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宋 Song · 诗 Poem

谢范天章荐应制科

Thanking Fan Tianzhang for Recommending Me for the Decree Examination

张方平

Zhang Fangping

田园fields and gardens 送别farewell 咏史historical reflection 愁思melancholy

初辟明堂见帝轩，此时宁得恋丘园。
程文懒谒春官氏，决策思干法扆尊。
千古声名传鹗表，四方豪俊望龙门。
若趋丹陛承清问，何以酬知或敢言。

Summoned at last to the Bright Hall, I stand before the imperial throne — how could I still cling to my hillside garden now?
Too proud to hawk my essays before the Ministry of Rites, I weigh policies and long to lay them before the sovereign's screen.
His memorial of praise — fame that will sound a thousand ages; from the four quarters, bold talents gaze up toward Dragon Gate.
Should I mount the crimson steps to receive the throne's clear inquiry, how shall I repay such knowing me — perhaps by daring to speak.

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Meaning

The poem is a formal thanks to Fan Tianzhang for recommending the poet for the special decree examination. Zhang declares that, summoned to court, he can no longer cling to reclusion, yet disdains currying favor with examiners and aspires instead to present policy directly to the throne. He praises his patron's recommendation as immortal fame and himself as one of the talents gazing toward Dragon Gate. The close vows that, if granted the emperor's questions, he will repay such recognition above all by daring to speak the truth.

初被征辟、觐见帝廷，此时岂能再留恋丘园隐居。但我的程文懒去干谒春官有司，运筹决策却思陈于人主之前。范公的荐表千古留名，四方豪俊仰望如登龙门。若得趋丹陛承天子清问，我拿什么酬答知遇，或者也敢于进言。

Appreciation

The poem advances through four layers — summons, policy, fame, repayment — taking the recommendation as its warp and self-resolve as its weft. The second couplet sets 'too proud to hawk essays' against 'longing to reach the throne,' one renunciation and one aspiration revealing an aloof, unbending character. The third couplet deploys the osprey memorial and Dragon Gate allusions to magnify both patron's renown and candidate's hopes. Most striking is the ending, where ordinary gratitude is transmuted into political commitment — 'dare to speak' — rare bone beneath the polish of a Song thanksgiving poem.

【白话串讲】张方平感谢范天章推荐他应制科：“初辟明堂见帝轩，此时宁得恋丘园”。“千古声名传鹗表，四方豪俊望龙门”——“若趋丹陛承清问，何以酬知或敢言”——他写感激之情。【意象与手法】章法以「召见—对策—声名—酬知」为次。首联写初辟觐见、去隐就仕；颔联「程文懒谒」对「决策思干」，一弃一干见孤峭；颈联以鹗表、龙门二典写荐主之声与被荐者之望；尾联以设问表酬知之志。通篇以谢荐为经，以自许为纬。【情感与主旨】主旨是谢范公荐应制科，而谢中不谀、恭中有骨——以「或敢言」自许，写出北宋士大夫以制举进身、以直谏自期的政治人格，亦是其一生敢言的早岁写照。【名句点睛】「何以酬知或敢言」一句最见斤两，把寻常感恩化为政治担当，宋人谢诗中能如此立骨者不多。

Background

Under Song institutions, the decree examination (zhiju) awaited extraordinary talents, who had to be recommended by senior ministers before answering the emperor's summons. This poem is Zhang Fangping's thanks to Fan Tianzhang (of the Fan lineage, perhaps Fan Zhen or Fan Chunren) for recommending him for that examination; Zhang had early achieved high rank in the 'worthy and upright, capable of blunt remonstrance' category, and the poem dates from the time of the recommendation. The decree examination differed from the regular jinshi track: no fixed subjects or years, but an imperial edict, ministerial recommendation, and personal questioning by the emperor, aimed at gathering 'extraordinary talents'; under Renzong it flourished, and both 'deciding policy before the sovereign' and 'daring to speak' in the poem directly echo the examination's demand for counsel on current affairs and the very name of the category — blunt, loyal speech. Zhang Fangping was famed throughout his life for daring speech, and this early poem already shows that self-pledge. The 'clear inquiry' of the last couplet refers to the emperor's personal questioning at the palace examination, so every word of the poem fastens onto the concrete occasion of recommendation and response, not vague gratitude.

