Shǎogǔ jí 少谷集
Lesser-Valley Collection by 鄭善夫 (撰)
About the work
The collected writings of Zhèng Shànfū 鄭善夫 (1485–1523), zì Jìzhī 繼之, hào Shǎogǔ 少谷, of Mǐnxiàn 閩縣 (Fúzhōu, Fújiàn) — a HóngzhìZhèngdé loyalist poet who, against the prevailing fashion of Lǐ Mèngyáng (李夢陽) / Hé Jǐngmíng (何景明) imitation, opened a separate face anchored in Dù Fǔ but stylistically close to Huáng Tíngjiān. 25 juǎn. Pánkōng yìngyǔ (precipitous-in-emptiness, hard-language) with qì guò qí cí (breath surpassing the diction). The Zhèng-dé-era gǎnshí (anti-time) poems were criticised by some as misplaced — not yet Tiānbǎo, [Du Fu’s] jì-saving-allusion is without illness and groaning — but the Sìkù defends them: in Zhèngdé, yānshù nèihòng dàozéi wàizuò (eunuchs internal-disturbance, bandits external-rising); the poet hāomù (worried-eyes) — wèi kě wèi zhī wúyīn (one cannot say it is without cause).
Tiyao
Zhèng Shǎogǔ jí in 25 juǎn — by Zhèng Shànfū of the Míng. Shànfū, zì Jìzhī, native of Mǐnxiàn. Hóngzhì 18 (1505) jìnshì; appointed Hùbù zhǔshì; transferred Lǐbù; for jiànyán (offering-words) tíngzhàng (caned-at-court); soon requested-on-leave; on recommendation recalled, raised to Nánjīng Xíngbù; transferred Lìbù lángzhōng. Affair detailed in Míngshǐ Wényuàn zhuàn. Shànfū in Hóngzhì period did not inherit Hé and Lǐ’s discussion; separately opened a new face. Pánkōng yìngyǔ (precipitous-in-emptiness, hard-language); often qì guò qí cí (breath surpasses the diction); although source from Shǎolíng (Dù Fǔ), in reality is jìn (close) to [Huáng] Tíngjiān. The collection’s gǎnshí (anti-time) work — jīáng kāngkǎi (rising-up, indignant-bold), jìtuō pō shēn (lodging-trust rather-deep). Some accused him of being not-yet-Tiān-bǎo, [his] Shíyí (Dù Fǔ’s “saving-allusion”) was wúbìng ér shēn (without-illness yet groaning). However, Zhèngdé period, yānshù nèihòng dàozéi wàizuò (eunuchs internally disturbing, bandits externally rising); the poet’s hāomù (worried-eyes) — wèi kě wèi zhī wúyīn (one cannot say it without cause). Zhū Yízūn’s Jìngzhìjū shīhuà says: Shǎogǔ’s poetry has dúlì bùqiān zhī gài (the outline of independence-not-shifting); at-the-time SūnZhèng are jointly-called — Sūn is not Zhèng’s match; ZhūZhèng are jointly-called — Zhū is not Zhèng’s peer. Sūn means Sūn Yīyuán, Zhū means Zhū Yīngdēng. Now using the two houses’ collections side-by-side examining, Yízūn’s discussion is yǔn (allowed) — appropriate. Compiled and presented in the first month of Qiánlóng 46 (1781). Compilers as usual.
Abstract
Zhèng Shànfū’s Shǎogǔ jí is the Sìkù-canonical example of a non-QiánQīzǐ HóngzhìZhèngdé poet — a Fújiàn voice anchored in Dù Fǔ but stylistically tilting toward Huáng Tíngjiān, deliberately refusing the Lǐ Mèngyáng / Hé Jǐngmíng archaicist programme. The Sìkù judgement dúkāi shēngmiàn (separately opening a new face) places Zhèng outside the QiánQīzǐ and the Chángshā (Lǐ Dōngyáng) lines both — a third position.
The Sìkù’s critical apparatus is unusually compact and decisive: Zhū Yízūn’s Jìngzhìjū shīhuà ranking — Sūn Yīyuán is not Zhèng’s match; Zhū Yīngdēng is not Zhèng’s peer — explicitly places Zhèng above both his contemporary non-Lǐ-Hé poets (KR4e0167 Sūn Yīyuán and Zhū Yīngdēng). The Sìkù endorses Yízūn zhī lùn wéi yǔn yǐ (Yízūn’s discussion is permissible).
The Zhèng-dé-era gǎnshí (anti-time) poetry — and the Sìkù’s defense of it as legitimately motivated by yānshù nèihòng dàozéi wàizuò (eunuch-disturbance and bandit-rising) — is one of the cleaner Sìkù defenses of political-poetry in the Míng biéjí corpus. The implicit reference is to the Liú Jǐn 劉瑾 cabinet and the early Wǔzōng tour crises (cf. KR4e0134 Liáng Chǔ’s memorials).
Zhèng’s editorial role in Sūn Yīyuán’s posthumous Tàibái shānrén màngǎo (preface dated 1518; compilation after Sūn’s death 1520) is recorded in the source-text material of KR4e0167.
CBDB id 29591 confirms 1485–1523.
Translations and research
- L. Carrington Goodrich and Chaoying Fang, eds., Dictionary of Ming Biography 1368–1644. New York: Columbia UP, 1976: notice of Zhèng Shàn-fū.
- Míng shǐ j. 286 (Wén-yuàn 2) — Zhèng Shàn-fū biography.
- Daniel Bryant, The Great Recreation: Ho Ching-ming (1483–1521) and His World (Leiden: Brill, 2008) — for the alternative-to-Qián-Qī-zǐ poetic positions.
- Yoshikawa Kōjirō, Five Hundred Years of Chinese Poetry, 1150–1650 (trans. John T. Wixted; Princeton UP, 1989).
- Wilkinson, Chinese History: A New Manual, §28 (Míng bié-jí).
Other points of interest
The Sūn Yīyuán / Zhū Yīngdēng / Zhèng Shànfū trio — three HóngzhìZhèngdé contemporaries pairing with Zhèng on jiāngxī-tradition non-QiánQīzǐ poetry — gives the Sìkù a documentary anchor for the alternative poetic line of the era. The Fújiàn / Mǐnxiàn / Hè Qīn (KR4e0129) connection makes Mǐn an interesting non-QiánQīzǐ literary geography.