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魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem

拟行路难·其四

Imitating the Difficult Road, No. 4

鲍照

Bao Zhao

乐府Yuefu 行路难Hard Road 悲愤Grief and Anger 鲍照Bao Zhao

泻水置平地，各自东西南北流。
人生亦有命，安能行叹复坐愁？
酌酒以自宽，举杯断绝歌路难。
心非木石岂无感，吞声踯躅不敢言。

Pour water on the level ground, each flows east, west, south, north.
A man's life has its fate; how can he sigh while walking and fret while sitting?
I pour wine to console myself, raise the cup to break off the song of the Hard Road.
My heart is not wood or stone; how could it be without feeling? I swallow my sobs, hesitate, and dare not speak.

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Meaning

The poem uses the image of water to symbolize the predetermined course of life. The poet tries to comfort himself with wine, but ultimately admits that he cannot suppress his emotions, yet he must suppress his voice due to social constraints, expressing the frustration of a talented but low-born scholar.

把水倾倒在平地上，水便各自向东西南北流去；人生也自有它的命数，又怎能在行走时叹息、坐着时发愁？斟酒来自我宽慰，举起酒杯便想断绝那《行路难》的悲歌。可人心终究不是草木石头，岂能没有感触，却只能忍气吞声、徘徊犹豫而不敢吐露。

Appreciation

The poem is structured with a metaphor at the beginning, followed by a forced optimism, and then a sudden reversal to reveal true sorrow. The contrast creates a poignant effect, highlighting the poet's internal conflict.

【白话串讲】把水倒在地上，水各自往东往西流。鲍照说：人生也有命，何必坐着叹气。可最后一句又漏了底：“心非木石岂无感，吞声踯躅不敢言”——不是不想说，是不敢说。【意象与手法】善用比兴与反跌，开篇「泻水置平地，各自东西南北流」以水流无定喻命数难违；中段「酌酒以自宽」故作旷达，结句「心非木石岂无感，吞声踯躅不敢言」以不能忘情反戈一击，以乐写哀、以达写郁，声情顿挫【情感与主旨】鲍照身出寒微，仕途蹭蹬于南朝门阀之世，《拟行路难》十八首多写士不得志之悲。此首宣泄寒士在制度性压抑下的愤懑与噤声，是门阀时代最沉痛的控诉之一【名句点睛】高频考点为「泻水置平地」的比喻义、全诗「欲扬先抑」的结构，以及「吞声踯躅不敢言」的矛盾心理

Background

Bao Zhao, born into a humble family, faced obstacles in his official career due to the family-status system of the Southern Dynasties. This poem reflects the collective anguish of the 'cold scholars' (han shi) who were denied opportunities.

鲍照（约414—466），字明远，东海（今山东郯城）人，南朝宋文学家，与谢灵运、颜延之并称「元嘉三大家」。鲍照出身寒微，家世低贱，虽才华横溢却因门阀制度的压抑而仕途蹭蹬，一生仅任临海王刘子顼参军等微职，最终死于乱军之中。南朝门阀制度森严，「上品无寒门，下品无势族」，寒门士人纵有才学亦难进身，鲍照对此有切肤之痛。《拟行路难》共十八首，多写寒士不得志的悲愤与人生行路的艰难，是其乐府诗的代表作。此其四作年难确考，大抵感于出身论滞、进身无门而作。诗中「泻水置平地」以水喻命，「吞声踯躅不敢言」直写压抑，把门阀制度下寒士欲说还休的愤懑与噤声写得入木三分，是鲍照对时代最沉痛的控诉之一。鲍照尝上书临川王刘义庆献诗言志，又入始兴王刘濬、临海王刘子顼幕府，然终因出身寒门，官不过参军、侍郎之属，其《瓜步山揭文》「才之多少，不如势之多少远矣」之叹，正与此诗同调。《拟行路难》十八首以「君不见」起句者居多，情辞激越，开唐人歌行先声，此其四虽不以「君不见」发端，而悲愤之深，实为诸首之最。

Art

The poem employs metaphor and contrast. The opening metaphor of water is vivid and apt. The middle section feigns detachment, while the ending strikes with emotional intensity. The rhythm and line length vary to match the shifting emotions.

