偈曰：
文韜武略俱超群 胸懷大志掃妖氛
雖有張良安邦策 未遇沛公定國心
戎馬一生徒碌碌 遊麟非時嘆殷殷
不知何時歸故里 終老臺灣憶宿因
註解：
「文韜武略俱超群」：他無論是文學是武學，都很出乎其類，拔乎其萃的。
「胸懷大志掃妖氛」：他對日本侵佔東北是很不服的，所以要把日本打跑了它。
「雖有張良安邦策」：他雖然有漢朝張良那麼樣的智慧，那樣的策略安邦。
「未遇沛公定國心」：可是他沒有遇到知音，沒有遇到能以用他的人，沒有好像張良遇劉邦那麼樣可以打開他的抱負，發展開了。他雖然有抱負，但沒有發展，所謂懷才不遇。
「戎馬一生徒碌碌」：他有這樣的才能，於斌樞機對他很欣賞。於斌說：「東北只有兩個半軍人。」他是其中之一。他是戎馬一生徒碌碌，但裡頭都是高才。這樣子，所以都沒有發展他的抱負。
「遊麟非時嘆殷殷」：就好像麒麟似的，有麒麟的時候就是唐虞，就是堯舜的時候。孔子看見人家抓住一隻麒麟，他就說了幾句話：「唐虞世兮麟鳳遊，今非其時何來求？麟兮！麟兮！吾心憂。」他（李炎武將軍）就好像麒麟似的，可是生出來不合時代，所以就有一種落魄的情形。
「不知何時歸故裏」：他自己在外邊，也不知道何時能回到他故鄉去。他有一首詩，寫著：
「黑水千年勇 白山萬世雄；
吾家居僻麓 耕鑿樂斯螽。
弱冠投班筆 衰年寄遊蓬；
何時歸故裏 再繞庭前桐。」
他家庭院前有棵梧桐樹，他常與母親在樹下乘涼，閒話家常。現在不知道什麼時候才能再回到故鄉，重溫親情。
我看了這首詩就罵他：「你這個人真沒出息！做了人家一生的兒子還沒做夠，還要歸故裏，還要繞庭前樹，還要再種來世的因，真沒出息！」
「終老臺灣憶宿因」：他也常常想，自己宿世所造的因大約不太好，才會生在這麼個顛沛流離的時代，老死在臺灣。
（全文完） |
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A verse in praise says:
His literary and martial skills excelled the common lot.
With undaunted valor, he swept clean the foul and demonic energies.
Although he was like Zhang Liang, who had plans to unify the country,
He never met with someone like the Governor of Pei,
Who managed to bring peace to his countrymen's hearts.
He led a busy life, riding astride his war horse.
But the roaming chilin* was born at the wrong time—how unfortunate!
The General never knew when he would be able to return to his hometown.
He grew old and lived out his remaining years in Taiwan, reminiscing over past causes.
*chilin: a fabulous animal resembling the deer said to appear only in times of peace and prosperity.
Commentary:
His literary and martial skills excelled the common lot. He showed exceptional achievement in both letters and in the art of war, surpassing his peers. With undaunted valor, he swept clean the foul and demonic energies. He had a vast and magnanimous mind, and felt indignant at the Japanese occupation of Manchuria. Therefore he was determined to defeat the Japanese. Although he was like Zhang Liang, who had plans to unify the country. He was like Zhang Liang of the Han Dynasty, in that he had the wisdom and strategy to pacify the country. However, he never met with someone like the Governor Pei, who managed to bring peace to his countrymen's hearts. It was a shame he did not encounter anyone who truly recognized him. Unlike Zhang Liang, who ran into Liu Bang, the Governor of Pei, and helped him found the Han Dynasty, General Li did not meet with someone who could utilize his vast ambitions.
He had talent, but not the opportunity to use it. He led a busy life, riding astride his war horse. Cardinal Paul Yu Bin had a high esteem for the General's talent. He remarked that there were only two and a half soldiers in Manchuria, and that General Li was one of them. However, the general never had the chance to unfurl his grand ambition. He was like the roaming chilin, born at the wrong time—how unfortunate! During the time of the sagely rulers Yao and Shun, the chilin appeared in the world. When Confucius saw people capture a chilin, he was moved to compose the "Song of the Captured Chilin," which goes,
During the time of Tang and Yu, the chi-lin and phoenix roamed freely. But now is no longer those days of old—how could one seek the chilin? Ah, chilin,chilin, how my heart grieves!
General Li was also like a chilin, born at the wrong time, and so he felt great regrets in his heart. The General never knew when he would be able to return to his hometown.
He wrote a poem about his hometown in Manchuria:
The Black River flowed for a thousand years.
The White Mountain towers for ten thousand ages.
My house was tucked away in the secluded foothills.
Plowing the fields, digging a well, we enjoyed simple pleasures.
In my youth, I threw away my writing brush to join the army;
In my old age, I sojourn in the Island of Peng (Taiwan).
When will I return to my hometown,
And run around the firmiana tree in the yard?
By his old home, there was an aged firmiana tree. He used to sit with his mother beneath that firmiana tree and chat, enjoying the breeze. He reminisced about those years of close family ties. He often thought back, wondering when he would return to that firmiana tree and chat with his mother. When I heard that poem, I chastised him, saying, "You are spineless. You haven't had enough being someone's son for an entire lifetime, and you are still planting causes for the future—you are spineless!"
He grew old and lived out his remaining years in Taiwan. He grew old and died in Taiwan, reminiscing over past causes. He felt that he probably did not plant very good causes in the past, which was why in this life he encountered many hardships and vicissitudes.
(The End) |
