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序
Preface
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夫文以化成,惟聖之高義; 行而不遠,前史之格言。 是以溫洛禎圖,綠字元其丕業; 苑山靈篆,金簡成其帝載。 既而書契之道聿興,鐘石之文逾廣,移風俗于王化,崇孝敬于人倫,經緯乾坤,彌綸中外,故知文之時義大哉遠矣!
Writing is what shapes civilization through moral transformation—the supreme teaching of the sages. What fails to spread far will not last—a truth the histories hammer home again and again. Hence the prophetic charts drawn from the Luo and the mystic green script that founded their mighty reign. Spirit-seal writing on Mount Yuan, imperial deeds engraved on golden slips—the lore that crowned their rule. Then came the full flowering of written records; inscriptions on bells and stones multiplied; literature reshaped folkways under royal civilizing influence and upheld filial duty within the bonds of kin; it structured heaven and earth and spanned all within the realm and beyond—so we see how immense, how enduring, is the meaning of letters in their age.
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洎姬曆雲季,歌頌滋繁,荀宋之流,導源自遠,總金羈而齊騖,揚玉軑而並馳,言泉會於九流,交律詣於六變。 自時已降,軌躅同趨,西都賈馬,耀靈蛇于掌握,東漢班張,發雕龍於綈槧,俱標稱首,咸推雄伯。 逮乎當塗基命,文宗鬱起,三祖葉其高韻,七子分其麗則,《翰林》總其菁華,《典論》詳其澡絢,彬蔚之美,競爽當年。 獨彼陳王,思風遒舉,備乎典奧,懸諸日月。
By the twilight of Zhou rule, hymns and praise poetry had grown lush; masters such as Xun Qing and Song Yu carried that tradition from remote antiquity—writers who coursed together like matched teams, whose eloquence poured into every school of thought and whose regulated verse mastered every tonal shift. Afterward writers trod the same path: at Chang'an, Jia Yi and Sima Xiangru wielded prose like the luminous serpent in legend; in Later Han, Ban Gu and Zhang Heng carved draconic brilliance onto their drafts—each claimed the summit of renown and won universal acclaim as a literary lord. Once Wei inherited Heaven's charge, a galaxy of writers arose: its founding rulers set the pitch of high style, the Seven Masters of Jian'an each refined its grace; the Hanlin anthology distilled their essence, Cao Pi's Dianlun anatomized their craft—never had lettered beauty flourished so fiercely in one generation. Only Prince Chen set his genius soaring—fully steeped in the canon, a brilliance that stands beside sun and moon.
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及金行纂極,文雅斯盛,張載擅銘山之美,陸機挺焚研之奇,潘夏連輝,頡頏名輩,並綜采繁縟,杼軸清英,窮廣內之青編,緝平臺之麗曲,嘉聲茂跡,陳諸別傳。 至於吉甫、太沖,江右之才傑; 曹毗、庾闡,中興之時秀。 信乃金相玉潤,林薈川沖,埒美前修,垂裕來葉。 今撰其鴻筆之彥,著之《文苑》云。
Once Jin took the mandate, literature bloomed: Zhang Zai memorialized mountains with unmatched grace; Lu Ji wrung marvels from inkstones half consumed by flame; Pan Yue and Xia Tong matched radiance with the greatest names of their day; each lavishly embroidered yet kept the shuttle bright, mining the imperial stacks for lore and weaving Ping Terrace songs—their fuller stories appear in separate traditions. Consider Ying Zhen (Jifu) and Zuo Si (Taichong)—stars among the writers south of the river; and Cao Pi together with Yu Chan—the finest Eastern Jin had to offer at its revival. They truly combined bronze resonance with polished jade—learning broad as a grove, depth like a river—matching the old masters and leaving an inheritance for ages to come. Here we gather the foremost wielders of the brush and set them down under the heading "Literary Garden."
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應貞
Ying Zhen
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應貞,字吉甫,汝南南頓人,魏侍中璩之子也。 自漢至魏,世以文章顯,軒冕相襲,為郡盛族。 貞善談論,以才學稱。 夏侯玄有盛名,貞詣玄,玄甚重之。 舉高第,頻曆顯位。 武帝為撫軍大將軍,以為參軍。 及踐阼,遷給事中。 帝于華林園宴射,貞賦詩最美。 其辭曰:悠悠太上,人之厥初。 皇極肇建,彝倫攸敷。 五德更運,應錄受符。 陶唐既謝,天曆在虞。 于時上帝,乃顧惟眷。 光我晉祚,應期納禪。 位以龍飛,文以豹變。 玄澤滂流,仁風潛扇。 區內宅心,方隅回面。 天垂其象,地耀其文。 鳳鳴朝陽,龍翔景雲。 嘉禾重穎,蓂莢載芬。 率土咸寧,人胥悅欣。 恢恢皇度,穆穆聖容。 言思其允,貌思其恭。 在視斯明。 在聽斯聰。 登庸以德,明試以功。 其恭惟何? 昧旦丕顯。 無義不經,無理不踐。 行舍其華,言去其辯。 遊心至虛,同規易簡。 六府孔修,九有來踐。 澤罔不被,化莫不加。 聲教南暨,西漸流沙。 幽人肆險,遠國忘遐; 越常重譯,充牣皇家。 峨峨列辟,赫赫武臣。 內和五品,外威四賓。 順時貢職,入覲天人。 備言錫命,羽蓋硃輪。 貽宴好會,不常厥數。 神心所授,不言而喻。 于時肆射,弓矢斯具。 發彼互的,有酒斯飫。 文武之道,厥猷未墜。 在昔先王,射御茲器。 示武懼荒,過則有失。 凡厥羣后,無懈於位。
Ying Zhen, courtesy name Jifu, came from Nandun in Runan and was the son of Ying Qu, Palace Attendant of Wei. For generations from Han through Wei the family had risen on literary talent; rank followed rank until they stood among the commandery's greatest houses. Ying Zhen excelled at debate and was celebrated for his erudition. Xiahou Xuan's fame was immense; when Ying Zhen called on him, Xuan treated him with marked respect. He ranked at the top of his cohort and rose through a series of prominent posts. While Emperor Wu still held the title General Who Guards the Army, he named Ying Zhen army adjutant. When the emperor took the throne, Ying Zhen became a palace attendant. During an archery banquet at Hualin Garden, Ying Zhen's poem outshone every other. The poem begins: from remotest antiquity came mankind's earliest beginnings. The royal center was first established, and the enduring norms of human conduct were laid out. The succession of the Five Virtues turned, and Heaven's register matched as the mandate token was received. When Yao of Tao Tang passed from the stage, Heaven's succession passed to Shun of Yu. Then the Lord on High turned His gaze and showed His favor. He brightened the house of Jin and, at the appointed time, received the abdication of the throne. The throne was taken like a dragon soaring, and culture was renewed like a leopard changing its spots. Dark beneficence poured forth in abundance, and a humane breeze quietly stirred. All within the realm gave their hearts, and from every quarter faces turned toward the throne. Heaven displayed its signs, and earth gleamed with its patterned brilliance. The phoenix sang facing the morning sun, and the dragon soared amid glorious clouds. Excellent grain bore double heads, and auspicious pods spread their fragrance. All under Heaven was at peace, and every man rejoiced. The imperial way was broad and far-reaching, and the sage sovereign's bearing was grave and serene. In speech he sought truthfulness, and in demeanor he sought reverence. In what he saw, he was luminous. In what he heard, he was penetrating. He promoted men by virtue and clearly tested them by merit. What was the nature of his reverence? Before dawn he was already at work, making his virtue brilliantly plain. No principle of righteousness went unuttered, and no right path went unfollowed. In conduct he set aside mere ornament, and in speech he put away empty rhetoric. His heart rested in utmost emptiness, and all followed the same rule of ease and simplicity. The six treasuries were fully ordered, and the nine regions all came to follow his rule. His bounty reached everywhere, and his transforming power touched all. Civilizing influence spread to the south and westward even to the Flowing Sands. Recluses abandoned their strongholds, and distant lands forgot how far away they were; Yuechang sent envoys through repeated interpreters, thronging the imperial court. The feudal lords stood towering in rank, and martial ministers shone in splendor. Within he harmonized the five grades of kin, and without he overawed the four frontier peoples. At the proper seasons they paid tribute and came to court to behold the Son of Heaven. Edicts of appointment were lavishly bestowed, with feathered canopies and vermilion wheels marking their honors. He lavished feasts and cordial gatherings without counting how often. What the divine heart conveyed needed no words to make it understood. Then came the archery display, with bows and arrows all ready. They loosed arrows at the layered targets, and wine was there for all to enjoy. The way of wen and wu had not yet fallen from practice. In antiquity the former kings practiced archery and charioteering with such gear. They showed martial readiness to guard against decadence, for excess brings failure. Let all the assembled lords never slacken in their duties.
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初置太子中庶子官,貞與護軍長史孔恂俱為之。 後遷散騎常侍,以儒學與太尉荀顗撰定新禮,未施行。 泰始五年卒,文集行於世。
When the crown prince's junior mentorate was first established, Ying Zhen and Kong Xun, chief clerk of the Army Guard, were the first to hold the post. He later became a cavalier attendant-in-ordinary and, as a Confucian scholar, helped Grand Commandant Xun Yi draft a new ritual code that never came into force. In the fifth year of Taishi, he died, leaving a literary collection that circulated widely.
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弟純。 純子紹,永嘉中,至黃門郎,為東海王越所害。 純弟秀,秀子詹,自有傳。
His younger brother Ying Chun: Ying Chun's son Ying Shao rose to palace attendant under the Yellow Gates in the Yongjia years and was put to death by Sima Yue, the Prince of Donghai. Ying Chun's brother Ying Xiu and Xiu's son Ying Zhan are biographed elsewhere.
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成公綏
Cheng Gongshui
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成公綏,字子安,東郡白馬人也。 幼而聰敏,博涉經傳。 性寡欲,不營資產,家貧歲饑,常晏如也。 少有俊才,詞賦甚麗,閑默自守,不求聞達。 時有孝烏,每集其廬舍,綏謂有反哺之德,以為祥禽,乃作賦美之,文多不載。 又以「賦者貴能分賦物理,敷演無方,天地之盛,可以致思矣。 曆觀古人未之有賦,豈獨以至麗無文,難以辭贊; 不然,何其闕哉?」 遂為《天地賦》曰:惟自然之初載兮,道虛無而玄清,太素紛以溷淆兮,始有物而混成,何元一之芒昧兮,廓開闢而著形。 爾乃清濁剖分,玄黃判離。 太極既殊,是生兩儀,星辰煥列,日月重規,天動以尊,地靜以卑,昏明迭照,或盈或虧,陰陽協氣而代謝,寒暑隨時而推移。 三才殊性,五行異位,千變萬化,繁育庶類,授之以形,稟之以氣。 色表文采,聲有音律,覆載無方,流形品物。 鼓以雷霆,潤以慶雲,八風翱翔,六氣氤氳。 蚑行蠕動,方聚類分,鱗殊族別,羽毛異群,各含精而熔冶,咸受范于陶鈞,何滋育之罔極兮,偉造化之至神! 若天懸象成文,列宿有章,三辰燭耀,五緯重光,河漢委蛇而帶天,虹蜺偃蹇於昊蒼,望舒彌節於九道,義和正轡于中黃,眾星回而環極,招搖運而指方,白獸峙據於參伐,青龍垂尾于心房,玄龜匿首於女虛,硃鳥奮翼于注張,帝皇正坐于紫宮,輔臣列位於文昌,垣屏駱驛而珠連,三台差池而雁翔,軒轅華布而曲列,攝提鼎峙而相望。 若乃徵瑞表祥,災變呈異,交會薄蝕,抱暈帶珥,流逆犯曆,譴悟象事,蓬容著而妖害生,老人形而主受喜,天矢黃而國吉祥,彗孛發而世所忌。 爾乃旁觀四極,俯察地理,川瀆浩汗而分流,山嶽磊落而羅峙,滄海沆漭而四周,懸圃隆崇而特起,昆吾嘉於南極,燭龍曜於北址,扶桑高於萬仞,尋木長於千里,昆侖鎮于陰隅,赤縣據於辰巳。 於是八十一域,區分方別; 風乖俗異,險斷阻絕,萬國羅布,九州並列。 青冀白壤,荊衡塗泥,海岱赤埴,華梁青黎,兗帶河洛,揚有江淮。 辯方正土,經略建邦,王圻九服,列國一同,連城比邑,深池高墉,康衢交路,四達五通。 東至陽穀,西極泰濛,南暨丹砲,北盡空同。 遐方外區,絕域殊鄰,人首蛇軀,烏翼龍身,衣毛被羽,或介或鱗,棲林浮水,若獸若人,居於大荒之外,處於巨海之濱。 於是六合混一而同宅,宇宙結體而括囊,渾元運流而無窮,陰陽循度而率常,回動糾紛而乾乾,天道不息而自強。 統群生而載育,人托命於所系,尊太一於上皇,奉萬神於五帝,故萬物之所宗,必敬天而事地。 若乃共工赫怒,天柱摧折,東南俄其既傾,西北豁而中裂,斷鰲足而續毀,煉玉石而補缺。 豈斯事之有征,將言者之虛設? 何陰陽之難測,偉二儀之奓闊! 坤厚德以載物,乾資始而至大,俯盡鑒於有形,仰蔽視于所蓋,遊萬物而極思,故一言於天外。 綏雅好音律,嘗當暑承風而嘯,泠然成曲,因為《嘯賦》曰:逸羣公子,體奇好異,敖世忘榮,絕棄人事,希高慕古,長想遠思,將登箕山以抗節,浮滄海以遊志。 於是延友生,集同好,精性命之至機,研道德之玄奧,湣流俗之未悟,獨超然而先覺,狹世路之厄僻,仰天衢而高蹈,邈跨俗而遺身,乃慷慨而長嘯。 于時曜靈俄景,流光濛汜,逍遙攜手,躊躇步趾,發妙聲於丹脣,激哀音於皓齒,響抑揚而潛轉,氣沖鬱而熛起,協黃宮於清角,雜商羽於流征,飄浮雲於泰清,集長風於萬里。 曲既終而響絕,餘遺玩而未已,良自然之至音,非絲竹之所擬。 是故聲不假器,用不借物,近取諸身,役心御氣。 動脣有曲,發口成音,觸類感物,因歌隨吟。 大而不洿,細而不沈,清激切於竽笙,優潤和瑟琴,玄妙足以通神悟靈,精微足以窮幽測深,收激楚之哀荒,節北里之奢淫,濟洪災於炎旱,反亢陽于重陰。 引唱萬變,曲用無方,和樂怡懌,悲傷摧藏。 時幽散而將絕,中矯曆而慷慨,徐婉約而優遊,紛繁騖而激揚。 情既思而能反,心雖哀而不傷。 總八音之至和,固極樂而無荒。 若乃登高臺以臨遠,披文軒而騁望,喟仰抃而抗首,嘈長引而憀亮。 或舒肆而自反,或徘徊而復放,或冉弱而柔撓,或澎濞而奔壯。 橫鬱嗚而滔涸,洌繚眺而清昶。 逸氣奮湧,繽紛交錯,烈烈飆揚,啾啾響作。 奏胡馬之長思,回寒風乎北朔,又似鴻雁之將雛,群鳴號乎沙漠。 故能因形創聲,隨事造曲,應物無窮,機發響速,怫鬱沖流,參譚雲屬,若離若合,將絕復續。 飛廉鼓於幽隧,猛獸應于中谷; 南箕動於穹蒼,清飆振于喬木; 散滯積而播揚,蕩埃靄之溷濁,變陰陽於至和,移淫風之穢俗。 若乃遊崇岡,陵景山,臨岩側,望流川,坐磐石,漱清泉,藉皋蘭之猗靡,廕修竹之蟬蜎,乃吟詠而發歎,聲驛驛而響連,舒蓄思之悱憤,奮久結之纏綿,心滌蕩而無累,志離俗而飄然。 若夫假像金革,擬則陶匏,眾聲繁奏,若笳若簫; 磞硠震隱,訇礚𥕡嘈。 發徵則隆冬熙烝,騁羽則嚴霜夏凋,動商則秋霖春降,奏角則谷風鳴條。 音均不恆,曲無定制,行而不流,止而不滯,隨口吻而發揚,假芳氣而遠逝,音要妙而流響,聲激嚁而清厲。 信自然之極麗,羌殊尤而絕世,越《韶》《夏》與《咸池》,何徒取異乎《鄭》《衛》! 于時綿駒結舌而喪精,王豹杜口而失色,虞公輟聲而止歌,寧子斂手而歎息,鐘期棄琴而改聽,尼父忘味而不食,百獸率儛而拤足,鳳皇來儀而拊翼。 乃知長嘯之奇妙,此音聲之至極。
Cheng Gongshui, courtesy name Zi'an, came from Baima in Dong commandery. He was precocious and devoured the classics and their exegesis. Content with little, he acquired no lands or fortune; even when famine gnawed his household he remained untroubled. Gifted from youth, he wrote rhapsodies of striking polish yet lived in quiet retirement, courting neither renown nor office. A crow famed for filial devotion nested habitually on his roof; Cheng judged it an auspicious creature embodying the virtue of feeding one's parents in old age and wrote a rhapsody in its praise (most of which is omitted here). He argued that "a true fu must dissect the nature of things and expound principle without rigid formula—the grandeur of heaven and earth becomes thinkable through such writing. Since antiquity no one had attempted such a piece—perhaps because beauty too overwhelming defies eloquence; or else why should the tradition have stayed silent?" With that he composed his "Rhapsody on Heaven and Earth," opening: In nature's first dawn the Way lay empty, dark, and still; Grand Simplicity churned in confusion till matter blended into form; how dim the primal One—then space opened wide and shapes took hold. Then pure and turbid split apart, dark and yellow drew clear of each other. Once the Supreme Pole stood apart, the Two Forms arose; stars blazed in ranks, sun and moon wheeled in paired orbits; heaven moved and gained honor, earth rested and kept humility; light and dark took turns, fullness and waning followed in turn; yin and yang breathed together in ceaseless exchange, cold and heat advanced with the seasons. The three powers bore distinct natures, the five phases took separate stations; through endless change the myriad creatures multiplied, each granted a body, each endowed with breath. Colors showed their patterned splendor, sounds obeyed pitch and measure; heaven and earth enfolded all without limit, shaping every kind of thing. Thunder drummed the sky, auspicious clouds brought rain; the eight winds swept on broad wings, the six vapors mingled and rose. Crawling things and writhing creatures gathered by kind and clan; scaled tribes parted, feathered flocks divided; each held its essence refined, each took shape from the cosmic wheel—how boundless the nurture, how wondrous the godlike art of creation! Heaven hung signs that wrote their text: constellations marched in ordered ranks, the three luminaries burned bright, the five planets doubled their gleam; the Milky Way coiled like a sash across the sky, rainbows arched through the azure vault; Wang Shu slowed the moon along its nine paths, Yi He reined the sun at the yellow center; stars wheeled around the pole, the Twinkling Indicator swung and marked the quarters; the White Tiger held Shen and Fa, the Azure Dragon trailed Heart and Room, the Black Tortoise crouched at Woman and Void, the Vermilion Bird spread wings at Lightning and Spread; the celestial emperor sat enthroned in the Purple Palace, his ministers ranked in Literary Glory; palace walls linked like strung pearls, the Three Terraces staggered like flying geese, the Chariot Pivot bloomed in curving lines, the Bootstrap stars stood like facing tripods. Omens of blessing and signs of disaster alike appeared: conjunctions and near-eclipses, halos ringed with ear-pendants; stars streamed backward and breached the calendar, heaven's images warned and admonished; bushy stars foretold harm, the Old Man star promised joy to the throne; the Sky Arrow glowed yellow for the state's good fortune, comets and broom-stars rose—and ages dreaded them. Then I surveyed the four quarters and looked down on earth's lay: rivers poured in vast division, mountains stood piled in ranks; the blue sea surged on every side, the Hanging Garden rose alone in grandeur; Kunwu shone at the southern pole, the Torch Dragon blazed in the northern foothills; Fusang towered beyond measure, Xunmu stretched a thousand li; Kunlun anchored the dark corner, the Red Territory held the southeast. Thus eighty-one domains were marked and set apart by quarter; winds shifted and customs changed, barriers cut off the perilous ways; myriad states spread like a net, the nine provinces stood in row. Qing and Ji bore white earth, Jing and Heng clay and mud; Hai and Dai red soil, Hua and Liang green and black loam; Yan embraced the He and Luo, Yang held the Jiang and