元
和
天
子
神
武
姿
,
The Son of Heaven in Yuanhe times was martial as a god
彼
何
人
哉
轩
与
羲
,
And might be likened only to the Emperors Xuan and Xi.
誓
将
上
雪
列
圣
耻
,
He took an oath to reassert the glory of the empire,
坐
法
宫
中
朝
四
夷
。
And tribute was brought to his palace from all four quarters.
淮
西
有
贼
五
十
载
,
Western Huai for fifty years had been a bandit country,
封
狼
生
䝙
䝙
生
罴
;
Wolves becoming lynxes, lynxes becoming bears.
不
据
山
河
据
平
地
,
They assailed the mountains and rivers, rising from the plains,
长
戈
利
矛
日
可
麾
。
With their long spears and sharp lances aimed at the Sun.
帝
得
圣
相
相
曰
度
,
But the Emperor had a wise premier, by the name of Du,
贼
斫
不
死
神
扶
持
。
Who, guarded by spirits against assassination,
腰
悬
相
印
作
都
统
,
Hong at his girdle the seal of state, and accepted chief command,
阴
风
惨
澹
天
王
旗
。
While these savage winds were harrying the flags of the Ruler of Heaven.
愬
武
古
通
作
牙
爪
,
Generals Suo, Wu, Gu, and Tong became his paws and claws;
仪
曹
外
郎
载
笔
随
。
Civil and military experts brought their writingbrushes,
行
军
司
马
智
且
勇
,
And his recording adviser was wise and resolute.
十
四
万
众
犹
虎
貔
。
A hundred and forty thousand soldiers, fighting like lions and tigers,
入
蔡
缚
贼
献
太
庙
。
Captured the bandit chieftains for the Imperial Temple.
功
无
与
让
恩
不
訾
。
So complete a victory was a supreme event;
帝
曰
汝
度
功
第
一
,
And the Emperor said: "To you, Du, should go the highest honour,
汝
从
事
愈
宜
为
辞
。
And your secretary, Yu, should write a record of it."
愈
拜
稽
首
蹈
且
舞
,
When Yu had bowed his head, he leapt and danced, saying:
金
石
刻
画
臣
能
为
。
"Historical writings on stone and metal are my especial art;
古
者
世
称
大
手
笔
,
And, since I know the finest brush-work of the old masters,
此
事
不
系
于
职
司
。
My duty in this instance is more than merely official,
当
仁
自
古
有
不
让
,
And I should be at fault if I modestly declined."
言
讫
屡
颔
天
子
颐
。
The Emperor, on hearing this, nodded many times.
公
退
斋
戒
坐
小
阁
,
And Yu retired and fasted and, in a narrow workroom,
濡
染
大
笔
何
淋
漓
。
His great brush thick with ink as with drops of rain,
点
窜
尧
典
舜
典
字
,
Chose characters like those in the Canons of Yao and Xun,
涂
改
清
庙
生
民
诗
。
And a style as in the ancient poems Qingmiao and Shengmin.
文
成
破
体
书
在
纸
,
And soon the description was ready, on a sheet of paper.
清
晨
再
拜
铺
丹
墀
。
In the morning he laid it, with a bow, on the purple stairs.
表
曰
臣
愈
昧
死
上
,
He memorialized the throne: "I, unworthy,
咏
神
圣
功
书
之
碑
。
Have dared to record this exploit, for a monument."
碑
高
三
丈
字
如
斗
,
The tablet was thirty feet high, the characters large as dippers;
负
以
灵
鼇
蟠
以
螭
。
It was set on a sacred tortoise, its columns flanked with ragons....
句
奇
语
重
喻
者
少
,
The phrases were strange with deep words that few could understand;
谗
之
天
子
言
其
私
。
And jealousy entered and malice and reached the Emperor –
长
绳
百
尺
拽
碑
倒
。
So that a rope a hundred feet long pulled the tablet down
麤
沙
大
石
相
磨
治
。
And coarse sand and small stones ground away its face.
公
之
斯
文
若
元
气
,
But literature endures, like the universal spirit,
先
时
已
入
人
肝
脾
。
And its breath becomes a part of the vitals of all men.
汤
盘
孔
鼎
有
述
作
,
The Tang plate, the Confucian tripod, are eternal things,
今
无
其
器
存
其
辞
。
Not because of their forms, but because of their inscriptions....
呜
呼
圣
皇
及
圣
相
,
Sagacious is our sovereign and wise his minister,
相
与
烜
赫
流
淳
熙
。
And high their successes and prosperous their reign;
公
之
斯
文
不
示
后
,
But unless it be recorded by a writing such as this,
曷
与
三
五
相
攀
追
?
How may they hope to rival the three and five good rulers?
愿
书
万
本
诵
万
过
,
I wish I could write ten thousand copies to read ten thousand times,
口
角
流
沫
右
手
胝
;
Till spittle ran from my lips and calluses hardened my fingers,
传
之
七
十
有
二
代
,
And still could hand them down, through seventy-two generations,
以
为
封
禅
玉
检
明
堂
基
。
As corner-stones for Rooms of Great Deeds on the Sacred Mountains.
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