The phrase “诗言志” originates from the Warring States period (475 BC – 221 BC) in the “Book of Documents · Canon of Yao”, which records the political codes of the ancient sage king, Emperor Yao. The original text reads: “诗言志，歌永言，声依永，律和声,” which translates to: Poetry expresses the poet’s aspirations, songs are sung renditions of poetry, pitch follows the content of the poetry, and rhythm harmonizes the sounds.
In these four lines, “诗言志” serves as the main theme, with the following three lines providing further explanation. The poet expresses deep emotions and thoughts through poetry, where every word and phrase directly reflects the soul’s voice. As for “songs,” “sounds,” and “rhythms,” they are used for reciting and chanting poetry, allowing the poetic imagery and emotions to be fully displayed and expressed.
The concept of “诗言志” has been popular for over 2500 years, thriving especially during the glorious eras of Tang poetry and Song lyrics, giving birth to numerous splendid poems that now adorn the treasure trove of Chinese culture, cherished through the ages. I interpret “诗言志” as using poetry and prose to express one’s inner thoughts and aspirations. By extension, this principle applies equally to painting. The subjects and states depicted in a painting, formed through combinations of lines and color blocks, once completed, represent the artist’s inner world, analogous to “诗言志” in poetry, hence, in painting, it is “画言心.”
“画言心” means using artwork to express the artist’s inner voice, conveying their genuine thoughts and feelings, reflecting their personal will, and their understanding and judgments of the external world. The artist strives for authenticity and sincerity, rejecting pretense and superficiality, eschewing baseless theories, and avoiding deceptive tricks.
Painting is a form of ideological expression, where the creation process is essentially a release of the artist’s emotions and thoughts, akin to writing articles, commentaries, poetry, or delivering speeches. It is a manifestation of ideas and a subjective elaboration. Through this spiritual venting and sincere expression of emotions, viewers can be moved, inspired, gain wisdom, or broaden their perspectives.
