Shen Yue 沈約

Shen Yue 沈約 (441-513), zi Xiuwen 休文. Song, Qi, and Liang period writer.

Shen Yue's ancestral home was Wukang 武康 in Wuxing 吳興 commandery (west of modern Deqing 德清 county, Huzhou 湖州, Zhejiang). He came from a prominent military family that had been in the south since the first century C.E. His great-grandfather Shen Mufu 沈穆夫 (d. 399) was executed in 399 for serving the rebel leader Sun En 孫恩. Shen Yue's father, Shen Pu 沈璞 (416-453), was put to death in 453 by Liu Jun 劉駿 (430-464), Emperor Xiaowu (r. 453-464), when Shen Yue was a boy of twelve. Shen Yue seems to have survived better: he served three dynasties relatively unscathed.

After his father's execution in 453, Shen probably sought refuge in Buddhist and Taoist temples in the south. In 461, he was able to return to the capital where he received a court appointment as audience attendant. The emperor gave him permission to compile a history of the Jin dynasty. From 467 to 479, when Xiao Daocheng 蕭道成 (427-482) founded the Southern Qi dynasty, Shen served as assistant and secretary to several Song regional governors including Cai Xingzong 蔡興宗 (417-474) and Liu Xie 劉燮 (470-479).

After the founding of the Qi in 479, Shen Yue was appointed secretary to Xiao Changmao 蕭長懋 (458-493). Shen also served as magistrate of Xiangyang 襄陽 (modern Xiangfan City, Hubei). When Emperor Wu (r. 482-493) took the throne in 482, he selected Xiao Changmao heir designate, and Shen Yue was assigned to his staff as infantry commandant. He was also put in charge of documents and books in the imperial library. Shen Yue was especially close to the heir designate, and he accompanied him almost everywhere.

Although he was on the staff of the heir designate, Shen also was a member of the salon of Xiao Ziliang 蕭子良 (460-494), Prince of Jinling. He attended many of the gatherings hosted by the prince at his Western Residence west of the imperial palace in Jiankang. Shen wrote a number of yongwu poems at the poetry parties. It was also during this time that he, along with Wang Rong 王融 (467-493) and Xie Tiao 謝朓 (464-499), began to formulate his ideas on the four tones and prosodic rules. He also began work on the history of the Song (Song shu). which he presented to the throne in 487.

During the turmoil of 494, Shen left the court to serve as governor of Dongyang 東陽 (administrative seat Changshan 常山, modern Jinhua 金華, Zhejiang). While in Dongyang, he built the Xuanchang lou 玄暢樓 (Tower of Mystic Elation) near Jinhua shan 金華山. One of his best known poems, "Deng Xuanchang lou" 登玄暢樓 (Climbing the Xuanchang Tower), is about this tower.

At the Xuanchang lou, he also wrote a series of eight poems in mixed meters, the "Ba yong shi" 八詠詩 (Eight Songs). In these pieces, he tells of the delights he has found in his mountain retreat. Although often classified as shi, the "Ba yong" is actually a fu. The Yiwen leiju even puts the piece into the fu category (see 1.10). Each poem in the set is some forty lines long, What is interesting about the piece is that the title of each poem is five syllables, and each of the titles can be combines to form an eight-line poem.

Shen Yue returned to the imperial court in 497 where he was appointed minister of war, rectorof the Directorate of Education, and General Who Supports the State. Although he held a number of official appointments including a position in the Ministry of Education, Shen was able to avoid involvement in court affairs during the violent reign of Xiao Baojuan 蕭寶卷 (483-501), posthumously known as Donghun hou 東昏侯, who reigned from 498 to 501. For example, Shen spent a long period in 498-499 in the mountains of southern Zhejiang.

In 501, Shen Yue allied himself with Xiao Yan 蕭衍 (464-549) who had led an army into the capital to depose Xiao Baojuan and set up a puppet ruler on the throne. Shen urged Xiao Yan to take the throne himself. In 502, Xiao Yan was declared Emperor of the Liang dynasty. Shen was rewarded with a fief and high positions.

