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班固下
Ban Gu, Part Two.
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主人喟然而歎曰：「痛乎風俗之移人也！ 子實秦人，鄉誇館室，保界河山，信識昭襄而知始皇矣，惡睹大漢之雲為乎？ [一]夫大漢之開原也，奮布衣以登皇極，繇數開而創萬世，蓋六籍所不能談，前聖靡得而言焉。 [二]當此之時，功有橫而當天，討有逆而順人，故婁敬度埶而獻其說，蕭公權宜以拓其制。 時豈泰而安之哉？ 計不得以已也。 [三]吾子曾不是睹，顧耀後嗣之末造，不亦闇乎？ [四]今將語子以建武之理，永平之事，監乎* (泰) **[太]*清，以變子之或志。 [五]注[一]喟，歎貌也。 前書曰：「人有剛柔緩急，音聲不同，系水土之風氣，謂之風； 好惡取捨，動靜無常，隨君上之情慾，謂之俗。 」保，守也，謂守河山之險以為界。 昭、襄，昭王、襄王也。 惡，安也，音烏。
The host drew a long sigh and said, "How deeply custom remoulds the human heart! You are a son of Qin at heart: you have always prided yourself on palace architecture, on guarding the realm behind river and mountain, and you know King Zhao and King Xiang well enough to know the First Emperor too — so how could you ever have grasped the sweep and substance of the great Han? [1] Consider how the Han opened its rise: from plain cloth to the throne, through successive stages of renewal it laid foundations meant to last ages — a story the Six Classics barely contain and the ancient sages could not wholly put into words. [2] In that age, deeds that seemed to run counter to fate were nonetheless Heaven's match; campaigns that broke the usual order still won the people's assent — which is why Lou Jing read the times and laid his plan before the throne, and Xiao He stretched the system as circumstance required. Surely the age was not one of untroubled ease. Necessity, not comfort, dictated every choice. [3] Yet you, sir, have never really looked at that, and instead you dwell on the late extravagances of later reigns — is that not blind? [4] I shall now set before you the logic of the Jianwu years and the record of the Yongping reign, holding them up as a mirror to * (Tai) **supreme* clarity, and so reshape whatever fixed ideas you may hold." [5] Commentary [1]: "Sighed" (kui) describes the manner of sighing. The Han shu says: "Whether nature runs firm or yielding, urgent or slow, and voices differ with it — because these traits bind to the climate and soil of a place, that is called feng (local custom); While shifting likes and dislikes, what people adopt or reject, motion and rest without a fixed rule, tracking the passions of those above — that is called su, the temper of the age. " "Guard" (bao) means to hold fast — here, holding the natural barriers of river and hill as one's frontier. "Zhao" and "Xiang" refer to King Zhaoxiang and King Xiang of Qin. Here wu means "how" in "how could"; read it with the wu that means "crow," not the wu that means "hate."
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注[二]漢高祖曰：「吾以布衣，提三尺□取天下。 」高祖起兵五年而即帝位，故雲由數開。 繇即由也。 孔安國注尚書云：「匝四時曰開。 」萬代，盛言之也。 六籍，六經也。
Commentary [2]: Han Gaozu said: "As a commoner I raised a three-foot sword and won the realm." " He went from rebellion to the throne in five years, which is why the text speaks of successive "openings" (turnings). The graph you here is the same as you meaning "through" or "by way of." Kong Anguo's gloss on the Shang shu reads: "When the four seasons have run their round, that is called kai." " "Ten thousand generations" is hyperbole for a lasting foundation. "The Six Ji" means the Six Classics.
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注[三]橫音胡孟反。 高祖入關，秦王子嬰降，而五星聚於東井，此功有橫而當天也。 逆謂以臣伐君。 前書陸賈曰：「湯武逆取而以順守之。 」及高祖入關，秦人爭獻牛酒，此為討有逆而順人也。 婁敬已見上。 又曰：「蕭何修未央宮，上見壯麗，甚怒。 何對曰：『天下未定，故可因遂就宮室。 且天子以四海為家，非令壯麗，無以重威，且無令後代有以加也。 』」時豈奢泰而安之哉？ 言天下初定，計不得止而都西京也。
Commentary [3]: for heng, the fanqie is hu-meng. When the High Ancestor entered the passes, the Qin heir Ziying submitted and the five planets clustered in Dongjing — that is the "contrary" deed that nonetheless aligned with Heaven. Ni ("against the grain") means a minister striking at his lord. The Han shu quotes Lu Jia: "Tang and Wu seized power in a way that broke the old order, but they kept it by ruling with the people's consent." " When Gaozu entered the passes, Qin commoners rushed forward with cattle and wine — that is the "punitive" campaign that still won the people. Lou Jing has been treated earlier in the text. The same tradition says: "When Xiao He built Weiyang Palace and the sovereign saw how grand it was, he flared with anger." Xiao He answered: "The empire is still unsettled, so we may use the moment to finish the palaces." Besides, the Son of Heaven holds all under heaven as one household; if the halls were not imposing, they could not lend majesty to authority, nor keep posterity from trying to outdo them." " Was that an age of lavish ease? Hardly. It means the empire had just been pacified and necessity drove the choice of the western capital — there was no stopping short of that.
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注[四]顧，反也。 耀，炫耀也。 言吾子曾不睹度埶權宜之由，而反炫耀後嗣子孫末代之所造，非其盛稱武帝、成帝神仙、昭陽之事也。
Commentary [4]: gu means turning back or "on the contrary." Yao means to flaunt or put on display. That is: you have not weighed how policy bent to circumstance, yet you parade the late excesses of later generations — the very boasting about Emperor Wu's and Emperor Cheng's immortality cults and the Zhaoyang palace scandals.
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注[五]淮南子曰：「太清之化也，和順以寂漠，質直以素樸。 」高誘注曰：「太清，無為之化也。」
Commentary [5]: The Huainanzi says: "Under Great Purity's transforming influence, things move in harmony and quiet, in plain simplicity." " Gao You glosses: "Supreme Clarity is government by non-action."
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往者王莽作逆，漢祚中缺，天人致誅，六合相滅。 [一]於時之亂，生民幾亡，鬼神泯絕，壑無完柩，郛罔遺室，原野猒人之肉，川谷流人之血，秦、項之災猶不克半，書契已來未之或紀也。 [二]故下民號而上愬，上帝懷而降鑒，致命於聖皇。 [三]於是聖皇乃握干符，闡坤珍，披皇圖，稽帝文，赫爾發憤，應若興雲，霆發昆陽，憑怒雷震。 [四]遂超大河，跨北嶽，立號高邑，建都河洛。 [五]紹百王之荒屯，因造化之蕩滌，體元立制，繼天而作。 [六]系唐統，接漢緒，茂育腢生，恢復疆宇，動兼乎在昔，事勤乎三五。 [七]豈特方軌並多，紛綸後辟，理近古之所務，蹈一聖之險易云爾哉？ [八]且夫建武之元，天地革命，四海之內，更造夫婦，□有父子，君臣初建，人倫寔始，斯乃虙羲氏之所以基皇德也。 [九]分州土，立市朝，作舟車，造器械，斯軒轅氏之所以開帝功也。 [一０]龔行天罰，應天順* (民) **[人]*，斯乃湯武之所以昭王業也。 [一一]遷都改邑，有殷宗中興之則焉； 即土之中，有周成隆平之制焉。 [一二]不階尺土一人之柄，同符乎高祖。 [一三]克己復禮，以奉終始，允恭乎孝文。 [一四]憲章稽古，封岱勒成，儀炳乎世宗。 [一五]案六經而校德，妙古昔而論功，仁聖之事既該，帝王之道備矣。 [一六]注[一]天人謂天意人事共相誅也。
Once Wang Mang usurped the Han, the dynasty's mandate snapped midway; Heaven and the human world joined in retribution, and the six quarters consumed one another. [1] In that chaos the people almost vanished, the spirits seemed cut off, ravines held no whole coffin, not a house stood within the walls, the plains glutted themselves on human flesh and the rivers ran with human gore — worse by half than anything Qin or Xiang Yu had wrought; since records began, nothing like it had been set down. [2] So the common folk cried aloud to those above, and High Heaven, moved to pity, bent a watching eye and handed the charge to the sage sovereign. [3] Then that sage ruler took up Heaven's tally, disclosed earth's prodigies, unrolled the imperial charts, scanned the prophetic writings; in blazing anger he rose like gathering clouds, his thunderstroke fell at Kunyang, his wrath rolled like peals of thunder. [4] He crossed the Yellow River, stood astride the Northern Marchmount, proclaimed his reign at Gaoyi, and fixed his capital on the Luo. [5] He took up the tangled legacy of a hundred kings, passed through creation's sweeping purge, anchored policy in the primal pattern, and acted as Heaven's successor in founding anew. [6] He linked his house to Tang's line and resumed Han's thread, brought the myriad creatures to flourish again, and won back land and sway; his achievements match the old exemplars, his toil equals that of the Three Sovereigns and Five Thearchs. [7] Surely he was not merely keeping pace with a crowd of rulers, or repeating the muddled efforts of later lords, or doing only what near antiquity attempted, or retracing a single sage's smooth or steep road? [8] At the opening of Jianwu, Heaven and earth turned over; within the four seas families were forged anew, fathers and sons recognized anew; lord and minister took shape for the first time, the human order truly began — the very way Fuxi's line grounded royal virtue. [9] He apportioned the land into provinces, founded market and court, built boats and carts, forged tools and arms — the way the Yellow Thearch's line opened imperial merit. [10] He solemnly executed Heaven's sentence, answering Heaven and following * (the people) **the people* — the way Tang and Wu made kingship shine. [11] Shifting the capital and seat of rule follows the precedent of the Shang restoration; occupying the central ground repeats the order of King Cheng's peaceful height. [12] Without inheriting an inch of territory or another man's authority, he matched Gaozu's celestial signs. [13] In curbing desire and restoring the rites, in dutiful care from beginning to end, he rivaled Emperor Wen. [14] In modeling himself on the past, in the Mount Tai fief and the inscribed triumph, his ceremonial splendor matched Emperor Wu. [15] When he tested his virtue against the Six Classics and weighed his merit against the ages, the humane and sagely enterprise stood whole, the path of emperor and king complete. [16] Commentary [1]: "Heaven and man" means divine will and human action joined in retribution.
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注[二]人者神之主。 生人既亡，故鬼神亦絕也。 揚子法言曰「秦將白起長平之戰，坑四十萬人，原野猒人之肉，川谷流人之血」也。
Commentary [2]: "The living are the lords of the spirits." With mankind nearly gone, the spirits too seemed to vanish. Yang Xiong's Fa yan says: "At Bai Qi's Changping massacre of four hundred thousand, the plains fed on corpses and the valleys ran with blood."
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注[三]上帝，天也。 聖皇，光武也。 懷猶愍念也。 降，下也。 鑒，視也。 言上天□念下人之上愬，故下視四海可以為君者，而致命於光武也。
Commentary [3]: Shangdi means Heaven. "The sage sovereign" is Guangwu (Emperor Guang). Huai here means to cherish and pity. Jiang means to come down or descend. Jian means to survey or look down upon. That is: High Heaven, moved by the people's upward cry, looked across the realm for a fit ruler and laid the mandate on Guangwu.
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注[四]干符、坤珍謂天地符瑞也。 皇圖、帝文謂圖緯之文也。 霆，疾雷也。 發於昆陽謂破王尋、王邑。 憑，盛也。 言盛怒如雷之震。 協韻音真。
Commentary [4]: "Stem talisman" and "earth's treasures" denote Heaven-and-earth portents. "Imperial charts" and "emperor's pattern-text" refer to prognosticatory chart-and-weft literature. Ting is a sudden clap of thunder. "Lightning at Kunyang" means the destruction of Wang Xun and Wang Yi. Ping here means swelling to the full or in great force. That is, his wrath rolled with thunder's violence. The reading is adjusted to zhen for the rhyme.
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注[五]跨，據也。 言光武度河據北嶽，遂即位於鄗，而改鄗為高邑也。
Commentary [5]: kua means to plant oneself across or hold. That is: Guangwu crossed the river, took his stand on the Northern Marchmount, ascended at Hao, and renamed Hao as Gaoyi.
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注[六]紹，繼也。 屯，難也。 高誘注淮南子云：「造化，天地也。 」滌，除也。 作，起也。 杜預注左傳云：「凡人君即位，欲體元以居正。 」谷梁傳曰：「為天下主者，天也； 繼天者，君也。」
Commentary [6]: shao means to carry on a line. Tun means difficulty or a hard pass. Gao You on the Huainanzi: "Zaohua (creation) means Heaven and earth." Di means to scour clean. Zuo means to set something going or begin. Du Yu on the Zuo zhuan: "When a ruler first takes the throne, he seeks to embody the primal pattern and stand in the right." " The Guliang zhuan says: "The true master of the realm is Heaven; he who succeeds Heaven is the sovereign."
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注[七]爾雅曰：「系，繼也。 緒，業也。 」前書曰：「漢帝本系出唐帝。 」言光武能繼唐堯之統業也。 恢，大也。 三五，三皇五帝也。
Commentary [7]: the Erya says that the word glossed here as "tie on" means to continue the line; and xu means the thread of an undertaking." " The Han shu says: "The Han imperial line stems from the Tang thearch; " meaning Guangwu could carry on the line and work of Tang Yao. Hui means vast or wide-reaching. "Three and five" (san wu) means the Three Sovereigns and Five Thearchs.
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注[八]軌，轍也。 紛綸猶雜蹂也。 爾雅曰：「後，辟，君也。 」險易猶理亂也。 言光武功德勤勞，兼於前代百王，非直一聖帝也。
Commentary [8]: gui is the wheel-track, hence a course. Fenlun suggests a tangled crowd, as if trampled together. The Erya: "Hou and pi both mean ruler." " "Easy or perilous" (xian yi) parallels order and chaos. That is, Guangwu's labor and achievement sum those of a hundred earlier kings, not a single sage alone.
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注[九]易曰：「天地革而四時成。 」又曰：「湯武革命。 」爾雅曰：「九夷、八狄、七戎、六蠻，謂之四海。 」基，始也。 帝王紀曰：「庖犧氏，風姓也。 制嫁娶之禮，取犧牲以充庖廚，以食天下，故號庖犧。 後或謂之伏犧。 」言光武更造夫婦如伏犧時也。
Commentary [9]: The Zhou yi: "Heaven and earth revolve in change, and the four seasons complete their course; " and again: "The revolution of Tang and Wu." " The Erya lists the nine Yi, eight Di, seven Rong, and six Man as "the four seas." Ji means to lay the first stone or begin. The royal annals record that the Paoxi people took the surname Feng. He fixed marriage rites, drove victims into the royal kitchens to feed all under heaven, and earned the name Paoxi, "he who fills the kitchen." Later writers also called him Fuxi. " That is, Guangwu refashioned family life on the model of Fuxi's age.
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注[一０]黃帝號軒轅氏。 前書曰：「昔在黃帝，畫野分州。 」易系辭曰：「神農氏日中為市。 黃帝、堯、舜垂衣裳而天下理。 刳木為舟，剡木為楫，服牛乘馬，引重致遠，以利天下； 弦木為弧，剡木為矢，弧矢之利，以威天下。 」言光武利人如軒轅也。
Commentary [10]: the Yellow Thearch's house was the Xuanyuan clan. The Han shu says: "In antiquity the Yellow Thearch mapped the wastes and carved the land into provinces." " The Zhou yi appendices say: "Shennong opened a market at midday." The Yellow Thearch, Yao, and Shun needed only to let their robes fall properly and the world fell into order." They hollowed trunks for boats and shaped oars, yoked oxen and saddled horses to drag heavy freight to far shores, all for the good of the realm; they bent wood into bows and cut shafts for arrows, so that the power of the bow could overawe the world." " In the same way, Guangwu brought profit to the people as the Yellow Thearch had done.
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注[一一]尚書武王曰：「今予惟龔行天之罰。 」易曰：「湯武革命，順乎天而應乎人。 」言光武征伐如湯武者也。
Commentary [11]: the Shang shu has King Wu declare: "This day I solemnly carry out Heaven's sentence." " The Changes adds: "The revolutions of Tang and Wu matched Heaven and answered the people." " That is, Guangwu's wars followed the pattern of Tang and Wu.
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注[一二]尚書曰：「盤庚遷於殷。 」史記曰：「帝陽甲之時，殷衰，諸侯莫朝。 陽甲崩，弟盤庚立，自河北度河南，居湯之故地，行湯之政，殷道復興。 」尚書曰：「王來紹上帝，自服於土中。 」孔安國曰：「洛邑，地埶之中也。 」春秋命歷序曰：「成康之隆，醴泉湧出。 」言都洛陽如殷宗、周成之制也。
Commentary [12]: the Documents record Pan Geng's removal to Yin." " The Shi ji notes that under Emperor Yang Jia Yin weakened until the lords no longer came to court." Yang Jia died and his younger brother Pan Geng took the throne; he crossed from the north to the south bank of the river, settled in Tang's ancient seat, revived Tang's policies, and the house of Yin flourished again." " The Shang shu says: "The king came to serve High God and took his stand in the middle of the realm." " Kong Anguo explains that Luoyang sits at the geographical midpoint." " The Chunqiu ming li xu tells us that under Kings Cheng and Kang sweet springs gushed up." " Thus fixing the capital at Luoyang repeated the Yin restoration and the peaceful order of Zhou's King Cheng.
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注[一三]孟子曰：「紂去武丁未久也，尺地莫非其有也，一人莫非其臣也。 」又曰：「舜文王相去千有餘歲，若合符契。」
Commentary [13]: Mencius observes that the last king of Shang was not many reigns after Wu Ding: every foot of soil was already his, every man already his subject." " He adds that Shun and King Wen stood a millennium apart yet aligned like matching tallies."
