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《菩提田》

 

BODHI FIELD

陶淵明詩講錄(續)
Lectures on Tao Yuanming's Poems (continued)

葉嘉瑩教授講 By Professor Yeh Chia-ying
郇若慧·比丘尼恆音 英譯English translation by Josey Shun and Bhikshuni Heng Yin

他說:「清晨聞扣門,倒裳往自開。問子為誰歟?田父有好懷。壺漿遠見候,疑我與時乖。襤褸茅檐下,未足為高栖。一世皆尚同,願君汨其泥。深感父老言,稟氣寡所諧。行轡誠可學,違已詎非迷!且共歡此飲,吾駕不可回。」

他說,有一天早晨,有人敲門。我慌忙穿上衣服,開門一看,是一個自稱田父的人,提著一壺從很遠的地方給我送來了;這個人不但給我送來了酒,還送給我一些忠告規勸。他說我選擇了回家種田這種生活是不合乎這個時潮流的,他說「一世皆尚同,願君汨其泥」;人家都出來做官,人家都不認為仕途、官場有什麼不好的地方,你為什麼偏偏跟人家相違背,而不隨俗同流一起在官場裡面混日子呢?於是陶淵明就回答說:「深感父老言,稟氣寡所諧」。對於你的勸告我深表感激,我這個人天生的稟性就是不能夠隨俗沉浮,所以我無法接受你的勸告,也不想改變我的選擇。不過你既然給我送酒來了,我還是很高興的。好吧!我們姑且不談那些不一致的看法了。「且共歡此飲」:讓我們暫且在這裡歡歡喜喜地開懷痛飲吧!至於你要讓我改變我所走的道路,那是不可能的:「吾駕不可回」。

陶淵明這首詩裡有很多的比喻和象徵,他詩裡說他車馬走的路,並不是真的在地上駕車行走的路,而是說他選擇的人生之路。關於這些詳細內容的講解,將來我們講到第九首時再做仔細介紹。我只是說明這詩裡提到有人給他送酒的問題,不但這一首提到有人給他送酒來,這組詩後面,也就是第七、八首詩也提到有人給他送酒的事。

在這首詩裡,陶淵明舉了一個古人來做例證,他說:「子雲性嗜酒,家貧無由得。時賴好事人,載醪祛所惑。觴來為之盡,是諮無不塞。有時不肯言,豈不在伐國。仁者用其心,何嘗失顯默。」

「子雲」就是中國漢代的揚雄,他是漢朝很有學問,賦寫得很好的一個人。他天性喜歡喝酒,但與陶淵明一樣,也是「家貧無由得」,自己沒有錢買酒來喝,時常靠那些好事人給他送酒來喝,「好事人」是指那事種不關你的事,你卻偏要多管閑事的人。

這就是「時賴好事人,載醪祛所惑」,那些好事人他們用東西裝著酒,同時還帶著疑惑的目的來找揚雄「祛惑」,就是去除疑惑,他們提出許多問題,希望揚雄能給以滿意答覆。那麼揚雄是什麼態度呢?揚雄是「觴來為之盡,是諮無不塞」。你們不是拿酒來了嗎?那好,我就拿起酒杯來為你們一飲而盡;你們不是有問題,有疑惑嗎?好,凡是你們問的問題,我沒有不給以滿意的答覆的。「塞」是足的意思,是盡量滿足你們的要求。

但也不是所有的問題都能做到有問必答的:「有時不肯言,豈不在伐國。」為什麼揚雄有時不肯回答呢?那是因為你們所問的問題是關係到了「伐國」的事情了。「伐國」是去攻打討伐一個國家。為什麼問到攻打、討伐一個國家的事情,揚雄就不肯回答了呢?這裡面還有一個故事。

在中國古代的春秋時代,有一個人叫柳下惠,歷史上記載說他是「聖之和者」,說他在聖人裡面,跟人相處最謙和,對人態度最為平和。有一次魯國的國君問柳下惠說:「吾欲伐齊」,你看可以嗎?柳下惠回答說不可以,你不應該發動侵略性的戰爭。事後柳下惠回到家裡就很難過,他想,為什麼魯國的國君要就發動侵略戰爭的事情問我呢?我聽說過古代聖賢的話:「伐國不問仁人」,是說:你要發動侵略戰爭,去攻打別的國家就不應該去問有仁心,有愛心的人國君來問我「伐國」的事,那一定是覺得我是一個沒有仁愛之心的人。為此柳下惠就很煩惱。