In 503, Shen had to resign his official post when his mother died. Although Xiao Yan summoned him back to office in 505, Shen showed less and less interest in political affairs. He did serve as an aide to Xiao Yan's heir designate, Xiao Tong 蕭統 (501-531), who was still a young boy. In 507, Shen Yue set himself up in an old villa on Mount Zhong 鍾山 northeast of the capital. He appeared periodically at court until his death in 513 at the age of seventy-three. Shen Yue was bestowed the posthumous title Yin hou 隱侯 (Reclusive Marquis).

Shen Yue was one of the most learned scholar of his day. He compiled a number of histories including the Jin shu 晉書 (History of Jin) in 110 juan, Song shu 宋書 (History of Song) in 100 juan, Qi ji 齊紀 (Qi annals) in 20 juan, Gaozu ji 高祖紀 (Annals of Emperor Gaozu) in 14 juan. Only the Song shu has survived intact. Shen Yue also wrote a commentary to the Bambo Annals, a treatise on posthumous names and titles, and the Song shi wenzhang zhi 宋世文章志 (Monograph on writings of the Song era). The latter probably was a bibliography and biographies for literary men of the Liu Song period.

The monographs on bibliography of the Sui shu and the two Tang histories list Shen Yue's collected writings in 100 juan. All that survived by the end of the Southern Song was a 9-juan collection. Later collections are all reconstructions.

Shen Yue was a prolific prose writer. About 190 of his prose writings are extant. Many of them are compositions he wrote for the court. A goodly number are edicts, directives (zhi 制), and commands that he composed on behalf of Qi emperors and Emperor Wu of Liang. In the period from 490 to 494, while serving at the Southern Qi court, Shen Yue presented to the emperor petitions requesting the impeachment of officials for improper conduct. The only complete extant impeachment petition is "Impeaching Wang Yuan" (Zou tan Wang Yuan 奏彈王源), which is preserved in the Wen xuan. Shen probably presented to the court in 490. In his petition Shen Yue impeaches Wang Yuan 王源 who is from the Wang family of Donghai 東海. His great-grandfather was Wang Ya 王雅 (334-400) who was the great-grandson of the famous scholar Wang Su 王肅 (196-256). During the Eastern Jin he held high positions under Emperor Xiaowu 孝武 (r. 373-396). Shen Yue recommends that Wang Yuan be impeached on the grounds that he has arranged to marry his daughter to the son of Man Zhangzhi 滿璋之, a local wealthy official of questionable pedigree. Shen Yue begins his petition by citing ancient precedents that justify endogamy. Although he admits that no universal standard applies to all situations, he insists that marriage should be between families of the same social status. According to Shen, members of the shi 士 or gentry clans have ignored this rule since Song times. Shen writes: "Family relationships are muddled and confused, and no regard is given to whether someone is menial or common." Shen attributes this violation of the social code to one motive, financial gain. He writes: "They trade and sell [the reputations] of the their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and consider it a means of commerce." Shen Yue also is offended by the false pedigree that the Man family had given of their family to the matchmaker. What may have most outraged Shen Yue was Wang Yuan's mercenary treatment of marriage. Not only did he obtain a large bridal present of 50,000 cash (or 50,000 strings of cash if one follows the interpretations of the Wen xuan chao commentary), he used part of it to purchase a concubine. As Shen Yue puts it, he converted these funds "into something to fill his bed and sleeping mat." In Shen's view, Wang Yuan's behavior was not only mercenary but lustful.

Shen Yue wrote a long fu about his life in retirement. This piece, which is clearly modeled on the "Shan ju fu" 山居賦 (Fu on dwelling in the mountains) by Xie Lingyun 謝靈運 (385-433), is "Jiao ju fu" 郊居賦 (Fu on dwelling in the suburbs).

Another important work by Shen Yue is the Si sheng pu 四聲譜 (Table of the four tones). Shen also played a role in formulating the prosodic rules known as the Sisheng babing 四聲八病 (Four tones and eight defects). He advocated "three types of ease" (san yi 三易) in wring: "eas in preceiving the content," "ease in recognizing the words," and "ease in reciting aloud."