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注[一四]左傳仲尼曰：「古有志，克己復禮，仁也。 」孫卿子曰：「生，人之始也； 死，人之終也。 終始俱善，人道畢矣。 」尚書：「允恭克讓。 」謂躬自儉約，同於文帝也。
Commentary [14]: Confucius in the Zuo zhuan cites an old saying: to master oneself and return to the rites is humanity." " Xunzi says: "Life is where the human path begins; death is where it ends; when both ends are good, the human way is fulfilled." " The Documents praise "sincere reverence and ready deference." " That is, ruling from personal austerity like Emperor Wen of Han.
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注[一五]憲章猶法則也。 禮記曰：「仲尼憲章文武。 」尚書曰：「若稽古帝堯。 」言法乎考古而封太山，勒石以記成功也。 炳，明也，其禮儀明乎武帝也。
Commentary [15]: xianzhang means a pattern to follow. The Li ji says Confucius modeled his teaching on King Wen and King Wu." " The Shang shu opens: "Examining antiquity, there was Emperor Yao." " That is, taking antiquity as law, fiefing Mount Tai, and carving stone to proclaim the achievement. Bing means "radiant": the rites shone with the same brilliance as Emperor Wu's reign.
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注[一六]六經謂詩、書、禮、樂、易、春秋。 妙猶美也。 或作「眇」，眇，遠也。 該，備也。
Commentary [16]: the Six Classics are the Shi, Shu, Li, Yue, Yi, and Chunqiu. Miao here means "admirable" or "fine." Some copies use an alternate graph meaning "far-reaching" instead of "wonderful." Gai means comprehensive or all-inclusive.
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至於永平之際，重熙而累洽，盛三雍之上儀，修袞龍之法服，敷洪藻，信景鑠，揚世廟，正予樂。 人神之和允洽，君臣之序既肅。 [一]乃動大路，遵皇衢，省方巡狩，窮覽萬國之有無，考聲教之所被，散皇明以燭幽。 [二]然後增周舊，修洛邑，翩翩巍巍，顯顯翼翼，光漢京於諸夏，總八方而為之極。 [三]是以皇城之內，宮室光明，闕庭神麗，奢不可踰，儉不能侈。 [四]外則因原野以作苑，順流泉而為沼，發蘋藻以潛魚，豐圃草以毓獸，制同乎梁騶，義合乎靈囿。 [五]若乃順時節而搜狩，簡車徒以講武，則必臨之以王制，考之以風雅。 [六]歷騶虞，覽四驖，嘉車攻，采吉日，禮官正儀，乘輿乃出。 [七]於是發鯨魚，鏗華鐘，登玉輅，乘時龍，鳳蓋颯灑，和鸞玲瓏，天官景從，祲威盛容。 [九]山靈護野，屬御方神，雨師泛灑，風伯清塵，千乘雷起，萬騎紛紜，元戎竟野，戈鋋彗雲，羽旄掃霓，旌旗拂天。 [九]焱焱炎炎，揚光飛文，吐爓生風，吹野燎山，日月為之奪明，丘陵為之搖震。 [一０]遂集乎中囿，陳師案屯，駢部曲，列校隊，勒三軍，誓將帥。 [一一]然後舉烽伐鼓，以命三驅，輕車霆發，驍騎電騖，游基發射，范氏施御，弦不失禽，轡不詭遇，飛者未及翔，走者未及去。
Under Yongping, brilliance mounted upon brilliance and concord deepened: the Three Halls rites ascended, the dragon-robe code was perfected, resounding edicts went forth, splendor was proclaimed, dynastic shrines were honored, and the imperial music was brought to order. Men and spirits moved in true harmony; ruler and minister already stood in strict order. [1] Then the great highway rolled, the royal thoroughfares were taken, and the sovereign toured the quarters, scanning what every state possessed or lacked, tracing where his voice and teaching had penetrated, and casting imperial light into the dark corners. [2] He enlarged Zhou's old ground and rebuilt Luoyang until it loomed bright and stately, setting the Han capital above the central states and drawing the eight quarters to one pivot. [3] Inside the royal precinct the halls blazed, gate-towers and courtyards seemed almost divine — neither wasteful excess nor austere plainness could fault them. [4] Beyond the walls he turned the open wild into hunting parks, led living springs into ponds, floated plants for fish to shelter among, fattened the meadow grass to rear game — the same scheme as the royal park of Liang, the same moral intent as the Zhou king's spiritual preserve. [5] Whenever he timed the great seasonal hunts, marshaled chariots and foot to drill the army, he always measured the host against the royal ordinances and weighed conduct with the Classic of Poetry. [6] He sang "Zou Yu," studied "Four Bay Steeds," took "Chariot Assault" as his model, chose an auspicious day; the masters of rites aligned the protocol, and only then did the imperial equipage move. [7] Whale-hide drums thundered, jeweled bells pealed; he mounted the jade carriage, rode the horses of the seasons; phoenix umbrellas hissed in the wind, harmony bells chimed; starry officers trailed him like shadows, majesty and pomp filled the air. [9] Genii of the hills guarded the fields, tutelary gods drew up their ranks; the lord of rain washed the air, the lord of wind cleared the dust; chariots uncountable surged like storm surf, riders blackened the plain; long halberds bristled like clouds, plumes swept the rainbow, banners stroked the sky. [9] Flames leaped and banners streamed light; breath of fire whipped wind that scoured plain and hill until sun and moon paled and hills trembled under the tread. [10] The hunt closed in the central enclosure: lines and camps were set, companies and files drawn up, the three hosts aligned, and generals bound themselves with oaths. [11] Beacons flared, drums beat the three drives; light cars leapt like lightning, picked riders flew like thunder; hunting archers loosed, Fan-style drivers held the lines; no shaft missed its mark, no chase broke the ritual rule; birds could not bank, beasts could not bolt.
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[一二]指顧倏忽，獲車已實，樂不極般，殺不盡物，馬踠余足，士怒未洩，先驅復路，屬車案節。 [一三]於是薦三犧，效五牲，禮神祇，懷百靈，* (御) **[覲]*明堂，臨辟雍，揚緝熙，宣皇風，登靈台，考休征。 [一四]俯仰乎乾坤，參象乎聖躬，目中夏而布德，瞰四裔而抗稜。 [一五]西蕩河源，東澹海漘，北動幽崖，南趯朱垠。 [一六]殊方別區，界絕而不鄰，自孝武所不能征，孝宣所不能臣，莫不陸讋水栗，奔走而來賓。 [一七]遂綏哀牢，開永昌，[一八]春王三朝，會同漢京。 是日也，天子受四海之圖籍，膺萬國之貢珍，內撫諸夏，外接百蠻。 [一九]乃盛禮樂供帳，置乎雲龍之庭，陳百僚而贊腢後，究皇儀而展帝容。 [二０]於是庭實千品，旨酒萬鐘，列金罍，班玉觴，嘉珍御，大牢饗。 [二一]爾乃食舉雍徹，太師秦樂，陳金石，布絲竹，鐘鼓鏗鎗，管弦曄煜。 [二二]抗五聲，極六律，歌九功，舞八佾，韶武備，太古畢。 [二三]四夷閒奏，德廣所及，仱樹兜離，罔不具集。 [二四]萬樂備，百禮暨，皇歡浹，腢臣醉，降鞭熅，調元氣，然後撞鐘告罷，百僚遂退。 [二五]
[12] In an eyeblink the game-carts sagged full; sport stopped short of excess, the kill never wiped out the herds; horses still stamped with unused fire, soldiers steamed with unspent zeal; the van turned for the capital, the escort checked its pace. [13] Then came the triple victims, the five kinds of livestock, offerings to the gods, welcome to the hundred spirits, (imperial audience) **paid court** at the Bright Hall, entered the Ring Hall, diffused a mild radiance, proclaimed the royal example, climbed the Spirit Terrace, and read the good omens. [14] Rising and bowing with heaven and earth, mirroring the sacred body, he looked down on the central states to spread virtue and out toward the four wilds to overawe the borders. [15] Westward he cleared the river's source, eastward he stilled the sea strand, northward he stirred the shadowed cliffs, southward he sprang the vermilion frontier. [16] Remote countries, cut off by deserts and seas — lands Emperor Wu never forced and Emperor Xuan never enrolled — now cowered on shore and river and raced to court as guests. [17] He soothed Ailao and opened Yongchang; [18] in spring, at the triple audience, they gathered at the Han capital. That day the Son of Heaven took the maps and registers of the four seas and shouldered tribute from ten thousand domains; within he comforted the Hua peoples, without he drew in the hundred barbarians. [19] Full ritual music and canopied banners filled the Cloud-and-Dragon court; the hundred bureaus stood ranked to hymn the multitude, and every nuance of imperial demeanor was rehearsed. [20] A thousand tribute pieces lined the yard, ten thousand cups of spiced wine; golden jars glittered, jade goblets circled; rare viands steamed, the great ox-feast rose. [21] When the courses rose and the Yong hymn cleared the tables, the Grand Director of Music led the band; bronze and stone rang, silk and bamboo swelled; bells and drums crashed together, flutes and zithers shone. [22] They tuned the five notes, ran the full six pipes, sang the nine merits, danced the eight files; the music of Shao and Wu stood complete, and the oldest rites were fulfilled. [23] Barbarian musicians from the four quarters took turns; wherever virtue had reached, every outland air was heard — none stayed away. [24] When every piece had sounded and every rite closed, imperial delight soaked the hall, the host of ministers reeled; scourges were put away and the primal breath harmonized; then the great bell tolled dismissal and the officials retired. Twenty-five: section marker in the source.
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注[一]熙，光也。 洽，浹也。 三雍謂明堂、辟雍、靈台也。 永平二年正月，宗祀光武皇帝於明堂，禮畢，登靈台。 三月，臨辟雍，行大射禮。 周禮：「王之吉服，享先王即袞冕。 」鄭玄注曰：「袞，卷龍衣也。 」永平二年，帝及公卿列侯始服* (冕) *冠*[冕]*衣裳。 敷，布也。 鴻，大也。 藻，文藻也。 謂明堂禮畢，登靈台之後，布詔於天下曰：「建明堂，立辟雍，起靈台，恢弘大道，被之八極。 」此為布鴻藻也。 信讀曰申。 景，大也。 鑠，美也。 揚代廟謂上尊號光武廟曰代祖。 正予樂謂依讖文改大樂為大予樂也。
Commentary [1]: xi means radiance. Qia means thorough saturation. The "Three Halls" are the Bright Hall, the Ring Hall, and the Spirit Terrace. In the first month of Yongping 2 he sacrificed to Emperor Guangwu in the Bright Hall, then mounted the Spirit Terrace when the rites ended. In the third month he entered the Biyong for the great archery ceremony. The Zhou li states: "For auspicious sacrifice to former kings the king wears the coiled-dragon robe and the crown." " Zheng Xuan explains that gun is the robe embroidered with coiled dragons." " In Yongping 2 the sovereign together with dukes, ministers, and enfeoffed nobles first donned (the crown) the prescribed caps, crowns, and robes. Fu means to publish or spread abroad. Hong means vast or great. Zao means literary polish or pattern. This points to the edict issued after the Bright Hall service and the ascent of the Spirit Terrace: "We have raised the Bright Hall, founded the Ring Hall, built the Spirit Terrace, widened the great Way, and carried it to the eight limits." " That is what is meant by "spreading the great rescript." The graph read xin should be read as shen, "to extend." Jing means great or august. Shuo means splendid or beautiful. "Raising the substitute shrine" refers to giving Guangwu's temple the honorific title Daizu, the "stand-in" imperial ancestor. "Setting right the Yu music" means following a prophecy to rename the court music Da Yu Yue.
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注[二]大路，玉路也。 皇衢，馳道也。 易曰：「先王以省方觀人設教。 」尚書曰：「歲二月東巡狩。 」又曰：「朔南暨聲教。 」皇，大也。 燭，照也。
Commentary [2]: the great road means the jade carriage. Huang qu are the ruler's processional ways. The Changes says: "The kings of old toured the quarters to watch the people and establish instruction." " The Documents record the eastern tour in the second month." " They add that from north to south his voice and teaching spread." " Here huang means "great." Zhu means to light up or reveal.
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注[三]周成王都洛邑，漢又增而修之，故曰增焉。 翩翩巍巍，顯顯翼翼，並宮闕顯盛之貌。 論語曰：「不如諸夏之亡。 」詩商頌曰：「商邑翼翼，四方之極。 」極，中也。 洛陽，土之中也。
Commentary [3]: Zhou's King Cheng had already built at Luoyang; Han added to his work, hence "enlarged." The binomes describe the soaring, radiant mass of towers and gates. The Analects says: "Better that the central states lose nothing essential." " The Shang song in the Odes says: "The Shang city rose in good order — the hub of the four directions." " Ji means the middle or axis." Luoyang stands at the heart of the realm.
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注[四]言奢儉合禮也。
Commentary [4]: both splendor and restraint stay within what ritual allows.
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注[五]蘋、藻，並水草也。 詩小雅曰：「魚在在藻。 」韓詩曰：「東有圃草，駕言行狩。 」薛君傳曰：「圃，博也，有博大之茂草也。 」毓亦育也。 魯詩傳曰：「古有梁鄒者，天子之田也。 」詩大雅曰：「王在靈囿，麀鹿攸伏。 」毛萇注云：「囿所以域養禽獸也。 」此言魚獸各得其所，如文王之靈囿也。
Commentary [5]: duckweed and algae are both aquatic plants. The Shi jing, Lesser Ya, says: "The fish linger among the weeds." " The Han text of the Odes adds: "Eastward lie the meadow grasses; I harness the team and say we go hunting." " Xue gloss: pu means extensive — wide stretches of rich pasture." " Yu here means the same as rear or raise." The Lu school says: "Ancient Liang Zou was the royal hunting ground." " The Greater Ya says: "The king walked his spirit park; hinds and bucks rested there." " Mao Chang explains that a you is an enclosure for breeding game." " So fish and game each had its habitat, as under King Wen sacred park."
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注[六]左傳臧僖伯曰：「春搜夏苗，秋獮冬狩，皆於農隙以講事也。 」杜預注云：「各隨時之閒也。 」禮記王制曰「天子諸侯，無事則歲三田。 田不以禮曰暴天物」也。
Commentary [6]: Zang Xi Bo in the Zuo zhuan lists spring hunt, summer review, autumn strike, winter great hunt — each in the slack season to train the host." " Du Yu notes that each hunt fits the interval left by the farming year." " The Li ji Wang zhi says that king and lords hunt thrice yearly when peace allows." Hunting outside the rites is called ravaging what Heaven gave life."
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注[七]詩國風序曰：「騶虞，搜田以時，仁如騶虞。 」毛萇注曰：「騶虞，義獸，白虎黑文，不食生物。 」又曰：「四驖，美襄公也，始命有田狩之事。 」其詩曰：「駟驖孔阜。 」注日：「驖，驪也。 阜，大也。 」又小雅序曰：「車攻，宣王復古也，修車馬，備器械，復會諸侯於東都，因田獵而選車徒焉。 」其詩曰：「我車既攻，我馬既同。 」注云：「攻，堅也。 」又吉日詩曰：「田車既好，四牡孔阜。 」宣帝詔曰「禮官具禮儀」也。
Commentary [7]: the Guo feng preface praises Zou Yu as the timely hunt, humane as the beast of that name." " Mao Chang calls Zou Yu a righteous prodigy, a white tiger striped in black that will not devour living prey." " It also introduces Four Bay Steeds, celebrating Duke Xiang of Qin for first receiving the mandate to drill hunting." " The poem runs: "My four bays are huge and strong." " A gloss on the line says bay means a black horse." Fu means big or stout." " The Lesser Ya preface says Che gong celebrates King Xuan return to old ways: he refitted chariot and horse, readied arms, met the lords again at the eastern capital, and used the hunt to pick chariots and foot." " The verse says: "Our cars are tight, our teams are even." " The gloss says gong means firm or well-tuned." " The Ji ri poem adds: "The hunting wagon is trim, the four bays are mighty." " An edict of Emperor Xuan ordered the ritual officers to set out the full protocol."
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注[八]鯨魚謂刻杵作鯨魚形也。 鏗謂擊之也，音苦耕反。 尚書大傳曰：「天子將出則撞黃鐘，右五鐘皆應。 」薛綜注西京賦云：「海中有大魚名鯨，又有獸名蒲牢。 蒲牢素畏鯨魚，鯨魚擊蒲牢，蒲牢輒大鳴呼。 凡鐘欲令其聲大者，故作蒲牢於其上，撞鐘者名為鯨魚。 鐘有篆刻之文，故曰華。 」爾雅曰：「馬高八尺以上曰龍。 」月令：「春駕蒼龍。 」各隨四時之色，故曰時也。 玲瓏，聲也。 蔡邕獨斷曰：「百官小吏曰天官。 」祲亦盛也。
Commentary [8]: the whale-shaped striker is a carved whale used to sound the bell. Keng means to beat; the fanqie is ku-geng. The Shang shu da zhuan says the sovereign, before setting out, strikes the yellow bell and the five bells answer in turn." " Xue Zong on the Xi jing fu notes a sea monster called whale and another named Pulao." Pulao was terrified of the whale; whenever the whale butted him, Pulao roared. To make bells boom they cast Pulao on the crown and nicknamed the striker the whale. Because the bell bore carved inscriptions, it is called the splendid bell. " The Erya classes horses over eight feet as dragons." " The Yue ling pairs spring with the azure dragon team." " Each team matched the seasonal color, hence horses of the hour." Linglong describes the tinkling of the bells. Cai Yong Du duan calls the lesser bureaus celestial officers." " Jin here also means full or dense."