Huai. They measured the quarters, laid out the land, and founded realms; the royal domain and nine domains stood as one, states ranked in unity; cities linked with towns, deep moats and high walls rose; broad crossroads met, roads running four ways and five. East to Yang Valley, west to Tai Meng, south to Dan Pao, north to Kongtong. Beyond the far marches, in lands of alien neighbors, lived beings with human heads and serpent bodies, bird wings and dragon forms; clad in fur or feather, armored in shell or scale; dwelling in forests, floating on waters, half beast and half man—they lived past the Great Waste, on the shores of the outer sea. Then the six directions merged in one dwelling, the universe bound its body like a folded sack; primordial unity flowed without end, yin and yang kept their measured course; ceaseless turning strove ever onward—heaven's Way never rested, ever renewed its strength. It sustains all life and nurtures every kind; humanity hangs its fate on what binds it; it honors Grand Unity on high, serves the myriad spirits through the Five Emperors—thus all that lives must revere heaven and serve earth. When Gong Gong raged in fury, the pillar of heaven snapped; the southeast suddenly tilted, the northwest split open; they severed the ao's legs yet ruin continued, smelted jade and stone to patch the breach. Were these events truly witnessed—or mere inventions of storytellers? How unfathomable yin and yang—how vast and grand the Two Forms! Kun bears all things in deep virtue; qian begins all and reaches the greatest; gazing down I mirrored every formed thing, looking up I saw only what heaven covers; roaming all creation to the limit of thought—thus one word beyond the sky. Cheng Gongshui loved music deeply; one sweltering day he whistled into the breeze until cool, pure tones shaped themselves into melody—and thus arose his "Rhapsody on Whistling," which begins: A free-spirited noble son, strange in body and hungry for the unusual, scorned the world's honors and cast off its affairs, reached toward the ancients and brooded on distant things, ready to climb Mount Ji to keep his integrity, to drift the blue sea and roam where his spirit led. He summoned friends and gathered like-minded souls, probed the deepest springs of life and nature, plumbed the hidden depths of the Way; pitying a world still unawakened, he alone rose first to understanding; finding the world's road cramped and mean, he lifted his gaze to heaven's broad way and strode aloft; leaving the vulgar far behind and his bodily self behind with it—he gave a long, impassioned whistle. Just then the sun sank low, light pooled in misty twilight; roaming hand in hand, pacing with lingering steps, he drew wonder from crimson lips, grief from gleaming teeth; tones rose and fell in hidden turns, breath surged dense as flame; yellow bell met clear jue, shang and yu blended with flowing zhi; clouds drifted through highest heaven, the long wind gathered from a thousand miles. Though the tune had ended and sound fell silent, the lingering echo invited endless savor—truly nature's own supreme music, beyond anything silk strings or bamboo pipes could rival. Thus sound needs no instrument, art borrows no thing; it draws from the body itself, mind commanding breath. Lips move and melody forms, mouth opens and tone is born; stirred by things of every kind, it follows song and flows with chant. Grand yet never turbid, delicate yet never drowned; clear and piercing beyond reed and pipe, graceful and mellow as zither and lute; subtle enough to pierce the spirit and awaken the soul, fine enough to probe the hidden depths; it curbed the wild grief of Exciting Chu, tempered the lavish excess of North Lane; eased great disaster in burning drought, turned scorching yang back within heavy yin. Its leading tones shifted in endless ways, its melodies obeyed no fixed rule; harmony brought joy and ease, sorrow crushed the heart and hid it away. Now dim and scattered, nearly dying away; now stern at the center, bold and impassioned; now gently restrained and leisurely roaming; now tangled, rushing, swift and rousing. Feeling pondered yet could turn back; the heart mourned yet was not broken. Gathering the eight tones in perfect harmony, it held supreme joy without excess. When he climbed a high terrace to gaze afar, opened patterned rails and let his sight run free, sighing he lifted his face and threw back his head, drawing long, bright, resonant notes. Now broad and free, then folding back on itself; now lingering, then releasing again; now soft and yielding, now surging, billowing, bold and rushing. It moaned dense and crosswise, flooded and ebbed; ran clear and winding, bright and far-reaching. Free breath surged and welled, colors of sound crossed and tangled; gales rose fierce and bright, chirping echoes answered. It played the long yearning of frontier horses, turned the cold wind of the northern frontier; then seemed wild geese brooding over their young, flocks crying across the desert. Thus it shaped sound from form, fashioned melody from circumstance, answered things without limit, sprang forth swift as thought; surging, dense, and flowing, layered like joining clouds—now parting, now meeting, nearly ending, then continuing again. Fei Lian drummed in dark ravines, fierce beasts answered in the hollow vale; the Southern Sieve stirred in the vaulted sky, clear winds shook the tall trees; scattering what had stagnated and spreading it abroad, cleansing murky dust and haze; turning yin and yang toward perfect harmony, shifting the foul customs of decadent times. When he roamed high ridges, climbed scenic peaks, stood by cliff-sides and gazed on flowing streams; sat on bedrock, rinsed with clear springs; rested on spreading orchids, shaded by tall bamboo's graceful bend—then chanting he sighed aloud, sound running on in linked echoes; he released pent thoughts long stored, roused feelings knotted through the years; his heart washed clear and unburdened, his spirit left the vulgar world and drifted free. It could mimic metal drums and hide, take pottery and gourd for model; many voices sounded together, like qiang or xiao; booming, rumbling, shaking and rolling; thunderous, crashing, roaring and loud. Strike the zhi note and deep winter turns warm; release yu and harsh frost withers summer; move shang and autumn rains fall in spring; play jue and valley winds sing through the branches. Pitch held no constant measure, melody no fixed form; it moved without spilling, stopped without stagnating; rose with the lips' breath, rode fragrant air into the distance; tones subtle and wondrous, echoes flowing on; sound piercing, clear, and keen. Truly nature's supreme beauty, singular and unmatched in the age; it surpassed Shao, Xia, and Xianchi—how could it be compared merely with the music of Zheng and Wei! Then Mian Ju bit his tongue and lost his wits, Wang Bao fell silent and pale; the Duke of Yu stopped singing, Ningzi sighed and folded his hands; Zhong Qi laid down his zither and turned to listen anew, Confucius forgot his meal; the hundred beasts danced and stamped their feet, the phoenix came in ritual and beat its wings. Thus one knows the marvel of long whistling—this is the supreme limit of music and sound.
11
張華雅重綏,每見其文,歎伏以為絕倫,薦之太常,徵為博士。 曆秘書郎,轉丞,遷中書郎。 每與華受詔並為詩賦,又與賈充等參定法律。 泰始九年卒,年四十三,所著詩賦雜筆十餘卷行於世。
Zhang Hua admired him deeply; each essay left Zhang convinced no one could rival Cheng, so he nominated him to the Chamberlain for Ceremonials, who appointed him court erudite. He served as palace secretary, moved up to assistant director, then advanced to gentleman of the palace writers. He often drafted verse and rhapsodies alongside Zhang Hua by imperial order and helped Jia Chong and colleagues codify the law. In the ninth year of Taishi, he died at forty-three; over ten fascicles of poetry, rhapsodies, and assorted prose circulated after him.
12
左思,字太沖,齊國臨淄人也。 其先齊之公族有左右公子,因為氏焉。 家世儒學。 父雍,起小吏,以能擢授殿中侍御史。 思小學鐘、胡書及鼓琴,並不成。 雍謂友人曰:「思所曉解,不及我少時。」 思遂感激勤學,兼善陰陽之術。 貌寢,口訥,而辭藻壯麗。 不好交遊,惟以閒居為事。 造《齊都賦》,一年乃成。 復欲賦三都,會妹芬入宮,移家京師,乃詣著作郎張載,訪岷邛之事。 遂構思十年,門庭籓溷,皆著筆紙,遇得一句,即便疏之。 自以所見不博,求為秘書郎。 及賦成,時人未之重。 思自以其作不謝班張,恐以人廢言,安定皇甫謐有高譽,思造而示之。 謐稱善,為其賦序。 張載為注《魏都》,劉逵注《吳》《蜀》而序之曰:「觀中古以來為賦者多矣,相如《子虛》擅名于前,班固《兩都》理勝其辭,張衡《二京》文過其意。 至若此賦,擬議數家,傅辭會義,抑多精緻,非夫研核者不能練其旨,非夫博物者不能統其異。 世咸貴遠而賤近,莫肯用心於明物。 斯文吾有異焉,故聊以餘思為其引詁,亦猶胡廣之於《官箴》,蔡邕之於《典引》也。」 陳留衛權又為思賦作《略解》,序曰:「余觀《三都》之賦,言不苟華,必經典要,品物殊類,稟之圖籍; 辭義瑰瑋,良可貴也。 有晉征士故太子中庶子安定皇甫謐,西州之逸士,耽籍樂道,高尚其事,覽斯文而慷慨,為之都序。 中書著作郎安平張載、中書郎濟南劉逵,並以經學洽博,才章美茂,咸皆悅玩,為之訓詁; 其山川土域,草木鳥獸,奇怪珍異,僉皆研精所由,紛散其義矣。 余嘉其文,不能默已,聊藉二子之遺忘,又為之《略解》,祗增煩重,覽者闕焉。」 自是之後,盛重于時,文多不載。 司空張華見而歎曰:「班張之流也。 使讀之者盡而有餘,久而更新。」 於是豪貴之家競相傳寫,洛陽為之紙貴。 初,陸機入洛,欲為此賦,聞思作之,撫掌而笑,與弟雲書曰:「此間有傖父,欲作《三都賦》,須其成,當以覆酒甕耳。」 及思賦出,機絕歎伏,以為不能加也,遂輟筆焉。
Zuo Si, courtesy name Taichong, hailed from Linzi in the old kingdom of Qi. The clan descended from Qi nobility—the ancient titles "Left and Right Young Lord" supplied their surname. For generations the family had pursued Confucian scholarship. His father Zuo Yong began as a petty clerk and won promotion on merit to palace assistant censor. As a boy Zuo studied calligraphy after Zhong Yao and Hu Zhao and took up the zither—he mastered neither. Zuo Yong told a friend, "The boy grasps less than I did at his age." Stung by those words, Zuo threw himself into study and learned the yin-yang traditions besides. Plain of face and slow of tongue, he nevertheless wrote with towering brilliance. He avoided society and preferred the quiet of home. He drafted a "Rhapsody on the Qi Capital" that took a year to complete. He next planned his "Three Capitals" rhapsody; when his sister Zuo Fen entered the harem the family relocated to Luoyang, and Zuo called on Editorial Director Zhang Zai to gather material on Shu Min and Qiong. He brooded on the work a full decade; brush and paper littered gate, yard, fence, and latrine—every stray couplet was recorded on the spot. Feeling his reading still too narrow, he secured a post as palace secretary for access to the imperial library. When the rhapsody was done, contemporaries still shrugged it off. Zuo believed his work matched Ban Gu and Zhang Heng yet feared dismissal on account of his homely looks, so he brought the manuscript to the renowned Huangfu Mi of Anding. Huangfu praised it and supplied a preface. Zhang Zai glossed the Wei section; Liu Kui annotated Wu and Shu and wrote a preface: "Fu writers crowd the middle ages—Sima Xiangru's 'Sir Vacuous' claimed first glory; Ban Gu's twin capitals privilege argument over diction; Zhang Heng's pair favors ornament over thought. This piece, however, distills many models and weaves diction with doctrine at rare finesse—only a painstaking reader grasps its argument, only a scholar of wide learning commands its diversity. People honor the remote past and scorn the present, unwilling to labor over factual truth. I take a different view of this text, so I lend what wit remains to introduce and gloss it—much as Hu Guang annotated the "Official Admonitions" or Cai Yong the "Canon Preface." Wei Quan of Chenliu also wrote a "Brief Explication" for Zuo's work, opening: "Reading the 'Three Capitals,' one finds no idle flourish—every line rests on canonical authority; each thing catalogued comes straight from the atlases and histories. The language is splendid and the sense monumental—work of real worth. The recluse Huangfu Mi of Anding—once junior mentor to the crown prince—western gentleman lost in books and the Way, lofty in purpose, read these lines with beating heart and supplied the overarching preface. Zhang Zai of Anping and Liu Kui of Jinan—court compilers steeped in the classics, gifted stylists—each delighted in the text and drafted scholarly commentary; every landscape, soil, plant, beast, and curiosity they traced to source, unpacking sense after sense. I admire the piece too deeply to stay mute; picking up where Zhang and Liu left off I added this "Brief Explication"—knowing it only piles dutiful clutter on readers who may skip it." After that the work commanded enormous esteem (most of the prose is omitted here). Minister Zhang Hua exclaimed, "This belongs with Ban Gu and Zhang Heng. Readers finish yet feel there is more; revisit after years and it still feels fresh." Noble households scrambled to copy it until Luoyang ran short of paper—a story still told today. When Lu Ji first reached Luoyang he meant to write his own "Three Capitals"; learning Zuo was at work he laughed aloud and wrote Lu Yun: "Some rustic here thinks he can compose that rhapsody—when he's done we'll line the wine jars with it." Once Zuo's piece appeared, Lu Ji conceded outright that he could not better it and abandoned his own draft.
13
秘書監賈謐請講《漢書》,謐誅,退居宜春裏,專意典籍。 齊王冏命為記室督,辭疾,不就。 及張方縱暴都邑,舉家適冀州。 數歲,以疾終。
Jia Mi, director of the palace library, asked him to lecture on the Han History; after Jia's execution Zuo withdrew to Yichun Ward and buried himself in books. Sima Jiong, Prince of Qi, offered him chief recorder; Zuo pleaded illness and refused. When Zhang Fang terrorized the capital the entire family fled north into Ji province. He died of illness a few years later.
14
趙至
Zhao Zhi
15
趙至,字景真,代郡人也。 寓居洛陽。 緱氏令初到官,至年十三,與母同觀。 母曰:「汝先世本非微賤,世亂流離,遂為士伍耳。 爾後能如此不?」 至感母言,詣師受業。 聞父耕叱牛聲,投書而泣。 師怪問之,至曰:「我小未能榮養,使老父不免勤苦。」 師甚異之。 年十四,詣洛陽,遊太學,遇嵇康于學寫石經,徘徊視之,不能去,而請問姓名。 康曰:「年少何以問邪?」 曰:「觀君風器非常,所以問耳。」 康異而告之。 後乃亡到山陽,求康不得而還。 又將遠學,母禁之,至遂陽狂,走三五里,輒追得之。 年十六,遊鄴,復與康相遇,隨康還山陽,改名浚,字允元。 康每曰:「卿頭小而銳,童子白黑分明,有白起之風矣。」 及康卒,至詣魏興見太守張嗣宗,甚被優遇。 嗣宗遷江夏相,隨到溳川,欲因入吳,而嗣宗卒,乃向遼西而占戶焉。
Zhao Zhi, courtesy name Jingzhen, was a native of Dai commandery. His family had settled in Luoyang. When the new magistrate of Goushi took office, thirteen-year-old Zhao went with his mother to watch the procession. His mother said, "Our forebears were never humble folk; war uprooted the clan until they sank into the ranks—that is all. Will you rise above this life or not?" Moved deeply, Zhao sought out a tutor. Whenever he heard his father shouting at the ox in the field he dropped his primer and wept. His teacher asked why; Zhao answered, "I am too young to earn honor or keep my parents fed—the old man still toils because of me." The instructor marveled at him. At fourteen he entered the capital and the Imperial Academy, where he found Ji Kang transcribing the stone classics; Zhao circled, unable to tear himself away, and begged the stranger's name. Ji Kang said, "What is a boy like you doing asking?" "Your bearing is like no other—that is why I asked." Ji Kang, intrigued, told him who he was. He later ran away to Shanyang hoping to find Ji Kang but failed and trudged home. When he tried to leave for distant study his mother forbade it, so he feigned madness and bolted a few miles—each time she ran him down. At sixteen he wandered to Ye, met Ji Kang again, followed him home to Shanyang, and adopted the name Zhao Jun, courtesy name Yuanyuan. Ji Kang used to tell him, "That sharp little head of yours, those bright eyes even as a boy—you have something of Bai Qi about you." After Ji Kang's execution Zhao traveled to Wei Xing and called on Prefect Zhang Sizong, who treated him with exceptional kindness. When Zhang rose to governor of Jiangxia, Zhao followed him to the Yun basin hoping to cross into Wu; Zhang died before they could go, so Zhao drifted to Liaoxi and settled his household register there.
