《祭十二郎文》是唐代文學(xué)家韓愈的一篇對(duì)其侄十二郎的祭文。文章既沒(méi)有鋪排,也沒(méi)有張揚(yáng),作者善于融抒情于敘事之中,在對(duì)身世、家常、生活遭際樸實(shí)的敘述中,表現(xiàn)出對(duì)兄嫂及侄兒深切的懷念和痛惜,一往情深,感人肺腑。
韓愈 《祭十二郎文》
年月日,季父愈聞汝喪七日,乃能銜哀致誠(chéng),使建中遠(yuǎn)具時(shí)羞之奠,告汝十二郎之靈:
嗚呼!吾少孤,及長(zhǎng),不省所怙,惟兄嫂是依。中年兄歿南方,吾與汝俱幼,從嫂歸葬河陽(yáng);既又與汝就食江南,零丁孤苦,未嘗一日相離也。吾上有三兄,皆不幸早世。承先人后者,在孫惟汝,在子惟吾,兩世一身,形單影只。嫂嘗撫汝指吾而言曰:“韓氏兩世,惟此而已!”汝時(shí)尤小,當(dāng)不復(fù)記憶,吾時(shí)雖能記憶,亦未知其言之悲也。
吾年十九,始來(lái)京城,其后四年,又歸視汝。又四年,吾往河陽(yáng)省墳?zāi)?,遇汝從嫂喪?lái)葬。又二年,吾佐董丞相于汴州,汝來(lái)省吾,止一歲,請(qǐng)歸取其孥。明年,丞相薨,吾去汴州,汝不果來(lái)。是年,吾又佐戎徐州,使取汝者始行,吾又罷去,汝又不果來(lái)。吾念汝從于東,東亦客也,不可以久;圖久遠(yuǎn)者,莫如西歸,將成家而致汝。嗚呼!孰謂汝遽去吾而歿乎!
吾與汝俱少年,以為雖暫相別,終當(dāng)久相與處,故舍汝而旅食京師,以求升斗之祿;誠(chéng)知其如此,雖萬(wàn)乘之公相,吾不以一日輟汝而就也!
去年,孟東野往,吾書與汝曰:“吾年未四十,而視茫茫,而發(fā)蒼蒼,而齒牙動(dòng)搖。念諸父與諸兄,皆康強(qiáng)而早世,如吾之衰者,其能久存乎?吾不可去,汝不肯來(lái),恐旦暮死,而汝抱無(wú)涯之戚也?!笔胫^少者歿而長(zhǎng)者存,強(qiáng)者夭而病者全乎?
嗚呼!其信然邪?其夢(mèng)耶?其傳之非其真邪?信也,吾兄之盛德而夭其嗣乎?汝之純明而不克蒙其澤乎?少者強(qiáng)者而夭歿,長(zhǎng)者衰者而存全乎?未可以為信也。夢(mèng)也,傳之非其真也,東野之書,耿蘭之報(bào),何為而在吾側(cè)也?嗚呼!其信然矣!吾兄之盛德而夭其嗣矣!汝之純明宜業(yè)其家者?而不克蒙其澤矣!所謂天者誠(chéng)難測(cè),而神者誠(chéng)難明矣!所謂理者不可推,而壽者不可知矣!
雖然,吾自今年來(lái),蒼蒼者或化而為白矣,動(dòng)搖者或脫而落矣,毛血日益衰,志氣日益微,幾何不從汝而死也。死而有知,其幾何離;其無(wú)知,悲不幾時(shí),而不悲者無(wú)窮期矣!
汝之子始十歲,吾之子始五歲,少而疆者不可保,如此孩提者,又可冀其成立邪?嗚呼哀哉!嗚呼哀哉!
汝去年書云:“比得軟腳病,往往而劇?!蔽嵩唬骸笆羌惨?,江南之人,常常有之?!蔽词家詾閼n也。嗚呼!其竟以此而殞其生乎?抑別有疾而至斯乎?
汝之書,六月十七日也;東野云:汝歿以六月二日。耿蘭之報(bào)無(wú)月日。蓋東野之使者,不知問(wèn)家人以月日;如耿蘭之報(bào),不知當(dāng)言月日;東野與吾書,乃問(wèn)使者,使者妄稱以應(yīng)之耳。其然乎?其不然乎?
今吾使健中祭汝,吊汝之孤與汝之乳母。彼有食可守以待終喪,則待終喪而取以來(lái);如不能守以終喪,則遂取以來(lái)。其余奴婢,并令守汝喪。吾力能改葬,終葬汝于先人之兆,然后惟其所愿。
嗚呼!汝病吾不知時(shí),汝歿吾不知日,生不能相養(yǎng)以共居,歿不能撫汝以盡哀。殮不憑其棺,窆不臨其穴。吾行負(fù)神明而使汝夭。不孝不慈,而不能與汝相養(yǎng)以生,相守以死。一在天之涯,一在地之角,生而影不與吾形相依,死而魂不與吾夢(mèng)相接,吾實(shí)為之,其又何尤!彼蒼者天,曷其有極!自今已往,吾其無(wú)意于人世矣,當(dāng)求數(shù)頃之田于伊、潁之上,以待馀年。教吾子與汝子,幸其成;吾女與汝女,待其嫁:如此而已。
嗚呼!言有窮而情不可終,汝其知也邪?其不知也邪?嗚呼哀哉!
尚饗。
An Elegiac Address to the Twelfth Nephew
Han Yu
Day, month, year. I, your youngest uncle, Han Yu, overwhelmed with grief, sent Jianzhong on my behalf to offer you sacrifices to express my deep feelings for you, seven days after I heard about your death. Jianzhong had bought seasonal delicacies from a distant place as sacrificial offerings to your departed soul.
Alas! I lost my father during my early childhood. When I grew up, I did not know what my father was like. I was dependent on my eldest brother and his wife. My eldest brother, your father, was middle-aged when he died in the south, and together we accompanied his widow to bury him in Heyang. Then you and I went to the south to make a living. We two were orphaned and helpless and clung to each other's company every day. I had three brothers older than I, but unfortunately they all died early. In our family, you and I were the only descendants, you being of the third generation and I of the second generation. Of those two generations, each had only one successor remaining. We two were extremely lonely, with only our shadows left to us. My sister-in-law used to fondle you while pointing her finger at me, saying, "You two are the only survivors of the Han family." You were only an infant and could not understand her. And although I was able to recall what she said, I did not recognize the sadness in her words.
When I was nineteen, I went to the capital. Four years later I came home to visit you. Another four years passed. I went to Heyang to visit the graves of our ancestors, and met you there where you had the coffin of your mother interred. Two years later, you came to see me in Bianzhou as I was working for Chengxiang Dong. You stayed for a year, and then went home, intending to bring your family over. But in the following year Chengxiang Dong died and I left Bianzhou before you could come back. That year I took office in Xuzhou , working as an official in charge of military supply. When the man I sent to fetch you had just set out, I left my post (11). Again you did not come. I thought even if you had come to the east , you would not have stayed long, for, after all, the east was not our native place. As a long-term plan I had better return to the west , establish myself and welcome you into my household. Alas! Who could have thought that you would suddenly die and leave me behind?
You and I were both young and I believed that although we might part for a brief p