本篇墓銘選自民國本《銅山縣志》卷六十八列女傳。作于唐憲宗元和六年(811)三月,時(shí)韓愈在河南令任。乳母,即韓愈之乳母李正真,徐州人。銘文語言質(zhì)樸,親情洋溢與字里行間。
《乳母墓銘》 韓愈
乳母李,徐州人,號(hào)正真,入韓氏乳其兒愈。愈生未再周月,孤失怙恃。李憐,不忍棄去,視保益謹(jǐn),遂老韓氏。
及見所乳兒愈舉進(jìn)士第,歷佐汴徐軍,入朝為御史,國子博士,尚書都官員外郎,河南令,娶婦生二男五女,時(shí)節(jié)慶賀,輒率婦兒孫列拜進(jìn)壽。
年六十四,元和六年三月十八日疾卒。卒三日,葬河南縣北十五里。愈率婦孫視窆封,且刻其語于石,納諸墓,為銘。
Inscription on the Tomb Tablet of My Wet-Nurse
Han Yu
My wet-nurse, whose family name was Li and given name Cheng-chen, was from Hsuchow. She joined the Han family to nurse me, its son. Unfortunately I was bereaved of my parents before I had reached even my second birthday. She took pity on me and stayed on to take even greater care of me, eventually remaining with the Han family until her old age.
She lived to see the baby nursed by her obtain his chin-shih degree, become an assistant in the military headquarters of Pienchow and Hsuchow, enter Court as Censor, Doctor of the Imperial University and Yuan-wai-lang of the Ministry of Justice, and serve as Magistrate of Honan. She also lived to see me get married and bring forth two sons and five daughters. In celebration of the festivals of the season, I would bring along my wife and children to pay her respects on our knees and to offer her our toasts.
She lived to the age of sixty-four and died from sickness on the 18th of the 3rd month of the 6th year of Yuan-ho. Three days after her death she was buried fifteen li north of Honan Hsien. I took my wife and children to attend the burial. I had this inscription engraved on stone and deposited in the tomb.