那麼陶淵明在這首詩裡用了揚雄的典故,用了柳下惠的典故,實際也是在表明自己的態度,你們送酒給我,我是歡迎的,我可以和你們任何人在一起開懷暢飲,但要我做出違背我心願的事,或說出違背我心願的話來,我是不肯,也不會答應的。

待續

Tao said in his poem:

Hearing knocks at the door in early dawn,
I throw on some clothes to open the door.
I asked who was there.
An elder farmer with good intentions
and a decanter of spirits came from afar to see me.
He wondered why I defied the sign of the times.
"Wearing rags and with a straw roof over your head,
you can hardly be considered high status.
People of your generation are all officials,
I hope you will abandon the muddy fields."
"The elder's words are deeply felt,
but by disposition I am an uncooperative loner.
Although it is worth it to learn to ride in a carriage,
walking on foot is no loss!
Let us enjoy a drink together,
though I will not change my course."  

Tao said, "One morning, someone knocked at my door. I dressed hastily to open the door. A man who introduced himself as a farmer brought a canteen of wine from faraway to see me. He not only brought me some wine but earnest advice as well. He thought my choice of returning home to farm was contrary to the trend at the time. He said, "People of your generation are all officials, I hope you will abandon the muddy fields." Everyone's working for the government; they don't consider the civil service, the political arena bad places. Why do you alone want to oppose the trend, refusing to join the others in the government?"

Tao Yuanming responded, "The elder's words are deeply felt, but by disposition I am an uncooperative loner." I am grateful for your admonishment, but my nature is such that I don't follow the current fad, so I won't accept your suggestion and will not change my mind. I am very glad that you bring me some good wine though. Let's forget our disagreements and "let us enjoy a drink together." For now, let's just drink to our hearts' content! "Though" it will be impossible for me to change my path; "I will not change my course."

In this poem, Tao Yuanming used many metaphors and symbols. His reference to riding a carriage does not really indicate a mode of transportation, but rather a way of life. We will go into it in detail when we discuss the ninth poem. I am simply using this poem to prove that someone gave him wine. This poem as well as the seventh and eighth all mention receiving wine from others.

In the following poem, Tao Yuanming used a historical figure as his model. Tao said:  

Zi Yun loved to drink by nature / yet could not afford it. He often relied on some meddlesome men / who came to him with problems and wine. / He downed every drop of alcohol / and answered every question satisfactorily. / He occasionally declined to speak / if the subject was related to conquering another state. / Since this benevolent man was concerned about others, / he didn't mind the embarrassment of being silent.  

Zi Yun, also known as Yang Xiong, was an erudite scholar who wrote excellent poetry during the Han Dynasty. He loved to drink, but just like Tao Yuanming, he could not afford it. He did not have money to buy wine, so he relied on some meddlesome men who presented him with wine. Meddlesome men are people who like to mind other people's business.

"He often relied on some meddlesome men who came to him with problems and wine." These nosy people carried containers of liquor and questions for Yang Xiong. They raised many issues and had hoped that Yang Xiong would give them satisfactory answers. How did Yang Xiong deal with them? "He downed every drop of alcohol and answered every question satisfactorily." Didn't you bring some wine? All right, let me empty that glass for you. Didn't you have some questions? Okay, I shall answer them all to your satisfaction.

However, he did not answer every single question; "He occasionally declined to speak if the subject was related to conquering another state." Why did Yang Xiong sometimes refuse to answer? That was because the question concerned attacking or invading a country. Why did Yang Xiong refuse to talk about attacking or invading a country?

Here is another story. During the Spring and Autumn Era, Liu Xiahui who a man deemed to be "the Sage of Peace" by Chinese history. Records claim that he was the most humble and amicable man among ancient sages. Once the King of Lu asked Liu Xiahui, "I wish to attack the State of Qi?" What do you think?

Liu Xiahui answered, "Don't do it! You should not start a war." After that conversation, Liu Xiahui returned home in great sorrow. He thought, "Why did the King of Lu ask me about invading another country? I recall a quote from an ancient sage, 'Never ask a benevolent man about matters of war.' If the king wants to conquer another nation, he would not ask for comments from a kind and humane person. Since the king asked for my opinion about attacking another country today, he must consider me an unkind soul." For this Liu Xiahui was very aggrieved.

By referring to the anecdotes of both Yang Xiong and Liu Xia­hui, Tao was taking a stand. "I'm glad that you give me gifts ofwine. I can drink with any one of you blithely; however, I won't door say anything against my will."             

To be continued

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