Original text

An ordinary person can be a teacher for hundreds of generations, and a single word can teach the world. These are all related to the transformation of heaven and earth, and are related to the prosperity and decline of fortune. His birth has his own destiny, and his death has his own destiny. Therefore, Shen Lu descended from Yue, and Fu said (ㄩㄝˋ月) was a star [1]. It has been passed down from ancient to modern times and cannot be falsely accused. Mencius said: "I am good at cultivating my awe-inspiring Qi [2]." This is Qi, which resides in the ordinary and is blocked between heaven and earth. If they meet suddenly, the princes will lose their nobility, Jin and Chu will lose their wealth, Liangping will lose his wisdom, Ben Yu will lose his courage, and Yi Qin will lose his eloquence [3]. Who made it happen? There must be those who do not stand according to shape, do not rely on strength to move, exist without waiting for life, and do not die with death. Therefore, they are stars in the sky, rivers and mountains on the earth, ghosts and gods in the dark, and human beings in the bright. This is commonplace and there is nothing strange about it.

Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, there have been many corruptions in Taoism and culture, and heresies have arisen. During the heydays of Zhenguan and Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty, Fang Du, Yao and Song [4] could not be saved. Duke Wen of Han alone stood up in his commoner clothes, chatted and laughed, and ordered the emperor to follow him. The whole world followed him and returned to justice. This has been going on for three hundred years. The article started from the decline of the Eight Dynasties [5], and the Tao helped the world drown; the loyal offended the wrath of the master [6], and bravely won the commander-in-chief of the three armies [7]. Isn’t this something that towers over heaven and earth, is related to the ups and downs, and yet exists alone in its grandeur?

Gaitian discusses the distinction between heaven and man, saying that man can do everything, but heaven does not tolerate falsehood. Wisdom can deceive princes, but not dolphins and fishes [8]; strength can conquer the world, but it cannot conquer the hearts of every husband and wife. Therefore, the sincerity of the public can open up the clouds of Hengshan [9], but cannot return to the confusion of Xianzong; it can tame the violence of crocodiles [10], but cannot eliminate the slander of Huangfu Bo (ㄅㄛˊ博) and Li Fengji; it can trust in the The people of Nanhai have lived in temples for hundreds of generations, but they cannot live in peace with the imperial court for a day. God can do what Gai Gong can do, but what he can't do can only be done by humans.

The first Chao people had no knowledge of learning, and Zhao De, a Jinshi, was appointed as his teacher. Since then, the people of Chaozhou have devoted themselves to literary practice, which has extended to the people of Qi, and today it is known as Yi Zhi. I believe in what Confucius said: "A gentleman will love others if he learns the Tao, and a villain will be easy to do if he learns the Tao." The trendy people do things for the public. Food and drink must be sacrificed. Floods, droughts, and epidemics must be prayed for. The temple is located behind the governor's court, making it difficult for people to get in and out. The former eunuch wanted to invite the dynasties to build a new temple, but to no avail. In the fifth year of Yuanyou, King Sanlang of the Chao Dynasty came to guard the country. Anyone who raised scholars and governed the people would regard the public as their teacher. The people were pleased and convinced, so they issued an order saying: "May the people of Xingong Temple listen." The people flocked to it with joy (ㄏㄨㄢ, Tonghuan), and the land was located seven miles south of the city. It was expected that the temple would be completed in (ㄐㄧbase) years. .

Or it may be said: "The prince traveled thousands of miles to the country and was banished to the tide. He could not return at the age of one. If he didn't know it, it would be a sign that he was not attached to the tide." Shi said. : "No. The public spirit is in the world, just like water in the earth. It goes everywhere but is not there. But the Chaozhou people only believe deeply and think deeply, and feel sad and sad [11] , If you can see it, it is like digging a well to get a spring, and saying that the water is here, is it unreasonable? "In the first year of Yuanfeng, the imperial edict was granted to Gong Chang Li Bo, so the list said "Chang Li Bo Han Wen Gong's Temple."

The Chaozhou people asked him to write down his story on the stone, so he wrote a poem to leave it behind and made him sing a song in honor of the public. His words said: "In the past, the Duke rode a dragon to Baiyun Township, holding the Heavenly Seal between Yun and Han [12]. Tiansun weaved clouds and brocade clothes [13]. Riding on the wind, he came to the emperor's side, and went down to sweep away the chaff in the troubled times (ㄅㄧˇ ㄎㄤ康)[14], Westward Journey to Xianchi with Fusang[15], the grass and trees are shone back to the light, chasing Li Dushen soaring; the sweat is pouring (ㄕˊ) and walking stiff, the reflection is gone and cannot be seen[16]. . Write a book to slander the Buddha and ridicule the emperor. He wants to see the South China Sea and see Hengxiang. Wu Yang [18]. He sacrificed chickens and divination to shame me [19]. He left many tears in his eyes, and was sent to the wilderness. ”

Notes

[1] Shen, Lu: Shenhou, Lu Bo, minister of the Zhou Dynasty. Fu said: Minister of the Shang Dynasty. Legend has it that after death, he turned into a star.

