| 姓： | 陸 | ||
| 名： | 遊 | ||
| 字： | 務觀 | ||
| 網筆號： | 放翁 | ||
| 今属： | 浙江紹興 | ||
| 出生地： | 越州山陰 | ||
閱讀陸遊 Lu You在诗海的作品!!! | |||
南宋詩人。字務觀，號放翁，越州山陰（今浙江紹興）人，他始終堅持抗金，在仕途上不斷受到當權派的排斥打擊。中年入蜀抗金，軍事生活豐富了他的文學內容，作品吐露出萬丈光芒，成為傑出詩人。詞作量不如詩篇巨大，但和詩同樣貫穿了愛國主義精神，“氣吞殘虜”。
[陸遊]
在南宋中期的幾位著名詩人中，如果說楊萬裏和範成大在題材方面各有所重，在風
格方面各有所長，那麽，陸遊作為整個宋代留存作品最多的一位詩人，他的詩以更為廣
泛的題材、更為多樣化的風格和更為老練的技巧，取得了更為顯著的成就。尤其是他的
詩中始終表現出一種激烈而深沉的民族情感，反映着在那山河破碎、民族危亡的年代人
們的普遍心願，在當時以及後世，都贏得了廣泛的尊重。
一、陸遊的生平與創作
陸遊（1125—1210）字務觀，中年自號放翁，山陰（今浙江紹興）人。他的祖父陸
佃是王安石的學生，當過尚書右丞；父親陸宰，當過京西路轉運副使。在靖康元年
（1126）金兵南侵前後，陸宰被免職，帶着傢眷南歸故鄉，僥幸地逃過了那一場大劫難。
但北宋王朝覆滅的恥辱，卻深深地銘刻在當日每一個懷有民族自尊感的士大夫心中，
陸遊《跋傅給事帖》說，紹興初年他剛懂事時，經常看到長輩們“相與言及國事，或裂
眥嚼齒，或流涕痛哭，人人自期以殺身翊戴王室，雖醜裔方張，視之衊如也”。這樣一
個時代、社會與家庭氛圍，使陸遊從小就受到了一種民族意識的熏陶。
成年後的陸遊，生活道路大致可以分為三個階段。
從紹興十四年（1144）到乾道五年（1170）為第一階段。
大約二十歲時，陸遊與表妹唐琬結婚，不久，由於陸遊的母親不喜歡這位兒媳，這
對感情深厚的夫妻硬被拆散，陸遊再娶王氏，唐琬也改嫁他人。但這件事使得陸遊在精
神上受到很大的打擊，他一生中寫了不少詩追懷唐琬和這一段不幸的婚姻。紹興二十三
年（1153），陸遊到臨安應考，省試第一，然而在第二年的復試中，卻因他名列於權相
秦檜的孫子之前，又喜論恢復，被除了名。直到幾年後秦檜死去，他纔得到起用，任福
州寧德縣主簿，不久調回臨安任職，後來做過樞密院編修，和範成大、周必大等人一起，
擔任文字方面的工作。
這時，金主完顔亮率數十萬大軍南下，進逼川陝、荊襄與淮揚，宋金夾江對峙，
生大規模的激戰。幸而金人內部矛盾爆發，完顔亮被殺，宋金又一次達成和議，以淮水
為界，南宋王朝纔度過了又一次危機。在民族命運面臨危難的關頭，陸遊的熱情和理想
被充分激發出來，形諸許多詩篇。至孝宗即位後，主戰派占了上風，張瀎以右丞相兼樞
密使主持北伐，他對陸遊十分賞識。但很快北伐失利，隆興和議簽訂，張瀎被解除職務。
不久前剛剛調為隆興府通判的陸遊也被扣上“鼓唱是非，力說張瀎用兵”（《宋史》本
傳）的罪名，罷黜歸鄉，一住就是五年，直到四十六歲時出任夔州通判。
從乾道六年（1170）到淳熙五年（1178）是第二階段。陸遊於乾道六年底到達夔州，
一年以後，應四川宣撫使王炎之請，入幕襄理軍務。四川宣撫使駐漢中，是抗金的前綫，
王炎又是一個幹練的領導，這時陸遊感到非常興奮，從此生活與創作都出現了一片新天
地。他身穿戎裝，騎馬走遍漢中一帶的軍事要塞，置身金戈鐵馬，面對蕭蕭邊關，耳聽
刁鬥笳鼓，寫下了不少激昂慷慨的詩詞。但這種快意的生活卻沒有幾個月的時間，隨着
王炎調回臨安，陸遊也被調至成都擔任安撫司參議官的閑職。他似乎感到抗擊女真、收
復失地的理想又一次成了泡影，在失望之餘，把時光多半消磨在歌兒舞女、酒宴應酬之
中，想在這沉醉中壓下心頭的痛苦。
當淳熙二年（1175），陸遊幾經調動再回到成都時，範成大也以四川製置使的身份
來到這裏，舊友異地相逢，十分親熱，常在一起飲酒酬唱。陸遊原本豪放不羈，這時因
抗金的抱負與個人的事業都受到挫折，更是藉酒澆愁，放浪形骸。因他“不拘禮法”，
被一些人譏為“頽放”（《宋史》本傳），並於淳熙三年被罷去知嘉州的官職。陸遊索
