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开元（713-741）后期，唐玄宗沉溺声色，奸佞专权，朝政日趋黑暗。为了规劝玄宗励精图治，张九龄曾撰《千秋金镜录》一部，专门论述前代治乱兴亡的历史教训，并将它作为对皇帝生日的寿礼进献给玄宗。唐玄宗心中不悦，加李林甫的谗谤、排挤，张九龄终于被贬为荆州长史。遭贬后，他曾作《感遇十二首》，运用比兴手法，表现其坚贞清高的品德，抒发自己遭受排挤的忧思。此篇为其第一首。
诗一开始，用整齐的偶句，突出了两种高雅的植物——春兰与秋桂。屈原《九歌·礼魂》中，有“春兰兮秋菊，长无绝兮终古”句。张九龄是广东曲江人，其地多桂，即景生情，就地取材，把秋菊换成了秋桂，师古而不泥古。兰桂对举，兰举其叶，桂举其花，这是由于对偶句的关系，互文以见义，其实是各各兼包花叶，概指全株。兰用葳蕤来形容，具有茂盛而兼纷披的意思，“葳蕤”两字点出兰草迎春勃发，具有无限的生机。桂用皎洁来形容，桂叶深绿，桂花嫩黄，相映之下，自然有皎明洁净的感觉。“皎洁”两字，精炼简要地点出了秋桂清雅的特征。
诗的前四句说兰、桂这些“草木君子”只要逢时就会欣欣向荣，生机盎然。兰叶在春风吹拂下“葳蕤”繁茂，桂花在仲秋明月的辉映下更显“皎洁”秀丽。春兰秋桂生意勃发，也给季节带来了荣耀，春、秋因兰、桂而成为美好的季节。这里既包含了朴素的历史唯物主义思想，说明了时势造英雄，英雄壮时势的客观辩证法；也表达了真正的贤人志士只有在政治开明的时代才能施展自己的才华抱负的思想，流露了自己对重新“遇时”的渴望。
诗的后四句从春兰秋桂芳香袭人的社会效果来委婉地说明自己行芳志洁并非为了求人赏识，以博取高名；象春兰秋桂的香气一样，它博得山林隐士的喜爱，只是客观效果而已；实际上，兰、桂散发芳香并非有意希求人们来折取它，欣赏它，而是纯粹出于它们的本性。“谁知”两字对兰桂来说，大有出乎意料之外的感觉。美人由于闻到了兰桂的芬香，因而发生了爱慕之情。“坐”，犹深也，殊也。表示爱慕之深。诗从无人到有人，是一个突转，诗情也因之而起波澜。“闻风”二字本于《孟子·尽心篇》，其中说：“圣人百世之师也，伯夷柳下惠是也，故闻伯夷之风者，顽夫廉，懦夫有立志，闻柳下惠之风者，薄夫敦，鄙夫宽。奋乎百世之上，百世之下闻者莫不兴起也。”张九龄就把这章中的“闻风”毫不费力地拉来用了，用得这样恰如其分，用得这样自然，用得这样使读者毫不觉得他在用典故，这也是值得一提的。“何求”二字用得斩截有力，它淋漓尽致地将诗人不肯廉价赢得美名的清高志趣给表现出来了。
这首诗以兰、桂自况，借兰桂之芳香比喻自己的高志美德，使人感到贴切自然，蕴含深厚，耐人寻味。▲
appreciate
In the late period of Kaiyuan (713-741), Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty indulged in color and power, and the government became increasingly dark. In order to exhort Xuanzong to make efforts to govern, Zhang Jiuling once wrote a book called “Qianqiu Jinjing Lu”, which specifically discussed the historical lessons of the previous generation in governing the rise and fall of chaos, and presented it to Xuanzong as a birthday gift for the emperor. The Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was displeased. With the slander and exclusion of Li Linfu, Zhang Jiuling was finally demoted to the title of Jingzhou Chang Shi. After being demoted, he once wrote “Twelve Feelings”, using the technique of comparison to express his steadfast and noble character and express his worries about being excluded. This is the first one.
At the beginning of the poem, two elegant plants, spring orchid and autumn osmanthus, were highlighted with neat couplets. In Qu Yuan’s Nine Songs · Ritual Soul, there is a sentence that “spring orchids come to autumn chrysanthemums, and endless growth leads to the end of time”. Zhang Jiuling is a native of Qujiang, Guangdong Province. There are many laurels in his land. He uses local materials to replace autumn chrysanthemums with autumn laurels. He learns from the past rather than the past. The orchid and the cinnamon hold the opposite position, the orchid holds its leaves, and the cinnamon holds its flowers. This is due to the relationship between the antithetic sentences. The intertextuality is used to see the meaning. In fact, each of them holds flowers and leaves, which generally refers to the whole plant. The orchid is described by verdure, which has the meaning of luxuriance and profusion. The word “verdure” points out that the orchid sprouts in the spring and has infinite vitality. Gui is described as bright and clean. The leaves of cinnamon are dark green, and the osmanthus flowers are bright yellow. The word “Jiao Jie” is refined and concise, showing the elegant characteristics of autumn laurel.
The first four lines of the poem say that the “grass and trees gentlemen” like Lan and Gui will be thriving and full of vitality as long as they are in good time. The orchid leaves are “luxuriant” in the spring breeze, and the osmanthus flowers are “bright” and beautiful in the moonlight of the mid autumn. The flourishing business of spring orchids and autumn osmanthus also brings glory to the seasons. Spring and autumn are beautiful seasons because of orchids and osmanthus. This not only contains the simple thought of historical materialism, but also illustrates the objective dialectics that the times create heroes and heroes strengthen the times; It also expresses the idea that only in the era of political openness can real sages and patriots display their talents and ambitions, and shows their desire to “meet the times” again.
The last four sentences of the poem tactfully explain that I am not going to seek appreciation and gain high reputation from the social effect of the fragrant fragrance of spring orchids and autumn osmanthus; Like the fragrance of spring orchids and autumn osmanthus, it won the favor of mountain hermits, but it was only an objective effect; In fact, the fragrance of orchid and cinnamon is not intended for people to take it and appreciate it, but purely out of their nature. For Lan Gui, the word “who knows” is quite unexpected. Because the beauty smelled the fragrance of Lan Gui, she fell in love. “Sitting” is deep and special. It shows the depth of love. From nobody to someone, poetry is a sudden change, and poetic sentiment is also surging. The word “smelling the wind” was originally written in Mencius Dedication, which said: “The sage is a teacher for all ages, and the Boyi Liu Xiahui is also a teacher. Therefore, those who hear the wind of the Boyi are indomitable and honest, and cowards have ambitions. Those who hear the wind of the Liuxiahui, Bo Fudun, and I am lenient. They are striving to be above and below the hundred generations.” Zhang Jiuling has effortlessly used the “Wen Feng” in this chapter, using it appropriately and naturally, so that readers do not feel he is using allusions, which is also worth mentioning. The word “He Qiu” is used forcefully, which vividly shows the poet’s lofty aspiration and interest that he won’t win a good reputation cheaply.
This poem uses the fragrance of orchids and laurels to describe one’s lofty ideals and virtues, which makes one feel appropriate, natural, profound and thought-provoking. ▲
