考槃 A Hermit's Hut
考槃在澗，碩人之寬。獨寐寤言，永矢弗諼。
考槃在阿，碩人之薖。獨寐寤歌，永矢弗過。
考槃在陸，碩人之軸。獨寐寤宿，永矢弗告。
He builds his hut by the mountain stream, This large man, his mind undisturbed.
Alone he sleeps and wakes, and croons, The joy of solitude cannot be forgotten.
He builds his hut among the hills, This large man, his mind content.
Alone he sleeps and wakes, and sings, The joy of solitude cannot be exceeded.
He builds his hut on the flat ground, This large man, his mind at ease.
Alone he sleeps and wakes, and sleeps again, The joy of solitude cannot be expressed.
Poetry Interpretation
Here, we encounter a Daoist recluse, content in his solitude, finding joy and peace among the mountains and streams. For the Daoist, this is not an escape from the world of men, but a return to his true home in nature. By returning to nature, the Daoist returns to himself and cultivates his Heart-and-Mind. The “large man” here refers not to his physique but to the greatness of his character and mind.
Furthermore, we observe the range of emotions our Daoist recluse experiences, from crooning to singing, and ultimately, to the ineffable joy of hearing the Silent Music of the Dao. Perhaps such spiritual illumination is best described by this poem by the famed Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (701-762):
You ask me why I dwell in the green mountains.
I smile and make no reply.
My heart is free of care.
The peach-tree blooms,
The waters Flow
Into the unknown.
I dwell in a Realm
That is not of Man.*
*This poem is translated by John Minford, Tao Te Ching, New York: Viking, 2018, p.30.
這首充滿道家哲學的歌曲，歌頌者著通過隱居者在自然中找到內心的平靜與滿足。它傳達了人與自然和諧共存的圓滿的理想。
Written by Dr. Annie Luman Ren