1
王襃庾信
Wang Bao; Yu Xin.
2
王襃字子淵，琅邪臨沂人也。 曾祖儉，齊侍中、太尉、南昌文憲公。 祖騫，梁侍中、金紫光祿大夫、南昌安侯。 父規，梁侍中、左民尚書、南昌章侯。 竝有重名於江左。
Wang Bao, styled Ziyuan, came from Linyi in Langya. His great-grandfather Jian had served Qi as Attendant-in-Ordinary and Grand Commandant and was posthumously titled Duke Wenxian of Nanchang. His grandfather Qian had been Liang Attendant-in-Ordinary, Household Counsellor with Golden Bells and Purple Pendants, and Marquis An of Nanchang. His father Gui had been Liang Attendant-in-Ordinary, Minister of the Left for the People, and Marquis Zhang of Nanchang. They all enjoyed great renown south of the Yangtze.
3
襃識量淵通，志懷沉靜。 美風儀，善談笑，博覽史傳，尤工屬文。 梁國子祭酒蕭子雲，襃之姑夫也，特善草隸。 襃少以姻戚，去來其家，遂相模範。 俄而名亞子雲，竝見重於世。 梁武帝喜其才藝，遂以弟鄱陽王恢之女妻之。 起家秘書郎，轉太子舍人，襲爵南昌縣侯。 稍遷秘書丞。 宣成王大器，簡文帝之冢嫡，卽襃之姑子也。 于時盛選僚佐，乃以襃為文學。 尋遷安成郡守。 及侯景渡江，建業擾亂，襃輯寧所部，見稱於時。
Bao was profoundly discerning and inwardly steady of purpose. He was handsome in bearing, skilled in conversation, widely read in history, and especially accomplished as a writer. Xiao Ziyun, Director of the National University under Liang, was married to Bao's aunt and was especially skilled in cursive and clerical script. In youth, because of the family tie, Bao often visited his household and took him as a model. Before long his fame stood just below Ziyun's, and both were esteemed in their time. Emperor Wu of Liang delighted in his gifts and gave him in marriage the daughter of his younger brother, Prince Hui of Poyang. He began his career as Secretary Gentleman, became Attendant of the Heir Apparent, and inherited the marquisate of Nanchang county. He was gradually promoted to Secretary Director. Prince Xuan of Cheng, Daqi, was Emperor Jianwen's eldest legitimate son and thus Bao's cousin on his mother's side. At that time staff were being chosen with great care, and Bao was appointed Literary Companion. He was soon made Administrator of Ancheng commandery. When Hou Jing crossed the Yangtze and Jiankang was thrown into turmoil, Bao brought his district to order and won praise in his time.
4
梁元帝承制，轉智武將軍、南平內史。 及嗣位於江陵，欲待襃以不次之位。 襃時猶在郡，敕王僧辯以禮發遣。 襃乃將家西上。 元帝與襃有舊，相得甚歡。 拜侍中，累遷吏部尚書、左僕射。 襃旣世冑名家，文學優贍，當時咸相推挹，故旬月之間，位升端右。 寵遇日隆，而襃愈自謙虛，不以位地矜人，時論稱之。
When Emperor Yuan of Liang assumed the provisional regency, Bao was made General of Sagely Martiality and Interior Administrator of Nanping. When he succeeded to the throne at Jiangling, he wished to give Bao an extraordinary appointment. Bao was still in his commandery, and the emperor ordered Wang Senbian to summon him with full ceremony. Bao then led his household westward. Emperor Yuan and Bao had long been friends and were deeply pleased with each other. He was appointed Attendant-in-Ordinary and rose in succession to Minister of Personnel and Left Vice Director. As a man of a great hereditary house and rich literary gifts, Bao was universally pushed forward and esteemed, and within a month he had risen to the highest offices. Though imperial favor grew daily, Bao became all the more modest and did not lord his rank over others, and his contemporaries praised him for it.
5
初，元帝平侯景及擒武陵王紀之後，以建業雕殘，方須修復； 江陵殷盛，便欲安之。 又其故府臣寮，皆楚人也，竝願卽都荊郢。 嘗召羣臣議之。 領軍將軍胡僧佑、吏部尚書宗懍、太府卿黃羅漢、御史中丞劉鈺等曰：「建業雖是舊都，王氣已盡。 且與北寇鄰接，止隔一江。 若有不虞，悔無及矣。 臣等又嘗聞之，荊南之地，有天子氣。 今陛下龍飛纘業，其應斯乎。 天時人事，徵祥如此。 臣等所見，遷徙非宜。」 元帝深以為然。 時襃及尚書周弘正咸侍座。 乃顧謂襃等曰：「卿意以為何如？」 襃性謹慎，知元帝多猜忌，弗敢公言其非。 當時唯唯而已。 後因清閒密諫，言辭甚切。 元帝頗納之。 然其意好荊、楚，已從僧佑等策。 明日，乃於衆中謂襃曰：「卿昨日勸還建業，不為無理。」 襃以宣室之言，豈宜顯之於衆。 知其計之不用也，於是止不復言。
Earlier, after Emperor Yuan had pacified Hou Jing and captured Prince Wu of Wuling, Ji, he saw that Jiankang lay in ruins and that it urgently needed repair; Jiangling was flourishing, and he wished to settle the court there. Moreover, his former staff were all men of Chu and alike wished to make Jing and Ying the capital at once. He once summoned the ministers to discuss the matter. General of the Guards Hu Senyou, Minister of Personnel Zong Lin, Grand Steward Huang Luohan, Imperial Secretary Liu Yu, and others said: "Though Jiankang is the old capital, its royal qi is exhausted. Moreover it borders the northern invaders, with only one river between. If misfortune should come, regret will be of no avail. We have also heard that in the lands south of the Jing there is the qi of a Son of Heaven. Now Your Majesty has ascended the throne and continued the enterprise—surely this is the fulfillment? Heaven, the times, and human affairs all show omens such as this. In our view, to move the capital would not be fitting. Emperor Yuan deeply agreed. At the time Bao and Minister of the Interior Zhou Hongzheng were both in attendance at his side. He then turned to Bao and the others and said: "What do you think?" Bao was by nature cautious and knew that Emperor Yuan was much given to suspicion; he did not dare openly speak against the plan. At the time he only assented in vague terms. Later, in a private moment of leisure, he remonstrated in secret, and his words were very earnest. Emperor Yuan was quite willing to accept his advice. Yet his heart favored Jing and Chu and he had already followed the plan of Senyou and the others. The next day he said before the whole assembly to Bao: "Your advice yesterday to return to Jiankang was not without reason." Bao felt that words meant for the inner chamber ought not to be displayed before the multitude. Knowing that his counsel would not be used, he therefore ceased to speak of it further.
6
及大軍征江陵，元帝授襃都督城西諸軍事。 襃本以文雅見知，一旦委以總戎，深自勉勵，盡忠勤之節。 被圍之後，上下猜懼，元帝唯於襃深相委信。 朱買臣率衆出宣陽之西門，與王師戰，買臣大敗。 襃督進不能禁，乃貶為護軍將軍。 王師攻其外柵，城陷，襃從元帝入子城，猶欲固守。 俄而元帝出降，襃遂與衆俱出。 見柱國于謹，謹甚禮之。 襃曾作《燕歌行》，妙盡關塞寒苦之狀，元帝及諸文士竝和之，而競為淒切之詞。 至此方驗焉。
When the great army marched against Jiangling, Emperor Yuan entrusted Bao with overall command of all military affairs west of the city. Bao had been known for literary elegance; now, suddenly entrusted with supreme command, he strove all the more and fulfilled the utmost of loyal diligence. After the siege began, suspicion and fear spread above and below; Emperor Yuan placed deep trust in Bao alone. Zhu Maichen led his troops out through the Xiyang gate of the Xuanyang quarter and fought the royal army; Maichen was utterly defeated. Bao supervised the advance but could not restrain them; he was therefore demoted to General Who Protects the Army. The royal army assaulted the outer palisade; the city fell, and Bao followed Emperor Yuan into the inner citadel and still wished to hold firm. Before long Emperor Yuan went out to surrender, and Bao then came out with the rest. He met the pillar of state Yu Jin, who treated him with great courtesy. Bao had once composed "Song of the Yan," brilliantly rendering the bitterness of frontier cold; Emperor Yuan and all the literary men had harmonized with it, each vying in plaintive language. Only now was this truly verified.
7
襃與王克、劉穀、宗懍、殷不害等數十人，俱至長安。 太祖喜曰：「昔平吳之利，二陸而已。 今定楚之功，羣賢畢至。 可謂過之矣。」 又謂襃及王克曰：「吾卽王氏甥也，卿等竝吾之舅氏。 當以親戚為情，勿以去鄉介意。」 於是授襃及克、殷不害等車騎大將軍、儀同三司。 常從容上席，資餼甚厚。 襃等亦竝荷恩眄，忘其羈旅焉。
Bao, together with Wang Ke, Liu Yi, Zong Lin, Yin Buhai, and several dozen others, all reached Chang'an. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai said with delight: "In the old days the profit of pacifying Wu was no more than the two Lus. Now in settling Chu, all the worthies have come at once. One may say this surpasses that." He also said to Bao and Wang Ke: "I am myself a maternal nephew of the Wang clan; you are all my uncles on that side. You should treat me as kin by affection and not let leaving your homeland weigh on your minds." Thereupon he appointed Bao, Ke, Yin Buhai, and the others General of Chariots and Cavalry and Director with the Third Rank of Honor. He often had them sit at ease in the upper seats and bestowed very generous provisions. Bao and the others likewise received his gracious regard and forgot they were captives in a strange land.