性自號“放翁”，表示對抗和蔑視的態度。但儘管他外表上曠達頽放，飲酒尋樂，內心
卻常常充滿了憂患、憤慨和悲哀，我們從他這一年所作的《關山月》可以看到：
和戎詔下十五年，將軍不戰空臨邊。朱門沉沉按歌舞，廄馬肥死弓斷弦。戍樓刁鬥
催落月，三十從軍今白發。笛裏誰知壯士心，沙頭空照徵人骨。中原幹戈古亦聞，豈有
逆鬍傳子孫。遺民忍死望恢復，幾處今宵垂淚痕。
在川陝，陸遊一共住了九年，由於他親自到了第一綫，體驗了戰場氣氛，並經歷欲
戰不能、壯志難酬的感情波瀾，所以他在這期間的詩歌創作獲得了以前所沒有的成就；
他的全部詩集命名為《劍南詩稿》，正是為了紀念這一段值得留戀的生活。
從淳熙五年到去世是第三階段。五十四歲的陸遊於淳熙五年離川東歸後，曾擔任過
提舉福建常平茶????公事，但不久就被趙汝愚彈劾，罷職回鄉。此後近三十年間，雖幾度
出任公職，大部分時間過的是比較清寒的在野生活。在這二十多年賦閑的時間裏，他一
方面與鄉民親切交往，從而對農村生活有了較深的理解，一方面優遊山水，賦詩作詞，
在大自然山水中寄托自己的情懷，排遣自己的愁思。但是，他期望抗金北伐的熱情始終
不曾減退，常常在夢裏都想着打到了北方，收復了失地，平時則看到一幅畫、幾朵花，
喝上幾杯酒，聽了一聲雁叫，都會激起他的滿腔心事。正因為這種心情，他纔在嘉泰、
開禧年間以七十幾歲高齡又一次復出，並為主戰的權臣韓侂胄寫了一些頌揚文字。儘管
韓侂胄的為人受到很多批評，但畢竟在北伐抗金這一點上，陸遊與他是一致的。
可是理想再一次破滅，直到陸遊去世，他也沒有盼到北伐的勝利。嘉定二年（1209）
年底（按公歷算已是次年元月），八十五歲的陸遊一病不起，在臨終前，他留下了一首
《示兒》詩：
死去元知萬事空，但悲不見九州同。王師北定中原日，傢祭無忘告乃翁。
陸遊一生創作甚富。其《劍南詩稿》八十五捲，收詩九千餘首，另有《渭南文集》
五十捲，其中包括詞二捲（單獨刻行的名為《放翁詞》）。他的文學成就首先在詩歌方
面。陸遊主要生活在宋金對峙的年代，南宋王朝北伐成功的可能和失敗的危險同時存在，
因此朝野上下主戰主和的爭議如風潮起伏，動蕩不息。而對於一部分民族自尊心尤其強
烈的士大夫來說，為國傢和民族洗雪恥辱，恢復失去的疆土，解救在金朝統治下的人民，
是他們在無論何種情況下都不能放棄的心願；而宋代文人通常受到抑製的激情，在這種
情況下也可以得到比較充分的宣泄。陸遊留下的大量詩篇中，最有代表性的就是反映這
一種思想情感的作品。
這類作品同時由兩個側面組成：一方面是他渴望萬裏從戎、以身報國的豪壯理想，
另一方面則是他壯志難酬、無路請纓的悲憤心情。無論是早年的“戰死士所有，恥復守
妻孥”（《夜讀兵書》），或是中年的“逆鬍未滅心未平，孤劍床頭鏗有聲”（《三月
十七日夜醉中作》），還是晚年的“一聞戰鼓意氣生，猶能為國平燕趙”（《老馬
行》），都始終糾結着上述兩方面的情緒。而且，這兩者相互激揚：愈是悲憤，他對理
想愈是執着；對理想愈是執着，他的悲憤也愈是強烈。這使他的詩歌既熱情奔放，又深
沉悲愴，如下面這兩首名作：
黃金錯刀白玉裝，夜穿窗扉出光芒。丈夫五十功未立，提刀獨立顧八荒。京華結交
盡奇士，意氣相期共生死。千年史册恥無名，一片丹心報天子。爾來從軍天漢濱，南山
曉雪玉嶙峋。嗚呼！楚雖三戶能亡秦，豈有堂堂中國空無人。（《金錯刀行》）
早歲那知世事艱，中原北望氣如山。樓船夜雪瓜洲渡，鐵馬秋風大散關。塞上長城
空自許，鏡中衰鬢已先斑。《出師》一表真名世，千載誰堪伯仲間！（《書憤》）
這種悲憤忠烈的感情一直在他心靈中激蕩，使他夜不能寐，食不甘味，在夢中也常
常夢到“腥鱢窟穴一洗空，太行北嶽元無恙”（《九月十六日夜夢駐軍河外遣使招降諸
城，覺而有作》），在秋聲中也常常想到“草罷捷書重上馬，卻從鑾駕下遼東”（《
聲》），在夜間獨坐也依稀覺得“三更騎報河冰合，鐵馬何人從我行”（《夜寒》），
在雪天也突然熱血沸騰，想象“群鬍束手仗天亡，棄甲縱橫滿戰場”（《雪中忽起從戎
之興戲作》），在《十一月四日風雨大作》詩中，他寫道：
僵臥孤村不自哀，尚思為國戍輪臺。夜闌臥聽風吹雨，鐵馬冰河入夢來。