David R. Knechtges

Citation

• 沈約 Shen Yue, Brill’s Chinese Reference Shelf. Brill Online, 2017. http://chinesereferenceshelf.brillonline.com/ancient-literature/ent...

《梁書》卷13

沈約，字休文，吳興武康人也。祖林子，宋征虜將軍。父璞，淮南太守。璞元嘉末被誅，約幼潛竄，會赦免。旣而流寓孤貧，篤志好學，晝夜不倦。母恐其以勞生疾，常遣減油滅火。而晝之所讀，夜輒誦之，遂博通羣籍，能屬文。

起家奉朝請。濟陽蔡興宗聞其才而善之；興宗爲郢州刺史，引爲安西外兵參軍，兼記室。興宗嘗謂其諸子曰：「沈記室人倫師表，宜善事之。」及爲荊州，又爲征西記室參軍，帶厥西令。興宗卒，始爲安西晉安王法曹參軍，轉外兵，並兼記室。入爲尚書度支郎。

齊初爲征虜記室，帶襄陽令，所奉之王，齊文惠太子也。太子入居東宮，爲步兵校尉，管書記，直永壽省，校四部圖書。時東宮多士，約特被親遇，每直入見，影斜方出。當時王侯到宮，或不得進，約每以爲言。太子曰：「吾生平懶起，是卿所悉，得卿談論，然後忘寢。卿欲我夙興，可恆早入。」遷太子家令，後以本官兼著作郎，遷中書郎，本邑中正，司徒右長史，黃門侍郎。時竟陵王亦招士，約與蘭陵蕭琛、琅邪王融、陳郡謝朓、南鄉范雲、樂安任昉等皆遊焉，當世號爲得人。俄兼尚書左丞，尋爲御史中丞，轉車騎長史。隆昌元年，除吏部郎，出爲寧朔將軍、東陽太守。明帝卽位，進號輔國將軍，徵爲五兵尚書，遷國子祭酒。明帝崩，政歸塚宰，尚書令徐孝嗣使約撰定遺詔。遷左衛將軍，尋加通直散騎常侍。永元二年，以母老表求解職，改授冠軍將軍、司徒左長史，征虜將軍、南清河太守。

高祖在西邸，與約遊舊，建康城平，引爲驃騎司馬，將軍如故。時高祖勳業旣就，天人允屬，約嘗扣其端，高祖默而不應。佗日又進曰：「今與古異，不可以淳風期萬物。士大夫攀龍附鳳者，皆望有尺寸之功，以保其福祿。今童兒牧豎，悉知齊祚已終，莫不雲明公其人也。天文人事，表革運之徵，永元以來，尤爲彰著。讖雲『行中水，作天子』，此又歷然在記。天心不可違，人情不可失，苟是曆數所至，雖欲謙光，亦不可得已。」高祖曰：「吾方思之。」對曰：「公初杖兵樊、沔，此時應思，今王業已就，何所復思。昔武王伐紂，始入，民便曰吾君，武王不違民意，亦無所思。公自至京邑，已移氣序，比於周武，遲速不同。若不早定大業，稽天人之望，脫有一人立異，便損威德。且人非金石，時事難保。豈可以建安之封，遺之子孫？若天子還都，公卿在位，則君臣分定，無復異心。君明於上，臣忠於下，豈復有人方更同公作賊。」高祖然之。約出，高祖召范雲告之，雲對略同約旨。高祖曰：「智者乃爾暗同，卿明早將休文更來。」雲出語約，約曰：「卿必待我。」雲許諾，而約先期入，高祖命草其事。約乃出懷中詔書並諸選置，高祖初無所改。俄而雲自外來，至殿門不得入，徘徊壽光閣外，但云「咄咄」。約出，問曰：「何以見處？」約舉手向左，雲笑曰：「不乖所望。」有頃，高祖召范雲謂曰：「生平與沈休文羣居，不覺有異人處；今日才智縱橫，可謂明識。」雲曰：「公今知約，不異約今知公。」高祖曰：「我起兵於今三年矣，功臣諸將，實有其勞，然成帝業者，乃卿二人也。」

