Introduction to Literary Chinese - Lesson 40, Text 2
Adapted from the 1927 book by J. Brandt
慰友人喪母函
某某仁兄大人苫次頃奉訃聞。驚知老伯母大人於某月某日駕返瑤池。驚閱之下。悼慟莫名。伏維 伯母大人。
閫範永垂。母儀足式[a]。今者星墜女媊。對
萱堂[b]
而雨泣。峯願天姥。感樹木之風悲雖歸真於天上。無遺憾於人間。尙望兄台
勉釋軫懷[c]。是爲至禱期屆
駕輀[d]。自應前往執紼。謹具奠儀。尙所代薦靈凡之右。此泐。順候孝履。
弟某某鞠躬月日
Notes
[a] 閫範永垂。母儀足式
[b] 萱堂
your mother.
The "hemerocallis" is called also 忘憂草, because it causes one to forget sorrows, and 宜男草, because it is said that if a woman wears it, she will bear a son; hence applied to a mother (vid. Ch. Q., p. 91,-2 and p. 287,-2).