《九章·惜诵》是战国时期楚国诗人屈原创作的一首诗,是《九章》的第一篇。此诗名取自篇首二字,作者以痛惜的心情,追忆叙述了自己因直言进谏而遭谗被疏之往事。全诗语言真挚生动,朴素自然,以细腻的笔调描摹了抒情主人公的意志活动和感情冲突,直抒胸臆,想像丰富,洋溢着浓郁的浪漫主义色彩。
惜诵[1]
惜诵以致愍[2]兮,
发愤以抒情。
所作忠而言之兮,
指苍天以为正。
令五帝[3]以折中兮,
戒六神[4]与向服。
俾山川[5]以备御兮,
命咎繇[6]使听直。
竭忠诚以事君兮,
反离群而赘肬。
忘儇[7]媚以背众兮,
待明君其知之。
言与行其可迹兮,
情与貌其不变。
故相臣莫若君兮,
所以证之不远。
吾谊先君而后身兮,
羌众人之所仇。
专惟君而无他兮,
又众兆之所雠。
壹心而不豫兮,
羌不可保也。
疾亲君而无他兮,
有招祸之道也。
思君其莫我忠兮,
忽忘身之贱贫。
事君而不贰兮,
迷不知宠之门。
忠何罪以遇罚兮,
亦非余心之所志。
行不群以巅越兮,
又众兆之所咍[8]。
纷逢尤以离谤兮,
謇不可释。
情沉抑而不达兮,
又蔽而莫之白。
心郁邑余侘傺[9]兮,
又莫察余之中情。
固烦言不可结诒兮,
愿陈志而无路。
退静默而莫余知兮,
进号呼又莫吾闻。
申侘傺之烦惑兮,
中闷瞀[10]之忳忳[11]。
昔余梦登天兮,
魂中道而无杭。
吾使厉神占之兮,
曰:有志极而无旁。
终危独以离异兮?
曰:君可思而不可恃。
故众口其铄金兮,
初若是而逢殆。
惩于羹者而吹[12]兮,
何不变此志也?
欲释阶而登天兮,
犹有曩[13]之态也。
众骇遽以离心兮,
又何以为此伴也?
同极而异路兮,
又何以为此援也?
晋申生之孝子兮,
父信谗而不好。
行婞[14]直而不豫兮,
鲧功用而不就。
吾闻作忠以造怨兮,
忽谓之过言。
九折臂而成医兮,
吾至今而知其信然。
矰弋[15]机而在上兮,
罻罗[16]张而在下。
设张辟以娱君兮,
愿侧身而无所。
欲儃佪[17]以干傺兮,
恐重患而离尤。
欲高飞而远集兮,
君罔谓女何之?
欲横奔而失路兮,
坚志而不忍。
背膺牉[18]以交痛兮,
心郁结而纡轸[19]。
捣木兰以矫蕙兮,
糳[20]申椒以为粮。
播江离与滋菊兮,
愿春日以为糗[21]芳。
恐情质之不信兮,
故重著以自明。
矫兹媚以私处兮,
愿曾思而远身。
注释:
[1] 惜:哀痛。诵,谏议。
[2] 愍(mǐn):忧苦,同“悯”。
[3] 五帝:指少皋、颛顼、帝喾、帝尧、帝舜。
[4] 六神:指日、月、星、水旱、四时、寒暑之神。
[5] 山川:指代山川之神。
[6] 咎繇(gāo yáo):皋陶,舜时的法官。
[7] 儇(xuān):轻佻,奸诈。
[8] 咍(hāi):嘲笑。
[9] 侘傺(chà chì):失意的样子。
[10] 闷瞀(mào):烦闷,愤懑。
[11] 忳忳(tún tún):忧伤的样子。
[12] (jī):切碎的冷菜。
[13] 曩(nǎng):往昔,以前。
[14] 婞(xìng):正直。
[15] 矰弋(zēng yì):带有丝绳的短箭。
[16] 罻(wèi)罗:捕鸟的网。
[17] 儃佪(chán huái):徘徊,留恋不去的样子。
[18] 牉(pàn):分裂。
[19] 纡(yū):缠绕。轸(zhěn):疼痛。
[20] 糳(zuò):舂米。
[21] 糗(qiú):炒米,干粮。
讽谏君王而招来不幸,
发泄愤懑来抒写衷情。
我所说的都是对君王的忠言,
苍天可以为我做证。
请五帝辨析刑书条文,
告六神对证控罪之词。
使山川之神当我的陪审,
让皋陶裁决我的是非曲直。
我竭尽忠心侍奉楚王,
反而被斥责为朝廷的毒瘤。
我没有巧言令色的本领得罪了小人,
只能等待明君能够了解真相。
我言行一致有迹可寻,
我表里如一不会变化。
没有人能比君王更了解臣子,
因为在日常生活中就能验证。
我遵从的道义是为人臣者要先君后己,
结果遭到了众人的反对。
我一心侍奉君王,
又成为小人们的仇雠。
我专心国事毫不迟疑,
谁曾想竟不能自保。
我急切地亲近君王毫无私念,
又成为招致祸害的根源。
我想君王对我还是非常信任的,
因而忘记了我的身份是多么贫贱。
侍奉君王我忠心不贰,
哪里知道怎样得到君王的宠信。
忠诚有何罪过乃至招来惩罚,
这我完全意料不到。
我因为不肯合作才遭受挫折,
还为小人们耻笑。
我多次遭受毁谤责难,
忧愁集结在心无法释然。
压抑之心不能表白,
君王被蒙蔽有口难辩。
我心情郁郁苦闷至极,
又无人能体察我的忠心。
要说的太多以致无法用书信表达啊!
