言志与缘情辨

Investigation and Explanation of "Yanzhi" and "Yuanqing"

在关于中国古代诗学的研究中,有一种较普遍的观点,认为“言志”和“缘情”是两种互相对立的诗歌主张,“诗言志”要求为政治教化服务,“诗缘情”则只求自由抒发性灵,不考虑政治教化。文章表示不同意此种观点。作者认为,“言志”和“缘情”的意思没有根本的差别,“诗言志”是说用诗来表述内心所存想,“诗缘情”是说诗依照内心所存想而作。这两种说法本身都不涉及与政治教化的关系问题。作者还认为,志、情两词的含义原可以兼包所谓偏于理性的思想和偏于感性的情感,因此,认为“言志”偏于理性、多指表达思想而“缘情”则偏于感性、多指抒发情感的观点也是难以成立的。

Amid researches on ancient Chinese poetics, there exists a popular viewpoint that ＂yanzhi＂ and ＂yuanqing＂ are two propositions in poetics which are contrary to each other, and that ＂yanzhi in poetics＂ purports to serve politics and enlighten people through education, while ＂yuanqing in poetics＂ only seeks to freely express human personality or temperament, without considering political enlightenment. This paper argues against the above viewpoint. The writer of the paper maintains that ＂yanzhi＂ and ＂yuanqing＂ are not fundamentally different from each other in meaning, and that ＂yanzhi in poetics＂ means expression of one＇ s ideas or thoughts by means of poems, and ＂yuanqing in poetics＂ means composition of poems in accordance with one＇ s thoughts. The two terms do not involve political enlightenment. Also, the author deems that the original implications of the two Chinese words ＂zhi＂ and ＂qing＂ involve both rational thoughts and perceptible feelings. Therefore, the author considers the viewpoint to be thin that ＂yanzhi＂, which is inclined towards reason, mostly refers to expression of ideas or thoughts, while ＂yuanqing＂, which is associated with perception, mainly refers to expression of feelings or emotions.