33
注[九]山靈，山神也。 屬，連也，音燭。 方，四方也。 雨師，畢星也。 風伯，箕星也。 韓子師曠謂晉平公曰：「黃帝合鬼神於太山，風伯進掃，雨師灑道。 」蔡邕獨斷曰：「天子大駕，備千乘萬騎。 」元戎，戎車也。 詩小雅曰：「元戎十乘，以先啟行。 」毛萇注曰：「元，大也。 夏後氏曰鉤車，先正也； 殷曰寅車，先疾也； 周曰元戎，先良也。 」說文曰：「鋋，小矛也。 」音市延反。 彗，掃也，音似銳反。
Commentary [9]: shan ling is the genius of the mountain. Zhu means to link; it rhymes like the word for candle. Fang means the four quarters. The rain master is identified with the Bi star. The wind lord is identified with the Ji star. Han Feizi records Shi Kuang telling Duke Ping of Jin how the Yellow Thearch met the gods on Tai Mountain while wind swept and rain washed the way." " Cai Yong says the great progress fields a thousand cars and ten thousand riders." " Yuan rong is the heavy war wagon." The Lesser Ya runs: "Ten great cars lead the column." " Mao Chang glosses yuan as great." The Xia called them hook cars — order came first; the Shang called them swift cars — speed came first; the Zhou called them yuan rong — quality came first." The Shuowen defines chan as a light lance." " Fanqie: shi-yan." Hui means to sweep; fanqie si-rui.
34
注[一０]焱焱，炎炎。 並戈矛車馬之光也。 說文曰「焱，火華也」。 音以贍反。 震讀曰真。
Commentary [10]: the paired binomes describe leaping flame. Together they picture the flash of arms, cars, and mounts. The Shuowen defines yan as the blaze corolla. Read with the fanqie yi-shan. Zhen in the text should be read like zhen, true, for the rhyme.
35
注[一一]中囿，囿中也。 續漢志曰：「大將軍營五部，部校尉一人。 部下有曲，曲下有屯長一人。 」駢猶陳列也。 杜預注左傳曰：「百人為隊。 」鄭玄周禮注云：「天子六軍，三居一偏。 」故此言勒三軍也。 周禮曰：「腢吏聽誓於前，斬牲以徇陳，曰不用命者斬之。 」鄭玄注云：「腢吏，將帥也。」
Commentary [11]: middle preserve is the enclosure center. The Xu Han zhi says the commander-in-chief army has five divisions, each with a colonel." Under each division stand companies, and under each company a platoon leader. " Pian means to draw up in line." " Du Yu on the Zuo zhuan sets a company at one hundred men." " Zheng Xuan on the Zhou li says the king fields six hosts, three to a wing." " Hence the text speaks of binding the three hosts." The Zhou li says officers hear the oath before the ranks, kill a victim, and cry that defiance means death." " Zheng Xuan explains host of officials as the generals."
36
注[一二]谷梁傳曰：「三驅之禮，一為干豆，二為賓客，三為充君之庖。 」霆激，電騖，並言疾也。 游基，養由基也。 淮南子曰：「楚有神白譸，王自射之，則* (揮) **[搏]*而嬉，使養由基射之，始調弓矯矢，未發而譸擁木號矣。 」范氏，趙之御人也。 孟子曰：「趙簡子使王良御，終日不獲一禽，反曰：『天下賤工也。 』王良曰：『吾為范氏驅馳，終日不獲一，為之詭遇，一朝而獲十。 』」趙岐注曰：「范，法也，為法度之御，應禮之射，終日不得一。 詭遇，非禮射也，則能獲十。 」弦不失禽，謂由基也。 轡不詭遇，謂范氏也。
Commentary [12]: the Guliang zhuan divides the triple drive among ritual dried stores, guest gifts, and the royal kitchen." " Ting ji and dian wu both mean lightning fast." You Ji is the archer Yang Youji. The Huainanzi tells of Chu sacred white ape that the king tried to shoot, then (brandish) sparred with it for sport and set Yang Youji to shoot; Youji had barely nocked the shaft when the ape clung to a tree and howled. " Fan was a driver in the service of Zhao." " Mencius says Zhao Jianzi hired Wang Liang; they bagged nothing all day, and Jianzi called him the worst driver under heaven." " Wang Liang answered: By the book I caught nothing; when I cheated the chase we took ten before noon." " Zhao Qi explains Fan as by the rule — lawful driving and ritual archery yield nothing in a day." A crooked chase breaks the rites yet fills the bag. " The string misses no bird points to Yang Youji." " The rein allows no crooked chase points to the Fan school."
37
注[一三]高唐賦曰：「舉功先得，獲車已實。 」爾雅曰：「般，樂也。 」禮記曰：「樂不可極。 」踠猶屈也。 方言曰：「洩，歇也。 」漢官儀：「大駕，屬車八十一乘。 」子虛賦曰：「案節未舒。 」謂駐節徐行也。
Commentary [13]: the Gaotang fu line celebrates carts already heavy with game." " The Erya glosses ban as pleasure." " The Li ji warns that delight must not go to extremes." " Wan means to curl or fold under." The Fang yan says xie means to slacken." " Han guan yi counts eighty-one cars in the great escort." " The Zi xu fu speaks of checking the horses gait." " That is, easing the horses to a slow walk."
38
注[一四]左傳鄭子太叔曰：「為五牲三犧。 」杜預注云：「五牲，麋、鹿、志、狼、兔也。 三犧，祭天地宗廟之犧也。 」郊，祭天也。 天神曰神，地神曰只。 百靈，百神也。 詩曰：「懷柔百神。 」覲，朝也。 謂朝諸侯於明堂。 詩大雅曰：「維清緝熙，文王之典。 」鄭玄注云：「緝熙，光明也。 」尚書曰：「休征。 」孔安國注云：「□美行之驗。」
Commentary [14]: Zi Taishu in the Zuo zhuan lists five kinds of beast and three victim grades." " Du Yu names elk, deer, pig, wolf, and hare as the five kinds." The three victim grades serve Heaven, earth, and the lineage shrines. " Jiao is the suburban sacrifice to Heaven." Celestial powers are shen; chthonic powers are qi. The hundred ling are the host of minor deities. The Odes bid the king to soothe the hundred spirits." " Jin means to hold court." That is, receiving the lords in the Bright Hall. The Greater Ya says: "In clear and lasting light stands King Wen pattern." " Zheng Xuan glosses ji xi as shining clarity." " The Shang shu speaks of favorable omens." " Kong Anguo glosses them as the proof of virtuous government."
39
注[一五]易系辭曰：「仰則觀象於天，俯則觀法於地，近取諸身，遠取諸物。 」聖躬謂天子也。 中夏，中國也。 瞰音苦暫反。 四裔，四夷也。 稜，威也。 左傳曰「德以柔中國，刑以威四夷」也。
Commentary [15]: the Zhou yi says the sage read patterns above in heaven and below on earth, in the body close at hand and in things far away." " Sheng gong is the living person of the sovereign." Zhong Xia is another name for China proper. Kan is glossed with the fanqie ku-zan. The four yi are the outer barbarians of the four quarters. Leng here means majesty that overawes. The Zuo zhuan says virtue mollifies the Hua heartlands while law overawes the four barbarians."
40
注[一六]蕩，滌也。 河源在崑崙山。 前書曰：「威稜澹乎鄰國。 」音義曰「澹猶動也，音徒濫反。 」漘，水涯，音唇。 郭璞注爾雅曰：「涯上平坦而下水深者為漘。 」趯，躍也，音它歷反。 說文曰：「垠，界也。 」音銀。
Commentary [16]: dang means to scour or cleanse. The Yellow River rises on Kunlun. The Han shu says his majesty rippled through neighboring kingdoms." " Sound glosses take dan as stirring, fanqie tu-lan." " Chun is the bank; read like the word for lip." Guo Pu on the Erya defines a strand that shelves shallow above and drops deep below." " Yue means to spring; fanqie ta-li." The Shuowen defines yin as a border mark." " Read with the yin sound."
41
注[一七]爾雅曰：「讋，懼也。 」音之涉反。
Commentary [17]: the Erya glosses zhe as dread." " Fanqie zhi-she."
42
注[一八]綏，安也。 哀牢，西南夷號。 永平十二年，其國王柳貌相率內屬，以其地置永昌郡也。
Commentary [18]: sui means to settle or reassure. Ailao was a people of the southwest. In Yongping 12 their ruler Liu Mao brought them in; the court set up Yongchang commandery on their land.
43
注[一九]春王猶左傳云「春王正月」也。 三朝，元日也。 朝音陟遙反。 謂歲之朝，月之朝，日之朝。 前書谷永曰：「今年正月朔，*[日]*食於三朝之會。 」周禮曰：「時見曰會，殷眺曰同。 」賈逵注國語曰：「膺猶受也。 」詩曰「因時百蠻」也。
Commentary [19]: chun wang echoes the Zuo phrase "spring, the king first month." The triple court falls on New Year day. Chao is read zhi-yao fan. That is the morning of the year, of the month, and of the day together. Gu Yong in the Han shu reports an eclipse on New Year morning at the triple audience." " The Zhou li distinguishes a timed meeting as hui and a general assembly as tong." " Jia Kui on the Guo yu glosses ying as to take in." " The Odes line "thereby the hundred Man" is echoed here."
44
注[二０]供帳，供設帷帳也。 供音九用反。 前書曰：「三輔長無供帳之勞。 」戴延之記曰：「端門東有崇賢門，次外有雲龍門。 」贊，引也。
Commentary [20]: gong zhang is the provision of draped canopies. Gong is read jiu-yong fan. The Han shu praises officials freed from the labor of staging canopies." Dai Yanzhi notes that east of the Vermilion Gate stands Chongxian, and beyond it the Cloud-and-Dragon gate." " Zan means to conduct or usher."
45
注[二一]庭實，貢獻之物也。 左傳孟獻子曰：「臣聞聘而獻物，於是有庭實旅百。 」千品，言多也。 說文曰：「鐘，器也。 」孔叢子曰：「堯飲千鐘。 」罍，酒器也。 詩曰：「我姑酌彼金罍。 」珍，八珍也。 太牢，牛羊豕也。 饗，協韻音香。
Commentary [21]: ting shi are the tribute objects laid in the courtyard. Meng Xianzi in the Zuo zhuan says embassies bring gifts until the court yard overflows." " A thousand kinds is rhetorical plenty." The Shuowen calls the bell a vessel." " The Kong Congzi credits Yao with a thousand goblets." " Lei is a ritual wine jar." The Odes line runs: "I pour you wine from the bronze lei." " Zhen names the eight choice meats." The great sacrifice combines ox, sheep, and swine. Xiang is read xiang for the rhyme.
46
注[二二]食舉* (為) **[謂]*當食舉樂也。 蔡邕禮樂志曰：「大予樂郊祀陵廟殿中諸食舉樂也。 」雍，詩篇名也。 謂食訖歌雍詩以徹也。 論語曰：「三家者以雍徹。 」太師，樂官也，周禮，太師掌六律、六呂，以合陰陽之聲也。 鏗音苦耕反。 鎗音楚庚反。 曄煜，盛貌也。 煜音育。
Commentary [22]: when the meal is served (as) **it means** music accompanies each course. Cai Yong records that Da Yu music covers suburban, tomb, and hall feasts, with a tune for every course." " Yong is an ode in the Classic of Poetry." When diners finish they sing Yong while the tables are cleared. The Analects rebukes three houses for singing Yong at the clearing." " The grand director of music matches the twelve pitches to yin and yang." Keng: fanqie ku-geng. Qiang: fanqie chu-geng. Yeye yuyu paints blazing splendor. Yu is read like the word for nurture.
47
注[二三]左傳晏子曰：「五聲六律。 」杜預注云：「五聲，宮、商、角、征、羽。 六律，黃鐘、太蔟、姑洗、蕤賓、夷則、無射。 」尚書曰：「九功惟序，九序惟歌。 」九功謂金、木、水、火、土、谷、正德、利用、厚生也。 佾，舞行也。 谷梁傳曰：「天子八佾。 」韶，舜樂名。 武，武王樂名。 太古，遠古也。
Commentary [23]: Yan Ying lists the five notes and six pipes." " Du Yu names gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu." The six male pipes are Huangzhong through Wuyi. " The Shang shu says the nine labors line up and become song." " The nine labors are the elements of state and livelihood." Yi counts the files of dancers. The Guliang zhuan allows the king eight files." " Shao is Shun court music." Wu is the martial hymn of King Wu. Tai gu is farthest antiquity.
48
注[二四]閒，迭也。 音古莧反。 詩國風曰「漢廣」，德廣所及也。 鄭玄注周禮云：「四夷之樂，東方曰韎，南方曰任，西方曰株離，北方曰禁。 」「禁」，字書作「仱」，音渠禁反。 樹音摩葛反。 周禮「仱」作「禁」，「樹」作「韎」，「兜」作「株」也。
Commentary [24]: jian means to take turns. Fanqie gu-xian. The air Han Guang illustrates how far virtue spreads. Zheng Xuan names the four barbarian orchestras east to north." " Lexicons write the northern name as qian, read qu-jin." Shu: fanqie mo-ge. The Zhou li swaps several of these graphs for variant spellings.
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注[二五]萬樂、百禮，盛言之也。 暨，至也。 易曰：「天地絪縕，萬物化醇。 」禮統曰：「天地者，元氣之所生，萬物之祖。 」尚書大傳曰：「天子將入，撞蕤賓之鐘，左五鐘皆應。 」撞音直江反。
Commentary [25]: "myriad music" and "hundred rites" are hyperbole. Ji means reaching completion. The Changes says heaven and earth mingle and things ripen." " The Li tong calls heaven and earth the womb of primal breath." " The Shang shu da zhuan says the returning sovereign strikes Ruibin and five bells answer." " Zhuang: fanqie zhi-jiang."
50
於是聖上* (親) **[鶯]*萬方之歡娛，久沐浴乎膏澤，懼其侈心之將萌，而怠於東作也，[一]乃申舊章，下明詔，命有司，班憲度，昭節儉，示大素。 [二]去後宮之麗飾，損乘輿之服御，除工商之淫業，興農桑之上務。 遂令海內□末而反本，背偽而歸真，女修織紝，男務耕耘，器用陶匏，服尚素玄，恥纖靡而不服，賤奇麗而不珍，捐金於山，沉珠於淵。 [三]於是百姓滌瑕蕩穢而鏡至清，形神寂漠，耳目不營，嗜欲之原滅，廉正之心生，莫不優遊而自得，玉潤而金聲。 [四]是以四海之內，學校如林，庠序盈門，獻酬交錯，俎豆莘莘，下舞上歌，蹈德詠仁。 [五]登降飫宴之禮既畢，因相與嗟歎玄德，讜言弘說，鹹含和而吐氣，頌曰「盛哉乎斯世」！ [六]注[一]尚書曰：「平秩東作。 」注云：「歲起於春而始就耕。」
Then the sage Son of Heaven (in person) **entered into** the joys of every quarter after long soaking in imperial bounty; dreading luxury and neglect of spring plowing, he renewed old rules, published clear decrees, charged the bureaus, spread the code, proclaimed austerity, and held up utter simplicity as the model. [2] He stripped the harem of finery, pared the carriage wardrobe, shut down vain crafts, and put tillage and mulberry first. So he had the realm abandon the secondary trades for the root, leave pretense for plain truth: women at the loom, men at the hoe; tools of clay and gourd; robes of undyed black; shame at sheer gauze, scorn for gaudy gems — gold thrown back to the hills, pearls dropped in the streams. [3] Common folk scoured away vice until they shone like still water; body and soul fell quiet, senses unhooked from desire; greed died and straight hearts grew; everyone moved at ease, smooth as jade, ringing as metal. [4] Schools clustered like a forest, village schools jammed their doors; cups crossed, ritual vessels piled high; dancers below, singers above, all chanting humanity. [5] When the banquet protocol ended, they marveled at hidden virtue, traded candid maxims, drew a common breath, and cried, "What an age!" [6] Commentary [1]: the Documents charge to align eastern spring work." " The gloss: the year opens in spring, then comes the plow."
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注[二]詩大雅曰：「率由舊章。 」鄭玄注云：「舊典文章。 」左傳臧哀伯曰：「大路越席，大羹不致，昭其儉也。 」列子曰：「大素者，質之始也。」
Commentary [2]: the Odes bid one follow ancient precedent." " Zheng Xuan: old statutes and written models." " Zang Aibo praises plain carriages and unseasoned cauldrons as tokens of thrift." " Liezi calls great simplicity the root of being."
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注[三]前書文帝詔曰：「農，天下之本也，而人或不務本而事末。 」音義曰：「本，農也。 末，賈也。 」背偽，去雕飾也。 歸真，尚質素也。 杜預注左傳曰：「織紝，織繒布也。 」禮記曰：「器用陶匏。 」陶，瓦器也。 匏，瓠也。 陸賈新語曰：「聖人不用珠玉而寶其身，故舜□黃金於□巖之山，捐珠玉於五湖之川，以杜淫邪之欲也。」
Commentary [3]: Wen of Han warned that trade lures men off the land." " Gloss: root is agriculture." Branch means trade. " Leaving sham is shedding carved excess." Returning to truth means prizing the unadorned. Du Yu on the Zuo zhuan: zhi ren is weaving bolt silk." " The Li ji limits vessels to clay and gourd." " Tao means fired clay ware." Pao is the hollow gourd. Lu Jia writes that the sage values his person over gems, so Shun threw gold into a craggy mountain and pearls into the five lakes, choking off decadent craving.
