuanming (c. 365–427), styled Yuanliang, also called Qian, posthumously called Jiejie and known as the Master of Jiejie, was from Xunyang Chaisang, in present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi; the first of China's poets of field and garden, he is called by later ages 'the ancestor of hermit-poets through the ages.' 'Stopping the Clouds' is one of a group of four, written in the quiet of his retirement. The friend whom he thinks of is generally taken to be one of his former associates at court, from whom retirement had separated him.

此诗写怀人，以闲居写怀人，是陶渊明的名篇。陶渊明（约365—427），字元亮，又名潜，字渊明，私谥靖节，世称靖节先生，浔阳柴桑（今江西九江）人，东晋末至南朝宋初诗人，中国第一位田园诗人，被称为「古今隐逸诗人之宗」。此诗为陶渊明《停云》四章，写其停云时雨之时的思友之情。陶渊明此诗写其闲居怀人之思。此诗写霭霭停云，濛濛时雨；八表同昏，平路伊阻；静寄东轩，春醪独抚；良朋悠邈，搔首延伫；停云霭霭，时雨濛濛；八表同昏，平陆成江；有酒有酒，闲饮东窗；愿言怀人，舟车靡从；东园之树，枝条载荣；竞用新好，以怡余情；人亦有言：日月于征；安得促席，说彼平生；翩翩飞鸟，息我庭柯；敛翮闲止，好声相和；岂无他人，念子实多；愿言不获，抱恨如何。此诗写怀人：「霭霭停云，濛濛时雨」写霭霭停云、濛濛时雨——写尽濛濛时的时雨（霭霭停云，濛濛时雨）；「八表同昏，平路伊阻」写八表同昏、平路伊阻——写尽平路伊阻的路伊阻（八表同昏，平路伊阻）；「静寄东轩，春醪独抚」写静寄东轩、春醪独抚——写尽春醪独的独抚（静寄东轩，春醪独抚）；「良朋悠邈，搔首延伫」写良朋悠邈、搔首延伫——写尽搔首延伫的良朋（良朋悠邈，搔首延伫）；「停云霭霭，时雨濛濛」写停云霭霭、时雨濛濛——写尽时雨濛的濛濛（停云霭霭，时雨濛濛）；「八表同昏，平陆成江」写八表同昏、平陆成江——写尽平陆成的成江（八表同昏，平陆成江）；「有酒有酒，闲饮东窗」写有酒有酒、闲饮东窗——写尽闲饮东的东窗（有酒有酒，闲饮东窗）；「愿言怀人，舟车靡从」写愿言怀人、舟车靡从——写尽舟车靡的靡从（愿言怀人，舟车靡从）；「东园之树，枝条载荣」写东园之树、枝条载荣——写尽枝条载的载荣（东园之树，枝条载荣）；「竞用新好，以怡余情」写竞用新好、以怡余情——写尽以怡余的余情（竞用新好，以怡余情）；「人亦有言：日月于征」写人亦有言、日月于征——写尽日月于的于征（人亦有言：日月于征）；「安得促席，说彼平生」写安得促席、说彼平生——写尽说彼平生的促席（安得促席，说彼平生）；「翩翩飞鸟，息我庭柯」写翩翩飞鸟、息我庭柯——写尽息我庭的庭柯（翩翩飞鸟，息我庭柯）；「敛翮闲止，好声相和」写敛翮闲止、好声相和——写尽好声相的和（敛翮闲止，好声相和）；「岂无他人，念子实多」写岂无他人、念子实多——写尽念子实的实多（岂无他人，念子实多）；「愿言不获，抱恨如何」写愿言不获、抱恨如何——写尽抱恨如何的不获（愿言不获，抱恨如何）。全诗以闲居写怀人，写尽搔首延伫的良朋与抱恨如何的不获，是理解陶渊明怀人诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem rests on four movements, and on a fifth that runs beneath them all. It opens with the weather: 'The clouds hang still, and the season's rain drifts down' — the stillness of the cloud is the stillness of the hour, and it prepares the solitude. It then states the lonely act — 'I hold my spring wine alone' — and the waiting — 'I scratch my head and wait.' Stanzas repeat one another exactly, each setting out again from the cloud and the rain and arriving somewhere new: blocked road, then wine, then the blossoming tree, then the birds, then the complaint. The blossoms and the birds are the poem's quiet device: they are full of company and so define the solitude. 'The wish is granted not' leaves the feeling open, and in the leaving lies the poem's unusual manners.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以比兴写时雨。「霭霭停云」以比兴写时雨——那「濛濛时雨」写尽濛濛时的时雨，以比兴写尽濛濛时的时雨。其二，以白描写独饮。「静寄东轩」以白描写独饮——那「春醪独抚」写尽春醪独的独抚，以白描写尽春醪独的独抚。其三，以写景写庭柯。「翩翩飞鸟」以写景写庭柯——那「息我庭柯」写尽息我庭的庭柯，以写景写尽息我庭的庭柯。其四，以直抒写怀人。「岂无他人」以直抒写怀人——那「念子实多」写尽念子实的实多，以直抒写尽念子实的实多。此外，此诗前写搔首延伫的良朋，后写抱恨如何的不获，由景及情，正是怀人诗「以雨写思」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以闲居写怀人，写尽搔首延伫的良朋与抱恨如何的不获，是陶渊明的代表作。又，此诗通篇以比兴为骨：「霭霭停云，濛濛时雨」以阴雨起兴，云雨之昏蒙正衬怀人之愁思；「八表同昏，平路伊阻」一句双关，既是写天时之阴雨，亦暗喻世路之阻隔；四章回环递进，由「搔首延伫」之盼，到「舟车靡从」之叹，再到「安得促席」之愿，终以「抱恨如何」之恨收束；中插「东园之树，枝条载荣」「翩翩飞鸟，好声相和」两处春景，以荣树、和鸟反衬独处之孤寂，比兴深婉，正是陶渊明「寄意遥深、冲淡中有至味」的本色。

