Stone Drum Inscriptions 石鼓文

Ten ‘Stone Drums’ were discovered in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) at Tianxing (present-day Baoji in Shaanxi Province) and caused a stir among men of letters and calligraphers. It is believed that they were engraved in the state of Qin during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and are therefore well over 2,000 years old. They are said to be the very first pieces of inscription works found in China up to now.

At the time when they were discovered in the seventh century, each of them bore a four-character verse about the hunting of the Duke of Qin. Not many of its original 700 characters have survived - 465 of them were recorded then and 272 of them today with one block completely denuded.

Before the invention of paper and printing, the best way in China to keep outstanding writings and calligraphic works was to carve them on stone. Those cut on drum shaped blocks are called shiguwen (stone drum inscriptions); and those cut on steles and tablets are called beiwen.

The rubbing shown is the only one survived with a complete verse.

My chariots were complete;

My horses were harnessed.

My chariots were gaily decorated;

My horses were thriving.

The officials gathered in force;

The banners waved in the wind.

Deer left footprints behind,

By which we pursued.

Bows were drawn;

Arrows were at the string.

I ran into a royal stag,

Which galloping, clip-clop.

He charged at me,

Raising quite a dust.

The herd rushed off,

Running out of sight.

I chased a lone buck,

But he, too, escaped.

Finally I shot a sorrel.

.

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十个石鼓于唐代（618-907）初出土于天兴三畴原（今陕西省宝鸡市凤翔三畴原），震动学者与书法家。一般相信，它们是在战国时代（公元前475-221）的秦国所刻，所以有超过两千年的历史。可说是中国最早的石刻文字。

在七世纪被发现时，每石鼓皆有四字诗文，记述秦国君王游猎之事，亦称‘猎碣’。原来所发现的700个字，很多已经不存在了。当时纪录了465个字，现在只存272个字，其中一石的字完全消失。

在纸与印刷未发明之前，在中国，把优秀书写与法书保留的最好方法就是把它们可在石头上。可在园圆鼓形石头的就叫石鼓文，或碣文可在方形的碑与石头上的就叫碑文。（注：方石为碑，圆石为碣）

这里所显示的是一首完整的诗文拓片。

吾車既工。吾馬既同。吾車既好。吾馬既(馬缶) 。君子員邋。員邋員斿。

麀鹿速速。君子之求。●●卣弓。弓茲以寺。

吾敺其畤。其來趩趩。●●炱炱。即禦即時。

麀鹿趚趚。其來大●。吾敺其樸。其來(走賣)(走賣)。射其(豕肩) 蜀。