What´s written on my necktie ?

[atomu]

Hallo,

Is there someone, who can tell me the meaning of the characters on my necktie or at least the topic of the text? Thx a lot!

[skylee]

It is a piece of calligraphy - 爭座位帖 of 顏真卿 (Yan Zhenqing). Here is an extract -

『十一月 日，金紫光祿大夫、檢校刑部尚書、上柱國、鲁郡開國公顏真卿，謹寓奉書于右僕射、定襄郡王、郭公閣下：蓋太上有立德，其次有立功，是之謂不朽，仰又聞之，端揆者百寮之師長，諸侯王者，人臣之極地，今僕射挺不朽之功業，當人臣之極地，豈不以才為世出，功冠一時，挫思明跋扈之師，抗迴紇無厭之請，故得身畫凌煙之閣，名藏太室之廷。』

震魂攝魄的行草書巨卷交響 - 顏真卿爭座位帖評析

[Guest IVYtony]

haha, so funny

[atomu]

Sorry, what´s funny here?

Thank you very much, skylee. Can you (or someone else) translate a piece of it? Or tell me something (or as much as possible) about the content? I bought this necktie in Hongkong two years ago, and I like it and wear it frequently. I speak a bit Japanese and everybody asks me, wether the characters are Japanese. Of course I know, they aren´t, but meanwhile for myself I would like to know, what message I´m carrying around.

[skylee]

Very roughly, it is a draft letter written by the great Tang Dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing (顏真卿), who was also appointed the Duke of Lu (魯郡公), to a high official named Guo (郭僕射, 僕射 being the title), pointing out the latter's wrongdoings, i.e. disregarding the rules and norms and treating a powerful eunuch better than he deserved on two occasions (implying graft). You can tell it is a draft from the amendments marked on it. The writing has been praised for its contents (the writer being righteous and upright facing corrupted powers) and the forceful penmanship.

This is all I could gather (am not into calligraphy / history so pardon me). I do not think there is a translation of this piece. But there is a translation of another letter written by Yan (and you can get a general idea on his personality). Take a look -> http://www.enweiusa.com/culture_en/lddj/1_25/17.htm .

Yan's biography (from this webpage) -

顏真卿 (Yan Zhenqing 709AD to 785AD)

Yan Zhenqing was born in the county of Wannian (萬年縣) in Jiangxi province (江西省) during the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD). He passed the Imperial Examination during the reign of Emperor Xuan Zong Li Longji (玄宗皇帝李隆基) and became a Jin Shi (進士 or the Imperial Graduate). He was appointed as an official in the Historical Department. Several years later he was promoted as a Prefecture of Ping Yuan (平原) in Shandong province.

In 755AD An Lushan (安祿山) rebelled against the Tang Dynasty. Yan Zhenqing helped the Government and had An Lushan's rebellion crushed. He was promoted the official in charge of the Historical Department. Yan Zhenqing was an excellent calligrapher. The new Emperor Su Zong Li Xiang (肅宗李享) bestowed upon him the title of Lu Jun Gong (魯郡公 or the Duke of the Prefecture of Lu) and people called him Yan Lu Gong (顏魯公 or Yan the Duke of Lu). He was the author of the book titled Yan Lu Gong Ji (顏魯公集 or the Selected Works of the Duke of Lu).

[atomu]

Thank you very much, skylee!

Now at last I know something about my (still) almost favourite necktie. With this information I’m completely sufficient for the moment. If someone can translate exactly just the part that´s written on my necktie, I would be even happier.

仰又聞之，端揆者百寮之師長，諸侯王者，人臣之極地，今僕射挺不朽之功業，當人臣之極地，豈不以才為世出，功冠一時

Greetings from Stuttgart to Hong Kong

[Haoqide]

atomu, I think I have that same tie...hehe, I got it in Chinatown in LA. Where did you get yours?

[florazheng]

skylee

你的中英文都很好哦．．．

[BOoRFGOnZ]

哈哈