8
孝閔帝踐阼，封石泉縣子，邑三百戶。 世宗卽位，篤好文學。 時襃與庾信才名最高，特加親待。 帝每遊宴，命襃等賦詩談論，常在左右。 尋加開府儀同三司。 保定中，除內史中大夫。 高祖作《象經》，令襃注之。 引據該洽，甚見稱賞。 襃有器局，雅識治體。 旣累世在江東為宰輔，高祖亦以此重之。 建德以後，頗參朝議。 凡大詔冊，皆令襃具草。 東宮旣建，授太子少保，遷小司空，仍掌綸誥。 乘輿行幸，襃常侍從。
When Emperor Xiaomin took the throne, Bao was enfeoffed as Viscount of Shiquan with a fief of three hundred households. When Emperor Shizong succeeded, he was ardently fond of literature. At the time Bao and Yu Xin had the highest reputation for talent; they received especially close and generous treatment. Whenever the emperor went on excursions or banquets, he ordered Bao and the others to compose poetry and hold literary discussions, and they were constantly at his side. He was soon given the added rank of Director with the Third Rank of Honor and Opening Ceremony. In the Baoding era he was appointed Grand Master of the Palace Secretariat. Emperor Gaozu composed the "Classic of Images" and ordered Bao to annotate it. His citations were comprehensive and apt, and he was greatly praised. Bao had breadth of capacity and rightly understood the principles of governance. Since for generations his family had been chief ministers south of the Yangtze, Emperor Gaozu also valued him on that account. After the Jiande era he took part extensively in court deliberations. Whenever there were great edicts and proclamations, Bao was ordered to draft them. After the Eastern Palace was established, he was appointed Junior Tutor of the Heir Apparent, promoted to Junior Minister of Works, and still directed the drafting of imperial pronouncements. When the imperial carriage went on progress, Bao often attended in attendance.
9
初，襃與梁處士汝南周弘讓相善。 及弘讓兄弘正自陳來聘，高祖許襃等通親知音問。 襃贈弘讓詩，幷致書曰：
Earlier, Bao had been on good terms with the Liang recluse Zhou Hongrang of Runan. When Hongrang's elder brother Hongzheng came from Chen on an embassy, Emperor Gaozu permitted Bao and the others to renew ties of kinship and exchange letters and inquiries. Bao sent Hongrang a poem and also wrote a letter saying:
10
嗣宗窮途，楊朱歧路。 征蓬長逝，流水不歸。 舒慘殊方，炎涼異節，木皮春厚，桂樹冬榮。 想攝衛惟宜，動靜多豫。 賢兄入關，敬承款曲。 猶依杜陵之水，尚保池陽之田，鏟跡幽蹊，銷聲穹谷。 何期愉樂，幸甚！ 幸甚！
Like Zong of the Ji clan at the end of the road, like Yang Zhu at the crossroads. The expeditionary tumbleweed goes far and does not return; the flowing water does not come back. Joy and sorrow differ by region; heat and cold differ by season—the bark of trees is thick in spring, the cassia tree flourishes in winter. I trust you are taking care of yourself and that in movement and rest you have much ease. Your worthy elder brother has entered the Pass; I respectfully receive your warm messages. You still keep to the waters of the Du mound and still preserve the fields of Chiyang, effacing your tracks on hidden paths and silencing your name in lofty valleys. Who would have expected such pleasure—how fortunate! How fortunate!
11
弟昔因多疾，亟覽九仙之方； 晚涉世途，常懷五嶽之舉。 同夫關令，物色異人； 譬彼客卿，服膺高士。 上經說道，屢聽玄牝之談； 中藥養神，每稟丹沙之說。 頃年事遒盡，容發衰謝，芸其黃矣，零落無時。 還念生涯，繁憂總集。 視陰愒日，猶趙孟之徂年； 負杖行吟，同劉琨之積慘。 河陽北臨，空思鞏縣； 霸陵南望，還見長安。 所冀書生之魂，來依舊壤； 射聲之鬼，無恨他鄉。 白雲在天，長離別矣，會見之期，邈無日矣。 援筆攬紙，龍鍾橫集。
Your younger brother formerly, because of many illnesses, eagerly studied the recipes of the Nine Immortals; later he entered the world's road and constantly cherished the wish to climb the Five Peaks. Like the Pass Keeper, he sought out extraordinary men; like that guest minister, he took to heart lofty gentlemen. In the upper classic he heard discourse on the Way and often listened to talks on the mysterious female; in the middle he nourished the spirit with medicine and often received instruction on cinnabar sand. In recent years affairs have pressed hard to the end; my hair and face have declined and withered—the plant is yellowing and will fall without season. Turning back to consider my life, anxious cares gather in full. Watching the shade and fearing the sun, like Zhao Meng's sense of the years passing; Leaning on his staff and walking while chanting, like Liu Kun's accumulated grief. North of Heyang I look out in vain, thinking of Gong county; Gazing south from Baling, I still see Chang'an. I hope the scholar's soul may come to rest on its old soil; and that the ghost of the Archers' Office may have no regret in a strange land. White clouds are in the sky; long is this parting; the day of meeting is far off and has no date. Taking up the brush and gathering paper, decrepitude crowds in from every side.
12
弘讓復書曰：
Hongrang wrote back in reply:
13
甚矣悲哉！ 此之為別也。 雲飛泥沉，金鑠蘭滅，玉音不嗣，瑤華莫因。 家兄至自鎬京，致書於穹穀。 故人之跡，有如對面，開題申紙，流臉沾膝。 江南燠熱，橘柚冬青； 渭北冱寒，楊榆晚葉。 土風氣候，各集所安，餐衛適時，寢興多福。 甚善！ 甚善！
How very sad! How very sad! Such is this parting. Clouds fly and mud sinks; gold melts and orchids perish; jade tones are not continued; jade blossoms are not renewed. My elder brother has come from Haojing and sent a letter to the lofty valley. The traces of an old friend are as though face to face; opening the letter and spreading the paper, tears stream down and soak the knees. South of the Yangtze it is sultry and hot; oranges and pomelos are green in winter; north of the Wei it is bitterly cold; poplars and elms shed their leaves late. Local custom and climate each gather where men are at ease; food and care suit the season—may your rest and rising bring much good fortune. Excellent! Excellent!
14
與弟分袂西陝，言反東區，雖保周陵，還依蔣徑，三薑離楩，二仲不歸。 糜鹿為曹，更多悲緒。 丹經在握，貧病莫諧； 芝術可求，恆為采掇。 昔吾壯日，及弟富年，俱值邕熙，竝歡衡泌。 南風雅操，清商妙曲，弦琴促坐，無乏名晨。 玉瀝金華，冀獲難老。 不虞一旦，翻覆波瀾。 吾已愒陰，弟非茂齒。 禽、尚之契，各在天涯，永念生平，難為胸臆。 且當視陰數箭，排愁破涕。 人生樂耳，憂戚何為。 豈能遽悲次房，遊魂不反。 遠〔傷金〕 （產） 〔彥〕，骸柩無托。 但願愛玉體，珍金箱，保期頤，享黃發。 猶冀蒼 （膺） 〔雁〕頳鯉，時傳尺素，清風朗月，俱寄相思。 子淵，子淵，長為別矣！ 握管操觚，聲淚俱咽。
When I parted from you at West Shaanxi, I spoke of returning to the eastern districts; though I kept to the Zhou tombs, I would still rely on the Jiang path—the three Jiangs left the catalpa, and the two Zhongs did not return. Elk and deer form their herds, and sorrowful feelings grow all the more. The cinnabar classic is in hand, yet poverty and illness cannot be harmonized; glossy ganoderma and atractylodes may be sought and are constantly gathered. In former days in our vigorous years, when you too were in your rich prime, we both met a time of brightness and rejoiced together in seclusion. Southern airs and elegant melodies, pure Shang and marvelous tunes—zithers and lutes at close seats, never lacking famous mornings. Jade dew and golden splendor—we hoped to attain difficult old age. We did not expect that in a single morning waves would overturn. I have already wearied of shade; you are not in your flourishing years. The bond of Qin and Shang each lies at the ends of heaven; ever remembering our lives together, it is hard to bear in the breast. For now you should watch the shade and count the arrows, drive off sorrow and break into tears. Human life is joy; what is sorrow for? How could one suddenly grieve for Cifang, whose wandering soul does not return? Far away he grieved for Jin; the text here is damaged in the manuscript. (Chan) [Yan], with no coffin to receive the bones. I only wish you would cherish your jade body and treasure your golden casket, preserve your years of ease, and enjoy white hair. I still hope the azure (Ying) [wild goose] and the red carp may from time to time convey a letter; clear wind and bright moon—all bear my longing. Ziyuan, Ziyuan—long is this parting! Grasping the tube and holding the writing tablet, voice and tears alike choke.
