In eastern garden stands a pine-tree green,
Its beauty veiled by shrubs cannot be seen.
When other plants are withered in hoar frost,
We find its lofty branch which seems long lost.
No trees in the woods can attract the eye,
We marvel at the single pine so high.
I stroke its wintry bough, wine pot in hand,
And gaze afar, lost in the wonderland.
Life changes from lost illusion to vain dreams,
Why should we drown in eventful streams?
Original Poem
「饮酒 · 其八」
陶渊明
青松在东园，众草没其姿。
凝霜殄异类，卓然见高枝。
连林人不觉，独树众乃奇。
提壶挂寒柯，远望时复为。
吾生梦幻间，何事绁尘羁？
Interpretation
Composed around 416 AD, this poem belongs to Tao Yuanming's celebrated series of twenty "Drinking Wine" poems. Written during his later reclusive years after leaving government service, it captures a winter scene where the poet, moved by the sight of an unyielding pine in his eastern garden, uses the evergreen as a metaphor for his own uncompromising virtue and philosophical transcendence of life's transience.
First Couplet: "青松在东园，众草没其姿。"
Qīng sōng zài dōng yuán, zhòng cǎo mò qí zī.
A green pine stands in my eastern garden, its noble form obscured by common weeds.
The pine symbolizes the virtuous man whose worth remains unrecognized in a vulgar world—an allegory for the poet's own obscured brilliance among mediocrity.
Second Couplet: "凝霜殄异类，卓然见高枝。"
Níng shuāng tiǎn yì lèi, zhuō rán jiàn gāo zhī.
Hoarfrost annihilates lesser plants; the pine's lofty boughs shine forth alone.
Winter's crucible reveals true character: only the steadfast retain their integrity when tested by adversity's cold.
Third Couplet: "连林人不觉，独树众乃奇。"
Lián lín rén bù jué, dú shù zhòng nǎi qí.
In dense woods, none notice trees; solitude makes the singular remarkable.
The paradox of excellence: true distinction becomes visible only through isolation from the crowd.
Fourth Couplet: "提壶抚寒柯，远望时复为。"
Tí hú fǔ hán kē, yuǎn wàng shí fù wèi.
Wine flask in hand, I stroke its frosty limbs, gazing in timeless contemplation.
The poet's tactile communion with the pine merges sensory pleasure with spiritual aspiration, embodying his reclusive ideal.
Fifth Couplet: "吾生梦幻间，何事绁尘羁！"
Wú shēng mèng huàn jiān, hé shì xiè chén jī!
This dreamlike existence—why chain it to worldly fetters!
The climactic revelation: recognizing life's illusory nature liberates one from material attachments.
Holistic Appreciation
The pine becomes an extended metaphor for Tao's philosophical stance—flourishing in adversity while maintaining essential virtue. Through contrasts ("obscured weeds" vs. "lofty boughs") and seasonal symbolism (winter's testing frost), the poem develops from physical observation to metaphysical insight, culminating in the Buddhist-inflected realization of life's dreamlike quality.
Artistic Merits
The poem employs deceptively simple and unadorned language that nevertheless carries profound symbolic and philosophical depth. Tao Yuanming masterfully uses natural imagery to convey humanistic ideals—the pine tree symbolizes noble character, while common weeds represent the mediocre masses, creating an allegorical system where objects express aspirations and landscapes voice emotions.
The work achieves perfect fusion of scene and sentiment. Lines like "wine flask in hand, I stroke its frosty limbs" and "gazing in timeless contemplation" possess remarkable pictorial quality while simultaneously embodying the poet's characteristic attitude of lyrical drinking and philosophical reclusion. This seamless integration of concrete observation and abstract meditation creates an artless authenticity brimming with eremitic charm.
Insights
The evergreen pine, standing unyielding against winter's harshness, becomes a powerful symbol of maintaining one's integrity amidst adversity—a steadfast refusal to conform to vulgar trends. Through this arboreal metaphor, Tao Yuanming embodies the recluse's noble ethos, articulating both his profound interrogation of authentic existence and his unwavering pursuit of spiritual liberation.
Poem translator
Xu Yuanchong (许渊冲)
About the poet
Tao Yuanming(陶渊明), 365 – 427 CE, was a poet, literary figure, fu writer, and essayist active during the late Eastern Jin and early Liu Song dynasties. Born in Chaisang (near present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province), he pioneered a new genre of pastoral-themed literature, expressing profound philosophical insights through simple language. His poetic style became an enduring aesthetic standard in classical Chinese poetry.