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注[四]瑕穢猶過惡也，楊雄集曰：「滌瑕蕩穢。 」淮南子曰：「形者生之捨，神者生之制也。 」又曰：「和順以寂寞。 」尚書曰：「弗役耳目，百度惟貞。 」淮南子曰：「吾所謂有天下者，自得而已。 」禮記孔子曰； 「君子比德於玉焉，溫潤而澤，仁也。 」孟子曰孔子「德如金聲」也。
Commentary [4]: blemish means moral stain; Yang Xiong speaks of washing it away." " The Huainanzi says the body shelters life while spirit rules it." " It praises harmony in quiet solitude." " The Shang shu warns against enslaving the senses so that all business stays upright." " The Huainanzi defines ruling the world as resting content in oneself." " The Li ji quotes Confucius: "The gentleman likens his character to jade, warm and glossy: that is humanity." " Mencius says Confucius had the ring of metal in his virtue."
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注[五]前書平帝立* (舉) *學官。 郡國曰學，縣道邑及侯國曰校，鄉曰庠，聚曰序。 詩曰：「獻酬交錯。 」莘莘，觿多也。 音所巾反。 禮記曰； 「歌者在上，貴人聲也。 」又「嗟歎之不足，故手之舞之，足之蹈之」。
Commentary [5]: the Han shu records Ping as founding (state) schools for the realm. Commanderies had xue, counties xiao, townships xiang, hamlets xu. The Odes picture cups crossing in pledge." " Shen shen means crowded plenty." Fanqie suo-jin. The Li ji adds: "Singers stood aloft to honor noble voices." " When sighs failed, they danced."
55
注[六]詩曰：「飲酒之飫。 」毛萇注云：「不脫屨升堂謂之飫。 」飫，私也。 尚書曰：「玄德升聞。 」字林曰：「讜，美言也。 音黨。」
Commentary [6]: the Odes speak of the banquet surfeit." " Mao Chang defines yu as a private meal where shoes stay on." " Yu means an informal feast." The Shang shu says hidden virtue rose until it was heard." The Zi lin defines dang as candid counsel." Read like dang."
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今論者但知誦虞夏之書，詠殷周之詩，講羲文之易，論孔氏之春秋，罕能精古今之清濁，究漢德之所由。 [一]唯子頗識舊典，又徒馳騁乎末流。 溫故知新已難，而知德者鮮矣！ [二]且夫辟界西戎，險阻四塞，修其防禦，孰與處乎土中，平夷洞達，萬方輻湊？ [三]秦領九嵕，涇渭之川，曷若四瀆五嶽，帶河泝洛，圖書之淵？ [四]建章甘泉，館御列仙，孰與靈台明堂，統和天人？ [五]太液昆明，鳥獸之囿，曷若辟雍海流，道德之富？ [六]遊俠踰侈，犯義侵禮，孰與同履法度，翼翼濟濟也？ [七]子徒習秦阿房之造天，而不知京洛之有制也； 識函谷之可關，而不知王者之無外也。 」[八]注[一]伏羲畫八卦，文王作卦辭，孔子作春秋。 清濁猶善惡也。
Modern scholars mouth the ancient classics yet seldom weigh good against bad across the ages or ask where Han power truly came from. [1] You alone recall the old texts, yet you race along shallow channels. Reviewing the past to grasp the new is hard enough; men who know real virtue are rare. [2] What is guarding western passes to a cramped capital beside sitting in the plain heartland where all roads meet like spokes? [3] How can Qin ridges and Jing-Wei rival the four rivers, five peaks, the book-bearing Yellow River and Luo? [4] Qin-style immortal towers beside the Han Spirit Terrace and Bright Hall that knit Heaven to humanity? [5] Artificial lakes and game parks beside the Ring Hall encircled by water, treasury of moral teaching? [6] Lawless bravoes against walking in measured law? [7] You memorize Epang touching heaven but ignore the regulated splendor of Luoyang; you know Hangu can be locked yet forget that the royal domain knows no frontier." " [8] Commentary [1]: Fuxi drew the trigrams, Wen wrote the judgments, Confucius edited the Chunqiu. Clear versus turbid parallels good versus evil.
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注[二]末流猶下流也。 謂諸子也。 前書曰：「不入於道德，放縱於末流。 」論語孔子曰：「溫故知新，可以為師矣。 」又曰：「由，知德者鮮矣。」
Commentary [2]: downstream means lesser schools. That is the philosophers. The Han shu warns against drifting from the Way into shallow currents." " Confucius says reviewing the old yields the new, fit to teach." " He tells Zhong You that few know virtue."
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注[三]辟，遠也，音匹亦反。 戰國策蘇秦說孟嘗君曰：「秦，四塞之國也。 」高誘注云：「四面有山關之固，故曰四塞之國。 」防禦謂關禁也。 輻湊，如輻之湊於轂也。 前書武帝詔吾丘壽王曰「子在朕前之時，知略輻湊」也。
Commentary [3]: pi means remote; fanqie pi-yi. Su Qin calls Qin a land boxed by four barriers." " Gao You explains the ring of mountains." " Fang yu means frontier bans." Fu cou images every road meeting at the axle hub. The Han shu quotes Wudi praising Shouwang for clustering counsel like spokes.
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注[四]四瀆，江﹑河﹑淮﹑濟也。 河圖曰：「天有四表，以布精魄，地有四瀆，以出圖書。 」爾雅曰：「太山為東嶽，衡山為南嶽，華山為西嶽，恆山為北嶽，嵩山為中岳。 」圖書之泉謂河洛也，易系辭曰「河出圖，洛出書」也。
Commentary [4]: the four channels are Jiang, He, Huai, and Ji. The Hetu pairs heaven four tables with earth four rivers bearing the books." " The Erya lists the five sacred peaks." " Chart and writing mean the Hetu and Luoshu, per the Zhou yi."
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注[五]館御謂設台以進御神仙也。 禮含文嘉曰「禮，天子靈台，以考觀天人之際，法陰陽之會」也。
Commentary [5]: guan yu are stages built for immortal séances. The Li han wen jia says the sovereign terrace reads heaven-human signs.
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注[六]三輔黃圖曰「辟雍，水四周於外，像四海」也。
Commentary [6]: the San fu huang tu says the Ring Hall is moated like the four seas.
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注[七]遊俠，即西賓云「鄉曲豪俊，遊俠之雄」。 踰侈謂「列肆侈於姬﹑姜」等也。 爾雅曰：「翼翼，敬也。 」詩曰：「濟濟多士。 」毛萇注云：「濟濟，多威儀也。」
Commentary [7]: you xia matches the western visitor bravoes. Yu chi cites the boast of markets finer than famous beauties. The Erya glosses yi yi as solemn awe." " The Odes praise a host of dignified ministers." " Mao Chang reads ji ji as imposing deportment."
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注[八]史記曰，秦始皇作阿房宮。 造，至也。 公羊傳曰「王者無外」也。
Commentary [8]: the Shi ji credits Qin Shihuang with Epang. Zao here means to touch or reach. The Gong yang zhuan says the royal realm is boundless.
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主人之辭未終，西都賓矍然失容，逡巡降階，惵然意下，捧手欲辭。 主人曰：「復位，今將喻子五篇之詩。 」[一]賓既卒業，乃稱曰：「美哉乎此詩！ 義正乎楊雄，事實乎相如，非唯主人之好學，蓋乃遭遇乎斯時也。 [二]小子狂簡，不知所裁，既聞正道，請終身誦之。 」其詩曰：[三]注[一]說文曰：「矍，視遽之貌。 」音許縛反。 周書曰：「臨攝以威而惵。 」惵者，猶恐懼也，音徒頰反。 喻，告也。
Mid-speech the western guest blanched, shrank down the stairs, and made to withdraw. The host bids him sit again and hear five cantos. " [1] When the lesson ended, he cried, "What a poem!" Its moral line rivals Yang Xiong, its matter Sima Xiangru — credit the age as much as the scholar. [2] I am brash and unformed, yet now that I have heard the true teaching I would recite it forever. " The poem begins. Commentary [1]: the Shuowen defines jue as a startled glance." " Fanqie xu-fu." The Zhou shu speaks of approaching in dread." " Die means trembling; fanqie tu-jia." Yu means to explain.
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注[二]楊雄作長楊﹑羽獵賦，司馬相如作子虛﹑上林賦，並文雖藻麗，其事□誕，不如主人之言義正事實也。
Commentary [2]: Yang and Sima dazzle but invent; the host stays true.
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注[三]論語孔子曰：「吾黨之小子狂簡，斐然成章，不知所以裁之。 」又曰：「不忮不求，何用不臧，子路終身誦之。」
Commentary [3]: Confucius calls his youths talented but untutored." " He also praises freedom from envy; Zilu made that his lifelong refrain."
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l明堂詩：於昭明堂，明堂孔陽； 聖皇宗祀，穆穆煌煌。 [一]上帝宴饗，五位時序； 誰其配之，世祖光武。 [二]普天率土，各以其職； 猗與緝熙，允懷多福。 [三]
The Ming tang song: "Bright, the Bright Hall, blazing bright; the sage sovereign sacrifices, grave and glorious." [1] High God dines; the five thrones stand in sequence; who shares his place? Emperor Guangwu, the Founding Ancestor. [2] Under heaven, on earth, every office does its part; ah, the steady glow — truly holding many blessings. The third stanza of the hymn ends here.
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注[一]於音烏，歎美之辭也。 詩周頌曰：「於昭於天。 」孔，甚也。 陽，明也。 國風曰：「我朱孔陽。 」聖皇宗祀謂祭光武於明堂也。 詩曰：「穆穆煌煌，宜君宜王。 」穆穆猶敬也。 煌煌猶美也。
Commentary [1]: wu is a sigh of admiration. The Zhou song cries, "Bright in heaven!" " Kong means exceedingly." Yang means shining. A Guo feng line says our crimson is vivid." " Sheng huang zong si is the Ming tang offering to Guangwu." The Odes say solemn splendor fits a king." " Mu mu is grave respect." Huang huang is radiant beauty.
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注[二]前書曰：「天神貴者太一，太一佐曰五帝。 」五位，五帝也。 河圖曰：「蒼帝靈威仰，赤帝赤熛怒，黃帝含樞紐，白帝白招矩，黑帝□光紀。 」楊雄河東賦曰：「靈只既饗，五位時□。 」謂各依其方而祭之。
Commentary [2]: the Han shu ranks Taiyi above the Five Thearchs." " The five seats are the five colored emperors." The Hetu registers the five directional sovereigns by their cult epithets. " Yang Xiong Hedong fu: after the gods feasted, the five thrones took their seasonal stations." " Each deity received offering from its proper quarter."
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注[三]詩小雅曰：「溥天之下，莫非王土。 率土之賓，莫非王臣。 」溥亦普也。 孝經曰：「四海之內，各以其職來助祭。 」詩商頌曰：「猗歟那歟。 」猗，美也。 允，信也。 懷，來也。 詩大雅曰：「聿懷多福。」
Commentary [3]: the Shi jing says no inch of earth is not the king under heaven." Every soul on that soil owes fealty to the throne." " Pu means all-embracing." The Xiao jing says the four seas sent officers to help at the rites." " The Shang song cries, "How vast, how splendid!" " Yi is a sigh of praise." Yun means indeed or truly. Huai here means to draw near. The Greater Ya prays to hold many blessings.
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l辟雍詩：乃流辟雍，辟雍湯湯； 聖皇馬止，造舟為梁。 [一]皤皤國老，乃父乃兄； 抑抑威儀，孝友光明。 [二]於赫太上，示我漢行； 鴻化惟神，永觀厥成。 [三]
The Ring Hall hymn: "The moat runs round the Biyong, rolling wide; the sage sovereign reins in, spans the stream with linked boats." [1] White-haired elders of the state — each a father, each an elder brother; grave in bearing, shining with filial piety and brotherly love. [2] O radiant Grand Exemplar — you reveal the Han path; the great transformation works like spirit; long may we behold its consummation. The third stanza of the Biyong hymn ends here.
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注[一]湯湯，水流貌。 馬，臨也。 詩小雅曰：「方叔馬止。 」大雅曰：「造舟為梁。 」毛萇注云：「天子造舟。 」造，至也，謂連舟為浮梁也。
Commentary [1]: tang tang is the rush of water. Ma means to draw rein or halt. The Lesser Ya has Fang Shu rein in." " The Greater Ya tells of bridging with boats." " Mao Chang notes the royal boat-bridge." " Zao means to join; here, chaining boats as a pontoon."
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注[二]說文曰：「皤皤，老人貌也。 」音步何反。 孝經援神契曰：「天子尊事三老，兄事五更。 」抑抑，美也。 詩曰：「威儀抑抑。 」爾雅曰：「善父母為孝，善兄弟為友。」
Commentary [2]: the Shuowen defines bo bo as white-haired age." " Fanqie bo-he." The Xiao jing yuan shen qi prescribes honoring three elders and five geng." " Yi yi means stately grace." The Odes praise yi yi deportment." " The Erya defines filial piety and fraternal duty."
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注[三]於赫，歎美也。 太上謂太古立德賢聖之人。 並著養老之禮，今我漢家遵行之也。 鴻，大也。 文子曰：「執玄德於心，化馳如神。 」詩周頌曰：「我客戾止，永觀厥成。 」爾雅曰：「觀，示也。」
Commentary [3]: yu he is exclamatory praise. Grand Above names the sages who first set virtue in high antiquity. They framed the old-age rites; Han now walks in their footsteps. Hong means vast. Wenzi says hold dark virtue inward and change races like a god." " The Zhou song welcomes guests to witness the consummation." " The Erya glosses guan as to show."
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l靈台詩：乃經靈台，靈台既崇； 帝勤時登，爰考休征。 [二]三光宣精，五行布序； 習習祥風，祁祁甘雨。 [二]百谷溱溱，庶卉蕃蕪； 屢惟豐年，於皇樂胥。 [三]
The Ling tai song: "We traced the Spirit Terrace; the terrace climbed high; the sovereign climbed at the proper hour to read the good omens." [2] Sun, moon, and stars pour forth radiance; the five agents fall in sequence; soft blows the lucky breeze; gentle falls the sweet rain. [2] Grain crops teem; every herb runs riot; year after year we ask abundance — O how we share the joy! The third stanza of the Spirit Terrace hymn ends here.
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注[一]詩大雅曰：「經始靈台。 」崇，高也。 時登，以時登之。 休，美也。 征，驗也。
Commentary [1]: the Greater Ya opens with laying out the terrace." " Chong means lofty." Climbing at the proper season. Xiu means favorable or fine. Zheng means proof or omen.
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注[二]三光，日﹑月﹑星也。 宣，布也。 精，明也。 五行，水﹑火﹑金﹑木﹑土。 布序謂各順其性，無謬沴也。 習習，和也。 詩小雅曰：「習習谷風。 」禮斗威儀曰：「君政頌平，則祥風至。 」宋均注曰：「即景風也。 」祁祁，徐也。 詩小雅曰：「興雨祁祁。 」尚書考靈耀曰「熒惑順行，甘雨時」也。
Commentary [2]: the three lights are sun, moon, and stars. Xuan means to broadcast. Jing means clear brilliance. The five agents are water, fire, metal, wood, earth. Arrayed order means each element keeps its nature without blight. Xi xi describes a mild, blending wind. The Lesser Ya line is soft valley wind." " The Li dou wei yi ties mild rule to lucky winds." " Song Jun identifies it with the jing wind." " Qi qi means slow and even." The Lesser Ya says the rain comes qi qi, gently." " The Shang shu kao ling yao ties orderly Mars to timely rain."
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注[三]百，言非一也，尚書洪範曰：「百谷用成。 」溱溱，盛貌。 尚書曰：「庶草蕃蕪。 」爾雅曰：「蕃蕪，豐也。 」詩周頌曰：「綏萬邦，屢豐年。 」又曰：「於皇時周。 」於音烏。 詩小雅曰：「君子樂胥，受天之祜。 」注云：「胥，有才智之名。」
Commentary [3]: "hundred" means many; the Hong fan promises ripe grain." " Qin qin pictures thick standing crops." The Shang shu says the grasses grow lush." " The Erya glosses fan wu as rich growth." " The Zhou song prays for many fat years." " Another line acclaims Zhou at its height." " Yu is read wu." The Lesser Ya says the lord rejoices with companions and wins heaven blessing." " The gloss calls xu the wise companion."
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l寶鼎詩：岳修貢兮川效珍，吐金景兮歊浮雲。 寶鼎見兮色紛縕，煥其炳兮被龍文。 [一]登祖廟兮享聖神，昭靈德兮彌億年。 [二]注[一]謂永平六年王雒山得寶鼎，廬江太守獻之。 景，光也。 說文曰：「歊，氣出貌。 」音火驕反。 史記曰：「秦武王與孟悅舉龍文之鼎。」
The precious cauldron song: mountains send tribute, rivers offer gems; golden gleam rises, mist floats on the wind. The tripod shows itself in woven colors, blazing with dragon designs. [1] It enters the lineage shrine to feast the gods, showing sacred power for endless ages. [2] Commentary [1]: Yongping 6, tripod from Wangluo Mountain, sent in by the Lujiang governor. Jing means radiance. The Shuowen defines xiao as steaming breath." " Fanqie huo-jiao." The Shi ji tells of King Wu of Qin hoisting the dragon tripod.
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注[二]時明帝詔曰：「其以礿祭之日，陳鼎於廟，以備器用。 」彌，終也。 萬萬曰億。 尚書曰：「公其以予萬億年敬天之休。」
Commentary [2]: Mingdi ordered the tripod shown at the yue offering. " Mi means lasting to the end." A myriad of myriads is called yi. The Shang shu prays for trillions of years honoring heaven grace.