此诗善用比兴与反跌，章法先放后收、欲扬先抑。「泻水置平地，各自东西南北流」以水流四散喻命运无定，起兴自然，取譬平易而含意深远；「人生亦有命，安能行叹复坐愁」由物及人，故作达观之语，实则强自宽解，一个「安能」的反诘把悲愤压了下去。中段「酌酒以自宽，举杯断绝歌路难」写借酒浇愁，本欲断绝悲歌，而愁更涌来，欲盖弥彰；结句「心非木石岂无感，吞声踯躅不敢言」陡然反跌，以「岂无感」对「不敢言」，把前面强压的达观尽数推翻——人心非木石，岂能无情，却只能吞声踯躅、欲言又止。全诗以「命」起、以「愁」承、以「酒」转、以「不敢言」合，层层推进又步步压抑，最后在最大限度的克制中爆发出最深的悲愤，声情顿挫，最见鲍照「俊逸苍劲」之笔。此诗情感跌宕的节奏亦见匠心：首句「泻水」比兴，语势平缓；次句「安能」反诘，声调微扬；「酌酒」「举杯」故作排遣，又落回低沉；至「岂无感」陡然振起，而「不敢言」戛然而止，如潮水一涨一落，终被闸门死死拦住。全诗正是在这欲放还收的反复中，把压抑写得愈深、把悲愤写得愈烈，读来令人窒闷，正是鲍照「操调险急」风格的体现。

Allusions

'The Hard Road' is an old yuefu topic about worldly difficulties. Bao Zhao adapts it to express his personal grievances. 'Swallow sobs' (tun sheng) alludes to ancient poems about silent grief, and 'wood or stone' is a common expression for insensitivity.

「行路难」本为汉乐府杂曲歌辞旧题，古辞多已失传，相传其曲「备言世路艰难及离别悲伤之意」。鲍照《拟行路难》借古题抒今愤，是乐府「拟古」传统的典范——题是古题，情是己情，古为今用。诗中的「命」字是核心：门阀制度下，出身即命运，鲍照以「人生亦有命」点破这无可逃遁的现实，看似认命，实是愤极之语。「吞声」语出古乐府，写有苦难言、忍泣吞声之态，鲍照拈此二字写寒士之噤声，贴切至极；「木石」用「人非木石」之常语反衬情之不可遏，以无情之物衬有情之人，愈见压抑之深。「酌酒以自宽」则承汉魏以来「借酒浇愁」的传统（曹操「何以解忧，唯有杜康」），而「举杯断绝歌路难」又反用其意——酒不能解忧，反添悲歌。诸典皆融化于白描之中，不见斧凿，而古乐府的悲慨之气贯串全篇。《行路难》旧题相传为北齐人所作，一云出于晋人袁山松，其辞多言世路艰难及离别悲伤，至鲍照拟作而始大盛。此后梁简文帝、吴均等皆有拟作，而皆不能及鲍照之激越；至唐人李白、顾况、王昌龄复拟此题，遂成歌行一大宗。「拟」之一字，正是以古题写新恨的宣言，鲍照于此题之开拓，功莫大焉。

Commentary

Du Fu praised Bao Zhao's vigor and elegance. Shen Deqian commented that Bao Zhao's poetry is like five strong men digging a mountain, unprecedented. His 'Hard Road' series paved the way for Tang poets, especially Li Bai.

此诗为鲍照乐府诗的代表作，历代评价甚高。杜甫赞鲍照「俊逸鲍参军」，即指此类奇矫之笔；沈德潜《古诗源》评鲍照「如五丁凿山，开人世所未有」，取其开辟之功。此诗的价值有三：其一，思想价值——它直面门阀制度的不公，写出寒门士人「心非木石岂无感，吞声踯躅不敢言」的普遍悲愤，是南朝文学中少有的现实批判之声，比同时代歌功颂德的应制之作高出一筹；其二，艺术价值——它以「泻水」设喻、以「不敢言」收束，比兴贴切而反跌有力，把欲说还休的心理写得层层逼进，是「乐府言情」的典范；其三，文学史价值——鲍照以奇矫之笔写沉郁之痛，实为唐人歌行之先导，李白《行路难》「长风破浪会有时」的豪语，正是从鲍照「吞声踯躅」的压抑中翻出的一格，杜甫「俊逸」之评，可见其对盛唐诗的直接沾溉。近人刘师培《中国中古文学史》谓鲍照诗「骨劲而气猛，意警而词峭」，此诗「吞声踯躅」之句正是「意警词峭」的绝佳注脚。就诗史而言，汉魏乐府多写民生疾苦，鲍照则首次以乐府旧题系统抒写寒士个人的愤懑，开「以乐府写我」之先，其影响远及杜甫、李白，是中国文人诗由群体歌唱走向个体抒情的转折点。