宋制有制科（制举），待非常之士，由近臣荐举而后应诏。张方平《谢范天章荐应制科》即谢范天章（范氏，或范镇、范纯仁辈）荐己应制科之作。方平早岁以贤良方正对策高等入等，此诗当作于受荐之初。北宋制科之盛，自真宗后渐兴，仁宗朝尤重，荐主多为执政近臣，被荐者感其知遇，例有谢诗。了解宋代制举「策问当世之务」的实质，方能读懂诗中「决策思干法扆尊」「何以酬知或敢言」的郑重——那不是寻常酬谢，而是对一场政治任用的庄严回应。方平一生以敢言著称，此诗已见其「或敢言」的自许，是其士大夫担当的早岁写照。再就宋代制科的制度背景略作申说：制举与常科（进士、明经）不同，不设固定科目与年限，由皇帝下诏、近臣荐举、天子亲策，旨在拔取「非常之材」，故称「制科」或「大科」。仁宗朝制举尤盛，分贤良方正能直言极谏、博通坟典明于教化等科，应试者须先由执政近臣荐举，再赴秘阁试论、御试策问。张方平此诗题「谢范天章荐应制科」，即范天章荐其应贤良方正一科，方平感而赋诗以谢。「范天章」即前《谒青州范天章》之范氏，二诗可互为印证。诗末「若趋丹陛承清问」之「清问」，即指御试时天子亲策、垂询当世之务的仪节；「何以酬知或敢言」之「敢言」，则暗合「贤良方正能直言极谏」的科目本义。明了此制，方知此诗字字皆扣「制科荐对」之实，非泛泛感恩。

Art

This seven-character regulated poem of four couplets proceeds through 'summons — policy — fame — repayment.' The first couplet, 'summoned at last to the Bright Hall... how could I cling to my hillside garden,' writes the honor of being called and the turn from reclusion to office. The second couplet, 'too proud to hawk essays before the Ministry, longing to reach the sovereign's screen,' pairs one refusal with one aspiration, revealing an aloof spirit that will not run after examiners but seeks to address the throne itself. The third couplet, 'a thousand ages his name will sound through the osprey memorial; from four quarters bold talents gaze toward Dragon Gate,' deploys two allusions to magnify the patron's fame and the candidates' hopes. The final couplet closes with a question-vow: how to repay such recognition — by daring to speak. Throughout, praise never slides into flattery; the three key phrases 'too proud,' 'longing to reach,' and 'dare to speak' progressively convert the passivity of being recommended into the active resolve of speaking out, so the poet's character never bows even while giving thanks. In parallelism, 'examination essays' pairs with 'policies,' 'Ministry of Rites' with 'sovereign's screen,' 'osprey memorial' with 'Dragon Gate' — all precise yet deeply meaningful, a model of Song thanksgiving verse using couplets to reveal the heart.

此诗七言四联，章法以「召见—对策—声名—酬知」为次。首联「初辟明堂见帝轩，此时宁得恋丘园」写初被征辟、觐见帝廷，以「帝轩」喻人主，起手便见荣幸。颔联「程文懒谒春官氏，决策思干法扆尊」一弃一干，写其不奔竞程文、而思干犯法扆以陈决策，见孤峭之态。颈联「千古声名传鹗表，四方豪俊望龙门」以鹗表、龙门二典写荐主之声与被荐者之望。尾联「若趋丹陛承清问，何以酬知或敢言」收结，以设问表酬知之志。通篇以谢荐为经，以自许为纬，扬中有抑，恭中不谀。细察其章法，此诗以「召见—对策—声名—酬知」四层递进：首联写「初辟明堂见帝轩」，点被荐觐见的殊荣，是全诗的因由；颔联「程文懒谒春官氏，决策思干法扆尊」一转，由「见」入「思」，写自己不屑于奔竞程文、而志在面陈决策，孤峭之态已露；颈联「千古声名传鹗表，四方豪俊望龙门」再转，由己及人，从被荐者的感激扩到荐主声望的宏阔，气象遂开；尾联「若趋丹陛承清问，何以酬知或敢言」收结，以设问自誓，把感恩升华为政治担当。四联之中，「懒谒」「思干」「或敢言」三处是方平自许的关键，层层把「被荐的被动」转为「敢言的主动」，故虽谢人而人格不坠。对仗上，「程文」对「决策」、「春官氏」对「法扆尊」、「鹗表」对「龙门」，皆工而含深意，是宋人谢诗「以对仗见心迹」的典型。