梁臺建，爲散騎常侍、吏部尚書，兼右僕射。高祖受禪，爲尚書僕射，封建昌縣侯，邑千戶，常侍如故。又拜約母謝爲建昌國太夫人。奉策之日，右僕射范雲等二十餘人咸來致拜，朝野以爲榮。俄遷尚書左僕射，常侍如故。尋兼領軍，加侍中。天監二年，遭母憂，輿駕親出臨弔，以約年衰，不宜致毀，遣中書舍人斷客節哭。起爲鎮軍將軍、丹陽尹，置佐史。服闋，遷侍中、右光祿大夫，領太子詹事，揚州大中正，關尚書八條事，遷尚書令，侍中、詹事、中正如故。累表陳讓，改授尚書左僕射、領中書令、前將軍，置佐史，侍中如故。尋遷尚書令，領太子少傅。九年，轉左光祿大夫，侍中、少傅如故，給鼓吹一部。

初，約久處端揆，有志台司，論者咸謂爲宜，而帝終不用，乃求外出，又不見許。與徐勉素善，遂以書陳情於勉曰：「吾弱年孤苦，傍無朞屬，往者將墜於地，契闊屯邅，困於朝夕，崎嶇薄宦，事非爲己，望得小祿，傍此東歸。歲逾十稔，方忝襄陽縣，公私情計，非所了具，以身資物，不得不任人事。永明末，出守東陽，意在止足；而建武肇運，人世膠加，一去不返，行之未易。及昏猜之始，王政多門，因此謀退，庶幾可果，託卿布懷於徐令，想記未忘。聖道聿興，謬逢嘉運，往志宿心，復成乖爽。今歲開元，禮年雲至，懸車之請，事由恩奪。誠不能弘宣風政，光闡朝猷，尚欲討尋文簿，時議同異。而開年以來，病增慮切，當由生靈有限，勞役過差，總此凋竭，歸之暮年，牽策行止，努力祗事。外觀傍覽，尚似全人，而形骸力用，不相綜攝，常須過自束持，方可僶勉。解衣一臥，支體不復相關。上熱下冷，月增日篤，取暖則煩，加寒必利，後差不及前差，後劇必甚前劇。百日數旬，革帶常應移孔；以手握臂，率計月小半分。以此推算，豈能支久？若此不休，日復一日，將貽聖主不追之恨。冒欲表聞，乞歸老之秩。若天假其年，還是平健，才力所堪，惟思是策。」勉爲言於高祖，請三司之儀，弗許，但加鼓吹而已。

