琴赋

Meaning

The first great rhapsody in Chinese literature devoted to a musical instrument and the fullest statement of Ji Kang's aesthetics of music. The preface rejects the tradition that made sorrow the theme of qin rhapsodies and declares that among all instruments the virtue of the qin is supreme; the body then unfolds the wutong tree's birth on numinous mountains, the hermits' felling of it, the divine craftsmanship of its making, the shapes of its sound, the settings of its performance, and finally the moral power of its virtue. The qin emerges as a vessel of harmony that nurtures life and refines character, embodying Ji Kang's ideal of art at one with the Way.

我自少喜爱音乐，长大后更玩味其间，以为万物有盛有衰，而音乐之悦不变；滋味会生厌倦，而音乐令人不厌。可以涵养神气、宣导和乐情志，使人身处穷困孤寂而不烦闷的，没有比音乐更切近的了。所以反复听赏犹觉不足，便吟咏以舒展心志；吟咏犹不足，便借文字以广其意。然而八音之器、歌舞之象，历代才士都为它们作赋写颂，其体制风韵，莫不互相因袭。称其材质，则以危苦为上；写其声音，则以悲哀为主；美其感化，则以落泪为贵。华丽则华丽了，却未能穷尽其理。推究缘由，似乎本不解音乐；观其旨趣，也未通达礼乐之情。众器之中，琴之德性最为优长，故铺陈我心之所怀，作成此赋。其辞曰： 惟那椅树梧桐生长之处啊，依托着高峻山岳的崇冈。穿透重重土壤而诞生啊，上参星辰极天而高扬。蕴含天地之醇和啊，吸纳日月之休光。郁郁纷纷而独茂啊，飞散英华于苍穹。傍晚收纳日影于虞渊啊，清晨晒干于九阳。经历千载而待价啊，寂然神驻而永康。 且其山川形势，则盘曲幽深，山石高峻。山岭巉岩，崖崿崎崟。丹崖险巇，青壁万寻。至于重峰叠起，偃蹇覆云，邈远隆崇而极壮，巍巍特秀。蒸腾灵液以播云，据守神渊而吐流。于是波涛奔突，狂涌争流。触岩抵湾，郁怒彪赫。汹涌腾薄，奋沫扬涛。波涛相激澎湃，蜿蜒相纠。放纵大川，济乎中州。安然回流徐行，寂然长浮。澹然洋洋，萦抱山丘。 细观其区域所产育，深宇所宝藏。珍怪如琅玕，瑶瑾鲜红。丛集累积，繁盛于其侧。至于春兰披其东，沙棠殖其西。涓子居其阳，玉醴涌其前。玄云荫其上，翔鸾集其巅。清露润其肤，惠风吹其间。肃肃静谧，微微清闲。所以经营其左右的，本以自然神丽，足以令人思慕爱乐了。 于是避世之士，荣期、绮季之辈，相与登飞梁、越幽壑，援琼枝、登峻崿，游于其下。周旋远望，邈若凌飞。斜睨昆仑，俯瞰海湄。指苍梧之迢递，临回江之逶迤。悟时俗之多累，仰箕山之余辉。羡此岳之弘敞，心慷慨而忘归。情舒放而远览，接续轩辕之遗音。慕老童于騩隅，钦泰容之高吟。顾此梧桐而兴思，思假物以托心。乃斫取旁枝，度量所任。至人抒发思虑，制为雅琴。 乃使离朱督墨，匠石奋斧。夔襄进法，般倕骋神。雕镂结构，朗密调均。华绘雕琢，布藻垂文。错嵌犀象，垫以翠绿。