Zǐwēi jí 紫微集
Purple-Polestar Collection by 張嵲 (撰)
About the work
Zǐwēi jí 紫微集 in 36 juǎn (Sìkù Yǒnglè dàdiǎn reconstruction; originally 30 juǎn) is the literary collection of Zhāng Niè 張嵲 (1096–1148), Chén Yǔyì’s 陳與義 cousin’s-son and the author of Chén’s tomb-inscription. The title takes the name of Zhāng’s office (Zǐwēi shèrén — i.e. Zhōngshū shèrén 中書舍人, by TángSòng convention). Liú Kèzhuāng’s Hòucūn shīhuà praises Zhāng’s jùfǎ (sentence-method) as Jiǎn-zhāi-style, particularly admiring his five-character gǔshī and certain seven-character quatrains for their biāogé (style-and-rank). The collection’s documentary value lies in the strategic zòuyì — Lùn hézhànshǒu, Lùn gōngqǔ — partly recorded in the Sòng shǐ, and in the cautionary case of the Shàoxīng fùgǔ shī praising Qín Guì.
Tiyao
Zǐwēi jí in 36 juǎn, by Zhāng Niè of the Sòng. Niè, zì Jùshān, of Xiāngyáng. Xuānhé 3 (1121) Shàngshè zhōngdì. Shàoxīng 9 (1139) appointed Sīxūn yuánwàiláng; cumulatively promoted to Fūwéngé dàizhì and Prefect of Qúzhōu; ended as Tíjǔ Jiāngzhōu Tàipíngxīngguógōng. Career in the Sòng shǐ Wényuàn zhuàn.
Niè was Chén Yǔyì’s biǎozhí (cousin’s-son), and in his youth received instruction from him. Hence Liú Kèzhuāng’s Hòucūn shīhuà says his poetry’s jùfǎ resembles Jiǎnzhāi’s, and on his five-character gǔshī especially extols the yǔyì gāojiǎn yìwèi shēnyuǎn (language and meaning lofty-and-concise; yìwèi deep-and-far). Further, Kèzhuāng’s selected seven-character quatrains — such as Gùyuán fénshù xiǎng qīngcōng (the ancestral garden’s grave-trees, imagined verdant) — especially can use biāogé to display his merit. The collection has many like these. Generally his quatrains are qīnghé wǎnyuē (clear-and-harmonious, restrained-and-graceful), comparatively superior to [Chén] Yǔyì. The remainder, while not yet able to immediately compete-with-side-by-side, has qìtǐ gāolǎng (vital-energy lofty-and-clear), enough to zìmíng yījiā (form his own school).
As for ancient prose: diǎnyǎ chénshí (typical-elegant, deep-and-substantial), still preserves Northern-Sòng masters’ jǔyuē (rule-and-frame). His memorials — such as Lùn hézhànshǒu, Lùn gōngqǔ — are all selected-into the shǐ. On contemporary affairs and dispositions, especially tiáoxī xiángmíng (item-by-item-clarified). Only the Shàoxīng fùgǔ shī (Restoration-of-Antiquity poem) — to flatter Qín Guì — deeply diànshēngpíng (stains his lifetime).
Examining Zhū Zǐ’s Yǔlù, it says: when the Jīn broke the alliance, Qín Guì was greatly afraid; consulting his courtiers for plans, Zhāng Jùshān softly recited “Dé wú chángshī, zhǔ shàn wéi shī; shàn wú chángzhǔ, xié yú kè yī” (virtue has no permanent teacher, the master takes the good as teacher; goodness has no permanent master, accord-with the able makes one). Qín Guì on this kept-him and conversed; Jùshān made-plans for him. Guì was pleased; immediately ordered him to draft the memorial. In haste he was not careful; the opening two lines — Dé wú chángshī — was Yī Yǐn telling Tàijiǎ. Chénlì jiùliè (offering-strength taking-rank) was Confucius’s words. Soon Jùshān was promoted to Zhōngshū shèrén. Some anonymous person composed a poem mocking him — Tàijiǎ gives-Chéng-tāng; Confucius is-acted-by Zhōu Rèn — etc.
This [shows that] Niè in fact through-attaching-himself-to Qín Guì was promoted. Chén Zhènsūn’s Shūlù jiětí also records this affair, saying that Guì then doubted Niè had divided-loyalty, and not-long-after dismissed him. So this poem’s composition was borrowed-as a means to repair-relations with Guì. Hence the běnzhuàn says after the poem was presented, he was about to be again called-up — surely because Guì’s suspicion had-been-resolved. Only the historian was unable to obtain his true situation. Today his ghost-written memorials are no longer extant, but this poem still circulates — leaving for a thousand-autumns’ mockery — also enough to zhāo jiǒngjiè (illuminate as a stark-warning).
The Sòng shǐ Yìwénzhì records Zǐwēi jí in 30 juǎn; the Shūlù jiětí makes-it Zhāng Jùshān jí also 30 juǎn. Since Míng times long-without transmitted-version. Today, drawing on what is recorded in the Yǒnglè dàdiǎn, gathered-and-arranged, all genres complete, with little-remaining-lost. Owing to its rather-rich pieces, divided into 36 juǎn; still per Sòng shǐ titled Zǐwēi jí, restoring its old-listing. Respectfully collated, Qiánlóng 46 (1781), 9th month.
Abstract
The Zǐwēi jí survives only through the Yǒnglè dàdiǎn extraction; the Sòng shǐ Yìwénzhì and Chén Zhènsūn’s Zhízhāi shūlù jiětí KR3h0011 both record a 30-juǎn original that had been lost since the Míng. The Sìkù editors’ 36-juǎn arrangement reflects the recovered material’s distribution.
The collection’s principal scholarly interest is twofold. First, the strategic zòuyì — Lùn hézhànshǒu and Lùn gōngqǔ — partly recorded in the Sòng shǐ, providing first-hand evidence for early-Southern-Sòng strategic debate. Second, the cautionary case of the Shàoxīng fùgǔ shī, composed at Qín Guì’s prompting in praise of the 1141 peace settlement. The Sìkù editors quote Zhū Xī’s Yǔlù on the genesis of the poem (which is preserved here): Qín Guì, panicked by the Jīn’s breaking the peace, consulted Zhāng for counsel; Zhāng quoted Yī Yǐn’s Dé wú chángshī and was promoted to Zhōngshū shèrén; an anonymous mockery-poem ridiculed his attribution-errors. The Sìkù editors take this episode as the jiǒngjiè (stark warning) the surviving collection conveys.
CBDB id 264 confirms 1096–1148.
Translations and research
- Sòng shǐ j. 445 (Wén-yuàn zhuàn) — Zhāng Niè biography.
- 朱熹 Yǔ-lù — preserves the Qín-Guì episode.
- 劉克莊 Hòu-cūn shī-huà — preserves the literary appraisal.
- No dedicated Western-language study located.
Other points of interest
- Zhāng wrote the tomb inscription for his cousin-uncle Chén Yǔyì (preserved in his biéjí, separately quoted by the Sìkù tíyào of KR4d0153).