Prosody

Form Imitated yuefu, mixed verse拟乐府（《行路难》杂言体）

Rhyme Irregular, changes with emotion (liu, chou, nan, yan)拟乐府体，杂言（七字为主、间以散句），随情换韵，韵脚「流」「愁」「难」「言」等平声相叶，声情随境流转。

Tone pattern Primarily seven-character lines with some five-character interjections; rhythm shifts from calm to intense以七言为基、间以五言散句（「人生亦有命」「心非木石岂无感」），句式由整饬而散落，节奏由缓趋急，正合情绪由压抑到反跌的推进。

Reading note Bao Zhao uses this form to vent the frustrations of the low-born. His influence on Li Bai's 'Hard Road' is notable.此诗为鲍照《拟行路难》其四，属拟乐府杂言体。《行路难》本为汉乐府杂曲歌辞旧题，鲍照拟之而自出新意，不守近体格律，句式长短错落、随情而变：首句「泻水置平地」五言，次句「各自东西南北流」七言，五七相间，起落自如；「人生亦有命」又作五言散句，与前后七言相错，顿挫分明；结句「心非木石岂无感」以七言振起，「吞声踯躅不敢言」以七言收束，前扬后抑。用韵上，此诗不标韵部而随情换韵，以平声字「流」「愁」「难」「言」等相叶，声调低回浑厚，宜于抒写压抑悲愤之情；「行叹复坐愁」「不敢言」等句以仄声收，节奏一挫，如哽咽之声。全诗以杂言写杂心，句式之散正合愁绪之乱，以「行路难」之题写行路之难，声情与辞情高度统一，是鲍照「发唱惊挺，操调险急」风格的代表，亦开唐人歌行（李白《行路难》等）之先声。

Line by line

泻水置平地，各自东西南北流。

Pour water on level ground, each flows east, west, south, north. (Metaphor for the uncontrollable and diverse paths of fate.)

把水倾倒在平地上，水便各自向东西南北流去。

Pour water on level ground; it flows east, west, south, north, each its own way.

起句以「泻水」设喻，是全诗比兴之根。「泻水置平地」写一个极平常的举动：把水倒在平地上；「各自东西南北流」写水的流向：四散奔流、不可控御。这比喻至少有三层含意：其一，喻命运的无定——人生如水，流向何方身不由己；其二，喻出身的不均——同是水，流向东西南北各异，正如同是寒士，门第高下各殊；其三，喻世路的险阻——平地尚且四散，何况崎岖世路。以眼前之事起兴，取譬平易而含意深远，一个「泻」字写尽命运的倾覆与不可逆，为全诗「人生亦有命」的慨叹立下根基，起笔即见鲍照善用比兴的功力。

The opening uses the water-pouring metaphor, the bi-xing root. Pour-water-on-level-ground writes an ordinary action: pour water on the flat ground. It-flows-east-west-south-north-each-its-own-way writes the water's dispersal, uncontrollable. The metaphor has at least three layers: destiny's uncertainty - life like water, direction not self-determined; birth's inequality - same water, different directions, like same poor scholar, different caste; world-road's peril - even the flat ground disperses, let alone the rough road. Starting with a眼前 action, the simile plain yet deep; one pour character exhausts fate's overturning and irreversibility, grounding the poem's life-has-destiny sigh. The opening shows Bao Zhao's bi-xing skill.

人生亦有命，安能行叹复坐愁？

Man's life also has fate; how can one sigh while walking and fret while sitting? (A rhetorical question feigning acceptance but hiding bitterness.)

人生也自有它的命数，又怎能在行走时叹息、坐着时发愁？

Life has its destiny; how can I walk sighing and sitting grieving?