弦用园客之丝，徽用钟山之玉。又有龙凤之象，古人之形。伯牙挥手，钟期听声。华容灼烁，发采扬明。何其丽也！伶伦比律，田连操张。进献君子，新声嘹亮。何其伟也！ 及其初调，则角羽俱起，宫徵相证。参差并发，上下累应。踸踔磊硌，美声将兴。本已和畅而足耽溺了。于是理清正声，奏出妙曲。扬白雪，发清角。纷披流离，繁盛优渥。粲然高逝，驰骤相属。沛然腾会而竞趣，繁盛晔然而缛丽。状若崇山，又象流波。浩兮汤汤，郁兮峨峨。怫郁烦冤，纡徐婆娑。放纵播逸，涣散纷葩。检束容仪而授节，应变合度。兢名擅业，安轨徐步。洋洋习习，声烈远布。含显媚以送终，飘余响于太素。 至于高轩飞观，广厦闲房；冬夜肃清，朗月垂光。新衣鲜丽，缨徽流芳。于是器冷弦调，心闲手敏。触拨如意，唯意所拟。初弹《渌水》，中奏清徵。雅畅唐尧，终咏微子。宽明弘润，优游踌躇。抚弦安歌，新声代起。歌曰：凌扶摇啊憩于瀛洲，邀列子啊结为好仇。餐沆瀣啊带朝霞，翩翩啊薄游于天。齐万物啊超然自得，委性命啊任其去留。激清响以赴会，何等弦歌之绸缪！ 于是曲引将尽，众音将歇。改韵易调，奇弄乃发。扬和颜，攘皓腕，飞纤指而驰骛，纷繁错杂而流漫。或徘徊顾慕，拥郁抑按。盘桓涵养，从容秘玩。忽而奋逸，风骇云乱。牢落凌厉，布散半散。丰融披离，斐然烂漫。英声发越，采采粲粲。或间声错杂，状若诡赴。双美并进，骈驰翼驱。初若将乖，后卒同趣。或曲而不屈，直而不倨。或相凌而不乱，或相离而不殊。时顿挫以慷慨，或怨婉而躊躇。忽飘摇以轻迈，乍留连而扶疏。或繁促叠仄，纵横骆驿，奔遁相逼。拊节嗟叹，间不容息。瑰艳奇伟，殚不可识。 至于闲舒都雅，洪纤得宜。清和条畅，衍变陆离。穆然温柔以怡悦，婉顺叙而委蛇。或乘险投会，邀隙趋危。声若离鹍鸣清池，翼若游鸿翔曾崖。文采斐然，余音离纤。微风余音，靡靡猗猗。或摟擽捋，缥缭潎冽。轻行浮弹，明嫿慧。疾而不速，留而不滞。翩绵飘邈。微音迅逝。远而听之，若鸾凤和鸣戏于云中；近而察之，若众花敷荣耀于春风。既丰赡而多姿，又善始而令终。嗟其姣妙弘丽，何变态之无穷！ 若夫三春之初，丽服以时。乃携友生，以遨以嬉。涉兰圃，登重基。背长林，荫华芝。临清流，赋新诗。嘉鱼龙之逸豫，乐百卉之荣滋。理重华之遗操，慨远慕而长思。 至于华堂曲宴，密友近宾。兰肴并陈，旨酒清醇。进《南荆》，发《西秦》。续《陵阳》，度《巴人》。变用杂然而并起，竦动众听而骇神。料其殊功而比其操，岂笙籥之能伦比？ 若次其曲引所宜，则有《广陵止息》《东武太山》。《飞龙》《鹿鸣》，《鹍鸡》《游弦》。更唱迭奏，声若自然。《流楚》窈窕，惩躁雪烦。下逮谣俗，蔡氏五曲。《王昭》《楚妃》，《千里别鹤》。犹有一切承间而补乏。亦有可观者焉。然非旷远者，不能与之和游；非渊静者，不能与之闲止；非放达者，不能与之无吝；非至精者，不能与之析理也。 若论其体势，详其风声。器调和故响逸，弦张急故声清。间宽故音低，弦长故徽鸣。性洁静以端理，含至德之和平。诚可以感荡心志，而发泄幽情了。所以怀忧者闻之，莫不凄凛惨凄，愀怆伤心。含哀嗷咿，不能自禁。其康乐者闻之，则欢愉释然，抃舞踊溢。留连漫澜，嗢噱终日。若和平者听之，则怡养悦悆，淑穆玄真。恬虚乐古，弃事遗身。是以伯夷以之廉，颜回以之仁，比干以之忠，尾生以之信。惠施以之辩给，万石以之讷慎。其余触类而长，所致非一。同归殊途，或文或质。总中和以统物，咸日用而不失。其感人动物，亦弘大矣！ 于其时，金石寝声，匏竹屏气。王豹辍讴，狄牙丧味。天吴踊跃于重渊，王乔披云而下坠。舞鸑鷟于庭阶，游女飘然而来萃。感天地以致和，况虫行之众类。嘉此器之懿茂，咏此文以自慰。永服御而不厌，信为古今之所贵。 乱曰：愔愔琴德，不可测啊。体清心远，邈难极啊。良质美手，遇于今世啊。纷纶翕响，冠于众艺啊。识音者稀，谁能珍啊。能尽雅琴，唯至人啊。