約性不飲酒，少嗜欲，雖時遇隆重，而居處儉素。立宅東田，矚望郊阜。嘗爲《郊居賦》，其辭曰：

惟至人之非己，固物我而兼忘。自中智以下洎，鹹得性以爲場。獸因窟而獲騁，鳥先巢而後翔。陳巷窮而業泰，嬰居湫而德昌。僑棲仁於東里，鳳晦跡於西堂。伊吾人之褊志，無經世之大方。思依林而羽戢，願託水而鱗藏。固無情於輪奐，非有欲於康莊。披東郊之寥廓，入蓬藋之荒茫。旣從豎而橫構，亦風除而雨攘。
昔西漢之標季，余播遷之雲始。違利建於海昏，創惟桑於江汜。同河濟之重世，逾班生之十紀。或辭祿而反耕，或彈冠而來仕。逮有晉之隆安，集艱虞於天步。世交爭而波流，民失時而狼顧。延亂麻於井邑，曝如莽於衢路。大地曠而靡容，旻天遠而誰訴。伊皇祖之弱辰，逢時艱之孔棘。違危邦而窘驚，訪安土而移卽。肇胥宇於朱方，掩閒庭而晏息。值龍顏之鬱起，乃憑風而矯翼。指皇邑而南轅，駕脩衢以騁力。遷華扉而來啓，張高衡而徙植。傍逸陌之脩平，面淮流之清直。芳塵浸而悠遠，世道忽其窊隆。綿四代於茲日，盈百祀於微躬。嗟弊廬之難保，若霣籜之從風。或誅茅而剪棘，或旣西而復東。乍容身於白社，亦寄孥於伯通。
跡平生之耿介，實有心於獨往。思幽人而軫念，望東臯而長想。本忘情於徇物，徒羈絏於天壤。應屢歎於牽絲，陸興言於世網。事滔滔而未合，志悁悁而無爽。路將殫而彌峭，情薄暮而踰廣。抱寸心其如蘭，何斯願之浩蕩。詠歸歟而躑跼，眷岩阿而抵掌。
逢時君之喪德，何凶昏之孔熾。乃戰牧所未陳，實升陑所不記。彼黎元之喋喋，將垂獸而爲餌。瞻穹昊而無歸，雖非牢而被胾。始歎絲而未睹，終逌組而後值。尋貽愛乎上天，固非民其莫甚。授冥符於井翼，實靈命之所稟。當降監之初辰，值積惡之雲稔。寧方割於下墊，廓重氛於上墋。躬靡暇於朝食，常求衣於夜枕。旣牢籠於媯、夏，又驅馳乎軒、頊。德無遠而不被，明無微而不燭。鼓玄澤於大荒，播仁風於遐俗。辟終古而遐念，信王猷其如玉。
值銜《圖》之盛世，遇興聖之嘉期。謝中涓於初日，叨光佐於此時。闕投石之猛志，無飛矢之麗辭。排陽鳥而命邑，方河山而啓基。翼儲光於三善，長王職於百司。兢鄙夫之易失，懼寵祿之難持。伊前世之貴仕，罕紆情於丘窟。譬叢華於楚、趙，每驕奢以相越。築甲館於銅駝，並高門於北闕。辟重扃於華閫，豈蓬蒿所能沒。敖傳嗣於墝壤，何安身於窮地。味先哲而爲言，固余心之所嗜。不慕權於城市，豈邀名於屠肆。詠希微以考室，幸風霜之可庇。
爾乃傍窮野，抵荒郊；編霜菼，葺寒茅。構棲噪之所集，築町疃之所交。因犯簷而刊樹，由妨基而剪巢。決渟洿之汀濙，塞井甃之淪坳。藝芳枳於北渠，樹脩楊於南浦。遷甕牖於蘭室，同肩牆於華堵。織宿楚以成門，籍外扉而爲戶。旣取陰於庭樾，又因籬於芳杜。開閣室以遠臨，辟高軒而旁睹。漸沼沚於霤垂，周塍陌於堂下。其水草則蘋萍芡芰，菁藻蒹菰；石衣海髮，黃荇綠蒲。動紅荷於輕浪，覆碧葉於澄湖。飡嘉實而卻老，振羽服於清都。其陸卉則紫鼈綠葹，天著山韭；雁齒麋舌，牛脣彘首。布濩南池之陽，爛漫北樓之後。或幕渚而芘地，或縈窗而窺牖。若乃園宅殊制，田圃異區。李衡則橘林千樹，石崇則雜果萬株。並豪情之所侈，非儉志之所娛。欲令紛披蓊鬱，吐綠攢朱；羅窗映戶，接溜承隅。開丹房以四照，舒翠葉而九衢。抽紅英於紫帶，銜素蕊於青跗。其林鳥則翻泊頡頏，遺音下上；楚雀多名，流嚶雜響。或班尾而綺翼，或綠衿而絳顙。好葉隱而枝藏，乍間關而來往。其水禽則大鴻小雁，天狗澤虞；秋鷖寒＜勑鳥＞，修鷁短鳧。曳參差之弱藻，戲瀺灂之輕軀；翅抨流而起沫，翼鼓浪而成珠。其魚則赤鯉青魴，纖倏鉅鱯。碧鱗朱尾，脩顱偃額。小則戲渚成文，大則噴流揚白。不興羨於江海，聊相忘於余宅。其竹則東南獨秀，九府擅奇。不遷植於淇水，豈分根於樂池。秋蜩吟葉，寒雀噪枝。來風南軒之下，負雪北堂之垂。訪往塗之軫跡，觀先識之情偽。每誅空而索有，皆指難以爲易。不自已而求足，並尤物以興累。亦昔士之所迷，而今余之所避也。
