Galleries and Translations > Recent Works / Models of Masterpieces > A Model of My Pledge to Never Take Office Again ( 臨《 告誓文 》)
A Model of My Pledge to Never Take Office Again ( 臨《 告誓文 》)
45 X 90cm
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A Model of My Pledge to Never Take Office Again ( 臨《 告誓文 》)
45 X 90cm in Standard Script (楷書)
維永和十一年三月癸卯𦙚，九日辛亥。小子羲之，敢告二尊之靈。羲之不天，夙遭閔凶，不蒙過庭之訓。母兄鞠育，得(漸)庶幾。 遂因人乏，蒙國寵榮。進無忠孝之節; 退違推賢之義。每仰詠老氏周任之誡，常恐斯亡無日。憂及宗祀，豈在微身而已。是用寤寐永歎，若墜深谷。止足之分，定之於今。謹以今月吉辰，肆筵設席; 稽顙歸誠，告誓先靈。自今之後，敢渝此心，(貪)冒苟進，是有無尊之心而不子也。子而不子，天地所不覆載，名教所不得容。信誓之誠，有如皦日!
Translations
白話對譯 Vernacular Chinese
永和十一年三月初一日癸卯，初九日辛亥。我王羲之，冒昧稟告雙親在天之靈。羲之沒得上天護佑，早年遭遇哀痛的喪事，未曾受過父親的訓導。由同母兄長撫養，得以漸成賢才。遂因人材缺乏，蒙獲國家尊榮。出仕，卻欠缺忠君孝親的名節; 退讓，又違背了推舉賢才的義理。每每仰首詠讀老子、周任的誡語，常常擔心距離死亡已沒多日子了。禍患延及祖宗的祭祀，又豈僅在於區區的自身而止? 因而日夜長歎，有若墜於深谷。知足知止乃本分，決立誓言於今日。敬以今月這吉利的日子，開筵設宴; 跪叩復寄以誠心，稟告誓言於我祖先在天之靈。自今之後，膽敢改變這個決心，貪謀官職苟且出仕，便即有了目無雙親的不孝之心，而不足為人兒女了。為人兒女而不盡兒女的本份，乃天地所不包容，禮教所不容許的。信守誓言的精誠之心，有如皓日!
(潘國鍵譯)
English
1. 維永和十一年三月癸卯𦙚，
Alas, this is Guimao (癸卯), the first day (𦙚) of the third month in the eleventh year of Yonghe (永和),
2. 九日辛亥.
Xinha (辛亥), the ninth day of the month (1).
3. 小子羲之, 敢告二尊之靈.
I, one humble Xizhi (羲之), dared to confess to the spirits (靈) of my honourable parents (二尊) (2).
4. 羲之不天，夙遭閔凶，不蒙過庭之訓.
Xizhi was never blessed by the Heavens (不天) (3). Suffering a most sorrowful bereavement (閔凶) (4) at a very young age (夙) (5), I was never educated by my father (過庭之訓) (6).
5. 母兄鞠育，得(漸)(7)庶幾.
Raised by my elder brother, who was born of my mother (母兄) (8), I gradually became a man of virtue and talent (庶幾) (9).
6. 遂因人乏，蒙國寵榮.
Since there were too few talented people at that time, I was fortunate to be bestowed (蒙) honourable titles (寵榮) by the state.
7. 進無忠孝之節; 退違推賢之義.
To take office, I lack the virtue (節) of "being nominated as a role model of devotion and filial piety" (忠孝) (10). To yield (退) office, I betray the righteous principle (義) of "recommending virtuous talents to public office" (推賢) (11).
8. 每仰詠老氏周任之誡，常恐斯亡無日.
Every time I look up and recite the admonitions of Laozi (老氏) (12) and Zhou Ren (周任) (13), I constantly fear I am not (無) far away (斯) (14) from the time (日) of my demise(亡).
9. 憂及宗祀，豈在微身而已.
The calamity (憂) (15) (from insisting on holding office) may even extend to subsequent offering ceremonies for my ancestors (宗祀) (16), not just to my meagre self (微身).
10. 是用寤寐永歎，若墜深谷.
Hence (是用), I sigh deeply (永歎), day and night (寤寐) (17), as if I am falling into a dark valley.
11. 止足之分，定之於今.
To know when to desist (止) and to be satisfied with whatever the circumstances (足)(18) are one's duties (分)(19), I am thus determined to make my pledge (定) now.
12. 謹以今月吉辰，肆筵設席;
Paying my greatest respect (謹), I have chosen an auspicious time (吉辰) this month to hold a grand feast.