貫穿陸遊一生的理想，也是他觀察和評價一切的價值標準。從這一標準出發，他激
烈地抨擊那些苟且偷安之輩和朝廷的妥協求和政策，因為這使得民族的恥辱永遠難以洗
清，使他的理想一次又一次地破滅。“諸公尚守和親策，志士虛捐少壯年”（《感
憤》），這種現狀令陸遊不由得仰天長嘆“報國欲死無戰場”（《隴頭水》）。與此同
時，陸遊雖然沒有到過北方，卻常以自己的心情去想象去推測北方人民的心情，並不斷
以他們的名義嚮南方的權勢者提出責問。在《關山月》中，他以“遺民忍死望恢復，
處今宵垂淚痕”追問沉醉於歌舞的將領們的良心與責任；《夜讀範至能〈攬轡錄〉……》
則把北方父老的殷切期待和南宋統治階層對主戰人士的壓製加以尖銳的對照，對朝廷的
用人政策表示了極大的憤慨，對朝廷是否真有收復失地的决心表示了根本的懷疑：“公
卿有黨排宗澤，帷幄無人用嶽飛。遺老不應知此恨，亦逢漢節解沾衣。”
而《秋夜將曉，出籬門迎涼有感》二首，正是從兩面來落筆：
迢迢天漢西南落，喔喔鄰雞一再鳴。壯志病來消欲盡，出門搔首愴平生。
三萬裏河東入海，五千仞嶽上摩天。遺民淚盡鬍塵裏，南望王師又一年。
在陸遊的上述詩作中，固然有傳統的忠君意識，但主要的，它是與那個特定歷史階
段中的民族情緒融為一體的，是當時人們普遍的共同心聲。建立在理智上的清醒的政治
見解和感情上的愛憎好惡融匯在一起，形成了陸遊這一類詩歌的宏亮的聲調和闊大的氣
勢。
如果說以表現民族意識為主要內容、以豪放悲壯為感情基調的一類作品構成了陸遊
詩歌的主旋律，那麽，還應該註意到他也有不少詩歌是以細膩衝淡的筆法、閑適恬和的
情調，寫自然景物和日常生活，它們構成了另一種旋律。而衹有把兩者合起來，才能看
到陸遊的完整的人格精神和他的詩歌的完整的藝術風格。
後一類作品並不意味着陸遊忘卻了北方那象徵着恥辱的土地，而常常是他在報國無
門的情況下一種無奈的寄托。特別是他後期的二三十年，大部分時間閑居在鄉，一條無
法跨越的鴻溝隔在現實與理想之間，他衹能在山水田園中尋求一時的解脫。不過，應該
說陸遊對自然山水和鄉村的日常生活確實是非常熱愛的，常常能細心地體會出山水景物
的生機和情趣，咀嚼出日常生活裏的深長的滋味，所以有不少詩都寫得很有情緻。如果
說他的抒發報國激情的詩作多是以強烈的感情和奔放的氣勢來衝擊讀者的心靈，那麽這
一類詩作則多以平和樸素的韻味和深永秀逸的意境感染讀者，使之在細細的品味涵詠中
感受到詩人的人生情趣、審美情趣。像《遊山西村》：
莫笑農傢臘酒渾，豐年留客足雞豚。山重水復疑無路，柳暗花明又一村。簫鼓追隨
春社近，衣冠簡樸古風存。從今若許閑乘月，柱杖無時夜叩門。
這是對農傢淳厚簡樸生活的禮贊，在這裏詩人的痛苦心靈得到了一種安頓。“從今
若許閑乘月”雲雲，似乎意味着詩人於難以在社會中完成自己的人格理想時，轉而在閑
常的生活中追求一種完美的人生境界。因為有這種人生境界的存在，他纔不至於從衝動
走嚮絶望，而能夠保持心境的鎮定與恬談，能夠在許多詩篇中，以盎然的興趣，描繪出
山水景物與日常生活中美的意味，像《臨安春雨初霽》中“小樓一夜聽春雨，深巷明朝
賣杏花”；《初夏行平水道中》的“市橋壓擔蒓絲滑，村店堆盤豆莢肥”，《西村》的
“茂林風送幽禽語，壞壁苔侵醉墨痕”等等。《劍門道中遇微雨》寫道：
衣上徵塵雜酒痕，遠遊無處不消魂。此身合是詩人未？細雨騎驢入劍門。
他既是徵人，也是詩人。對理想事業的熱情追求和對生活的熱愛，合成了他的完整
的靈魂。但這兩者也常在他的心中互相矛盾着，引起痛苦，而使他詩中的自然景象和生
活場景有時染上悲涼的色彩，像“山銜落日青橫野，鴉起平沙黑蔽空”（《溪上作》），
“寺樓鐘鼓催昏曉，墟落雲煙自古今”（《度浮橋至南臺》）等等；而《小園》一詩的
末句“行遍天涯千萬裏，卻從鄰父學種瓜”，更清楚地表達了他心中深藏的事業理想還
是要常常衝出情緒的表面。令他在觀賞自然和體味日常生活時，也並不能總是保持平靜。
不過，對陸遊的詩歌需要註意到一點，就是：陸遊雖然自號“放翁”，其實正統觀
念還是較強的，所以他的詩歌無論表現報國的熱情還是日常生活的情趣，大體上都是相
