Five Dynasties · Hermit

Chen Tuan 陳摶

Attested AD 954 - AD 959

Passages: 5
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Chen Tuan was a Hermit.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 954 to AD 959 世宗之在位
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 119, passage 152

Career and standing

hermit-poet 隱居
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 119, passage 151
Left Remonstrance Councillor 左拾遺
Offered and refused
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 119, passages 152-153

Places and affiliations

At Shaanxi 陜西
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 119, passage 151
At Mount Hua 華山 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 119, passage 151

Works and attributed material

reply poem to the edict 答詔詩
Relation Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 119, passages 159, 162
Poem · Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 119, passages 159-162

References in the histories

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 119Volume 119 Book of Later Zhou 21: Shizong Annals 6 · 5 passages

陳摶，陜西人，能為詩，數舉不第，慨然有塵外之趣，隱居華山，自是其名大振。 Chen Tuan of Shaanxi could compose poetry; having failed the examinations several times, he turned to life beyond the world and retired to Mount Hua, whence his fame spread widely.

世宗之在位也，以四方未服，思欲牢籠英傑，且以摶曾踐場屋，不得志而隱，必有奇才遠略，於是召到闕下，拜左拾遺。 While Shizong reigned, with the realm not yet united, he wished to win outstanding men; because Tuan had entered the examinations, failed to advance, and retired, he must possess rare talent—so Tuan was summoned to court and made Left Remonstrance and Policy Adviser.

摶不就，堅乞歸山，世宗許之。 Tuan declined and firmly begged to return to the mountains; Shizong granted his request.

未幾，賜之書：「敕陳摶，朕以汝高謝人寰，棲心物外，養太浩自然之氣，應少微處士之星，既不屈於王侯，遂甘隱於巖壑，樂我中和之化，慶乎下武之期，而能遠涉山塗，暫來城闕，浹旬延遇，宏益居多，白雲暫駐於帝鄉，好爵難縻於達士。 Before long he granted him a letter: "To Chen Tuan: You have loftily withdrawn from the world and dwell beyond things, nurturing primordial breath and answering to the star of the recluse. Refusing princes, you hide in cliffs and ravines, delighting in our culture of harmony and rejoicing in this age of martial virtue; yet you crossed mountain paths to visit the capital. For more than ten days we received you, and the benefit was mostly ours. White clouds briefly rested at court; fine rank cannot bind the man of attainment.

初，摶之被召，嘗為詩一章云：「草澤吾皇詔，圖南摶姓陳。 When Tuan was first summoned, he composed a poem: "From the wilds comes Our Emperor's edict; plotting southward is Chen surnamed Tuan.