原文
南海女子
唐上元初，南海女子所制有《鞶鉴图》，名曰《转轮八花钩枝鉴铭》，凡一百九十二字，回环读之，四字成句。其构思精巧，寓词箴规，似有得乎风人之旨，可与苏若兰《璇玑图》、范阳杨氏《天宝回文》诗并传。旧有王勃序云：“上元二年，岁次乙亥，十有一月庚午朔七日丙子，予将之交趾，旅次南海。有好事者，以《转轮钩枝八花鉴铭》示予云：‘当今之才妇人也。’观其藻丽反覆，文字萦回，句读曲屈，韵调高雅，有陈规起讽之意，可以作鉴前烈，辉映将来者也。昔孔诗十兴，不遗卫姜，江篇拟古，无隔班媛。盖以超俊颖拔，同符君子者矣。呜呼！何勒非戒，何述非才，风律苟存，士女何算。聊抚镜以长想，遂援笔而作叙。太原王勃撰。”复有令狐楚跋云：“元和十三年二月八日，子为中书舍人翰林学士，夜直禁中，奏进旨捡事，因开前库东阁，于架上阅《古今撰集》，凡数百家。偶于《王勃集》中卷末，获此《鉴图》并序，爱玩久之。翼日遂自摹写，贮于箱箧。宝历二年，乃命随军潘玄敏绘于缣素，传诸好事者。太原令狐楚记。”考唐武后时，有南海七岁女子，武后命赋诗送其兄，即应声曰：“别路云初起，离亭叶正飞。所嗟人异雁，不作一行归。”此女子不知姓氏，岂即为《鞶鉴图铭》者欤。此图曾附《子安集》以行，复为令狐文公所赏。吁，亦异矣哉。
花上八字，枝间八字，环旋读之，四字为句，递相为韵。其盘屈纠结为八枝者，左旋读之，自篇字起至词字止，当就支脂字韵。右旋读之，自词字起至篇字止，当就先仙字韵。
白话
中文
唐高宗上元年间初期，南海郡有一位女子创作了一幅《鞶鉴图》，名叫《转轮八花钩枝鉴铭》。全图共一百九十二个字，可以回环旋转来读，每四个字组成一句。它的构思十分精巧，文辞中蕴含着规劝告诫的意义，似乎深得《诗经》作者的旨意，可以和苏若兰的《璇玑图》、范阳杨氏的《天宝回文》诗相媲美并流传后世。
过去有王勃为此作的序文说：“上元二年（公元675年），农历是乙亥年，十一月初七丙子日，我将要前往交趾（今越南北部），途中客居在南海郡。有位喜欢探求奇闻逸事的人，拿这幅《转轮钩枝八花鉴铭》给我看，并说：‘这是当今一位有才华的妇人创作的。’我观察它，文辞华美又能反复回环阅读，文字萦绕，断句曲折，音韵格调高雅，有陈述规劝、进行讽喻的用意，可以作为借鉴前人功业、光耀后世的范本。从前孔子编订《诗经》，采集十五国风，并不遗漏卫庄姜的作品；江淹摹拟古人的诗篇，也并不排斥班婕妤（班媛）的作品。大概是因为她们才智超群、出类拔萃，可以和有德行的男子相提并论了。唉！哪篇铭刻不是警戒，哪篇记述不显才华？只要风雅的韵律格调存在，又何必计较是男是女呢？我姑且抚摸着这（刻有铭文的）铜镜（或图样）而长久思索，于是提笔写下了这篇序文。太原人王勃撰写。”
后来还有令狐楚作的后记说：“元和十三年（公元818年）二月初八，我担任中书舍人、翰林学士，在宫中值夜班，（为皇帝）处理呈奏的文件，检阅事务，因此打开了前面的书库东阁，在书架上翻阅《古今撰集》，总共有几百家之多。偶然在《王勃集》的最后一卷，发现了这幅《鉴图》和王勃的序文，喜爱把玩了很久。第二天就亲自摹写下来，收藏在书箱里。到了宝历二年（公元826年），才命令随军的画工潘玄敏把它绘制在细绢上，传给那些喜欢这类事物的人。太原人令狐楚记录。”
考察唐代武则天时期，南海郡有个七岁的女孩子，武则天命令她作一首诗为她哥哥送行，她立刻应声吟诵道：“别路云初起，离亭叶正飞。所嗟人异雁，不作一行归。”这个女孩子不知道姓名，难道她就是创作《鞶鉴图铭》的那位女子吗？这幅图曾经附在王勃的文集《王子安集》中流传，又被令狐楚（文公）所欣赏。啊，也真是奇特啊！
（关于《转轮八花钩枝鉴铭》的读法：）图案花朵上的八个字，枝条间的八个字，旋转环绕来读，每四个字成为一句，句子之间依次押韵。那些盘绕交错形成的八条枝干上的文字，向左旋转读，从“篇”字开始到“词”字结束，应当押支、脂韵部的字。向右旋转读，从“词”字开始到“篇”字结束，应当押先、仙韵部的字。
英文
During the early Shangyuan era (674-676 CE) of the Tang Dynasty, a woman from Nanhai Commandery (modern Guangzhou area) created a work known as the "Pánjiàn Tú" (possibly "Pouch and Mirror Diagram" or "Belt-Plaque Mirror Diagram"), titled "Zhuànlún Bāhuā Gōuzhī Jiànmíng" (Inscription for a Revolving Eight-Flower Hooked-Branch Mirror). It contained a total of 192 characters, which could be read circularly, forming four-character lines. Its conception was ingenious, and its words contained admonitions and advice, seemingly capturing the essence of the poets of the Book of Odes. It could be transmitted alongside Su Ruolan's "Xuánjī Tú" (Star Gauge Diagram palindrome poem) and Lady Yang of Fanyang's "Tianbao Palindrome Poem."
