高尔俨(1605~1654),字中孚,天津市静海县子牙镇宗保村人。明启七年(1627)中举人,崇祯十三年(1640)中探花(一甲第三名),后被授翰林院编修。李自成进京后,曾附义军,被明代福王打入“从贼案”。清初,征补原官。顺治二年(1645)四月,任侍读学士;七月擢礼部侍郎。顺治五年,调任吏部右侍郎。转年,加右都御史。顺治八年,任吏部尚书。顺治十年,晋弘文院大学士(宰相),是年因病回故里。1654年病故,帝赠少保,谥号“文端”,葬村北。高尔俨著有《古处堂集》四卷,《四库总目》传于世。
高尔俨·《与致虚妹丈》
昨宵乐甚!碧天一色,澄澈如昼,又松竹影交加,翠影被面,月光落酒杯中,波动影摇。吹洞箫数阙,清和婉妙,听之怡然;响绝余音,犹绕耳间不退。出户一望,空旷无际。大醉后笔墨撩乱,已不复记忆。
今晨于袖中得纸幅,出而视之,则所谓”笔墨撩乱”者也。然亦殊可爱,以为有骀荡之趣。把笔效之,不能及巳。因即以昨日所就者请正。
To My Brother-in-Law Zhixu
Gao Eryan
How happy I was last night! The sky was light blue all over and was as clear as in the day. The shadows of pine branches and bamboos interwove and cast a shadow of greenish colour on my face, while the moonlight fell into my winecup, presenting a microscopic scene of undulating waves and shaking shadows. Someone blew on the Xiao several times, and the music so produced was tranquilizing and fascinating. I was delighted by it, for I felt that it was lingering at my ears long after the playing had ceased. I went out of the door and all I saw was the boundless vacant space. How I used writing brush and Chines ink to draw in an irregular and disorderly way after my inebriation—that was something I forgot.
This morning I took the scroll out of my sleeve and had a look at what was “irregularly and disorderly drawn”. But it turned out to be rather lovely, as I thought it had an element of freedom and unconstraint. I tried to make another copy of the picture, but the new one fell short of the original. So I presented to you this original one made last night for your kind comments.
(谢百魁、陈启达 译)
To Zhixu, My Younger Brother-in-Law
Gao Eryan (1605-54)
What a great delight we had last night! The blue sky was an integrated whole while the light was just as bright as the day. The green pines and bamboos set off each other; the green shadows swayed over; the moonlight fell into the goblet, glittering and flickering. Several pieces of music played on xiao, the Chinese vertical bamboo instrument, were elegant, harmonious, melodious, wonderful, and delightful to hear. The music still lingered, leaving an ever-lasting pleasant sound on the ears even after it stopped. When I went out to have a look, the whole world was spacious and boundless. After I got blind drunk, my handwriting was careless and disorderly and I could not remember what I had written down.
This morning I found a piece of paper in my sleeve. I took it out and it turned out to be just the careless and disorderly piece writing of mine and it was so lovable when I read it, as I thought it was light-heartening, delectable and interesting. I picked my writing brush, planning to write another one in imitation of it, but I failed. Therefore, I have just put down what I wrote yesterday and I am presenting it to you now. Please just point out my inadequacies.
(王宏、张顺生 译)