岳陽樓記 Yueyang Tower Fan Zhongyan 范仲淹 (989–1052) Song · 1046 Cold Library · Open Stacks · S-002026 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/002026 Rights: Northern Song prose; the author died in 1052. Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice. Source: Wikisource, https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/岳陽樓記 (retrieved 2026-10-11) English translation: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0 Generated 2026-10-14 from https://coldlibrary.com/en/open-stacks/fan-zhongyan-yueyang-tower ---- 慶曆四年春，滕子京謫守巴陵郡。越明年，政通人和，百廢具興，乃重修岳陽樓，增其舊制，刻唐賢今人詩賦於其上；屬予作文以記之。 予觀夫巴陵勝狀，在洞庭一湖。銜遠山，吞長江，浩浩湯湯，橫無際涯；朝暉夕陰，氣象萬千；此則岳陽樓之大觀也，前人之述備矣。然則北通巫峽，南極瀟湘，遷客騷人，多會於此，覽物之情，得無異乎？ 若夫霪雨霏霏，連月不開；陰風怒號，濁浪排空；日星隱曜，山岳潛形；商旅不行，檣傾楫摧；薄暮冥冥，虎嘯猿啼。登斯樓也，則有去國懷鄉，憂讒畏譏，滿目蕭然，感極而悲者矣。 至若春和景明，波瀾不驚，上下天光，一碧萬頃；沙鷗翔集，錦鱗游泳，岸芷汀蘭，郁郁青青。而或長煙一空，皓月千里，浮光躍金，靜影沉璧，漁歌互答，此樂何極。登斯樓也，則有心曠神怡，寵辱偕忘，把酒臨風，其喜洋洋者矣。 嗟夫！予嘗求古仁人之心，或異二者之為，何哉？不以物喜，不以己悲。居廟堂之高，則憂其民；處江湖之遠，則憂其君。是進亦憂，退亦憂；然則何時而樂耶？其必曰「先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂」歟！噫！微斯人，吾誰與歸？ 時六年九月十五日。 ---- 庆历四年春，滕子京谪守巴陵郡。越明年，政通人和，百废具兴，乃重修岳阳楼，增其旧制，刻唐贤今人诗赋于其上；属予作文以记之。 予观夫巴陵胜状，在洞庭一湖。衔远山，吞长江，浩浩汤汤，横无际涯；朝晖夕阴，气象万千；此则岳阳楼之大观也，前人之述备矣。然则北通巫峡，南极潇湘，迁客骚人，多会于此，览物之情，得无异乎？ 若夫霪雨霏霏，连月不开；阴风怒号，浊浪排空；日星隐曜，山岳潜形；商旅不行，樯倾楫摧；薄暮冥冥，虎啸猿啼。登斯楼也，则有去国怀乡，忧谗畏讥，满目萧然，感极而悲者矣。 至若春和景明，波澜不惊，上下天光，一碧万顷；沙鸥翔集，锦鳞游泳，岸芷汀兰，郁郁青青。而或长烟一空，皓月千里，浮光跃金，静影沉璧，渔歌互答，此乐何极。登斯楼也，则有心旷神怡，宠辱偕忘，把酒临风，其喜洋洋者矣。 嗟夫！予尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为，何哉？不以物喜，不以己悲。居庙堂之高，则忧其民；处江湖之远，则忧其君。是进亦忧，退亦忧；然则何时而乐耶？其必曰「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」欤！噫！微斯人，吾谁与归？ 时六年九月十五日。 ---- English translation by Claude (an AI) In the spring of the fourth year of Qingli, Teng Zijing was banished to be governor of Baling. In the following year, the government ran smoothly and the people were at peace, and everything that had been neglected was taken up again. So he rebuilt Yueyang Tower, enlarged its old design, and had poems and rhapsodies by famous writers of the Tang and of our own time carved upon it. He asked me to write an account to record it. As I see it, the finest scenery of Baling is all in the one lake, Dongting. It holds the distant mountains in its mouth and swallows the Yangzi; it is vast and surging, and stretches without limit. The morning light and the evening shadow bring ten thousand changes of mood. This is the great view from Yueyang Tower, and earlier writers have described it fully. But to the north it reaches the Wu Gorges, and to the south it extends to the Xiao and Xiang rivers. Exiled officials and wandering poets often gather here. Are their feelings at the sight of things not bound to differ? When there are long, dense rains and the skies stay closed for a month, when a cold wind howls in anger and muddy waves crash against the sky, when sun and stars hide their light and the mountains vanish from sight, when merchants and travellers cannot go on, masts topple and oars break, and in the gathering dusk tigers roar and monkeys cry: then whoever climbs this tower will feel that he has left his home and longs for it, fears slander and dreads mockery. Everything he sees is bleak, and he is moved to the depths of sorrow. But when spring is mild and the light is bright, and the waves are still; when sky above and sky below make one expanse of blue for ten thousand acres; when the gulls on the sand fly and gather, the bright-scaled fish swim and dive, and the angelica on the shore and the orchids on the islets are lush and green; or when the long mist clears completely and the bright moon shines for a thousand miles, its floating light leaping like gold and its still reflection sinking like a jade disc, and the fishermen's songs answer one another: there is no end to such joy. Then whoever climbs this tower will feel his heart opened and his spirit refreshed, honour and disgrace both forgotten. Holding his wine in the breeze, he will be filled with happiness. Ah, I have tried to find the hearts of the humane men of old. They may have been different from both of these. Why? They were not made glad by things, nor made sad by their own fortunes. When they were high in the halls of court, they worried about the people. When they were far away on the rivers and lakes, they worried about their ruler. So they worried when they were advanced, and worried when they were sent away. Then when were they happy? Surely they would say: "Be the first to worry about the world's worries, and the last to enjoy the world's joys." Ah, without such people, with whom would I go? Written on the fifteenth day of the ninth month of the sixth year.