Zìmíng jí 自鳴集
The Self-Crying Collection by 章甫 (撰)
About the work
Zìmíng jí 自鳴集 in 6 juǎn is the Sìkù-reconstructed biéjí of Zhāng Fǔ 章甫 (Southern Sòng, zì Guànzhī 冠之, hào Yìzú jūshì 易足居士), originally of Póyáng 鄱陽 (modern Jiāngxī), settled at Zhēnzhōu 真州 (modern Yízhēng, Jiāngsū). Active in the Qiándào–Chúnxī periods (c. 1165–1190); friends with 陸游 (Lù records meeting him in 1170 in the RùShǔ jì), 韓元吉, and 呂祖謙. (Catalog meta gives “d. 1105”; this is a confusion with the Northern-Sòng official Zhāng Fǔ 章甫, zì Duānshū 端叔, of Pǔchéng 浦城, jìnshì 1070, d. 1106 — explicitly distinguished from the present author by the Sìkù tíyào. The Southern-Sòng zhāng Fǔ Guànzhī of the Zìmíng jí must have lived into the 1180s at minimum.)
Tiyao
The Zìmíng jí in 6 juǎn was composed by Zhāng Fǔ of the Sòng. Examining: in the Sòng there were two Zhāng Fǔs. One zì Duānshū, of Pǔchéng, jìnshì of Xīníng 3 (1070); held office to Dūguān lángzhōng; his writings: Mèngzǐ jiěyì in 14 juǎn; Yáng Shí composed his tomb-inscription, [whose] prose now appears in the Guīshān jí. One zì Guànzhī, of Póyáng, moved-residence to Zhēnzhōu, self-named Yìzú jūshì — that is, the composer of this collection. [Zhāng] Fǔ’s deeds-and-actions are not generally known. Only Zhāng Duānyì’s Guìěr jí says: “Zhāng Guànzhī’s zì was Fǔ — has a wénjí in 10 juǎn — much jiāoyóu with Yúhú (case: Yúhú is Zhāng Xiàoxiáng’s alternate-hào) — háofàng piāodàng, not subjected-bound. In the Chúnxī period, the Huái had three persons: Shū Zhī’s Zhāng Yònghuì, Hé Zhī’s Zhāng Jìnqīng, Zhēn Zhī’s Zhāng Guànzhī. According to what he relates, [we] can briefly see [Zhāng’s] character. His [name’s] Zhāng being [recorded as] Zhāng — is indeed the cut-edition’s character-error. Further Lù Yóu’s RùShǔ jì says: in Qiándào 6 (1170), 8th month, 28th day, with Zhāng Guànzhī the xiùcái climbed Shíjìng tíng and visited the old site of Huánghèlóu — therefore Zhāng Fǔ once attempted the [jìnshì] examination. His collection is not seen in the Sòngshǐ Yìwénzhì; the Wényuāngé shūmù although has the name, the transmission běn is long-cut. What can be seen in the world: only [the items] Húshàng yín and Jì Jīngnán gùrén — the latter recorded in the Shījiā dǐngluán. Now examining the Yǒnglè dàdiǎn’s collected Zìmíng jí shījù — quite many; its gélǜ is somewhat near Jiānghú one school, but its bone-strength is gray-and-graceful, also possessing forging-and-hammering work. Examining his parting-Lù Yóu shī: “People in life mutual-recognition value mutual-heart; / dào same — what need to ask rise-or-sink?” The thank-Hán Yuánjí gift-tea shī: “Parting [from] you at Wǎnlíng now five years; / thirsty heart [is] not just [like] dust born”. The cìyùn Lǚ Zǔqiān seen-sent shī: “Mountain-forest old promises all are vague-vague; / remembering you, [I] write books, watch the roof-beams” — these are people whom he received-and-presented with — all once-time outstanding-vigorous shì; therefore his ear-and-eye dyeing still can transcend boundaries — self-formed shuttle-work; rather not letting-fall the elegant tone. Respectfully gathered-and-arranged in 6 juǎn. As to záshuō in 3 piān — using Chán-school jīfēng to discuss dàodé rényì meanings — pulling Rú into Mò — this is what one not-attaining-to-his-time uses to extravagantly say. Yet the harm to principle is already extreme. Now therefore [we] append his discussions to the end of the collection and especially add correction to publish their fault. Qiánlóng 46 (1781), 9th month, respectfully collated.
Abstract
Zìmíng jí is the Sìkù-reconstructed biéjí of the Southern-Sòng Zhāng Fǔ — distinguished by the Sìkù editors from the Northern-Sòng official of the same name with a careful prosopographical note. Zhāng’s poetic-political alignment is with the Yúhú (Zhāng Xiàoxiáng) anti-appeasement circle; he appears in Lù Yóu’s RùShǔ jì (1170) as a xiùcái climbing Shíjìngtíng with Lù; he corresponded with Lù Yóu, Hán Yuánjí, and Lǚ Zǔqiān (parting poems and cìyùn exchanges preserved in the collection). The collection’s three záshuō essays on dàodé rényì using Chán (Buddhist-meditation) framings are unusual for a Sìkù WYG entry — the editors retained them but added critical refutation. The dating bracket: 1170 (Lù Yóu’s recorded meeting) through ca. 1190 (the period during which Zhāng’s correspondents were all still active).
Translations and research
- No substantial secondary literature located.
Other points of interest
The Sìkù editors’ use of two contemporary bǐjì (Zhāng Duānyì’s Guìěr jí and Lù Yóu’s RùShǔ jì) as primary biographical sources for an otherwise undocumented figure is one of their clearer methodological demonstrations. The retention with refutation of Zhāng’s Chán-flavored záshuō essays is also unusual editorial practice.