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l白雉詩：啟靈篇兮披瑞圖，獲白雉兮效素烏。 [一]髮皓羽兮奮翹英，容絜朗兮於淳精。 [二]章皇德兮侔周成，永延長兮膺天慶。 [三]注[一]靈篇謂河洛之書也。 固集此題篇云「白雉素烏歌」，故兼言「效素烏」。
The white pheasant song: unrolling river charts, we took the white pheasant and offered the white crow. [1] White feathers spread, tail lifted high — a form clean and bright, distilled spirit. [2] It proclaims royal virtue like King Cheng; may it lengthen and win heaven praise. [3] Commentary [1]: spirit documents are Hetu and Luoshu. Ban Gu headlined the poem for both birds, so the text mentions the crow.
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注[二]皓，白也。 翹，尾也。 春秋元命包曰：「烏者陽之精。」
Commentary [2]: hao means white. Qiao means the tail feathers. The Yuan ming bao calls the crow yang essence.
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注[三]章，明也。 侔，等也。 孝經援神契曰：「周成王時，越裳獻白雉。 」慶讀曰卿。
Commentary [3]: zhang means to make manifest. Mou means to match or equal. The Yuan shen qi recalls Yuechang tribute to King Cheng." Qing here rhymes like the word for minister.
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及肅宗雅好文章，固愈得幸，數入讀書禁中，或連日繼夜。 每行巡狩，輒獻上賦頌，朝廷有大議，使難問公卿，辯論於前，賞賜恩寵甚渥。 固自以二世才術，位不過郎，[一]感東方朔﹑楊雄自論，以不遭蘇﹑張﹑范﹑蔡之時，作賓戲以自通焉。 [二]後遷玄武司馬。 [三]天子會諸儒講論五經，作白虎通德論，令固撰集其事。 [四]注[一]二代謂彪及固。
When Zhangdi cultivated literature, Ban Gu won deeper favor, often reading in the inner palace day and night. On each imperial tour he offered rhapsodies; in great councils he cross-examined ministers before the throne and earned lavish gifts. Ban Gu, seeing two generations stall at Gentleman rank, took heart from Dongfang Shuo and Yang Xiong; born outside the age when Su Qin, Zhang Yi, Fan Ju, and Cai Ze could open careers, he wrote the Ke xi to speak his mind. [2] He was later moved to Black Tortoise Gate marshal. [3] At the White Tiger symposium on the Five Classics, the emperor told Ban Gu to edit the proceedings. [4] Commentary [1]: two generations are father Biao and son Gu.
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注[二]東方朔荅客難曰：「使蘇秦﹑張儀與僕並生，曾不得掌故，安敢望侍郎乎？ 」楊雄解嘲曰：「范睢，魏之亡命也。 蔡澤，山東之匹夫也。 有談范﹑蔡於許﹑史之閒，則狂矣。 」固所作賓戲，事見前書。
Commentary [2]: Dongfang Shuo laments missing great rhetors of the Warring States. Yang Xiong in the Jie zhao recalls Fan Ju as a Wei exile. Cai Ze was a plain man from Shandong. To lecture on Fan and Cai among the Xu and Shi favorites would be folly. Ban Gu Ke xi is documented in the Han shu.
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注[三]續漢志曰：「宮掖門，每門司馬一人，秩比千石。 玄武司馬，主玄武門。」
The Xu Han zhi assigns a gate marshal to each inner gate. The Black Tortoise marshal holds the north gate.
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注[四]章帝建初四年，詔諸王諸儒會白虎觀講議五經同異。
Jianchu 4 brought lords and scholars to the White Tiger symposium.
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時北單于遣使貢獻，求欲和親，詔問腢僚。 議者或以為「匈奴變詐之國，無內向之心，徒以畏漢威靈，逼憚南虜，[一]故希望報命，以安其離叛。 今若遣使，恐失南虜親附之歡，而成北狄猜詐之計，不可」。 固議曰：「竊自惟思，漢興已來，曠世歷年，兵纏夷狄，尤事匈奴。 綏御之方，其塗不一，或修文以和之，或用武以征之，或卑下以就之，[二]或臣服而致之。 [三]雖屈申無常，所因時異，然未有拒絕□放，不與交接者也。 故自建武之世，復修舊典，數出重使，前後相繼，[四]至於其末，始乃暫絕。 永平八年，復議通之。 而廷爭連日，異同紛回，多執其難，少言其易。 先帝聖德遠覽，瞻前顧後，遂復出使，事同前世。 [五]以此而推，未有一世闕而不修者也。 今烏桓就闕，稽首譯官，康居﹑月氏，自遠而至，匈奴離析，名王來降，三方歸服，不以兵威，此誠國家通於神明自然之征也。 臣愚以為宜依故事，復遣使者，上可繼五鳳﹑甘露至遠人之會，[六]下不失建武﹑永平羈縻之義。 虜使再來，然後一往，既明中國主在忠信，且知聖朝禮義有常，豈* (同) **[可]*逆詐示猜，孤其善意乎？ 絕之未知其利，通之不聞其害。 設後北虜稍強，能為風塵，[七]方復求為交通，將何所及？ 不若因今施惠，為策近長。」
The Northern Shanyu offered tribute and asked for heqin; the court polled its ministers. Some said the nomads were treacherous, inwardly hostile, only bowing from fear of Han and pressure from the Southern Xiongnu, seeking a reply to calm their splintering. Sending envoys might alienate the south and reward northern cunning — they said no. Ban Gu argued that for generations Han had wrestled with barbarians, above all the Xiongnu. Peace took many forms: culture, war, humble concession, or accepting submission. [3] Policy flexed with the age, yet no dynasty ever simply cut the nomads off. From Jianwu Han renewed old embassies in steady succession until a short lapse late in the period. Yongping 8 reopened the question of contact. Court quarreled for days, split on the issue, stressing risks over gains. The late Mingdi looked ahead and behind and sent envoys again, as in old times. [5] No generation simply abandoned the relationship forever. Wuhuan wait at the gates, Kangju and Yuezhi travel far, Xiongnu lords defect — three sides yield without war: a sign that Han moves heaven and nature. Ban Gu urged restoring envoys to match Wufeng and Ganlu while keeping Jianwu-Yongping restraint. Let them visit twice before we answer once, proving good faith and steady ritual — how (then) **could** we answer only with suspicion and wound their good will?" Severance brings no clear gain; contact brings no clear harm. If the north grows strong and raids again, what leverage will we have if we have already spurned them? Better to show grace now; that is the nearer, longer policy.
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注[一]南匈奴也。
The southern Shanyu court.
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注[二]文帝與匈奴通關市，妻以漢女，增厚其賂也。
Wendi traded, married princesses northward, and piled on gifts.
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注[三]宣帝時，匈奴稽首臣服，遣子入侍。
Xuandi saw the Shanyu submit and send a hostage prince.
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注[四]建武二年，日逐王遣使詣漁陽請和親，使中郎將李茂報命。 二十六年，遣中郎將段郴授南單于印綬。
Jianwu 2: Rizhu envoys to Yuyang; Li Mao returned the court answer. Year 26: Duan Chen bestowed the southern seal.
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注[五]先帝謂明帝也。 永平八年，遣越騎司馬鄭觿報使北匈奴。
Late emperor is Mingdi. Yongping 8: Zheng Zhong answered the northern embassy.
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注[六]宣帝五鳳三年，單于名王將觿五萬餘人來降，稱臣朝賀。 甘露元年，匈奴呼韓邪遣子右賢王入侍。
Wufeng 3: a royal title-holder brought fifty thousand to court. Ganlu 1: Huhanye sent the right wise king as hostage.
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注[七]相侵擾則風塵起。
Border raids stir dust on the wind.
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固又作典引篇，述□漢德。 [一]以為相如封禪，靡而不典，[二]楊雄美新，典而不實，[三]蓋自謂得其致焉。 其辭曰：注[一]典謂堯典，引猶續也。 漢承堯後，故述漢德以續堯典。
Ban Gu also wrote the Dian yin to hymn Han power. [1] He judged Xiangru rhapsody florid but not classical, Yang Praise to Xin classical but hollow, claiming his own piece hit the mark. The preface: dian is the Yao dian; yin means continuation. Han follows Yao, so hymn to Han extends the Yao dian.
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注[二]文雖靡麗，而體無古典。
Xiangru is lush but not canonical in form.
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注[三]體雖典則，而其事虛偽，謂王莽事不實。
Yang piece is formal but celebrates usurping Xin as fact.
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太極之原，兩儀始分，鞭鞭熅熅，有沉而奧，有浮而清。 [一]沉浮交錯，庶類混成。 [二]□命人主，五德初始，同於草昧，玄混之中。 [三]踰繩越契，寂寥而亡詔者，系不得而綴也。 [四]厥有氏號，紹天闡繹者，[五]莫不開元於大昊皇初之首，上哉敻乎，其書猶可得而修也。 [六]亞斯之世，通變神化，函光而未曜。 [七]
From the Taiji the two modes split: turbid sinking, clear rising. [1] Dark and light mingled; the myriad creatures took shape. [2] Heaven ordained rulers; the five phases began their cycle in primal dusk and chaos. [3] Before writing, silence without proclamations — the Changes cannot bind that age. [4] Then came named houses that continued heaven, [5] each opening its era at Haos first dawn; high antiquity, yet still recordable. [6] The next ages shifted like spirits, their light still veiled. Seventh section marker in the cosmogonic prelude.
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注[一]易系詞曰：「易有太極，是生兩儀。 」又曰：「天地絪縕，萬物化醇。 」蔡邕曰：「* (鞭) **[絪]*縕，陰陽和一相扶貌也。 」奧，濁也。 易干鑿度曰：「清輕者為天，濁沉者為地。」
Commentary [1]: Zhou yi on Taiji birthing yin and yang. " The Zhou yi again: heaven and earth mingle and things ripen. " Cai Yong glosses: (intertwined) **yin-yun** as yin and yang breathing together. " Ao means murky depth. The Qian zao du says light rose as heaven, heavy sank as earth.
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注[二]庶類，萬物也。 混猶同也。 老子曰：「有物混成，先天地生。」
Commentary [2]: the myriad kinds. Hun means fused as one. Laozi speaks of the chaos before heaven and earth.
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注[三]人主謂天子也。 尚書曰，成湯簡代夏作人主。 五德，五行也。 初始謂伏犧始以木德王也。 木生火，故神農以火德。 五行相生，週而復始。 草昧謂草創暗昧也。 易曰：「天地草昧。 」幽玄混沌之中謂三皇初起之時也。
Commentary [3]: the human lord is the sovereign. The Shang shu says Tang replaced Xia as ruler. Wu de is the five agents. The cycle begins with Fuxi as wood. Wood begets fire, so Shennong took fire. The agents generate each other in endless turn. Cao mei is rude first beginnings. The Zhou yi calls earliest heaven-earth cao mei. " That is the twilight before the Three Sovereigns.
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注[四]易系辭曰：「上古結繩而化，後代聖人易之以書契。 」踰﹑越，並過也。 詔，誥也。 言過繩契以上既無文字，故寂寥而無文誥。 系謂易系辭也，故易系而不得綴連也。
Commentary [4]: from knotted cords to script. Yu and yue both mean surpassing. Zhao means edicts. Before writing there could be no written decrees. The Yi zhuan cannot tie that age into its text.
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注[五]氏號謂太昊號庖羲氏，炎帝號神農氏，黃帝號軒轅氏之類。 紹，繼也。 謂王者繼天而作。 闡，開也。 繹，陳也。
Commentary [5]: clan names like Paoxi, Shennong, Xuanyuan. Shao means to carry on. Kings who acted as Heaven successors. Chan means to disclose. Yi means to unfold.
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注[六]易曰：「帝出於震。 」始以木德王天下，故曰皇初之首。 又曰：「古者庖犧氏之王天下也，仰則觀象於天，俯則觀法於地。 」是其書可得而修也。
Commentary [6]: the Yi says the emperor emerges from zhen. " Wood was the first royal virtue, the start of the royal dawn. " The Yi praises Paoxi reading heaven and earth. " Hence their deeds can still be compiled.
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注[七]亞斯之代謂少昊﹑顓頊﹑高辛等。 雖通變神化，而易系不載其事，故曰「函光未曜」。
Commentary [7]: the following generations are Shaohao onward. They transformed like spirits, yet the Yi zhuan omits them — light still hidden.
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若夫上稽干則，降承龍翼，而炳諸典謨，以冠德卓蹤者，莫崇乎陶唐。 [一]陶唐捨胤而禪有虞，虞亦命夏後，稷契熙載，越成湯武。 [二]股肱既周，天乃歸功元首，將授漢劉。 [三]俾其承三季之荒末，值亢龍之災孽，懸象暗而恆文乖，彝倫斁而舊章缺。 [四]故先命玄聖，使綴學立制，宏亮洪業，表相祖宗，讚揚迪哲，備哉燦爛，真神明之式也。 [五]雖前*[聖]*戲﹑夔﹑衡﹑旦密勿之輔，比茲褊矣。 [六]是以高﹑光二聖，辰居其域，時至氣動，乃龍見淵躍。 [七]拊翼而未舉，則威靈紛紜，海內雲蒸，雷動電熛，胡縊莽分，不馬其誅。 [八]然後欽若上下，恭揖腢後，正位度宗，有於德不台淵穆之讓，靡號師矢敦奮撝之容。 [九]蓋以膺當天之正統，受克讓之歸運，蓄炎上之烈精，蘊孔佐之弘陳云爾。 [一０]注[一]稽，考； 干，天也。 論語孔子曰：「唯天為大，唯堯則之。 」龍翼謂稷﹑契等為堯之羽翼。 易幹上九曰：「用九，見腢龍無首，吉。 」鄭玄注云：「六爻皆體龍，腢龍象也，謂禹與稷﹑契﹑咎陶之屬並在於朝。 」炳，明也。 典﹑謨謂堯典﹑戲陶謨也。 為道德之冠首，蹤多之卓異者，莫高於陶唐。 爾雅曰：「崇，高也。」
Those who matched heaven above, drew ministers like dragon wings below, and wrote their virtue into the canons — none ranks above Yao of Tao Tang. [1] Yao yielded to Shun, Shun to Yu, Yu to Xia; Ji and Qi served until Tang and Wu rose. [2] When ministers had done their work, heaven turned merit to the true head and prepared the Liu mandate. [3] They would take up the ruin of three decadent endings, the disaster of the top line dragon, omens dark and rites broken. [4] So heaven first sent the dark sage to fix learning and law, glorify the great work, frame the ancestors — a pattern fit for gods. [5] Even the tireless ministers Xi, Kui, Yi Yin, and the Duke of Zhou pale beside this charge. [6] Gaozu and Guangwu sat like polar stars; when the hour came, the dragon leapt from the pool. [7] Before they struck, awe filled the realm like storm clouds; northern tribes collapsed, Wang Mang shattered, all before the war chariots rolled. [8] Then they harmonized court and country, yielded to ministers, took the throne with modest disclaimers, without vain war-cries. [9] They held heaven true mandate, received abdicated fortune, kept Han fire essence, and drew on Confucian ministers — so it stood. [10] Commentary [1]: ji is to examine; gan means heaven. The Analects praises Yao as matching heaven greatness. " Dragon wings are ministers like Ji and Qi supporting Yao. The qian use-of-nine line speaks of many dragons headless, good fortune. " Zheng Xuan reads the many dragons as Yu, Ji, Qi, and Gao Yao serving together." " Bing means shining clarity. Dian and mo are the Yao dian and Gao Yao mo. As the summit of moral pattern, the noblest of many paths — none rose above Yao of Tao Tang. The Erya glosses chong as high.
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注[二]捨胤謂堯捨其胤子丹朱而禪於舜，舜亦捨其子商均而禪禹。 書曰：「熙帝之載。 」孔安國注云：「熙，廣也。 載，事也。 」言稷契並能廣立功事於堯舜之朝。 越，於也。 於是成其子孫湯﹑武之業，並得為天子也。 湯，契之後。 武王，後稷之後。
Commentary [2]: yielding heirs — Yao passed Shun over Dan Zhu, Shun passed Yu over Shang Jun. The Shang shu says they widened the sovereign work. " Kong Anguo: xi means to broaden. Zai means tasks or affairs. " Ji and Qi both enlarged the work of Yao and Shun courts. Yue is "thereupon" or "then." So their lines rose to Tang and Wu as Sons of Heaven. Tang came from the Qi line. King Wu came from Hou Ji line.
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注[三]股肱謂稷﹑契也。 既周謂其子孫並周□得為天子。 元首，堯也。 言天更歸功於堯，又將授漢以帝位。
Commentary [3]: arms and thighs are Ji and Qi. Ji zhou means their heirs in turn each took the throne. Yuan shou is Yao, the first head. Heaven credited Yao again, then passed the seat to Han.
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注[四]俾，使也。 三季，三王之季也。 易干文言曰：「亢龍有悔，窮之災也。 」孽亦災也。 易曰：「懸象著明，莫大於日月。 」乖謂失於常度也。 倫，理也。 斁，敗也。 尚書曰：「彝倫攸斁。 」舊章缺謂秦燔詩書。
Commentary [4]: bi means "to make." The three ji are the late ages of the three dynasties. The Qian wen yan warns the top-line dragon brings regret. " Nie means disaster too. The Yi says hanging images shine brightest in sun and moon. Guai is departure from the norm. Lun is moral order. Yi means collapse. The Shang shu says the great norms failed. Missing statutes means the Qin book-burning.
