Bureau Director Ha Having Replied, I Match the Rhymes次韻河郞中見和
耘業耕文夏課場。是皆君我曾經地。仲尼雖聖亦匹夫。常有三千群弟子。以國之大寧乏人。不使斯風重崛起。我齋稍復餘未爾。有如大海涓滴水。君今文彩映詞林。靈珠側畔川爭媚。欲還墮緖子何難。在一頃刻廻其意。激起後生皆擊蒙。何人不泣淵鮫淚。手揷羽翼因吹揚。可令飛到公卿位。歌讚成庸則我存。發揮頹敎繄君恃。古者修文來遠人。制服頑戎必由是。況今容許鶡冠人。秉筆來參場屋事。上方嚮學又日新。何患斯文將踅弛。而君於此小加力。無限儒門萬世喜。
The summer study ground where we weeded our learning and whetted our writing is all of it land that you and I passed through long ago. Zhongni (仲尼) was a sage, yet he too was but one common man, and he always had three thousand disciples. The country being so great, how should it lack for men? Can we not raise this spirit up tall again? Our hall has revived a little but the rest have not yet, so it is like one drop of water in the great sea. Your literary grace now shines in the forest of letters (詞林), and beside a numinous pearl the streams vie in loveliness. What is hard for you in turning back a fallen thread? In a single moment you could turn men's minds to it. Rouse up those who come after and wake them all from dullness, and who would not shed pearl tears like the shark-folk (鮫人)? Fit wings to them with your own hands and blow a wind to lift them, and you could send them flying up to the seats of the high ministers. The singing of your praise I shall take upon myself, but for shaking out the fallen teaching I trust you alone. In old days learning was cultivated to bring men from afar, and the subduing of fierce barbarians also came always from this. How much more now, when even military men in pheasant caps (鶡冠) are allowed to take up the brush and share in the business of the examination hall, and His Majesty's turning toward learning is new day by day. What is there to fear that Confucian learning will slacken? If you add but a little strength to this, the whole forest of scholars will rejoice without end for ten thousand ages.
Interlinear notes 1
千旦
His name was Cheondan (千旦).
昔年我自紫微郞。謫守桂陽卑濕地。公退蕭然坐小堂。亦無與語吾黨子。見君謁刺笑且驚。時方欲食投匙起。顧無斗酒供其歡。終日淸談唯飮水。雖云小郡名邦侯。亦豈無人欲側媚。先生正直本寡求。目擊一見知同意。快聞高論心豁然。臨別能無一掬淚。從此相知二十年。中間嗟爾無朝位。無何銳進涉淸華。如我老夫猶有恃。今之作者雖雲紛。專掌絲綸夫子是。願君善嗇千金軀。爲國不讓文章事。我今耄矣雪渾頭。讀書著文不少弛。何如來往深論詩。老境忘懷一段喜。
In days past I was a Jamirang (紫微郞, drafter of the Secretariat), then banished to the low, damp land of Gyeyang (桂陽) and made its magistrate. Putting official business aside, I sat lonely on the small veranda, with no man of our company to talk with. Seeing your calling card I laughed and was startled too; I was just about to eat, and threw down my spoon and rose. Looking about, I had not even a measure of wine to furnish out that joy, so we talked pure talk all day long and drank only water. Small as the district was, in name I was its magistrate; how should there have been no one at hand wishing to flatter me? But you, sir, were straight and upright and had always little to ask, and at one look face to face I knew our minds were one. Hearing your lofty words made my heart open wide, and how at parting should there have been no handful of tears? From then it is twenty years that we have known each other, and in all that time, alas, you had no place at court. Before long you advanced swiftly and trod the pure and splendid posts (淸華), so that even an old man like me has something to trust in after all. They say that makers of literature are now as many as clouds, but the one to take charge of the king's words is you. I beg you, husband well that body worth a thousand pieces of gold, and for the country's sake do not decline the work of letters. I am old now and my head is all the colour of snow, yet I do not slacken in the least at reading and writing. How would it be to come and go and discuss poetry deeply, and make of it one joy that forgets care in our latter years?
Interlinear notes 2
右一順和
The poem above is a reply following his rhymes in order.
右一憶舊陳懷
The poem above recalls old days and sets out what was in my heart.