Allusions

Much of the vocabulary belongs to the older book of songs and to the tradition of long poetry on friendship. The title itself — 'Stopping the Clouds' — takes the cloud as the emblem of a slow, immobile hour. 'The season's rain' follows the older association of kindly rain with the right season; 'all under heaven one gloom' turns the old phrase for wide extent into a single dark. 'Spring wine' is the wine of the offering and the wine of the field. 'I hold it alone' answers to Li Bai's 'Drinking alone, with no one beside me.' 'I scratch my head' is the gesture of old age and of worry — 'my white head grows more scant the more I scratch' of Du Fu. 'No boat, no carriage I may take' turns the wish to cross over into the familiar image of wanting a ferry and having no oar. 'By my court's branches' recalls the poet's own 'I stroked the lone pine and walked about.' And 'the wish is granted not' answers to the book of songs — 'O that I had, O that I might —' the complaint of one who prays and is not answered. The plain words are all of them traditional.

此诗的用语深植于怀人与闲居传统。「停云」令人想到「停云」写停云的意象——也令人想到「霭霭停云」的意象；「霭霭」令人想到「霭霭」写云霭的意象——也令人想到「暮霭沉沉楚天阔」（柳永）的意象；「时雨」令人想到「时雨」写时雨的意象——也令人想到「好雨知时节」（杜甫）的意象；「濛濛」令人想到「濛濛」写雨濛的意象——也令人想到「烟雨濛濛」的意象；「八表」令人想到「八表」写八方的意象——也令人想到「八表同昏」的意象；「东轩」令人想到「东轩」写东轩的意象——也令人想到「静寄东轩」的意象；「春醪」令人想到「春醪」写春酒的意象——也令人想到「春酒」的意象；「独抚」令人想到「独抚」写独酌的意象——也令人想到「独酌无相亲」（李白）的意象；「良朋」令人想到「良朋」写良朋的意象——也令人想到「良朋好友」的意象；「悠邈」令人想到「悠邈」写遥远的意象——也令人想到「悠邈难期」的意象；「搔首」令人想到「搔首」写搔首的意象——也令人想到「白头搔更短」（杜甫）的意象；「延伫」令人想到「延伫」写久立的意象——也令人想到「延伫望归」的意象；「平陆成江」令人想到「平陆成江」写成江的意象——也令人想到「沧海桑田」的意象；「有酒有酒」令人想到「有酒有酒」写有酒的意象——也令人想到「有酒盈樽」的意象；「东窗」令人想到「东窗」写东窗的意象——也令人想到「东窗未白」的意象；「舟车靡从」令人想到「舟车靡从」写无从的意象——也令人想到「欲济无舟楫」（孟浩然）的意象；「枝条载荣」令人想到「枝条载荣」写荣枝的意象——也令人想到「枝条载荣」的意象；「促席」令人想到「促席」写促膝的意象——也令人想到「促膝谈心」的意象；「平生」令人想到「平生」写平生的意象——也令人想到「说彼平生」的意象；「翩翩」令人想到「翩翩」写翩飞的意象——也令人想到「翩翩两骑来是谁」（白居易）的意象；「庭柯」令人想到「庭柯」写庭树的意象——也令人想到「抚孤松而盘桓」（陶渊明）的意象；「敛翮」令人想到「敛翮」写敛翅的意象——也令人想到「敛翮而归」的意象；「相和」令人想到「相和」写相和的意象——也令人想到「琴瑟相和」的意象；「抱恨」令人想到「抱恨」写抱恨的意象——也令人想到「抱恨终天」的意象。全诗化用停云、霭霭、时雨、濛濛、八表、东轩、春醪、独抚、良朋、悠邈、搔首、延伫、平陆成江、有酒有酒、东窗、舟车靡从、枝条载荣、促席、平生、翩翩、庭柯、敛翮、相和、抱恨的意象，以闲居写怀人，正是陶渊明「冲淡」而善比兴、承诗经传统写怀人之本领。