原農皇之攸始，討厥播之雲初。肇變腥以粒食，乃人命之所儲。尋井田之往記，考阡陌於前書。顏簞食而樂在，鄭高廩而空虛。頃四百而不足，畝五十而有餘。撫幽衷而跼念，幸取給於庭廬。緯東菑之故耜，浸北畝之新渠。無褰爨於曉蓐，不抱惄於朝蔬。排外物以齊遣，獨爲累之在余。安事千斯之積，不羨汶陽之墟。
臨巽維而騁目，卽堆塚而流眄。雖茲山之培塿，乃文靖之所宴。驅四牡之低昂，響繁笳之清囀。羅方員而綺錯，窮海陸而兼薦。奚一權之足偉，委千金其如線。試撫臆而爲言，豈斯風之可扇。將通人之遠旨，非庸情之所見。聊遷情而徙睇，識方阜於歸津。帶脩汀於桂渚，肇舉鍤於強秦。路縈吳而款越，塗被海而通閩。懷三鳥以長念，伊故鄉之可珍。實褰期於晚歲，非失步於方春。何東川之濔濔，獨流涕於吾人。謬參賢於昔代，亟徒游於茲所。侍采旄而齊轡，陪龍舟而遵渚。或列席而賦詩，或班觴而宴語。繐帷一朝冥漠，西陵忽其蔥楚。望商飇而永歎，每樂愷於斯觀。始則鐘石鏘珣，終以魚龍瀾漫。或升降有序，或浮白無算。貴則丙、魏、蕭、曹，親則梁武、周旦。莫不共霜霧而歇滅，與風雲而消散。眺孫後之墓田，尋雄霸之遺武。實接漢之後王，信開吳之英主。指衡岳而作鎮，苞江漢而爲宇。徒徵言於石槨，遂延災於金縷。忽蕪穢而不脩，同原陵之膴膴。寧知螻蟻之與狐兔，無論樵芻之與牧豎。睇東巘以流目，心悽愴而不怡。蓋昔儲之舊苑，實博望之餘基。脩林則表以桂樹，列草則冠以芳芝。風臺累翼，月榭重栭。千櫨捷嶫，百栱相持。皁轅林駕，蘭枻水嬉。逾三齡而事往，忽二紀以歷茲。咸夷漫以蕩滌，非古今之異時。
回余眸於艮域，覿高館於茲嶺。雖混成以無跡，實遺訓之可秉。始飡霞而吐霧，終陵虛而倒影。駕雌蜺之連卷，泛天江之悠永。指咸池而一息，望瑤臺而高騁，匪爽言以自姱，冀神方之可請。惟鐘岩之隱鬱，表皇都而作峻，蓋望秩之所宗，含風雲而吐潤。其爲狀也，則巍峨崇袴，喬枝拂日；嶢嶷岧＜上山下亭＞，墜石堆星。岑崟峍屼，或坳或平；盤堅枕臥，詭狀殊形。孤嶝橫插，洞穴斜經；千丈萬仞，三襲九成。亙繞州邑，款跨郊坰；素煙晚帶，白霧晨縈。近循則一巖異色，遠望則百嶺俱青。
觀二代之塋兆，睹摧殘之餘鵒遂。成顛沛於虐豎，康斂衿於虛器；穆恭已於岩廊，簡游情於玄肆；烈窮飲以致災，安忘懷而受祟。何宗祖之奇傑，威橫天而陵地。惟聖文之纘武，殆隆平之可至。余世德之所君，仰遺封而掩淚。神寢匪一，靈館相距。席布騂駒，堂流桂醑。降紫皇於天闕，延二妃於湘渚。浮蘭煙於桂棟，召巫陽於南楚。揚玉桴，握椒糈。怳臨風以浩唱，折瓊茅而延佇。敬惟空路邈遠，神蹤遐闊。念甚驚飆，生猶聚沫。歸妙軫於一乘，啓玄扉於三達。欲息心以遣累，必違人而後豁。或結鄶愰於岩根，或開欞於木末。室闇蘿蔦，簷梢松栝。旣得理於兼謝，固忘懷於飢渴。或攀枝獨遠，或陵雲高蹈。因葺茨以結名，猶觀空以表號。得忘己於茲日，豈期心於來報。天假餘以大德，荷茲賜之無疆。受老夫之嘉稱，班燕禮於上庠。無希驥之秀質，乏如圭之令望。邀昔恩於舊主，重匪服於今皇。仰休老之盛則，請微軀於夕陽。勞蒙司而獲謝，猶奉職於春坊。時言歸於陋宇，聊暇日以翱翔。棲余志於淨國，歸余心於道場。獸依墀而莫駭，魚牣沼而不綱。旋迷塗於去轍，篤後念於徂光。晚樹開花，初英落蕊。或異林而分丹青，乍因風而雜紅紫。紫蓮夜發，紅荷曉舒。輕風微動，其芳襲余。風騷屑於園樹，月籠連於池竹。蔓長柯於簷桂，髮黃華於庭菊。冰懸埳而帶坻，雪縈松而被野。鴨屯飛而不散，雁高翔而欲下。並時物之可懷，雖外來而非假。𢉴情性之所留滯，亦志之而不能捨也。
傷余情之頹暮，罹憂患其相溢。悲異軫而同歸，歎殊方而並失。時復託情魚鳥，歸閑蓬蓽。旁闕吳娃，前無趙瑟。以斯終老，於焉消日。惟以天地之恩不報，書事之官靡述；徒重於高門之地，不載於良史之筆。長太息其何言，羌愧心之非一。