當“純正”而很少出格的地方；換言之，陸遊在抒發感情的時候，顯然受到理智的約製。
因此，他的詩歌中的情感內容不夠豐富復雜、活躍多變。這一點同也具有強烈的民族意
識、但性格不那麽循規蹈矩而富於豪傑氣概的辛棄疾相比，可以看出明顯的區別。
二、陸遊的詩歌藝術及其他
陸遊早年學詩於曾幾，曾幾稱贊他的詩像呂本中，他自己也很得意，可見他曾深受
江西詩派的影響。少年時代打下了這一烙印，直到他老年也並未完全消除，他不僅始終
保持了對詩歌語言精細考究的習慣，而且不時會寫出些生新瘦硬、雕琢藻飾的詩句。不
過，中年以後，他的詩風有所變化，這主要是他廣泛學習了前人之長。在陸遊的詩文中
可以看出，從屈原、陶謝、李杜、高岑、韓孟、元白乃至宋代的梅蘇，都是他藉鑒的榜
樣：屈原、杜甫、陶淵明詩的情感，李白、杜甫、白居易、梅堯臣等人詩的藝術風格，
從不同角度給予他一定的影響。
當然，陸遊並不是簡單地模仿古人。他有一句名言：“工夫在詩外。”（《示子
遹》）什麽是詩外工夫呢？他的《題廬陵蕭彥毓秀纔詩捲後》又說：“法不孤生自古同，
癡人乃欲鏤虛空。君詩妙處吾能識，正在山程水驛中。”這就是說，詩的妙處，來之於
豐富的生活經歷和對現實世界的深切感受，而不可能在閉門造車、模擬古人中求得。另
一方面，陸遊又很重視詩人的自我精神品格的涵養，《次韻和楊伯子主簿見贈》說：
“文章最忌百傢衣，火竜黼黻世不知。誰能養氣塞天地，吐出自足成虹霓。”他把
生活經歷和內在涵養看成是寫詩最根本的依據，所以，他雖然善於學習前人的風格、技
巧，化用前人的詩意、典故、詞彙、句法，但這些衹是他用來表現自己的情感和體驗的
工具，而不是自我禁錮的圈牢。在這一點上，他同江西詩派強調“點鐵成金”、“奪胎
換骨”是不一樣的，對有些人陷在古人堆中不能自拔更是給予嚴厲的批評。
由於既廣泛汲取前人之長，又從自身的需要出發靈活運用，各適其宜，陸遊詩歌的
風格具有多樣化的面貌。大體說來，他的好詩以七言為多，其中七言古體往往寫得熱情
奔放，七言絶句或雄快斬截，或輕靈含藴；他的七言律詩最為人稱道，而由於內容的不
同，風格上也有差異：抒發報國之志、悲憤之情的一類，偏嚮於深沉鬱勃；描寫自然景
物和日常生活的一類，則偏嚮於簡淡古樸。如前面所錄的《感憤》和《遊山西村》，可
以作為兩種類型的代表來看。
杜甫說“新詩改罷自長吟”（《解悶》），陸遊則說“鍛詩未就且長吟”（《晝臥
初起書事》），可見他和杜甫一樣，對詩歌的形式和語言，也是很講究的。特別是他的
七律，大都結構嚴整，對於辭句經過反復的推敲。像《紅樓夢》第四十八回中香菱所摘
的一聯“重簾不捲留香久，古硯微凹聚墨多”（《書室明暖……》），感受很細膩，寫
得也很精緻。再有，陸遊讀書廣博，知識豐富，又畢竟受過江西詩派的熏陶，所以他也
喜歡運用典故，化用前人的詩句，劉剋莊《後村詩話》甚至說：“古人好對偶被放翁用
盡。”像《遊近村》“乞漿得酒人情好，賣劍買牛農事興”是化用蘇軾《浣溪沙》“賣
劍買牛真欲老，乞漿得酒更何求”；《小築》“生來不啜猩猩酒，老去那營燕燕巢”是
化用白居易《感興二首》之二“樽前誘得猩猩血，幕上偷安燕燕窠”。不過陸遊很註意
將它們融化在自己的詩中，並翻陳出新，像著名的“山重水復疑無路，柳暗花明又一
村”，據說就是從紹興間詩人強彥文詩句“遠山初見疑無路，麯徑徐行漸有村”（見周
煇《清波別志》）化出，但陸遊的詩句更自然更有深意。
不過，陸遊雖然很講究作詩的技巧，但他最高的藝術追求，卻是歸於自然平淡。他
一再說“詩到無人愛處工”（《明日復理夢中意作》），“俗人猶愛未為詩”（《朝饑
示子聿》），“詩到令人不愛時”（《山房》），就是說要使詩達到一種大巧若拙的地
步，即所謂“好詩如靈丹，不雜膻葷腸”，“大巧謝雕琢，至剛反摧藏”（《夜坐示桑
甥十韻》）。所以，他的許多詩能在錘煉之後，顯得溫潤圓熟，雅緻而簡樸。
但陸遊詩歌的缺陷也很顯著。作為一個大詩人，他善於學習和運用各種不同的風格，
但他的獨創性不能算是很強的；
他寫得太快太多，不免有粗糙的敗筆，尤其是意境變化較少，詞句自相蹈襲，每每
讓人有似曾相識之感。清人朱彝尊說他“句法稠疊，讀之終捲，令人生憎”（《書劍南