16
初,至與康兄子蕃友善,及將遠適,乃與蕃書敘離,並陳其志曰:
He had long befriended Ji Kang's nephew Ji Fan; before leaving for good he sent Fan a farewell letter laying bare his purpose:
17
梁生適越,登嶽長謠。 夫以嘉遁之舉,猶懷戀恨,況乎不得已者哉! 惟別之後,離群獨逝,背榮宴,辭倫好,經迥路,造沙漠。 雞鳴戒旦,則飄爾晨征; 日薄西山,則馬首靡托。 尋曆曲阻,則沈思紆結; 登高遠眺,則山川攸隔。 或乃回風狂厲,白日寢光,徙倚交錯,陵隰相望,徘徊九皋之內,慷慨重阜之顛,進無所由,退無所據,涉澤求蹊,披榛覓路,嘯詠溝渠,良不可度。 斯亦行路之艱難,然非吾心之所懼也。 至若蘭芷傾頓,桂林移殖,根萌未樹而牙淺弦急,每恐風波潛駭,危機密發,此所以怵惕於長衢也。 又北土之性,難以托根,投人夜光,鮮不按劍。 今將殖橘柚于玄朔,蒂華藕于修陵,表龍章於裸壤,奏《韶》《武》於聾俗,固難以取貴矣。 夫物不我貴則莫之與,莫之與則傷之者至矣。 飄颻遠遊之士,托身無人之鄉,總轡遐路,則有前言之難; 懸鞍陋宇,則有後慮之戒; 朝霞啟暉,則身疲而遄征; 太陽戢曜,則情劬而夕惕; 肆目平隰,則寥廓而無睹; 極聽修原,則掩寂而無聞。 籲其悲矣! 心傷瘁矣! 然後知步驟之士不足為貴也。 顧景中原,憤中雲踴,哀物悼世,激情風厲。 龍嘯大野,獸睇六合,猛志紛紜,雄心四據。 思躡雲梯,橫奮八極,披艱掃穢,蕩海夷嶽,蹴昆侖使西倒,蹋太山令東覆,平滌九區,恢維宇宙,斯吾之鄙願也。 時不我與,垂翼遠逝,鋒距靡加,六翮摧屈,自非知命,孰能不憤悒者哉! 吾子殖根芳苑,濯秀清流,晞葉華崖,飛藻雲肆,俯據潛龍之渚,仰廕游鳳之林,榮曜眩其前,豔色餌其後,良疇交其左,聲名馳其右,翱翔倫黨之間,弄姿帷房之裹,從容顧眄,綽有餘裕,俯仰吟嘯,自以為得志矣,豈能與吾曹同大丈夫之憂樂哉! 去矣嵇生,遠離隔矣! 煢煢飄寄,臨沙漠矣! 悠悠三千,路難涉矣! 攜手之期,邈無日矣! 思心彌結,誰云釋矣! 無金玉爾音而有遐心。 身雖胡越,意存斷金。 各敬爾儀,敦履璞沈,繁華流蕩,君子弗欽。 臨紙意結,知復何云。
Liang Hong set out for Yue and poured out a long song from the heights. Even those who withdraw in noble ease still feel the ache of parting—how much more one who goes against his will! Since we parted I have traveled alone, leaving feasts and friends behind, crossing twisting roads until I stand at the desert's edge. At cockcrow I rise and fare forth at dawn; when the sun sinks west, my horse has nowhere to halt. On winding passes my thoughts knot tight; from lofty vistas mountains and rivers stretch infinitely between us. Sometimes wild winds howl and daylight dies; I wander lost among hills and bogs, pacing the reedy flats and brooding on high ridges—no way forward, no place to turn back. I wade marshes for a trail, hack through brambles for a road, and whistle verses in muddy channels where none may pass. Such are the trials of the road—but they are not what I dread. What I dread is orchid and cassia uprooted and replanted—roots not yet firm while the bow is taut—lest hidden storms strike and danger burst forth without warning. That is why I tremble on this long road. The northern lands are hard soil for transplanting; show a luminous pearl to strangers and few will not reach for their swords. I go to plant oranges in the far north, set lotus on barren hills, display dragon insignia on naked earth, and play the "Shao" and "Wu" hymns to deaf ears—how can such gifts win honor? When the world does not value you, none will stand with you; and when none stand with you, injury is sure to come. A wanderer adrift in empty country, reins in hand on endless roads, faces the hardship foretold by sages; and stabling his horse in a wretched inn, the warning of troubles yet to come. At dawn's first light his weary body presses on; at sunset his heart labors and he keeps vigil through the night. He scans the flat plains and sees only emptiness; he listens across the open steppe and hears only silence. Alas, how mournful! The heart is wounded to exhaustion! Only then does one see that men content with small steps are no fit measure of worth. I look back toward the heartland and rage boils within; grieving for the world, my passion rises fierce as a gale. My spirit roars like a dragon across the wilds and surveys the realm; fierce purpose swarms and bold ambition grips all four quarters. I dream of climbing heaven's ladder and ranging the eight extremes—cutting through hardship, cleansing corruption, flattening seas and mountains, kicking Kunlun westward and toppling Tai eastward, purging the nine provinces and ordering the universe. That is my humble ambition. Heaven's hour is not mine: wings folded, I fly into exile; talons blunted, pinions broken—who but one resigned to fate could bear such bitterness! You have rooted yourself in fragrant gardens, bathed in clear streams, flourished on sunny cliffs, and let your talents soar among the clouds. Below lies the dragon's ford; above, the phoenix's grove—glory dazzles before you, beauty tempts behind, fine friends at your left, fame racing at your right. You glide among peers and preen within curtained chambers, serene and at ease, chanting and whistling as though life were complete—how could you share a great man's joys and sorrows with men like us! Farewell, Xi Kang—how far we are sundered! Alone I drift, adrift at the desert's edge! Three thousand leagues stretch before me—how hard the road to cross! The day we might join hands again seems endlessly far! My thoughts bind ever tighter—who says they can be loosed! Though no precious word comes from you, my heart reaches far to you. Though our bodies stand as far apart as north and south, our bond remains unbreakable as sworn gold. Guard your conduct, keep your uncut jade hidden in depth; the gentleman does not prize gaudy dissipation. Facing this page my thoughts knot tight—what more is there to say?
18
至身長七尺四寸,論議精辯,有從橫才氣。 遼西舉郡計吏,到洛,與父相遇。 時母已亡,父欲令其宦立,弗之告,仍戒以不歸,至乃還遼西。 幽州三辟部從事,斷九獄,見稱精審。 太康中,以良吏赴洛,方知母亡。 初,至自恥士伍,欲以宦學立名,期於榮養。 既而其志不就,號憤慟哭,歐血而卒,時年三十七。
Zhao stood seven feet four inches tall; his speech was sharp and incisive in the manner of a wandering strategist. Liaoxi recommended him as chief clerk for fiscal reporting; in Luoyang he unexpectedly met his father. His mother had died without his knowledge—his father hid the news so Zhao could establish a career and forbade him to come home; Zhao therefore turned back toward Liaoxi. Youzhou repeatedly appointed him section aide; he closed nine criminal cases and earned praise for meticulous judgment. During Taikang he qualified as an exemplary official and was summoned to court—only then did he learn his mother was gone. Once ashamed of his commoner's station, he had hoped office and scholarship would win honor enough to support his parents in style. When that dream collapsed he howled and wept until blood burst from his throat; he died at thirty-seven.
19
鄒湛
Zou Zhan
20
鄒湛,字潤甫,南陽新野人也。 父軌,魏左將軍。 湛少以才學知名,仕魏曆通事郎、太學博士。 泰始初,轉尚書郎、廷尉平、征南從事中郎,深為羊祜所器重。 入為太子中庶子。 太康中,拜散騎常侍,出補渤海太守,轉太傅楊駿長史,遷侍中。 駿誅,以僚佐免官。 尋起為散騎常侍、國子祭酒,轉少府。 元康末卒,所著詩及論事議二十五首,為時所重。
Zou Zhan, courtesy name Runfu, hailed from Xinye in Nanyang commandery. His father Zou Gui had served Wei as Left General. Celebrated young for breadth of learning, he served Wei as communicator gentleman and erudite at the Imperial Academy. Early in Taishi he moved through masters-of-writing posts, justice reviewer, and aide on the southern campaign—Yang Hu esteemed him greatly. He was then called in as junior mentor to the crown prince. Under Taikang he became cavalier attendant-in-ordinary, then governor of Bohai, later chief secretary to Grand Tutor Yang Jun, and finally palace attendant. Yang Jun's fall cost him his post as a member of the discredited staff. He was soon reinstated as cavalier attendant and libationer of the Imperial College, then moved to head the Lesser Treasury. He died near the close of Yuankang; twenty-five poems and policy essays won wide respect.
21
初,湛嘗夢見一人,自稱甄舒仲,餘無所言,如此非一。 久之,乃悟曰:「吾宅西有積土敗瓦,其中必有死人。 甄舒仲者,予舍西土瓦中人也。」 檢之,果然,厚加斂葬。 葬畢,遂夢此人來謝。
Zou repeatedly dreamed of a figure calling himself Zhen Shuzhong who said nothing more—the dream returned again and again. At length he understood: "West of my house lie rubble piles—someone lies buried beneath them. Zhen Shuzhong" is the restless soul beneath the rubble west of my gate." They dug and found him, then laid the bones to rest with full ceremony. That night the figure visited his dreams to give thanks.
22
子捷,字太應,亦有文才。 永康中,為散騎侍郎。 及趙王倫篡逆,捷與陸機等俱作禪文。 倫誅,坐下廷尉,遇赦免。 後為太傅參軍。 永嘉末,卒。
His son Zou Jie, courtesy name Taiying, inherited literary gifts. During Yongkang he served as gentleman of cavalier attendance. When Prince Zhao Lun seized the throne, Zou Jie joined Lu Ji and others in drafting the forced abdication edict. Lun's execution landed him before the commandant of justice; an amnesty spared him. He later served as adjutant on the grand tutor's staff. He died in the final years of Yongjia.
23
棗據
Zao Ju
24
棗據,字道彥,潁川長社人也。 本姓棘,其先避仇改焉。 父叔禕,魏钜鹿太守。 據美容貌,善文辭。 弱冠,辟大將軍府,出為山陽令,有政績。 遷尚書郎,轉右丞。 賈充伐吳,請為從事中郎。 軍還,徙黃門侍郎、冀州刺史、太子中庶子。 太康中卒,時年五十餘。 所著詩賦論四十五首,遇亂多亡失。
Zao Ju, courtesy name Daoyan, came from Changshe in Yingchuan. The clan originally bore the surname Ji but changed it generations ago to escape a vendetta. His father Zao Shuwei governed Julu under Wei. Handsome and eloquent, he cut a striking figure at court. At twenty he entered the grand general's bureau, then governed Shanyang county with a solid record. He rose to gentleman of the masters of writing and then assistant director on the right. Jia Chong drafted him as middle staff officer for the Wu campaign. After the troops came home he served successively as gentleman at the Yellow Gates, Ji provincial inspector, and junior mentor to the heir apparent. He died during Taikang in his early fifties. Forty-five poems, rhapsodies, and essays bore his name; most vanished in the wars.
25
子腆,字玄方,亦以文章顯。 永嘉中為襄城太守。 弟嵩,字台產,才藝尤美,為太子中庶子、散騎常侍,為石勒所殺。
His son Zao Tian, courtesy name Xuanfang, likewise won fame as a writer. During Yongjia he governed Xiangcheng commandery. His brother Zao Song, courtesy name Taichan, combined literary and artistic gifts; he served as junior mentor and cavalier attendant-in-ordinary until Shi Le had him executed.
26
褚陶
Chu Tao
27
褚陶,字季雅,吳郡錢塘人也。 弱不好弄,少而聰慧,清淡閑默,以墳典自娛。 年十三,作《鷗鳥》、《水磑》二賦,見者奇之。 陶嘗謂所親曰:「聖賢備在黃卷中,舍此何求!」 州郡辟,不就。 吳平,召補尚書郎。 張華見之,謂陸機曰:「君兄弟龍躍雲津,顧彥先鳳鳴朝陽,謂東南之寶已盡,不意復見褚生。」 機曰:「公但未睹不鳴不躍者耳。」 華曰:「故知延州之德不孤,川嶽之寶不匱矣。」 遷九真太守,轉中尉。 年五十五卒。
Chu Tao, courtesy name Jiya, came from Qiantang in Wu commandery. Even as a boy he shunned rough games; precocious and reflective, he preferred quiet study of the classical corpus. At thirteen he wrote the rhapsodies "Gulls" and "The Water Mill," astonishing everyone who read them. He told friends, "Everything worth knowing sits between yellow covers—what else is there to chase?" Provincial posts came calling; he declined them all. After Wu surrendered he was appointed gentleman of the masters of writing. Zhang Hua told Lu Ji, "Your clan springs like dragons across the cloudy ford; Gu Yanxian sings like the phoenix at dawn—I assumed the southeast had spent every jewel of talent, then Chu Tao appeared." Lu Ji replied, "You simply have not met everyone who keeps silent and still." Zhang Hua answered, "So virtue like Ji Zha's need not stand alone; every river and peak still hides treasure." Chu later governed Jiuzhen before becoming metropolitan commandant. He died at fifty-five.
28
王沉
Wang Chen
29
王沉,字彥伯,高平人也。 少有俊才,出於寒素,不能隨俗沈浮,為時豪所抑。 仕郡文學掾,鬱鬱不得志,乃作《釋時論》,其辭曰:東野丈人觀時以居,隱耕汙腴之墟。 有冰氏之子者,出自冱寒之谷,過而問塗。 丈人曰:「子奚自?」 曰:「自涸陰之鄉。」 「奚適?」 曰:「欲適煌煌之堂。」 丈人曰:「入煌煌之堂者,必有赫赫之光。 今子困於寒而欲求諸熱,無得熱之方。」 冰子瞿然曰:「胡為其然也?」 丈人曰:「融融者皆趣熱之士,其得爐冶之門者,惟挾炭之子。 苟非斯人,不如其已。」 冰子曰:「吾聞宗廟之器不要華林之木,四門之賓何必冠蓋之族。 前賢有解韋索而佩硃韍舍徒擔而乘丹轂。 由此言之,何恤而無祿! 惟先生告我塗之速也。」 丈人曰:「嗚呼! 子聞得之若是,不知時之在彼。 吾將釋子。 夫道有安危,時有險易,才有所應,行有所適。 英奇奮於從橫之世,賢智顯于霸王之初,當厄難則騁權譎以良圖,值製作則展儒道以暢攄,是則袞龍出於縕褐,卿相起於匹夫,故有朝賤而夕貴,先卷而後舒。 當斯時也,豈計門資之高卑,論勢位之輕重乎! 今則不然。 上聖下明,時隆道寧,群後逸豫,宴安守平。 百辟君子,奕世相生,公門有公,卿門有卿。 指禿腐骨,不簡蚩儜。 多士豐于貴族,爵命不出閨庭。 四門穆穆,綺襦是盈,仍叔之子,皆為老成。 賤有常辱,貴有常榮,肉食繼踵于華屋,疏飯襲跡於耨耕。 談名位者以諂媚附勢,舉高譽者因資而隨形。 至乃空囂者以泓噌為雅量,瑣慧者以淺利為槍槍,脢胎者以無檢為弘曠,僂垢者以守意為堅貞。 嘲哮者以粗發為高亮,韞蠢者以色厚為篤誠,痷婪者以博納為通濟,眂々者以難入為凝清,拉答者有沈重之譽,嗛閃者得清剿之聲,嗆啍怯畏于謙讓,闒茸勇敢於饕諍。 斯皆寒素之死病,榮達之嘉名。 凡茲流也,視其用心,察其所安,責人必急,於己恆寬。 德無厚而自貴,位未高而自尊,眼罔向而遠視,鼻𪖷𪖐而刺天。 忌惡君子,悅媚小人,敖蔑道素,懾籲權門。 心以利傾,智以勢惛,姻黨相扇,毀譽交紛。 當局迷於所受,聽采惑于所聞。 京邑翼翼,群士千億,奔集勢門,求官買職,童僕窺其車乘,閽寺相其服飾,親客陰參於靖室,疏賓徙倚於門側。 時因接見,矜曆容色,心懷內荏,外詐剛直,譚道義謂之俗生,論政刑以為鄙極。 高會曲宴,惟言遷除消息,官無大小,問是誰力。 今以子孤寒,懷真抱素,志陵雲霄,偶景獨步,直順常道,關津難渡,欲騁韓盧,時無狡兔,眾塗圮塞,投足何錯!」 於是冰子釋然乃悟曰:「富貴人之所欲,貧賤人之所惡。 僕少長於孔顏之門,久處於清寒之路,不謂熱勢自共遮錮。 敬承明誨,服我初素,彈琴詠典,以保年祚。 伯成、延陵,高節可慕。 丹轂滅族,呂霍哀吟,朝榮夕滅,旦飛暮沈。 聃周道師,巢由德林。 豐屋蔀家,《易》著明箴。 人薄位尊,積罰難任,三郤屍晉,宋華咎深,投扃正幅,實獲我心。」
Wang Chen, courtesy name Yanbo, came from Gaoping. Gifted but from an obscure house, he refused to curry favor with great families and paid for it in obscurity. He held the minor post of commandery literary instructor, bitter and thwarted, and wrote "Discourse on Discerning the Times," which begins: East-field Elder watched the times and made his home, living in hidden tillage on rich muddy ground. A youth of the Ice clan came from a valley of bitter cold and, passing by, asked directions. The elder asked, "Where do you come from?" He answered, "From the land of frozen shade." "And where are you bound?" He said, "I wish to reach the resplendent hall." The elder said, "Those who enter the resplendent hall must carry blazing brilliance. You are trapped in cold yet seek warmth from without—you have no way to gain it." Ice-son started in alarm and asked, "Why should that be so?" The elder said, "Those who bask in warmth are all men rushing toward heat; only those who carry charcoal may pass through the furnace gate. If you are not such a man, you had better turn back." Ice-son said, "I have heard that temple vessels need not come from ornamental groves, and guests at the four gates need not be of noble houses. Worthies of old cast off hemp ropes to wear vermillion knee-guards, abandoned the porter's pole to ride vermillion carriages. If that is so, why fear that office and salary will not come! Only tell me, sir, the quickest road." The elder cried, "Alas! You have heard that success can come this way, but you do not see that the times have changed. Let me explain it to you. The Way has its safe and perilous courses; the times have their hard and easy seasons; talent meets what it is fitted for; action suits what the moment requires. Heroes flourished in the age of warring alliances; worthies shone at the rise of hegemons and kings. In hardship they deployed stratagem; in eras of creation they unfolded Confucian teaching. Dragon robes emerged from coarse cloth; ministers rose from common men. Men were low at dawn and noble by evening; fortune first curled tight, then opened wide. In such times, who weighed family pedigree or debated the heft of rank and power! Now it is otherwise. The sovereign above is sage; ministers below are enlightened; the age is prosperous and the Way at peace; lords live at ease, feasting in security and guarding stability. High ministers beget high ministers generation after generation; duke's houses produce dukes, minister's houses produce ministers. They point to withered bones and never choose the ignorant and crude. Talented men cluster among noble houses; offices and honors never leave the inner court. The four gates stand solemn; brocade coats fill them; sons of hereditary musicians pass for seasoned elders. The lowly suffer constant shame; the noble enjoy constant honor. Meat-eaters crowd splendid houses in endless succession; plain rice trails behind the plow. Men who talk of rank flatter and cling to power; men who win high praise shape themselves to their patrons' resources. Empty boasters take bombast for breadth of spirit; petty clever men take small gain for sharp wit; the timid take license for magnanimity; the squalid take stubbornness for constancy. Mockers take coarse shouting for noble brilliance; concealed fools take thick flattery for deep sincerity; gluttons take broad indulgence for worldly mastery; squinting men take aloofness for austere purity; fumblers win praise for gravity; false modesty wins renown for sharp clarity; stammering cowards pass for humility; shabby mediocrities pass for bold disputants. These are the mortal sickness of poor scholars—and the honored names of worldly success. All such men, judged by their motives and their comforts, are harsh toward others and lenient toward themselves. Without deep virtue they hold themselves dear; without high rank they esteem themselves high; their eyes stare into the distance without looking straight; their nostrils flare toward heaven. They hate true gentlemen and delight in flattering petty men; they scorn plain integrity and cringe before the gates of power. Hearts bend to profit; minds grow dull before power; kin and faction stir one another; slander and praise swirl together. Men in office are blinded by what they receive; in judgment they are misled by what they hear. The capital teems with arrayed splendor; thousands upon thousands of scholars rush to powerful gates, seeking office and buying posts. Servants study their carriages; gatekeepers appraise their dress; favored guests wait in private rooms; humble visitors linger at the gate. When occasionally received in audience they put on proud looks, weak within yet feigning stern integrity; they call talk of the Way and righteousness vulgar, and treat discussion of government and law as the depth of baseness. At grand feasts and private banquets they speak only of promotions and dismissals; for every office, high or low, they ask whose influence secured it. You are solitary and poor, holding truth and plain integrity; your ambition towers to the clouds, yet you walk alone with your shadow, keeping to the straight path. The passes are hard to cross. You would unleash a swift hound, but there is no cunning hare; every road is blocked—where can you set foot without stumbling!" Then Ice-son, suddenly enlightened, said, "Wealth and honor are what men desire; poverty and low estate are what men hate. I was raised from youth in the school of Confucius and Yan Hui and have long walked the road of clean poverty—I never thought the heat of power would shut me in. I respectfully accept your teaching, return to my original plainness, play the zither and chant the classics, and so preserve my years. Bo Cheng and Ji Zha of Yanling—lofty integrity worthy of admiration. Vermillion carriages bring clan destruction; the houses of Lü and Huo ended in lament; glory at dawn dies by dusk; flight at morning sinks by evening. Laozi and Zhuangzi were masters of the Way; Chao Fu and Xu You were forests of virtue. A grand house casts shadow over the family—the "Book of Changes" gives clear warning. When worth is slight yet rank is high, accumulated guilt becomes unbearable; the Three Xi families left corpses in Jin; Song Hua's fault ran deep. To bolt the door and straighten one's robe—that truly wins my heart."