13. 稽顙歸誠，告誓先靈.
Bowing down (稽顙) and giving my utmost sincerity (歸誠), I solemnly declare and pledge (告誓) to the spirits of my ancestors(先靈).
14. 自今之後，敢渝此心，(貪) (20)冒苟進，是有無尊之心而不子也.
From now on, if I dare to alter (渝) my resolve and covet (貪冒) any advancement (進) with no regard to my morals (苟), I will then be holding a heart that disrespects my parents (無尊) and am unfit to be a son (不子).
15. 子而不子，天地所不覆載，名教所不得容.
To be a son yet unfit to be one (子而不子) (21) is neither bearable (覆載) in Heaven and Earth nor permissible (容) under our ethical rites (名教) (22).
16. 信誓之誠，有如皦日!
My staunch resolve (誠) to keep (信) my pledge is as radiant as the glowing sun (皦日)!
(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
Remarks
(I)
Wang Xizhi (王羲之, 303-361 AD), often regarded as the best calligrapher in Chinese history, scribed this standard-script masterpiece in 355 AD (23). According to Tang's Sun Guoting (孫過庭, 646-691 AD), this piece perfectly captures Wang's "sentiment of frustration and sorrows (情拘志慘)" (24). The original work is long lost, and the above work is scribed based on a model by Monk Zhiyong (釋智永, ?-? AD), a descendant of Wang during the Sui Dynasty (581-619 AD) (25).
(II)
Wang resigned completely from the bureaucracy and wrote this work in frustration shortly after his peer Wang Shu (王述, 303-368 AD), whom Wang considered a lesser man, was appointed to a position far above his own (26). Although his dissatisfaction is understandable, his bitter retirement is hardly surprising, for good people usually have bad endings in the dirty world of politics.
KS Vincent Poon, April 2026
_______________
(1) Wang wrote two dates at the beginning. "The first day of the third month" in Line 1 referred to the day when he pledged to his parents, as it was customary for one to pay respect to one's dead parents every first day of the month. See Remarks (III) regarding "感月" in Li Qingzhao's Lyrics to Immortal by the River, The Courtyard Is Profoundly Tranquil and Deep, so Tranquil and Deep (李清照《臨江仙∙庭院深深深幾許》) in KS Vincent Poon & Kwok Kin Poon's The Correct Interpretations and English Translations of Tang Poems and Song Lyrical Poems. Toronto: The Senseis, 2025, pp. 77-78.
The second date, "the ninth day of the month" in Line 2, referred to the day of the "grand feast" in Line 12 and to the day on which he made his pledge to his ancestors in Line 13. Together, one can conclude that the entire piece was scribed on or after "the ninth day of the month" to document his pledge.
(2) "二尊" here means "parents (父母)". See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.135.
(3) "不天" here means "not blessed by the Heavens (不爲天所護佑)", as in 《左傳∙宣公十二年》："鄭伯肉袒牽羊以逆，曰：‘孤不天，不能事君，使君懷怒，以及敝邑，孤之罪也. ’ " 杜預注："不天，不爲天所佑." Ibid., p.398.
(4) "閔凶" here means "sorrowful bereavement (哀傷喪事)", as in 《左傳∙宣公十二年》："寡君少遭閔凶，不能文." 杜預注："閔，憂也." Ibid., p.94.
(5) "夙" here means "at an early age (早年)". See《漢語大字典》. Wuhan: 崇文書局, 2010, p.305.
(6) "過庭之訓" here means "education from one’s father (父親的訓導)", as in 袁宏《後漢紀∙安帝紀上》："萇少長藩國，內無過庭之訓，外無師傅之道，血氣方剛，卒受榮爵，幾微生過，遂陷不義." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.964.
(7) The word "漸" is absent in Monk Zhiyong's model. However, it is present in the Book of Jin - Biography of Wang Xizhi (《晉書∙王羲之傳》). See 房玄齡《晉書》Vol. 80. 北京:中華書局，1974，p.2101.
(8) "母兄" here refers to "an elder brother who was born of one's mother (同母之兄)", as in《公羊傳∙隱公七年》： "母弟稱弟，母兄稱兄." 何休注："母兄，同母兄." See《重編國語辭典修訂本》(Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary). Taiwan: Ministry of Education, R.O.C, 2021, online edition.
(9) "庶幾" here means "a person of virtue and talent (賢才)", as in 王充《論衡∙別通》："孔子之門，講習五經。五經皆習，庶幾之才也. " See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.1238.