集後》），不是毫無道理的，趙翼《甌北詩話》就專門舉出過這方面的例子。
至於用典過於堆垛、化用前人詩句而缺乏新味的情況，也有不少，像徐俯《春日》
的名句“一百五日寒食雨，二十四番花信風”，陸遊的《春日絶句》詩套作“二十四番
花有信，一百七日食猶寒”，就學得很笨拙。
除詩歌以外，陸遊的詞和散文也有一定成就。
陸遊對於詞的態度，有些自相矛盾：在正統的觀念上，他不大看得起這種嚮來風格
內容不夠嚴肅的文體，認為它是從“鄭衛之音”而來且“其變愈薄”的産物，但又對它
有相當的興趣，“漁歌菱唱，猶不能止“（《長短句序》），留下的作品也有一百來首。
由於對詞懷有某種偏見，他的一部分詞就寫得相當隨便，像一些寫遊宴贈妓、隱逸
學道的，藝術上顯得粗糙。但他畢竟有深厚的文學修養，一部分寄寓了心靈深處的真情
實感的詞，也會寫得相當出色。如《釵頭鳳》：
紅酥手，黃縢酒，滿城春色宮墻柳。東風惡，歡情簿，一懷愁緒，幾年離索。錯、
錯、錯。春如舊，人空瘦，淚痕紅浥鮫綃透。桃花落，閑池閣，山盟雖在，錦書難托。
莫、莫、莫。
這首詞有人認為是為唐琬而作的，也有人認為與此無關。後說近是。不管怎樣，其
中總是包涵了作者對人生的某種真切體驗，才能把一對被阻隔的有情人的心理，寫得如
此感人。而另外有許多抒寫他的抗金報國之志的詞，更是激情洋溢，如《訴衷情》：
當年萬裏覓封侯，匹馬戍梁州。關河夢斷何處，塵暗舊貂裘。鬍未滅，鬢先秋，淚
空流。此生誰料，心在天山，身老滄州。
和同類題材的詩一樣，一種報國無門的悲憤溢於言表，使人深受感動。還有一首
《卜算子·詠梅》，是以梅的形象自喻，表現一稱清高孤傲、不肯與俗世合流的情懷，
也給人以鮮明的印象。
陸遊對蘇軾的詞十分佩服，說它“歌之麯終，覺天風海雨逼人”（《跋東坡七夕詞
後》），他自己的詞，也較多地受到蘇詞的影響，常有意追求開闊豪放的風格。衹是陸
遊的詞寫得比較凝煉緊湊，而少有蘇軾詞的那種輕靈流動、開合變化。
陸遊的散文中，一些短篇的題跋、書後之類，往往寫得精整雄快，很有特色。如
《跋李莊簡公傢書》，數十字便勾勒出李光的“英偉剛毅之氣”，如在目前。他的《入
蜀記》是一部日記體的紀遊文，文字頗簡練。尤其過三峽的一部分，多有對自然風光及
名勝古跡的描述，讀來饒有趣味。
（中國文學史，章培恆 駱玉明，youth掃校）
Lu You (simplified Chinese: 陸遊; traditional Chinese: 陸遊; 1125–1209) was a prominent poet of China's Southern Song Dynasty(南宋).
Career
Early life and marriage
Lu You was born on a boat floating in the Wei River early on a rainy morning, October 17, 1125 (Chinese calendar). At the time of his birth, China was divided and the once-glorious Song dynasty in the northern part of the country had been invaded by the Jurchens of the Jin dynasty in the Jin–Song wars. The southern part of China continued to hold out as the Southern Song dynasty for another 150 years, but during Lu You's entire life, the country was threatened by invasion from the north. He is known for his many patriotic poems.
