Sūzǐ 蘇子
Master Sū by 蘇彥 (Sū Yàn, fl. 4th century, 晉)
About the work
A lost Eastern Jìn 東晉 zǐbù treatise by Sū Yàn 蘇彥. Reconstructed from quotations in 《初學記》, 《太平御覽》, 《史記·李斯傳》《索隱》, 《後漢書·王符傳》, 《文選·陸士衡長安有狹邪行》注 and Lǐ Shàn’s 《文選》 commentary on Lù Jī 陸機. Not in the Sìkù quánshū; sourced from CHANT (CH2a1458).
Abstract
Sū Yàn was a 4th-century Jìn literatus, best known for his Bù qián tiān 步天歌 (astronomical-mnemonic verse) and the Sūzǐ — a zǐ-house compilation. The reconstructed fragments are heterogeneous: aphoristic moral sayings, classical commentary, observations on the Lǎozǐ and Shàng shū, and historical reflection (the Shǐ jì·Lǐ Sī zhuàn citation is particularly notable). Some Sòng catalogs treat the Sūzǐ as the Yǎnshì lùn 演史論; the Suí shū jīngjí zhì preserves the title without further data. The author’s exact dates are not preserved; the date-bracket here is the Eastern Jìn period (317–420). The received recension is a 19th-century jíyì.
Translations and research
No substantial dedicated secondary literature located. Standard fragment-compilation: 嚴可均 Quán Jìn wén 全晉文 j. 137.
Links
- Suí shū jīngjí zhì 隋書經籍志.
- Yìlín 意林 (Mǎ Zǒng).