Early life and career

Liu Kun was born in Weichang county, Zhongshan commandery and it was said that he was a descendant of the Han prince, Liu Sheng. Both his father Liu Fan (劉蕃) and grandfather Liu Mai (劉邁) had both served as government officials. Together with his brother Liu Yu (劉輿), Liu Kun achieved celebrity status for his talent in writing whilst working in the Jin capital in Luoyang. The two brothers earned the epithet junlang (儁朗), which meant "outstanding and bright" and were part of Shi Chong』s inner circle called the "Twenty-Four Friends of Jingu (二十四友)」, a group of celebrities who were close associates with Empress Jia』s nephew, Jia Mi. Unfortunately, none of Liu Kun's works during his time with the group survived.

War of the Eight Princes

Service under Sima Lun and Sima Jiong

A civil war broke out in 301 when Emperor Hui of Jin』s regent, Sima Lun deposed him and declared himself emperor. Liu Kun』s family sided with Sima Lun against Sima Jiong, Sima Ying and Sima Yong』s coalition, since his elder sister was married to Sima Lun』s heir Sima Fu. Liu Kun commanded an army at the Battle of Huangqiao (黃橋, in present-day Wen County, Henan) but he and his allies retreated after being decisively defeated. By the middle of the year, Sima Lun was overthrown and forced to commit suicide while Sima Jiong becomes Emperor Hui』s new regent. Jiong had many of Lun』s partisans executed but he was impressed with the talents possessed by Liu Kun』s family, so he gave them appointments in his new government. After Jiong was killed in battle against Sima Ai in January 303, the Liu family went to serve the Prince of Fanyang, Sima Xiao (司馬虓).

Service under Sima Xiao

In 305, after Sima Yong had forcibly relocated Emperor Hui from Luoyang to Chang'an, Sima Xiao joined a coalition led by his cousin the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue, to retrieve the emperor back to Luoyang. Shortly after declaring the coalition, Sima Yue gave out a number of appointments on his own accord, which Liu Kun and his family benefitted from. Liu Fan was appointed Army Protector of Huaibei, Liu Yu was appointed Administrator of Yingchuan while Liu Kun was made a Marshal by Sima Xiao. Meanwhile, the Inspector of Yuzhou, Liu Qiao, was transferred to Inspector of Jizhou, with his old position being given to Sima Xiao.

Although Liu Qiao was a member of the coalition, he became angry at Sima Yue for acting beyond his discretion without the emperor's approval, and he extended his anger to Liu Kun and Liu Yu. As a result, he defected to Sima Yong and sent a letter to his court in which he denounced Liu Kun and Liu Yu for their crimes while stating his intention in attacking Sima Xiao』s base in Xuchang. Due to Xuchang』s poor defences, Liu Qiao easily captured the city along with Liu Kun's parents. Liu Kun tried leading soldiers to save the city but was unable to arrive in time, so he, Liu Yu and Sima Xiao fled north to Jizhou.

At Jizhou, Liu Kun managed to convince its inspector, Wen Xian (溫羨), who happened to be a relative of his, to give up his post to Sima Xiao. With a province at hand, Liu Kun was sent to Youzhou to request assistance from the commander of the province, Wang Jun. With the help of Wang Jun's Xianbei and Wuhuan "charging cavalries", Liu Kun and Sima Xiao attacked Liu Qiao's reserves at Heqiao (河穚; southwest of present-day Mengzhou, Henan) and killed the general, Wang Chan (王闡). They later crossed the Yangzi River and attacked Liu Qiao's allies at Xingyang, where they also killed Shi Chao.

As Liu Qiao fell back to Kaocheng (考城, in modern Shangqiu, Henan), Liu Kun and another general, Tian Hui (田徽), routed his ally, Sima Mao (司馬楙) at Linqiu (廩丘, in present-day Heze, Shandong). Liu Kun then divided his troops and advanced to Xuchang, whereupon its inhabitants welcomed him without a fight. Finally, Liu Kun marched to Xiao County to link up with Sima Yue, whose army had been blocked from marching into the Guanzhong region by Liu Qiao's son, Liu You (劉祐). Liu Kun defeated and killed Liu You, causing Liu Qiao's army to scatter.