One year after his birth, the troops of the Jin dynasty conquered the capital of the Northern Song dynasty; his family fled to the south. Lu You's family included government officials, and he received a good education. He was brought up to be patriotic, and grew up determined to expel the foreign Jurchen from the North and bring about the reunification of China under the Song dynasty.
Lu You grew up with his cousin Tang Wan (唐琬), who was quiet but loved literature. They fell deeply in love and were married when he was 20. But they had no children, and his mother did not like Tang Wan. Though they had lived happily together, his mother forced them to divorce in order to make Lu You concentrate on studying to fulfill his aspiration of saving the Song dynasty. In traditional Chinese culture, children were required to obey their parents. Lu You loved his mother and reluctantly divorced Tang Wan. She later married a nobleman named Zhao Shicheng (趙士程), and he married a woman from the Wang clan (her personal name eludes most researchers).
Lu You was sad after his first marriage broke up. One spring day, at age 31, eight years after their divorce, he passed by Shen's Garden (瀋園) and by chance encountered Tang Wan and her husband. Tang Wan asked her husband to let her send a cup of wine to Lu You. When her hands passed the wine to him, he saw her eyes brimmed with tears. His heart was broken, and he drank the cup of bitter wine to the bottom. He turned away and on the spot wrote the poem "Fonqhwang Hairpinin" (Chai Tou Feng, 釵頭鳳) on the wall of Shen's Garden. After this meeting with Tang Wan, Lu You went to the North to struggle against the foreign Jin dynasty, before returning to southern Shu (蜀, today's Sichuan) to pursue his dream of unifying China.