[2] Haoran’s spirit: that is, righteousness, the spirit of uprightness and greatness.

[3] Liangping: Zhang Liang, Chen Ping, counselors in the Western Han Dynasty. Ben Yu: Meng Ben and Xia Yu, ancient warriors. Yi Qin: Zhang Yi, Su Qin: Warring States debaters.

[4] Fang Du: Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were virtuous prime ministers during the Zhenguan period. Yao Song: Yao Chong and Song Jing were the wise prime ministers during the Kaiyuan period.

[5]Eight Dynasties: Eastern Han, Wei, Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, Chen, and Sui. At this time, parallel prose was prevalent and the writing style declined.

[6] The wrath of the loyal criminal: Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty welcomed the Buddha's bones into the official position, and Han Yu directly remonstrated with him. He was almost executed, but after being rescued by ministers, he was demoted to the governor of Chaozhou.

[7] Winning the commander-in-chief of the three armies: During the reign of Emperor Mu Zong of the Tang Dynasty, Zhenzhou rebelled, and Han Yu was ordered to go to Xuanfu and persuade the rebel leaders to submit to the imperial court.

[8] Dolphin: "Yi Zhongfu" says "Faith and Dolphin." This means that only by sincerely offering sacrifices and even being moved by the offerings of pigs and fish can you get auspicious hexagrams.

[9] Opening the Clouds of Hengshan Mountain: On the way to Chaozhou, Han Yu visited Hengyue Temple. Because of his sincere prayers, the weather turned from gloomy to bright.

[10] The violence of taming crocodiles: Legend has it that when Han Yu was demoted as the governor of Chaozhou, he heard that crocodiles were harming the evil creek in Chaozhou, so he wrote the "Crocodile Sacrifice" to persuade the crocodiles to relocate. . Soon, the water of the evil stream moved sixty miles westward, and the crocodile problem was eliminated forever in Chaozhou.

[11] Artemisia: the fragrant smell emitted by the sacrifices. Yan: Tong "Xun", fragrant and smelly smell. Artemisia: evaporation. Pathos: Emotions caused during sacrifices.

[12] Yunhan: Tianhe. Tianzhang: Literary talent.

[13] Tiansun: Vega.

[14] Chaff: still dregs.

[15]Xianchi: the place where the sun bathes in mythology. Fuso: the name of the sacred tree.

[16] Ji Shi: Zhang Ji and Huangfu Shi were both students of Han Yu. Their achievements in ancient Chinese were far less than their masters, so they were said to be "unexpected".

[17]Zhu Rong: God of Fire. Hairuo: God of the sea.

[18] Wu Yang: The name of the divine witch. These two sentences mean that Han Yu will become a god after his death.

[19]禦: animal name. That is the ox. There is a bulge of meat on the back like a camel. It is said that he can walk more than 300 miles without resting. Chicken Divination: Divination using chicken bones.

Translation

A common man can become a teacher for centuries, and his words can be imitated by the world. This is because this kind of person understands the evolution of heaven and earth and is related to mankind. The rise and fall of society. Their birth was providential, and their deaths were functional. Therefore, it is said that Shen Bo and Lu Hou of the Zhou Dynasty were born from mountain gods and turned into one of the stars in the sky after death. These stories passed down from ancient to modern times have basis and cannot be denied. Mencius said: "I am good at cultivating my awe-inspiring righteousness." This kind of "qi" resides in ordinary things and fills the world. Suddenly encountering it makes the nobility of the princes and nobles eclipse; the wealth of Jin and Chu eclipses; the wisdom of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping eclipses; the courage of Meng Ben and Xia Yu; the eloquence of Zhang Yi and Su Qin eclipses. What causes this situation? There must be something in it that does not need to rely on form to stand, does not need to rely on external forces to move, does not need to wait for birth to exist, and will not disappear with death. Therefore, it becomes stars in the sky; rivers and mountains on the earth; ghosts and gods in the underworld; and humans in the Yang world. This is a common truth and there is nothing surprising about it.

Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, Confucianism has declined, writing style has deteriorated, and various heretical ideas other than Confucianism have emerged at the same time. Although it experienced two prosperous periods of Zhenguan and Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty, with the help of sages such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Yao Chong, Song Jing, etc., it could not be saved. Only Han Wen Gong rose from among the common people and commanded the ancient prose movement while talking and laughing. People all over the world followed Wen Gong and returned to the right path. This situation has been going on for almost three hundred years. His articles revitalized the declining customs for eight generations; the Confucianism and Taoism he preached saved the world from indulging in heresy; his loyalty offended the emperor and made Long Yan furious; his bravery impressed the commanders of the three armies.