30
是時王政陵遲,官才失實,君子多退而窮處,遂終於里閭。
Royal government had slackened; offices went to mediocrities; men of worth withdrew to rustic lanes and died unheard.
31
元康初,松滋令吳郡蔡洪字叔開,有才名,作《孤奮論》,與《釋時》意同,讀之者莫不歎息焉。
Early in Yuankang Cai Hong of Wu—magistrate of Songzi, courtesy name Shukai—won fame for "Discourse on Relentless Effort," echoing Wang's themes and drawing sighs from every reader.
32
張翰
Zhang Han
33
張翰,字季鷹,吳郡吳人也。 父儼,吳大鴻臚。 翰有清才,善屬文,而縱任不拘,時人號為「江東步兵。」 會稽賀循赴命入洛,經吳閶門,於船中彈琴。 翰初不相識,乃就循言譚,便大相欽悅。 問循,知其入洛,翰曰:「吾亦有事北京。」 便同載即去,而不告家人。 齊王冏辟為大司馬東曹掾。 冏時執權,翰謂同郡顧榮曰:「天下紛紛,禍難未已。 夫有四海之名者,求退良難。 吾本山林間人,無望于時。 子善以明防前,以智慮後。」 榮執其手,愴然曰:「吾亦與子采南山蕨,飲三江水耳。」 翰因見秋風起,乃思吳中菰菜、蓴羹、鱸魚膾,曰:「人生貴得適志,何能羈宦數千里以要名爵乎!」 遂命駕而歸。 著《首丘賦》,文多不載。 俄而冏敗,人皆謂之見機。 然府以其輒去,除吏名。 翰任心自適,不求當世。 或謂之曰:「卿乃可縱適一時,獨不為身後名邪?」 答曰:「使我有身後名,不如即時一杯酒。」 時人貴其曠達。 性至孝,遭母憂,哀毀過禮。 年五十七卒。 其文筆數十篇行於世。
Zhang Han, courtesy name Jiying, came from Wu county in Wu commandery. His father Zhang Yan had served Wu as grand herald. His prose was lucid and his habits bohemian; contemporaries nicknamed him "Wu Kingdom's Infantry Captain" —alluding to Ruan Ji. One day He Xun of Kuaiji traveled to Luoyang under summons; mooring at Wu's Chang Gate he played his lute on board. Zhang did not know him at first but stepped aboard to talk and found an instant soulmate. Learning that He was bound for the capital, Zhang said, "I have errands in the north as well." They shared a carriage and vanished without a word to kin. Sima Jiong, Prince of Qi, appointed him clerk in the grand marshal's eastern bureau. While Sima Jiong dominated court, Zhang warned fellow Wu native Gu Rong, "The realm boils and the killing is not over. Renown across the empire makes retreat almost impossible. I belong among hills and streams, not this court. You read trouble coming and plan what follows—skills I lack." Gu seized his hand and said sadly, "I would gladly pick ferns on South Mountain with you and drink only river water." When autumn wind rose he craved Wu water-shield soup, wild rice, and sliced perch. "Life is too short to chain yourself a thousand miles from home for a hollow title!" He ordered his carriage and rode east that same day. He wrote "Rhapsody on the Hill of Home" (largely omitted here). When Sima Jiong fell soon afterward everyone called Zhang prescient. The ministry nevertheless struck him from the rolls for desertion. He followed his mood and cared nothing for reputation among his peers. Someone asked, "You indulge the moment—have you no thought for how posterity will judge you?" "I'd trade any posthumous fame for another cup of wine tonight." His candor passed for profundity in that cynical age. Deeply filial, he mourned his mother past what ritual allowed. He died at fifty-seven. Several dozen essays and poems survived him.
34
庾闡
Yu Chan
35
庾闡,字仲初,潁川鄢陵人也。 祖輝,安北長史。 父東,以勇力聞。 武帝時,有西域健胡趫捷無敵,晉人莫敢與校。 帝募勇士,惟東應選,遂撲殺之,名震殊俗。 闡好學,九歲能屬文。 少隨舅孫氏過江。 母隨兄肇為樂安長史,在項城。 永嘉末,為石勒所陷,闡母亦沒。 闡不櫛沐,不婚宦,絕酒肉,垂二十年,鄉親稱之。 州舉秀才,元帝為晉王,辟之,皆不行。 後為太宰、西陽王羕掾,累遷尚書郎。 蘇峻之難,闡出奔郗鑒,為司空參軍。 峻平,以功賜爵吉陽縣男,拜彭城內史。 鑒復請為從事中郎。 尋召為散騎侍郎,領大著作。 頃之,出補零陵太守,入湘川,吊賈誼。 其辭曰:中興二十三載,余忝守衡南,鼓栧三江,路次巴陵,望君山而過洞庭,涉湘川而觀汨水,臨賈生投書之川,慨以永懷矣。 及造長沙,觀其遺象,喟然有感,乃吊之云:偉哉蘭生而芳,玉產而潔,陽葩熙冰,寒松負雪,莫邪挺鍔,天驥汗血,苟云其雋,誰與比傑! 是以高明倬茂,獨發奇秀,道率天真,不議世疚,煥乎若望舒耀景而焯群星,矯乎若翔鸞拊翼而逸宇宙也。 飛榮洛汭,擢穎山東,質清浮磬,聲若孤桐,琅琅其璞,岩岩其峰,通道居正,而以天下為公,方駕逸步,不以曲路期通。 是以張高弘悲,聲激柱落,清唱未和,而桑濮代作,雖有惠音,莫過《韶》《濩》; 雖有騰鱗,終僕一壑。 嗚呼! 大庭既邈,玄風悠緬,皇道不以智隆,上德不以仁顯。 三五親譽,其輒可仰而標; 霸功雖逸,其塗可翼而闡,悲矣先生,何命之蹇! 懷寶如玉,而生運之淺! 昔咎繇謨虞,呂尚歸昌,德協充符,乃應帝王。 夷吾相桓,漢登蕭張; 草廬三顧,臭若蘭芳。 是以道隱則蠖屈,數感則鳳睹,若棲不擇木,翔非九五,雖曰玉折,雋才何補! 夫心非死灰,智必存形,形托神用,故能全生。 奈何蘭膏,揚芳漢庭,摧景飆風,獨喪厥明。 悠悠太素,存亡一指,道來斯通,世往斯圮。 吾哀其生,未見其死,敢不敬吊,寄之淥水。
Yu Chan, courtesy name Zhongchu, hailed from Yanling in Yingchuan. His grandfather Yu Hui had served as chief clerk on the staff of the general who guards the north. His father Yu Dong was famed for raw strength. Under Emperor Wu a Western Regions wrestler appeared whom no Jin challenger could best. The throne sought brawlers; Yu Dong alone volunteered and threw the man dead—his fame echoed beyond the frontier. Yu Chan loved books and composed polished essays at nine. As a youth he crossed the Yangzi with his mother's Sun kin. His mother lived with her brother in Xiangcheng while he served as chief clerk in Le'an. When Shi Le stormed the city at the close of Yongjia, Yu's mother died in the sack. For nearly twenty years he neither groomed nor married, touched neither meat nor wine—neighbors admired his devotion. The province ranked him as elite scholar and Prince Yuan-di twice offered posts—Yu refused each summons. He later joined the staff of Sima Yi, Prince of Xiyang and grand marshal, and rose to gentleman of the masters of writing. When Su Jun seized the capital Yu fled to Xi Jian and served as adjutant on the minister of works' staff. After Su Jun fell Yu earned a barony at Jiyang and appointment as governor of Pengcheng. Xi Jian again named him middle staff officer. Soon he became cavalier gentleman-attendant and headed the imperial editorial office. He then posted out as prefect of Lingling and traveled the Xiang lands to mourn Jia Yi. The piece begins: in the twenty-third year of the Restoration, while I held office south of Mount Heng and rowed the three rivers, my route took me through Baling; I looked toward Jun Mountain and crossed Lake Dongting, traveled the Xiang and came to the Miluo, and stood by the stream where Jia Yi had cast his letter into the water, filled with enduring sorrow. When I came to Changsha and saw what remained of him, I sighed with deep emotion and composed this lament: how splendid—the orchid born fragrant, jade mined pure; blossoms warm the ice, the pine shoulders snow; Mo Ye unsheathes its edge, the heavenly courser sweats blood—if such genius is called supreme, who could stand beside him as an equal! Thus eminent and splendid, he alone unfolded rare brilliance; the Way in him followed innate truth and he did not wrangle over worldly woes; he shone like the moon-charioteer brightening the sky and outshining the stars, and soared like a phoenix beating its wings and fleeing beyond the world. Fame rose at Luoyang, and his brilliance emerged in the east; his character was clear as a resonant stone, his voice like a lone paulownia tree; his jade gleamed uncut, his peak stood sheer; he held the Way in rectitude and treated the realm as common ground, keeping pace with the great and never seeking advancement by devious means. So he lifted his voice in vast sorrow until the sound shook pillars from their bases; his pure song had not yet found harmony when the wanton tunes of Sang and Pu replaced it; though gracious music existed, none surpassed the Shao and Hu; Though talent leapt like fish in flood, in the end it was confined to a single ravine. Alas! The age of Great Harmony is already distant, and the subtle Way lies far behind; the royal path is not raised by wit alone, nor is supreme virtue shown by kindness alone. The close renown of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors offers tracks one may look up to and take as models; Though hegemonic merit may be sublime, its path can still be traced and explained; how pitiable, sir—how harsh was your fate! He bore talent like jade in his breast, yet his life and his times were too brief! Long ago Gao Yao advised Shun, and Lü Shang came home to the house of Chang; when virtue matched Heaven's fullness, men answered to emperors and kings. Guan Yiwu served Duke Huan of Qi, and the Han raised Xiao He and Zhang Liang; Three visits were made to the thatched cottage, sweet as orchid fragrance. Thus when the Way lies hidden the inchworm curls, and when the times respond the phoenix appears; if one roosts without choosing the right tree and flies not at the sovereign height, though jade may break, what good is transcendent talent! The heart is not dead ashes, wisdom must keep its form, and form relies on the spirit's use—by this a man may preserve his life entire. Alas for orchid balm that spread its fragrance in the Han court, only to have its radiance torn away by a sudden gale and lose its light alone. Remote primordial simplicity holds life and death in a single moment; when the Way arrives, all opens, and when the age departs, all falls to ruin. I grieve for his life though I did not witness his death; how could I fail to offer this reverent lament and commit it to the clear stream?
36
後以疾,徵拜給事中,復領著作。 吳國內史虞潭為太伯立碑,闡制其文。 又作《揚都賦》,為世所重。 年五十四卒,諡曰貞,所著詩賦銘頌十卷行於世。
Ill health later brought him back to court as palace attendant while he again directed the history office. When Yu Tan, interior governor of Wu, raised a monument to Taibo, Yu Chan drafted the inscription. His "Rhapsody on the Yang Capital" enjoyed enormous esteem. He died at fifty-four with the posthumous epithet "Steadfast"; ten fascicles of verse, rhapsodies, and commemorative prose survive.
37
子肅之,亦有文藻著稱,歷給事中、相府記室、湘東太守。 太元中卒。
His son Yu Suzhi inherited literary fame, serving as palace attendant, chief recorder on the minister's staff, and governor of Xiangdong. He died during the Taiyuan reign.
38
曹毗
Cao Pi
39
曹毗,字輔佐,譙國人也。 高祖休,魏大司馬。 父識,右軍將軍。 毗少好文籍,善屬詞賦。 郡察孝廉,除郎中,蔡謨舉為佐著作郎。 父憂去職。 服闋,遷句章令,徵拜太學博士。 時桂陽張碩為神女杜蘭香所降,毗因以二篇詩嘲之,並續蘭香歌詩十篇,甚有文彩。 又著《揚都賦》,亞於庾闡。 累遷尚書郎、鎮軍大將軍從事中郎、下邳太守。 以名位不至,著《對儒》以自釋。 其辭曰:或問曹子曰:「夫寶以含珍為貴,士以藏器為峻,麟以絕跡標奇,松以負霜稱雋,是以蘭生幽澗,玉輝於仞。 故子州浮滄瀾而龍蟠,吳季忽萬乘以解印,虞公潛崇岩以頤神,梁生適南越以保慎,固能全真養和,夷跡洞潤,陵冬揚芳,披雪獨振也。」 今少子睎冥風,弱挺秀容,奇以幼齡,翰披孺童。 吐辭則藻落楊班,抗心則志擬高鴻,味道則理貫莊肆,研妙則穎奪豪鋒。 固以騰廣莫而萋蒨,排素薄而青蔥者矣,何必以刑禮為己任,申韓為宏通! 既登東觀,染史筆; 又據太學,理儒功。 曾無玄韻淡泊,逸氣虛洞,養采幽翳,晦明蒙籠。 不追林棲之跡,不希抱鱗之龍,不營練真之術,不慕內聽之聰。 而處泛位以核物,扇塵教以自濛,負鹽車以顯能,飾一己以求恭。 退不居漆園之場,出不躡曾城之沖,遊不踐綽約之室,諆不希騄駬之蹤; 徒以區區之懷而整名目之典,覆蕢之量而塞北川之洪,檢名實於俄頃之間,定得失乎一管之鋒。」 子若謂我果是邪? 則是不必以合俗。 子若云俗果非邪? 則俗非不可以苟從。 俗我紛以交爭,利害渾而彌重,何異執朽轡以禦逸駟,承勁風以握秋蓬,役恬性以充勞府,對群物以耦怨雙者乎? 子不聞乎終軍之穎,賈生之才,拔奇山東,玉映漢台,可謂響播六合,聲駭嬰孩,而見毀絳灌之口,身離狼狽之災。 由此言之,名為實賓,福萌禍胎,朝敷榮華,夕歸塵埃,未若澄虛心于玄圃,廕瑤林于蓬萊,絕世事而雋黃綺,鼓滄川而浪龍鰓者矣。 蒙竊惑焉。」 主人煥耳而笑,欣然而言曰:「夫兩儀既辟,陰陽汗浩,五才迭用,化生紛擾,萬類云云,孰測其兆! 故不登閬風,安以瞻殊目之形? 不步景宿,何以觀恢廓之表? 是以迷粗者循一往之智,狷介者守一方之矯,豈知火林之蔚炎柯,冰津之擢陽草! 故大人達觀,任化昏曉,出不極勞,處不巢皓,在儒亦儒,在道亦道,運屈則紆其清暉,時申則散其龍藻,此蓋員動之用舍,非尋常之所寶也。」 今三明互照,二氣載宣,玄教夕凝,朗風晨鮮,道以才暢,化隨理全。 故五典克明於百揆,虞音齊響於五弦,安期解褐于秀林,漁父擺鉤于長川。 如斯則化無不融,道無不延,風澄於俗,波清於川。 方將舞黃虯于慶雲,招儀鳳於靈山,流玉醴乎華闥,秀硃草於庭前。 何有違理之患,累真之嫌! 子徒知辯其說而未測其源,明朝菌不可逾晦朔,蟪蛄無以觀大年,固非管翰之所述,聊敬對以終篇。」
Cao Pi, courtesy name Fuzuo, came from Qiao commandery. His ancestor Cao Xiu had been Wei grand marshal. His father Cao Shi commanded the right army. Youthful bookworm and polished rhapsodist, he excelled at verse. His commandery nominated him as filial and honest; after appointment as court gentleman Cai Mo sponsored him as assistant compiler. He resigned to mourn his father. After the mourning period he governed Gouzhang county and was summoned as erudite of the Imperial Academy. When Zhang Shuo of Guiyang claimed trysts with the goddess Du Lanxiang, Cao answered with two satirical poems and ten sequels to her songs—all dazzlingly wrought. His "Rhapsody on the Yang Capital" ranked just below Yu Chan's celebrated version. He rose through gentleman of the masters of writing, staff officer to the garrisoning general, and governor of Xiapi. Frustrated at stalled promotion he wrote "Reply to the Scholars" to justify his choices. The piece opens with a question put to Master Cao: "A treasure is valued for the gem it holds; a gentleman is esteemed for the talent he keeps within; the qilin is famed for leaving no trace; the pine is praised for standing through frost. Orchids flourish in hidden streams; jade shines from towering cliffs. Zizhou drifted the blue sea and coiled like a dragon; Wu Jihu abruptly renounced imperial power; Duke Yu withdrew to high cliffs to nourish his spirit; Liang Sheng went south to Yue and kept himself whole. All of them preserved their true selves, lived in quiet obscurity, sent forth fragrance in winter, and flourished alone through snow." Yet you, young sir, aspire to the reclusive way even in youth—handsome of bearing, precocious in talent, your writing already outshining other lads. Your words outshine Yang Xiong and Ban Gu; your spirit aspires as high as wild geese in flight; your grasp of the Way matches Zhuangzi; your subtle insight rivals the sharpest masters. You already rise through boundless space in full brilliance, casting off the pale and thin for rich green life—why burden yourself with penal law and ritual, or take Shen Buhai and Han Fei as your grand achievement! You have entered the Eastern Pavilion and taken up the historian's brush; and you hold post at the Imperial Academy, managing Confucian scholarship. Yet you show none of the dark serenity of detachment, the free breath of empty depth, the cultivation of grace in hidden shade, the mingling of light and shadow in misted obscurity. You do not follow the path of forest reclusion, do not seek the hidden dragon, do not cultivate arts of refining the true self, do not cherish the inner clarity of deep listening. Instead you hold an empty office to judge affairs, stir dusty doctrine to blind yourself, bear the salt-laden cart to show off talent, and polish your private self to win approval. In retreat you do not dwell in Zhuangzi's realm; abroad you do not climb immortal heights; in leisure you do not enter chambers of pure refinement; in ambition you do not seek the tracks of noble steeds; you merely apply a narrow mind to codify names and categories, a cup's measure to dam a northern flood, judge name and reality in an instant, and settle right and wrong at the point of a single brush." If you hold that I am truly in the right, then there is no need to conform to custom. If you say custom is truly wrong, then custom is not something one may never follow at all. Custom and self clash in endless dispute; profit and harm blur together and weigh ever heavier—what is this but holding rotten reins against a runaway team, gripping autumn tumbleweed in a gale, forcing a tranquil nature into ceaseless toil, and meeting the world only as doubled resentment? Have you not heard of Zhong Jun's brilliance and Jia Yi's genius—outstanding talents of Shandong, jade gleaming at the Han court, their fame echoing through the realm and their names startling even children—yet destroyed by the tongues of Zhou Bo and Guan Ying and brought to ruin and disgrace? From this we see: fame is but the shadow of substance; fortune breeds disaster; glory at dawn turns to dust by dusk. Far better to clear the heart in the mystic garden, rest beneath jade trees on Penglai, leave the world behind like Huang and Qi, and let the blue river surge for the dragon's gills. This is what puzzles me." The host laughed with bright delight, then spoke with pleasure: "Once heaven and earth were formed, yin and yang poured forth in vast motion; the five elements succeeded one another; life churned in endless change; the myriad creatures multiplied—who could read their omens! Without climbing Mount Langfeng, how can one behold forms beyond ordinary sight? Without walking among the constellations, how can one see the vast reaches of the cosmos? The coarse in spirit cling to one fixed wisdom; the rigid guard one narrow orthodoxy—how could they know the blazing branches of the fire forest, or yang grass springing from an icy ford! The great man sees far and yields to transformation through night and day; active, he does not exhaust himself; at rest, he does not burrow away like a hermit. Among scholars he is a scholar; among Daoists he is a Daoist. When fortune falters he gathers his clear light; when the time opens he spreads his dragon brilliance. This is the flexible use and release of the rounded way—not the treasure of ordinary men." Now the three lights shine together; yin and yang bear full sway; sacred teaching settles at dusk and clear winds freshen at dawn; the Way advances through talent, and transformation completes through principle. Thus the Five Canons govern all affairs; Yao's music sounds on the five strings; Anqi lays aside common dress in a fair grove; the fisherman casts off his hook on the long river. When it is so, transformation leaves nothing unblended and the Way reaches everywhere; winds clear over custom and waves grow calm upon the stream. Yellow hornless dragons will dance in auspicious clouds; the ceremonial phoenix will be summoned on the sacred mountain; jade nectar will flow through splendid halls; vermillion grass will flourish before the courtyard. What fear then of violating principle, or of staining the true self! You know how to argue the words but have not traced their source. A morning mushroom cannot span from new moon to full; a summer cicada cannot know the great year. This is no matter for petty chroniclers to record—I offer this respectful reply only to close the piece.
