刘艺 行草:李世民《赋萧瑀》
【释文】疾风知劲草,板荡识诚臣。勇夫安识义,智者必怀仁。
【款识】唐太宗赋萧瑀,刘艺。
【简析】
萧瑀是隋唐之际人,为唐高祖的开国元勋之一,性格孤僻,恃才自傲,常与其他大臣发生冲突。但太宗看中其忠直品性,并委以重任。《赠萧瑀》一诗就是唐太宗专为称赞萧瑀而作的。
唐高祖后期,李渊的三个儿子为争夺帝位而展开了一场你死我活的宫廷斗争,在这场斗争中,萧瑀坚定地站在李世民一边,最后帮助他夺得帝位。“疾风知劲草,板荡识诚臣”两句,是李世民对萧瑀的高度赞美,其中也不无感激之情。这两句诗从艺术性角度看,算不上特别高明,但极富于哲理的启示。
这两句诗使用了比兴的手法。诗人表达的核心意思是“板荡识诚臣”,赞美萧瑀能在自己当年最紧要的时刻拥护自己,帮他谋得帝位。“疾风知劲草”是兴,为下文的立论张本。同时这一句兴中有比,以普通的自然景物为喻,说明了一个深刻的道理:在风平日丽的日子里,“劲草”混同于一般的草;在和平安定的环境中,“诚臣”也容易混同于一般的人们:其特殊性没有显现出来,因而不易鉴别。只有经过猛烈大风和动乱时局的考验,才能看出什么样的草是强劲的,什么样的人是忠诚的。总之,这两句诗形象而深刻地说明:在艰难危急的时刻,最能看出一个人真正的品格。具有高风亮节的人,在艰难时刻,在危难面前,能坚持真理,不随波逐流;而意志不够坚定的人,常常会迷失方向。
《老子》云:“国家昏乱,有忠臣。”《后汉书·王霸传》云:“光武(刘秀)谓霸曰:‘颖川从我者皆逝,而子独留努力,疾风知劲草。’”又南朝宋诗人鲍照《代出自蓟北门行》云:“时危见臣节,世乱识忠良。”这些话都表达了同样的的道理,或许都为李世民所借鉴。文天祥《正气歌》云:“时穷节乃见,一一垂丹青。”,与鲍照诗中的“时危见臣节,乱世识忠良”都有异曲同工之妙。
两句诗表达同样的道理,但“疾风知劲草”以比说理,形象生动,因而也最广为人知。今天人们常常只知道前一句而湮没了后一句,常用它比喻危急时刻最能显示一个人的优良品质。
总之,这首诗形象而深刻地说明:禁受得住大风摧折的草,才称得上强劲;只有在严峻危急的关头,才能考察出一个人的真正品性和节操;只有经过血与火的洗礼,才能识别出谁是坚定的忠臣。真正的忠臣义士都不会因为逆境或生命处于危险就放弃自己的节操,因为他们都有非常坚定的信念。
【Simple Translation】
Xiao Yu, a native of the Sui and Tang dynasties, was one of the founding fathers of the Tang Emperor Gaozu. He was a loner and proud of his talents, and often clashed with other ministers. But Emperor Taizong saw his loyalty and integrity and entrusted him with important duties. The poem “To Xiao Yu” was written by Emperor Taizong specifically to praise Xiao Yu.
In the late Tang Dynasty, the three sons of Li Yuan fought a deadly court battle for the throne, in which Xiao Yu stood firm on the side of Li Shimin and helped him win the throne. These two lines, “The swift wind knows the strong grass, and the board knows the sincere minister,” are a high compliment from Li Shimin to Xiao Yu, and not without gratitude. These two lines are not particularly clever from an artistic point of view, but they are extremely rich in philosophical insight.
These two verses use the technique of simile. The poet’s core meaning is “the Pan Tang knows the sincere minister,” praising Xiao Yu for supporting him at his most critical moment and helping him to win the throne. The poet’s central message is “Ban Dang knows the sincere minister”, praising Xiao Yu for supporting him at a critical moment in his life and helping him to win the throne. At the same time, there is a comparison in this line, using ordinary natural scenery as a metaphor to illustrate a profound truth: on a windy day, “strong grass” is confused with ordinary grass; in a peaceful and stable environment, “sincere subjects” are also easily confused with ordinary people: their It is not easy to identify because its special characteristics are not revealed. Only through the test of fierce winds and turbulent times can we see what kind of grass is strong and what kind of people are loyal. In short, these two verses graphically and profoundly illustrate that the true character of a person can best be seen in times of hardship and crisis. People with high moral character can stick to the truth and not go with the flow in hard times and in the face of danger; while those who are not strong-willed enough will often lose their way.
In Laozi, it is said, “When the country is in a state of stupor, there are loyal subjects.” Later Hanshu – Wang Ba Biography” cloud: “Guangwu (Liu Xiu) said to Ba: ‘Those who follow me in Yingchuan have all passed away, but the son alone stays hard, the fast wind knows the strong grass.'” Another poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, Bao Zhaoge, said, “When the time is critical, we can see the integrity of the minister, and when the world is in turmoil, we can recognize the loyalty and virtue.” These words all express the same truth, perhaps all for Li Shimin to learn from. Wen Tianxiang’s “Song of Righteousness” reads, “When the time is poor, the festival is seen, and one by one, it is hung in blue.” This is similar to the poem of Bao Zhaoge, which says, “When the time is critical, you can see your minister’s integrity, and in troubled times, you can recognize your loyalty.
The two verses express the same truth, but “the fast wind knows the strong grass” is the most widely known because of its vivid image and reasoning. Today, people often know only the first line but not the second one, which is often used as a metaphor to show a person’s good qualities in times of crisis.
In short, this poem illustrates in a profound way that only grass that can withstand the battering of a gale can be called strong; only in a critical moment can a person’s true character and integrity be examined; only through the baptism of blood and fire can one identify who is a steadfast loyalist. No true loyalist or righteous person will give up his temperament just because of adversity or his life is in danger, because they all have very firm beliefs.