Dìngyǔ jí 定宇集
The Dìng-yǔ (Fixed-Place) Collection by 陳櫟 (撰)
About the work
The 16-juàn (plus biéjí 1 juàn) collection of Chén Lì 陳櫟 (CBDB 11585, 1252–1334), zì Shòuwēng 壽翁, hào Dìngyǔ 定宇 (“Fixed-Place”). Native of Xiūníng 休寧 in Huīzhōu (modern Ānhuī Wùyuán region) — the same county as Zhū Xī’s native place. Born only 53 years after Zhū Xī’s death (1200) — Chén’s natal proximity to the great Sòng patriarch is registered in the opening of his niánbiǎo (chronological table) preserved in the collection. With Hú Bǐngwén 胡炳文 KR4d0463, Chén is one of the principal Huīzhōu Lǐxué Yuán Zhū-orthodoxy figures.
Chén separately authored the Shūzhuàn zuǎnshū KR1b0027 — a Zhū-Xī-orthodox Shàngshū commentary — already catalogued. The present Dìngyǔ jí was printed by Chén’s clan-grandson Chén Jiājī 陳嘉基. Composition: 15 juàn of prose, 1 juàn of shī and cí; biéjí 1 juàn contains fùlù prefaces, records, zhì, xíngzhuàng.
Tiyao
The Dìngyǔ jí, 16 juàn, biéjí 1 juàn, by Chén Lì of the Yuán. Lì has the Shūzhuàn zuǎnshū already catalogued. This collection [was] what was cut by his clan-grandson [Chén] Jiājī. Altogether 15 juàn of prose, 1 juàn of poetry and cí; biéjí 1 juàn then [is] appended fùlù prefaces-records-zhì-xíngzhuàng and the like.
[Chén] Lì [was] born in Zhūzǐ’s hometown — therefore [he] forcefully exalted Zhūzǐ’s learning. In the collection things like Chéngtán zàn says: “Only [for] a thousand-years’ heart, [the] qiū yuè (autumn moon) [and] hán shuǐ (cold water) — Confucian and Buddhist same-place” — I have heard Zhūzǐ fùhuì (forced-meeting) [his] Zhāijū gǎnxìng poetry-phrases by-which to strongly merge [it] with chán — unavoidably [Chén] self-generates cīlèi (flaw-trouble) — [it is] yìhū (different from) what Zhūzǐ transmitted.
Yet in the collection, the various prose-pieces are roughly all chúnzhèng zhíshí (pure-correct, plain-substantial); [they do] not touch the guǐdàn (peculiar-arbitrary). Like the Shēnyī kǎo and the like — although not necessarily entirely conforming-to ancient regulations — yet yuánjù (citing-and-drawing) kǎozhèng (verification-and-confirmation) — ultimately differs from those who kōngtán shuōjīng (empty-talk to explain the classics).
Only the poetry [is] composed as a Jīrǎng jí (Shào Yōng) tradition — much [is] not entered into form (i.e. not properly poetic in style). Gù Sìlì’s Yuán shī xuǎn praises [Chén Lì’s] phrases: “xiào qú zhǔhù kàn shānsè, róng wǒ fúqióng tīng shuǐshēng” (laughing at the qú zhǔhù (axe-leaning grass-stop) — looking-at the mountain-color; allowing me [to use] the fúqióng (leaning-staff) to listen to the water-sound), “liǔ zhī shuǐ sǎ yī xī yuè, dòu zǐ yǔ kāi qiānzhàng yān” (willow branches’ water sprinkles the moon-streamed lake; bean-seeds’ rain opens the thousand-screen mist) and the various phrases — all are shā zhōng jīn xiè (sand-amid gold-flakes), unable [to be] frequently-encountered.
Respectfully collated, fifth month of Qiánlóng 45 (1780). Chief-Compiler Officers Jì Yún 紀昀, Lù Xīxióng 陸錫熊, Sūn Shìyì 孫士毅; Chief-Collation Officer Lù Fèichí 陸費墀.
Abstract
The collected works of Chén Lì (CBDB 11585, 1252–1334), one of the principal Yuán-period Huīzhōu Zhū-Xī-orthodoxy figures, born only 53 years after Zhū Xī’s death in the same Huīzhōu/Xiūníng region. With his contemporary Hú Bǐngwén 胡炳文 KR4d0463 (1250–1333), Chén forms the Wùyuán / Huīzhōu ZhūXué patriarchal pair of the early Yuán.
Chén’s other works:
- Shūzhuàn zuǎnshū KR1b0027 — the Shàngshū commentary (Sìkù jīngbù)
The Dìngyǔ jí preserves the principal niánbiǎo (chronological biography) of Chén — establishing his Xiūníng birthplace, his early education in the family (his grandmother Wúshì taught him the Xiàojīng and Lúnyǔ at ages 2–3; he entered elementary school at age 5; began the jìnshì preparation at age 7), and the close-to-the-Zhū-Xī-native-place quality of his upbringing.
The Sìkù editors evaluate Chén Lì’s prose as chúnzhèng zhíshí (pure-correct, plain-substantial), valuable for evidential-philological work like the Shēnyī kǎo (Investigation of the Deep-Robe), but criticize his attempts to harmonize ZhūXī’s Zhāijū gǎnxìng poetry with Chán Buddhism as a self-introduced philosophical defect. His verse is judged as falling mostly into the Jīrǎng jí / Shào Yōng didactic-philosophical style (“not entered into form”) with rare fine couplets (“sand-amid gold-flakes”). Composition window: from Chén’s adult literary activity (after c. 1280) through his death in 1334.
Translations and research
- Hé Yòu-sēn 何佑森, Yuán-dài Huī-zhōu xué-pài de yán-jiū — discusses the Huī-zhōu Yuán Zhū-Xué school of Chén Lì and Hú Bǐng-wén.
- Hoyt C. Tillman, Confucian Discourse and Chu Hsi’s Ascendancy — context.
- Yuán-shǐ Rú-lín zhuàn.
Other points of interest
The niánbiǎo (chronological table) preserved in this collection is one of the best-documented Yuán-period Confucian biographical chronologies, modelled on Sòng-period precedents (Zhū Xī’s own niánpǔ) and exemplifying the Yuán Huīzhōu ZhūXí school’s careful textual-biographical practice. Chén Lì’s grandfather Shìjùn 士俊 died at age 75 in Xiūníng (Bǎoyòu 4 = 1256, eleventh month) — recorded in the niánbiǎo as one of the principal Chén family milestones, demonstrating the rich documentation of natal social context.
Links
- WYG SKQS V1205.3, p151.
- CBDB person 11585 (Chén Lì)
- Wikipedia, 陳櫟