15
尋出為 （宣） 〔宜〕州刺史。 卒於位，時年六十四。 子鼒嗣。
Soon afterward he went out as (Xuan) [Yi] provincial governor. He died in office at the age of sixty-four. His son Zi inherited.
16
庾信字子山，南陽新野人也。 祖易，齊徵士。 父肩吾，梁散騎常侍、中書令。
Yu Xin, styled Zishan, came from Xinye in Nanyang. His grandfather Yi was a Qi Recluse Summoned. His father Jianwu was Liang Attendant Cavalier at Large and Director of the Secretariat.
17
信幼而俊邁，聰敏絕倫。 博覽羣書，尤善《春秋左氏傳》。 身長八尺，腰帶十圍，容止頹然，有過人者。 起家湘東國常侍，轉安南府參軍。 時肩吾為梁太子中庶子，掌管記。 東海徐摛為左衛率。 摛子陵及信，竝為抄撰學士。 父子在東宮，出入禁闥，恩禮莫與比靈斯。 旣有盛才，文竝綺豔，故世號為徐、庾體焉。 當時後進，競相模範。 每有一文，京都莫不傳誦。 累遷尚書度支郎中、通直正員郎。 出為郢州別駕。 尋兼通直散騎常侍，聘于東魏。 文章辭令，盛為鄴下所稱。 還為東宮學士，領建康令。
From youth Xin was lofty and surpassing, with intelligence beyond his peers. He read widely among the classics and was especially skilled in the Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals. He stood eight feet tall, with a belt ten spans around; his bearing was striking and surpassed other men. He began his career as Regular Attendant of the Kingdom of Xiangdong and was transferred to Aide of the An'nan headquarters. At the time Jianwu was Liang Junior Tutor of the Heir Apparent and directed the secretariat records. Xu Ling of Donghai was Left Commandant of the Guards. Ling's son Ling and Xin were both Copying and Compiling Academicians. Father and son were in the Eastern Palace, entering and leaving the forbidden gates; in favor and ceremony none could compare with them. Since both had outstanding talent and their writings were alike ornate and brilliant, the age therefore called it the Xu–Yu style. The younger men of the time all took them as models in competition. Whenever there was a new piece of writing, the capital had none who did not pass it around and chant it. He was promoted in succession to Director of the Bureau of Revenue in the Ministry of Works and Regular Attendant of the Direct Office. He went out to be Vice Administrator of Ying province. He was soon given the added post of Attendant Cavalier at Large of the Direct Office and was sent on embassy to Eastern Wei. His literary compositions and diplomatic language were greatly praised below Ye. On his return he became an Eastern Palace academician and concurrently Magistrate of Jiankang.
18
侯景作亂，梁簡文帝命信率宮中文武千餘人，營於朱雀航。 及景至，信以衆先退。 臺城陷後，信奔于江陵。 梁元帝承制，除御史中丞。 及卽位，轉右衛將軍，封武康縣侯，加散騎常侍，來聘於我。 屬大軍南討，遂留長安。 江陵平，拜使持節、撫軍將軍、右金紫光祿大夫、大都督，尋進車騎大將軍、儀同三司。
When Hou Jing raised rebellion, Emperor Jianwen of Liang ordered Xin to lead more than a thousand civil and military officials of the palace in encamping at the Zhuque ford. When Jing arrived, Xin led the troops in retreating first. After the terrace city fell, Xin fled to Jiangling. When Emperor Yuan of Liang assumed the provisional regency, Xin was appointed Imperial Secretary. When he succeeded to the throne, Xin was transferred to General of the Right Guards, enfeoffed as Marquis of Wukang, and given the added rank of Attendant Cavalier at Large; he came on embassy to our court. Just then the great army marched south to attack, and he therefore remained at Chang'an. When Jiangling was pacified, he was appointed Bearer of the Staff, General Who Pacifies the Army, Household Counsellor with the Right of Golden Bells and Purple Pendants, and Chief Commander; he was soon promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry and Director with the Third Rank of Honor.
19
孝閔帝踐阼，封臨清縣子，邑五百戶，除司水下大夫。 出為弘農郡守，遷驃騎大將軍、開府儀同三司、司憲中大夫，進爵義城縣侯。 俄拜洛州刺史。 信多識舊章，為政簡靜，吏民安之。 時陳氏與朝廷通好，南北流寓之士，各許還其舊國。 陳氏乃請王襃及信等十數人。 高祖唯放王克、殷不害等，信及襃竝留而不遣。 尋徵為司宗中大夫。
When Emperor Xiaomin took the throne, Xin was enfeoffed as Viscount of Linqing with a fief of five hundred households and appointed Grand Master of the Bureau of Waterways. He went out as Administrator of Hongnong commandery, was transferred to General of Agile Cavalry, Director with the Third Rank of Honor and Opening Ceremony, and Grand Master of the Bureau of Justice, and was advanced in rank to Marquis of Yicheng. Before long he was appointed Governor of Luo province. Xin knew many old regulations; his governance was simple and quiet, and officials and people were at ease under him. At the time Chen was on friendly terms with the court, and scholars stranded north and south were each permitted to return to their former states. Chen therefore requested Wang Bao and Xin and more than ten others. Emperor Gaozu released only Wang Ke, Yin Buhai, and the like; Xin and Bao were both detained and not sent away. He was soon summoned to be Grand Master of the Bureau of the Imperial Clan.
20
世宗、高祖竝雅好文學，信特蒙恩禮。 至於趙、滕諸王，周旋款至，有若布衣之交。 羣公碑誌，多相請託。 唯王襃頗與信相埒，自餘文人，莫有逮者。
Emperors Shizong and Gaozu were both fond of literature, and Xin received special favor and ceremony. As for the princes Zhao, Teng, and the rest, they treated him with intimate courtesy, as though he were a friend in plain cloth. The dukes and lords, for their stele inscriptions and dirges, largely entrusted him with the writing. Only Wang Bao was quite on a par with Xin; among the remaining literary men, none could reach them.
21
信雖位望通顯，常有鄉關之思。 乃作《哀江南賦》以致其意云。 其辭曰：
Though Xin's rank and position were eminent and manifest, he often had thoughts of his home district. He therefore composed "Lament for the South" to express his intent. Its words say:
22
粵以戊辰之年，建亥之月，大盜移國，金陵瓦解。 余乃竄身荒谷，公私塗炭。 華陽奔命，有去無歸，中興道消，窮於甲戌。 三日哭於都亭，三年囚於別館。 天道周星，物極不反。 傅燮之但悲身世，無所求生； 袁安之每念王室，自然流涕。 昔桓君山之志事，杜元凱之生平，竝有著書，咸能自序。 潘岳之文彩，始述家風； 陸機之詞賦，多陳世德。 信年始二毛，卽逢喪亂，藐是流離，至于暮齒。 《燕謌》遠別，悲不自勝； 楚老相逢，泣將何及。 畏南山之雨，忽踐秦庭； 讓東海之濱，遂餐周粟。 下亭漂泊，皋橋羈旅，楚歌非取樂之方，魯酒無忘憂之用。 追 （惟） 〔為〕此賦，聊以記言，不無危苦之辭，唯以悲哀為主。
In the year wuchen, in the month jianhai, the great robber shifted the state and Jinling collapsed. I then hid myself in a desolate valley; public and private alike were trampled in the mire. At Huayang I fled for my life—there was going but no returning; the way of restoration vanished and came to an end in jiaxu. For three days I wept at the capital pavilion; for three years I was a prisoner in the guest lodge. Heaven's way revolves through the stars; when things reach their limit they do not turn back. Fu Xie only grieved for his person and age and sought nothing to live for; Yuan An, whenever he thought of the royal house, naturally shed tears. Formerly the ambitions and affairs of Lord Mountain Huan and the life of Du Yuankai—both wrote books and could each set forth their own accounts. The literary splendor of Pan Yue first described his family style; the fu and poems of Lu Ji largely set forth the virtue of his age. When Xin was barely twenty he met with disorder and ruin; trifling was this wandering exile, down to old age. "Song of the Yan" was a distant parting, and grief could not master itself; when old men of Chu meet, what tears are left to shed? I feared the rain on the southern mountains, then suddenly trod the Qin court; yielded the shore of the eastern sea and then ate the Zhou millet. At Xiading I drifted in exile; at Gaoqiao I lodged as a captive—Chu songs were no way to take joy, and Lu wine had no power to banish grief. Pursuing (wei) [this] fu, I briefly set down words; it is not without words of peril and bitterness, but sorrow alone is its master.
23
日暮途遠，人間何世。 將軍一去，大樹飄零； 壯士不還，寒風蕭瑟。 荊璧睨柱，受連城而見欺； 載書橫階，捧珠盤而不定。 鐘儀君子，入就南冠之囚； 季孫行人，留守西河之館。 申包胥之頓地，碎之以首； 蔡威公之淚盡，加之以血。 釣臺移柳，非玉關之可望； 華亭唳鶴，豈河橋之可聞。
The sun sets and the road is far—what age is this among men? The general once gone, the great tree sheds its leaves; the brave warrior does not return; the cold wind is bleak. Bian He gazed at the pillar; he received the linked cities yet was deceived; the covenant text lay across the steps; he held the pearl dish yet could not decide. The gentleman Zhong Yi entered and put on the southern-cap prisoner's garb; the envoy Jisun remained and kept watch at the lodge west of the river. Shen Baoxu beat his head upon the ground until it broke; Duke Ai of Cai wept until his tears were exhausted, and blood was added thereto. Willows moved on the angling terrace—not to be looked for from Jade Gate; cranes cried at Huating—how could the He Bridge be heard?