Allusions

The allusions must each be distinguished. First, the 'Bright Hall' is the hall of state administration and 'the Yellow Emperor's carriage' (Dixuan) stands for the sovereign — honorific courtly language fitting a poem of imperial audience. Second, 'Lord of Spring' derives from the Ministry of Rites (the Spring Office of the Rites of Zhou, in charge of examinations since Tang); 'too proud to call on' means disdaining to curry favor with examiners. Third, the 'axe-screen' (fayi) is the axe-painted screen behind the throne, hence the emperor himself; 'longing to lay policies before the sovereign's screen' means aspiring to present strategy before the ruler, set against scorn for the ministries to show the scale of his ambition. Fourth, the 'osprey memorial' uses Kong Rong's recommendation of Mi Heng — 'a hundred birds of prey are not worth one osprey' — hence memorial of recommendation; 'Dragon Gate' uses Li Ying's gate, hard to climb, as the emblem of renown that talents gaze toward. Fifth, the 'crimson steps' and 'clear inquiry' denote formal audience and the emperor's questioning. Each of the five — honoring the ruler, self-elevation, stating ambition, praising the patron, anticipating the audience — fits the concrete circumstance of decree-examination recommendation, so the allusions are dense but never vague.

诗中典故须辨。其一，「明堂」「帝轩」明堂为布政之宫，帝轩指黄帝，方平借以美称当朝人主。其二，「春官」本《周礼》宗伯，唐以来称礼部，春官氏即主试之官，方平言「懒谒」谓不奔竞于有司。其三，「法扆」指斧扆，王座后之屏风，代称人主，「决策思干法扆尊」谓思陈谋于君前。其四，「鹗表」用孔融荐祢衡事，融表称衡「鸷鸟累百，不如一鹗」，后称荐书为鹗表；「龙门」用李膺门难登之典，喻声望所归。其五，「丹陛」「清问」指陛见与天子清问。诸典皆切制科荐对之实。更须逐典辨明其取义：其一，「明堂」「帝轩」——明堂为天子布政之宫，《孝经》「宗祀文王于明堂」；帝轩指黄帝，后世以「轩陛」代称人主。方平以「明堂」「帝轩」美称当朝，是谢诗尊君之常格，亦与「制科」亲策于殿廷的仪节相合。其二，「春官氏」——《周礼》以宗伯为春官，掌礼，唐以后礼部掌贡举，故「春官」借指主试之官；「懒谒」言不屑奔走干谒，是自标高洁，亦暗斥当时士人奔竞之弊。其三，「法扆」——斧扆为天子座后画斧之屏风，代称人主；「思干法扆尊」谓志在面君陈策，与「懒谒春官氏」对举，一不屑有司、一志在天子，见其志量。其四，「鹗表」「龙门」——鹗表用孔融荐祢衡「鸷鸟累百，不如一鹗」之典，龙门用李膺门难登之典，一颂荐主识才、一写士林仰望。其五，「丹陛」「清问」——丹陛即殿阶，清问即天子垂询。五典自尊君、自高、立志、颂荐、期对，环环相扣，皆是「制科荐对」这一具体情境下的取义，故密而不泛。