Isn’t this what I just said about understanding the creation of heaven and earth, which is related to the rise and fall of human society, and the vast, upright and independent existence of righteousness?

I once talked about the difference between heaven and human affairs. I believe that there is nothing that people cannot do, but God does not allow people to cheat. A person's wisdom can deceive powerful princes, but cannot deceive sacrifices. Piglets and fish; one person's power can conquer the world, but he may not win the hearts and minds of ordinary people. Therefore, Han Gong's sincerity can clear away the clouds of Hengshan, but it cannot restore Xianzong's obsession with worshiping Buddhism; it can tame the ferocity of Chaozhou crocodiles, but it cannot stop the slander of Huangfu Bo and Li Fengji; it can gain the respect and trust of the people of Nanhai. , Enjoying temple sacrifices for a hundred generations, but unable to make one day stable in the court. It can be seen from this that Han Gong can act in accordance with the law of heaven, but cannot succumb to the rights and wrongs of human affairs.

Once upon a time, Chaozhou people were not very good at learning, so Han Gong appointed Zhao De, a Jinshi, to teach them. Since then, the scholar-bureaucrats in Chaozhou have seriously studied their knowledge, paid attention to moral cultivation, and influenced the people. To this day, Chaozhou is still known as a place that is easy to govern. As Confucius said: "A gentleman will know how to care for the people after he has learned the principles; and it will be easier for ordinary people to govern after they have learned the principles." Chaozhou people respect Han Gong very much and will sacrifice him during every festival. When there are floods and droughts, Whenever there is a disease or plague, if you need help from the gods, you will definitely go to the temple to pray to him. However, Han Yu's temple was located behind the governor's office, so people found it inconvenient to enter and exit. The former state official tried to apply to the court to build a new temple, but was unsuccessful. In the fifth year of Yuanyou, Mr. Wang Di, the official of Chaosan, came to serve as the local chief. All measures used to cultivate scholars and govern the people were based on Han Gong as an example. The people were convinced, and he ordered: "Anyone who is willing to rebuild the Han Gong Temple should come and listen to my command!" The people happily participated in the project and chose a good place seven miles south of the city. A year later A new temple was built.

Some people say: "Han Gong left the capital about ten thousand miles away, and was demoted to Chaozhou. He returned within less than a year. If he died knowingly, he would not miss Chaozhou, right? This is very clear." I said, "That's not the case. The spirit of Han Gong is in the world, just like water is in the earth, everywhere. However, Chaozhou people have a very deep belief in Han Yu and miss him very sincerely. Whenever they offer sacrifices, incense smoke lingers, and they can't help but give birth to something. I feel nostalgic and sad, as if I saw him. If you dig a well in a certain place and get a spring, how can you say that the spring water is only here? "In the first year of Yuanfeng, the emperor issued an edict to posthumously confer the title of Uncle Han. Therefore, the plaque on the temple is inscribed "Temple of Han Wengong, Changli Bo".

The Chaozhou people asked me to record this incident and engrave it on a stone tablet, so I composed a poem and gave it to them to sing in memory of Duke Han. The lyrics say: "Han Gong, you used to ride a dragon through the land of white clouds. You moved the clouds of the Milky Way in the sky with your hands, and the Weaver Girl weaved brocade clothes for you. You floated on the wind and came to the side of the Emperor of Heaven. You came to earth to sweep away the chaff from the troubled times." On my journey to Xianchi in the West, I passed by Fusang, and the trees and grass were illuminated by your grace. Your articles were as famous as those of Li Bai and Du Fu, and Zhang Ji and Huangfu were soaring with them that they were so sweaty that they couldn't even look at your back. He denounced Buddhism and satirized the king. Later, you were invited to visit the South China Sea and took a tour of Hengshan and Xiangjiang River, passing by Jiuyi Mountain where Emperor Shun was buried. Along the way, Zhu Rong opened the way for you, and Hai Ruoyin arrived. Chaozhou, you restrain the crocodile like a shepherd herding sheep. However, there are no talents in the heavenly palace, and the emperor feels lonely and sad, so he sends Wu Yang, who sings the divine song, to return to the earth to summon your heroic soul. Now, we use cattle as sacrifices. We use chicken bones for divination, offer our wine glasses, and enshrine crimson lychees and golden bananas in front of your soul. It's a pity that you can't stay for a while. We are sad and shed tears, and send your heroic soul back to the distant fairyland with graceful hair. "

Note "Chaozhou Han Wengong Temple Stele" was written by Su Shi in March 1092 (the seventh year of Yuanhu) after accepting the request of Wang Di, the magistrate of Chaozhou, for the rebuilt Han Yu Temple in Chaozhou. Inscription.