24
孫策以天下為三分，衆裁一旅； 項羽用江東之子弟，人唯八千。 遂乃分裂山河，宰割天下。 豈有百萬義師，一朝卷甲，芟夷斬伐，如草木焉。 江、淮無涯岸之阻，亭壁無藩籬之固。 頭會箕斂者，合從締交； 鉏耰棘矜者，因利乘便。 將非江表王氣，應終三百年乎？ 是知幷吞六合，不免軹道之災； 混一車書，無救平陽之禍。 嗚呼！ 山嶽崩頹，旣履危亡之運； 春秋迭代，必有去故之悲。 天意人事，可以悽愴傷心者矣。 況復舟烜路窮，星漢非乘槎可上； 風飆道阻，蓬萊無可到之期。 窮者欲達其言，勞者須歌其事。 陸士衡聞而撫掌，是所甘心； 張平子見而陋之，固其宜矣。
Sun Ce took the realm as three parts and commanded but one brigade; Xiang Yu used the youths of Jiangdong—only eight thousand men. Thereupon they split mountains and rivers and carved up the realm. Could a million righteous armies in one morning roll up their armor and be mowed down and hewn like grass and trees? The Yangtze and Huai had no barrier of shore; pavilion walls had no hedge of fence. Those who met with heads and gathered with winnowing baskets united in vertical-horizontal alliances; those with hoes and briers and thorn-staves took advantage and seized the moment. Could it be that the royal qi south of the Yangtze was fated to end after three hundred years? From this we know that even swallowing the six directions could not escape disaster on the Zhi road; unifying chariots and script could not save Pingyang from calamity. Alas! Mountains and hills have collapsed; I have already trodden the fate of peril and ruin; spring and autumn succeed one another—there must be grief at leaving the old. Heaven's intent and human affairs—things that can rend the heart with sorrow. Moreover, when the boat is burned and the road ends, the starry river is not to be ascended by raft; wind and storm block the way; Penglai has no date when one may arrive. The exhausted wish to express their words; the weary must sing their affairs. Lu Shiheng heard it and clapped his hands—this was what he would willingly accept; Zhang Pingzi saw it and deemed it base—it was fitting that he should.
25
我之掌庾承周，以世功而為族； 經邦佐漢，用論道而當官。 稟嵩、華之玉石，潤河、洛之波瀾。 居負洛而重世，邑臨河而晏安。 逮永嘉之艱虞，始中原之乏主。 民枕倚於牆壁，路交橫於豺虎。 值五馬之南奔，逢三星之東聚。 彼淩江而建國，此播遷於吾祖。 分南陽而賜田，裂東嶽而胙土。 誅茅宋玉之宅，穿徑臨江之府。 水木交運，山川崩竭。 家有直道，人多全節。 訓子見於純深，事君彰於義烈。 新野有生祠之廟，河南有胡書之碣。 況乃少微真人，天山逸民。 階庭空穀，門巷蒲輪。 移談講樹，就簡書筠。 降生世德，載誕貞臣。 文詞高於甲觀，模楷盛於漳濱。 嗟有道而無鳳，歎非時而有麟。 旣姦回之贔匿，終不悅於仁人。
My family received the office of grain intendant from Zhou because of generations of merit and became a clan; it aided the state and assisted Han, taking discourse on the Way as the basis of office. It received jade and stone from Song and Hua and was moistened by the waves of the Yellow and Luo rivers. It dwelt facing the Luo with weight of generations; its town overlooked the river in tranquil security. When the hardships of Yongjia came, the Central Plain first lacked a lord. The people leaned on walls for pillows; roads were crossed by wolves and tigers. We met the five horses fleeing south and encountered the three stars gathering in the east. They built a state crossing the Yangtze; we were cast out with our ancestors. Nanyang was divided and fields granted; the eastern march was split and soil enfeoffed. Thatched huts were cut at Song Yu's dwelling; paths were bored through the mansion by the river. Wood and water alternated in their cycles; mountains and rivers collapsed and dried up. The family had the straight Way; many preserved their integrity. Training sons showed pure depth; serving the ruler displayed righteous fervor. In Xinye there was a shrine of living sacrifice; in Henan there was a stele of barbarian script. Moreover there was the recluse of Shaowei, the withdrawn man of Tianshan. The steps and courtyard were an empty valley; at gate and lane stood wagons of rushes. Talk moved to the lecturing tree; one approached the bamboo of brief writings. Descent brought forth the virtue of the age; birth bore forth the loyal minister. Literary words rose above the Jia Observatory; models flourished on the banks of Zhang. Alas, there was the Way but no phoenix; one sighed that it was not the time, yet there was a unicorn. Since treacherous and perverse men were hidden away, in the end they did not please men of benevolence.
26
王子洛濱之歲，蘭成射策之年，始含香於建禮，仍矯翼於崇賢。 游洊雷之講肆，齒明離這胄筵，旣傾蠡而酌海，遂測管以窺天。 方塘水白，釣渚池圓。 侍戎韜於武帳，聽雅曲於文弦。 乃解懸而通籍，遂崇文而會武。 居笠轂而掌兵，出蘭池而典午。 論兵於江漢之君，拭圭於西河之主。
In the year the prince was at the Luo ford, in the year Lancheng shot for office, he first held incense at Jianli and still spread his wings at Chongxian. He wandered the lecture hall of accumulated thunder and took his place among the bright departing caps; having tilted the gourd he drank the sea, he then measured the tube to peer at heaven. The square pond's water was white; the angling islet's pool was round. He attended military plans in the martial tent and listened to elegant melodies on the literary strings. Then he removed his suspension and entered the registry; he honored literature and joined with martial affairs. He dwelt in the imperial carriage district and commanded troops; he went out from Orchid Pool and directed the noon office. He discussed warfare with the lord of the Yangtze and Han and wiped the jade tablet for the master of Xihe.
27
于時朝野歡娛，池臺鐘鼓。 里為冠蓋，門成鄒魯。 連茂苑於海陵，跨橫塘於江浦。 東門則鞭石成橋，南極則鑄銅為柱。 樹則園植萬株，竹則家封千戶。 西贐浮玉，南琛沒羽。 吳歈越吟，荊豔楚舞。 草木之藉春陽，魚龍之得風雨。 五十年中，江表無事。 王歙為和親之侯，班超為定遠之使。 馬武無預於兵甲，馮唐不論於將帥。 豈知山嶽闇然，江湖潛沸。 漁陽有閭左戍卒，離石有將兵都尉。
At that time court and countryside rejoiced; pools and terraces sounded bells and drums. Within the lanes were caps and canopies; at the gates stood men of Zou and Lu. The luxuriant park was joined to Hailing; the cross embankment spanned the river mouth. At the eastern gate stone was whipped into a bridge; at the southern extremity bronze was cast into pillars. For trees, the park planted ten thousand trunks; for bamboo, each household was enfeoffed a thousand stalks. To the west came floating jade as tribute; to the south came submerged feathers as treasure. Wu songs and Yue chants; Jing beauty and Chu dance. Grass and trees borrowed the spring sun; fish and dragons obtained wind and rain. Within fifty years south of the Yangtze there was no disturbance. Wang Xi was marquis of harmonious kinship; Ban Chao was envoy who settled the distant. Ma Wu had no part in armor and weapons; Feng Tang was not discussed among generals and commanders. Who knew that mountains and hills would darken and rivers and lakes seethe in secret? At Fuyang there were garrison soldiers from the lanes' left; at Lishi there was a commandant who led troops.
28
天子方刪詩書，定禮樂。 設重雲之講，開士林之學。 談劫燼之灰飛，辯常星之夜落。 地平魚齒，城危獸角。 臥刁斗於滎陽，絆龍媒於平樂。 宰衡以干戈為兒戲，縉紳以清談為廟略。 乘漬水而膠船，馭奔駒以朽索。 小人則將及水火，君子則方成沐鶴。 弊箄不能救鹽池之咸，阿膠不能止黃河之濁。 旣而魴魚頳尾，四郊多壘。 殿狎江鷗，宮鳴野雉。 湛盧去國，艅皇失水。 見被髪於伊川，知其時為戎矣。
The Son of Heaven was just then expurgating the Odes and Documents and fixing ritual and music. He established lectures on heavy clouds and opened the Forest of Scholars academy. They discussed the ash of burned kalpa flying and debated the falling of the constant stars at night. The ground was level as fish scales; the city was perilous as beast horns. They lay the watchman's clapper at Xingyang and hobbled the dragon steeds at Pingle. Chief and assistant took weapons of war as children's play; girdled sashes took pure talk as court strategy. They rode a boat on rotted water with glue and drove galloping colts with a rotten rope. Petty men then approached fire and water; gentlemen were just then finishing the crane bath. A broken mat could not save the salt ponds' brine; donkey-hide glue could not stop the Yellow River's muddiness. Then bream and carp showed red tails; on the four borders there were many ramparts. The halls sported with river gulls; the palace cried with wild pheasants. Zhanlu left the state; the war-barge lost the water. One saw disheveled hair on the Yi River and knew the time had become Rong.
