西子湖原如畫本，南屏僧慣作詩人──南屏「七代詩僧」考論

As the West Lake Is Like a Painting, the Nanping Monks Are Meant to Be Poets: A Study of the“Seven Generations of Poet-Monks”from Nanping

「七代詩僧」，始稱於阮元（1764-1849）所題的一塊匾額，是指萬曆（1573-1619）至嘉慶（1796-1820）年間入住於南屏萬峰山房的七代詩僧。這一詩系直至咸豐（1851-1861）年間仍有餘嗣，通共傳承了十代，歷時近三百年，是中國古代持續繁衍時間最長的「寺院詩系」。這一文學現象的產生，一方面是南屏山濃郁的詩歌傳統積澱的結果，另一方面則與當時叢林尚詩風氣的高漲以及盛行的結社之風密不可分。南屏詩僧不僅詩禪並茂，詩風清麗，而且大多兼通書、畫、篆刻、金石，在詩壇、藝林產生了廣泛的影響。阮元為之拈出的「詩燈」，在中國僧詩史上亦具有重要的意義。

The so-called “seven generations of poet-monks” 七代詩僧, which refers to the generations of poet-monks who lived on Wanfeng Mountain in Nanping from the Wanli (1573-1619) to Jiaqing (1796-1821) eras, can first be attributed to a horizontal tablet inscribed with the moniker by Ruan Yuan 阮元 (1764-1849). The final ripples of this movement were felt during the Xianfeng (1851-1861) era, altogether lasting for ten generations and over three hundred years, which would become one of the longest lasting Buddhist-inspired poetry movements of any period in Chinese history. One reason for this literary phenomenon owed to the long-established poetic traditions of the Nanping mountain region, and another was the prevalence of poetry societies as well as poetry in general being the essence of the times during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The poetry of the poet-monks itself was regarded as not only coexisting with Chan Buddhism but also pure and elegant; moreover, their paintings, carvings, sculptures, and other various works were highly appreciated within artistic circles. When Ruan Yuan coined the term “poetic light” 詩燈, it therefore can be seen as a key moment in the cultural history of Chan poetry.