Liu Qiao』s defeat caused Sima Yong to panic, and he tried to sue for peace with Sima Yue. He beheaded his Grand Commander Zhang Fang and delivered the head to Yue, but the offer was rejected. Instead, the head was given to Liu Kun, who used it to convince Lü Lang (呂朗) and Sima Yong』s other generals to surrender. After Sima Yue's forces captured Chang'an, Liu Kun was awarded the title of Marquis of Guangwu.

Inspector of Bingzhou

Restoring Bingzhou

While the War of the Eight Princes was happening, the tribes of the Five Divisions in Bingzhou, led by Liu Yuan, broke away from Jin and established the Han-Zhao in 304. In addition to an ongoing famine, the new Han state brought instability to the province and was becoming a growing threat to Jin. Sima Yue, at the advice of Liu Yu, appointed Liu Kun as the Inspector of Bingzhou to guard the northern borders, replacing Sima Teng.

When Sima Teng left, Han forces and bandits had occupied most of the roads in Bing, forcing Liu Kun to fight his way to his capital in Jinyang (晉陽縣; present-day Jinyuan District, Taiyuan, Shanxi). Liu Yuan sent his general Liu Jing (劉景) to intercept Liu Kun, but Liu Kun defeated him and eventually reached Jinyang. At Jinyang, Liu Kun found that the government buildings were all burnt down and the surrounding towns and countrysides were desolated. Liu Kun managed to restore some order in the province and attracted refugees to his ___domain.

The following year, Liu Yuan sent Liu Cong, Wang Mi and Shi Le to conquer Huguan county. Liu Kun sent his subordinate Huang Su (黃肅) and Han Shu (韓述) to reinforce the county but Liu Cong killed the two of them in battle while reinforcements sent by Sima Yue were routed by Wang Mi. In the end, his Administrator of Shangdang, Pang Chun (龐淳), surrendered Huguan to Han.

Alliance with Tuoba Yilu and conflict with Wang Jun

Shortly after this defeat, Liu Kun campaigned against the Tiefu Xiongnu, led by Liu Hu, and the Xianbei Bai tribe (白部) who had sided with Liu Yuan. In 310, Liu Kun allied himself with Tuoba Yilu, chieftain of the Tuoba Xianbei, and routed Liu Hu and his allies. Soon after, Liu Kun formed a brotherly bond with Tuoba Yilu. As a reward for his assistance, Liu Kun sent a petition to the court, demanding that Yilu be appointed Grand Chanyu and receive Dai commandery as a fief. The petition was accepted but it also angered Liu Kun』s colleague, Wang Jun, as Dai was under his administration in Youzhou. Wang Jun sent his forces to attack the Tuoba but was unsuccessful.

The next year, Liu Kun discovered that the mother and nephew of Han』s general, Shi Le were wandering in his territory. Liu Kun delivered Lady Wang (王氏) and Shi Hu to Shi Le, along with a letter convincing him to side with Jin. Shi Le rejected his letter but still sent him gifts for returning him his mother.

A troubling issue for Liu Kun is the lack of manpower in his territory. Although he attracted many refugees to join him, just as many them would leave him for safer refuges, so he had to request the Tuoba for soldiers. Later in 311, Liu Kun sent his kinsman Liu Xi (劉希) to gather people from Wang Jun』s territories. However, Wang Jun discovered Liu Kun's intrusion and sent his forces to kill Liu Xi. In retaliation, Tuoba Yilu sent his son, Tuoba Liuxiu (拓跋六脩) to help Liu Kun against Wang Jun, but this act proved disastrous when Liuxiu got into a fight with Liu Kun's officer, Xing Yan (邢延), leading to Xing Yan surrendering Xinxing commandery (新興, in present-day Xinzhou, Shanxi) to Han.