Commentary

This has long been counted among Tao Yuanming's poems on friendship and among his works of quiet retirement. Earlier readers praised the poem for the plainness with which the yearning is set down; modern readers take 'The clouds hang still, and the season's rain drifts down' as the poem's line of greatest beauty. Its particular place in literary history is that in four short four-character stanzas it carries a feeling which later, longer poetry would only grow more elaborate about — and, unlike the later poetry, never once breaks its simplicity. Set beside the 'Come Home' of the same author — 'Home! My fields are overgrown; why not return?' — the two show both faces of his retirement: the one the relief of going back, the other the cost of having done so. It remains a classic of the poetry of friendship and of the quiet life.

此诗历来被推为陶渊明怀人诗的名篇，也是田园诗写思友的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：梁萧统评陶渊明「文章不群，词采精拔」，清人更评此诗「以闲居写怀人，冲淡自然」；近人指出「霭霭停云，濛濛时雨」写濛濛时的时雨，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以四言四章写尽搔首延伫的良朋与抱恨如何的不获——那霭霭，那停云，那濛濛，那时雨，那八表，那同昏，那平路，那伊阻，那静寄，那东轩，那春醪，那独抚，那良朋，那悠邈，那搔首，那延伫，那停云，那霭霭，那时雨，那濛濛，那八表，那同昏，那平陆，那成江，那有酒，那有酒，那闲饮，那东窗，那愿言，那怀人，那舟车，那靡从，那东园，那之树，那枝条，那载荣，那竞用，那新好，那以怡，那余情，那日月，那于征，那安得，那促席，那说彼，那平生，那翩翩，那飞鸟，那息我，那庭柯，那敛翮，那闲止，那好声，那相和，那岂无，那他人，那念子，那实多，那愿言，那不获，那抱恨，那如何，都写尽了陶渊明笔下的停云；那「安得促席，说彼平生」更以直抒写尽说彼平生的促席。此诗与陶渊明《归去来兮辞》「归去来兮，田园将芜胡不归」同为闲居名篇，一写「悟已往之不谏」的归去来兮，一写「愿言怀人，舟车靡从」的停云；一写归隐，一写怀人。两作对读，可见陶渊明闲居的两面。对于今日读者，此诗是理解陶渊明怀人诗的窗口，也是田园诗写思友的经典——那抱恨如何的不获，穿越千年，仍在诉说着搔首延伫的良朋。

Prosody

Form Four-Syllable Ancient Verse四言古诗

Rhyme Four stanzas of four-character lines, each stanza changing its rhyme (rain / wine / wait; drifting / river / wine / no way; bloom / delight / travel / talk of life; branches / answers / thinks of one / a bitterness)四言四章，各章换韵（雨阻、抚伫；蒙蒙、江窗、从；荣情、征、生；柯和、多、何），句多四言

Tone pattern A four-syllable poem in four stanzas, rhymes changing from stanza to stanza and mostly four characters to the line; the tone is level and unhurried, fitting the plainness of the feeling.此诗为四言古诗，四章换韵，句多四言，音节冲淡，正合怀人的冲淡。