即便写出来也无路投递。
寂寞隐退没人能理解我啊!
大声呼号又没有回音。
多次的烦闷令我迷惑啊!
心绪烦乱真是伤心。
我曾经梦想登上天庭,
魂魄升到半路却失去了上天的航船。
我请厉神为我占卜,
他说:志向很高,但无辅佐之人。
我最终会被孤立遭受放逐吗?
他说:“君王可以思念却不可以依仗。
众口一词的谗言能把金属熔化,
刚想尽忠就被小人迫害。
被烫的人吃冷食也要吹气,
你为什么不改变你的志向?
如果你想丢弃梯子而登天,
就会和从前一样遭殃。
众人都惊骇你所为而心志不一,
你又何必与这些人为同伴?
事君的目的相同但观念不同,
你又怎么能从他们那里得到帮助?
晋太子申生本是一个孝子,
他父亲听信谗言逼他自杀。
鲧的行为刚直而不可动摇,
功夫用到了却没能使洪水平定。
我听说尽忠能引起旁人的怨恨,
以前一直以为这是夸大的言论。
九次折臂而成良医,
我到现在才明白这个道理。
蓄势待发的箭对着天空,
地面上布满了罗网。
小人们设下重重圈套算计君王,
想要侧身远避而无可投。
我本想寻找一个好的时机,
又怕遭受更大的灾难。
我曾想远离楚国,
只怕君王问我为何去向他处。
我想抛弃正道同流合污,
但是我意志坚强不忍背离初衷。
我的胸背撕裂般隐隐作痛,
心思郁结痛苦缠身。
我捣碎木兰揉碎蕙草,
舂碎申椒用作我的粮食。
播种上江离培植些菊花,
希望来年的春天就能品尝。
我怕内心的真情不能申诉,
因此一再说清申明的缘故。
我拥有如此多美德却不被人了解,
愿反复思量而远去。
The Nine Elegies
I Make my Plaint
I make my plaint and tell my grief, oh!
I vent my wrath to seek relief.
If what I say is not in honesty, oh!
I ask Heaven my witness be.
I bid the Five and Six Lords to, oh!
Judge if I am guilty or true.
I call on streams and mountains here and there, oh!
To be magistrates fair and square.
I serve my prince with soul and heart, oh!
Unwanted, I am set apart.
I nor flatter nor please the mass, oh!
My prince should know me from an ass.
My word can find in deeds its trace, oh!
I’ve changed nor feeling nor face.
No judge is better than my king, oh!
Proofs are not far to seek or bring.
It’s right to put before myself my prince, oh!
But I have earned the crowd’s enmity since.
I care for none but my prince dear, oh!
But this has caused hatred and fear.
Whole-hearted, I don’t hesitate, oh!
But I cannot secure my state.
My devotion will only to him go, oh!
But it’s the way to bring me woe.
None’s truer to the prince than me, oh!
But I forget my poverty.
I serve him and ask for nothing more, oh!
But to win his favor I ignore.
I ask myself from time to time, oh!
Why I am punished without crime.
Peerless. I am turned upside down, oh!
The crowd jeers at the overthrown.
Slanders and blames are laid on me, oh!
So many that from them I can’t be free.
My feelings stifled, I’m set apart, oh!
Screened from my lord, I can’t open my heart.
Heavy with sorrow and despair, oh!
To whom can I lay my feelings bare?
My disordered words find no vent, oh!
My thought has no way to present.
If I’m retired and silent, who will know, oh!
Who will hear if I cry and onward go?
My mind feels troubled and suppressed, oh!
How can my sorrow be expressed?
Once I dreamed to ascend the sky, oh!
Halfway I could not go more high.
I bade the Dream Lord to divine!
He said, None’d help your aspiration fine.
At last a stranger should face peril alone, oh!
The prince might be thought of, not relied on.
Many tongues could even melt gold, oh!
Good men risk failure as of old.
Burnt by broth, you blow on cold food, oh!
Why don’t you change your attitude?
Ladders cast down, skyward you’d go, oh!
Such were your ways long, long ago.
Frightened, all turn their hearts against you, oh!
How can you find companions new?
Different ways lead to the same end, oh!
Who would help you as your old friend?
Prince Shen Sheng was a filial son, oh!
Slandered, not loved, he was undone.
Gun would not change, so stiff and straight, oh!
He failed in work at any rate.”
They said that loyalty might lead to hate, oh!
I thought they did exaggerate.
Wounds would make a physician good, oh!
At last I know it’s not falsehood.
The cross-bow is set overhead, oh!
And the bird-nets below are spread.
Traps are laid to mislead His Grace, oh!
Where by his side can I find a place?
If I tarry in such a state, oh!
I fear there would fall a heavier fate.
If I fly and perch far away, oh!
Won’t my prince ask, “Where will you stay? ”
If I a winding path pursue, oh!
Would my strong will allow me to?
My back and breast are split with pain, oh!
My heart is torn and aches again.
Magnolia and orchid I pound, oh!
And pepper flowers for food are ground.
I sow and plant asters to bring, oh!
Savors for provender in spring.
I fear none would believe my heart, oh!
So I say again and again my part.
I will retire to think and stay, oh!
With these sweet flowers far away.