Appreciation

The fu's glory is the writing of music itself, abstract sound made visible in cascades of concrete image: shaped like towering mountains, then like flowing waves, or heard from afar like simurgh and phoenix singing in sport amid the clouds and seen up close like a host of flowers bursting into bloom in the spring wind. Its architecture moves from tree to instrument to sound to listener to virtue, in the grand Han manner yet with Wei-Jin clarity and severity, while its Sao-style cadences alternate with crisp four-character catalogues so that the prose itself becomes music. Both a feat of description and a philosophical essay on music's nature, it freed the qin from the convention of mournfulness and stands among the summits of Six Dynasties literature.

【白话串讲】 嵇康写《琴赋》：“余少好音声，长而玩之”——他从小爱音乐。“物有盛衰，而此无变”——万物有盛衰，音乐不会变。“可以导养神气，宣和情志，处穷独而不闷者，莫近于音声也”——音乐能排解孤独。嵇康临刑前，还弹了一曲《广陵散》。 【意象与手法】 赋前有序直斥历来琴赋“以悲哀为主”的流弊，标举“众器之中，琴德最优”；正文以赋体铺陈，依次写梧桐之所生、制琴之工、琴声之美、弹琴之境与琴德之效，状若崇山流波、鸾凤和鸣。辞采瑰丽、想象恢奇，既得汉大赋铺排之盛，又兼魏晋清峻之气。 【情感与主旨】 中国文学史上第一篇为乐器立赋的鸿篇，是嵇康音乐美学的集中体现。将音乐从“悲哀”的成见中解放出来，还原为涵养性情、通达天人的高雅之艺，是研究嵇康思想与六朝音乐文学不可绕过的杰作。 【名句点睛】 常考“物有盛衰，而此无变”以音乐不变写其超越盛衰；“可以导养神气，宣和情志，处穷独而不闷者，莫近于音声也”以音乐写排解孤独。

Allusions

The fu's allusions draw chiefly on the qin tradition and the myth of ancient music. The wutong (paulownia) recalls the Book of Songs' the wutong trees grow on that sunlit slope, together with the legend that the phoenix perches on no tree but the wutong, making it the sacred wood of the qin and an emblem of lofty purity. Boya waves his hand, Zhong Ziqi listens to the sound invokes the Liezi tale of the master and the perfect listener, measuring the height of the qin's world by the rarity of the true friend of its sound. Ling Lun matches the pitch names the Yellow Emperor's master of the pitch-pipes, Tianlian playing and stringing the ancient qin master, while Laotong at Gui corner and Tairong's lofty chanting are demigods of old music known from the Shanhaijing and fragments of the Zhuangzi. The named airs, White Snow, Clear Jiao, Guangling Zhixi, Dongwu Taishan, Deer Call, Parting Crane, and the rest, are all recorded in the old qin books such as the Qin Operations, showing the breadth of Ji Kang's learning. The closing roll of worthies, Boyi's integrity, Yan Hui's benevolence, Bi Gan's loyalty, Wei Sheng's faith, raises music's effect to the height of personal cultivation. Through his ordering of these materials the fu gains deep cultural and philosophical perspective: the qin becomes not a mere instrument but a vessel of virtue spanning heaven and earth and nurturing life, and the Daoist thought of the great sound being scarce of audibility is turned into an aesthetics of sound one can hold and play.