Commentary

This poem and 'Visiting Fan Tianzhang in Qingzhou' are both works addressed to the same Fan, and reading them together illuminates the friendship: the earlier poem, on being recognized, stresses appreciation; this one, on being recommended, stresses repayment. The line 'how shall I repay such knowing — perhaps by daring to speak' most reveals Zhang Fangping's character: he later served three reigns and opposed the New Laws with blunt remonstrance, and this early pledge of daring speech foreshadows a lifetime. The Siku editors called his prose 'unimpeded and lucid,' and his verse is the same — no sniveling thanks here, but a skeleton of resolve. Compared with parallel-prose memorials of thanks like Ouyang Xiu's, this poem shows the clean upright tone of Song regulated verse; most Song thanksgiving poems sink into praise, but this one alone shows bone beneath the encomium, and is thus a superior example of its kind. Read rightly, it is a key to the ethic of recommendation under the Northern Song decree examinations and to Zhang Fangping's character, which took remonstrance as a Heaven-appointed duty.

此诗与《谒青州范天章》同为投赠范氏之作，可合观交谊。彼诗谒青州军府，重在识鉴；此诗谢其荐应制科，重在报称。方平诗中「何以酬知或敢言」一句，最见其人格——他后来历仕三朝、以直谏忤新法，此「敢言」之自许早见于少作。四库馆臣称其文「疏畅通达」，其诗亦如此，谢诗中不作涕零语，而以「或敢言」立骨，风骨自显。与欧阳修《谢奖谕编次文集表》一类骈文谢启相较，方平此诗更见宋调七律的清挺。宋人制科谢诗多存于各自文集，方平此篇可贵在写出「被荐—对策—敢言」的完整政治人格，非泛泛感恩。读此当知北宋士大夫以制举为进身要途，而方平之于其中，始终以「敢言」自期。此诗与《谒青州范天章》可作合观：谒诗重在范公「识」己，谢诗重在自己「报」范，一识一报，构成方平与范氏交谊的完整两端。更可玩味的是二诗的自许之辞：谒诗以「闻公真赏胜吴公」自比贾生，谢诗以「何以酬知或敢言」自誓直谏，皆以「敢言」「真赏」相期，可见方平与范氏之交，本不在势利，而在道义。前人评方平文「疏畅通达」，其诗亦然——此首谢诗不作涕零感激之态，而以「敢言」立骨，把一场谢恩写得磊落刚健，最见其人格。又，宋人谢荐之诗，多存于各家文集，然大抵流于颂美，方平此篇独能于颂美之中自见风骨，故为宋调谢诗之上乘。要之，此诗是理解北宋制科制度下「荐与被荐」风义，以及张方平「以直谏为天职」士大夫性格的一把钥匙。

Prosody

Form Seven-character regulated verse (lüshi)七言律诗

Rhyme Level-tone yuan rhyme throughout, with the rhyme words yuan (garden), zun (honored), men (gate), yan (speak), one rhyme to the end通押平声元韵，入韵字为园、尊、门、言，一韵到底。

Tone pattern Standard level-oblique alternation of seven-character regulated verse; the middle two couplets observe strict parallelism in word class and tone七律平仄，中二联「程文懒谒春官氏，决策思干法扆尊」「千古声名传鹗表，四方豪俊望龙门」讲对仗，词性相侔、平仄相对。

