海岛海防与海警海氛诗——略论晚明金门诗人蔡献臣

Island Defense and Poems on Marine Conflict and Battles:A Brief Discussion on Cai Xianchen,Poet of Jinmen in the Late Ming Dynasty

蔡献臣(1563—1641年),明福建同安县浯洲(今金门县)人,生长海岛,世为盐籍。浯洲嘉靖庚申之难,蔡献臣伯父抗倭而死,村落几化为灰烬。家族灾难在他内心烙下永远的伤痕。蔡献臣任浙江宁绍巡海道时,尝驾一叶轻舟,出入惊风骇浪,突显岛民本色。蔡献臣认为澎湖是闽海屏障,兵不可撤、地不可弃;处于九龙口水上要道的浯屿水寨不可裁,务必建立以浯屿为主轴的防御体系;九龙口诸岛建筑铳城,互为犄角,严守水道,以攻为守,保障闽南安全。海警海氛诗,波澜壮阔,表现了诗人对海疆安全的渴望和爱国情操;海警海氛诗的另一侧面,为描写边海生活的小诗,明净简远,和平安宁,是诗人的海上生活的理想。

Cai Xianchen(1563-1641),a native of Wuzhou(now Jinmen County),Tong an County,Fujian Province,in Ming Dynasty,grew up on islands.All generations from his family were salt merchants.During Jiajing Gengshen period(1560),Wuzhou fell into disaster.Cai Xianchen s uncle died in fighting against the Japanese.The village was nearly destroyed.The disaster of the family left a permanent scar in his heart.When Cai Xianchen was appointed the official who was in charge of patrolling the sea in Ning Shao,Zhejiang Province,he often sailed through fearful winds and dreadful waves in a light boat,which showed the true character of the islanders.Cai Xianchen believed that Penghu was a barrier of Fujian sea,so the troops could not be withdrawn and the islands could not be abandoned.He thought that Wuyu s water village on the main course of Jiulongkou could not be cut off andit was imperative to establish a defense system with Wuyu as the main axis.He suggested measures to ensure the safety of South Fujian:building defense towers on the islands of Jiulongkou which could support each other,strictly guarding the waterways,and using attack as the means of defense.The Poems of Marine conflict and battles are magnificent and show the poet s desire for the safety of the sea and his patriotic sentiment.On the other hand,these poems describe the life of the sea,which is bright and clean,simple and meaningful,mild and peaceful.That is the poet s ideal of the life on the sea.