Han Bei: Jing Yun Bei 景雲碑

 

 

 

The full name of Jing Yun Bei (景雲碑) is Han Ba Jun Qu Ren Ling Jing Yun Bei (漢巴郡朐忍令景雲碑).

In 2004, the stele was unearthed at the Jiuxianping site in Yunyang County (雲陽縣舊縣坪) in the Three Gorges (三峽) Reservoir Area by the Three Gorges Archaeological Team of the Jilin Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology (吉林省文物考古所三峽峡考古隊).  The stele had already been broken into two pieces. The inscription contains 367 characters in 13 columns written in clerical script. The text is surrounded by engraved decorations of flowing clouds and birds. The writing on the stele is very clear with only a few characters damaged at the break. The stele is now kept in Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum (重慶中國三峽博物館藏).

The inscription records the political achievements of Jing Yun (景雲), a magistrate / administrator of Qu Ren (胊忍令).

Jingyun’s ancestors originally lived in Chu State (楚國), they moved to Guanzhong (關中), then to Shi Niu (石紐), Wen Chuan (汶川) and finally settled in Zi Tong (梓潼), so Jing Yun was a native of Zi Tong (梓潼).

Jing Yun could distinguish right and wrong (朱紫有別), hired competent officials, ruled the citizens with justice and never oppressed the people (強不凌弱, 威不猛害). He looked after the people very well and the people had sufficient food and enjoyed prosperity (烝民乃厲). The people loved Jing Yun deeply. Prefecture and commandery officials jointly sent memorials to the Emperor in praise of Jing Yun’s good conduct and achievement (州郡竝表). Unfortunately Jing Yun died in office at a middle age (大命顛覆, 中年徂殁) in the fifteenth year of Yongyuan (永元十五年)(102 CE). He could have been promoted to a higher rank in the government (當享苻艾).

The people mourned his death for three years as if mourning for their fathers and mothers (如喪考妣, 三載泣怛). They abstained from entertainment and music (遏勿八音). Men and women wept and could not speak (百姓流淚,  農夫惻結, 織婦暗咽). Every household represented offerings and sacrifices. Incense and joss sticks were burned continuously for Jing Yun (户有祠祭, 煙火相望, 四時不絕 ). Even in the deep wilderness and vast marshlands there were sounds of mourning distressingly pressing (深㙒曠澤, 哀聲忉切). They remembered Jing Yun’ s kindness and his contributions (追歌遺風). A stele recording Jing Yun’ s achievements was erected so that he would be remembered forever (嘆績億世, 刻石紀號, 永永不滅).

The stele were erected by the magistrate / administrator of Qu Ren (胊忍令) called Yong Zhi (雍陟) in the second year of Xiping (173 CE), 70 years after the death of Jing Yun. Yong Zhi was also a native of Zi Tong (梓潼). The two people shared something in common, the same post in the government and both came from the same place.

 

The text of the stele is as follows:

漢巴郡朐忍令廣漢景雲叔于，以永元十五年季夏仲旬己亥卒。君帝高陽之苗裔，封茲楚熊，氏以國別。高祖龍興，婁敬畫計，遷諸關東豪族英傑，都于咸陽，攘竟蕃𧁮。大業既定，鎮安海內。先人伯沇，匪志慷慨。術禹石紐，汶川之會。幃屋甲悵，龜車留𨘛。家于梓湩，九族布列。裳絻相襲，名右冠蓋。君其始仕，天𢢾明哲。典牧二城，朱紫有別。彊(強)不凌弱，威不猛害。政化如神，烝民乃厲。州郡竝表，當亨(享)苻芆。大命顛䨱，中年徂歿。如喪考妣，三載泣怛。退勿八音，百姓流淚。魂靈既載，農夫𢝔結；行路撫涕，織婦喑咽。吏民懷慕，户有祠祭。煙火相望，四時不絕。深㙒曠澤，哀聲忉切。追歌遺風，嘆績億世。刻石紀號，永永不滅。烏呼哀哉，烏呼哀哉！

讚曰：皇靈炳璧，郢令名矣。作民父母，化洽平矣。百工維時，品流刑矣。善勸惡懼，物咸寧矣。三考絀勑，陟幽明矣。振華處實，畼遐聲矣。

重曰：皇靈稟氣，卓有純兮。惟汶降神，梃斯君兮。未升卿尹，中失年兮。流名後載，久而榮兮。勒銘金石，表績勳兮。冀勉來嗣，示後昆兮。

熹平二年仲春上旬，朐忍令梓湩雍君諱陟字伯曼，為景君刊斯銘兮。

 

