元詩選

Yuán shī xuǎn 元詩選

Selected Poetry of the Yuán by 顧嗣立

About the work

The canonical pre-modern anthology of Yuán-dynasty poetry by Gù Sìlì (顧嗣立, 1665–1722, zì Xiájūn 俠君, of Chángzhōu = Sūzhōu). Issued in three series (chūjí 初集, èrjí 二集, sānjí 三集), the work covers 300 Yuán poets — 100 in each series — with each poet preceded by a brief biographical-and-critical xiǎozhuàn. The chūjí (68 juǎn + juǎnshǒu 1 juǎn) was published in Kāngxī 33 (1694); the èrjí (26 juǎn) by 1702; the sānjí (16 juǎn) in Kāngxī 59 (1720). Each series is further sub-organised into ten sub-collections labelled with the Heavenly Stems (jiǎjí through guǐjí) — though the guǐjí in each series exists in table-of-contents form only (text never engraved), so each series effectively contains only nine sub-collections (jiǎ through rén). The compilation was carried out over more than 25 years and is the principal source for Yuán poetry studies; Gù Sìlì states he consulted approximately 400 Yuán biéjí (individual poets’ collections). The Sìkù tíyào observes that, although by the late 18th century the Sìkù commission’s recovery effort had located many Yuán biéjí Gù had not seen, equally many Yuán biéjí once available to Gù had since been lost — so the Yuán shī xuǎn preserves significant material that has not survived elsewhere (“the remnant-fat and shèngfù (left-over fragrance) is transmitted by this compilation alone — its merit cannot be effaced”). The work supersedes all earlier Yuán-poetry compilations (notably the late-Míng anthologies) and remains the canonical Yuán-poetry corpus until the modern Quán Yuán shī.

Tiyao

Your servants respectfully submit: the Yuán shī xuǎn chūjí in 68 juǎn, juǎnshǒu in 1 juǎn; èrjí in 26 juǎn; sānjí in 16 juǎn — compiled by the Guócháo (Qīng-dynasty) Gù Sìlì. Sìlì’s zì is Xiájūn, of Chángzhōu. Jìnshì of Kāngxī rénchén (1712); selected as shùjíshì.

This selection has three series. Each series is further divided using the ten Heavenly Stems into 10 sub-collections; but the so-called guǐjí has yǒu lù wú shū (listing without text), so each ends at the 9th sub-collection.

The chūjí records — from the emperors (separately placed in juǎnshǒu) — and Yuán Hǎowèn downward — in all 100 families. Èrjí records — Duàn Kèjǐ and his brothers downward — in all 100 families. Sānjí records — Má Gé downward — in all 100 families.

Each person has the original jí name preserved; qián liè xiǎozhuàn (a brief biography is placed in front), jiān pǐn qí shī (and also their poetry is graded). Although the qùqǔ (selection) is not always jìn dāng (entirely appropriate), the wǎngluó hàobó (gathering vast-and-broad) — yīyī cǎi zì běnshū (each piece drawn from the original book) — gives a yálüè (skeletal overview). Not the same as other compilations that dòutīng zhuìhé (piece-and-stitch from other selections) — for the entire Yuán dynasty’s poetry, this is the principal panorama.

Sìlì states that the Yuán-period collections he had seen totalled approximately 400-plus families. Currently, with the imperial proclamation seeking lost books, the world’s secret stores are converging without exception; among them, those Sìlì had not seen are certainly zhǐ bù shèng qū (uncountable). And those Sìlì did see but which are now not listed in the imperial catalogue are also often the case. After 50–60 years, those once yǐn (hidden) sometimes xiǎn (appear), and those once cún (preserved) sometimes ǒu yì (occasionally lost). The remnant-fat and shèngfù (left-over fragrance) — turning around to be transmitted by this compilation alone — its merit cannot be effaced. Reverently submitted, tenth month of Qiánlóng 46 (1781). Editor-in-Chief Jǐ Yún, Lù Xīxióng, Sūn Shìyì. General Collator Lù Fèichí.

Abstract

Date. The chūjí was completed and printed in Kāngxī 33 (1694) (Gù was 30 — his jìnshì came later, in 1712). The èrjí by 1702. The sānjí finished and printed in Kāngxī 59 (1720) — two years before Gù’s death. The bracket adopted (1694–1720) covers the full publication-life of the three series.

Significance. (1) The Yuán shī xuǎn is the canonical pre-modern Yuán-poetry anthology — the principal source for all subsequent Yuán-poetry scholarship until the modern critical Quán Yuán shī (Lèi Wéiyuán et al., 2010s). (2) The three-series structure — 100 poets per series, organised by Heavenly Stems — covers approximately 300 Yuán poets with critical-biographical context for each. (3) The compilation was carried out from about 400 individual biéjí that Gù personally examined — making it a major bibliographic feat of Yuán-period source recovery. (4) Gù’s xiǎozhuàn are unusually substantive — combining biographical, critical, and sometimes textual-philological observations — making the compilation as much a biographical reference as a poetic anthology. The format influenced subsequent compilations (e.g. Cáo Tíngdòng’s Sòng bǎijiā shī cún KR4h0167 follows it methodologically). (5) The Sìkù tíyào’s framing — Gù’s compilation as the principal panorama of Yuán poetry — and its endorsement of Gù’s editorial method (from the original books rather than piece-and-stitch from other selections) make this work a Qīng-canonical statement about Yuán literature. (6) The work’s place alongside KR4h0157 Sòng shī chāo and KR4h0167 Sòng bǎijiā shī cún completes the early-Qīng Sòng-Yuán-canon trilogy.

Gù Sìlì’s later activities. Gù was also involved in the imperial Yùxuǎn SòngJīnYuánMíng sìcháo shī compilation KR4h0143 (1709) as one of the lùxuǎn guān — so his own private compilation overlapped with the imperial project. He also produced the Wēn Fēiqīng shī jí jiānzhù (Wēn Tíngyún edition, KR4c0078) as his other major editorial achievement.

Translations and research

• Yoshikawa Kōjirō 吉川幸次郎, Yuán Míng shī gài-shuō 元明詩概說 (tr. as Five Hundred Years of Chinese Poetry, 1150–1650, by John Timothy Wixted, Princeton 1989) — standard treatment of Yuán-Míng poetry, makes extensive use of Yuán shī xuǎn.
• Stephen H. West, “Mongol Influence on the Development of Northern Drama,” China Under Mongol Rule, ed. John D. Langlois (Princeton, 1981).
• John D. Langlois (ed.), China Under Mongol Rule (Princeton, 1981) — comprehensive overview.
• 楊鐮 Yáng Lián, Yuán shī shǐ 元詩史 (Bei-jing, 2003) — modern comprehensive history of Yuán poetry, in close dialogue with the Yuán shī xuǎn.
• 顧嗣立, Yuán shī xuǎn, modern punctuated edition (Zhōng-huá shū-jú, 1987 reprint).

Other points of interest

The Yuán shī xuǎn’s ten-Heavenly-Stem sub-organisation (within each of three series) is a distinctive editorial decision: the alphabetical-by-Stem ordering signals encyclopedic completeness without imposing a hierarchical evaluation. Gù’s silently-omitted guǐjí in each series — the tenth position — is one of the most-noted “missing volumes” in pre-modern Chinese book history, with multiple later compilers (including Xí Shìchén 席世臣 in the 18th century) attempting to fill the gap. The modern Yuán shī xuǎn guǐjí compilation by Xí is preserved separately and is sometimes printed together with Gù’s work.

Links

• ctext
• Wilkinson, Chinese History: A New Manual §49.