40
累遷至光祿勳,卒。 凡所著文筆十五卷,傳於世。
He rose to minister of the imperial household and died in office. Fifteen fascicles of prose and verse circulated after him.
41
李充
Li Chong
42
李充,字弘度,江夏人。 父矩,江州刺史。 充少孤,其父墓中柏樹嘗為盜賊所斫,充手刃之,由是知名。 善楷書,妙參鐘索,世咸重之。 辟丞相王導掾,轉記室參軍。 幼好刑名之學,深抑虛浮之士,嘗著《學箴》,稱:《老子》云:「絕仁棄義,家復孝慈。」 豈仁義之道絕,然後李慈乃生哉? 蓋患乎情仁義者寡而利仁義者眾也。 道德喪而仁義彰,仁義彰而名利作,禮教之弊,直在茲也。 先王以道德之不行,故以仁義化之,行仁義之不篤,故以禮律檢之; 檢之彌繁,而偽亦愈廣,老莊是乃明無為之益,塞爭欲之門。 夫極靈智之妙、總會通之和者,莫尚乎聖人。 革一代之弘制,垂千載之遺風,則非聖不立。 然則聖人之在世,吐言則為訓辭,蒞事則為物軌,運通則與時隆,理喪則與世弊矣。 是以大為之論以標其旨。 物必有宗,事必有主,寄責于聖人而遺累乎陳跡也。 故化之以絕聖棄智,鎮之以無名之樸。 聖教救其末,老莊明其本,本末之塗殊而為教一也。 人之迷也,其日久矣! 見形者眾,及道者鮮,不覿千仞之門而遂適物之跡,逐跡逾篤,離本逾遠,遂使華端與薄俗俱興,妙緒與淳風並絕,所以聖人長潛而跡未嘗滅矣。 懼後進惑其如此,將越禮棄學而希無為之風,見義教之殺而不觀其隆矣,略言所懷,以補其闕。 引道家之弘旨,會世教之適當,義之違本,言不流放,庶以祛困蒙之蔽,悟一往之惑乎! 其辭曰:芒芒太初,悠悠鴻荒,蚩蚩萬類,與道兼忘。 聖跡未顯,賢名不彰,怡此鼓腹,率我倡狂。 資生既廣,群塗思通,暗實師明,匪予求蒙,遺己濟物而天下為公。 大庭唱基,義農宏贊,六位元時成,離暉大觀,澤洽雨濡,化流風散,比屋同塵而人罔僭亂。 爰暨中古,哲王胥承,質文代作,禮統迭興,事藉用以繁,化因阻而凝,動非性擾,靜豈神澄! 名之攸彰,道之攸廢,乃損所隆,乃崇所替,刑作由於德衰,三辟興乎叔世,既敦既誘,乃矯乃厲。 敦亦既備,矯亦既深,雕琢生文,抑揚成音,群能騁技,眾巧竭心,野無陸馬,山無散林。 風罔不動,化罔不移,人之失德,反正作奇。 乃放欲以越禮,不知希競之為病,違彼夷塗而遵此險徑。 狡兔陵岡,游魚遁川,至賾深妙,大象幽玄,棄餌收罝而責功蹄筌,先統喪歸而寄旨忘言。 政異征辭,拔本塞源,遁跡永日,尋響窮年,刻意離性而失其自然。 世有險夷,運有通圮,損益適時,升降惟理。 道不可以一日廢,亦不可以一朝擬,禮不可以千載制,亦不可以當年止。 非仁無以長物,非義無以齊恥,仁義固不可遠,去其害仁義者而己。 力行猶懼不逮,希企邈以遠矣。 室有善言,應在千里,況乎行止復禮克己。 風人司箴,敬貽君子。
Li Chong, courtesy name Hongdu, was a native of Jiangxia. His father Li Ju governed Jiang province as inspector. Orphaned young, he tracked down the bandits who had vandalized his father's tomb and slew them with his own blade—news that spread his reputation. His regular script rivaled Zhong Yao and Suo Jing—calligraphers everywhere prized his hand. Wang Dao brought him onto the chancellor's staff; he then became recorder-adjutant. From youth he studied legalist doctrine and scorned fashionable emptiness; in his "Admonition on Learning" he writes: Laozi says, "Abandon benevolence and discard righteousness, and the household will again know filial piety and kindness." Does filial kindness arise only after benevolence and righteousness have been abolished? The trouble is that few feel benevolence and righteousness in their hearts, while many profit from them. When the Way and virtue decline, benevolence and righteousness are proclaimed; when those are proclaimed, fame and profit follow—the flaw of ritual teaching lies here. When the Way and virtue failed to prevail, the ancient kings taught through benevolence and righteousness; when practice grew insincere, they restrained conduct with ritual and law; yet the more rules multiplied, the wider hypocrisy spread—hence Laozi and Zhuangzi showed the good of non-action and closed the gate of strife and craving. None surpasses the sage in reaching the heights of wisdom and gathering the harmony of universal truth. Great institutions are not reformed nor enduring customs handed down except through the sage. When the sage lives among men, his words become teaching and his conduct a model for all things; in prosperous times he rises with the age, and when principle fails he shares the world's decline. Therefore I set forth this broad argument to make its purpose clear. All things have their root and all affairs their master; fix responsibility on the sage and leave stale forms behind. Thus teach by setting aside false sagehood and cleverness, and steady the age with the nameless uncarved block. Confucian teaching remedies the branches; Laozi and Zhuangzi illuminate the root—the paths differ, yet the teaching is one. Men have wandered in delusion for ages! Many see only appearances; few attain the Way. Ignoring the lofty gate, they chase outward traces ever more eagerly and drift ever farther from the root—so ornament and vulgarity flourish together while subtle truth and pure custom die together. That is why the sage often withdraws, yet his traces are never lost. Lest later students be misled into casting off ritual and study to chase idle non-action, seeing moral teaching as mere constraint without noting its uplifting power, I briefly set down my thoughts to fill what is lacking. I draw on the great aim of Daoism and align it with what worldly teaching requires—keeping meaning true to the root and language from wandering free—in hope of lifting the blinders of confusion and awakening those trapped in one-sided views! The text runs: In vast primordial chaos, in boundless antiquity, all creatures lived in simple innocence and forgot even the Way. No sage's traces yet appeared, no worthy name was known—bellies full, hearts content, all sang in untamed ease. As livelihoods broadened, every path sought mastery; the benighted took the enlightened as teacher—not to seek ignorance, but to forget self, aid others, and make the realm common to all. The Great Sovereign laid the foundation; the righteous farmers exalted his reign. The six offices were set, the great radiance shone forth; grace soaked like rain, transformation spread like wind, every household shared one dust, and none usurped or rebelled. Then in middle antiquity sage kings succeeded one another; culture and ornament alternated, ritual systems rose in turn. Affairs grew complex through utility, transformation stiffened through obstruction—movement no longer sprang from nature, stillness no longer cleared the spirit! As names were exalted, the Way was cast aside—what had been honored was cut back, what had been discarded was raised up. Punishments arose as virtue waned; three penal codes appeared in a decadent age—through teaching and warning, correction and severity. Instruction was complete, correction ran deep—carving produced ornament, modulation shaped music; talents vied in skill, ingenuity exhausted every mind; no horse roamed the plain, no tree stood scattered on the hill. No wind stirred, no change moved—yet men lost virtue, turned from the straight path, and pursued the bizarre. They indulged desire to breach ritual, never seeing that craving rivalry is a sickness—leaving the level road for this treacherous path. The crafty hare climbs the hill, the roaming fish flees the stream—the deepest mystery is profound, the great image dark and abstruse. They cast aside bait and nets yet demand results like hoofprints and fish-traps; having lost the original unity, they rest their meaning on wordless teaching. Policies diverged and disputations multiplied—uprooting the source, blocking the spring, hiding away day after day, chasing echoes year after year—forcing nature aside and losing what is spontaneous. Ages bring peril and ease, fortune brings rise and fall—increase and decrease must suit the time, ascent and decline follow reason alone. The Way may not be abandoned for a single day, nor seized in a single morning; ritual may not be fixed for a thousand years, nor halted in the present year. Without benevolence nothing can flourish; without righteousness shame cannot be ordered. Benevolence and righteousness must not be cast away—only remove what harms them. Even strenuous effort fears falling short; to hope for the distant ideal is harder still. Good words in one's household should resound a thousand leagues away—how much more when conduct and restraint return to ritual and self-mastery. The poet charged with admonition respectfully offers this to gentlemen.
43
征北將軍褚裒又引為參軍,充以家貧,苦求外出,裒將許之為縣,試問之,充曰:「窮猿投林,豈暇擇木!」 乃除縣令,遭母憂。 服闋,為大著作郎。
Chu Pou of the northern expedition force tried to keep him as adjutant; desperate household finances drove Li to beg a provincial post. When Chu offered a county and asked which he preferred, Li replied, "A hunted ape dives into the forest—there is no leisure to pick the tree!" Chu named him county magistrate; his mother died soon after. After mourning he directed the imperial library as chief compiler.
44
于時典籍混亂,充刪除煩重,以類相從,分作四部,甚有條貫,秘閣以為永制。 累遷中書侍郎,卒官。 充注《尚書》及《周易旨》六篇、《釋莊論》上下二篇、詩賦表頌等雜文二百四十首,行於世。
Court archives were chaos until Li pruned duplicates, grouped texts by subject, and established the four divisions still used in the palace library. He rose to gentleman of the palace secretariat and died in harness. His corpus includes commentary on the Documents, six essays on the Changes, two treatises on Zhuangzi, and two hundred forty poems, rhapsodies, and state papers.
45
子顒,亦有文義,多所述作,郡舉孝廉。
His son Li Yong inherited literary gifts and won nomination as filial and honest.
46
充從兄式,以平隱著稱,善楷隸。 中興初,仕至侍中。
His cousin Li Shi was noted for quiet integrity and mastery of clerical calligraphy. Early in the Eastern Jin revival he rose to palace attendant.
47
袁宏
Yuan Hong
48
袁宏,字彥伯,侍中猷之孫也。 父勖,臨汝令。 宏有逸才,文章絕美,曾為詠史詩,是其風情所寄。 少孤貧,以運租自業。 謝尚時鎮牛渚,秋夜乘月,率爾與左右微服泛江。 會宏在舫中諷詠,聲既清會,辭又藻拔,遂駐聽久之,遣問焉。 答云:「是袁臨汝郎誦詩。」 即其詠史之作也。 尚傾率有勝致,即迎升舟,與之譚論,申旦不寐,自此名譽日茂。 尚為安西將軍、豫州刺史,引宏參其軍事。 累遷大司馬桓溫府記室。 溫重其文筆,專綜書記。 後為《東征賦》,賦末列稱過江諸名德,而獨不載桓彝。 時伏滔先在溫府,又與宏善,苦諫之。 宏笑而不答。 溫知之甚忿,而憚宏一時文宗,不欲令人顯問。 後游青山飲歸,命宏同載,眾為之懼。 行數里,問宏云:「聞君作《東征賦》,多稱先賢,何故不及家君?」 宏答曰:「尊公稱謂非下官敢專,既未遑啟,不敢顯之耳。」 溫疑不實,乃曰:「君欲為何辭?」 宏即答云:「風鑒散朗,或搜或引,身雖可亡,道不可隕,宣城之節,信義為允也。」 溫泫然而止。 宏賦又不及陶侃,侃子胡奴嘗于曲室抽刃問宏曰:「家君勳跡如此,君賦云何相忽?」 宏窘急,答曰:「我已盛述尊公,何乃言無?」 因曰:「精金百汰,在割能斷,功以濟時,職思靜亂,長沙之勳,為史所贊。」 胡奴乃止。
Yuan Hong, courtesy name Yanbo, was grandson of the palace attendant Yuan You. His father Yuan Xu governed Linru county. Brilliant and restless, his prose gleamed; his poems on historical themes caught his deepest moods. Orphaned and destitute, he earned his rice ferrying tax grain. While Xie Shang commanded Niuzhu he slipped onto the river one moonlit autumn night with a handful of companions in disguise. Yuan Hong's boat drifted past; his voice rang clear and his lines gleamed—Xie ordered the boat stopped and sent men to learn who sang. They answered, "The magistrate of Linru's son is chanting verse." Those were his poems on history. Delighted by Yuan's spontaneity, Xie invited him aboard and talked until dawn—overnight Yuan's reputation bloomed. When Xie became general who pacifies the west and inspector of Yu he named Yuan military adviser. He rose to chief recorder on Grand Marshal Huan Wen's staff. Huan prized his pen and gave him sole charge of correspondence. His "Rhapsody on the Eastern Expedition" praised every eminent migrant minister—but omitted Huan Yi. Fu Tao, already on Huan's staff and friendly with Yuan, pleaded with him to add Huan Yi. Yuan smiled and said nothing. Huan seethed yet hesitated to confront the era's literary arbiter openly. Later, riding home drunk from Green Mountain, Huan insisted Yuan share his carriage—onlookers trembled for him. After a few miles Huan asked, "Your rhapsody praises every worthy—why omit my father?" Yuan answered, "Addressing so exalted a patronage is not mine to decide lightly—without your instruction I dared not presume." Unconvinced, Huan snapped, "Supply the line now." Yuan improvised: "Far-sighted and forthright, now recruiting now guiding—life may end yet principle endures; Xuancheng's steadfast honor rings true as justice." Huan's eyes filled; he said no more. The rhapsody also snubbed Tao Kan—whose son Hunu cornered Yuan in a side room with a knife: "My father's deeds tower—why erase him?" Flustered, Yuan protested, "I praised him lavishly—how can you say he is missing?" He extemporized: "Metal refined through countless heats cuts clean—his service steadied the age and stilled rebellion; historians hymn the Duke of Changsha's feats." Hunu lowered the blade.