Reading note This poem uses the yuan rhyme, a rounded, slightly closed vowel class whose full, weighty color suits the gravity and self-possession proper to a poem of thanks for recommendation. The first couplet opens with 'garden,' marking the turn from reclusion to office; the second couplet sustains with 'honored,' the dignity of advising before the throne; the third turns with 'gate,' the grandeur of Dragon Gate renown; the fourth closes with 'speak,' the vow of daring speech. The yuan rhyme is never frivolous, matching the poem's refusal to weep or flatter. In the middle couplets the parallel pairs — 'examination essays' against 'policies,' 'too proud to call on' against 'longing to reach,' 'osprey memorial' against 'Dragon Gate' — set solid word against solid word, and the weight of the rhyme holds the dense allusion steady so it never floats. Song thanksgiving poems prized decorum; here the dignity of the yuan rhyme supports the poet's 'unimpeded and lucid' manner, sound matching form. For the standard bearing of Song regulated verse in the thanksgiving genre, this piece is a fine reference: it wins not by gorgeous diction but by breadth of air and command of form, the fullness of the yuan rhyme made visible as the poem's skeleton.此诗元韵，属山摄合口三等，音色浑厚而微含收敛，最宜写谢荐诗的庄重与自许。首联以「园」字起，写去隐就仕的转折；颔联「尊」字承，写陈谋君前的尊严；颈联「门」字转，写龙门声望的宏阔；尾联「言」字合，写敢言之志的收结。元韵本不轻佻，正合此诗不涕零、不谀媚的骨格。七律中二联对仗，「程文」对「决策」、「懒谒」对「思干」、「鹗表」对「龙门」，皆以实词对实词，赖元韵的浑厚托住这份沉稳，故虽用典繁密而不浮。宋人谢诗多尚得体，方平此篇以元韵的庄重助其「疏畅通达」的体貌，声与格相称。欲体会宋调七律谢赠之正格，此篇可参：不以丽藻动目，而以气象与法度胜，元韵之浑厚正是其骨格的外显，堪称谢诗正格。

Line by line

初辟明堂见帝轩，此时宁得恋丘园。

Summoned at last to the Bright Hall to stand before the imperial throne, how could I still cling to my hillside garden of reclusion now?

写初被征辟觐见人主，岂能再留恋田园隐居

First summoned to the Hall of Brightness, I saw the imperial chariot; at such a time, how could I still cling to the hills and gardens?

此开篇一联是全诗荣幸基调的起手，兼含出处抉择。上句「初辟明堂见帝轩」，辟者征召也，明堂为布政之宫，帝轩借黄帝美称当朝人主，写自己初被荐辟、得觐天颜的殊荣；下句「此时宁得恋丘园」，丘园本指隐逸之所（出《易》「贲于丘园」），方平以反诘「宁得」说此时岂能再恋隐居，表出仕之决。一联而包举「被召—出山」的转折，是谢荐诗必先交代的身份转换。更可味者，「初」字见其方就此途，「宁得」二字见其去就分明，不似终老山林的隐士，亦不似热中利禄的躁进者，而是以道义应召的士大夫口吻。起手即把一场制科征辟写得庄重而不卑，为后文「或敢言」的自许先立一出处正大的根基，章法稳当。

The opening couplet is the start of the poem's key of honor, and carries the choice of entering or withdrawing. The first, first summoned to the Hall of Brightness, I saw the imperial chariot: summoned means called up; the Hall of Brightness is the palace of government, and the imperial chariot borrows the Yellow Emperor's name to honor the present ruler, writing the rare grace of one's first being recommended and granted audience with the Son of Heaven. The second, at such a time, how could I still cling to the hills and gardens? hills and gardens originally means the place of reclusion (from the Book of Changes, adorned to the hills and gardens); Fangping uses the rhetorical how could to say that at such a time how could one still love reclusion, showing the resolve to take office. One couplet includes the turn from being summoned to leaving the hills, the identity transition that a poem thanking a recommendation must first state. What is more to taste is that the word first shows one's just entering this path, and the words how could show the clearness of going or staying - not like the recluse growing old in the hills, nor like the eager climber hot for gain, but the tone of a scholar-official answering the summons on the Way. The opening writes the whole special-examination summons solemnly and not abjectly, first establishing a foundation of upright entry and withdrawal for the later self-grant of daring to speak, the structure steady.

千古声名传鹗表，四方豪俊望龙门。

His memorial of praise — a name that will sound through a thousand ages; from the four quarters, bold talents gaze up toward Dragon Gate.

言范公荐书千古流芳，四方才俊仰望如登龙门

Through the ages, fame travels on the osprey memorial; from all quarters, the heroes gaze up at the Dragon Gate.