尋加特進，光祿、侍中、少傅如故。十二年，卒官，時年七十三。詔贈本官，賻錢五萬，布百匹，諡曰隱。

約左目重瞳子，腰有紫志，聰明過人。好墳籍，聚書至二萬卷，京師莫比。少時孤貧，丐於宗黨，得米數百斛，爲宗人所侮，覆米而去。及貴，不以爲憾，用爲郡部傳。嘗侍讌，有妓師是齊文惠宮人。帝問識座中客不？曰：「惟識沈家令。」約伏座流涕，帝亦悲焉，爲之罷酒。約歷仕三代，該悉舊章，博物洽聞，當世取則。謝玄暉善爲詩，任彥昇工於文章，約兼而有之，然不能過也。自負高才，昧於榮利，乘時藉勢，頗累清談。及居端揆，稍弘止足。每進一官，輒殷勤請退，而終不能去，論者方之山濤。用事十餘年，未嘗有所薦達，政之得失，唯唯而已。

初，高祖有憾於張稷，及稷卒，因與約言之。約曰：「尚書左僕射出作邊州刺史，已往之事，何足復論。」帝以爲婚家相爲，大怒曰：「卿言如此，是忠臣邪！」乃輦歸內殿。約懼，不覺高祖起，猶坐如初。及還，未至床，而憑空頓於戶下。因病，夢齊和帝以劍斷其舌。召巫視之，巫言如夢。乃呼道士奏赤章於天，稱禪代之事，不由己出。高祖遣上省醫徐奘視約疾，還具以狀聞。先此，約嘗侍讌，值豫州獻栗，徑寸半，帝奇之，問曰：「栗事多少？」與約各疏所憶，少帝三事。出謂人曰：「此公護前，不讓卽羞死。」帝以其言不遜，欲抵其罪，徐勉固諫乃止。及聞赤章事，大怒，中使譴責者數焉，約懼遂卒。有司諡曰文，帝曰：「懷情不盡曰隱。」故改爲隱雲。所著《晉書》百一十卷，《宋書》百卷，《齊紀》二十卷，《高祖紀》十四卷，《邇言》十卷，《諡例》十卷，《宋文章志》三十卷，文集一百卷：皆行於世。又撰《四聲譜》，以爲在昔詞人，累千載而不寤，而獨得胸衿，窮其妙旨，自謂入神之作，高祖雅不好焉。帝問周捨曰：「何謂四聲？」舍曰：「天子聖哲」是也，然帝竟不遵用。

子旋，及約時已歷中書侍郎，永嘉太守，司徒從事中郎，司徒右長史。免約喪，爲太子僕，復以母憂去官，而蔬食辟穀。服除，猶絕粳粱。爲給事黃門侍郎、中撫軍長史。出爲招遠將軍、南康內史，在部以清治稱。卒官，諡曰恭侯。子𢉴嗣。