维元和六年岁次辛卯九月癸外朔某日，友人守永州司马员外置奠正员柳宗元，谨遣书吏奠曹、家人襄儿，奉清酌庶羞之奠，敬祭于吕八兄化光之灵。呜呼天平！君子何厉？天实仇之。德人何罪？天实仇之。聪明正直，行为君子，天则必速其死。道德仁义，志存德人，天则必夭其身。吾固知苍苍之无信，漠漠之无神。今于化光之殁，悲逾深而毒逾甚。故复呼天以云云。
天乎痛哉！尧舜之道，至大以简。仲尼之文，至幽以默。千载纷争，或失或得。倬乎吾兄，独取其直。贯于化始，与道成极。推而下之，法度不忒。旁而肆之，中和允塞。道大艺备，斯为全德。而官止刺一州，年不逾四十。佐王之志，没而不立。知非修正直以召灾，好仁义以速咎者耶？
宗元幼虽好学，晚未闻道，洎乎获友君子，乃知适于中庸，削去邪杂，显陈直正，为道不谬，兄实使然。呜呼！积乎中不必施于外，裕乎古不必谐于今，二事相兼，从古至少，至于化光，最为太甚。理行第一，尚非所长，文章过人，略而不有，夙志所蓄，巍然可知。贪愚皆贵，险很皆老，则化光之夭厄，反不荣欤？所恸者志不得行，功不得施，蚩蚩之民，不被化光之德；庸庸之俗，不知化光之心。斯言一出，内若焚裂。海内甚广，知音几人？自友朋凋丧，志业殆绝，惟望化光伸其宏略，震耀昌大，兴行于时，使斯人徒，知我所立。今复往矣，吾道息矣！虽其存者，志亦死矣！临江大哭，万事已矣！穷天之英，贯古之识。一朝去此，终复何适。
呜呼化光！今何为乎？止乎行乎？昧乎明平？知荡为太空与化无穷乎？将结为光耀以助临照乎？知为雨为露以泽下土乎？将为雷为霆以泄怨怒乎？知为凤为麟、为景星为卿云以寓其神乎？将为金为锡、为圭为壁以牺其魄乎？知复为贤人以续其志乎？将奋为神明以遂其义乎？不然，是昭昭者其得已乎，其不得已乎？抑有知乎，其无知乎？彼且有知，其可使吾知之乎？幽明茫然，一恸肠绝。呜呼化光！庶或听之。
wei维yuan元he和liu六nian年sui岁ci次xin辛mao卯jiu九yue月gui癸wai外shuo朔mou某ri日，you友ren人shou守yong永zhou州si司ma马yuan员wai外zhi置dian奠zheng正yuan员liu柳zong宗yuan元，jin谨qian遣shu书li吏dian奠cao曹、jia家ren人xiang襄er儿，feng奉qing清zhuo酌shu庶xiu羞zhi之dian奠，jing敬ji祭yu于lv吕ba八xiong兄hua化guang光zhi之ling灵。wu呜hu呼tian天ping平！jun君zi子he何li厉？tian天shi实qiu仇zhi之。de德ren人he何zui罪？tian天shi实qiu仇zhi之。cong聪ming明zheng正zhi直，xing行wei为jun君zi子，tian天ze则bi必su速qi其si死。dao道de德ren仁yi义，zhi志cun存de德ren人，tian天ze则bi必yao夭qi其shen身。wu吾gu固zhi知cang苍cang苍zhi之wu无xin信，mo漠mo漠zhi之wu无shen神。jin今yu于hua化guang光zhi之mo殁，bei悲yu逾shen深er而du毒yu逾shen甚。gu故fu复hu呼tian天yi以yun云yun云。
tian天hu乎tong痛zai哉！yao尧shun舜zhi之dao道，zhi至da大yi以jian简。zhong仲ni尼zhi之wen文，zhi至you幽yi以mo默。qian千zai载fen纷zheng争，huo或shi失huo或de得。zhuo倬hu乎wu吾xiong兄，du独qu取qi其zhi直。guan贯yu于hua化shi始，yu与dao道cheng成ji极。tui推er而xia下zhi之，fa法du度bu不te忒。pang旁er而si肆zhi之，zhong中he和yun允sai塞。dao道da大yi艺bei备，si斯wei为quan全de德。er而guan官zhi止ci刺yi一zhou州，nian年bu不yu逾si四shi十。zuo佐wang王zhi之zhi志，mei没er而bu不li立。zhi知fei非xiu修zheng正zhi直yi以zhao召zai灾，hao好ren仁yi义yi以su速jiu咎zhe者ye耶？