二句由物及人，以反诘故作达观，是全诗第一层转折。「人生亦有命」直接点破题旨——门阀制度下，出身即命运，这是寒士无可逃遁的现实，一个「有」字说得斩截，看似认命，实则暗含对「命」的愤懑；「安能行叹复坐愁」以反诘自解：既然命该如此，行叹坐愁又有何用？语气洒脱，仿佛真已看开。然而这洒脱恰恰是强自宽慰——若真能看开，便不会「行叹复坐愁」了。「安能」二字故作豪语，实是自我压抑，把汹涌的悲愤强压下去，为后文「酌酒」「断绝」「不敢言」的层层反跌蓄势。以达写郁、以旷写愤，此联正是全诗「欲扬先抑」的关键。

These two lines move from thing to man, using a rhetorical question for forced equanimity, the poem's first turn. Life-has-its-destiny directly names the theme: under the caste system, birth is destiny, the poor scholar's inescapable reality; one has character is decisive, seeming to accept fate yet secretly holding resentment toward fate. How-can-I-walk-sighing-and-sitting-grieving? uses a rhetorical question for self-consolation: since fate is so, what use walking-sitting sighs? The tone seems free, as if truly enlightened. Yet this freedom is forced self-comfort: if truly enlightened, he would not walk-sit sigh. The how-can character is forced boldness, actually self-suppression, pressing down surging grief, preparing the later pour-wine, cut-off, dare-not-say layers. Using equanimity to write gloom, using openness to write resentment - this couplet is the key to first-suppress-then-lift.

酌酒以自宽，举杯断绝歌路难。

I pour wine to console myself, raise cup to break off singing 'The Hard Road'. (Attempt to drown sorrow, but the act itself reveals the distress.)

斟酒来自我宽慰，举起酒杯便想断绝那《行路难》的悲歌。

I pour wine to console myself; raising the cup, I cut off the Song of the Hard Road.

中段写借酒浇愁，是全诗由「达」转「郁」的枢纽。「酌酒以自宽」承上文的强作达观：既然愁不可解，便且饮酒自宽；「举杯断绝歌路难」写举杯之际，欲将那《行路难》的悲歌一并断绝——「断绝」二字极堪玩味：既是断绝歌声，也是断绝愁绪，诗人想以酒为刀，斩断悲歌与愁思。然而悲歌自心底涌起，酒岂能断之？「断绝」的勉强与徒劳，正反衬出愁之深重：越是想要断绝，越是证明其不可断绝。此联把借酒浇愁而愁更愁的心理写得逼真，为结句「不敢言」的最大压抑作了铺垫，是全诗情感最微妙的一环。

The middle section writes using wine to drown sorrow, the pivot from equanimity to gloom. Pour-wine-to-console-myself carries the forced equanimity: since sorrow cannot be solved, drink to console. Raising-the-cup-I-cut-off-the-Song-of-the-Hard-Road writes raising the cup, wanting to cut off the Hard Road's song. Cut-off is savored: both cutting the song and cutting the sorrow; the poet wants wine as a knife to sever song and grief. Yet the song rises from the heart; can wine cut it? The cut-off's forcedness and futility set off the sorrow's depth: the more one wants to cut off, the more it proves uncuttable. This couplet writes the wine-drowns-yet-sorrow-grows psychology vividly, preparing the closing dare-not-say's maximum suppression. This is the poem's most subtle emotional link.

心非木石岂无感，吞声踯躅不敢言。

The heart is not wood or stone; how can it lack feeling? I swallow sobs, hesitate, and dare not speak. (Climax: the inability to suppress emotion, yet the necessity to remain silent, encapsulating the tragedy.)

可人心终究不是草木石头，岂能没有感触，却只能忍气吞声、徘徊犹豫而不敢吐露。

The heart is not wood or stone - can it feel nothing? I swallow my voice, hesitate, and dare not speak.

结句陡然反跌，是全诗最沉痛的收束。「心非木石岂无感」以反诘自问：人心不是草木石头，岂能没有感触？——前面「安能行叹复坐愁」的达观、「酌酒自宽」的洒脱，至此尽数推翻：我不是真的看开，我只是不敢说。「吞声踯躅不敢言」七字连下三个动作：忍气吞声、徘徊犹豫、欲言又止，把寒士在门阀压抑下欲说还休的窒息之痛写得纤毫毕现——不是无话可说，而是不敢说、不能说。全诗以「命」起、以「不敢言」结，从比兴到白描，从压抑到反跌，最后在最大限度的克制中爆发出最深的悲愤，字字沉咽，正是鲍照「俊逸苍劲」的本色。