29
彼姦逆之熾盛，久遊魂而放命。 大則有鯨有鯢，小則為梟為獍。 負其牛羊之力，凶其水草之性。 非玉燭之能調，豈璿璣之可正。 值天下之無為，尚有欲於羈縻。 飲其琉璃之酒，賞其虎豹之皮。 見胡桐於大夏，識鳥卵於條支。 豺牙密厲，虺毒潛吹。 輕九鼎而欲問，聞三川而遂窺。
Those traitors and rebels grew rampant; long they wandered as souls and threw off restraint. Great ones were whales and krakens; small ones were owls and jackals. They relied on the strength of cattle and sheep and were fierce in their nature as water and grass. Not jade candles could harmonize them; how could the jade armillary be set right? When the realm was without action, they still had desires for bridling and tying. They drank their glazed wine and admired their tiger and leopard skins. They saw paulownia in Great Xia and recognized bird eggs in Tiaozhi. Wolf fangs were close and sharp; viper venom blew in secret. They lightly held the nine cauldrons and wished to inquire; hearing of the three rivers, they then peered in.
30
始則王子召戎，姦臣介冑。 旣官政而離逖，遂師言而洩漏。 望廷尉之逋囚，反淮南之窮寇。 飛狄泉之蒼鳥，起橫江之困獸。 地則石鼓鳴山，天則金精動宿。 北闕龍吟，東陵麟鬥。 爾乃桀黠構扇，憑陵畿甸。 擁狼望於黃圖，填盧山於赤縣。 青袍如草，白馬如練。 天子履端廢朝，單于長圍高宴。 兩觀當戟，千門受箭。 白虹貫日，蒼鷹擊殿。 競遭夏臺之禍，遂視堯城之變。 官守無奔問之人，干戚非平戎之戰。 陶侃則空裝米船，顧榮則虛搖羽扇。 將軍死綏，路絕重圍。 烽隨星落，書逐鳶飛。 遂乃韓分趙裂，鼓臥旗折。 失羣班馬，迷輪亂轍。 猛士嬰城，謀臣捲舌。 昆陽之戰象走林，常山之陣蛇奔穴。 五郡則兄弟相悲，三州則父子離別。
At first the prince summoned the Rong; treacherous ministers donned armor. They had abandoned government and withdrawn to a distance—and then their battle plans were betrayed. They hoped for fugitives from the Commandant of Punishments, but released Huainan's cornered rebels instead. Like the blue birds that flew from Di Spring, like trapped beasts stirring along the Heng River. Earth: stone drums thundered in the hills; heaven: the golden star stirred the constellations. Dragons moaned at the northern palaces; qilin clashed at Eastern Mound. Then the vicious and crafty stirred rebellion, overrunning the capital environs by force. Rebels seized Langwang in the imperial realm and packed Mount Lu with troops across the empire. Blue-clad soldiers spread like grass; white horses stretched like bolts of silk. The emperor canceled New Year court; the barbarian lord prolonged the siege and held a grand banquet. Halberds at the twin towers; a thousand palace gates struck by arrows. A white rainbow spanned the sun; a dark eagle attacked the hall. They suffered imprisonment as at Xia Terrace and beheld the fall of Yao's city. No one rushed to report for duty; arms were not raised to repel the enemy. Tao Kan loaded grain ships to no avail; Gu Rong waved his feather fan in vain. Generals died defending to the last; every escape route was sealed by siege. Beacon fires fell with the stars; messages flew away on kites. Armies split like Han and Zhao; drums toppled and banners snapped. Horses scattered like Ban's steeds; wheels strayed and ruts tangled. Brave men held the walls; advisers fell silent. Like Kunyang where elephants stampeded through the woods; like Changshan where serpents fled to their holes. Across five commanderies brothers mourned each other; in three provinces fathers and sons were torn apart.
31
護軍慷慨，忠能死節。 三世為將，終於此滅。 濟陽忠壯，身參末將。 兄弟三人，義聲俱唱。 主辱臣死，名存身喪。 狄人歸元，三軍悽愴。 尚書多算，守備是長。 雲梯可拒，地道能防。 有齊將之閉壁，無燕師之臥牆。 大事去矣，人之雲亡。 申子奮發，勇氣咆勃。 實總元戎，身先士卒。 冑落魚門，兵填馬窟。 屢犯通中，頻遭刮骨。 功業夭枉，身名埋沒。 或以隼翼鷃披，虎威狐假。 沾漬鋒鏑，脂膏原野。 兵弱虜強，城孤氣寡。 聞鶴唳而虛驚，聽胡笳而淚下。 據神亭而亡戟，臨橫江而棄馬。 崩於钜鹿之沙，碎於長平之瓦。 於是桂林顛覆，長洲麋鹿。 潰潰沸騰，茫茫慘黷。 天地離阻，人神怨酷。 晉鄭靡依，魯衛不睦。 競動天關，爭回地軸。 探雀騺而未飽，待熊蹯而詎熟。 乃有車側郭門，筋懸廟屋。 鬼同曹社之謀，人有秦庭之哭。
The army protector was spirited and died a loyal death. Three generations of generals ended in ruin here. The loyal champion of Jiyang served among the rearguard. Three brothers together raised their voices in righteous defiance. The lord humiliated, the ministers died—fame survived, bodies did not. When the Di returned his severed head the whole army wept. The Master of Writings plotted well and excelled at holding the defenses. They repelled siege towers and blocked underground assaults. They shut the walls like Qi generals—but none held them like Yan's men. "The great cause is lost"—and with it, their lives. Shen Zi roused himself, courage thundering. He commanded the main force and led from the front. Helmets littered Fish Gate; corpses choked the horse stalls. Arrow after arrow found their mark; wound after wound peeled to the bone. Glory cut short before its time; name and body lost to obscurity. Some wore falcon wings in finch feathers; tigers' might that foxes borrowed. Soaked in blade and arrow; fat and marrow greased the wilderness. They were few, the enemy many; the city stood alone, morale spent. At the cry of cranes they panicked without cause; at nomad reeds they wept. They held Shenting and left their halberds; reached Hengjiang and abandoned their horses. They crumbled like at Julu; shattered like at Changping. Guilin fell; Long Isle ran with deer. Waters surged and boiled; darkness spread without end. Heaven and earth were torn apart; men and gods groaned under bitter wrath. Allies like Jin and Zheng had no one to trust; kin like Lu and Wei turned on each other. They shook the pivots of heaven and turned the axle of earth. Snatching sparrowhawks before they were full; awaiting bear paws before they could stew. Bodies piled at the outer gate; sinews hung from the temple eaves. Spirits connived as at the Cao shrine; men wept as at the envoy's plea in Qin.
32
余乃假刻璽於關塞，稱使者之詶對。 逢鄂阪之譏嫌，值耏門之徵稅。 乘白馬而不前，策青騾而轉礙。 吹落葉之扁舟，飄長颿於上游。 彼鋸牙而勾爪，又巡江而習流。 排青龍之戰艦，鬭飛燕之船樓。 張遼臨於赤壁，王浚下於巴丘。 乍風驚而射火，或箭重而回舟。 未辨聲於黃蓋，已先沈於杜侯。 落帆黃鶴之浦，藏船鸚鵡之洲。 路已分於湘漢，星猶看於鬥牛。 若乃陰陵失路，釣臺斜趣。 望赤岸而沾衣，艤烏江而不度。 雷池柵浦，鵲陵焚戍。 旅舍無煙，巢禽失樹。 謂荊、衡之杞梓，庶江、漢之可恃。 淮海維揚，三千餘里。 過漂渚而寄食，托蘆中而度水。 屆于七澤，濱於十死。 嗟天保之未定，見殷憂之方始。 本不達於危行，又無情於祿仕。 謬掌衛於中軍，濫屍丞於御史。
I forged seals at the frontier passes and passed myself off as an envoy answering summons. I met contempt at Eban Pass and tax at Ran Gate. On a white horse I could not advance; on a black mule I could not turn. I sailed a leaf-thin skiff; a long sail carried me upriver. Their teeth were saws, their claws hooks; they patrolled the river and drilled on the water. They lined Azure Dragon warships and fought from Flying Swallow towers. Like Zhang Liao at Red Cliffs, like Wang Jun at Baling. Suddenly wind rose and fire arrows flew; sometimes heavy with arrows the boats turned back. Before they could tell Huang Gai's ruse they had sunk like Du Yu. Sails fell at Yellow Crane Ford; ships hid at Parrot Isle. Ways parted at the Xiang and Han; the Dipper and Ox still shone above. As at Yinling where he lost the way; as the angling terrace leaned in flight. Gazing at Red Cliff he wet his robes; moored at the Wu River he could not cross. Leichi blocked the crossing; Que tomb's garrison burned. No smoke rose from inns; birds lost their nests. They trusted catalpa from Jingzhou and timber from Hengshan; they hoped the Yangzi and Han could shield them. From Huai to sea, holding Yangzhou—three thousand li and more. Like passing Spotted Islet for a meal; like hiding in the reeds to cross the water. He came to the seven marshes on the brink of ten deaths. Alas—divine protection unassured; anguish only beginning. He was never cut out for perilous deeds nor cared for salary and rank. By mistake he commanded the central army; unworthily he held the censor's post.