(10) "忠孝" here refers to the system of nominating and appointing individuals who were known to be uncorrupted (廉) and role models of filial piety (孝). The system originated during the reign of Emperor Wu (漢武帝) of the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) but was later completely abolished and replaced by the Imperial Examination System (科舉) in the Tang Dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD). See KS Vincent Poon & Kwok Kin Poon, English Translation of Classical Chinese Calligraphy Masterpieces 英譯法書. Toronto: The SenSeis, 2019, p.26 & 錢穆, 《國史大綱》. Shanghai: 國立編譯館, 1948, p.123.
(11) "推賢" here means "recommending virtuous talents (推荐賢人)", as in 《禮記∙儒行》:"儒有內稱不辟親，外舉不辟怨，程功積事，推賢而進." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.680.
(12) "老氏" here refers to the great philosopher "Laozi (老子)" of the 6th century BC. Laozi once taught, "Knowing where to reach and when to stop shall never bring peril to oneself (知止不殆)". See KS Vincent Poon & Kwok Kin Poon, An English Translation and the Correct Interpretation of Laozi's Tao Te Ching. Toronto: The SenSeis, 2020, p.47. See also footnote (18) for more elaboration.
(13) Zhou Ren (周任) was once a revered minister of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). According to Confucius, Zhou once said, "When he can put forth his ability, he takes his place in the ranks of office; when he finds himself unable to do so, he retires from it (陳力就列，不能者止)." (translated by James Legge) See 朱熹《四書集註》. Hong Kong: 太平書局, 1968 , p.113.
(14) "斯" here means "away (離開)", as in 《列子∙黃帝》："華胥氏之國……不知斯齊國幾千萬里."張湛注："斯，離也." See《漢語大字典》. Wuhan: 崇文書局, 2010, p.2171. "斯" is replaced with "死" in the Book of Jin - Biography of Wang Xizhi (《晉書∙王羲之列傳》). See footnote (7).
(15) "憂" here means "calamity (禍患)", as in 韓愈《上張僕射第二書》： "今之言毬之害者，必曰有危墮之憂，有激射之虞." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.686.
(16) "宗祀" here refers to "offering ceremonies for one's ancestors (祖宗的祭祀)", as in 《宋書∙武帝紀中》： "夷羿乘釁，蕩覆王室. 越在南鄙，遷於九江. 宗祀絶饗，人神無位." Ibid., p.1351.
It is customary for descendants to pay their respects and celebrate their ancestors from time to time through offering ceremonies. Here, Wang feared that insisting on holding office might ultimately bring great familial calamity, including the abolition of his clan's right to celebrate its ancestors.
(17) "寤寐" here means "day and night (日夜)", as in《詩∙周南∙關雎》: "窈窕淑女，寤寐求之." Ibid., p.1604.
(18) "止足" here means "To know when to desist and to be satisfied with whatever the circumstances (知止知足)", which originated from Laozi's Tao Te Ching:
"知足不辱，知止不殆，可以長久.""Knowing to be satisfied with whatever the circumstances shall never bring shame to oneself; while knowing where to reach and when to stop shall never bring peril to oneself. Able to do both shall make one live long."
(19) "分" here means "one’s duty (本分)", as in 《晉書∙邵續傳》："釁鼓之刑，囚之恒分，但恨天實爲之，謂之何哉!" See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.565.
(20) The word "貪" is absent in Monk Zhiyong's model. However, it is present in the Book of Jin - Biography of Wang Xizhi (《晉書∙王羲之傳》). See footnote (7).
(21) "子而不子" is a phrase derived from "父不父則子不子", a Confucian concept once elaborated by Han Dynasty philosopher Dong Zhongshu (董仲舒, 179-104 BC):
"父不父則子不子，君不君則臣不臣耳.""If the father is unfit to be a father, then the son shall be unfit to be a son; if the ruler is unfit to be a ruler, then the subordinate shall be unfit to be a subordinate."
(22) "名教" refers to the ethical rites (禮教) established by the traditional Fenjian System (封建制度) that stresses designating authority and roles by kinship and social status (正名定分), as in 袁宏《後漢紀∙獻帝紀》： "夫君臣父子，名教之本也." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.172.
(23) 劉正成,《中國書法全集》Vol 19. Beijing: 榮寶齋出版社, 1997, p.462.
(25) 《垂裕閣法帖∙晉王羲之誓墓文》. 帖今藏臺灣國立故宮博物院.
(26) As in footnote (7), pp.2100-2101.