The closing line suddenly reverses, the poem's most painful resolution. The-heart-is-not-wood-or-stone-can-it-feel-nothing? uses a rhetorical self-question: the heart is not wood or stone, can it feel nothing? - the preceding how-can-I-sigh equanimity and pour-wine consolation are all overturned here: I am not truly enlightened, I only dare not speak. I-swallow-my-voice-hesitate-and-dare-not-speak seven characters chain three actions: swallow voice, hesitate, want-to-speak-yet-stop, exhausting the poor scholar's under-caste-suppression breathless pain: not nothing to say, but dare not, cannot say. The poem opens with destiny and closes with dare-not-speak, from bi-xing to plain description, from suppression to reversal, finally in maximum restraint erupting the deepest grief, every character choked. This is Bao Zhao's elegant-vigorous-clear-strong native color.

Study

Word focus

泻 Pour, suggesting the uncontrollable and forceful dispersal of fate. 「泻水置平地」之「泻」字，是全诗比兴的立骨之字，写尽命运之不可逆。「泻」本指水急速倾注而下，此处写倒水之态：一泻而不可收，水流四散、各奔东西。此字之妙在于它不只写「倒水」的动作，更暗含「倾覆」「泻尽」之意——命运的降临如水之倾泻，猝不及防、不可阻挡、无可挽回，寒士的出身论滞正如这泻下之水，流向哪里不由自己做主。「泻」与「置」连用，一急一平，写水从倾泻到落地四散的全过程，画面感极强；与「东西南北流」相配，一个「泻」字写尽身不由己的宿命感，为全诗定下悲慨的基调。选「泻」而不用「倒」「倾」，正是鲍照炼字精到处——一字之差，境界迥异。

安能 How can...? A rhetorical expression of forced resignation. 「安能行叹复坐愁」之「安能」，以反诘故作洒脱，是全诗情感张力的起点。「安能」即「怎能」，语气斩截，仿佛对命运已完全看开：既然命该如此，行叹坐愁又有何用？然而细味之下，这洒脱实是强自宽慰——「行叹复坐愁」五字写尽忧愁之深（行也叹、坐也愁，无时无刻不在愁中），正因为愁得无可排遣，才不得不以「安能」自解。此二字以问句出之，表面是质问自己，实是质问命运：凭什么要我认命？故作达观而悲愤暗藏，与结句「岂无感」的反诘遥遥相对——「安能」是压下去的愤，「岂无感」是压不住的情，一前一后，恰成「欲扬先抑」的完整回路。炼虚词而见跌宕，此「安能」二字是范例。

吞声 Swallow one's voice, meaning to suppress sobs or complaints, indicating extreme restraint. 「吞声踯躅不敢言」之「吞声」，是全诗压抑之痛的凝结点。「吞声」指忍气吞声、把哭声咽回肚里，语出古乐府，本写有苦难言之态；鲍照拈此二字写寒士之噤声，贴切至极。此词的妙处在于「吞」字的动态：不是无声，而是把已经涌到喉头的悲声硬生生咽回去——欲哭而不敢哭，欲言而不敢言，声音在喉咙里打转又吞下，比「无声」更见压抑之深。「吞声」与「踯躅」「不敢言」连用，一写声音的压抑、一写脚步的徘徊、一写言语的禁绝，三重动作把寒士进退失据、欲说还休的窒息之痛层层写透。一个「吞」字，写尽门阀制度下文士敢怒不敢言的悲哀，是全诗最沉痛的一笔。

岂无感 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「心非木石岂无感」之「岂无感」，以反诘破前面的达观，是全诗情感的爆发点。「岂」字反问，语气强烈：人心不是木石，岂能没有感触？——这是对「人生亦有命，安能行叹复坐愁」的彻底否定：我不是认命，我只是不敢说；我不是无情，我只是把情吞进了肚里。「无感」二字与「吞声」相对照：有「感」而无「言」，有情而不敢发，恰是寒士处境的全部悲哀。「岂」字一扬，「不敢言」一抑，两句之内波澜陡起，把全诗压抑已久的情感在最后一句引爆，又以「不敢言」戛然收住——欲爆而终抑，比直抒胸臆更见沉痛。炼一个「岂」字而全诗皆活，正是鲍照「俊逸」笔法的神髓。