Xu Run affair

In 312, Liu Kun appointed a man named Xu Run (徐潤) as the Prefect of Jinyang. Xu had impressed Liu Kun through his musical talents to earn his position, but his administration showed his cruelty and corruption. The Army Protector, Linghu Sheng (令狐盛) urged Liu Kun to get rid off Xu Run but his advice fell on deaf ears. Hearing this, Xu Run slandered Linghu Sheng to the point that Liu Kun decided to execute him. Sheng』s son, Linghu Ni (令狐泥) fled to Han, where he revealed to the now emperor Liu Cong of Kun』s situation. Liu Cong sent Liu Yao and Liu Can with Linghu Ni as a guide to conquer Bingzhou, and the Han forces managed to force Liu Kun out of Jinyang. Linghu Ni also killed both of Liu Kun』s parents while they were fleeing with him. Liu Kun managed to recapture Jinyang with Tuoba Yilu』s assistance but by that time the city had been sacked by Liu Yao. Liu Kun regathered his scattered forces and made way to his new capital in Yangqu.

Fall of Bingzhou

The following year, Liu Kun and Tuoba Yilu attacked Xiping but movements by Han troops persuaded them to retreat. In 314, Shi Le was planning to finish off Wang Jun in Youzhou. Shi Le wrote a letter pretending to look weak by asking Liu Kun for permission to attack Wang while also sending hostages to him. Liu Kun believed the letter and was delighted, even going as far as to spread this news throughout his ___domain. However, things took a turn after Shi Le captured and executed Wang Jun, causing Liu Kun to realize that he had been trick. Furthermore, Shi Le』s recent victory prompted many of those in Tuoba Yilu』s ___domain to defect, forcing Yilu to purge many families in Dai.

Tuoba Yilu was assassinated by Tuoba Liuxiu in 316. Dai fell into civil war between Liuxiu and Tuoba Pugen which caused Yilu』s general Ji Dan (箕澹) and Wei Xiong (衞雄) to join Liu Kun with thousands of families and livestock. Morale in Liu Kun』s territory arose as their recent fortunes meant that there was a chance to turn the tides. However, not long after, Shi Le besieged the Administrator of Leping (樂平, in present-day Shanxi), Han Ju (韓據) at Diancheng (坫城). Liu Kun accepted Han Ju』s call for help and insisted on using his newly received forces. Ji Dan and Wei Xiong remonstrated him, saying that the troops were not loyal to him yet and that they should be kept for the future. Liu Kun ignored their advices and ordered Ji Dan with the whole army to attack Shi Le. Shi Le greatly routed Ji Dan, causing him and Wei Xiong to flee back to Dai. Meanwhile, Han Ju abandoned Tiancheng to Shi Le as reinforcements failed to relief him. With Liu Kun』s army on the brink of destruction, Liu Kun』s Chief Clerk, Li Hong (李弘), handed over Bingzhou to Han.

Final years and death

Alliance with Duan Pidi

After the loss of Bing Province, Liu Kun was left with nothing and nowhere to go. Hearing this, Inspector of Youzhou and a head of the Duan tribe, Duan Pidi, sent a letter to Liu Kun inviting him to his headquarters in Jicheng. Liu Kun met him, and the two men started a mutual relationship, arranging a marriage between their relatives. In 317, they swore an oath with each other and sent a joint petition to Sima Rui in Jiankang insisting he claim the imperial title. Liu Kun's envoy was Wen Jiao, whose aunt was married to Liu Kun. The same year, both men planned an attack against Shi Le with Duan Pidi's brothers, but the plan was cancelled as Pidi's brothers refused to take orders from him. The following year, after Sima Rui ascended the throne as Emperor Yuan of Jin, Liu Kun was appointed Palace Attendant and Defender-in-Chief and was presented a famous sword.

Accusation of betrayal and death

Despite his newfound ally and base, Liu Kun would soon meet his end at the hands of Duan Pidi. Duan Pidi's brother and chieftain of the Duan, Duan Jilujuan passed away. His cousin Duan Mopei took advantage of his death to usurp the tribe's power. After killing his uncle and cousin's successor, Duan Shefuchen, Duan Mopei attacked Duan Pidi who was travelling to attend the funeral, causing him to retreat. In the assault, Liu Kun's eldest son, Liu Qun (劉群) was captured by Duan Mopei. Duan Mopei treated him with respect and even convinced him to write a letter to his father inviting him over to his side. The letter, however, was intercepted by Duan Pidi's scouts.

