Gu Yanwu (1613-1682) was originally named Jikun, but changed his name to Jiang, and his courtesy name to Zhongqing. After the defeat of Nandu, he changed his courtesy name to Yanwu, and his courtesy name to Ningren, and his pseudonym to Tinglin. He signed himself as Jiang Shanyong, and scholars respectfully called him Mr. Tinglin. He was a Han Chinese from Kunshan, Suzhou Prefecture, Nanzhili (now in Jiangsu). He was a famous thinker, historian, and linguist in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. He was known as one of the three great Confucian scholars in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, along with Huang Zongxi and Wang Fuzhi. He was a student in the late Ming dynasty. When he was young, he was determined to study practical knowledge and joined the anti-Qing army in Kunshan. After the defeat, he traveled north and south, visited the Ming mausoleum ten times, and died in Quwo in his later years. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, he was selected as a scholar, but he refused. His learning was mainly based on being knowledgeable in literature and having a sense of shame in his conduct, combining learning and behavior, and studying and governing the world. He wrote many works, including “Rizhilu”, which he wrote with his life’s efforts, and “Five Books on Phonology”, “Tinglin Poetry and Prose Collection”, etc. He was well-educated and had studied the national system, county history, astronomical instruments, river transport, military and agriculture, classics and history, phonology and exegesis. In his later years, he focused on textual research and initiated the trend of simple learning in the Qing Dynasty. His learning was based on being knowledgeable in literature and being modest in his conduct, combining learning and behavior, and studying and governing the world. His poems were mostly about the sadness of the times.
顾炎武（1613—1682）本名继坤，改名绛，字忠清；南都败后，改炎武，字宁人，号亭林，自署蒋山俑，学者尊称为亭林先生。汉族，南直隶苏州府昆山（今属江苏）人 。明末清初著名的思想家、史学家、语言学家。与黄宗羲、王夫之并称为明末清初三大儒。明季诸生，青年时发愤为经世致用之学，并参加昆山抗清义军，败后漫游南北，曾十谒明陵，晚岁卒于曲沃。康熙间被举鸿博，坚拒不就。其学以博学于文，行己有耻为主，合学与行、治学与经世为一。著作繁多，以毕生心力所著为《日知录》，另有《音学五书》、《亭林诗文集》等。学问渊博，于国家典制、郡邑掌故、天文仪象、河漕、兵农及经史百家、音韵训诂之学，都有研究。晚年治经重考证，开清代朴学风气。其学以博学于文，行己有耻为主，合学与行、治学与经世为一。诗多伤时感事之作。
《白下》 顾炎武
白下西风落叶侵，重来此地一登临。
清笳皓月秋依垒，野烧寒星夜出林。
万古河山应有主，频年戈甲苦相寻。
从教一掬新亭泪，江水平添十丈深。
Po-hsia(1)
Ku Yen-wu
Fallen leaves, driven by the wind, invade Po-hsia;
Again I’ve come to this place, climbed up for a view.
A reed pipe clear, the moon bright—autumn lingers on the ramparts;
The wilds ablaze, cold stars emerge from the forest at night.
These ancient hills and streams must have a master,
But for years, with spears and armor, we’ve searched hard and long.
Let each of us fill our hands with New Pavilion tears(2)
And make the river rise at once ten fathoms full.
1. An important garrison town near the ancient Chien-K’ang, modern-day Nanking.
2. I.e., Hsin-t’ing, located in a suburb of Chien-k’ang, where the literati often gathered in the Six Dynasties period to lament the loss of North China to non-Chinese tribal peoples.