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注[五]玄聖謂孔丘也。 春秋演孔圖曰：「孔子母征在夢感黑帝而生，故曰玄聖。 」莊子曰：「恬澹玄聖，素王之道。 」綴學立制謂為漢家法制也。 宏，洪，並大也。 亮，信也。 表，明也。 相，助也。 迪，蹈也。 哲，智也。 言讚揚蹈履哲智之君，謂高祖等也。 尚書曰：「茲四人迪哲。 」燦爛，盛明也。 式，法也。
Commentary [5]: the dark sage is Confucius. The apocryphon says Confucius was born of a black god dream. Zhuangzi calls him the unthroned king. He set learning and institutions for the Han code. Hong and hong both mean vast. Liang means trustworthy. Biao means to display. Xiang means to help. Di means to walk or follow. Zhe means wisdom. He hymns wise rulers such as Gaozu. The Shang shu praises four wise ministers. Can lan is radiant clarity. Shi means pattern or model.
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注[六]戲，戲陶也。 夔，舜之典樂者。 衡謂阿衡，即伊尹也。 旦，周公也。 密勿猶黽勉也。 茲謂孔子，言戲﹑夔等比之為褊小矣。
Commentary [6]: Xi is Gao Yao. Kui directed music under Shun. Heng is Yi Yin, the Ah Heng. Dan is the Duke of Zhou. Mi wu means tireless effort. Compared to Confucius, even Xi and Kui seem small.
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注[七]論語孔子曰：「譬如北辰，居其所而觿星共之。 」時至氣動謂高祖聚彤雲於碭山，光武發佳氣於白水。 易干卦九二曰：「見龍在田。 」九四曰：「或躍在淵。 」並喻漢初起。
Commentary [7]: the Analects north-star image. " Omens gathered at Dang for Gaozu, at Baishui for Guangwu. The Qian second line: dragon in the field. The fourth line: the dragon may leap in the pool. Both lines image the early Han rise.
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注[八]拊翼，以雞為喻，言知將旦則鼓其翼而鳴。 前書曰：「張﹑陳之交，拊翼俱起。 」以喻高祖﹑光武也。 紛紜，盛貌也。 如雲之蒸，言天下英傑為漢者多也。 熛，光也。 胡縊謂胡亥縊死也。 莽分謂公賓就斬莽也。 馬，臨也。 言天下先為漢誅之，高祖﹑光武不親臨也。
Commentary [8]: fu yi compares Han founders to a cock before dawn. The Han shu says Zhang and Chen roused together. The image fits Gaozu and Guangwu. Fen yun is teeming splendor. Heroes steamed toward Han like clouds. Biao means lightning-flash. Hu yi is the suicide of the Second Emperor. Mang fen is Gongbin Jiu killing Wang Mang. Ma means to attend in person. The empire destroyed Qin and Xin before the two founders needed to strike.
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注[九]尚書曰：「欽若昊天。 」欽，敬也。 若，順也。 上下謂天地也，書曰「格於上下」。 腢後，諸侯也。 易曰：「君子正位凝命」也。 尚書曰：「延入翼室恤度宗。 」度，居也。 宗，尊也。 前書曰：「舜讓於德不台。 」音義曰：「台讀曰嗣。」
The Shang shu bids reverent accord with heaven. " Qin means respectful. Ruo means to obey. High and low are heaven and earth, as in the Shu phrase. Zhong hou are the regional lords. The Yi says the gentleman fixes his seat and steadies the charge. The Shang shu describes yielding before the lineage elder. " Du means to reside. Zong means venerable. The Han shu quotes Shun modest disclaimer. Tai is read like si, succession.
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注[一０]正統謂漢承周，為火德。 尚書堯典曰：「允恭克讓。 」謂漢承堯克讓之後。 歸運謂堯歸運於漢也。 炎上謂火德，烈精言盛也。 蘊，藏也。 孔佐謂孔丘製作春秋及緯書以佐漢也，即春秋演孔圖曰「卯金刀，名為劉，中國東南出荊州，赤帝后，次代周」是也，謂大陳漢之期運也。
Commentary [10]: orthodox Han fire after Zhou. The Yao dian praises yielding virtue. " Han continues Yao tradition of yielding. Gui yun is the turning mandate passed to Han. Yan shang is fire virtue blazing bright. Yun means to harbor. Kong zuo is Confucius texts prophesying the Liu house and Han season.
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洋洋乎若德，帝者之上儀，誥誓所不及已。 [一]舖觀二代洪纖之度，其賾可探也。 [二]並開多於一匱，同受侯甸之所服，奕世勤民，以伯方統牧。 [三]乘其命賜彤弧黃戚之威，用討韋﹑顧﹑黎﹑崇之不格。 [四]至乎三五華夏，京遷鎬亳，遂自北面，虎離其師，革滅天邑。 [五]是故義士偉而不敦，武稱未盡，護有籩德，不其然與？ [六]然猶於穆猗那，翕純皦繹，以崇嚴祖考，殷薦宗祀配帝，發祥流慶，對越天地者，舄奕乎千載。 豈不克自神明哉！ [七]誕略有常，審言行於篇籍，光藻朗而不渝耳。 [八]
Such virtue outruns mere oaths and edicts. [1] Survey Yin and Zhou, great and small — their depth yields to inquiry. [2] Both drew from one treasury, ruled marches and interior, toiled for the folk, elder hegemons of the herdsmen. [3] They bore red bow and golden axe to chastise recalcitrant lords. [4] Through the three-five sagely age, capitals shifted; Zhou turned north, broke Shang hosts, overthrew the heavenly city. [5] So worthies praised without pressing; war-song fell short; Hu had scant virtue — was it not thus? [6] Still their hymns rang august, their sacrifice matched heaven, blessing flowed for ages. Did they not match the gods themselves? [7] Their constant pattern endures; in texts their light never dims. Eighth section marker in the Dian yin passage.
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注[一]洋洋，美也。 若，如也。 儀，法也。 謂如此美德，可謂五帝之上法也。 谷梁傳曰：「誥誓不及五帝，盟詛不及三王，交質不及二伯。 」上下不相信服，方有誥誓。 五帝之時，上下和睦，故誓不及。
Commentary [1]: yang yang is glorious fullness. Ruo means like or as. Yi means model or law. Such virtue ranks as the Five Thearchs supreme pattern. The Guliang zhuan says oaths stopped before the Five Thearchs. " Oaths appear only when trust fails. Under the Five Thearchs harmony ruled, so oaths were needless.
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注[二]舖，□也。 二代，殷﹑周也。 洪纖猶大小也。 度，法度也。 賾，幽深也。 言□觀殷周大小之法，其幽深可探知之。
Commentary [2]: pu means to lay out or survey. The two dynasties are Shang and Zhou. Hong xian means the great and the small scale. Du is norm or scale. Ze means abstruse depth. Surveying Shang and Zhou, their measure runs deep enough to sound.
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注[三]孔子曰：「譬如平地，雖覆一匱。 」鄭玄注云：「匱，盛土籠也。 」侯服﹑甸服謂諸侯也。 湯為桀之諸侯，文王為紂之諸侯。 奕猶重也。 自契至湯十四代，後稷至文王十五代，並積勤勞於人也。 伯方猶方伯也。 謂湯為夏伯，文王為殷伯，並統領州牧。
Confucius compares reform to leveling earth one basket at a time. Zheng Xuan: kui is a dirt hod. Hou and dian zones mean the regional lords. Tang served Jie; Wen served the last Shang king. Yi means generation upon generation. Fourteen generations from Qi to Tang, fifteen from Hou Ji to Wen — long labor for the folk. Bo fang equals regional elder. Tang was Xia fangbo, Wen was Yin fangbo, each leading provincial herdsmen.
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注[四]周禮九命作伯。 彤弧，赤弓。 黃戚，黃金飾斧也。 禮記曰：「諸侯賜弓矢然後專征伐，賜斧鉞然後殺。 」韋，顧，並國名，湯滅之。 詩殷頌曰：「韋顧既伐。 」黎，崇，亦國名。 史記：「文王伐崇。 」尚書曰：「西伯戡黎。 」格，來也。
The Zhou li sets nine ranks culminating in hegemon. The red bow of investiture. The yellow battle-axe, gilded. The Li ji ties campaign and execution rights to regalia. Wei and Gu were realms Tang crushed. The Shang song lists Wei and Gu struck. Li and Chong were further targets. The Shi ji records Wen attacking Chong. The Shang shu has the western earl reduce Li. Ge means to present oneself at court.
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注[五]三五，未詳。 京* (師) *，京都也。 武王都鎬，湯都亳。 詩云：「宅是鎬京，武王成之。 」尚書曰：「湯始居亳，從先王居。 」自，從也。 北面謂臣也。 湯﹑武並以臣伐君。 史記曰：「如虎如羆，如豺如離，於商郊。 」音義曰：「離與螭同。 」革，改也。 易曰：「湯武革命。 」天邑，天子所都也。 尚書曰：「肆予敢求爾於天邑商。」
Commentary [5]: "three-five" sages left unspecified. The capital (metropolis) means the royal capital. Wu ruled from Hao, Tang from Bo. The Odes celebrate completing Hao. The Shang shu places Tang at Bo with the ancient kings. Zi means hence or from. Facing north means subject status. Both rose as vassals against their kings. The Shi ji paints Zhou hosts at Shang border. Li is read like chi, a hornless dragon. Ge is revolution or change. The Yi names the Tang-Wu revolution. Tian yi is the dynastic capital. The Shang shu dares ask Shang in its heavenly city.
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注[六]左傳曰：「武王克商，遷九鼎於洛邑，義士猶曰薄德。 」杜預注曰：「伯夷之屬也。 」史記曰，伯夷、叔齊逢武王伐紂，扣馬諫曰：「以臣弒君，可謂仁乎？ 」偉猶異也。 敦，厚也。 武，周武王樂也。 論語孔子曰：「謂武盡美矣，未盡善也。 」護，湯樂也。 左傳，延陵季子聘魯，觀樂，見舞大護者，曰：「聖人之弘也，而猶有籩德。」
Commentary [6]: the Zuo zhuan says even after moving tripods some called Zhou virtue thin. Du Yu means Boyi sort of purists. Boyi and Shu Qi blocked Wu horse, asking if regicide is humane. Wei means singular or odd. Dun means substantial. Wu is Zhou martial dance. Confucius says the Wu dance is beautiful but not perfect good. Hu is Shang Tang dance music. Yanling in Zuo zhuan calls the Hu dance great yet flawed.
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注[七]於，歎辭也。 穆，美也，歎美周家之德。 詩周頌曰「於穆清廟」。 猗亦歎* (之) *辭也。 那，多也。 歎美湯德之多也。 殷頌曰：「猗歟那歟。 」論語子語魯太師樂曰：「樂其可知也。 始作翕如也，縱之純如也，皦如也，繹如也，以成。 」何晏注曰：「翕，盛也。 純，和諧也。 皦，其音節明也。 」鄭玄注云：「繹，調達之貌。 」此言殷周之代，尚有於穆猗那之頌，播之於翕純皦繹之樂，尊祖嚴父，宗祀配天於明堂之中。 詩商頌曰：「浚哲惟商，長髮其祥。 」言發禎祥以流慶於子孫。 周頌曰：「秉文之德，對越在天。 」舄奕猶蟬聯不絕也。
Commentary [7]: yu opens a praise. Mu praises Zhou virtue. The Zhou song has yu mu qing miao. Yi is also an exclamation (of) particle of praise. Na means many. It acclaims Tang virtue in full measure. The Shang song cries yi yu na yu. Confucius teaches the Lu music master how music unfolds. It starts unified, opens pure, clear, flowing to the end. He Yan: xi is swelling together. Chun is harmonious blend. Jiao is limpid phrasing. Zheng Xuan: yi is fluent carry-through. Yin and Zhou still sang august hymns in layered, clear music under the Ming tang. The Shang song praises Shang foresight. Omens spread blessing down the line. The Zhou song answers heaven with Wen virtue. Xi yi is unbroken succession.
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注[八]誕，大也。 言殷週二代政化之多，大略有常也。 篇籍謂詩書也。 朗，明也。 渝，變也。 言光彩文藻朗明而不變耳，其餘殊異不能及於漢也。
Commentary [8]: dan means vast. Yin and Zhou policy was rich yet held a steady thread. Pian ji is the classic texts. Lang means luminous. Yu means to alter. Their literary glory stayed fixed; still they fell short of Han.
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矧夫赫赫聖漢，巍巍唐基，泝測其源，乃先孕虞育夏，甄殷陶周，[一]然後宣二祖之重光，襲四宗之緝熙。 神靈日燭，光被六幽，仁風翔乎海表，威靈行於鬼區，慝亡迥而不泯，微胡瑣而不頤。 [二]故夫顯定三才昭登之績，匪堯不興，舖聞遺策在下之訓，匪漢不弘。 [三]厥道至乎經緯乾坤，出入三光，外運混元，內浸豪芒，性類循理，品物鹹亨，其已久矣。 [四]
Far more Han, built on Tang base, bred from Yu and Xia, cast Shang and Zhou, then shone Gaozu and Guangwu, carried four temple lines. [2] Gods illumine daily; kindness crosses seas, awe haunts far ghosts; wickedness dies however remote, tribes thrive however small. [3] Heaven-earth-man order rose with Yao; Yao dian teaching grew vast only under Han. [4] It spans cosmos, rides sun moon stars, moves in chaos, wets the smallest mote — all kinds prosper: this has lasted ages. Fourth numbered section in the source sequence.
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注[一]矧，況也。 漢承唐* (虞) **[堯]*之基。 逆流曰泝。 孕，懷也。 育，養也。 甄、陶謂造成也。 前書音義曰：「陶人作瓦器謂之甄。 」言虞、夏、殷、周之先祖，並嘗為堯臣。
Shen is rhetorical "how much more." Han stands on Tang (and Yu) **Yao** foundation. Su is tracing upstream. Yun means to quicken in the womb. Yu means to nurture. Zhen and tao mean to shape like a potter. Han shu gloss: potters zhen ware. All those dynastic forebears served Yao.
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注[二]二祖，高祖、世祖也。 尚書曰：「宣重光。 」襲，重也。 四宗，文帝為太宗，武帝為代宗，宣帝為中宗，明帝為顯宗。 燭，照也，言如日之照。 六幽，六合幽遠之地。 鬼區，遠方也。 易曰：「高宗伐鬼方。 」慝，惡也。 迥，遠也。 泯，滅也。 瑣，小也。 頤，養也。 言凶惡者無遠而不滅，微細者何小而不養也。
Commentary [2]: the two zu are Liu Bang and Guangwu. The Shang shu speaks of doubled brilliance. Xi means to inherit in layers. The four zong are Wen, Wu as Daizong, Xuan, Ming as Xian. Zhu is sun-bright shining. The six you are the six reaches of shadow. Ghost lands are farthest borders. The Yi names the Gui Fang campaign. Te is malice. Jiong is remoteness. Min is annihilation. Suo means petty or small. Yi means to feed or foster. The wicked perish however distant; the smallest tribes gain nurture however slight.
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注[三]三才，天、地、人也。 易曰：「兼三才而兩之。 」登，升也。 績，功也。 言升天之功，非堯不能興也。 尚書曰：「昭升於上。 」舖，布也。 遺策，堯之餘策，謂堯典也。 在下謂後代子孫也。 言堯典為子孫之訓，非漢不能弘大也。
Commentary [3]: heaven, earth, humanity. The Yi doubles each of the three powers. " Deng means rise. Ji is achievement. Heaven-ascending merit begins with Yao alone. The Shang shu speaks of shining ascent. " Pu means to publish abroad. Yi ce is the Yao dian legacy. Those below are posterity. Only Han could magnify Yao lesson for heirs.
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注[四]經緯天地，言陰陽交泰也。 出入三光，言日、月、星得其度也。 渾元，天地之總名也。 豪芒，纖微也。 老子曰：「和陰陽，節四時，潤乎草木，浸乎金石，毫毛潤澤。 」性，生也。 循，順也。 含生之類，皆順於理。 尚書曰：「別生分類，品物萬殊。 」亨，通也。 易曰：「含弘光大，品物鹹亨。」
Commentary [4]: ordering heaven-earth is thriving yin-yang. The three lights keep proper measure. Hun yuan names the cosmos. Hao mang is the finest grain. Laozi runs from seasons to dew on metal. " Xing means living beings. Xun means accord with pattern. Every creature follows the norm. The Shang shu sorts kinds into myriad forms. " Heng means thriving flow. The Yi says breadth lets all things flourish.
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盛哉！ 皇家帝世，德臣列辟，功君百王，榮鏡宇宙，尊無與抗。 [一]乃始虔鞏勞* (讓) **[謙]*，兢兢業業，貶成抑定，不敢論製作。 [二]至令遷正黜色賓監之事煥揚宇內，而禮官儒林屯朋篤論之士而不傳祖宗之彷彿，雖雲優慎，無乃葸歟！ [三]注[一]皇家帝代謂漢家歷代也。 列辟謂古之帝王也。 言漢家德可以臣彼列辟，功可以君彼百王。 相如封禪書曰：「歷選列辟。 」鏡猶光明也。 抗猶敵也，讀曰康。
How glorious! Dynasty after dynasty Han virtue could humble every ancient king, Han deeds outrank the hundred thrones, its splendor fills heaven and earth, and nothing rivals its height. [1] Then came firm reverence, laboring in (yielding) **humble** care, shrinking from claiming rites and music. [2] Calendar and regalia shine, yet scholars never set the founders legacy to paper — too timid by half! [3] Commentary [1]: imperial generations are Han lines. Lie bi are past sovereigns. Han virtue could humble old kings, Han deeds could rule their annals. Sima Xiangru speaks of sorting the lords. Jing is mirror-bright glory. Kang means peer; read kang.
