《長門賦》，最早見於南朝梁蕭統編著的《昭明文選》。其序言提到西漢司馬相如作於漢武帝時。據說是受了失寵的陳皇后的百金重託寫成的。武帝讀後，大為感動，陳皇后遂復得寵。
先以武帝口吻說「朝往而暮來」，但武帝喜新忘舊。接著改為陳皇后口吻，寫她登蘭台遠望，浮雲四塞，天色昏暗，雷鳴風飄，玄猿長吟，而君不再來。再描寫宮室雖好而寂寞難耐，明月自照，撫琴長愁，只能涕淚縱橫，舒息增嘆。最後寫夢中見君王在側，然醒後仍是孤身一人，夜長難過，體現了失寵宮人望君不至的心理。全賦想像豐富，層次清楚，描寫細膩，工於鋪敘，在漢賦中別出一格，對後世閨情宮怨詩歌有很大影響。
夫何一佳人兮，步逍遙以自虞。魂逾佚而不反兮，形枯槁而獨居。言我朝往而暮來兮，飲食樂而忘人。心慊移而不省故兮，交得意而相親。
伊予志之慢愚兮，懷真愨之歡心。願賜問而自進兮，得尚君之玉音。奉虛言而望誠兮，期城南之離宮。修薄具而自設兮，君曾不肯乎幸臨。
司馬相如（約前179年—前117年），字長卿，蜀郡（今四川省）成都人，一說為四川蓬安縣人。西漢大辭賦家。其代表作品為《子虛賦》。作品詞藻富麗，結構宏大，使他成為漢賦的代表作家，後人稱之為賦聖。他與卓文君的私奔也廣為流傳。
「琴挑文君」的故事。在司馬相如到了當地後，縣太守每日必訪，而司馬相如起初還和縣太守相見，但幾日之後不管縣太守怎樣提議相見，他卻始終不許。這樣的『奇聞』在小小的縣城迅速地傳開了，縣城內有兩位靠煉鐵致富的富豪，其中有全國首富卓王孫。兩富豪在家裡大擺宴席聘請司馬相如，但是司馬相如拒絕。兩位富豪感到面子上過不去，這時，縣太守主動提出去邀請司馬相如，而司馬相如則很勉強的來了。司馬相如到了宴席上，風采自然奪目。司馬相如本人有口吃，但琴彈得非常好，縣太守主動給司馬相如遞上一把琴要其彈奏一曲，這曲《鳳求凰》更曾令賓客大為讚歎，卓王孫之女卓文君也躲在後面偷聽。
卓文君早就對司馬相如有所耳聞，而這次賓宴更是使其對司馬相如心動。另一方面，司馬相如在宴席結束後，他馬上花重金收買了卓文君的貼身丫鬟，讓她轉達司馬相如對卓文君的愛慕。卓文君馬上奔赴到司馬相如所住的驛站，司馬相如見卓文君到來也立即帶著她連夜回到百里之外的老家成都。卓王孫大怒，不分一錢，相如夫婦以賣酒為生。後卓王孫轉變，司馬相如才得以和卓文君返回成都，成為富人。
Sima Xiangru (Szu-ma Hsiang-ju; simplified Chinese: 司马相如; traditional Chinese: 司馬相如; 179–127 BC) was a Chinese poet, musician, and author of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE). Sima's importance in Classical Chinese poetry consists both in his surviving works, several of which are especially famous, but also in his contribution to innovation in form and style. His poetry includes his invention or at least development of the fu form,[1] applying new metrical rhythms to the lines of poetry, which he mixed with lines of prose, and provided with several of what would in ensuing centuries become among a group of common set topics for this genre. He was also versatile enough to write in the Chu Ci-style, while it was enjoying a brief renaissance, and he also wrote lyrics in what would become known as the yuefu formal style. Musically, Sima Xiangru is known for mastery of the guqin.
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Ancient Love Story of the Han Dynasty |
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Young widow Zhuo Wenjun, was the daughter of Zhuo Wangsun of Lin Hong County in Sichuan Province. She was well versed in literature and music, and enjoyed reading the works of Sima Xiangru, the contemporary poet. |
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Sima Xiangru, on his way home to Chengdu, passed through Lin Hong County, and was honored by the magistrate who recommended him to the literary circle of that district. |
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Sima Xiangru dropped in one day at Cho Wangsun's house. Cho Wenjun, peering through the curtain, listened to his musical performance on the 'gu qin', which at once touched her heart. By a sudden gust of the wind, the curtain shifted. They saw each other and fell in love at first sight. |
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With the help of her maid servant, Zhuo Wenjun eloped one night to the embrace of Sima Xiangru. They swore to be together forever. |
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In the dark of night, they left together for Sichuan, leaving her home behind |
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They returned to Lin Hong nine months later, but was ignored by Zhuo's father, angered by her elopement to a poor scholar. She pawned her jewels and opened a wine shop with her husband. |
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They returned to Lin Hong nine months later, but was ignored by Zhuo's father, angered by her elopement to a poor scholar. She pawned her jewels and opened a wine shop with her husband. |
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The Han emperor, who admired Sima Xiangru's writings, summoned him to the Capital. |
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Zhuo Wenjun bade farewell to Sima Xiangru, as he prepared for his trip to the Capital to see the Emperor. |
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Sima Xiangru was bestowed the title of 'general,' and ordered to carry the Emperor's edict to the southwestern border of China. While passing through Linhong county, Zhuo Wangsun changed his attitude toward his son-in-law, welcoming him with an elaborate feast. |
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Sima Xiangru returned to the Capital in glory. However, other courtiers became jealous of his rise and plotted his downfall. Sima found himself imprisoned for no cause. |
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Zhuo Wangsun, learning that Sima Xiangru was imprisoned, ordered his daughter to remarry. She defied his ultimatum and fled to Chengdu. |
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The Emperor knew that Sima was innocent, and reinstated his title upon release from prison a year later. |
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A cynical, disillusioned Sima lost interest in the court and asked to be transferred to Mouling where he met a young woman whom he intended to take as a concubine. |
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Learning of her husband's intention, Zhuo Wenjun sent Sima her well-known poem " A White-haired Couple." |
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Sima was so deeply touched by the poem that he immediately abandoned his plan with the young woman. He and Zhuo Wenjun reunited and lived together until they became a white-haired couple. |
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