49
後為《三國名臣頌》曰:夫百姓不能自牧,故立君以治之; 明君不能獨治,則為臣以佐之。 然則三五迭隆,歷代承基,揖讓之與干戈,文德之與武功,莫不宗匠陶鈞而群才緝熙,元首經略而股肱肆力。 雖遭罹不同,跡有優劣,至於體分冥固,道契不墜,風美所扇,訓革千載,其揆一也。 故二八升而唐朝盛,伊呂用而湯武寧,三賢進而小白興,五臣顯而重耳霸。 中古陵遲,斯道替矣。 居上者不以至公理物,為下者必以私路期榮,禦員者不以信誠率眾,執方者必以權謀自顯。 於是君臣離而名教薄,世多亂而時不治,故蘧寧以之卷舒,柳下以之三黜,接輿以之行歌,魯連以之赴海。 衰世之中,保持名節,君臣相體,若合符契,則燕昭、樂毅古之流矣。 夫未遇伯樂,則千載無一驥; 時值龍顏,則當年控三傑,漢之得賢,於斯為貴。 高祖雖不以道勝禦物,群下得盡其忠; 蕭曹雖不以三代事主,百姓不失其業。 靜亂庇人,抑亦其次。 夫時方顛沛,則顯不如隱; 萬物思治,則默不如語。 是以古之君子不患弘道難,患遭時難; 遭時匪難,遇君難。 故有道無時,孟子所以咨嗟; 有時無君,賈生所以垂泣。 夫萬歲一期,有生之通塗; 千載一遇,賢智之嘉會。 遇之不能無欣,喪之何能無慨。 古人之言,信有情哉! 余以暇日常覽《國志》,考其君臣,比其行事,雖道謝先代,亦異世一時也。 文若懷獨見之照,而有救世之心,論時則人方塗炭,計能則莫出魏武,故委圖霸朝,豫謀世事。 舉才不以標鑒,故人亡而後顯; 籌畫不以要功,故事至而後定。 雖亡身明順,識亦高矣。 董卓之亂,神器遷逼,公達慨然,志在致命。 由斯而譚,故以大存名節。 至如身為漢隸而跡入魏幕,源流趣舍,抑亦文若之謂。 所以存亡殊致,始終不同,將以文若既明且哲,名教有寄乎! 夫仁義不可不明,時宗舉其致; 生理不可不全,故達識攝其契。 相與弘道,豈不遠哉! 崔生高朗,折而不撓,所以策名魏武、執笏霸朝者,蓋以漢主當陽,魏後北面者哉! 若乃一旦進璽,君臣易位,則崔生所以不與,魏氏所以不容。 夫江湖所以濟舟,亦所以覆舟; 仁義所以全身,亦所以亡身。 然而先賢玉摧于前,來哲攘袂於後,豈天懷發中,而名教束物者乎! 孔明盤桓,俟時而動,遐想管樂,遠明風流,治國以禮,人無怨聲,刑罰不濫,沒有餘泣,雖古之遺愛,何以加茲! 及其臨終顧托,受遺作相,劉後授之無疑心,武侯受之無懼色,繼體納之無貳情,百姓信之無異辭,君臣之際,良可詠矣! 公瑾卓爾,逸志不群,總角料主,則素契于伯符; 晚節曜奇,則三分於赤壁。 惜其齡促,志未可量。 子布佐策,致延譽之美,輟哭止哀,有翼戴之功,神情所涉,豈徒謇諤而已哉! 然杜門不用,登壇受譏。 夫一人之身所照未異,而用舍之間俄有不同,況沈跡溝壑,遇與不遇者乎! 夫詩頌之作,有自來矣。 或以吟詠情性,或以紀德顯功,雖大指同歸,所托或乖。 若夫出處有道,名體不滯,風軌德音,為世作範,不可廢也。 復綴序所懷,以為之贊曰:火德既微,運纏大過。 洪飆扇海,二溟揚波。 虯獸雖驚,風雲未和。 潛魚擇川,高鳥候柯。 赫赫三雄,並回乾軸。 競收杞梓,爭采松竹。 鳳不及棲,龍不暇伏。 谷無幽蘭,嶺無停菊。 英英文若,靈鑒洞照。 應變知微,頤奇賞要。 日月在躬,隱之彌曜。 文明暎心,贊之愈妙。 滄海橫流,玉石俱碎。 達人兼善,廢己存愛。 謀解時紛,功濟宇內。 始救生靈,終明風概。 公達潛朗,思同蓍蔡。 運用無方,動攝群會。 爰初發跡,遘此顛沛。 神情玄定,處之彌泰。 愔愔幕裹,算無不經亹癖通韻,跡不暫停。 雖懷尺璧,顧哂連城。 智能極物,愚足全生。 郎中溫雅,器識純素。 貞而不諒,通而能固。 恂恂德心,汪汪軌度。 仁者必勇,德亦有言。 雖遇履尾,神氣恬然。 行不修飾,名節無愆。 操不激切,素風愈鮮。 邈哉崔生,體正心直。 天骨疏朗,牆岸高嶷。 忠存軌跡,義形風色。 思樹芳蘭,翦除荊棘。 人惡其上,世不容哲。 琅琅先生,雅杖名節。 雖遇塵務,猶震霜雪。 運極道消,碎此明月。 景山恢誕,韻與道合。 形器不存,方寸海納。 和而不同,通而不雜。 遇醉忘辭,在醒貽答。 長文通雅,義格終始。 思戴元首,擬伊同恥。 人未知德,懼若在己。 嘉謀肆庭,讜言盈耳。 玉生雖麗,光不逾把。 德積雖微,道暎天下。 邈哉太初,宇量高雅。 器范自然。 標準無假。 全身由直,跡洿必偽。 處死匪難,理存則易。 萬物波蕩,孰任其累! 六合徒廣,容身靡寄。 君親自然,匪由名教。 愛敬既同,情禮兼到。 烈烈王生,知死不撓。 求仁不遠,期在忠存。 玄伯剛簡,大存名體。 端委獸門,正言彌啟。 臨危致命,盡其心禮。 堂堂孔明,基宇宏邈。 器同生靈,獨稟先覺。 標榜風流,遠明管樂。 初九龍盤,雅志彌確。 百六道喪,干戈迭用。 苟非命世,孰掃雰雺! 宗子思甯,薄言解控。 釋褐中林,郁為時棟。 士元弘長,雅性內融。 崇善愛物,觀始知終。 喪亂備矣。 勝塗未隆。 先生標之,振起清風。 綢繆哲後,無妄惟時。 夙夜匪懈,義在緝熙。 三略既陳,霸業已基。 公琰殖根,不忘中正。 豈曰模擬,實在雅性。 亦既羈勒,負荷時命。 推賢恭己,久而可敬。 公衡沖達,秉志淵塞。 媚茲一人,臨難不惑。 疇昔不造,假翮鄰國。 進能徽音,退不失德。 六合紛紜,人心將變。 鳥擇高梧,臣須顧眄。 公瑾英達,朗心獨見。 披草求君,定交一面。 桓桓魏武,外托霸跡。 卓卓若人,曜奇赤壁。 三光參分,宇宙暫隔。 子布擅名,遭世方擾。 撫翼桑梓,息肩江表。 王略威夷,吳魏同寶。 遂贊宏謨,匡此霸道。 桓王之薨,大業未純。 把臂托孤,惟賢與親。 轟哭止哀,臨難忘身。 成此南面,實由老臣。 才為世生,世亦須才。 得而能任,貴在無猜。 昂昂子敬,拔跡草萊。 荷簷吐奇,乃構雲臺。 子瑜都長,體性純懿。 諫而不犯,正而不毅。 將命公庭,退忘私位。 豈無鶺鴒,固慎名器。 伯言謇謇,以道佐世。 出能勤功,入亦獻替。 謀寧社稷,妥紛挫銳。 正以招疑,忠而獲戾。 元歎邈遠,神和形檢。 如彼白珪,質無塵點。 立行以恆,匡主以漸。 清不增潔,濁不加染。 仲翔高亮,性不和物。 好是不群,折而不屈。 屢摧逆鱗,直道受黜。 歎過孫陽,放同賈屈。 莘莘眾賢,千載一遇。 整轡高衢,驤首天路。 仰揖玄流,俯弘時務。 名節殊塗,雅致同趣。 日月麗天,瞻之不墜。 仁義在躬,用之不匱。 尚想遐風,載揖載味。 後生擊節,懦夫增氣。
He later wrote the Panegyric on Eminent Ministers of the Three Kingdoms, which begins: The people cannot govern themselves, and so a ruler is set up to rule them; a wise ruler cannot rule alone, and ministers are appointed to aid him. Thus through the ages of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, each dynasty inherited the throne; whether by peaceful succession or by war, by civil culture or martial prowess, a master craftsman always shaped the age while many talents flourished together, the sovereign laying plans and his ministers giving their full strength. Though their fortunes differed and their records were unequal, in the firmness of their roles, the steadfastness of their bond with the Way, the moral beauty they spread, and the lessons that reformed the ages, their standard was the same. Thus when the Eight and the Twenty took office, the house of Tang prospered; when Yi Yin and Lü Shang were used, Tang and Wu knew peace; when three worthies advanced, Duke Huan rose; when five ministers stood forth, Duke Wen of Jin achieved hegemony. In the middle ages the age declined, and this principle was lost. Those in high place no longer governed all things with perfect fairness; those below sought advancement by private means; those at the helm did not lead the people with sincerity; those who held authority displayed themselves through intrigue. Then lord and minister were estranged and moral teaching grew thin; the age was chaotic and order failed; and so Qu Ning withdrew and returned, Liu Xia Hui was thrice dismissed, Jie Yu went about singing, and Lu Zhonglian threw himself into the sea. In a decadent age, to preserve integrity and have ruler and minister embody one another as though joined by a tally—that was the ancient pattern of King Zhao of Yan and Yue Yi. Without meeting a Bo Le, a thousand years may pass without a single swift steed; but when the age met a dragon countenance, three heroes were harnessed in a single generation; in this lay the Han's true treasure of worthy men. Though Emperor Gaozu did not rule by triumph of the Way over things, his followers could give their full loyalty; and though Xiao He and Cao Shen did not serve lords of the Three Dynasties, the people did not lose their livelihoods. To still chaos and shelter the people was, after all, a lesser matter. When the age was in turmoil, to stand forth was inferior to withdrawal; when all things yearned for order, silence was inferior to speaking out. Thus the gentlemen of old did not fear that spreading the Way was difficult; they feared that the times were difficult; and if the times were not hard, meeting the right ruler was hard. Hence Mencius sighed because he had the Way but not the time; and Jia Yi wept because he had the time but not the ruler. Ten thousand years form one span—the common road of life; a meeting once in a thousand years—the splendid occasion of the worthy and wise. To meet such a moment brings joy; to lose it brings sighs—how could it be otherwise? The words of the ancients are truly charged with feeling! In my leisure I often read the Records of the Three Kingdoms, studying its rulers and ministers and comparing their deeds; though their Way fell short of earlier ages, they were nonetheless a moment unto themselves. Xun Yu possessed the light of singular insight and a heart set on saving the age; the people were in misery, and in ability none surpassed Cao Cao; so he entrusted his designs to the hegemonic court and planned ahead for the affairs of the realm. He recommended talent without keeping score, so men became famous only after they died; he planned without demanding credit, so affairs were settled only when they came to fruition. Though he lost his life in making clear his submission, his insight was lofty indeed. In Dong Zhuo's rebellion, when the imperial regalia was seized, Sima Yi was stirred with resolve to give his life. Seen in this light, he preserved his integrity on the grandest scale. As for serving in body as a subject of Han while one's path entered Wei's camp—in source, course, and choice, this may also be said of Xun Yu. That survival and destruction took different courses and beginnings and ends diverged must be because Xun Yu was bright and wise, and moral teaching found its lodging in him! Benevolence and righteousness must be made clear; the age's exemplars displayed their fulfillment; the principle of preserving life must be kept whole; hence the far-seeing grasped its inner bond. Together to spread the Way—was that not a far-reaching aim! Cui Yan was lofty and bright, broken yet unbending; the reason he took office under Cao Cao and held court at the hegemon's side was surely that the Han sovereign still faced the south while the Wei ruler stood to the north! But had the imperial seal been offered in a day and ruler and minister changed places, that is why Cui Yan would not have joined in, and why Wei could not tolerate him. Rivers and lakes can carry a boat, and they can also overturn one; benevolence and righteousness can preserve the body, and they can also destroy it. Yet former worthies were shattered like jade before, and later sages rolled up their sleeves after—was this not Heaven's intent welling from within, and moral teaching binding men to their duty! Zhuge Liang lingered in seclusion, waiting for the right moment; he looked back to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi and carried their elegance far forward; he governed by ritual, the people murmured no complaint, punishments were not abused, and at death none wept in vain—what ancient beloved minister could surpass this! At his deathbed he entrusted the realm and became chief minister; Empress Liu entrusted him without doubt, Zhuge Liang received the charge without fear, the heir accepted it without disloyalty, and the people believed without dissent—the bond between ruler and minister is truly worth celebrating in song! Zhou Yu stood apart in excellence, his free spirit unmatched; from youth he judged his lord and was long bound to Sun Ce; in his later years his brilliance flared, and at Red Cliffs the realm was divided threefold. Alas that his years were brief; his ambition cannot be measured. Lu Su aided in planning and won lasting renown; he stopped the mourning and had the merit of supporting the throne; what his spirit and bearing touched went far beyond mere blunt remonstrance! Yet he was shut behind closed doors and unused, and when he mounted the altar he met with ridicule. The same man's light does not change, yet between employment and rejection there may suddenly be a difference—how much more for those sunk in obscurity, the favored and the overlooked! The writing of odes and panegyrics is an ancient practice. Some sing to give voice to feeling, others record virtue and display merit; though the broad aim is one, what they rest upon may differ. When advancement and withdrawal follow the Way, when name and substance are not fixed in place, when conduct and reputation serve as models for the age—these cannot be abandoned. I now gather what I expressed in the preface and offer this praise: The fire virtue had waned; fate was wound in Great Excess. Mighty winds lashed the sea; both oceans heaved their waves. Horned beasts were alarmed, yet wind and cloud had not yet joined in harmony. Fish in the depths chose their streams; birds on high awaited their branches. Resplendent, the three heroes together turned the axis of heaven. They raced to gather fine timber; they strove to harvest pine and bamboo. The phoenix had no branch left to perch on; the dragon no moment to lie low. No hidden orchids remained in the valleys; no chrysanthemums lingered on the ridges. Illustrious Xun Yu—his discerning mirror pierced all things. He met change and knew the subtle; he cherished the rare and valued the essential. Sun and moon seemed embodied in him; the more he withdrew, the brighter he shone. Civil brilliance lit his heart; the more one praised him, the finer he seemed. As the dark sea flowed awry, jade and common stone were shattered alike. The far-seeing man embraced all in goodness; he set himself aside and kept love alive. His counsel unraveled the age's turmoil; his merit aided all within the realm. At first he saved the people; at the end he made his moral bearing clear. Sima Yi was reserved yet luminous; his thought matched the oracle tortoise and milfoil. He deployed without fixed method; in action he commanded every assembly. When first he rose to prominence, he met this age of turmoil. His spirit was serenely fixed; the more he faced turmoil, the more at ease he grew. Quiet within the tent, in counsel nothing went unconsidered; diligent and penetrating in design, his course never briefly paused. Though he held a foot of jade, he smiled at cities worth a thousand. Wisdom may master all things; folly is enough to preserve one's life. Zhong Yao was mild and refined; his character and insight were pure and plain. Upright yet not rigid; penetrating yet steadfast. Deferential in moral heart; vast in standard and measure. The benevolent are surely brave; virtue too has its word. Though he trod the tiger's tail, his spirit remained serene. He did not adorn his conduct; his integrity knew no fault. His manner was not harsh; his plain integrity grew ever fresher. Far-seeing Cui Yan—upright in body, straight in heart. Heaven's bone-structure was open and bright; his bearing stood high and steep as a wall. Loyalty lived in his every step; righteousness showed in his bearing and face. He sought to plant fragrant orchids and cut away thorns. Men resented his uprightness; the age could not tolerate the wise. Clear-voiced Master Chen—he nobly upheld integrity. Though he met the dust of office, he still stood firm as frost and snow. When fortune peaked the Way waned; this bright moon was shattered. Jia Kui was broad and far-reaching; his tone harmonized with the Way. Form and vessel did not confine him; within a square inch he held the sea. Harmonious yet not uniform; penetrating yet not confused. In drink he forgot fine speech; sober, he left counsel behind. Chen Qun was penetrating and refined; righteousness shaped his whole course. He sought to uphold the sovereign; he shared Yi Yin's sense of shame. When others failed to know virtue, he feared as though the fault were his own. Fine counsel filled the court; forthright words filled the ears. Though jade newly born is fair, its light does not pass a hand's breadth. Though virtue gathered may be slight, the Way illumines all under heaven. Far-seeing Xi Zheng—his breadth of mind was lofty and refined. His character and model were wholly natural. His standard was without pretense. Preserving the body comes through uprightness; a stained path must be false. Facing death is not hard; where principle stands, it is easy. All things surge and toss—who can bear their burden! The six directions are vast indeed, yet nowhere could his body find rest. Sovereign and parent are natural bonds, not mere products of moral teaching. Love and reverence were one; feeling and ritual both were fulfilled. Fierce Wang Xiang—knowing death, he did not bend. To seek benevolence is not far; it rests in keeping loyalty alive. Chen Jiao was firm and plain; on the grand scale he preserved name and substance. Robed in dignity at the court gate, his upright words ever opened wider. Facing peril he gave his life, fulfilling his heart's duty to the end. Grand Zhuge Liang—his foundation and structure were vast and far-reaching. His capacity matched the living masses; alone he received prior awakening. He held up elegance as his banner; from afar he illumined Guan Zhong and Yue Yi. At first the dragon coiled on the ninth day; his noble ambition grew ever firmer. The hundred ways were lost; arms were taken up in turn. If not a man fated for the age, who could sweep away the murky haze! Liu Bei thought of peace; in few words he loosened restraint. Leaving common dress in the central grove, he flourished as the pillar of the age. Pang Tong was broad and far-reaching; his refined nature fused within. He honored goodness and cherished things; seeing the beginning, he knew the end. Disorder and chaos were complete. The road to victory was not yet raised. Master Xu marked the way and roused a clear wind. He was careful toward the wise heir; without rashness, only as the time required. From early to late he did not slacken; his duty lay in gathering splendor. The three strategies were set forth; the hegemonic enterprise already had its foundation. Fei Yi planted his root, never forgetting central correctness. This was no mere imitation; it truly lay in his refined nature. Already bridled to office, he bore the burden of the age's mandate. He promoted the worthy and was humble before others; in time he won deep respect. Deng Zhi was even and penetrating; he held his resolve deep and firm. He honored his sovereign; facing hardship he was not confused. In former days he did not succeed; he borrowed wings in a neighboring state. Advancing he could send forth fine repute; withdrawing he did not lose virtue. The six directions were in turmoil; men's hearts were about to change. Birds choose tall parasol trees; ministers must look about with care. Zhou Yu was heroic and penetrating; bright of heart, he saw alone. Parting the grass he sought his lord; he sealed friendship in a single meeting. Mighty Cao Cao outwardly relied on the path of hegemony. Outstanding such a man—his wonder blazed at Red Cliffs. The three luminaries were divided threefold; for a time the universe was parted. Zhang Zhao won great renown; he met an age still in turmoil. He spread his wings in his homeland; he rested his shoulders south of the Yangzi. The royal strategy leveled threats; Wu and Wei held a shared treasure. Then he aided the great design and upheld this hegemonic course. When Sun Ce died, the great enterprise was not yet complete. Clasping arms he entrusted the orphan—only the worthy and the kin. With a great cry he stopped the mourning; facing hardship he forgot himself. To accomplish this facing south truly came through the old minister. Talent is born for the age; the age also needs talent. To gain talent and employ it—what matters is freedom from suspicion. Uplifted Lu Su rose from the common fields. Bearing the roofbeam he brought forth wonders; thus he built the Cloud Terrace. Zhuge Jin was chief of the capital; his character was pure and fine. In remonstrance he gave no offense; upright yet not harsh. Bearing mandate in the public court, in private he forgot personal rank. Though kin were near as wagtails, he was careful of rank and title. Lu Xun was forthright and firm; with the Way he aided the age. Going forth he labored in service; returning he offered correction. His plans settled the state; he soothed turmoil and blunted sharpness. Uprightness drew suspicion; loyalty yet met with blame. Gu Yong was remote and far-reaching; harmonious in spirit, restrained in form. Like a white jade tablet—his substance bore no speck of dust. He established conduct through constancy; he corrected his lord by degrees. In purity he did not grow cleaner; in foulness he took no stain. Bu Zhi was lofty and bright; by nature he did not blend with the crowd. He loved what set him apart; broken yet unbent. Again and again he touched the dragon's scales; the straight path brought dismissal. He sighed for lack of a Sun Yang; cast aside, he shared Jia Yi's fate. Numerous worthies all—once in a thousand years such a meeting. They adjusted reins on the high road; they raised their heads on heaven's path. Looking up they bowed to the lofty tradition; looking down they advanced the affairs of the age. Integrity took different paths; elegant purpose shared one aim. Sun and moon adorn the sky; gazing upon them, they do not fall. Benevolence and righteousness were in their persons; employed, they never failed. Still I think of that far wind, bowing again and savoring again. Later generations beat the measure; even cowards take heart.
