中岁颇好道,晚家南山陲。
兴来每独往,胜事空自知。
行到水穷处,坐看云起时。
偶然值林叟,谈笑无还期。
Following divine law after my middle age,
I live in Southern Mountain at my hermitage.
In joyful mood to wander, alone I would go
To find delightful scenes nobody else could know.
I’d go as far as the end of a stream or fountain
And sit and gaze on cloud rising over the mountain.
If I happen to meet with an old forest man,
We’d chat and laugh endlessly,as long as we can.
人到中年时突然对佛教莫名欢喜,晚年时终于安家在了终南山下。
兴起时我自己想去哪里就去哪里,有了美好的事就自己尽情高兴。
就算有时在山间走到了水尽处路尽头,也会有坐看云雾在眼前袅袅升起的惊喜。
如果在树林里遇到个老翁,聊着聊着常常就忘了回去。
此诗是王维晚年的作品,当写于唐肃宗乾元元年(758年)之后。王维晚年官至尚书右丞,职务不小。其实,由于政局变化反复,他早已看清仕途的艰险,便想超脱这个烦扰的尘世。他吃斋奉佛,悠闲自在,大约四十岁后,就开始过着亦官亦隐的生活。