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注[二]爾雅曰：「虔鞏，固也。 」易曰：「勞謙君子有終吉。 」言帝固為勞謙也。 兢兢，戒慎也。 業業，危懼也。 禮記曰：「王者功成作樂，理定制禮。 」今不敢論制禮作樂之事，言謙之甚也。
Commentary [2]: qian gong is steadfast. The Yi praises laboring modesty. The sovereign truly practiced laboring modesty. Jing jing is wary care. Ye ye is trembling vigilance. The Li ji ties music and rites to completed merit. Silence on rites and music shows deep humility.
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注[三]遷正，改正朔也。 黜色，易服色也。 賓謂殷週二王之後，為漢之賓。 監，視也。 視殷周之事以為監戒。 論語孔子曰：「周監於二代。 」屯，聚也。 朋，腢也。 不傳謂不製作篇籍，以紀功德也。 彷彿猶梗概也。 論語孔子曰：「慎而無禮則葸。 」鄭玄注云「葸，質□貌」也。 言雖優遊謙慎，無乃太質□也。
Commentary [3]: calendar reform. Regalia colors changed with dynasty. Guests are Shang and Zhou heirs honored by Han. Jian is to take warning. Han mirrors Yin and Zhou precedent. Confucius says Zhou watched the two prior ages. " Tun means to cluster. Peng means peers or cohorts. Bu chuan is failing to write the deeds down. Fang fu is a rough sketch. Confucius warns caution without ritual turns cowardly. Zheng Xuan: xi is blunt, timorous dullness. Easy modesty risks sliding into blunt timidity.
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於是三事岳牧之僚，僉爾而進曰：陛下仰監唐典，中述祖則，俯蹈宗軌。 [一]躬奉天經，惇睦辯章之化洽。 [二]巡靖黎蒸，懷保□寡之惠浹。 [三]燔瘞縣沉，肅祗腢神之禮備。 [四]是以* (鳳皇) *來儀集羽族於觀魏，肉角馴毛宗於外囿，擾緇文皓質於郊，升黃暉采鱗於沼，甘露宵零於豐草，三足軒翥於茂樹。 [五]若乃嘉谷靈草，奇獸神禽，應圖合諜，窮祥極瑞者，朝夕□牧，日月邦畿，卓犖乎方州，羨溢乎要荒。 [六]昔姬有素雉、朱烏、玄秬、黃□之事耳，君臣動色，左右相趨，濟濟翼翼，峨峨如也。 [七]蓋用昭明寅畏，承聿懷之福。 亦以寵靈文武，貽燕後昆，覆以懿鑠，豈其為身而有顓辭也？ [八]若然受之，宜亦勤恁旅力，以充厥道，啟恭館之金縢，御東序之秘寶，以流其占。 [九]注[一]三事，三公也。 僉，皆也。
Then dukes and shepherds advanced: you mirror Tang, tell ancestors, follow zong paths. [1] You hold filial piety as heaven norm; kinship and civic order spread wide. [2] Tours soothe the people; care reaches widows and orphans. [3] Every sacrifice mode is performed to the gods. [4] Therefore (phoenix) phoenixes patterned the towers, unicorns the parks, zouyu at the border, yellow dragon in the pool, dew at night, three-legged crows in the trees. [5] Omen grain, spirit herbs, rare beasts fill capital and frontier. [6] Zhou had only white pheasant, red crow, black millet, and yellow barley, yet the whole court stood in awe. [7] So they showed reverence and won lasting blessing. They blessed Wen and Wu spirits and heirs — not for private boast. [8] Accept omens boldly: open the archives, read the tortoise, publish the signs. [9] Commentary [1]: three affairs are three gong. Qian means everyone.
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注[二]天經謂孝也。 孔子曰：「夫孝，天之經。 」謂章帝初即位，四時禘祫，宗祀於明堂也。 尚書曰：「惇□九族。 」又曰：「九族既睦，辯章百姓。 」鄭玄云：「辯，別也。 章，明也。 惇，厚也。 睦，親也。 」章帝性篤愛，不忍與諸王乖離，皆留京師也。
Commentary [2]: heaven constant is filial piety. The Classic of Filial Piety calls piety heaven norm. Zhangdi opened his reign with Ming tang lineage rites each season. The Shang shu urges thick care for nine clans. When kin are harmonious, clarify the hundred clans. Zheng Xuan: bian is to sort. Zhang is to make clear. Dun means deep kindness. Mu means close kinship. Zhangdi kept princes at the capital from fondness.
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注[三]巡，撫也。 靖，安也。 黎，蒸，皆觿也。 懷，思也。 保，安也。 浹，洽也。 尚書曰：「懷保小人，惠鮮□寡。 」謂章帝在位凡四巡狩，賜人爵，□、寡、孤、獨不能自存者粟。
Commentary [3]: xun is to pacify on tour. Jing means to settle. Li and zheng mean the common people. Huai is thoughtful care. Bao is to keep safe. Jia means reaching everywhere. The Shang shu tells kings to feed widows and orphans. Zhangdi toured four times, ennobling men, feeding widowers, widows, orphans, and the destitute.
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注[四]爾雅曰：「祭天曰燔柴，祭地曰瘞埋，祭山曰庋縣，祭川曰浮沉。 」肅祗，恭敬也。 封禪書曰：「湯武至尊，不失肅敬。 」元和中詔曰：「朕巡狩岱宗，柴望山川。 」庋音居毀反。
Commentary [4]: Erya sacrifice names for heaven, earth, hill, river. Su zhi is grave reverence. Even Tang and Wu stayed reverent. Yuanhe edict: imperial tour to Tai, burning sacrifice. Gui: fanqie ju-hui.
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注[五]尚書曰：「鳳皇來儀。 」元和二年詔曰：「乃者鳳皇鸞鳥比集七郡。 」羽族謂腢鳥隨之也。 觀魏，門闕也。 肉角謂麟也。 伏侯古今注曰：「建初二年，北海得一角獸，大如□，有角在耳閒，端有肉。 又元和二年，麒麟見陳，一角，端如蔥葉，色赤黃。 」擾，馴也。 緇文皓質謂騶虞也。 說文曰：「騶虞，白虎，黑文，尾長於身。 」古今注曰：「元和三年，白虎見彭城。 」黃暉采鱗謂黃龍也。 建初五年，有八黃龍見於零陵。 古今注曰：「元和二年，甘露降河南，三足烏集沛國。 」軒翥謂飛翔上下。
Commentary [5]: Shang shu phoenix line. Yuanhe 2: phoenixes flocked in seven jurisdictions. Other birds followed the phoenixes. Guan wei are palace gate towers. Rou jiao is the horned unicorn. Jianchu 2: Beihai reported a unicorn the size of a pony, horn between the ears. Yuanhe 2: unicorn in Chen, scallion-shaped horn. " Rao means domesticated. Black stripes on white hide is the zouyu. The Shuowen defines zouyu as a white tiger with black stripes and long tail. Yuanhe 3: white tiger at Pengcheng. Yellow dragon omen. Jianchu 5: eight yellow dragons at Lingling. Yuanhe 2: dew in Henan, three-legged crows in Pei. Xuan zhu is wheeling flight.
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注[六]嘉谷，嘉禾。 靈草，芝屬。 古今注曰：「元和二年，芝生沛，如人冠大，坐狀。 」章和九年詔曰：「嘉谷滋生，芝草之類，歲月不絕。 」奇獸神禽謂白虎白雉之屬也。 建初七年，獲白鹿。 元和元年，日南獻生犀、白雉。 言應於瑞圖，又合於史諜也。 □牧，郊野也。 卓犖，殊絕也。 羨音以戰反。
Fine grain means auspicious rice. Spirit herbs are ganoderma types. Yuanhe 2: giant fungus at Pei. Zhanghe 9 edict on ceaseless grain and fungi. Rare beasts include white tiger and pheasant. Jianchu 7: white deer taken. Yuanhe 1: Rinan sent rhino and white pheasants. They matched omens and annals. Jiao mu is the capital outskirts. Zhuo luo means outstanding. Xian: fanqie yi-zhan.
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注[七]孝經援神契曰：「周成王時，越裳來獻白雉。 」朱烏謂赤烏也。 尚書中候曰：「太子發度孟津，有火自天止於王屋，流為赤烏。 」玄秬，黑黍也。 詩大雅曰：「誕降嘉種，惟秬惟秠。 」黃□，麥也。 謂赤烏銜牟麥而至也。 詩頌曰：「貽我來牟。 」詩大雅曰：「濟濟多士。 」又曰：「惟此文王，小心翼翼。 」又曰：「奉璋峨峨。」
Yuan shen qi: Yuechang pheasant under Cheng. Zhu wu is the crimson crow. Shang shu zhong hou: red crow at Mengjin. Xuan ju is black glutinous millet. The Greater Ya praises fine grain. Yellow grain here is wheat. The crow brought barley stalks. The Zhou song mentions barley gift. The Greater Ya praises many ministers. Wen is called cautious. Bear jade cups aloft.
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注[八]詩大雅曰：「昭明有融。 」寅，敬也。 尚書曰：「嚴恭寅畏。 」聿，述也。 懷，思也。 詩大雅曰：「昭事上帝，聿懷多福。 」貽，遺也。 燕，安也。 後昆，子孫也。 言此並以光寵神靈文王、武王之德，遺燕安於子孫也。 詩大雅曰：「貽厥孫謀，以燕翼子。 」覆猶重也。 懿、鑠，並美也。 詩大雅曰：「我求懿德。 」又曰：「於鑠王師。 」言詩人歌頌周之盛德，當成康之時。 其成王、康王，豈獨為身而有自專之辭也，並上寵文武之業，下遺子孫之基也。 言今章帝既獲符瑞之應，亦宜同成康之事也。
Commentary [8]: bright merging light. Yin is grave respect. The Shang shu stresses solemn awe. Yu means to carry on. Huai is mindful care. Serve God to win blessing. Yi means bequeath. Yan is repose. Hou kun are later heirs. These acts honored Wen and Wu and left peace to heirs. The Greater Ya on leaving plans for children. Fu means heaped or double. Yi and shuo both mean fine praise. Seeking fine virtue. Praising the royal host. Poets hymned Zhou at Cheng and Kang height. Cheng and Kang did not boast for self; they exalted ancestors and heirs. Zhangdi with such omens should follow Cheng and Kang.
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注[九]受之謂漢受此符瑞也。 說文曰：「恁，念也。 」音人甚反。 旅，陳也。 充，當也。 恭肅之館謂廟中也。 金縢，以金緘匱，藏符瑞之書於其中也。 御猶陳也。 東序，東廂也。 秘寶謂河圖之屬。 尚書曰：「天球河圖在東序。 」孔安國注曰：「河圖，八卦是也。 」言啟金縢之書及河圖之卦以佔之也。 流猶□也。
Commentary [9]: accepting the portents means Han. Shuowen: ren is to ponder. Fanqie ren-shen. Lu means to set forth. Chong means to meet the charge. The reverent hall is the ancestral shrine. The metal-bound coffer held omen documents. Yu means to lay out. Eastern sequence is the east wing. Secret treasures include the Hetu. The Shang shu places the chart in the east hall. Kong Anguo: Hetu is the eight trigrams. Open coffer and chart to divine. Liu here means to pour forth or apply.
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夫圖書亮章，天哲也； 孔猷先命，聖孚也； 體行德本，正性也； 逢吉丁辰，景命也。 [一]順命以創製，定性以和神，荅三靈之繁祉，展放唐之明文，茲事體大而允，寤寐次於聖心。 瞻前顧後，豈蔑清廟憚□天乎？ [二]伊考自邃古，乃降戾爰茲，作者七十有四人，有不俾而假素，罔光度而遺章，今其如台而獨闕也！ [三]注[一]圖書，河圖、洛書也。 亮，信。 章，明。 哲，智。 言天授圖書者，為天子所知也。 孔。 孔丘也。 猷，圖也。 孚，信也。 言孔丘之圖，先命漢家當須封禪，此聖人之信也。 體行猶躬行也。 孔子曰：「夫孝，德之本也。 」易曰：「幹道變化，各正性命。 」丁，當也。 辰，時也。 景，大也。 逢休吉之代，當封禪之時，此為天子之大命也。
Charts and books shine with heaven wit; Kong plan foreordained — sage faith; acting the root of virtue — true nature; meeting lucky hour — the great charge. [1] Obey heaven to set rites, harmonize gods, answer three powers, model Yao — vast, sure, ever in the sage mind. Would you scorn the temple and fear heaven mandate? [2] Since antiquity seventy-four rulers fengshan; none who could glorify the code skipped it — why alone omit it? [3] Commentary [1]: charts and writings are river and Luo books. Liang is faithful. Zhang is clear. Zhe is sagely wisdom. Heaven books are revealed to the sovereign. Kong: Kong is Confucius. You is a charted plan. Fu is reliability. Confucian prophecy fixed Han fengshan as sage pledge. Ti xing is to live the teaching. Xiao jing: filial piety is virtue root. The Yi says qian transforms each nature. Ding means to meet. Chen is the timely hour. Jing means great mandate. Good age plus fengshan moment is the sovereign great destiny.
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注[二]命謂符瑞也。 荅，對也。 三靈，天地人之神也。 繁，多也。 祉，福也。 展，陳也。 放，效也，音甫往反。 效唐堯之文，謂封禪也。 尚書琁璣鈐曰：「平制禮樂，於唐之文。 」茲事謂封禪之事，大而且信。 次，止也。 寤寐常止於聖心，言不可忘之也。 前謂前代帝王，後謂子孫也。 蔑，輕也。 憚，難也。 □，正也。 言封禪之事，皆述祖宗之德，今乃推讓，豈輕清廟而難正天命乎？ 尚書曰：「□天之命，惟時惟幾。」
Commentary [2]: charge means portents. Da is to respond. The three numina are heaven, earth, man. Fan means abundant. Zhi is good fortune. Zhan is to display. Fang is to model; fanqie fu-wang. Modeling Yao is the fengshan rite. Apocryphon on Tang-pattern ritual. The matter is fengshan: grand and sure. Ci means to lodge or rest. It never leaves the sage waking or sleeping. Before is past kings; after is posterity. Mie is to treat lightly. Dan is to shrink from difficulty. The gloss means to set heaven mandate aright. Fengshan hymns ancestors; to defer is to slight the temple and dodge heaven charge. The Shang shu urges holding Heaven mandate in the nick of time.
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注[三]伊，維也。 邃古猶遠古也。 楚詞曰：「邃古之初。 」戾，至也。 言自遠古以來至於此也。 作者，諸封禪者。 史記管仲曰：「自古封禪七十二君。 」並武帝及光武為七十四君。 俾，使也。 有天下不使其封禪，而假為竹素之文者，無有光揚法度而□其文章，不封禪者也。 台，我也。 今其如我何獨闕也。
Yi is the particle "indeed." Sui gu means farthest antiquity. Chu ci opens with deep antiquity. Li means reaching here. From remotest ages to now. Performers are fengshan rulers. Guan Zhong counts seventy-two fengshan lords. Adding Han Wudi and Guangwu yields seventy-four. Bi means to make someone act. Some kings faked fengshan on paper; none who truly spread the law skipped the rite. Tai is the pronoun "I." How can we alone stand aside?
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是時聖上固已垂精游神，包舉蓺文，屢訪腢儒，諭咨故老，與之乎斟酌道德之淵源，餚核仁義之林藪，以望元符之臻焉。 [一]既成腢後之讜辭，又悉經五繇之碩慮矣。 將絣萬嗣，煬洪暉，奮景炎，扇遺風，播芳烈，久而愈新，用而不竭，汪汪乎丕天之大律，其疇能□之哉？ 唐哉皇哉，皇哉唐哉！ [二]注[一]聖上謂章帝也。 諭，告； 咨，謨也。 道德仁義，人所常行，故以酒食為諭焉。 淵源，林藪，諭深邃也。 元，天也。 符，瑞也。 詩曰：「餚核惟旅。 」核亦核也，謂果實之屬。
Zhangdi already ranged his mind over learning, asked elders, tasted the Way, and awaited the great portent. [1] Ministers had spoken plain truth; the five divination threads were weighed. He will pass glory to heirs, fan old virtue, burn bright — deep as heaven law; who can plumb it? Tang splendor! Han splendor! Han splendor! Tang splendor! [2] Commentary [1]: the sage above is Zhangdi. Yu is to instruct; zi is to consult plans. Morals are likened to a feast. Springs and thickets image depth. Yuan is heaven. Fu is a portent. The Odes line on many dishes. He means fruit kernels.
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注[二]讜，直言也。 繇，兆辭，音冑。 左傳曰：「先王卜征五年而歲習其祥，不習則增修其德而改卜。 」碩，大也。 慮，思也。 廣雅曰：「絣，續也，音方萌反。 」景，大也。 炎謂火德。 汪汪猶深也。 今文尚書太誓篇曰：「立功立事，可以永年，丕天之大律。 」鄭玄注云：「丕，大也。 律，法也。 」疇，誰也。 □猶竟也。 唐哉謂堯也。 皇哉謂漢也。 言唯唐與漢，唯漢與唐。
Commentary [2]: dang is candid words. Yao is oracle wording; read zhou. Zuo zhuan on five-year campaign divination. Shuo means large-scale. Lu is deliberation. Guang ya: bing continues; fanqie fang-meng. Jing means vast. Yan is fire virtue blaze. Wang wang is abysmally deep. Jin wen Tai shi praises heaven great norm. Zheng Xuan: pi is great. Lu is the pattern or law. Chou asks "who." The gloss means to exhaust or finish. Tang zai acclaims Yao. Huang zai acclaims Han. Only Yao age and Han match each other.