Duan Pidi showed the letter to Liu Kun, who at the time had not known of the events that happened. Liu Kun assured Pidi that he would not betray him, even if the letter was indeed from his son. Duan Pidi initially let him off but his younger brother, Duan Shujun (段叔軍), told him: "We are tribesmen, after all, and anyone who can retain the loyalty of the Jin people will fear our own forces. Now there is this strife within our family, splitting apart the flesh and the bones, and Liu Kun must have planned for this day all along. If you allow Liu Kun to rise, it will mean the end of all our clan." Duan Pidi heeded his advice and arrested Liu Kun.

When news of Liu Kun's arrest came out, Kun's son, Liu Zun mounted a defence in his camp but was quickly defeated by Duan Pidi. Two of Liu Kun's generals Pilü Song (辟閭嵩) and Han Ju, also planned to do the same, but their plot was leaked, so Pidi captured and executed them along with their other collaborators. Sima Rui's powerful general in the south, Wang Dun, had always despised Liu Kun. Upon hearing his arrest, Wang secretly sent a messenger to Duan Pidi asking him to kill Liu Kun. On the 22nd of June, while claiming that he had received an imperial edict, Duan Pidi had Liu Kun strangled along with four of his sons and nephews.

Aftermath

Some of Liu Kun's followers, including Lu Chen and Cui Yue (崔悅), fled to Duan Mopei, where they acclaimed Liu Qun as their leader while others went to serve with Shi Le. Because he killed Liu Kun and broke his oath, Duan Pidi lost the trust of both the Han Chinese and tribal people. Although Sima Rui permitted no one to hold mourning for him to ensure Duan Pidi's allegiance to Jin, both Wen Jiao and Duan Mopei petitioned that Liu Kun be honored posthumously as he had been a loyal Jin subject. Some years later, Liu Kun was posthumously appointed as Grand Commandant and Palace Attendant and given the posthumous name "Min (愍)" or "the Lamented".

Children

Liu Kun had at least two sons, Liu Zun (劉遵, who was a son to his father's concubine) and Liu Qun.

Liu Zun

When Liu Kun first allied himself with Tuoba Yilu, Liu Zun was sent to Dai to serve as a hostage to ensure Liu Kun's loyalty. He was returned to his father in 316 by Ji Dan and Wei Xiong when they fled to him to escape Dai. After Duan Pidi arrested Liu Kun in 318, Zun mounted a defense in his own camp against Pidi but was swiftly defeated and captured. His final fate is not recorded but it is most likely he was one of the four sons and nephews executed alongside his father.

Liu Qun

Liu Kun's other son, Liu Qun, courtesy name Gongdu (公度), was described as cautious and good at passing judgement. Prior to his capture by Duan Mopei in 318, he followed his father and fought during his march to Jinyang in 307, helping him secure the provincial capital. After Qun was acclaimed as his father's successor, he remained with the Duan clan for roughly two decades, eventually becoming one of Duan Liao's Chief Clerks of the Left and Right. In 338, amidst the Later Zhao and Former Yan joint campaign on the Duan clan, Liu Qun together with Lu Chen and Cui Yue surrendered to the Zhao forces, and Shi Hu, now ruler of Zhao, appointed Liu Qun the Inspector of Qinzhou. In 349, Shi Hu's Han Chinese grandson, Shi Min took over the government and installed his uncle Shi Jian as a puppet emperor. Liu Qun appears to have supported Shi Min, as he was made Supervisor of the Left of the Masters of Writing by Min himself. Shi Min eventually formed the state of Ran Wei in 350, changing his name to Ran Min in the process, and Liu Qun became his Deputy Director. Liu was later killed by invading Former Yan forces in May 352.

