Xuěxī jí 雪溪集
Snow-Stream Collection by 王銍 (撰)
About the work
Xuěxī jí 雪溪集 in 5 juǎn is the surviving poetic collection of Wáng Zhì 王銍 (fl. 1122–1144), Sòng bǐjì author (Mòjì 默記, Bǔ shìér xiǎomíng lù bǔyí 補侍兒小名錄補遺) of erudite reputation. The title takes Wáng’s hào Xuěxī 雪溪. Originally 8 juǎn per Chén Zhènsūn KR3h0011 and Sòng shǐ Yìwénzhì; 5 juǎn in the surviving WYG recension. The Sìkù editors place Wáng’s poetic style close to Wēn Tíngyún and Lǐ Shāngyǐn (Late-Tang lyric).
Tiyao
Xuěxī jí 5 juǎn, by Wáng Zhì of the Sòng. [Wáng] Zhì has the Bù shìér xiǎomíng lù bǔyí — already-recorded. This compilation is his poetry-collection. Chén Zhènsūn’s Shūlù jiětí and Sòng shǐ Yìwénzhì both make-it 8 juǎn; this version is only 5 juǎn.
Examining the Mòzhuāng mànlù records [Wáng] Zhì’s composed Wáng Wénrú Qúān shī one piece; further the Shāncūn shī one piece; the Yuèyǒng records [Wáng] Zhì’s composed Yúnménsì shī one piece — today none-visible in the collection. Knowing what is now-transmitted is already-lost-its-3-juǎn; not-the-complete-fascicle.
[Wáng] Zhì’s poetic-style close-to Wēn / Lǐ. Wáng Shìzhēn’s Jūyì lù criticises his poetry as not-very skillful; but praises his appended Lúshān sēng Kěhé héshī one piece — appears not the dǔlùn (definitive judgment).
Only [Wáng] Zhì by bóqià (broad-comprehensive) named — yet within-the-collection’s Báitóu yín xù did-not draw-on the Xījīng zájì, but drew-on Wú Jīng’s Yuèfǔ jiětí — already missed-its-source. (Note: the Xījīng zájì though a false-book is before Wú Jīng — i.e. Wú’s account itself draws-out from-it.) Further called the Sòngzhì records Wénjūn shī etc. — not-knowing the Sòng shū yuèzhì’s Báitóu yín really is gǔcí, not Wénjūn’s. This is also a thousand-considerations’ one-loss. Xìn hū kǎozhèng zhī nán (truly the difficulty of textual-research) indeed. Respectfully collated, Qiánlóng 42 (1777), 9th month.
Abstract
The Xuěxī jí in 5 juǎn preserves about 5/8 of Wáng Zhì’s original poetic corpus (with three identifiable losses cited from Mòzhuāng mànlù and Yuèyǒng). Wáng was a bǐjì-master of erudite reputation, and his Mòjì and Bǔ shìér xiǎomíng lù bǔyí are independently valuable. The Sìkù tíyào is unusually pointed in catching two philological errors in Wáng’s own Báitóu yín xù: (a) the source-error (Wú Jīng’s Yuèfǔ jiětí drawn-on instead of the original Xījīng zájì); (b) the attribution-error (claiming the Sòngzhì records Wénjūn’s poem, when in fact the Sòng shū yuèzhì records Báitóu yín as anonymous). The Sìkù editors’ generalising verdict — kǎozhèng zhī nán (the difficulty of philological research) — is methodologically self-aware.
CBDB id 7372 has no lifedates; estimated as fl. 1122–1144 from internal evidence.
Translations and research
- 王士禎 Jū-yì lù — preserves Late-Qīng evaluation.
- 張邦基 Mò-zhuāng màn-lù — preserves missing poems.
- No dedicated Western-language study located.
Other points of interest
- The Sìkù editors’ philological corrections of Wáng Zhì’s own annotations are methodologically interesting: an erudite Sòng author corrected by Qīng-period editors on his own erudition.