Five Character Couplet in Clerical Script《隶书五言联》

Yang Xian (1819–1896)
Yang Xian, courtesy name Jianshan, pseudonym Yongzhai, and later known as Miaoweng and Chihong Cansou, was from Guian (present-day Huzhou), Zhejiang. He passed the imperial examination in the fifth year of Xianfeng (1855) but failed the metropolitan examination. He later joined the staffs of Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang, assisting in military affairs, and rose to the position of Salt Transport Commissioner and prefect of Songjiang. After offending his superiors and being dismissed, he settled in Suzhou, where he devoted himself to reading and writing, making a living by selling calligraphy.

Yang Xian’s calligraphy was especially strong in clerical script, drawing extensively from Han steles with a broad approach. This made his brushwork highly skilled. In the structure of his characters, he broke away from the convention of the square, compact forms of Han steles, opting instead for a tighter top and looser bottom. Combined with the extended left and right strokes and a flying, dynamic execution, he developed his own sharp, lively, and floating style. His clerical script was most distinctive during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi periods, earning great acclaim at the time.

Translation of couplet:
“The mountain rain and the respected old man remain; The pavilion and fragrant grass are extraordinary.”

杨岘（1819—1896），字见山，号庸斋，晚号藐翁、迟鸿残叟等，浙江归安（今湖州人）人。咸丰五年（1855）举人，应会试不中，曾入曾国藩、李鸿章幕中，参佐军务，官至盐运使、松江知府。后因得罪上僚被劾罢官，即寓居苏州，读书著述，以卖字为生。

杨岘的书法特长于隶书，于汉碑无所不窥，取法广泛，因而下笔极其熟练。在字形结构上，一反前人取汉碑方整严密的习惯，采取上紧下疏的处理方法。加上撇捺左右伸展，波挑飞扬，行笔颤动，形成自己犀利峭拔、活泼飘动的独特风格。咸丰、同治时期，他的隶书面貌最为突出，名噪一时。

释文：山雨尊仍在，亭香草不凡。