33
信生世等於龍門，辭親同於河洛。 奉立身之遺訓，受成書之顧托。 昔三世而無慚，今七葉而始落。 泣風雨於《梁山》，惟枯魚之銜索。 入欹斜之小徑，掩蓬藋之荒扉。 就汀洲之杜若，待蘆葦之單衣。
His birth seemed like crossing Dragon Gate; parting kin like leaving He and Luo. He inherited instructions on how to live and accepted the charge of the testament. Three generations without shame; now the seventh leaf falls at last. He wept like wind and rain on Mount Liang; like a dying fish on a hook. He took the winding path and shut the ramshackle gate of brambles. He sought angelica on the sandbar; waited for reeds to make a single robe.
34
于時西楚霸王，劔及繁陽。 鏖兵金匱，校戰玉堂。 蒼鷹赤雀，鐵舳牙檣。 沈白馬而誓衆，負黃龍而度湘。 海潮迎艦，江萍送王。 戎車屯于石城，戈船掩乎淮、泗。 諸侯則鄭伯前驅，盟主則荀罃暮至。 剖巢熏穴，奔魑走魅。 埋長狄於駒門，斬蚩尤於中冀。 然腹為燈，飲頭為器。 直虹貫壘，長星屬地。 昔之虎據龍盤，加以黃旗紫氣，莫不隨狐兔而窟穴，與風塵而殄瘁。
Then the Hegemon of Western Chu reached Fanyang sword in hand. Battle raged at Golden Coffer; arms clashed at Jade Hall. Azure Hawk and Red Sparrow ships with iron prows and jagged masts. White horses were drowned to swear the host; the yellow dragon standard crossed the Xiang. Sea tides bore the fleet in; river weeds sped the king along. Chariots massed at Stone City; spear ships covered Huai and Si. Lords rode as Earl of Zheng in the van; the hegemon came at dusk like Xun Ying. They tore nests and smoked burrows; evil spirits fled in terror. Long Di was buried at Jumen; Chiyou was slain in Ji. Yet bellies served as lamps and skulls as cups. A straight rainbow pierced the camp; a long comet touched earth. Once they crouched like tigers, coiled like dragons, wrapped in purple mist and yellow banners—yet all ended in fox and rabbit warrens, perishing in wind and dust.
35
西瞻博望，北臨玄圃。 月榭風臺，池平樹古。 倚弓於玉女窗扉，系馬於鳳凰樓柱。 仁壽之鏡徒懸，茂陵之書空聚。 若夫立德立言，謨明夤亮。 聲超於繫表，道高於河上。 旣不遇於浮丘，遂無言於師曠。 指愛子而托人，知西陵而誰望。 非無北闕之兵，猶有雲臺之仗。 司徒之表裏經綸，狐偃之惟王實勤。 橫琱戈而對霸主，執金鼓而問賊臣。 平吳之功，壯於杜元凱； 王室是賴，深於溫太真。 始則地名全節，終以山稱枉人。 南陽校書，去之已遠。 上蔡逐獵，知之何晚。 鎮北之負譽矜前，風飆懍然。 水神遭箭，山靈見鞭。 是以蟄熊傷馬，浮蛟沒船。 才子並命，俱非百年。
West to Bowang Terrace; north to the Dark Garden. Moon pavilions, wind towers, leveled pools, ancient trees. [Damaged text] He strung his bow at the Jade Maiden's window; tethered his horse to the Phoenix Tower pillar. The Renshou mirror hung useless; Maoling's books piled untouched. Those who established virtue and left words—counsel bright, service loyal. Fame beyond the attached record; teaching loftier than on the riverbank. They never met Floating Mound; the blind Music Master spoke no more. Pointing to a beloved son to entrust to another—knowing Western Mound, who still looks that way? They were not without armies at the northern palace nor arms on Cloud Terrace. Like the Minister of Works weaving inside and out; like Hu Yan toiling only for the king. Halberd laid crosswise, he faced the hegemon; gold drums in hand, he questioned the traitor at court. His pacification of Wu outshone even Du Yu's glory. The throne leaned on him more than it ever had on Wen Jiao. First a district bore the name "Whole Integrity"; at last a mountain was named for the innocent man wrongly killed. The scholar at Nanyang—how distant that age now seems. Hunting at Shangcai—how late the knowing came. Huan Wen, praised and proud from old campaigns, struck fear like a rising gale. He shot arrows at the river god; he lashed the mountain spirit before men's eyes. So the bear in its winter den crippled horses, and flood-dragons beneath the waves swallowed ships. Men of genius died in their prime—not one lived out a full century.
36
中宗之夷凶靜亂，大雪冤恥。 去代邸而承基，遷唐郊而纂祀。 反舊章於司隸，歸餘風於正始。 沉猜則方逞其欲，藏疾則自矜於己。 天下之事沒焉，諸侯之心搖矣。 旣而齊交北絕，秦患西起。 況背關而懷楚，異端委而開吳。 驅綠林之散卒，拒驪山之叛徒。 營軍梁溠，搜乘巴渝。 問諸淫昏之鬼，求諸厭劾之巫。 荊門遭廩延之戮，夏首濫逵泉之誅。 蔑因親於教愛，忍和樂於彎弧。 慨無謀於肉食，非所望於《論都》。 未深思於五難，先自擅於二端。 登陽城而避險，臥底柱而求安。 旣言多於忌刻，實志勇於刑殘。 但坐觀於時變，本無情於急難。 地為黑子，城猶彈丸。 其怨則黷，其盟則寒。 豈冤禽之能塞海，非愚叟之可移山。 況以沴氣朝浮，妖精夜殞。 赤鳥則三朝夾日，蒼雲則七重圍軫。 亡吳之歲旣窮，入郢之年斯盡。
When the Middle Sovereign crushed rebels and stilled disorder, he washed away deep humiliation. Like Liu Bang leaving the lodge at Dai to seize the throne, like Tang moving the altars to carry on the rites. Old laws were restored in the capital; the refined style of Zhengshi returned. Buried in suspicion, he gave free rein to appetite; hiding his sickness, he preened on his own wit. The realm's business sank from sight; the great lords' loyalty began to shake. Soon northern ties with Qi were severed; trouble from Qin flared in the west. Worse still: pining for old Chu while abandoning the frontier pass, entrusting distant posts and opening the road to Wu. They drove outlaw bands of Green Forest troops against rebels from Lishan. They camped along the Liang and Shang rivers and pressed Ba and Yu for war-chariots. They questioned corrupt spirits and courted shamans who claimed to drive out evil. At Jingmen came Bao Yan's massacre; at Xiaoshou killings as wanton as at Kuiquan. They scorned kinship and the bonds of love; they drew bows in days meant for peace. High ministers at table had no plan—far from the counsel Ban Gu set forth in his Discourse on the Capital. They never weighed the five perils, yet seized both extremes for themselves. They fled to Yang city for refuge and clung to the bottom of the pillar seeking safety. Talk overflowed with jealous barbs; in deed he delighted in cruel punishments. Officials only watched the times shift and never rose to the crisis. Territory no larger than a mole on the skin; strongholds no bigger than pellets. Grievances turned to outrage; alliances turned to ice. No wronged bird could fill the sea; no fool could move a mountain—such labors were vain. Pestilence hung in the morning air; demons fell from the night sky. Red birds three mornings running blotted the sun; azure clouds seven layers deep ringed the imperial axle. The years of Wu's fall had run out; the year of entering Ying was spent.
37
周含鄭怒，楚結秦冤。 有南風之不競，值西鄰之責言。 俄而梯沖亂舞，冀馬雲屯。 棧秦車於暢轂，遝漢鼓於雷門。 下陳倉而連弩，度臨晉而橫船。 雖復楚有七澤，人稱三戶。 箭不麗於六麋，雷無驚於九虎。 辭洞庭兮落木，去涔陽兮極浦。 熾火兮焚旗，貞風兮害蠱。 乃使玉軸揚灰，龍文斫柱。 下江餘城，長林故營。 徒思箝馬之秣，未見燒牛之兵。 章曼支以轂走，宮之奇以族行。 河無冰而馬度，關未曉而雞鳴。 忠臣解骨，君子吞聲。 章華望祭之所，雲夢偽遊之地。 荒谷縊於莫敖，冶父囚乎羣帥。 硎阱折拉，鷹鸇批拂。 冤霜夏零，憤泉秋沸。 城崩杞婦之哭，竹染湘妃之淚。
Zhou nursed Zheng's wrath; Chu sealed Qin's vengeance—allies turned foes. The southern wind could not prevail; the western neighbor's rebuke fell upon them. Soon battering rams and siege towers surged forward; cavalry from Ji massed like clouds. Qin war-chariots lined the ramparts at Changgu; Han drums thundered piled at Leimen. They took Chencang with linked crossbows; they crossed Linjin with boats moored beam to beam. Chu still had its seven lakes; men still said "three households survive." No arrow bit the six elk; no thunder shook the nine tigers—the omens of defense failed. Farewell to Dongting and its falling leaves; farewell to Cenyang and the farthest shore. Fierce flames devoured the standards; a malign wind bred poison in the camp. Jade axles turned to ash; dragon-pattern blades hacked the palace pillars. South of the river, cities were few; at Changlin, only an abandoned camp remained. They dreamed of starving the enemy's horses but never deployed the fire-ox stratagem. Zhang Manzhi fled with nothing but his carriage wheels; Gong Zhiqi went into exile with all his kin. Horses crossed rivers not yet frozen; cocks crowed before the passes were clear at dawn. Loyal ministers were torn limb from limb; gentlemen dared not speak aloud. At Zhanghua they once looked out on ritual sacrifice; at Yunmeng they staged imperial tours that were mere pretense. In a desolate vale the Mo'ao hung himself; at Yefu princes were imprisoned by their own generals. Men fell into hidden pits and were torn apart; like hawks and falcons, soldiers struck and swept all before them. Frost of injustice fell in summer; springs of wrath boiled in autumn. Walls crumbled at the wailing of the woman of Qi; bamboo ran dark with the tears of the Xiang queens.
