寻隐者不遇
Seeking the Hermit but Not Finding Him
Original
松下问童子，
言师采药去。
只在此山中，
云深不知处。
Translation
Beneath the pine, I ask the lad,
He says, 'My master’s gone to gather herbs.'
He’s somewhere within this very mountain,
But the clouds are thick—no one knows where.
Line by Line Analysis
About This Poem
This short, evocative poem captures a fleeting moment of quiet disappointment and spiritual longing. The speaker, seeking a revered hermit, encounters a young boy beneath a pine tree and inquires after the hermit. The lad’s simple replies reveal the hermit has gone into the mountain to collect medicinal herbs, yet the dense clouds shroud his exact location. Set in the late Tang Dynasty, an era marked by social upheaval and a widespread turn to spiritual solace, the poem reflects the collective yearning for uncorrupted, harmonious connection with nature and wisdom. Its core theme is the beauty of the unattainable: the hermit’s elusiveness mirrors the human quest for transcendence, while the sparse, tranquil imagery creates a meditative atmosphere that invites readers to contemplate the quiet mysteries of existence.
About the Poet
贾岛
Jiǎ Dǎo
Jia Dao (779–843), a distinguished poet of China’s late Tang Dynasty. Originally a Buddhist monk, he later renounced monastic life to hold minor official positions. Famous for his extreme meticulousness in selecting words and refining poetic rhythms, he was a key figure of the Late Tang poetic school. His works frequently center on serene natural landscapes and solitary figures, employing concise, precise language to convey introspective emotions and the quiet profundity of everyday, unassuming moments.
Cultural & Historical Context
Written during the late Tang Dynasty (779–843 CE), a period of political fragmentation, economic decline, and eroding imperial authority, this poem emerges amid a shift in poetic focus from grand imperial narratives to intimate, personal reflections. Culturally, hermitage was a revered tradition blending Taoist ideals of oneness with nature and Buddhist detachment; hermits were seen as beacons of spiritual purity, sought by those disillusioned with worldly chaos. Socially, many scholars abandoned official careers, retreating to nature to escape court factionalism and societal unrest, making the quest for hermits a symbolic act of seeking spiritual refuge. Jia Dao’s own journey—from Buddhist monk to minor official—instilled in him a profound understanding of solitude and the tension between worldly duties and spiritual longing, which he channeled into this work. His creative purpose was to distill the essence of unfulfilled spiritual pursuit; artistically, the poem uses a concise question-and-answer structure, sparse natural imagery (pine, mountain, clouds), and understated emotion to evoke mystery and meditative calm. Its brevity allows readers to project their own longing onto the scene, making it a masterpiece of minimalist classical Chinese poetry.