TANG ZHAN MA DAO (618 - 970 AD)

維乾元元年，歲次戊戌。 九月庚午，朔三日壬申

In the inaugural year of Gān yuan, 

the reign period of Emperor Sùzōng of the Táng Dynasty.
On the third, a reshen day, of the ninth month, in which the first was a gengwu day.

第十三叔

Your thirteenth uncle, 

銀青光祿大夫 使持節、蒲外諸軍事、蒲州刺史。 上輕車都尉、丹陽縣開國侯
Grand Master of Imperial Protocols with Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon,
Commissioner with Extraordinary Powers Over All Military Affairs in Puzhou, 

Prefect of Puzhou, Senior Commandant of Light Chariots, and 

Founding Marquis of Danyang District, 

真卿
Zhen-Qing

以清酌庶羞  祭於亡侄  贈贊善大夫 季明之靈。
With pure wine and a complement of the delicacies, 

sacrifices to the spirit of Ji-Ming, my late nephew, 

who was granted the posthumous title of Grand Master Admonisher:

惟爾挺生，夙標幼德。 宗廟瑚璉，階庭蘭玉， 每慰人心。方期戩谷，
You always stood up and defend life, 

you showed your youthful virtue early. 

Like sacrificial vessels in the ancestral temple and 

fragrant plants in the courtyard, 

you were a delight to our hearts. 

In those days, you were blessed, happy and 

looking forward to a successful future. 

何圖 逆賊閒釁，稱兵犯順。

How could we imagined that the rebel traitors would commence our misfortune? 

But they took up arms and violated their vows [to the throne].

爾父竭誠，常山作郡。 餘時受命，亦在平原
Your father [Yan Gaoqing] expended his integrity as commandery governor of Changshan,  while I, too, had received a mandate at that time, in Pingyuan.

仁兄愛我，俾爾傳言，
My selfless elder brother so loved me that he asked you to be a courier to send messages to me.

爾既歸止，爰開土門， 土門既開，兇威大蹩。

You had already returned home and Tumen Pass was conquered; 

with the opening of Tumen Pass, 

the villains feared they would be pressed on all sides.

賊臣不救，孤城圍逼。 父陷子死，巢傾卵覆。
A traitorous official [Wang Chengye] failed to come to your rescue and  

the orphaned city was besieged and fallen. 

Your father was taken and you, the son killed, 

the nest tipped and the eggs overturned.

天不悔禍，誰為荼毒！ 念爾遘殘，百身何贖？
Heaven has no regret for this calamity, 

but who else could cause such suffering?

I remember how you met with your cruel death,  

even if I had the ransom worth a hundred people, 

could I buy you back ?

嗚呼哀哉！

Alas, how I grieve!

吾承天澤 移牧河關。 泉明比者，再陷常山， 攜爾首櫬，及茲同還。
Since that time, 

I have been graced with the Beneficence of Heaven and 

transferred to shepherd the flock on the He-Guan border [Pu-zhou]. 

After Quan-Ming found me and Changshan was retaken, 

he retrieved your encoffined head and has now returned with it.

撫念摧切，震悼心顏！
The memory of your death is revived in me and 

the shock of grief in my heart and my face is just as it was on that distant day.

方俟遠日,卜爾幽宅。魂而有知

Some day in the future, I will set up your final resting place.
I send this announcement to your abode in the nether world, 

that your spirit may have knowledge of it. 

無嗟久客！

Do not weep and wander out there for long !

嗚呼哀哉！
Alas, how I grieve ! 

尚饗。

May you accept this offering.