38
水毒秦涇，山高趙陘。 十里五里，長亭短亭。 饑隨蟄燕，闇逐流螢。 秦中水黑，關上泥青。 于時瓦解冰泮，風飛電散。 渾然千里，淄、澠一亂。 雪暗如沙，冰橫似岸。 逢赴洛之陸機，見離家之王粲。 莫不聞隴水而掩泣，向關山而長歎。 況復君在交河，妾在清波。 石望夫而逾遠，山望子而逾多。 才人之憶代郡，公主之去清河。 栩陽亭有離別之賦，臨江王有愁思之歌。 別有飄颻武威，羈旅金微。 班超生而望反，溫序死而思歸。 李陵之雙鳧永去，蘇武之一鴈空飛。
The waters were as bitter as Qin's Jing River; the mountains as steep as Zhao's Xing passes. Ten li here, five li there—post stations long and short marked every stage of exile. Hunger dogged them like swallows returning to winter sleep; darkness followed like drifting fireflies. The waters of Qin ran black; the mud on the frontier passes turned green. Then empires shattered like tile and ice; kin scattered like wind and lightning. For a thousand li all was one blur; the Zi and the Shi could no longer be told apart. Snow dimmed the horizon like blown sand; ice lay across the road like a second shore. One met Lu Ji on the road to Luoyang; one saw Wang Can driven from his home. All who heard the waters of Longshui wept in secret; all who faced the frontier passes sighed long. Worse still when the husband was at Jiaohe and the wife on the Clear Wave—worlds apart. The stone that watched for her husband grew ever more distant; the mountain that watched for her son grew ever more numerous. A man of letters yearned for Dai; a princess was sent away to Qinghe. At Xuyang Pavilion someone wrote a fu of farewell; the Prince of Linjiang composed a song of grief. Others drifted through Wuwei; others were exiled to Jinwei. Ban Chao was born already longing for home; Wen Xu died still thinking of return. Li Ling's paired ducks were gone forever; only Su Wu's lone goose flew back in vain.
39
昔江陵之中否，乃金陵之禍始。 雖借人之外力，實蕭牆之內起。 撥亂之主忽焉，中興之宗不祀。 伯兮叔兮，同見戮於猶子。 荊山鵲飛而玉碎，隨岸蛇生而珠死。 鬼火亂於平林，殤魂驚於新市。 梁故豐徙，楚實秦亡。 不有所廢，其何以昌。 有媯之後，遂育于薑。 輸我神器，居為讓王。 天地之大德曰生，聖人之大寶曰位。 用無賴之子孫，舉江東而全棄。 惜天下之一家，遭東南之反氣。 以鶉首而賜秦，天何為而此醉！
Jiangling's fall once foretold was the beginning of Jinling's ruin. Though foreign armies lent their force, the blow came from within the house. The ruler who had put down chaos was suddenly no more; the line meant to restore the dynasty went unsacrificed. Elder brother and younger alike were slaughtered by the nephew's son. When the magpie flew from Jing Mountain, jade shattered; when the snake was born on the Sui shore, the pearl died. Ghost fires flickered through Ping Forest; the souls of the young were shaken in Xin Market. Liang's former glory was uprooted; Chu in truth perished as Qin had. Without what is cast away, how can anything flourish? The line of You Gui was nourished at last by the house of Jiang. I surrendered the sacred regalia and lived on as a king who had yielded the throne. "The greatest virtue of Heaven and earth is to give life; the greatest treasure of the sage is the throne." They set worthless heirs on the throne and threw away all of Jiangdong. They cherished the realm as one household—yet met the ill-omened air of the southeast. Heaven gave the Quinshou mansions to Qin—why is the sky so drunk with error!
40
且夫天道迴旋，民生預焉。 余烈祖於西晉，始流播於東川。 洎余身而七葉，又遭時而北遷。 提挈老幼，關河累年。 死生契闊，不可問天。 況復零落將盡，靈光巍然。 日窮于紀，歲將復始。 逼切危慮，端憂暮齒。 踐長樂之神皋，望宣平之貴里。 渭水貫於天門，驪山回於地市。 幕府大將軍之愛客，丞相平津侯之待士。 見鐘鼎於金、張，聞弦歌於許、史。 豈知灞陵夜獵，猶是故時將軍； 咸陽布衣，非獨思歸王子。
Heaven's course turns in circles, and mortal lives are written within its wheel. My fierce forebears of Western Jin first fled east along the rivers. By my own day we had been seven generations in the south—and then, in my time, we were driven north again. I led the old and the young through passes and rivers, year upon year. "In life or death, in union or parting"—that no longer admits questioning Heaven. And now my line is nearly spent, while the Spirit Light Temple still stands towering alone. The year turns at the sun's rest in the Ji lodge; a new cycle is about to begin. Peril presses in upon my thoughts; upright grief attends my aging years. I walk the sacred terraces of Changle and look toward the noble lanes of Xuanping. The Wei River runs through Heaven Gate; Mount Li curves back above the markets of the underworld. I am welcomed as a cherished guest of the great general in his headquarters, tended as Zhu Gongzi once tended men of talent. I see great houses like Jin and Zhang with their bronze bells; I hear music like that of Xu and Shi. Who would have known that the general hunting by night at Baling was still the man of former days? A plain-cloth man in Xianyang—I am not the only prince who longs to go home.
41
大象初，以疾去職，卒。 隋文帝深悼之，贈本官，加荊淮二州刺史。 子立嗣。
Early in the Daxiang reign, he resigned on account of illness and died. Emperor Wen of Sui deeply mourned him, restored his former rank, and added the post of Governor over Jing and Huai provinces. His son Li succeeded him.
42
史臣曰：兩儀定位，日月揚暉，天文彰矣； 八卦以陳，書契有作，人文詳矣。 若乃墳索所紀，莫得而雲，典慕以降，遺風可述。 是以曲阜多才多藝，鑒二代以正其本； 闕里性與天道，修《六經》以維其末。 故能範圍天地，綱紀人倫。 窮神知化，稱首於千古； 經邦緯俗，藏用於百代。 至矣哉！ 斯固聖人之述作也。
The historian says: When the two principles took their places and sun and moon spread their radiance, astronomy was made manifest; the Eight Trigrams were displayed and writing with knotted cords arose—human culture was made detailed. As for what the grave cords record, none can speak of it in the clouds; from the canonical tombs downward, surviving winds can be narrated. Thus Qufu had many talents and many arts, examining the two dynasties to rectify the root; at Que village, nature and the Way of Heaven—he cultivated the Six Classics to sustain the branch. Therefore he could compass heaven and earth and be the warp and woof of human relations. Exhausting spirit and knowing transformation, he was called foremost through a thousand ages; ordering the state and weaving custom, his hidden usefulness was stored for a hundred generations. Supreme indeed! This is truly the composing of a sage.
43
逮乎兩周道喪，七十義乖。 淹中、稷下，八儒三墨，辯博之論蜂起； 漆園、黍穀，名法兵農，宏放之詞霧集。 雖雅誥奧義，或未盡善，考其所長，蓋賢達之源流也。
Down to the two Zhou, the Way was lost and the seventy meanings diverged. At Yanzhong and Jixia, the eight Ru and three Mo—debating and expansive discourses swarmed forth; Zhuang Zhou, Qin Gu, Legalism, military affairs, and agriculture—grand and unrestrained writings gathered like mist. Though elegant instructions and profound meanings were not in every case perfect, examining their strong points, they were surely the source and flow of the worthy and accomplished.
44
其後逐臣屈平，作《離騷》以敘志，宏才豔發，有惻隱之美。 宋玉，南國詞人，追逸轡而亞其跡。 大儒荀況，賦禮智以陳其情，含章鬱起，有諷論之義。 賈生，洛陽才子，繼清景而奮其暉。 並陶鑄性靈，組織風雅，詞賦之作，實為其冠。
Afterward the banished minister Qu Ping composed "Encountering Sorrow" to set forth his intent—great talent and splendid outpouring, with the beauty of compassionate feeling. Song Yu, poet of the southern states, pursued the flying traces and ranked just below him. The great Ru Xun Kuang, in fu on ritual and wisdom set forth his feelings—rich pattern rose in profusion, with the meaning of indirect remonstrance. Jia Yi, talented youth of Luoyang, followed the clear scene and raised his radiance. All alike molded nature and spirit and wove elegance and refinement; in the making of ci and fu they were truly the crown.
