The 24 Filial Exemplars (21)

Wáng Póu 王裒

21. HE HEARD THUNDER AND WEPT AT THE GRAVE

Wáng Póu of the state of Wèi [at the time of the Three Kingdoms] served his mother with filiality. When she was alive, she was afraid of thunder. After she died she was buried in a hilly wood. Whenever there was wind and rain and Póu would hear the loud sound of [thunder like the passing of the chariot of the thunder-goddess] Āxiāng, he would hurry to the grave and kneel and pray. He would weep, saying: "Póu is here; Mother must not be afraid." A poem praises him saying:

His loving mother feared hearing thunder;

[Now] her chill spirit dwells among the dead, and

When Āxiāng thunders over and over

He goes to the tomb to walk about it a thousand times.

二十一、闻雷泣墓
魏。王裒事母至孝。母存日。性畏雷。既卒。殡葬于山林。每遇风雨。闻阿香。响震之声。即奔墓所跪拜。泣告曰。裒在此。母亲勿惧。有诗为颂。诗曰慈母怕闻雷。冰魂宿夜台。阿香时一震。到墓绕千回。

21. Wén Léi Qì Mù
Wèi Wáng Póu shì mǔ zhì xiào. Mǔ cún rì. Xìng wèi léi. Jì zú. Bìn zàng yú shānlín. Měi yù fēngyǔ. Wén Āxiāng xiǎngzhèn zhi shēng. Jí bēn mù suǒ bài guì. Qì gào yuē: Póu zài cǐ. Mǔqīn wù jù. Yǒu shī wéi sòng:
Shī yuē:
Cí mǔ pà wén léi. Bīng hún sù yè tái. Āxiāng shí yí zhèn. Dào mù rào qiān huí.

二十一、聞雷泣墓
魏。王裒事母至孝。母存日。性畏雷。既卒。殯葬於山林。每遇風雨。聞阿香。響震之聲。即奔墓所跪拜。泣告曰。裒在此。母親勿懼。有詩為頌。詩曰慈母怕聞雷。冰魂宿夜臺。阿香時一震。到墓繞千迴。

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