探秘“俗禅”源头——王梵志诗歌与英译传播

来源：淘生活问答时间：2026-09-11 13:36

王梵志，隋末唐初卫州黎阳人，初唐民间白话诗人。诗集历代散佚，直至敦煌文书出土重现。诗多用市井口语，融佛理、世态讽喻一体，通俗诙谐，开通俗说理诗一脉，深刻影响寒山、拾得创作。

王梵志诗歌的翻译与“文化出海”，意义不在“又一位唐代诗人被译介”，而在于它把中国诗歌里长期被主流雅文学遮蔽的民间性、白话性、禅俗交融性送进了世界文学现场。

一是补足“李白杜甫之外”的中国诗地图。王梵志用“城外土馒头”“翻着袜”这类俚语写生死、贫富、虚伪、无常，不尚典丽、直陈世事。其诗经敦煌写本重见天天后，由戴密微译为法文、斯奈德等纳入寒山—拾得—王梵志的禅诗谱系，让海外读者看到：中国诗不仅有士大夫的意境，也有市井小民的讽刺与佛理。

二是让“白话+禅”成为跨语境共情载体。他的诗近口语、重机锋，和20世纪西方“垮掉的一代”、禅宗热、反文化运动天然接得上。寒山出海已成显例，王梵志则是这条链上前端的“俗禅”源头：不神秘、不贵族，用粗话讲空性，用笑话破执迷，正好回应现代人对功利、焦虑、死亡的抗拒与自省。

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今天，我就来以诗译诗，信达雅英译王梵志的诗歌：

1、《梵志翻着袜》

（唐）王梵志

梵志翻着袜，人皆道是错。

乍可刺你眼，不可隐我脚。

【校注】乍可：唐人俗语，宁可。隐：刺痛、硌伤。异文：剌，亦作 “刺”；古写 “翻著袜”。

Fan‑chih Turns His Socks Inside‑out

By Wang Fanzhi (Tang Dynasty)

Translated by Wang Yongli

Fan‑chih turns his socks inside out;

All men say he’s wrong, beyond doubt.

Better to offend your gazing eye,

Than let my own feet ache and sigh.

Notes

zhà kě (乍可): Tang‑dynasty vernacular, meaning “would rather”.

yǐn (隐): to chafe, to hurt. Variant character: 剌 / 刺；ancient written form: 翻著袜.

2、《诗（他人骑大马）》

（唐）王梵志

他人骑大马，我独跨驴子。

回顾担柴汉，心下较些子。

【校注】较些子：唐口语，心里稍感宽慰、好受一点。敦煌写本无题，后世拟题《知足》。

Poem

By Wang Fanzhi (Tang Dynasty)

Translated by Wang Yongli

Others ride tall horses, fine and grand,

While I alone a donkey stand.

I glance back at the wood‑bearing man;

Some comfort soothes my heart within.

Notes

jiào xiē zǐ (较些子): Tang colloquial, “to feel somewhat consoled”. This piece bears no title in Dunhuang manuscripts; later anthologists assigned the working title Contentment.

3、《城外土馒头》

（唐）王梵志

城外土馒头，馅草在城里。

一人吃一个，莫嫌没滋味。

【校注】土馒头：喻坟墓。部分古本续有四句 “世无百年人，强作千年调。打铁作门限，鬼见拍手笑”；通行选本多单独截取前四句。

Earth Steamed‑Buns Outside the Town

By Wang Fanzhi (Tang Dynasty)

Translated by Wang Yongli

Outside the town earth buns arise,

Their fillings dwell where the city lies.

Each man gets one, as fates ordain;

Do not complain its taste is plain.

Notes

tǔ mán tou (土馒头): a metaphor for graves. Some Dunhuang copies append four extra lines. Standard modern anthologies print only these four lines as an independent poem.

4、《吾富有钱时》

（唐）王梵志

吾富有钱时，妇儿看我好。

吾若脱衣裳，与吾叠袍袄。

吾出经求去，送吾即上道。

将钱入舍来，见吾满面笑。

绕吾白鸽旋，恰似鹦鹉鸟。

邂逅暂时贫，看吾即貌哨。

人有七贫时，七富还相报。

图财不顾人，且看来时道。

【校注】貌哨：唐人俗语，脸色难看、面露嫌弃。敦煌诸卷文字大体统一，无重大异文。

When My Coffers Overflow with Gold（吾富有钱时）

By Wang Fanzhi (Tang Dynasty)

Translated by Wang Yongli

When my coffers overflow with gold,

Wife and children treat me bold.

If I my outer garments shed,

They fold my coats and padded bed.

When forth I go to seek for gain,

They see me off along the lane.

When home I come with money stored,

Smiles spread across every board.

Round me they wheel like white doves in flight,

Just as parrots mimic in delight.

Should hardship chance my lot to be,

Their looks turn harsh and cold on me.

Man knows seven falls, seven rises still;

Wealth and want their turn fulfil.

Who prize mere gold and kin ignore,

Await what karmic fate has in store.

Notes

mào shào (貌哨): Tang‑dynasty vernacular, describing a grim, displeased facial expression. Surviving Dunhuang texts show no major textual variants for this poem.

王梵志长期不入《全唐诗》，翻译出海反过来激活了国内重估：白话不是浅，而是把儒释道和民间伦理压成五言一句。它证明中华文明对外传播不必只靠“高大上”符号，底层声音、边缘文本、敦煌文献同样有普世穿透力。

本译把口语感、荒诞感、禅讽感保留下来。中国文化走出去，关键不是包装成西方人想象中的“东方神秘”，而是把文本本来的活气译出来——俗也可世界，土也可现代。

一句话：王梵志出海，是“中国民间禅诗”对世界的出场；它把唐诗从宫阙带向街巷，把文化输出从“展示优雅”推进到“共享生存智慧”。（翻译王永利）