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固後以母喪去官。 永元初，大將軍竇憲出征匈奴，以固為中護軍，與參議。 北單于聞漢軍出，遣使款居延塞，欲修呼韓邪故事，朝見天子，請大使。 憲上遣固行中郎將事，將數百騎與虜使俱出居延塞迎之。 會南匈奴掩破北庭，[一]固至私渠海，聞虜中亂，引還。 及竇憲敗，固先坐免官。 注[一]永元二年，南單于出雞鹿塞擊北匈奴於河雲，大破之。
Ban Gu later resigned for his mother funeral. Yongyuan opened with Dou Xian naming Ban Gu central hu jun. The northern Shanyu asked for parity with Huhanye and a chief envoy. Dou Xian sent Ban Gu as zhonglang jiang to meet them at Juyan. [1] Southern Xiongnu smashed the north; Ban Gu turned back at Siquhai. When Dou fell, Ban Gu was stripped of rank first. Yongyuan 2: southern raid at Heyun.
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固不教學諸子，諸子多不遵法度，吏人苦之。 初，洛陽令種兢嘗行，固奴干其車騎，吏椎呼之，奴醉罵，兢大怒，畏憲不敢發，心銜之。 及竇氏賓客皆逮考，兢因此捕系固，遂死獄中。 時年六十一。 詔以譴責兢，抵主者吏罪。
Ban Gu neglected his sons discipline; officials suffered. Chong Jing was insulted by Ban slave but feared Dou Xian. When Dou fell, Chong Jing jailed Ban Gu, who died there. He was sixty-one. The court rebuked Chong Jing and punished clerks.
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固所著典引、賓戲、應譏、詩、賦、銘、誄、頌、書、文、記、論、議、六言，在者凡四十一篇。
Forty-one of his works survive.
151
論曰：司馬遷、班固父子，其言史官載籍之作，大義粲然著矣。 議者咸稱二子有良史之才。 遷文直而事核，固文贍而事詳。 若固之序事，不激詭，不抑抗，[一]贍而不穢，詳而有體，使讀之者亹亹而不猒，信哉其能成名也。 [二]彪、固譏遷，以為是非頗謬於聖人。 [三]然其論議常排死節，否正直，而不廝殺身成仁之為美，[四]則輕仁義，賤守節愈矣。 [五]固傷遷博物洽聞，不能以智免極刑； [六]然亦身陷大戮，[七]智及之而不能守之。 [八]嗚呼，古人所以致論於目睫也！ [九]
The essay says Sima Qian and the Ban family clarified historiography. Critics praised both as master historians. Sima is lean and true; Ban is rich and full. [1] Ban narrative stays even, rich but clean, detailed yet shaped — readers never tire. [2] The Bans faulted Sima for straying from Confucius. [3] Yet they slighted martyrdom and upright death worse than Sima. [5] Ban pitied Sima learning yet suffering mutilation; [6] yet Ban too died violently, [7] wise yet unable to save himself. [8] Hence the ancients spoke of lashes and eyes. Ninth note marker closing the disquisition.
152
注[一]激，揚也。 詭，毀也。 抑，退也。 抗，進也。
Ji is to heighten praise. Gui is to tear down. Yi is to suppress. Kang is to elevate.
153
注[二]爾雅曰，亹亹猶勉也。
Commentary [2]: wei wei is tireless reading.
154
注[三]言遷所是非皆與聖人乖謬，即崇黃老而薄五經，輕仁義而賤守節是也。
Commentary [3]: Sima favored Daoism, slighted Confucian virtue.
155
注[四]固序遊俠傳曰：「劇孟、郭解之徒，馳騖於閭閻，雖其陷於刑辟，自與殺身成名，若季路、仇牧*[死]*而不悔也。 古之正法：五伯，三王之罪人； 六國，五伯之罪人； 四豪者，又六國之罪人。 況於郭解之倫，以匹夫之細，竊殺生之權，其罪不容於誅也。」
Commentary [4]: Ban preface compares bravoes to martyrs. Ancient law: hegemons sinned against kings; Warring states sinned against hegemons; Four bravoes sinned against the states. Petty bravoes seizing kill-power deserved death.
156
注[五]愈猶甚也。 注[六]謂下蠶室。 注[七]此已上略華嶠之辭。
Commentary [5]: yu is "still more." Commentary [6]: mutilation in silkworm house. Commentary [7]: paraphrases Hua Qiao.
157
注[八]論語孔子之言也。 言有智而不能自守其身。
Commentary [8]: Analects saying. Wit without self-preservation.
158
注[九]史記齊使者至越，曰：「幸也越之不亡也。 吾不貴其智之如目，見豪毛而不見其睫也。 今越王知晉之失計，不自知越人之過，是目論也。 」言班固譏遷被刑，而不知身自遇禍。
Commentary [9]: Qi envoy eyelash parable. Eyes see lashes on others, not own lashes. Yue sees Jin error, not own fault. Ban mocked Sima fate yet shared it.
159
贊曰：二班懷文，裁成帝墳。 [一]比良遷、董，[二]兼麗卿、雲。 [三]彪識皇命，固迷世紛。 注[一]沈約宋書曰：「初，謝儼作此贊，云『裁成典墳』，以示範曄，曄改為『帝墳』。」
The eulogy: both Bans shaped the imperial archive. [1] In stature they match Sima Qian and Dong Hu; [2] in eloquence they rival Sima Xiangru and Yang Xiong. [3] Biao read the royal mandate; Ban Gu drowned in the intrigues of his day.
160
注[二]謂司馬遷、董狐也。 左傳曰：「董狐，古之良史也。」
Fan Ye altered Xie Yan line from dian to di tombs. Commentary [2]: Qian and Dong Hu.
161
注[三]司馬長卿、楊子雲。
The Zuo zhuan calls Dong Hu a model scribe.
162
校勘記
Commentary [3]: Xiangru and Yang Xiong.
163
一三五九頁三行主人喟然而歎曰按：文選「主人」上有「東都」二字。 張森楷校勘記謂案上卷小題下稱「自『東都主人』以下分為下卷」，是本有「東都」字也，不知何故逸去。
Collation: Dunhuang or Wen xuan adds "Eastern Capital" before host. Zhang notes the lower scroll title implied those words.
164
一三五九頁四行奮布衣以登皇極按：校補謂文選「極」作「位」。
Variant: Wen xuan reads position for throne.
165
一三五九頁五行前聖靡得而言焉按：校補謂文選無「而」字。
Wen xuan omits "and" before speak.
166
一三五九頁五行討有逆而順人按：「討」原斗「計」，逕據汲本、殿本改正，注同。
Early prints miswrote the word for punitive campaign as reckoning; Ji and Palace editions restore the correct graph, including commentary.
167
一三五九頁七行監乎* (泰) **[太]*清按：「泰」當作「太」，此後人回改之誤，文選正作「太」，今據改。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
168
一三五九頁八行以變子之或志按：李慈銘謂文選「或」作「惑」。 或惑古字通。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints.
169
一三五九頁一０行昭襄昭王襄王也按：文選注引史記「秦武王卒，無子，立異母弟，是為昭襄王」。 張森楷校勘記謂秦有昭襄王、莊襄王，昭襄或只稱「昭王」，無只稱「襄王」者，此「昭襄」即昭襄王，文選注是，此非。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints. Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
170
一三六０頁四行時豈奢泰而安之哉按：汲本、殿本「泰」作「侈」。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
171
一三六一頁一行作舟車按：校補謂文選「車」作「輿」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
172
一三六一頁一行斯軒轅氏之所以開帝功也按：校補謂文選「斯」下有「乃」字。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
173
一三六一頁二行應天順* (民) **[人]*按：「民」當作「人」，此後人回改之誤。 文選正作「人」，今據改。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
174
一三六一頁二行有殷宗中興之則焉按：「宗」原作「室」，逕據汲本、殿本改正。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
175
一三六一頁四行妙古昔而論功按：文選「妙」作「眇」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
176
一三六二頁一二行洛邑地埶之中也按：陳景雲謂據偽孔傳，「之中」當作「正中」。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
177
一三六三頁五行翩翩巍巍顯顯翼翼按：王先謙謂文選作「扇巍巍，顯翼翼」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
178
一三六三頁七行順流泉而為沼按：校補謂文選「順」作「填」，注雲昭明諱順，故改為「填」。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
179
一三六三頁一０行鳳蓋颯灑按：「颯灑」文選作「棽麗」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
180
一三六三頁一０行祲威盛容按：集解引沉欽韓說，謂「祲」當從文選作「寢」，言寢兵威而盛禮容也。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
181
一三六三頁一二行吐爓生風按：「爓」原斗「爛」，逕據殿本、集解本改正。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
182
一三六三頁一二行吹野燎山按：校補謂文選作「欱野歕山」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
183
一三六三頁一四行以命三驅按：王先謙謂文選「以命」作「申令」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
184
一三六三頁一四行輕車霆發按：校補謂文選作「輶車霆激」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
185
一三六三頁一四行遊基發射按：校補謂文選「游」作「由」，游與由同。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
186
一三六三頁一四行轡不詭遇汲本、殿本「轡」作「彎」，注同。 按：此承上「范氏施御」言，作「轡」是，文選亦作「轡」。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
187
一三六四頁一行* (御) **[覲]*明堂據殿本改。 按：依注當作「覲」，文選亦作「覲」。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
188
一三六四頁三行瞰四裔而抗稜按：汲本、殿本「稜」作「稜」，文選亦作「稜」。 注同。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints.
189
一三六四頁三行南趯朱垠按：校補謂文選「趯」作「耀」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
190
一三六四頁四行自孝武所不能征孝宣所不能臣按：校補謂文選作「自孝武之所不征，孝宣之所未臣」。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
191
一三六四頁六行外接百蠻按：校補謂文選「接」作「綏」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
192
一三六四頁六行乃盛禮樂供帳置乎雲龍之庭按：李慈銘謂文選作「爾乃盛禮興樂」，以樂字讀句。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
193
一三六四頁八行太師奏樂按：「太」原斗「泰」，逕據殿本改正。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
194
一三六四頁九行仱樹兜離按：李慈銘謂文選「仱樹」作「僸樹」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
195
一三六四頁一二行始服* (冕) *冠*[冕]*衣裳據汲本改，與明帝紀合。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
196
一三六四頁一三行敷布也按：「敷」原斗「舖」，逕改正。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
197
一三六六頁一０行霆激電騖並言疾也汲本、殿本「霆激」作「霆發」。 按：正文「輕車霆發」，文選作「輶車霆激」，觀此注，似章懷所見本正文亦作「霆激」也。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
198
一三六六頁一一行則* (揮) **[搏]*而嬉據汲本、殿本改。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
199
一三六六頁一一行范氏趙之御人也按：集解引惠棟說，謂文選李善注引括地圖雲，夏德盛，二龍降之，禹使范氏御之以行經南方。 章懷以范氏為趙之御人，引孟子以證之，誤甚。 又按：校補謂范氏自當為夏之御人，此「趙」字疑涉下「趙簡子」而誤。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints. Editors align this line with Li Xian commentary and record emendations. Editors align this line with Jiao bu and record emendations.
200
一三六六頁一二行吾為范氏驅馳汲本、殿本「范氏」作「范我」。 校補引侯康說，謂「『范我』當作『范氏』，章懷引此，正以注『范氏施御』句也。 孫宣公孟子音義雲『范我』或作『范氏』。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Editors align this line with Jiao bu and record emendations. Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
201
孟堅此賦皆用孟子，故章懷引孟子以證之」。 今按：趙岐本孟子與今本孟子同作「范我」，且下引趙岐注「范，法也」，則章懷注原亦作「范我」。 校補謂「侯氏謂孟堅實用孟子或作本，是也，當時亦並無趙岐本也。 至章懷之引孟子，並引趙注以釋『范』字，實仍為『范我』，並非『范氏』，特引之專為說下『轡不詭遇』，原別為一義」。
Editors align this line with Li Xian commentary and record emendations. Critical apparatus compares Li Xian commentary and records how editions diverge or fix misprints. Editors align this line with Jiao bu and record emendations. Critical apparatus compares Li Xian commentary and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
202
一三六六頁一三行趙岐注曰范法也按：「范」當作「范」。 參閱上條校記。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
203
一三六七頁一０行*[日]*食於三朝之會據汲本、殿本補。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
204
一三六七頁一六行食舉* (為) **[謂]*當食舉樂也據汲本、殿本改。 按：為謂本通，此以作「謂」為是。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
205
一三六七頁一七行太師掌六律六呂按：「呂」原斗「同」，逕據汲本、殿本改正。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
206
一三六八頁四行太古遠古也按：「太」原斗「泰」，逕據汲本、殿本改正。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
207
一三六八頁九行於是聖上* (親) **[鶯]*萬方之歡娛按：文選「親」作「鶯」，王先謙謂作「鶯」是。 今據改。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints.
208
一三六八頁九行久沐浴乎膏澤按：校補謂文選「久」作「又」，「乎」作「於」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
209
一三六八頁一一行除工商之淫業興農桑之上務按：校補謂文選「除」作「抑」，「上」作「盛」。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
210
一三六八頁一二行賤奇麗而不珍按：校補謂文選「不」作「弗」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
211
一三六八頁一三行耳目不營按：校補謂文選「不」作「弗」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
212
一三六九頁六行捐珠玉於五湖之川按：「湖」原斗「胡」，逕改正。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
213
一三六九頁一０行平帝立* (舉) *學官據刊誤刪。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Kan wu and record emendations.
214
一三七０頁一一行圖書之泉按：「泉」本作「淵」，避唐諱改，殿本回改作「淵」。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
215
一三七一頁二行今將喻子五篇之詩按：校補謂文選作「今將授子以五篇之詩」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
216
一三七一頁一四行率土之賓按：汲本、殿本「賓」作「濱」。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
217
一三七四頁一四行豈* (同) **[可]*逆詐示猜殿本「同」作「可」，王先謙謂作「可」是。 今據改。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints.
218
一三七五頁八行典而不實按：校補謂文選「不」作「亡」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
219
一三七五頁一四行同於草昧按：汲本、殿本「於」作「乎」，文選作「於」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
220
一三七五頁一五行厥有氏號紹天闡繹者按：校補謂文選無「者」字。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
221
一三七六頁一行蔡邕曰* (鞭) **[絪]*縕據汲本、殿本改。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
222
一三七六頁一二行以冠德卓蹤者按：校補謂文選「蹤」作「絕」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
223
一三七六頁一三行虞亦命夏後按：校補謂文選「虞」上仍有「有」字。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
224
一三七六頁一六行雖前*[聖]*戲夔衡旦密勿之輔據汲本、殿本補。 按：文選無「前聖」二字。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
225
一三七六頁一六行辰居其域文選「辰」作「宸」。 按：校補謂「辰居」本論語，作「宸」者借通耳，其本字仍當作「辰」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations. Editors align this line with Jiao bu and record emendations.
226
一三七八頁三行高祖聚彤雲於碭山按：「碭」原斗「碭」，逕改正。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
227
一三七九頁一行同受侯甸之所服按：校補謂文選無「所」字。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
228
一三七九頁一行以伯方統牧按：校補謂文選「伯方」作「方伯」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
229
一三七九頁一行乘其命賜彤弧黃戚之威用討韋顧黎崇之不格挌：校補謂文選「戚」作「鉞」，「格」作「恪」。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
230
一三七九頁三行是故義士偉而不敦按：校補謂文選「偉」作「華」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
231
一三七九頁三行然猶於穆猗那按：校補謂文選「然」作「亦」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
232
一三七九頁一四行京* (師) *京都也據刊誤刪。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Kan wu and record emendations.
233
一三八０頁一二行慝亡迥而不泯按：校補謂文選「慝」作「匿」，「迥」作「回」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
234
一三八０頁一四行厥道至乎經緯乾坤按：校補謂文選「厥道」二字連上為句，「乎」作「於」。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints.
235
一三八０頁一四行內浸豪芒按：校補謂文選「浸」作「沾」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
236
一三八０頁一六行漢承唐* (虞) **[堯]*之基按：刊誤謂註解「唐基」耳，何故輒出「虞」字，明當作「堯」。 今據改。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Kan wu and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints.
237
一三八一頁九行品物萬殊按：「殊」原斗「物」，逕改正。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
238
一三八一頁一０行乃始虔鞏勞* (讓) **[謙]*據汲本、殿本改。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations.
239
一三八一頁一一行而禮官儒林屯朋篤論之士而不傳祖宗之彷彿按：校補謂文選「朋」作「用」，「論」作「誨」。 又毛刻文選蔡邕注本「屯」作「純」，「不傳」上無「而」字。 又按：「彷彿」汲本、殿本作「彷彿」，注同，文選作「髣□」。
Critical apparatus compares Wen xuan and records how editions diverge or fix misprints. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
240
一三八二頁六行是以* (鳳皇) *來儀集羽族於觀魏文選無「鳳皇」二字。 沉家本謂以下文例之，無者是。 今據刪。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations. Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints.
241
一三八二頁八行羨溢乎要荒按：校補謂文選「羨」作「洋」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
242
一三八二頁一一行宜亦勸恁旅力按：校補謂文選「宜亦」作「亦宜」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
243
一三八三頁四行肉角謂麟也按：「麟」原斗「鱗」，逕改正。
Editors align this line with early prints and record emendations.
244
一三八四頁七行定性以和神按：校補謂文選作「因定以和神」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
245
一三八四頁八行憚□天乎按：校補謂文選「天」下有「命」字。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
246
一三八四頁八行伊考自邃古按：「邃」原斗「遂」，逕據汲本、殿本改正。 注同。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Variant note; compare early prints.
247
一三八五頁四行與之乎斟酌道德之淵源按：校補謂文選無「乎」字。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
248
一三八五頁五行既成腢後之讜辭按：校補謂文選「成」作「感」。
Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.
249
一三八五頁六行奮景炎汲本、殿本「景炎」作「炎景」。 按：文選作「景炎」。
Editors align this line with Ji and Palace editions and record emendations. Editors align this line with Wen xuan and record emendations.