Xiánjū cónggǎo 閑居叢稿
The Idle-Retirement Miscellany by 蒲道源 (撰), edited by 蒲機 (編)
About the work
A 26-juǎn collected works of Pú Dàoyuán 蒲道源 (1260–1336), zì Dézhī, hào Shùnzhāi 順齋, Xìngyuán (Shǎnxī) literatus. 8 juǎn shīfù + 18 juǎn záwén yuèfǔ. Edited posthumously by Pú’s son Jī 機. Huáng Jìn’s 黃溍 preface (preserved) frames the collection as a representative of Huángqìng / Yán-yòu-era zhènpǔ (real and unadorned) writing — xìnglǐ zhī xué (Neo-Confucian learning) applied to court-and-pavilion prose without the rococo ornament of pure literary-aestheticism: “hóngshēng shuòrú suǒ wéi wén jiē xióngshēn húnhòu ér wú mílì zhī xí.”
Tiyao
Xiánjū cónggǎo, 26 juǎn. By Pú Dàoyuán of the Yuán. Dàoyuán’s zì was Dézhī, hào Shùnzhāi. Family origins Qīngshén in Méizhōu, relocated to Xìngyuán. Initially served as jùn xuézhèng, resigned and returned. In Huángqìng (1312–13) summoned as Guóshǐyuàn biānxiūguān; promoted to Guózǐ bóshì at age 60. The next year withdrew again on illness. Ten years later called as Shǎnxī rúxué tíjǔ — did not go. Tracing his life, he was at ease about office; the days of xiánjū (idle retirement) were many — hence his son Jī, gathering the remains, called the collection Xiánjū cónggǎo: in total 8 juǎn shīfù and 18 juǎn záwén yuèfǔ. The poetry and prose are píngshí xiǎnyì (plain and straightforwardly clear), not preferring florid ornament. Huáng Jìn’s preface to the collection runs: “Now that the realm is unified, scholarly customs are pure and beautiful; in our time the eminent scholars and great learners produce prose that is heroic, deep, intact, generous, without the habit of vain ornament. The peaceful era has lasted long; the fēngliú has not declined. In the HuángqìngYányòu years the master applied the xìnglǐ zhī xué to court-and-pavilion prose — like fine gold and beautiful jade, needing no smelting and polishing, yet the radiance cannot be hidden.” This too acknowledges his prose’s zhēnpǔ (truth and unadorned naturalness). After the Dàdé era of the Yuán — like after Xuāndé and Zhèngtǒng of the Míng — prose is generally yōngróng bùpò (composed and unhurried), qiǎnxiǎn bùzhī (clear and unstrained); the liúbì of yōngtà (mediocrity) is unavoidable, but the era cannot fail to be called a prosperous one. Gù Sìlì’s Yuánshī xuǎn cited Huáng’s preface, saying “the styles of the day were like this — one can read the shìyùn (era’s fortunes) from them.” This judgment is sound. Respectfully collated, twelfth month of Qiánlóng 41 (1776).
Abstract
The Xiánjū cónggǎo is the principal monument of Shǎnxī provincial literary culture in the Huángqìng / Yányòu period — a counter-current to the dominant Wūzhōu / Jīnhuá / Pǔjiāng manner. Huáng Jìn’s preface is a major theoretical statement on the application of xìnglǐ zhī xué to literary composition. The collection is unusual in its long xiánjū center of gravity: most of Pú’s 76 years were spent out of office, and the collection reflects this — much yínyǒng (poetic composition) and little biǎozòu (memorial-and-statement) writing. Composition window: from Pú’s earliest preserved compositions (post-1290) to his death in 1336. The catalog meta records death-date 1366, in disagreement with both CBDB (1336) and the tíyào (year-60 promotion to bóshì in early Yányòu, resignation, ten-year wait until Tàidìng summons declined — consistent with death c. 1336).
Translations and research
- Yáng Lián. 2003. Yuán-shī shǐ.
- No substantial Western-language secondary literature located.
Other points of interest
The catalog meta gives Pú’s lifedates as 1260–1366, which would make him 106 — almost certainly a typographic slip for 1336. CBDB and the internal tíyào timeline both give 1336.
Links
- WYG SKQS V1210.4, p567.