When Tang Wan read Lu You's poem in the garden, she immediately wrote one in the same form in response. Less than a year later, she died. In the year before Lu You’s death, at age 85, he wrote another poem called “Shen's Garden” to commemorate Tang Wan, his first love. A traditional Yue opera was written about Lu You and Tang Wan, and their love story is very famous in China.
Official career
At age 12, Lu You was already an excellent writer, had mastered the skill of sword fighting, and had delved deeply into war strategy. At age 19, he took the civil service examination, but did not pass. Ten years later, he took it again; this time he not only passed it, he was the first winner in the Lin An region. But this triumph brought him trouble. Qin Sun, the grandson of the powerful Qin Hui (秦檜, a notorious aristocratic traitor in the Song Dynasty), had also taken the exam. Lu You's win threatened Qin Sun's position, as Lu You was now likely to take first place in the next year's national examination. In fact, not only Lu You, but all the potential winners of the next year's nationwide competition were excluded, along with even some of the examination officers.
After Qin Hui's death, Lu You started his official career in government. Because he avidly insisted on fighting against the Jin dynasty and did not follow the mainstream official lethargy on the subject, he was dismissed from his job. In 1172, he was hired to do strategic planning in the military. Military life opened his eyes and mind; he hoped to fulfill his aspiration of bringing a divided China back together. He wrote many unrestrained poems to express his passionate patriotism. But the Song Dynasty was by now corrupt and indolent; most officers just wanted to make a nice living; Lu You had no opportunity to deploy his talent."Entering upon a public career by virtue of his father's services, he fell into disfavour with Qin Hui; but after the latter's death he received an appointment, and in 1163 the Emperor Xiaozong(孝宗) made him a Compiler for the Privy Council and conferred upon him the honorary degree of Jinshi(進士)."
He was unsuccessful in his official career: he adopted a patriotic irredentist stance, advocating the expulsion of the Jurchen from northern China, but this position was out of tune with the times. In 1175, Fan Chengda(範成大) asked him to join his party. They shared literary interests, and now behaved casually in official society. Lu You felt there was no place for him in official life, and started to become self-indulgent, enjoying drinking to forget his lack of success in his personal life and career pursuit. He gave himself the art name "Fangweng" (放翁), meaning "Liberated Old Man", and was sarcastic about himself in his poems.
After several promotions and demotions, Lu You retired in 1190 to live in seclusion in his hometown Shaoxing (紹興, now in Zhejiang province), then a rural area. He spent the last twenty years of his life there. Lu You enjoyed good health and liked eating pearl barley and tree-ear mushrooms. This habit kept his vision and hearing keen until death. During his retirement, he still ardently supported fighting against the Jin dynasty, but without success. His wife died in 1197. On December 29, 1209 (Chinese calendar), he died at age 86. His great regret was knowing that northern China was still in the control of the foreigners.
Style
Lu You wrote about eleven thousand poems, in both the shi (詩) and ci (詞) forms, plus a number of prose works, which made him the poet who ranks the top in the list of numbers of the poems left before 15C. In his poetry he continues to articulate the beliefs which cost him his official career, calling for reconquest of the north. Watson identifies these works as part of the legacy of Du Fu (杜甫). Watson compares a second body of work, poems on country life and growing old, to those of Bai Juyi (白居易) and Tao Qian (陶潛).
His style can be divided into three periods.
First Period
The first Period of Lu You's works is from his teenage years to age 46. This period, although the longest, contains the fewest of his works, about two hundred poems, because he himself destroyed his early works in his later years.
Second Period
Second Period runs from age 46 to 54, including more than 2400 shi and ci. During this period, Lu You joined the military and was affected by that experience.
Third Period
The third Period runs from the time Lu You retired to his home town until his death. He did not have time to edit his work, and 6500 poems survive from this period. His work in this period includes peaceful pastoral images as well as desolation and bleakness.
Though his style changed throughout his life, his work is always full of patriotism. This is the most important feature of his poetry, and the major reason they have been valued for almost a thousand years.