此联是全诗称美荐主的核心对句，用典精切而气象宏阔。上句「千古声名传鹗表」，鹗表用孔融荐祢衡之典，融表云「鸷鸟累百，不如一鹗」，后世遂称荐书为鹗表；方平以此说范公的荐章将千古留名，既美范公能识，亦暗含自己不负所荐的期许。下句「四方豪俊望龙门」，龙门用李膺门难登之典，膺为天下模楷，士登其门谓登龙门，方平以此写范公声望所归、天下豪俊仰望。一联而「千古」对「四方」，时间空间皆拓开，把私人之恩写成士林之公。尤为可味者，此联表面颂范公，实则以「豪俊」自居——四方豪俊之中，自己正是被荐之一，恭中不掩身份。宋人谢诗最忌谀，方平此联以典立骨、以气象胜，把感恩写得磊落，是其「疏畅通达」本色的体现。

This couplet is the core pair praising the recommending patron, using allusions precisely and with a grand air. The first, through the ages, fame travels on the osprey memorial: the osprey memorial uses the allusion to Kong Rong recommending Mi Heng, whose memorial says a hundred birds of prey are not equal to one osprey, and later ages call a recommendation memorial an osprey memorial; Fangping uses this to say Lord Fan's recommendation will leave its name through the ages, at once praising Lord Fan's discernment and secretly holding the expectation that he will not fail the recommendation. The second, from all quarters, the heroes gaze up at the Dragon Gate: the Dragon Gate uses the allusion to Li Ying's door being hard to climb; Li Ying was the model of the age, and scholars who climbed to his door were said to climb the Dragon Gate; Fangping uses this to write Lord Fan's renown, the heroes of the world gazing up. One couplet pairs through the ages with from all quarters, opening up both time and space, turning private grace into the public good of the scholar world. What is more to taste is that this couplet, on the surface praising Lord Fan, really takes oneself as one of the heroes - among the heroes of all quarters, oneself is exactly the one recommended, and the deference does not hide one's standing. Song thanking poems most hated flattery; Fangping's couplet establishes its bone through allusions and wins through grandeur, writing gratitude open and upright, the face of his plain and flowing native quality.

Study

Word focus

辟 The word 'summoned' (bi) means recruitment by imperial invitation with ceremony — distinct from ordinary examination — marking the poet's turn from recluse to court official and anchoring the whole poem's shift of station. 「初辟明堂见帝轩」之「辟」字，是理解此诗政治身份的起点，亦全诗由隐转仕的关纽。辟者，征召也，特指朝廷以礼征聘士人，与科举考试之「举」不同，带「礼请」的庄重意味。方平著一「初」字配「辟」，写自己方被荐辟、初履仕途的节点，身份正从丘园隐士转为廊庙之臣。此字之重，在它点出宋代制科「待非常之士」的特殊性——非由科第常途，而由近臣荐辟、天子亲策，故云「见帝轩」而非「赴礼部」。与下句「宁得恋丘园」的「恋」字呼应，辟与恋构成出处的张力：一被征召、一舍隐居，辟字遂成全篇身份转换的锚点。一字而系宋代制举制度的实质，比泛用「召」「荐」更见体制分寸，是谢荐诗「知制」的炼字。

鹗 The 'osprey' in 'osprey memorial' comes from Kong Rong's praise of Mi Heng — 'a hundred birds of prey are not worth one osprey' — so an osprey memorial is a recommendation of true talent; the word both honors the patron's discernment and quietly implies the poet is that one osprey, worthy of the recommendation. 「千古声名传鹗表」之「鹗」字，是与「龙门」对举的诗眼，代表荐主识才的令名。鹗本猛禽，《汉书》称「鸷鸟累百，不如一鹗」，孔融荐祢衡因有「一鹗」之喻，后遂以「鹗表」「鹗荐」专称举荐贤才的书启。方平取「鹗」字，正因它自带「以一当百、独荐真才」的典故重量，比泛用「荐书」二字雅切得多。此字之妙，在它把范公的推荐写成千古流芳的「鹗表」，既美其能识，又暗许自己即那「一鹗」——不负所荐。与下句「龙门」之「龙」恰成鸟兽对举，鹗表对龙门，一属荐主之誉、一属被荐者之望，对仗工而意脉连。一字而系全联称美与自许的双重功能，是宋人谢诗用典炼字的范本。