Biography

Xia Wanchun established himself as a prodigious poet from a young age. He began writing poetry at age seven and was a disciple of Chen Zilong. At age nine, Xia could already produce fu verses in the ancient style. Xia's ci poems are noted for their "enthusiasm and pathos", with one such poem titled "Plucking Mulberries" reading:

At age 15, alongside his father, Xia joined the army in its anti-Qing campaign. He wrote of the fallen Ming soldiers: "Men of wisdom are dispersed like clouds, the state lies in ruins, alas! I have written eighteen jueju poems, and the pathos of these short songs exceeds that of any long lament. Only those endowed with qing are able to speak like this!" Like his father, Xia was killed by Manchu soldiers.

生平

夏完淳為抗清烈士夏允彞之子，師從陳子龍。自幼聰慧，時人有神童之譽，「五歲知五經，七歲能詩文」，十四歲隨父夏允彞抗清。夏允彞兵敗自殺後，夏完淳和陳子龍繼續抗清，魯王監國封為中書舍人，參謀太湖吳昜軍事，吳昜失敗後，仍為抗清而奔走。順治四年（1647年）兵敗被俘，該年九月十九日不屈而死，年僅十七歲。殉國前有《獄中上母書》。

身後留有妻子錢秦篆（錢彥林之女，錢熙、錢默之妹）和女兒以及遺腹子，出世後夭折，家絕嗣。夏允彞、夏完淳父子合葬墓今存于上海市松江區小崑山鎮蕩灣村華夏公墓旁。

著作

著有《南冠草》、《續倖存錄》、《玉樊堂集》、《內史集》等，其中夏完淳向嫡母與生母訣別的《獄中上母書》被選為台灣的高中國文教科書。

譏諷洪承疇

夏完淳十七歲被捕，由投降清朝的洪承疇（號亨九）親自審訊，洪承疇想要保全夏完淳性命，說：「小孩子懂甚麼東西，怎可能起兵造反。只是誤入叛賊之中而已。現在歸順的話，不會讓你沒官可作。」夏完淳故意說：「我聽說洪亨九先生，是本朝的偉人，在松錦之戰陣亡殉國，鮮血都濺到水鳥之上。先帝震驚哀悼，給予褒揚撫恤，此事感動中華與四夷。我常常思慕亨九的忠烈，我年紀雖小，殺身報國這種事，當然是當仁不讓！」旁邊的士兵以為夏完淳不認識洪承疇，提醒他：「上面坐的就是洪亨九大人。」夏完淳怒斥道：「洪亨九先生殉於王事已久，天下沒有人不知道的，還曾經御祭七壇（其實是九壇），天子親臨，淚滿龍顏，群臣都跟著哭了。你們是甚麼逆黨，敢假託洪亨九之名，汙衊他的忠魂！」洪承疇保全不得，只好將他處斬。夏完淳遂就義于金陵西市，年僅十七。行刑時，傲然挺立，拒不下跪。葬於松江城西。其叔父夏之旭在當地孔廟痛哭，上吊自盡殉國。

評價

• 柳亞子《題夏內史集》第5首：「悲歌慷慨千秋血，文采風流一世宗。我亦年華垂二九，頭顱如許負英雄。」

注釋