Shǐ Chén Qián Bēi 《史晨前碑》碑陽 •《魯相史晨祀孔子奏銘》

The stele is located in the Temple of Confucius at Qufu (曲阜孔廟). Engraved in the second year of the Jianning (建寧) of Lindi (靈帝) in the Eastern Han Dynasty (169 AD), it records how Shi Chen (史晨), the Administrator of Lu (魯), paid respect to the Temple of Confucius. The stele mentions how Shi Chen made offerings to Confucius upon becoming an official there and how he petitioned to have sacrifices performed for Confucius every spring and autumn.

A fine rubbing of the whole stele Shǐ Chén Qián Bēi (史晨前碑)
Details of the beginning part of the stele

 

The full text of the stele is as follows.

《史晨前碑》碑陽 •《魯相史晨祀孔子奏銘》

建寧二年三月癸卯朔七日己酉，魯相臣晨，長史臣謙頓首死罪。上尚書：臣晨頓首頓首，死罪死罪。臣蒙厚恩，受任符守，得在奎婁，周孔舊寓，不能闡弘德政，恢崇壹變，夙夜憂怖，累息屏營。臣晨頓首頓首，死罪死罪。臣以建寜元年到官，行秋饗，飲酒畔宮，畢，復禮孔子宅，拜謁神坐，仰瞻榱桷，俯視几筵，靈所馮依，肅肅猶存。而無公出酒脯之祠，臣即自以奉錢，修上案食醊具，以敘小節，不敢空謁。臣伏念孔子，乾坤所挺，西狩獲麟，為漢製作，故《孝經援神挈》曰：玄丘制命帝卯行。又《尚書•考靈耀》曰：丘生倉際，觸期稽度為赤制。故作《春秋》，以明文命。綴紀撰書，修定禮義。臣以為素王稽古，德亞皇代。雖有褒成世享之封，四時來祭，畢即歸國。臣伏見臨璧雍日，祠孔子以大牢，長吏備爵，所以尊先師，重教化也。夫封土為社，立稷而祀，皆為百姓興利除害，以祈豐穰。《月令》祀百辟卿士有益於民。矧乃孔子，玄德煥炳，光於上下，而本國舊居，復禮之日，闕而不祀，誠朝廷聖恩所宜特加。臣寢息耿耿，情所思惟。臣輒依社稷，出王家穀，春秋行禮，以共煙祀，餘胙賜先生執事。臣晨頓首頓首，死罪死罪。臣盡力思惟，庶政報稱為效，增異輒上。臣晨誠惶誠恐，頓首頓首，死罪死罪。上尚書。時副言大傅、大尉、司徒、司空、大司農府治所部從事。昔在仲尼，汁光之精，大帝所挺，顏母毓靈，承敝遭衰，黑不代倉，周流應聘，嘆鳳不臻。自衛反魯，養徒三千。獲麟趣作，端門見徵，血書著紀，黃玉響應。主為漢制，道審可行。乃作《春秋》，復演《孝經》。刪定《六藝》，象與天談。鉤《河》擿《雒》，卻揆未然。魏魏蕩蕩，與乾比崇。

My copy of the full text of the stele is as follows.

The sequence of the brush strokes of some typical characters

Bibliography

俞丰 (2009) 經典碑帖釋文譯注, 上海書畫出版社 , ISBN 978-7-80725-846-9

Ouyang Z S, W C Fong, Y F Wang (2008) Chinese Calligraphy, Yale University, ISBN 978-0-300-12107-0

Wu, Sung-feng (2017) Teacher Exemplar for a Myriad Generations, Confucius in Painting, Calligraphy, and Prints through the ages, 萬世師表- 書畫中的孔子, National Palace Museum, ISBN 9789575627904

 https://kknews.cc/other/4jlk4n3.html  (經典碑帖釋文譯註——東漢《史晨碑》 – 每日頭條)

https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1239332436261591419/answer/3067618540.html (史晨碑白话译文)