Reading note Four-syllable ancient verse — 'The clouds hang still, and the season's rain drifts down... the wish is granted not; what a bitterness to bear' — four stanzas, each with its own rhyme, the lines mostly of four characters. The shortness of the line gives the poem its slow, even breath, and the changing of the rhyme marks each stage of the feeling without any transition. The structure runs from the cloud, to the wine, to the tree and the birds, to the complaint. Read 'The clouds hang still' evenly, with the long stop after the first line; read 'How could I but sit near, to talk of our whole life together' slowly and unforced; and let the last stanza close on its question without any resolution. Tao Yuanming's four-syllable verse is famous for this level, unhastened manner.此诗为四言古诗——「霭霭停云，濛濛时雨。八表同昏，平路伊阻。……愿言不获，抱恨如何」，四章换韵，句多四言，音节冲淡。全诗以闲居写怀人：首章写搔首延伫的良朋（霭霭停云、静寄东轩），次章写舟车靡从的怀人（停云霭霭、有酒有酒），三章写说彼平生的促席（东园之树、安得促席），四章写抱恨如何的不获（翩翩飞鸟、岂无他人）。四言铺叙，前写怀人，中写盼友，后写抱恨，以「抱恨如何」写尽抱恨如何的不获，正见陶渊明「冲淡」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以冲淡的语调读「霭霭停云」的时雨，以深情的语调读「安得促席，说彼平生」的盼友，结句要读得冲淡而有余韵，方能传达出陶渊明的冲淡自然。陶渊明四言以「冲淡」著称，此诗正是其怀人诗的典范。

Line by line

霭霭停云，濛濛时雨

The clouds hang still, and the season's rain drifts down.

霭霭停云，濛濛时雨。

Dense, dense the standing clouds; drizzling, drizzling the seasonal rain.

此二句是全诗写时雨的核心，以霭霭停云写停云，以濛濛时雨写时雨，写尽濛濛时的时雨，是千古名句。「霭霭停云」写霭霭停云——那「霭霭」写霭霭，「停云」写停云，写尽霭霭的停云；「濛濛时雨」写濛濛时雨——那「濛濛」写濛濛，「时雨」写时雨，写尽濛濛的时雨。这句的深意在于：它以「霭霭停云」的停云与「濛濛时雨」的时雨，写尽濛濛时的时雨——霭霭停云，那「霭霭停云」写尽霭霭的停云——霭霭停云，正是云霭凝停的写照，那「停云」写尽濛濛时的时雨；濛濛时雨，那「濛濛时雨」写尽濛濛的时雨——濛濛时雨，正是时雨濛濛的写照，那「时雨」写尽濛濛时的时雨；那「霭霭停云」写尽霭霭的停云，那「濛濛时雨」写尽濛濛的时雨，一写停云，一写时雨，写尽濛濛时的时雨——云霭凝停而时雨濛濛，正是怀人的写照；此二句以停云、时雨写尽濛濛时的时雨，也为下文的八表作铺垫，也让此二句成为全诗写时雨的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「霭霭的停云，濛濛的时雨」，则失其冲淡；唯以「霭霭停云」写停云、「濛濛时雨」写时雨，写尽濛濛时的时雨，也让此二句成为全诗写时雨的核心。

These two lines open Tao Yuanming's Stop Cloud, famous through the ages. Dense, dense the standing clouds: dense names the clouds' gathered thickness, standing clouds names their stillness. Drizzling, drizzling the seasonal rain: drizzling names the rain's fine falling, seasonal rain names the timely rain. The deeper pathos lies in the repetition - dense dense, drizzle drizzle - which slows the rhythm to the pace of weather, of waiting. The standing clouds do not move; the drizzle does not clear; this is the sky of longing, when the world itself holds still, as if waiting for the friend who cannot come. From these two lines the whole poem's mood grows - the longing for a friend on a rainy, cloudy day, the world wrapped in gray. Compared with a plain saying the clouds are dense and the rain drizzles, the doubled adjectives and the standing-cloud image give the weather both stillness and inwardness, making this the poem's opening stroke.

安得促席，说彼平生

How could I but sit near, to talk of our whole life together?

安得促席，说彼平生。

How could we sit close on the mat and talk of all our lives?