Poetry

Although Liu Kun only has three surviving poems, he was famous for his works as a poet, his most known being the "Song of Fufeng (扶風歌)". The poem is written during Liu Kun's trip from Luoyang to Jinyang between 306 and 307 and centres around his reluctance in leaving the capital. The poem is unique for its time as it contains elements of poems from the Jian'an and early Cao Wei period. His other two poems are from two letters he exchanged with his wife's nephew, Lu Chen between 317 and 318. They are known as "Poem for Lu Chen (贈盧諶詩)" and "Response to Lu Chen (答盧諶詩)". His poems were compiled in a Liang Dynasty catalog as the "Liu Kun Ji (劉琨集)".

Anecdotes

"Rising at Cockcrow to Practice the Sword"

During his time as Registrar in Sizhou in the 290s, Liu Kun befriended a colleague named Zu Ti, who would later become one of Western Jin's most famous general. When they were sleeping in the same bed one night, they heard a rooster's crow at midnight. As this was a bad omen, Zu Ti kicked Liu Kun awake, telling him "This is no evil sound!" The two men got up and performed a sword dance. This event inspired the Chinese chengyu "rising at cockcrow to practice the sword (聞雞起舞; "wén jī qǐ wǔ")".

Lifting a siege by playing a flute

Another anecdote tells of how Liu Kun drove back an army of hu people by playing the nomad flute. His headquarters in Jinyang was constantly besieged by the hu. In one of these sieges, Liu Kun took advantage of the moonlight to climb a tall building, where he began to whistle cleanly. This caught the attention of the invaders, who went heart-sore and made long sighs because of Liu Kun's whistling. Liu Kun then began playing the nomad flute with his men. The songs that Liu Kun played reminded the barbarians of their homelands and how much they miss it. Towards dawn, Liu Kun played the flute again, this time convincing the invaders to leave and abandon the siege.

生平

早年生涯

劉琨是西漢中山靖王劉勝之後，其祖父劉邁官至相國參軍、散騎常侍，父親劉蕃、胞兄劉輿也曾出任高官，舅舅是尚書郭奕。王敦也很欣賞劉琨。但同時他也喜好奢靡虛浮的清談風流，是以大富豪石崇為首的「二十四友」的成員。

聞雞起舞

劉琨和祖逖一起擔任司州主簿時，兩人感情很好，常一起睡在同一張床上。有一天深夜，祖逖聽到野雞的叫聲，把劉琨踢醒，說：「此非惡聲也」。于是，兩人都起床舞劍。劉琨和祖逖都有著遠大的抱負，經常談論世間事務，有時在深夜起床坐著，相互勉勵：「若四海鼎沸，豪傑並起，吾與足下當相避于中原耳」。

後來，劉琨聽說祖逖被東晉朝廷重用，在寫給親人故友的信中寫道：「吾枕戈待旦，志梟逆虜，常恐祖生先吾著鞭」。

八王之亂

八王之亂中劉琨也被捲入。永康元年（300年）被其姐夫司馬荂的父親趙王司馬倫重用。次年司馬倫稱帝，劉琨任太子詹事，輔佐司馬荂。齊王司馬冏、成都王司馬穎、河間王司馬顒等諸王討伐司馬倫。司馬倫任命劉琨為冠軍將軍、假節。劉琨與司馬倫手下孫秀領兵三萬抵抗司馬穎兵敗。司馬倫兵敗之後司馬冏輔政，因為劉琨出身名門，任命劉琨為尚書左丞，轉司徒左長史。再次年司馬冏敗給東海王司馬越，司馬越的支持者范陽王司馬虓（不是八王之一）鎮守許昌，推薦劉琨為司馬。

司馬越派劉琨的父親劉蕃為淮北護軍、豫州刺史。河間王司馬顒手下劉喬攻擊司馬虓，劉琨援救不及，其父母被劉喬俘獲。劉琨說服其連襟溫憺的兄長冀州刺史溫羨讓位給司馬虓。光熙元年（306年）從王浚處求得八百騎兵，戰敗劉喬，救出父母。劉琨助司馬騰擊敗、斬成都王司馬穎（司馬顒的聯軍）手下大將石超，降司馬顒手下滎陽守將呂朗、助司馬越、司馬虓連敗司馬顒、司馬穎，被封廣武侯、邑二千戶。