There was an old preface by Wang Bo which stated: "In the second year of Shangyuan (675 CE), the year Yi Hai, on the seventh day (Bingzi) of the eleventh month (which began on Gengwu), I was heading to Jiaozhi (northern Vietnam) and stopping over in Nanhai. An enthusiast showed me the 'Inscription for a Revolving Eight-Flower Hooked-Branch Mirror,' saying, 'This is by a talented woman of our time.' Observing it, I found its wording ornate and reversible, the characters winding, the phrasing intricate, and the rhymes elegant. It holds the intent of presenting rules and offering critiques, capable of serving as a mirror reflecting past glories and illuminating the future. In the past, when Confucius compiled the ten 'Xing' (affective images) poems, he did not omit Lady Jiang of Wei; when Jiang Yan imitated ancient poems, he did not exclude Lady Ban (Ban Jieyu). This is likely because their outstanding talent and brilliance were comparable to those of noble men (junzi). Alas! What inscription is not a warning, what narrative does not display talent? As long as the style and rhythm [of classic poetry] endure, what does it matter if the author is male or female? I casually caressed the mirror (or diagram) and pondered for a long time, then took up my brush to write this preface. Written by Wang Bo of Taiyuan."
Furthermore, there was a postscript by Linghu Chu: "On the eighth day of the second month of the thirteenth year of Yuanhe (818 CE), I was serving as Palace Secretary (Zhongshu Sheren) and Hanlin Academician. While on night duty in the palace, handling submitted documents and reviewing affairs by imperial order, I opened the East Pavilion of the front repository. On the shelves, I perused the 'Collections of Writings Ancient and Modern,' numbering several hundred authors. By chance, at the end of a volume of the 'Collected Works of Wang Bo,' I discovered this 'Mirror Diagram' along with its preface. I admired and enjoyed it for a long time. The next day, I personally copied it and stored it in my chest. In the second year of Baoli (826 CE), I ordered the accompanying military artisan Pan Xuanmin to paint it on fine silk, to be circulated among enthusiasts. Recorded by Linghu Chu of Taiyuan."
Research shows that during the time of Empress Wu of the Tang Dynasty (late 7th century), there was a seven-year-old girl in Nanhai Commandery. Empress Wu ordered her to compose a poem to bid farewell to her brother. She immediately responded: 'On the parting road, clouds just begin to rise; / At the farewell pavilion, leaves are truly flying. / What saddens is that people, unlike wild geese, / Do not return together in a single line.' This girl's name is unknown; could she be the same person who created the 'Inscription for the Pouch and Mirror Diagram'? This diagram was once circulated appended to Wang Bo's collection ('Works of Wang Zi'an') and was also appreciated by Linghu Chu (Lord Wen). Ah, truly extraordinary!