45
自是著述滋繁，體制匪一。 孝武之後，雅尚斯文，揚葩振藻者如林，而二馬、王、楊為之傑； 東京之朝，茲道愈扇，咀征含商者成市，而班、傅、張、蔡為之雄。 當塗受命，尤好蟲篆； 金行勃興，無替前烈。 曹、王、陳、阮，負宏衍之思，挺棟幹於鄧林； 潘、陸、張、左，擅侈麗之才，飾羽儀於鳳穴。 斯竝高視當世，連衡孔門。 雖時運推移，質文屢變，譬猶六代竝協，易俗之用無爽； 九流競逐，一致之理同歸。 歷選前英，於茲為盛。
From this time compositions and narratives grew ever more numerous and forms were not one. After Emperor Xiaowu, elegance honored this culture; those who waved blossoms and shook brilliance were like a forest, while Sima, Wang, and Yang were the outstanding; in the Eastern Capital court this path burned all the brighter; those who chewed measures and held notes formed a market, while Ban, Fu, Zhang, and Cai were the heroes. When the Tufu received the mandate, they especially loved insect seal script; the Jin line rose vigorously without failing the former glory. Cao, Wang, Chen, and Ruan bore expansive thought and stood as ridgepoles in the Deng forest; Pan, Lu, Zhang, and Zuo possessed extravagant and beautiful talent and adorned feather regalia at the phoenix nest. These all gazed down on their age and linked balances with the Confucian gate. Though the times shifted and substance and pattern changed again and again, it is like the six dynasties all in harmony—the use of changing custom is not awry; the nine streams race in pursuit, yet the principle of unity returns the same. Choosing former worthies through the ages, at this point they were most abundant.
46
旣而中州版蕩，戎狄交侵，僭偽相屬，士民塗炭，故文章黜焉。 其潛思於戰爭之間，揮翰於鋒鏑之下，亦往往而間出矣。 若乃魯徽、杜廣、徐光、尹弼之疇，知名於二趙； 宋諺、封奕、朱彤、梁讜之屬，見重於燕、秦。 然皆迫於倉卒，牽於戰爭。 競奏符檄，則粲然可觀； 體物緣情，則寂寥於世。 非其才有優劣，時運然也。 至朔漠之地，蕞爾夷俗，胡義周之頌國都，足稱宏麗； 區區河右，而學者埒於中原，劉延明之銘酒泉，可謂清典。 子曰「十室之邑，必有忠信」，豈徒言哉。
Then the Central Plain was overthrown and Rong and Di invaded each other; false claimants succeeded one another and scholars and people were trampled in charcoal—therefore literary writing was set aside. Those who pondered deeply amid warfare and wielded the brush beneath spear and blade also appeared from time to time. Such men as Lu Hui, Du Guang, Xu Guang, and Yin Bi were famed in the two Zhao; Song Yan, Feng Yi, Zhu Tong, and Liang Dang and their kind were honored in Yan and Qin. Yet all were pressed by haste and dragged by war. In competing to present proclamations and dispatches, they were splendid to behold; in embodying things and tracing feeling, they were desolate in the world. It was not that their talent had superior and inferior—times and fortune were so. As for the northern desert lands, that tiny barbarian custom—Hu Yizhou's hymn to the capital was sufficient to be called grand and beautiful; in the narrow west of the river, yet scholars matched those of the Central Plain—Liu Yanming's inscription for Jiuquan may be called pure and canonical. The Master said, "In a hamlet of ten houses there must be loyalty and trust"—was it an empty saying?
47
洎乎有魏，定鼎沙朔，南包河、淮，西吞關、隴。 當時之士，有許謙、崔宏、崔浩、高允、高閭、遊雅等，先後之間，聲實俱茂，詞義典正，有永嘉之遺烈焉。 及太和之辰，雖復崇尚文雅，方驂並路，多乖往轍，涉海頓山，罕值良寶。 其後袁翻才稱澹雅，常景思摽沉鬱，彬彬焉，蓋一時之俊秀也。
Down to Wei, they fixed the tripod on the desert north, embraced the Yellow and Huai in the south, and swallowed Pass and Long in the west. Scholars of the time—Xu Qian, Cui Hong, Cui Hao, Gao Yun, Gao Lü, You Ya, and others—between earlier and later, fame and substance alike flourished; their phrasing was canonical and correct, with the surviving splendor of Yongjia. In the Taihe years, though they again honored elegant culture, carriage shafts ran side by side on the road yet mostly missed the former track—crossing the sea and pausing at the mountain, they rarely met fine treasure. Afterward Yuan Fan was praised for tranquil elegance and Chang Jing's thought was deep and somber—refined indeed, they were the outstanding talents of a single age.
48
周氏創業，運屬陵夷。 纂遺文於旣喪，聘奇士如弗及。 是以蘇亮、蘇綽、盧柔、唐瑾、元偉、李昶之徒，咸奮鱗翼，自致青紫。 然綽建言務存質朴，遂糠秕魏、晉，憲章虞、夏。 雖屬詞有師古之美，矯枉非適時之用，故莫能常行焉。
When Zhou founded its enterprise, fortune belonged to decline. They gathered surviving writings after what was lost and sought extraordinary men as though they could not catch up. Therefore men such as Su Liang, Su Chuo, Lu Rou, Tang Jin, Yuan Wei, and Li Chang all flourished scale and wing and attained purple and scarlet of their own accord. Yet Chuo proposed that one should keep to plain simplicity, therefore he winnowed out Wei and Jin and took the statutes of Yu and Xia as model. Though in composing words he had the beauty of taking the ancients as teacher, correcting excess was not what the time could use, and therefore it could not be constantly practiced.
49
旣而革車電邁，渚宮雲撤。 爾其荊、衡杞梓，東南竹箭，備器用於廟堂者衆矣。 唯王襃、庾信奇才秀出，牢籠於一代。 是時，世宗雅詞雲委，滕、趙二王雕章間發。 咸築宮虛館，有如布衣之交。 由是朝廷之人，閭閻之士，莫不忘味於遺韻，眩精於末光。 猶丘陵之仰嵩、岱，川流之宗溟、渤也。
Then war chariots flashed like lightning and the Zhu palace vanished in clouds. Then catalpa and zizhu of Jing and Heng, bamboo arrows of the southeast—many were prepared as vessels for the ancestral temple. Only Wang Bao and Yu Xin, extraordinary talents standing above the rest, encompassed a whole age. At that time Emperor Shizong's elegant words piled like clouds; the princes of Teng and Zhao sent forth carved chapters in turn. All built empty lodges at their palaces, with friendship like men in plain cloth. Thus among courtiers and lane scholars, none failed to savor the lingering tones and be dazzled by the last gleam. It was like hills and mounds looking up to Song and Dai, or streams looking to the eastern sea and Bohai.
50
然則子山之文，發源於宋末，盛行於梁季。 其體以淫放為本，其詞以輕險為宗。 故能誇目侈於紅紫，蕩心逾於鄭、衛。 昔楊子雲有言：「詩人之賦，麗以則； 詞人之賦，麗以淫。」 若以庾氏方之，斯又詞賦之罪人也。
Thus the writings of Zishan took their source at the end of Song and flourished greatly in the Liang season. Their substance took dissipation and license as root; their words took lightness and peril as banner. Therefore they could dazzle the eye and extravagantly display crimson and purple, and unsettle the heart beyond Zheng and Wey. Formerly Yang Ziyun said: "The fu of poets is beautiful yet regulated; the fu of rhetoricians is beautiful yet dissolute." If one compares the Yu clan to this, they are again criminals among ci and fu.
51
原夫文章之作，本乎情性。 覃思則變化無方，形言則條流遂廣。 雖詩賦與奏議異軫，銘誄與書論殊塗，而撮其指要，舉其大抵，莫若以氣為主，以文傳意。 考其殿最，定其區域，摭《六經》百氏之英華，探屈、宋、卿、雲之秘奧。 其調也尚遠，其旨也在深，其理也貴當，其辭也欲巧。 然後瑩金璧，播芝蘭，文質因其宜，繁約適其變，權衡輕重，斟酌古今，和而能壯，麗而能典，煥乎若五色之成章，紛乎猶八音之繁會。 夫然，則魏文所謂通才足以備體矣，士衡所謂難能足以逮意矣。
Tracing it to the root, the making of literary writing rests on feeling and nature. Deep thought then transforms without limit; forming words then branches and streams extend broadly. Though poetry and fu differ in carriage from memorials and proposals, and inscriptions and dirges differ in path from letters and discourses, gathering their essentials and raising their general outline, nothing surpasses taking qi as lord and transmitting intent through pattern. Examining their ranking and fixing their territories, plucking the flower of the Six Classics and the hundred schools, probing the hidden depths of Qu, Song, Xun, and Yun. Its tone values distance; its aim lies in depth; its principle esteems fitness; its words desire craft. Then one polishes gold and jade, scatters orchid and iris, substance and pattern according to fitness, complexity and simplicity suiting change, balancing weight and measuring past and present—harmonious yet strong, beautiful yet canonical, brilliant as the five colors form their pattern, profuse as the eight tones join in concert. Thus Wei Wen's so-called comprehensive talent is sufficient to complete the form, and Shiheng's so-called difficulty is sufficient to reach the intent.
52
全文以中華書局、一九七一年十一月版《周書》為本校。
The full text was collated against the Zhonghua Book Company edition of the Book of Zhou, November 1971.