征戰并州

司馬穎舊將公師藩和汲桑在北方以為司馬穎歸葬為名起兵，與張泓舊將李豐一同攻向鄴城，并州刺史司馬騰最終不能抵抗、輕騎逃走、在路上被李豐殺害。三個月後苟晞才來到解救鄴城，驅走汲桑等。光熙元年（306年）九月，司馬越為了擴張勢力，派劉琨出任并州（今山西東部、河北西部）刺史、加振威將軍、領護匈奴中郎將。在此兩年前匈奴王劉淵趁八王之亂已在并州南部起兵建立「漢」政權，後改稱「趙」，史稱前趙。

劉琨帶領一千餘人輾轉離開首都洛陽，永嘉元年（307年）春天到達晉陽（今山西太原）。當時的晉陽經歷戰亂，已成一座空城。劉琨在左右強敵環俟的環境下安撫流民，發展生產，加強防禦。不到一年晉陽就恢復了生氣，成了西晉在匈奴敵後的少數幾個割據政權之一。

當時的晉陽西面和南面是強大的匈奴前趙，北面是正在崛起的拓跋鮮卑的代國，東面是和段部鮮卑結盟事實上獨立的西晉幽州刺史王浚。劉琨和拓跋鮮卑首領拓跋猗盧結為兄弟，和前趙石勒等大將的戰鬥互有勝負。

永嘉四年（310年）劉琨聯合拓跋猗盧討伐依附前趙的匈奴鐵弗部劉虎和白部鮮卑，勝利後上表西晉朝廷封拓跋猗盧為大單于兼代王。代郡屬于幽州，所以王浚不同意，還進擊拓跋猗盧被擊敗，從此劉琨與東鄰王浚不和。

劉琨吸引了許多志願抗擊匈奴、羯人的志士，但他的政治軍事才能也使不少人離去。一個叫徐潤的河南人因為懂得音律得到劉琨的重用，此人無能而飛揚跋扈。奮威將軍令狐盛進言要劉琨除去徐潤，反被徐潤誣殺，造成其子令狐泥等人的反叛，連劉琨母都知道劉琨不能成事且必然殃及自己。令狐泥投奔劉聰，具言劉琨虛實。劉聰大喜，以令狐泥為嚮導，正好上黨太守襲醇也投降劉聰，雁門烏丸複反，劉琨親率精兵出戰，于是劉聰遣子劉粲及令狐泥于永嘉六年（312年）七月乘虛襲晉陽，太原太守高喬、并州別駕郝聿以郡投降，劉琨父母都遇害。劉琨在拓跋猗盧大軍的幫助下收複晉陽。

建興元年（313年），晉愍帝繼位，封劉琨大將軍、都督并州諸軍事。此時石勒在晉陽的東南襄國（今河北邢台）擁兵割據，勢力日盛。他修書劉琨假意降晉，出兵消滅與劉琨有矛盾的王浚，而劉琨作壁上觀。

建興三年（315年）前趙劉曜擊敗劉琨，但因要攻打長安回兵。劉琨被晉愍帝封為司空、都督並冀幽諸軍事。劉琨辭去司空，受都督。拓跋猗盧被其兒子拓跋六修殺死。猗盧的兄弟拓跋普根殺六修平亂數月後病死，劉琨在拓跋部作為人質的兒子劉遵同箕澹等率3萬餘人投奔劉琨。

建興四年（316年）石勒出兵進攻并州，劉琨不聽箕澹勸阻全軍盡出，中了埋伏大敗，丟了并州，隻身投奔鮮卑首領、晉朝幽州刺史段匹磾。同年，劉曜攻破長安，西晉結束，晉愍帝被俘。

