Yu Wuling (810–?) was a Chinese poet of the late Tang dynasty. His birth name was Yu Ye; Wuling was his courtesy name.
| Yu Wuling | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 于武陵 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | (courtesy name) | ||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 于鄴 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 于邺 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | (given name) | ||||||||
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He attained a jinshi degree in the imperial examination, but gave up his position in order to wander around the country.
His best-known poem is the jueju "Offering Wine", and Book 595 of the Quan Tangshi is devoted to his poetry.
Biography
edit
He was born in 810,[1][a] in Duqu (Chinese: 杜曲; pinyin: Dùqū; Wade–Giles: Tuch'ü, in modern-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province).[2] What little is known of his life comes from the Tang Cai Zi Zhuan.[3]
The name by which he is usually known,[2] Wuling, was his courtesy name,[4] his birth name having been Yu Ye.[4]
During the Dachong era (847–859)[2] he attained a jinshi degree in the imperial examination.[when?][4] Unsatisfied with his position, he took up a life of wandering around various parts of the country.[4]
After giving up his position at court and travelling around the country, he is supposed to have shown particular fondness for Dongting Lake and the Xiang River.[5] He spent his later years living in seclusion south of Mount Song.[6]
The date of his death is unknown.[7]
Poetry
editThere is an anthology of his poetry called the Yu Wuling Ji (Chinese: 于武陵集; pinyin: Yú Wūlíng-jí; Wade–Giles: Yu1 Wu2ling1 Chi1; lit. 'Yu Wuling Anthology').[6] The two primary texts of his poems are found in Book 595 of the eighteenth-century Quan Tangshi and the Tangren Wushi Jia Xiaoji (Chinese: 唐人五十家小集; pinyin: Tángrén Wǔshí Jiā Xiǎojí), which each order his poems differently.[8]
His best-known poem is the jueju "Offering Wine" (simplified Chinese: 劝酒; traditional Chinese: 勸酒; pinyin: quàn jiū; Wade–Giles: ch'üan4 chiu2).[9]
| Traditional[10] | Simplified[10] | Pinyin[10] | English translation (by Burton Watson) |
|---|---|---|---|
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Ueki et al. speculate, based on a passage in the Song Huiyao (Chinese: 宋会要; Chinese: 宋會要; pinyin: Sòng Huìyāo) that records that qū zhī were offered as tribute from Srivijaya (Chinese: 三佛齐国; Chinese: 三佛齊國; pinyin: Sānfóqí-guó), that the "golden flagon" in this poem may also have been a valuable imported item.[6] This, combined with the use of mǎn zhuó ("brimming") create an atmosphere in the first half of the quatrain of an extravagant banquet.[6] This atmosphere contrasts with that of the last two lines, which carry the implication that one should drink deeply before the blossoms fall, before the time for parting arrives.[6]
The final line of this poem has become particularly well-known and is sometimes taken to represent Yu Wuling's view of life.[3] Masuji Ibuse's Japanese translation of this poem is also famous.[11]
Notes
edit- ^ Ōtani 2013 and Ueki et al. 1999 both state that his year of birth is not known.
References
edit- ^ Britannica 2014; Kageyama, p. 11.
- ^ a b c Ueki et al. 1999, p. 133.
- ^ a b Ōtani 2013, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d Ueki et al. 1999, p. 133; Britannica 2014.
- ^ Ueki et al. 1999, pp. 133–4.
- ^ a b c d e Ueki et al. 1999, p. 134.
- ^ Ōtani 2013, p. 1; Ueki et al. 1999, p. 133; Britannica 2014; Kageyama, p. 11.
- ^ Ōtani 2013, p. 2.
- ^ Ueki et al. 1999, p. 134; Britannica 2014.
- ^ a b c Poetry Nook entry "Quàn Jiū".
- ^ Kageyama, p. 11.
Works cited
edit- "Yu Wu-ling (U Buryō in Japanese)". Britannica Kokusai Dai-Hyakkajiten (in Japanese). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
- Kageyama, Tatsuya. "Chūgoku no Hon no Hanashi 60 – Bungō to Kanshi (Sono Ni): Ibuse Masuji Yakuyoke Shishū" (PDF). Kyoto University of Foreign Studies Library (in Japanese). Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. p. 11. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
- Ōtani, Junko (2013-12-13). U Buryō Shi Kenkyū: Shigo ni takusareta wakare no omoi (PDF) (thesis outline). Hyogo University of Teacher Education. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
- Ueki, Hisayuki; Uno, Naoto; Matsubara, Akira (1999). "Shijin to Shi no Shōgai (U Buryō)". In Matsuura, Tomohisa (ed.). Kanshi no Jiten 漢詩の事典 (in Japanese). Vol. 1. Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten. pp. 133–134. OCLC 41025662.
External links
edit- Book 595 of the Quan Tangshi (which collects Yu Wuling's poems) in the Chinese Text Project