Chūnqīng yígǎo 春卿遺稿
Surviving Drafts of [Jiǎng] Chūn-qīng (Jiǎng Táng) by 蔣堂 (撰), compiled by 20th-generation descendant 蔣鐄 (輯)
About the work
Chūnqīng yígǎo 春卿遺稿 is the small 1-juǎn late-Míng Tiānqǐ-era reconstitution of the surviving fragments of the original 20-juǎn literary collection of Jiǎng Táng 蔣堂 (980–1054, zì Xīlǔ 希魯), the early-Northern-Sòng prefect-administrator. Jiǎng’s official career culminated in Lǐbù shìláng and his canonized name was Wényì 文懿; the collection title Chūnqīng 春卿 (“Honorable Spring”, a flowery title for officers of Lǐbù and Shàngshūshěng) honors his retirement office. The 1-juǎn gleaning was made by his 20th-generation descendant Jiǎng Hóng 蔣鐄 from scattered manuscript witnesses.
Tiyao
We respectfully submit: the Chūnqīng yígǎo in 1 juǎn was composed by Jiǎng Táng of the Sòng. Táng, zì Xīlǔ, of Yíxīng 宜興. Jìnshì of Dàzhōngxiángfú 5 / 1012. Under Rénzōng held Zuǒjiànyìdàfū zhī Sūzhōu; reassigned as Jǐshìzhōng still serving as zhōu; later retired as Lǐbù shìláng, settling in Sū. His deeds are in his Sòngshǐ biography. Hú Sù’s 胡宿 Wéngōng jí contains his shéndào bēi, recording his death in Huángyòu 6 (1054), posthumously Lìbù shìláng. The collection’s title Chūnqīng must indicate the office he retired from — but this is not entirely clear. The bēi says he “had elevated qíng, abundant qīngzǎo, much arranged in writing, especially deep in poetry; what he obtained was often qīngjué 清絕; he excelled at chǐdú (correspondence), of compact and direct sense; in his time those who got his pieces preserved them as ‘famous brushes’; after retirement his spirit-faculty grew daily, never forgetting poetry even at meals and rest” — and recorded a literary collection in 20 juǎn. The biography also calls him fond of learning, skilled in prose, especially given to poetry — agreeing with the bēi and the same juàn-count. But the original collection no longer exists; the present recension was made in Tiānqǐ 天啟 of the Míng (1621–1627) by Táng’s 20th-generation descendant Jiǎng Hóng 鐄, gathering scattered drafts: 1 fù, 37 shī, 1 jì — not one tenth of the original. The bulk being poetry confirms what the bēi says about Jiǎng’s “especial depth in poetry.” The poems though not deeply imagistic are level, direct, and unaffected, free of the diāolòu 雕鏤 (“carving”) and xiānsuǒ 纖瑣 (“petty-fastidious”) manners. Northern-Sòng yíjí are daily fewer in transmission; recording this preserves one family. Qiánlóng 43 (1778) 3rd month, respectfully collated. — Chief Compilers Jì Yún, Lù Xīxióng, Sūn Shìyì; Chief Collator Lù Fèichí.
Abstract
Jiǎng Táng’s literary stature was respectable but not central; the collection survives at all only because of the unusual filial reach of his 20th-generation descendant Jiǎng Hóng’s late-Míng gleaning. Jiǎng Táng’s career — twice prefect of Sūzhōu, where he is associated with the building of the Sūtái yuánmíngyuán gardens and waterworks; later prefect of Yángzhōu, Hénán, and Húzhōu — left a respected administrative reputation in the Lǐbù shìláng generation. The transmitted Yígǎo preserves a fù on the WúYuè tides, 37 shī (predominantly qījué and wǔlǜ), and a single jì — supplemented by Hú Sù’s shéndào bēi, the principal contemporary biographical document. The dating bracket here marks Jiǎng’s death (1054) to Jiǎng Hóng’s Tiānqǐ-era reconstitution (1621–1627).
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located. Jiǎng Táng is treated incidentally in studies of the Qìng-lì generation (cf. Bol 1992, “This Culture of Ours”; Smith and von Glahn 2003) but no monograph or critical edition focuses on him.
Other points of interest
The collection is among the more unusual instances in the Sìkù of a 20-generation lineage gleaning; the persistence of the Jiǎng family at Yíxīng across the SòngYuánMíng transitions enabled the recovery of the surviving fragments via family manuscripts.
Links
- Wilkinson, Chinese History: A New Manual, §28.1 (Sòng biéjí).