The following link provides a good commentary and explanation of the whole text in Chinese:

http://www.360doc.com/content/21/0906/13/57564768_994338874.shtml 《东汉巴郡朐忍令景云碑》释义

The following link provides an excellent commentary and explanation of the whole text in English:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-the-school-of-oriental-and-african-studies/article/stele-for-magistrate-jing-yun-an-eastern-han-memorial-stele-from-the-southwest-with-reference-to-the-chuci/826C28AADEE04B84502326A66112A574 Stele for Magistrate Jing Yun 景雲: An Eastern Han memorial stele from the south-west with reference to the Chuci 楚辭 Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2021

 

I have cut and paste the ink rubbing of each of the characters in the stele into an album. In the pages below, I also added the transcript in regular script for easy reference and highlighted the punctuation in red.

The surface appearance of the stele

The characters are extraordinarily clear and the stele appears to be in unblemished condition without any erosion.

 

 

Fang Bi (方筆) brush strokes

The shape of the characters of Jing Yun Bei (景雲碑) is square and robust (剛健). The strokes are sharp and angular (稜角分明). This style of writing is called fang bi (方筆 ‘square brush’). Fang bi is prominent mostly in the beginning and the end of each stroke.  At the turning point, the stroke of the brush changes abruptly, forming a stroke with edges and angles, like a knife cutting an axe. The fang bi style is similar to Zhang Qian Bei (張遷碑).

Some characters of Jing Yun Bei and Zhang Qian Bei are put side by side for comparisons.

My copy of the whole stele is as follows:

More interesting features of the stele

The reverse of the stele, where we would expect to find the names of those who had commissioned and financed the making of the stele, was left plain and undecorated.

Jing Yun stele was beautifully decorated with relief carving (浮雕) of animals and figures. This complex decoration is a rare instance on Han Bei (monuments).

The side of the stele was decorated with Azure Dragon (Qinglong 青龍) and White Tiger (Baihu 白虎).  Azure dragon and white tiger were thought to be able to protect against evil spirits.

Azure Dragon (Qinglong 青龍) was regarded, the guardian of the East with the Sun above its head. White Tiger (Baihu 白虎), the guardian of the West with the Moon above its head on the right. The two beasts respectively represent the yang and yin opposition and interaction.

There are also 3 sculptures on the top of the stele. The left side is Vermilion Bird (Zhuque 朱雀). The right side is the figure with a rabbit head (兔首人身像). In the middle is a figure standing behind the half-open door.

The Vermilion Bird presides over the southern quadrant and symbolizes the yang principle of brightness, light, and heat.

The figure with large rabbit-like ears may be ‘Jade Rabbit’ (Yutu 玉兔).This mythical creature is associated with the making the elixir of immortality (長生不老藥).

The magnified image of the Jade Rabbit shows that the right hand is holding a small round object. The object may probably be the pill of immortality.

In the middle is a figure standing behind the half-open door, it may mean ‘hope to return’ (盼君歸), but some scholars suggest that the half-open door represents an entrance to an ‘invisible space’ or the realm where celestial beings existed.

The unusual relief decoration at the head of the stele reflects beliefs in transcendence and the pursuit of immortality prevalent at the time.  It demonstrates its close relation to the inscriptions cherishing the hope that Jing Yun’s contributions would be remembered forever.

Bibliography:

https://kknews.cc/culture/ppyl38z.html

https://new.qq.com/omn/20210531/20210531A0FBFC00.html巴郡朐忍令景君碑，堪称“汉代西南第一碑”高清原石图

http://www.360doc.com/content/21/0906/13/57564768_994338874.shtml 《东汉巴郡朐忍令景云碑》释义  小小得月斋

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-the-school-of-oriental-and-african-studies/article/stele-for-magistrate-jing-yun-an-eastern-han-memorial-stele-from-the-southwest-with-reference-to-the-chuci/826C28AADEE04B84502326A66112A574  Stele for Magistrate Jing Yun 景雲: An Eastern Han memorial stele from the south-west with reference to the Chuci 楚辭 Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2021

https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1700237913327787022&wfr=spider&for=pc

http://www.doc88.com/p-9823910497689.htmlhttps://www.163.com/dy/article/GOBFHKIK0517MN61.html

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