Jin Shengtan

"With My Son" is a seven-character quatrain written by the late Ming poet Jin Shengtan. The first two lines of the poem describe the relationship between himself and his son; the last two lines describe his deep love for his son and his reluctance to abandon him. The whole poem seems plain, but it is full of deep love, profound meaning, and touching. 与儿子雍 [清]金圣叹 与汝为亲妙在疏， 如形随影只于书[1]。 今朝[2]疏到无疏地， 无着天亲[3]果[4]宴如[5]。 注释： [1]如形随影只于书：这句是说金圣叹父子在爱读书方面形影相随，亲密无间。 [2]今朝：金圣叹在狱中即将被处决之时。 [3]无着、天亲：两人是南北朝时印度的高僧。 [4]果：果真，的确。 [5]宴如：安然、安定、平静貌。 To My Son before My Death Jin Shengtan[1] Our blood relationship seems remote though it's near; You follow my shadow only when books appear. Today we are as far apart as it could be, But the belief in Buddhism would make me free. 注释： [1]The poet was put to death because he was accused of weeping in the ancestral temple of the Ming emperors.

临别口号遍谢弥天大人谬知我者 [清]金圣叹 东西南北海天疏， 万里来寻圣叹书。 圣叹只留书种[1]在， 累[2]君青眼[3]看何如？ 注释： [1]书种：作者的儿子金雍。 [2]累：劳累。 [3]青眼：表示重视。最后一句是说诗人希望在他死后，他的儿子能致力于他的事业，劳累诸君，另眼看待他儿子的书作。 To My Readers before My Death Jin Shengtan We're far apart as sky from earth or the four nooks; You make light of ten thousand miles to find my books[1]. I've left my son who loves but reading 'neath the sky. Would you please look on him with favorable eye? 注释： [1]The poet was the critical commentator of Heroes of the Marsh and Romance of the Western Bower. At 7:00 in the morning on July 13, the 18th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1661), the sun was as red as blood. Jin Shengtan and 121 others were escorted out of the Suzhou prison, with flags on their backs and chestnut wood stuffed in their mouths. They were taken away like flying. It was the height of summer, and sweat accumulated on their necks like paste, and rotten flesh filled the iron chains. The pain was unbearable. The crowds of onlookers crowded in, and when they got closer, the armored men would strike at them with gun handles and knife backs. Suddenly, there was a roar of cannon, and the heads of all 121 people fell off.…