(Regarding how to read the "Inscription for a Revolving Eight-Flower Hooked-Branch Mirror"): The eight characters on the flowers and the eight characters between the branches are read circularly, with every four characters forming a line, rhyming sequentially. For the text on the eight intertwined branches: reading counter-clockwise, starting from the character '篇' (piān) and ending at '词' (cí), it should follow the Zhi/Zhī rhymes. Reading clockwise, starting from '词' (cí) and ending at '篇' (piān), it should follow the Xiān/Xiān rhymes.
文化解读/分析
此条目记录了唐代南海一位佚名才女及其创作的极其复杂精妙的回文图——《转轮八花钩枝鉴铭》。其文化和民俗价值体现在：
- 岭南女性才华的早期记录：在唐代，岭南地区常被视为文化相对边缘的区域，但此条目明确记载了南海（今广州一带）出现了一位才华横溢的女性，其作品水平之高，足以与当时著名的才女苏若兰和范阳杨氏的作品并列。这不仅是对个体才华的肯定，也反映了唐代岭南地区并非文化荒漠，女性亦有接受教育、施展才华的机会。
- 回文诗/图的艺术成就：《转轮八花钩枝鉴铭》是一种高度技巧化的文学与视觉艺术结合体。其“回环读之”、“四字成句”、“左右旋读”、“递相为韵”的特点，表明它是一种复杂的回文（palindrome）形式，类似迷宫诗或图形诗。这种形式本身就极具智力挑战和艺术观赏性，体现了中国古代文字游戏的精妙和作者的巧思。王勃称其“藻丽反覆，文字萦回，句读曲屈，韵调高雅”，令狐楚“爱玩久之”，都证明了其艺术魅力。
- 男性文人对女性才华的认可与传播：值得注意的是，这位南海女子的作品得以流传，有赖于两位著名男性文人——初唐四杰之一的王勃和中唐名相令狐楚的发现、激赏、作序/跋以及摹写传播。王勃的序文更是明确提出“风律苟存，士女何算”，表达了不应因性别而埋没才华的开明观点，并将这位女子与古代著名才女卫姜、班婕妤相提并论，给予了极高的评价。这反映了当时部分精英知识分子对女性才智的尊重。
- 作品的社会功能与寓意：王勃指出该作品“有陈规起讽之意，可以作鉴前烈，辉映将来者也”，说明这不仅仅是一件文字游戏或艺术品，更蕴含着道德劝诫（箴规）和社会反思的意义。“鉴铭”本身常刻于铜镜之上，铜镜在古代有“以史为鉴”、“正衣冠”的象征意义，这篇铭文很可能就是利用铜镜的载体，寄寓了修身、齐家或观照世事的深意。
- 地方传说的钩沉与推测：屈大均将这位创作《鞶鉴图》的南海女子与武后时期那位七岁能诗的南海神童联系起来进行推测，虽然缺乏实证，但体现了他作为地方文献学家的考据兴趣，也丰富了关于南海地区才女传说的内容。这种钩沉和联想，本身也构成了地方文化叙事的一部分。
- 文化遗产的失传与追忆：尽管有王勃、令狐楚的记录和摹绘，但这幅奇特的《转轮八花钩枝鉴铭》实物或完整图样似乎未能流传至今，仅留下文字记载。屈大均在清初将其收录于《广东新语》，表达了对这一失落文化瑰宝的追忆和惋惜（“吁，亦异矣哉”），也使得后人得以知晓历史上曾有这样一位来自岭南的奇女子和她的非凡创作。
关键词
广东新语, 屈大均, 人语, 南海女子, 鞶鉴图, 转轮八花钩枝鉴铭, 回文诗, 回文图, 璇玑图, 王勃, 令狐楚, 唐代, 上元, 南海郡, 广州, 才女, 女性文学, 岭南文化, 鉴铭, 铜镜, 文字游戏, 武后, 七岁女童, 子安集, 潘玄敏