50
從桓溫北征,作《北征賦》,皆其文之高者。 嘗與王珣、伏滔同在溫坐,溫令滔讀其《北征賦》,至「聞所傳于相傳,雲獲麟於此野,誕靈物以瑞德,奚授體于虞者! 疚尼父之洞泣,似實慟而非假。 豈一性之足傷,乃致傷於天下」,其本至此便改韻。 珣云:「此賦方傳千載,無容率耳。 今於'天下'之後,移韻徙事,然於寫送之致,似為未盡。」 滔云:「得益寫韻一句,或為小勝。」 溫曰:「卿思益之。」 宏應聲答曰:「感不絕于餘心,愬流風而獨寫。」 珣誦味久之,謂滔曰:「當今文章之美,故當共推此生。」
His northern campaign with Huan Wen produced the "Northern Expedition Rhapsody"—among his loftiest pieces. Once Wang Xun, Fu Tao, and Yuan joined Huan Wen; Huan had Fu read the "Northern Expedition" aloud until the passage: "Tradition upon tradition tells how the unicorn was taken in this field—the spirit beast appeared as an omen of virtue—why should Heaven lend its form to the house of Yu? Confucius wept from the marrow—it was grief unfeigned, not theater. Not one man's fate alone was mourned—Heaven itself seemed to grieve"; at that turn Yuan shifted rhyme." Wang Xun said, "This piece must endure centuries—you cannot shift rhyme carelessly. Moving the rhyme after 'All under Heaven' breaks the emotional arc—the closure still feels abrupt." Fu Tao added, "One extra bridging couplet might salvage the transition." Huan said, "Then improve it." Yuan shot back, "Gratitude lingers in the heart—I chase that lingering breeze and set it down alone." Wang savored the new lines and told Fu Tao, "Among living stylists we must rank him first."
51
性強正亮直,雖被溫禮遇,至於辯論,每不阿屈,故榮任不至。 與伏滔同在溫府,府中呼為「袁伏」。 宏心恥之,每歎曰:「公之厚恩未優國士,而與滔比肩,何辱之甚。」
Blunt and upright, he never flattered Huan in debate—so he never won high office. Staff paired him with Fu Tao as "Yuan and Fu." Yuan burned with shame: "Huan honors me no higher than a confidant yet pairs me with Fu Tao—insufferable."
52
謝安常賞其機對辯速。 後安為揚州刺史,宏自吏部郎出為東陽郡,乃祖道於冶亭。 時賢皆集,安欲以卒迫試之,臨別執其手,顧就左右取一扇而授之曰:「聊以贈行。」 宏應聲答曰:「輒當奉揚仁風,慰彼黎庶。」 時人歎其率而能要焉。
Xie An loved his quick wit in debate. When Xie An governed Yangzhou, Yuan left the personnel ministry for Dongyang; friends saw him off at the Smelting Pavilion. Notables gathered; Xie meant to test Yuan under pressure—at farewell he pressed a fan into Yuan's hand as a parting gift." Yuan answered instantly, "I shall fan benevolent breeze over the common folk." Listeners marveled that wit so quick could stay apt.
53
宏見漢時傅毅作《顯宗頌》,辭甚典雅,乃作頌九章,頌簡文之德,上之于孝武。
Recalling Fu Yi's stately "Hymn for Emperor Ming," Yuan composed nine chapters honoring Emperor Jianwen and presented them to Xiaowu.
54
太元初,卒于東陽,時年四十九。 撰《後漢紀》三十卷及《竹林名士傳》三卷、詩賦誄表等雜文凡三百首,傳於世。
He died at Dongyang early in Taiyuan, aged forty-nine. He left thirty rolls of Later Han annals, three of Bamboo Grove worthies, and three hundred assorted poems, rhapsodies, and state papers.
55
三子:長超子,次成子,次明子。 明子有父風,最知名,官至臨賀太守。
His sons were Yuan Chaozi, Yuan Chengzi, and Yuan Mingzi. Yuan Mingzi alone matched his father's fame, rising to governor of Linhe.
56
伏滔
Fu Tao
57
伏滔,字玄度,平昌安丘人也。 有才學,少知名。 州舉秀才,辟別駕,皆不就。 大司馬桓溫引為參軍,深加禮接,每宴集之所,必命滔同遊。 從溫伐袁真,至壽陽,以淮南屢叛,著論二篇,名曰《正淮》。 其上篇曰:淮南者,三代揚州之分也。 當春秋時,吳、楚、陳、蔡之與地。 戰國之末,楚全有之,而考烈王都焉。 秦並天下,建立郡縣,是為九江。 劉項之際,號曰東楚。 爰自戰國至於晉之中興,六百有餘年,保淮南者九姓,稱兵者十一人,皆亡不旋踵,禍溢於世,而終莫戒焉。 其天時歟,地勢歟,人事歟? 何喪亂之若是也! 試商較而論之。 夫懸象著明,而休征表於列宿; 山河衿帶,而地險彰於丘陵; 治亂推移,而興亡見於人事。 由此而觀,則兼也必矣。 昔妖星出於東南而弱楚以亡,飛孛橫於天漢而劉安誅絕,近則火星晨見而王淩首謀,長彗宵暎而毋丘襲亂。 斯則表乎天時也。 彼壽陽者,南引荊汝之利,東連三吳之富; 北接梁宋,平塗不過七日; 西援陳許,水陸不出千里; 外有江湖之阻,內保淮肥之固。 龍泉之陂,良疇萬頃,舒六之貢,利盡蠻越,金石皮革之具萃焉,苞木箭竹之族生焉,山湖藪澤之隈,水旱之所不害,土產草滋之實,荒年之所取給。 此則系乎地利乎也。 其俗尚氣力而多勇悍,其人習戰爭而貴詐偽,豪右並兼之門,十室而七; 藏甲挾劍之家,比屋而發。 然而仁義之化不漸,刑法之令不及,所以屢多亡國也。 昔考烈以衰弱之楚屢遷其都,外迫強秦之威,內遘陽申之禍,逃死劫殺,三世而滅。 黥布以三雄之選,功成垓下,淮陰既囚,梁越受戮,嫌結震主之威,慮生同體之禍,遂謀圖全之計,庶幾後亡之福,眾潰于一戰,身脂於漢斧。 劉長支庶,奄王大國,承喪亂之餘,禦新化之俗,無德而寵,欲極禍發。 王安內懷先父之憾,外眩奸臣之說,招引賓客,沈溺數術,藉二世之資,恃戈甲之盛,屈強江淮之上,西向而圖宗國,言未絕口,身嗣俱滅。 李憲因亡新之余,袁術當衰漢之末,負力幸亂,遂生僭逆之計,建號九江,稱制下邑,狼狽奔亡,傾城受戮。 及至彥雲、仲恭、公休之徒,或憑宿名,或怙前功,握兵淮楚,力制東夏,屬當多難之世,仍值廢興之會,謀非所議,相系禍敗。 祖約助逆,身亡家族。 彼十亂者,成乎人事者也。 然則侵弱昏迷,以至絕滅,亡楚當之。 恃強畏逼,遂謀叛亂,黥布有焉。 二王遘逆,寵之之過也。 公路僭偽,乘釁之盜也。 二將以圖功首難,士少以驕矜樂禍。 本其所因,考其成跡,皆寵盛禍淫,福過災生,而制之不漸,積之有由也。 其下篇曰:昔高祖之誅黥布也,撮三策之要,馳赦過之書,乘人主之威以除逆節之虜,然猶決戰陳都,暴屍橫野,僅乃克之,害亦深矣! 長安之謀,雖兵未交于山東,禍未遍於天下,而馳說之士與闔境之人幽囚誅放者,亦已眾矣。 光武連兵于肥舒,魏祖馳馬於蘄苦,而廬九之間流溺兵凶者十而七八焉。 夫王淩面縛,得之于砎石; 仲恭接刃,成之於後覺也。 而高祖以之宵征,世宗以之發疾,豈不勤哉! 文皇挾萬乘之威,杖伊周之權,內舉京畿之眾,外征四海之銳,雲合雨集,推鋒以臨淮浦,而誕欽晏然,方嬰城自固,憑軾以觀王師。 於是築長圍,起棼櫓,高壁連塹,負戈擊柝以守之。 自夏及春,而後始知亡焉。 然則屠城之禍,其可極言乎? 約之出奔,淮左為墟,悲夫! 信哉魯哀之言,夫生乎深宮,長於膏梁,憂懼不切於身,榮辱不交於前,則其仁義之本淺矣。 奉以南面之尊,藉以列城之富,宅以制險之居,養以眾強之盛,而無德以臨之,無制以節之,則厭溢樂禍之心生矣。 夫以昏主禦奸臣,利甲資堅城,偽令行于封內,邪惠結于人心,乘間幸濟之說日交於側,猾詐錮咎之群各馳於前,見利如歸,安在其不為亂乎! 況乘舊寵,挾前功,畏逼懼亡,以謀圖身之舉者,望其俯首就羈,不亦迂哉! 《易》稱「履霜堅冰,馴致之道,」蓋言漸也。 嗚呼! 斯所以亂臣賊子亡國覆家累世而不絕者歟! 昔先生之宰天下也,選於有德,訪之三吏,正其分位元,明其等級,畫之封疆,宣之政令,上下有序,無僭差之嫌,四人安業,無並兼之國。 三載考陟,功罪不得逃其跡,九伐時修,刑賞無所謬其實。 令之有漸,軌之有度,寵之有節,權不外授,威不下黷,所以杜其萌際,重其名器,深根固本,傳之百世。 雖時有盛衰,弱者無所懼其亡; 道有興廢,強者不得資其弊。 夫如是,將使天下從風,穆然軌道,慶自一人,惠流萬國,安有向時之患哉!
Fu Tao, courtesy name Xuandu, came from Anqiu in Pingchang. Gifted and learned, he won notice while young. The province ranked him as elite scholar and summoned him as adjunct administrator—he declined both offers. Grand Marshal Huan Wen named him adjutant and showered him with favor—every banquet required Fu Tao at his side. During the expedition against Yuan Zhen he penned two essays called "Setting Huainan Right" after repeated rebellion south of the Huai. The upper essay begins: the Huainan region was the Yangzhou domain of the Three Dynasties. During the Spring and Autumn era it lay among the lands of Wu, Chu, Chen, and Cai. By the close of the Warring States Chu held it entirely, and King Kaolie established his capital there. After Qin unified the empire and instituted the commandery-county system, the area became Jiujiang commandery. In the struggle between the Liu and Xiang houses it was known as Eastern Chu. From the Warring States through the Jin restoration, a span of more than six centuries, nine lineages held the Huainan region and eleven men took up arms; every one perished almost at once, disaster spread through the age, and still no one heeded the lesson. Was the cause celestial timing, geographical advantage, or human conduct? Why has turmoil been so relentless! Let us weigh the evidence and examine the question. Heaven displays its signs clearly, and favorable or ominous portents appear among the stars; rivers and mountains gird the land like collar and sash, and strategic danger is revealed in its hills; order and chaos alternate, and the rise and fall of states are disclosed in human affairs. Seen in this light, all three factors must operate together. In antiquity a baleful star rose in the southeast and enfeebled Chu was destroyed; a comet swept across the Milky Way and Liu An was put to death with his house; in recent times Mars appeared at dawn as Wang Ling first conspired, and a long comet blazed by night when Guanqiu Jian rose in revolt. These are manifestations of Heaven's timing. Shouyang draws southern profit from the Jing and Ru corridor and eastern wealth from the Three Wu lands; to the north it meets Liang and Song, reachable over level roads in no more than seven days; to the west it links Chen and Xu, within a thousand li by river or road; rivers and lakes guard it without, while the Huai and Fei basins secure it within. The Longquan reservoir and ten thousand mu of fertile fields; tribute from Shu and Liu channels profit as far as the southern barbarian lands; metal, stone, leather, and harness are gathered there, and timber and arrow bamboo abound; in the sheltered margins of hills, lakes, and marshes drought and flood do little harm, while native grains, herbs, and fruits sustain the people in years of famine. This, then, depends on geographical advantage. Local custom esteems brute strength and breeds fierce warriors; the people are seasoned in war and prize cunning stratagem; in seven of every ten households powerful families annex their neighbors; homes that hoard armor and bear swords appear in nearly every dwelling. Yet the civilizing force of benevolence and righteousness never takes root, and penal statutes never reach them—hence the repeated ruin of states in this region. King Kaolie of a declining Chu moved his capital again and again, threatened without by Qin's power and torn within by the disaster of Lord Chunshen; amid flight, slaughter, and plunder, his line was extinguished in three generations. Ying Bu, one of the three great champions, had won glory at Gaixia; after Han Xin was imprisoned and Peng Yue of Liang was executed, he brooded on the peril of a lord who fears his own ministers and on the doom that visits those of one flesh and blood; he devised a scheme to save himself and delay his end, but his army broke in a single battle and he was cut down by Han axes. Liu Chang, a cadet of the imperial house, suddenly held a great kingdom; inheriting a realm still raw from chaos and confronting a newly imposed order, he enjoyed favor without virtue until desire ran to excess and ruin broke out. Liu An nursed his father's old resentment within while beguiled without by crafty advisers; he gathered retainers, immersed himself in numerology and occult arts, drew on the wealth of two reigns, and trusted in vast stores of arms; flexing power along the Yangzi and Huai, he turned west to strike at the imperial domain—and before his design was fully spoken, he and his line were annihilated. Li Xian seized on the wreckage of Wang Mang's Xin dynasty; Yuan Shu rose as Han declined; trusting in brute force and welcoming chaos, they hatched treasonous designs, proclaimed a reign in Jiujiang, and asserted rule over subordinate towns—only to flee in disgrace and see their cities leveled and their people slaughtered. Then came Wang Ling, Guanqiu Jian, Zhuge Dan, and men of their kind—some trading on old renown, others on past service—who seized armies in the Huai-Chu region and dominated the eastern heartland; in an age already racked by hardship, at the very juncture of dynastic rise and fall, they pursued reckless designs and brought ruin upon one another in succession. Zu Yue abetted rebellion and lost both his life and his entire family. Those ten rebellions were the work of human conduct. Thus enfeeblement, confusion, and final extinction fell, as they had upon dying Chu. Relying on power yet dreading coercion, then turning to rebellion—such was Ying Bu. The two princes who turned traitor did so because favor had been heaped upon them beyond measure. Yuan Shu, styled Gonglu, was a usurper who preyed on opportunity. Two generals courted merit by stirring trouble first; lesser commanders, proud and reckless, welcomed disaster. Tracing their origins and reviewing the record of their deeds, each case shows favor run to excess and disaster bred by overweening fortune; blessings outran their measure and ruin followed, because restraint was never applied gradually and the seeds had long been sown. The lower essay begins: when Gaozu moved against Ying Bu, he distilled the essentials of three plans, issued amnesties for past crimes, and wielded imperial authority to crush a rebellious foe—yet still he had to fight a decisive battle at the Chen capital, leaving corpses heaped across the plain before victory came; the cost was grievous indeed. In Wang Ling's conspiracy, though armies had not yet met east of the mountains and calamity had not engulfed the empire, the persuaders who were sent forth and the people throughout the region who were imprisoned, executed, or banished were already legion. Guangwu campaigned repeatedly in Fei and Shu; Cao Cao drove his armies through Qi and Ku; yet between Lujiang and Jiujiang seven or eight of every ten people were drowned, displaced, or destroyed by war. Wang Ling came forward with bound face and was taken at Fancheng; Guanqiu Jian met the sword, and success came only after rulers awakened too late. Yet Gaozu marched through the night for such ends, and Emperor Wu fell ill from such exertions—were they not tireless! Emperor Wen deployed the might of an empire and exercised power like Yi Yin or the Duke of Zhou; he mobilized the armies of the capital districts within and the finest troops of the realm without; forces massed like clouds and rain as he pressed the front to the Huai bank—yet Zhuge Dan and Wen Qin remained unruffled, sealing the city and holding fast, leaning on their chariot rails to watch the imperial host. Then the besiegers raised a long encirclement, erected siege towers, linked high walls with trenches, and settled in behind arms and watch-drums to hold the lines. From summer through spring the siege dragged on before they at last met their ruin. As for the horror of cities put to the sword, can it even be fully described? When Zu Yue fled, the country east of the Huai was reduced to wasteland—how lamentable! How true were Duke Ai of Lu's words: born deep within the palace and reared on the finest fare, if worry never touches one's person and honor and shame never stand before one's eyes, the roots of benevolence and righteousness must remain shallow. Invested with the throne, endowed with wealthy cities, lodged in a fortress of strategic advantage, and sustained by vast armed strength—yet without virtue to govern and without restraint to curb excess—the mind grows surfeited and begins to relish disaster. When a dim ruler confronts crafty ministers, when sharp weapons and stout walls become assets, when false decrees rule within the domain and corrupt favors win men's hearts, when daily counsel urges seizing every chance, when deceitful factions press forward, and when men rush toward profit as toward home—how could rebellion not follow! And for men who trade on past favor, brandish old achievements, dread coercion, fear destruction, and scheme for their own survival—to expect them meekly to submit is surely naive. The Book of Changes says, "Frost underfoot means solid ice to come"—the path of gradual development; it is speaking of slow accumulation. Alas! This is why traitorous ministers and rebellious sons bring down states and ruin families age after age without end! In antiquity, when the sage rulers governed the realm, they chose the virtuous, sought counsel from the chief officers, fixed ranks and stations, defined grades, drew borders, and proclaimed laws; superior and inferior kept their order without trespass; the people in all quarters pursued their callings in peace, and no lord annexed another's domain. Every three years they reviewed appointments, so merit and guilt left a clear record; the nine punitive campaigns were kept in due repair, and rewards and punishments never missed their mark. Laws advanced step by step, conduct had its proper bounds, and favor knew its limits; power was not delegated rashly, nor was authority cheapened; thus the first signs of disorder were cut off, titles and honors were held in esteem, foundations were sunk deep and made firm, and the state could be handed down for a hundred generations. Though fortunes rose and fell, the weak need not fear extinction; and though the Way itself might wax or wane, the strong could not exploit disorder for private gain. Were it so, the empire would follow as if on the wind, move solemnly along the right path, draw its blessings from a single ruler, and spread his grace to every state—what room would remain for the calamities of ages past!