寄人籬下

晉愍帝被俘後，劉琨令其外甥長史溫嶠勸進琅邪王登基為帝，是為元帝。次年建武元年（317年），元帝封劉琨為侍中、太尉。

段匹磾封劉琨為大都督，率段部鮮卑的軍隊討伐石勒，因石勒派人賄賂段匹磾堂弟段末杯造成段部鮮卑內部不和而流產。

太興元年（318年），段部鮮卑內鬥，段末杯擊敗段匹磾自任單于。段末杯俘虜了劉琨的兒子劉群並厚待他，劉群給劉琨寫密信邀請他結盟共擊段匹磾，被段匹磾截獲。劉琨被懷疑關入大牢。次年，劉琨和段匹磾手下的幾個將領企圖反叛救出劉琨未遂。東晉權臣王敦派人密告段匹磾，讓他殺掉劉琨。劉琨聽說王敦來使，便對兒子劉遵說：「處仲（王敦）使來而不告我，是殺我也。死生有命，但恨仇恥不雪，無以下見二親耳」。段匹磾于五月初八（6月22日）聲稱奉皇帝詔旨縊殺劉琨，其三個兒子和侄子、從侄二人也一起被殺。

太興二年（319年），劉琨外甥溫嶠向晉元帝申冤，元帝贈謚曰愍。

文化造詣

音樂

劉琨精通音律，創作了《胡笳五弄》，在傳統的琴曲中加入北方遊牧民族的音調，描寫北方歷經戰亂的景象，抒發了思鄉愛國之情。

曾經有一次前趙匈奴圍攻晉陽。劉琨登城清嘯，半夜又奏胡笳（一說指揮一隊士兵奏胡笳），匈奴人聽到後思鄉流淚，無心再戰，撤兵而去。

詩文

劉琨的詩文激昂悲壯，充滿對戰亂中的流民的同情和抵抗敵人的決心。這種特點在他離開洛陽去晉陽途中所作的《扶風歌》中得到完整地體現。被囚後所作的《重贈盧諶》更是其代表作。此詩前半段引用了姜子牙、管仲、陳平、鄧禹等人的典故，表達對晉室的忠誠。後半段描述了自己壯志未酬的心情：「何意百鍊剛，化為繞指柔。」劉琨著有詩文集若干卷，已佚，今僅存詩3首，明代有人輯有《劉越石集》。

後人紀念

後來有很多人創作了詩作，紀念劉琨在社稷將傾之際鍥而不捨的奮鬥精神。譬如：

• 李白：劉琨與祖逖，起舞雞鳴晨。

• 陸游：劉琨死後無奇士，獨聽荒雞淚滿衣。

• 陸游：雞唱劉琨舞，牛疲甯戚歌。

• 文天祥：中原蕩分崩，壯哉劉越石。連蹤起幽并，只手扶晉室。福華天意乘，匹磾生鬼蜮。公死百世名，天下分南北。

• 李清照：南渡衣冠少王導，北來消息欠劉琨。

• 劉辰翁：越石暮年扶風賦，猶解聞雞起舞。

評價

• 王夫之：「琨乃以孤立之身，游于豺狼之窟，欲志之伸也，必不可得；即欲以頸血濺劉聰、石勒，報晉之宗社也，抑必不能；是以君子深惜其愚也。」

• 成海應：「劉琨材小而志大，雖建晉陽拊夷漢之衆，不能終其功。及至間關顚躓，而忠義猶奮，方其推心琅琊，俾紹旣絕之緖，讀其勸進表足令人雪涕。方是時河北陷為胡寇，而獨能毅然孤立，以繫中土之心。彼段匹磾雖以忠義相感，非族類也，卒為所戕，悲夫！野史稱琅琊卽小吏牛金子，以為晉緖已絕於懷、愍，然五王南渡，皆可繼晉，琨何為擇牛金子而勸進乎？野史荒亂不足信也。」

家庭

祖父

• 劉邁，相國參軍、散騎常侍

父母

• 劉蕃，西晉光祿大夫

• 太原郭氏，尚書郭奕的姐妹

兄弟姐妹

• 劉輿，西晉東海王左長史、定襄貞侯

• 劉氏，嫁司馬荂

夫人

• 清河崔氏，御史中丞崔參之女

兒子

• 劉遵，庶長子

• 劉群，冉魏行台都督

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