赋中典故与意象，多本于琴学传统与古乐神话。『椅梧』即梧桐，《诗经·大雅·卷阿》『梧桐生矣，于彼朝阳』，又凤凰『非梧桐不栖』，故梧桐为琴材之圣木，亦暗喻高洁。『伯牙挥手，钟期听声』用《列子·汤问》伯牙鼓琴、子期善听之典，以知音难遇反衬琴境之高。『伶伦比律』用黄帝臣伶伦制律吕之事，『田连操张』指古之善琴者。『老童于騩隅』『泰容之高吟』皆古乐之神（老童、泰容见《山海经》《庄子》佚文，为古之乐人）。曲名如《白雪》《清角》《广陵止息》《东武太山》《鹿鸣》《别鹤》等，皆见《琴操》《古今乐录》所载古曲，足见嵇康琴学之博。至若『重华之遗操』（舜乐）、『伯夷以之廉，颜回以之仁，比干以之忠，尾生以之信』，则以琴德比德于古之仁贤，将音乐之效上升到人格修养的高度。这些典故经嵇康组织，使一篇音乐赋具备了深厚的文化与哲学纵深，琴于是不仅是乐器，更是贯通天地、涵养性命的『德器』。赋中历叙琴之材质、制作、音色、曲名与演奏情状，所用典故多本《诗经》《楚辞》及先秦乐论。如言「惟椅梧之所生」，椅梧即梧桐，古人以为制琴良材，暗承《庄子》「空桑之琴」之意；言「伯牙挥手，钟期听声」，用《列子》高山流水之典，标知音之难；又广引「飞龙」「鹿鸣」诸曲，皆见其熔铸典籍、以文写乐的深厚功力。其以赋体铺陈琴德，实将道家「大音希声」之哲思，化为可以把玩的声音美学。

Commentary

The fu opens its argument in the preface, embodies it in the body, and gathers its soul in the coda, one vein running through shifting waves. The preface first refutes, the old fault of making sorrow the theme, then establishes its thesis, the qin's virtue supreme among instruments, the guiding cord of all that follows. The first movement plants the tree amid the essence of heaven and earth, lodged on the lofty ridges of steep mountains, holding the purest harmony of heaven and earth and drinking the gracious light of sun and moon; then come the torrents, the treasures, and the numinous birds, writing to the utmost the numinous beauty of its home. The middle turns to human affair: the world-fleeing men fell it, the Perfect Man designs it, Li Zhu oversees the marking and Master Shi plies his axe, strings of Silk Guest silk and studs of Zhongshan jade, writing all the craftsmen's cunning and the vessel's preciousness. Then comes performance: the first tuning, the ordered true tone, White Snow raised and Clear Jiao sounded, and page upon page of linked similes for the sound's transformations, mountains and waves, simurghs and blossoms, swift yet not hurried, lingering yet not stagnant, exhausting music's motion and rest, its quickness and slowness. The latter movements write the settings of playing, winter night and bright moon, flowered hall and intimate banquet, and the gatekeeping lines that only the broad and far-reaching can roam with it in harmony, which raise qin-listening into a test of character. The close sets out the effects on the worthies, passing from art into virtue, and the coda's brief hymn, serene, serene, the qin's virtue, past all fathoming, and only the Perfect Man can exhaust the elegant qin, gathers all in a lingering echo. From wood to qin, qin to sound, sound to listener, listener to virtue: for density of structure and richness of imagination, few Six Dynasties fu can match it.

全赋以序立论、以辞体物、以乱收魂，意脉一贯而波澜层生。序文先破后立：破历来琴赋『悲哀为主』之陋，立『琴德最优』之旨，提纲挈领。辞之首段写梧桐之所生，『托峻岳之崇冈』『含天地之醇和』『吸日月之休光』，将琴材置于天地精华之中，已见其不凡；次写山川波涛、物产仙禽，极写生长环境之灵秀。中段转入人事：『遁世之士』采桐、『至人』制琴，『离子督墨，匠石奋斤』『弦以园客之丝，徽以钟山之玉』，写尽良工之巧与琴器之贵。继写演奏：『初调』『理正声』『扬白雪，发清角』，而后以大量联翩比喻摹写琴声之变态——或如崇山流波，或如鸾凤众葩，『疾而不速，留而不滞』，穷尽音乐的动静疾徐。后幅写弹琴之境：冬夜朗月、华堂曲宴，『非夫旷远者……不能与之和游』数句，将赏琴提升为人格修养的试金石。末论琴德之功效，『伯夷以之廉……尾生以之信』，由艺入德；『乱曰』以短歌总赞『愔愔琴德，不可测兮』『能尽雅琴，唯至人兮』，回环收束，余韵邈然。通篇由木及琴、由琴及声、由声及人、由人及德，结构之密、想象之富，六朝赋中罕有其匹。

Prosody

Line by line

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