58
壽陽平,以功封聞喜縣侯,除永世令。 溫薨,征西將軍桓豁引為參軍,領華容令。 太元中,拜著作郎,專掌國史,領本州大中正。 孝武帝嘗會於西堂,滔豫坐,還,下車先呼子系之謂曰:「百人高會,天子先問伏滔在坐不,此故未易得。 為人作父如此,定何如也?」 遷遊擊將軍,著作如故。 卒官。
After Shouyang fell he earned the Wenxi county marquisate and magistracy of Yongshi. Huan Wen's death transferred him to General Huan Huo's western headquarters as adjutant and concurrent magistrate of Huarong. Under Taiyuan he became gentleman compiler in charge of national history while ranking officials for his native province. Once Emperor Xiaowu held court in the western hall; Fu Tao attended. Home again he shouted for his son Xizhi: "A banquet of a hundred lords—and the emperor asks first whether Fu Tao came: few fathers earn such pride. What father could wish for more?" He became general of agile strikes while keeping his compiler's duties. He died in office.
59
子系之,亦有文才,歷黃門郎、侍中、尚書、光祿大夫。
Fu Xizhi inherited literary gifts, rising through gentleman at the Yellow Gates, palace attendant, minister of the masters of writing, and household grandee.
60
羅含
Luo Han
61
羅含,字君章,桂陽耒陽人也。 曾祖彥,臨海太守。 父綏,滎陽太守。 含幼孤,為叔母硃氏所養。 少有志尚,嘗晝臥,夢一鳥文彩異常,飛入口中,因驚起說之。 硃氏曰:「鳥有文彩,汝後必有文章。」 自此後藻思日新。 弱冠,州三辟,不就。 含父嘗宰新淦,新淦人楊羨後為含州將,引含為主簿,含傲然不顧,羨招致不已,辭不獲而就焉。 及羨去職,含送之到縣。 新淦人以含舊宰之子,咸致賂遺,含難違而受之。 及歸,悉封置而去。 由是遠近推服焉。 後為郡功曹,刺史庾亮以為部江夏從事。 太守謝尚與含為方外之好,乃稱曰:「羅君章可謂湘中之琳琅。」 尋轉州主簿。 後桓溫臨州,又補征西參軍。 溫嘗使含詣尚,有所檢劾。 含至,不問郡事,與尚累日酣飲而還。 溫問所劾事,含曰:「公謂尚何如人?」 溫曰:「勝我也。」 含曰:「豈有勝公而行非邪! 故一無所問。」 溫奇其意而不責焉。 轉州別駕。 以廨舍喧擾,于城西池小洲上立茅屋,伐木為材,織葦為席而居,布衣蔬食,晏如也。 溫嘗與僚屬宴會,含後至。 溫問眾坐曰:「此何如人?」 或曰:「可謂荊楚之材。」 溫曰:「此自江左之秀,豈惟荊楚而已。」 徵為尚書郎。 溫雅重其才,又表轉征西戶曹參軍。 俄遷宜都太守。 及溫封南郡公,引為郎中令。 尋征正員郎,累遷散騎常侍、侍中,仍轉廷尉、長沙相。 年老致仕,加中散大夫,門施行馬。 初,含在官舍,有一白雀棲集堂宇,及致仕還家,階庭忽蘭菊叢生,以為德行之感焉。 年七十七卒,所著文章行於世。
Luo Han, courtesy name Junzhang, came from Leiyang in Guiyang commandery. His great-grandfather had governed Linhai. His father Luo Sui governed Xingyang. Orphaned young, he was raised by his aunt surnamed Zhu. Ambitious even as a boy, he dreamed a brilliant bird flew into his mouth—he woke breathless and told his aunt. She said, "Colored feathers mean you will write brilliantly." From that day his lines grew steadily finer. At twenty the provincial office summoned him thrice; he refused. His father had governed Xin'gan; when local commander Yang Xian pressed him into chief clerk, Luo refused until persistence left him no graceful exit. When Yang left office Luo escorted him clear to the county seat. Locals showered the former prefect's son with gifts; Luo reluctantly accepted. On returning home he resealed every parcel untouched. Neighbors far and wide applauded his integrity. He served as merit clerk until Inspector Yu Liang named him aide for Jiangxia affairs. Prefect Xie Shang, fast friends beyond ceremony, called him "the brightest jewel south of the Xiang." Soon he advanced to provincial chief clerk. When Huan Wen took the province Luo joined his western headquarters as adjutant. Huan once dispatched Luo to audit Xie Shang. Luo ignored paperwork and spent days drinking with Xie before heading home. Huan demanded findings; Luo asked, "What do you think of Xie Shang?" "He surpasses me," said Huan." "Would your better deserve impeachment? So I filed nothing." Huan admired the wit and dropped the matter. He became provincial adjunct administrator. Office bustle drove him to a reed hut on an islet west of town—timber frame, woven mats, coarse clothes and greens—yet utterly content. Once Huan Wen feasted his staff; Luo arrived late. Huan asked the table, "What manner of man is this?" Someone answered, "Among Jing-Chu's best." Huan replied, "He stands among the finest east of the Yangzi—not merely Chu." The court summoned him as gentleman of the masters of writing. Huan Wen respected his gifts and transferred him to revenue adjutant on the western staff. Soon he governed Yidu commandery. When Huan became Duke of Nanjun Luo served as his palace majordomo. He moved up through regular gentleman, cavalier attendant-in-ordinary, palace attendant, minister of justice, and finally chief minister to the Prince of Changsha. Retiring with age, he received the grand master of palace leisure title and the honor of carriage stakes before his gate. A white finch once nested on his office eaves; after retirement orchids and chrysanthemums sprouted unbidden in his courtyard—omens of virtue, people said. He died at seventy-seven; his essays stayed in circulation.
62
顧愷之
Gu Kaizhi
63
顧愷之,字長康,晉陵無錫人也。 父悅之,尚書左丞。 愷之博學有才氣,嘗為《箏賦》成,謂人曰:「吾賦之比嵇康琴,不賞者必以後出相遺,深識者亦當以高奇見貴。」 桓溫引為大司馬參軍,甚見親昵。 溫薨後,愷之拜溫墓,賦詩云:「山崩溟海竭,魚鳥將何依!」 或問之曰:「卿憑重桓公乃爾,哭狀其可見乎?」 答曰:「聲如震雷破山,淚如傾河注海。」 愷之好諧謔,人多愛狎之。 後為殷仲堪參軍,亦深被眷接。 仲堪在荊州,愷之嘗因假還,仲堪特以布帆借之,至破塚,遭風大敗。 愷之與仲堪箋曰:「地名破塚,真破塚而出。 行人安穩,布帆無恙。」 還至荊州,人問以會稽山川之狀。 愷之云:「千岩競秀,萬壑爭流。 草木蒙籠,若雲興霞蔚。」 桓玄時與愷之同在仲堪坐,共作了語。 愷之先曰:「火燒平原無遺燎。」 玄曰:「白布纏根樹旒旐。」 仲堪曰:「投魚深泉放飛鳥。」 復作危語。 玄曰:「矛頭淅米劍頭炊。」 仲堪曰:「百歲老翁攀枯枝。」 有一參軍云:「盲人騎瞎馬臨深池。」 仲堪眇目,驚曰:「此太逼人!」 因罷。 愷之每食甘蔗,恆自尾至本。 人或怪之,云:「漸入佳境。」
Gu Kaizhi, courtesy name Changkang, came from Wuxi in Jinling commandery. His father Gu Yuezhi served as left aide to the masters of writing. Learned and spirited, he finished his "Rhapsody on the Zither" and declared, "Critics will dismiss it as derivative next to Ji Kang's qin pieces; true judges will prize its strangeness and height." Huan Wen named him grand marshal adjutant and treated him almost as family. At Huan Wen's tomb he mourned in verse: "Mountains fall and seas run dry—where shall fish and birds turn?" Someone asked whether grief for Huan Wen showed on his face." "Thunder splitting cliffs and a river pouring into the sea," he said." Fond of wit, he was everyone's favorite companion. Later Yin Zhongkan prized him equally as military adviser. While Yin governed Jingzhou Gu borrowed cloth sails for leave home; at Broken Tomb a gale shredded them. He wrote Yin, "The place lives up to its name—we smashed through the grave mound. Travelers are safe and your sails intact." Back in Jingzhou friends asked him to describe Kuaiji's scenery. He answered, "Cliffs beyond counting vie in splendor; streams without number race downhill. Mists braid the foliage like clouds lifting into sunset glow." Once Huan Xuan joined Gu and Yin Zhongkan in a word game of perilous lines. Gu opened: "Wildfire sweeps the plain—nothing left but ash." Huan Xuan answered, "White hemp wraps the roots—mourning banners flutter." Yin said, "Fish tossed into deep pools; birds loosed to the sky." They turned to deadly riddles. Huan said, "Rinse rice on a spearpoint; boil stew on a sword edge." Yin answered, "A hundred-year-old climbs a rotten limb." An aide added, "A blind man on a blind stallion above a deep pool." Yin—half blind—cried, "That cuts too close!" The game ended. Gu always ate sugarcane from the thin tip toward the thick root. Asked why, he smiled, "So sweetness deepens—" entering a finer realm step by step.
64
尤善丹青,圖寫特妙,謝安深重之,以為有蒼生以來未之有也。 愷之每畫人成,或數年不點目精。 人問其故,答曰:「四體妍蚩,本無闕少於妙處,傳神寫照,正在阿堵中。」 嘗悅一鄰女,挑之弗從,乃圖其形於壁,以棘針釘其心,女遂患心痛。 愷之因致其情,女從之,遂密去針而愈。 愷之每重嵇康四言詩,因為之圖,恆云:「手揮五弦易,目送歸鴻難。」 每寫起人形,妙絕于時。 嘗圖裴楷象,頰上加三毛,觀者覺神明殊勝。 又為謝鯤象,在石岩裏,云:「此子宜置丘壑中。」 欲圖殷仲堪,仲堪有目病,固辭。 愷之曰:「明府正為眼耳,若明點瞳子,飛白拂上,使如輕雲之蔽月,豈不美乎!」 仲堪乃從之。 愷之嘗以一廚畫糊題其前,寄桓玄,皆其深所珍惜者。 玄乃發其廚後,竊取畫,而緘閉如舊以還之,紿雲未開。 愷之見封題如初,但失其畫,直雲妙畫通靈,變化而去,亦猶人之登仙,了無怪色。
His brushwork was supreme; Xie An deemed him unmatched since civilization began. Often he left faces unfinished for years—especially the eyes. Asked why, he said, "Limbs matter little for likeness; capturing spirit—that lives in those dots we call eyes." Spurned by a neighbor girl, he painted her on a wall and drove thorns into the breast—she doubled over with chest pain. When he confessed and she yielded, he pulled out the thorns and she healed. He illustrated Ji Kang's quatrains, sighing, "Strumming the five strings is easy—painting the gaze that follows the wild goose is hard." Portraits from his brush had no peer in his day. Three extra hairs on Pei Kai's cheeks brought the likeness eerily alive. He set Xie Kun among cliff rocks, noting, "This man belongs in wild hills." Yin Zhongkan, ashamed of his eyes, refused to sit. Gu insisted, "Precisely those eyes—I'll dot the pupils and veil them with dry strokes like thin clouds crossing the moon." Yin relented. He sealed a chest of his dearest paintings and sent them to Huan Xuan. Huan slit the back, stole the scrolls, resealed the chest, and returned it untouched—or so he claimed. Finding seals intact but paintings gone, Gu declared spirits had spirited them away—as mortals ascend to immortality—without blinking.
65
愷之矜伐過實,少年因相稱譽以為戲弄。 又為吟詠,自謂得先賢風制。 或請其作洛生詠,答曰:「何至作老婢聲!」 義熙初,為散騎常侍,與謝瞻連省,夜於月下長詠,瞻每遙贊之,愷之彌自力忘倦。 瞻將眠,令人代己,愷之不覺有異,遂申旦而止。 尤信小術,以為求之必得。 桓玄嘗以一柳葉紿之曰:「此蟬所翳葉也,取以自蔽,人不見己。」 愷之喜,引葉自蔽,玄就溺焉,愷之信其不見己也,甚以珍之。
Youths mocked his boastfulness by showering him with fake praise. His poems aped ancient masters—or so he believed. Asked to chant in the Luoyang accent he sneered, "I won't croak like some Luoyang hag!" Early in Yixi he served as cavalier attendant-in-ordinary alongside Xie Zhan; moonlit nights he declaimed while Xie cheered from afar until dawn unaware of fatigue. When Xie slipped off to bed he left a stand-in applauding; Gu never noticed and kept reciting until sunrise. He dabbled in petty magic and trusted every charm. Huan Xuan once handed him a willow leaf: "Cicadas hide beneath this—hold it and vanish from sight." Gu hid his eyes with it while Huan relieved himself; Gu believed no one could see him and prized the leaf.
66
初,愷之在桓溫府,常云:「愷之體中癡黠各半,合而論之,正得平耳。」 故俗傳愷之有三絕:才絕,畫絕,癡絕。 年六十二,卒於官,所著文集及《啟䑃記》行於世。
Serving Huan Wen he used to say, "Half my nature is foolish, half clever—average them and you get mediocrity." Hence people say Gu Kaizhi had three supreme gifts—genius, brushwork, and glorious folly. He died in office at sixty-two; his literary collection and "Notes on Awakening the Veil" circulated widely.
67
郭澄之
Guo Chengshi
68
郭澄之,字仲靜,太原陽曲人也。 少有才思,機敏兼人。 調補尚書郎,出為南康相。 值盧循作逆,流離僅得還都。 劉裕引為相國參軍。 從裕北伐,既克長安,裕意更欲西伐,集僚屬議之,多不同。 次問澄之,澄之不答,西向誦王粲詩曰:「南登霸陵岸,回首望長安。」 裕便意定,謂澄之曰:「當與卿共登霸陵岸耳。」 因還。
Guo Chengshi, courtesy name Zhongjing, hailed from Yangqu in Taiyuan. Quick-witted from youth, he outpaced peers. He transferred to gentleman of the masters of writing, then became chief minister to the Prince of Nankang. Lu Xun's rebellion uprooted him; he barely escaped back to the capital. Liu Yu enlisted him as adjutant to the minister of state. On Liu Yu's northern campaign, after Chang'an fell Liu wished to push west; his staff mostly demurred. Asked next, Guo remained silent, then faced west and recited Wang Can: "Climbing Baling southward I turned toward Chang'an." Liu Yu understood: "Then we climb Baling together—no farther west." He abandoned the western march.
69
澄之位至裕相國從事中郎,封南豐侯,卒於官,所著文集行於世。
He rose to middle staff officer under Liu Yu's ministerate, received the Nanfeng marquisate, died in harness, and left a literary collection.
70
史評
Historians' Appraisal
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史臣曰:夫賞好生於情,剛柔本於性,情之所適,發乎詠歌,而感召無象,風律殊制。 至於應貞宴射之文,極形言之美,華林群藻罕或疇之。 子安幼標明敏,少蓄清思,懷天地之寥廓,賦辭人之所遺,特構新情,豈常均之所企! 太沖含豪曆載,以賦《三都》,士安見而稱善,平原睹而韜翰,匪惟高步當年,故以騰華終古。 鄒湛之持論,棗據之緣情,實南陽之人傑,蓋潁川之時秀。 季雅摛屬遒邁,夙備成德,稱為泉岱之珍,固其然矣。 彥伯未能混跡光塵,而屈乎卑位,《釋時》宏論,亦足見其志耳。 季鷹縱誕一時,不邀名爵,《黃花》之什,浚發神府。 仲初之文,風流可尚,擢秀士林,《揚都》之美,尤重時彥。 曹毗沈研秘笈,踠足下僚,綺靡降神之歌,朗暢《對儒》之論。 李充之《學箴》,信清壯也。 袁宏《東征》、《名臣》之作,抑潘陸之亞。 玄度學藝優瞻,筆削擅奇,降帝問於西堂,故其榮觀也。 君章耀湘中之寶,挺荊楚之材,夢鳥發乎精誠,豈獨日者之蛟鳳! 長康矜能過實,譚諧取容,而才多逸氣,故有三絕之目。 仲靜機思通敏,延譽清流,德輿西伐之計,取定於微指者矣。
The historians write: Taste springs from disposition, tone from temperament; feeling seeks outlet in song, yet resonance follows no fixed image and prosody admits endless forms. Ying Zhen's verses from the Hualin archery banquet exhaust the splendor of language—few poems from that grove rival them. Cheng Gongshui showed brilliance young; brooding on cosmos-wide themes he reclaimed what lesser poets discarded—inventions beyond ordinary ambition. Zuo Si nursed his "Three Capitals" for ages; Huangfu Mi praised it and Lu Ji laid down his brush—not merely foremost in his day but luminous for all time. Zou Zhan's essays and Zao Ju's lyric passion crown Nanyang and Yingchuan alike. Chu Tao's prose strides boldly; ripened early in virtue, hailed as treasure beside sacred springs and Taishan—deservedly so. Wang Chen never blended with the powerful yet languished lowly; his "Discourse on Our Times" reveals his mind. Zhang Han frolicked outside convention, spurning titles; his "Yellow Blossom" poems unlock the soul. Yu Chan's polished prose lifts him among writers; his "Yang Capital" rhapsody drew especial praise from contemporaries. Cao Pi plumbed arcane lore despite humble posts; his goddess songs shimmer and his "Reply to the Scholars" rings clear. Li Chong's "Admonition on Learning" is taut and forceful indeed. Yuan Hong's Eastern Expedition and famed-minister eulogies rank beside Pan Yue and Lu Ji. Fu Tao's erudition and editorial genius drew the emperor's queries in the western hall—signal honor. Luo Han gleams as pearl of the Xiang lands; his bird dream sprang from utter sincerity—not mere augury of dragons and phoenixes. Gu Kaizhi overstated his gifts yet charmed every circle; genius and eccentricity earned him the "three supremacies." Guo Chengshi's agile counsel won renown among purists; his subtle quotation decided Liu Yu's western campaign.
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贊曰:爻彖垂法,宮征流音。 美哉群彥,揚蕤翰林。 俱諧振玉,各擅鏘金。 子安、太沖,遒文綺爛。 袁、庾、充、愷,縟藻霞煥。 架彼辭人,共超清貫。
Encomium: The Changes set patterns; pentatonic scales carry tone. How fair these masters, flourishing in literature's grove. Each voice rings like jade, each stroke clangs like bronze. Cheng Gongshui and Zuo Si wield blazing, muscular prose. Yuan, Yu, Li, and Gu weave iridescent, sunset-rich lines. Beside earlier masters they ascend toward lucid perfection.