此二句是全诗写盼友的核心，以安得促席写促席，以说彼平生写平生，写尽说彼平生的促席，是千古名句。「安得促席」写安得促席——那「安得」写安得，「促席」写促席，写尽安得的促席；「说彼平生」写说彼平生——那「说彼」写说彼，「平生」写平生，写尽说彼的平生。这句的深意在于：它以「安得促席」的促席与「说彼平生」的平生，写尽说彼平生的促席——安得促席，那「安得促席」写尽安得的促席——安得促席，正是安得促膝的写照，那「促席」写尽说彼平生的促席；说彼平生，那「说彼平生」写尽说彼的平生——说彼平生，正是共话平生的写照，那「平生」写尽说彼平生的促席；那「安得促席」写尽安得的促席，那「说彼平生」写尽说彼的平生，一写促席，一写平生，写尽说彼平生的促席——安得促膝而共话平生，正是盼友的写照；此二句以促席、平生写尽说彼平生的促席，也让此二句成为全诗写盼友的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「怎能促膝相坐，说说彼此的平生」，则失其冲淡；唯以「安得促席」写促席、「说彼平生」写平生，写尽说彼平生的促席，也让此二句成为全诗写盼友的核心。

These two lines are the poem's core in longing for a friend, famous through the ages. How could we sit close on the mat: how-could names the impossible wish, sit-close-on-the-mat names the intimacy of shared seating. Talk of all our lives: speak-of-that writes the long-delayed conversation, all-our-lives names the years of unspoken thought. The deeper pathos lies in the gap between the wish and its impossibility: the mat is not shared, the talk does not happen; the whole line is cast as a longing for what the standing-cloud weather makes impossible. Tao Yuanming here writes the simplest human wish - to sit close and talk through a life - and the simplicity is what makes it ache. The促席 (close seating) and the生平 (lifetime talk) together compress the whole poem's longing into one imagined scene. Compared with a plain saying I wish we could sit together and talk, the how-could and the lifetime give the longing both intimacy and impossibility, making this the poem's core stroke.

Study

Word focus

霭 In 'the clouds hang still' the character 霭 — cloud-haze — is the poem's whole weather in one word. It describes the cloud at its lowest and heaviest, the hour when nothing moves; and through its softness it carries the mood of the waiting, so that the gray sky and the poet's stillness are the same thing. 「霭霭停云」之「霭」字是写时雨关键词，一个「霭」字写尽霭霭的停云。霭者，云霭、霭霭也。陶渊明以「霭霭停云」写时雨，这个「霭」字至少有双重意味：其一，写云之霭——那「霭霭停云」写霭霭停云，那「霭」字写尽霭霭的停云——霭霭，正是云霭凝沉的写照，那「霭」字写尽霭霭的停云；其二，写情之郁——那「霭」字更是写郁——霭，正见怀人愁绪的意味，那「霭」字写尽陶渊明的怀人。以「霭」字写时雨，正是陶渊明写怀人的枢纽——若换作「沉」「浓」等字，则或失其与「霭霭停云」「濛濛时雨」的配合，或失其写霭的意味；唯「霭」字，以霭霭停云写尽云霭之凝沉与怀人之愁郁，与「濛濛时雨」的时雨相合，写尽霭霭的停云，也让「霭霭停云」成为全诗写时雨的名句。

促 In 'how could I but sit near' the character 促 — near, drawn close — is the whole of the wish compressed. It is the word for drawing two seats together, and so for drawing two people together; the nearness which the poet asks for is not a nearness of a place but of a presence, and the word's plainness is what keeps the longing from becoming sentiment. 「安得促席」之「促」字是写盼友关键词，一个「促」字写尽安得的促席。促者，促近、促膝也。陶渊明以「安得促席」写盼友，这个「促」字至少有双重意味：其一，写席之促——那「安得促席」写安得促席，那「促」字写尽安得的促席——促席，正是促膝相亲的写照，那「促」字写尽安得的促席；其二，写情之亲——那「促」字更是写亲——促，正见亲密无间的意味，那「促」字写尽陶渊明的思友。以「促」字写盼友，正是陶渊明写怀人的枢纽——若换作「近」「合」等字，则或失其与「安得促席」「说彼平生」的配合，或失其写促的意味；唯「促」字，以安得促席写尽促膝之亲近与思友之切盼，与「说彼平生」的平生相合，写尽安得的促席，也让「安得促席」成为全诗写盼友的名句。

停云