Books
- 《劍南詩稿》(Jian Nan Shi Gao, the draft of poems when holding a sword in the southern borders)
- 《渭南文集》(Wei Nan Wen Ji, the collection of proses in the south of the Wei River)
- 《放翁逸稿》(Fang Weng Yi Gao, the lost drafts of the Liberated Old Man)
- 《南唐書》(Nan Tang Shu, Book of Southern Tang)
- 《老學庵筆記》(Lao Xue An Bi Ji, the notebook from the House of a Person Who Studies When He Is Old)
- 《放翁傢訓》(Fang Weng Jia Xun, family precepts from the Liberated Old Man)
- 《傢世舊文》(Jia Shi Jiu Wen, an old prose about the history of my family)
Poems
 | Wikisource has original works written by or about: Lu You |
Lu You wrote many poems. One of his most famous is "To My Son" (示兒, Shi Er). This is how it goes:
- To My Son (示兒)
死去元知萬事空，
但悲不見九州同。
王師北定中原日，
傢祭無忘告乃翁。
All turns to dust in my dying eyes,
only hatred is that a unified land is not seen.
When the day of the emperor's troops sweeping the North comes,
you must not forget to tell me at my tombstone.
He composed this last poem when he was near death.
What this poem means is that he does not mind not being able to take anything with him when he dies, but he is upset to see that China is still not united as a nation. He is telling his son that if this day ever comes, his family must not forget to go to his grave and tell him there.
- Rainstorm on the Eleventh month 4th (十一月四日風雨大作)
僵臥孤邨不自哀，
尚思爲國戍輪臺。
夜闌臥聽風吹雨，
鐵馬冰河入夢來。
I slept stiff and alone in a lonely village without feeling self-pity.
I am still thinking of fighting for my country.
Deep into the night I lie down and hear the wind blowing the rain.
The armored horses and the ice river came into my dream.
This poem was written when Lu was old and retired, but it shines with his patriotism and vivid depiction of the fighting scenes in the North.
- Fonqhwang Hairpin (釵頭鳳)
紅酥手，黃藤酒，
滿城春色宮墻柳。
東風惡，歡情薄，
一杯愁緒，幾年離索，錯，錯，錯。
萅如舊，人空瘦，
淚痕紅浥鮫綃透。
桃花落，閒池閣，
山盟雖在，錦書難托，莫，莫，莫。
Pink soft hands, yellow rippling wine,
The town is filled with Spring, willows by palace walls.
The east wind is biting, happiness is thin,
heart full of sorrow, so many years apart.
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!
Spring is as of old; the person is empty and thin.
Traces of tears show through the sheer silk.
Peach blossoms falling, glimmering pond freezing,
The huge oath remains, the brocade book is hard to hold.
Don't, Don't, Don't!
Note: The words "wrong" and "don't" rhyme in Chinese.
This poem is about his real love story (see his marriage). In this poem, "Biting east wind" is a metaphor for traditional Chinese view about women. This view broke up his first marriage. "Brocade book", or "glorious/bright book," is another metaphor for his ambition of unifying China. But he doesn't seem to be successful in either of them (marriage and career). He also uses antithesis, which is very popular in Chinese poetry. It matches both sound and sense in two poetic lines, like "a heart of sorrow" pairing with "years apart" and "paramount promise" pairing "brocade book". The sounds match perfectly in Chinese. This poem falls in the first period of his works.
- Plum Blossom (卜算子-詠楳)
驛外斷橋邊
寂寞開無主
已是黃昏獨自愁
更著風和雨
無意苦爭春
一任群芳妒
零落成泥碾作塵
衹有香如故
Near the broken bridge outside the fortress,
I go, lonely and disoriented.
It is dusk and I am alone and anxious,
especially when the wind and rain start to blow.
I do not mean to fight for Springtime,
I would rather be alone and envied by the crowd.
I will fall down, become earth, be crushed to dust.
My glory will be same as before.
See also
Further reading
- Burton Watson (ed.) (1984), The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry, Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-05683-4.
- Burton Watson (trans.) (1994), The old man who does as he pleases, Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-10155-4.
- Philip Watson (trans.) (2007), Grand Canal, Great River: The Travel Diary of a Twelfth-century Chinese Poet, Frances Lincoln Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7112-2719-4.
Notes
- ^ Rexroth, 125
- ^ Excerpt from Encyclopædia Britannica ..article on Lu You
- ^ [permanent dead link] Photo of Shen Garden in modern-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
- ^ Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century, by Barbara Bennett Peterson, p. 280
- ^ Article on the opera Archived 2009-02-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Entry on Lu You (Lu Yu) in A Chinese Biographical Dictionary, Herbert Giles, 1898, republished 2005 by Harvard University Press
- ^ Rexroth, 126
References
- Rexroth, Kenneth (1970). Love and the Turning Year: One Hundred More Poems from the Chinese. New York: New Directions.