Ban Gu's representative work is "Liangdu Fu".
"Ode to Two Capitals" is a great ode composed by Ban Gu, a writer and historian of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is divided into two parts: "Ode to the Western Capitals" and "Ode to the Eastern Capitals". According to its preface, after Luoyang was established as the capital in the Eastern Han Dynasty, "the elders of the Western Lands harbored resentments and hoped for favor from the superiors of Hebei Province. They called it the old system of Chang'an, and there was talk of poor Luoyang. Therefore, I wrote "Ode to Two Capitals" to convince everyone. "I hope that Chang'an will still be the capital, so I wrote this poem to refute it."
In "Ode to the Western Capital", the imaginary character Xi Dubin describes Chang'an's dangerous situation, rich products, and gorgeous palace, etc., to hint at the superiority of establishing Chang'an as the capital; in "Ode to the Eastern Capital", another imaginary The character, the Master of the Eastern Capital, beautifies and praises the various political measures taken after Luoyang was established as the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which means that the grand occasion of Luoyang on that day far exceeded Chang'an, the capital of the Western Han Dynasty. Later, Zhang Heng's "Er Jing Fu" and Zuo Si's "Sandu Fu" were greatly influenced by him in form.
Original text of "Ode to Two Capitals":
It may be said: "Ode is the flow of ancient poetry." Xicheng and Kang died and went to sleep with their praises, while Wang Ze exhausted his poems. Don’t do it. The Han Dynasty was determined at the beginning, and the sun had no time to give. As for the eras of Wu and Xuan, they respected officials and examined articles. There are offices with golden horses and stone canals inside, and Yuefu and Xielu are built outside, so as to continue the prosperity and destruction and embellish the great industry. Therefore, the common people are pleased with Yu, and the blessings are particularly great. The songs of Bailin, Chiyan, Zhifang, and Baoding are recommended to the suburban temple. The auspiciousness of divine bird, five phoenixes, nectar and yellow dragon is regarded as age.
Therefore, the ministers who follow you are like Sima Xiangru, King Shou of Yuqiu, Dongfang Shuo, Mei Gao, Wang Bao and Liu Xiang. They discuss their thoughts day and night, and pay tribute to them by the sun and the moon. And the ministers and ministers of the imperial family, Ni Kuan, Taichang Kong Zang, Dazhong doctor Dong Zhongshu, Zongzheng Liu De, Prince Taifu Xiao Wangzhi, etc., wrote at the same time. Either to express lower feelings and convey satirical edicts, or to declare superior virtues and fulfill loyalty and filial piety. They were written gracefully and praised by descendants. They are also inferior to "Ya" and "Song". Therefore, the era of filial piety was discussed and recorded.
There are more than a thousand articles written by Gaizou Yuzhe, and the articles written by the Han Dynasty are in the same style as those of the three generations. Moreover, the Taoism of husbands has its roots in Yilong, and its learning has roughness and density. Those who build virtue from time to time do not change the distance and the near. Therefore, Gao Tao sang Yu and Xi Si praised Lu. The same views were adopted by Confucius and were listed in "Poetry" and "Shu". Its meaning is one. It's like that when you look at ancient times, and it's like that when you look at the Han Dynasty.
Although this matter is small, the old style of the ancestors and the beauty of the country cannot be ignored. I secretly saw that the sea was peaceful and peaceful, and the court was in peace. The capital was repairing palaces, dredging the city, and erecting gardens and buildings to prepare for the system. The elders in the western land have resentments and hope for the favor of the superiors of Hebei Province, so they call it the old system of Chang'an, and there is a discussion about the humble city of Luoyi.