zong宗yuan元you幼sui虽hao好xue学，wan晚wei未wen闻dao道，ji洎hu乎huo获you友jun君zi子，nai乃zhi知shi适yu于zhong中yong庸，xue削qu去xie邪za杂，xian显chen陈zhi直zheng正，wei为dao道bu不miu谬，xiong兄shi实shi使ran然。wu呜hu呼！ji积hu乎zhong中bu不bi必shi施yu于wai外，yu裕hu乎gu古bu不bi必xie谐yu于jin今，er二shi事xiang相jian兼，cong从gu古zhi至shao少，zhi至yu于hua化guang光，zui最wei为tai太shen甚。li理xing行di第yi一，shang尚fei非suo所chang长，wen文zhang章guo过ren人，lve略er而bu不you有，su夙zhi志suo所xu蓄，wei巍ran然ke可zhi知。tan贪yu愚jie皆gui贵，xian险hen很jie皆lao老，ze则hua化guang光zhi之yao夭e厄，fan反bu不rong荣yu欤？suo所tong恸zhe者zhi志bu不de得xing行，gong功bu不de得shi施，chi蚩chi蚩zhi之min民，bu不bei被hua化guang光zhi之de德；yong庸yong庸zhi之su俗，bu不zhi知hua化guang光zhi之xin心。si斯yan言yi一chu出，nei内ruo若fen焚lie裂。hai海nei内shen甚guang广，zhi知yin音ji几ren人？zi自you友peng朋diao凋sang丧，zhi志ye业dai殆jue绝，wei惟wang望hua化guang光shen伸qi其hong宏lve略，zhen震yao耀chang昌da大，xing兴xing行yu于shi时，shi使si斯ren人tu徒，zhi知wo我suo所li立。jin今fu复wang往yi矣，wu吾dao道xi息yi矣！sui虽qi其cun存zhe者，zhi志yi亦si死yi矣！lin临jiang江da大ku哭，wan万shi事yi已yi矣！qiong穷tian天zhi之ying英，guan贯gu古zhi之shi识。yi一chao朝qu去ci此，zhong终fu复he何shi适。
wu呜hu呼hua化guang光！jin今he何wei为hu乎？zhi止hu乎xing行hu乎？mei昧hu乎ming明ping平？zhi知dang荡wei为tai太kong空yu与hua化wu无qiong穷hu乎？jiang将jie结wei为guang光yao耀yi以zhu助lin临zhao照hu乎？zhi知wei为yu雨wei为lu露yi以ze泽xia下tu土hu乎？jiang将wei为lei雷wei为ting霆yi以xie泄yuan怨nu怒hu乎？zhi知wei为feng凤wei为lin麟、wei为jing景xing星wei为qing卿yun云yi以yu寓qi其shen神hu乎？jiang将wei为jin金wei为xi锡、wei为gui圭wei为bi壁yi以xi牺qi其po魄hu乎？zhi知fu复wei为xian贤ren人yi以xu续qi其zhi志hu乎？jiang将fen奋wei为shen神ming明yi以sui遂qi其yi义hu乎？bu不ran然，shi是zhao昭zhao昭zhe者qi其de得yi已hu乎，qi其bu不de得yi已hu乎？yi抑you有zhi知hu乎，qi其wu无zhi知hu乎？bi彼qie且you有zhi知，qi其ke可shi使wu吾zhi知zhi之hu乎？you幽ming明mang茫ran然，yi一tong恸chang肠jue绝。wu呜hu呼hua化guang光！shu庶huo或ting听zhi之。
