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龍洲詞

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Text ID
KR4j0050
Date
1180–1206
Dynasty
宋

Lóngzhōu cí 龍洲詞

Lyrics of [Liú] Lóng-zhōu by 劉過 (撰)

About the work

The Lóngzhōu cí 龍洲詞 is the one-juǎn Sìkù cí collection of Liú Guò 劉過 (1154–1206; zì Gǎizhī 改之, hào Lóngzhōu dàorén 龍洲道人), of Lúlíng 廬陵 (Jiāngxī) but long-resident of Línān. Liú is one of the jiānghú (rivers-and-lakes) wandering literati of the late twelfth century — never jìnshì, never holding office, surviving by patronage; closest friend and protégé of Xīn Qìjí 辛棄疾. The Lóngzhōu jí (separately catalogued) preserves his shī and prose; the present is the Máo Jìn 毛晉 cí-only extraction. Huáng Shēng 黃昇’s Huāān cí xuǎn KR4j0066 characterizes Liú as Xīn Qìjí’s kè (guest) and his cí as “much in heroic-spirited language, evidently learning from Jiàxuān.” The Tíyào refines this: only Liú’s cí directly addressed to Xīn (Gǔ qǐ wú rén kě yǐ sì wú Jiàxuān zhě shuí? 古豈無人可以似吾稼軒者誰 — “in antiquity, was there no one who could resemble my Jiàxuān? Who?”) use the Xīn manner; the rest are not consistently in that register. The collection preserves the famous Qìn yuán chūn · Jì Xīn Chéngzhǐ sent to Xīn at Shàngráo (a piece written in Xīn’s manner imitating Xīn’s voice — itself a jìshǐ document of the XīnLiú friendship). Liú also wrote Qìn yuán chūn · Lǜbìn zhūyán in birthday-celebration for Hán Tuōzhòu 韓侂胄 (and even attended the Nányuán banquet at which Hán’s beloved performed) — the Tíyào notes that as a zònghéng yóushì (roaming statecraft persuader), Liú “could not regulate his speech and act”; this should not be hidden by his apologists.

Tiyao

Lóngzhōu cí, one juǎn, by Liú Guò of the Sòng. Guò has the Lóngzhōu jí separately catalogued. Chén Zhènsūn 陳振孫’s Shūlù jiětí records Liú Gǎizhī cí in one juǎn; this text is Máo Jìn’s cutting, titled Lóngzhōu cí following the parent-collection title. Huáng Shēng 黃昇’s Huāān cí xuǎn says Gǎizhī was Jiàxuān (Xīn Qìjí 辛棄疾)‘s guest, his cí much in heroic-spirited language, evidently learning from Jiàxuān. — Guò’s cí presented to Xīn Qìjí — like Gǔ qǐ wú rén, kě yǐ sì wú Jiàxuān zhě shuí — these are Xīn-style; the rest, though dramatic-and-flowing, never wholly Xīn-style. Táo Jiǔchéng’s Chuògēng lù says Gǎizhī’s cí-making is opulent-roaming and intentional; Qìn yuán chūn two pieces are especially finely-graceful and lovable — examining the collection, the chanting-of-beautiful-woman’s-nails and chanting-of-beautiful-woman’s-feet two pieces are crudely-cut and ungodly, rather opposed to dàyǎ; Jiǔchéng singling them out for praise is not the ear of a true shǎngyīn (judge of sound). The Zhǔshāntáng shīhuà says Gǎizhī’s Qìn yuán chūn · Lǜbìn zhūyán is a substitute-birthday for Hán Píngyuán (Hán Tuōzhòu); but at the time it is not known for whom it was made; now also unascertainable. — Examining the collection, Hè xīn láng 5th’s note says “Píngyuán took a beloved-concubine performing fāngxiǎng (chime-stones); at the banquet I composed this” — so Gǎizhī personally took part in the Nányuán banquet, not merely composing zhùshòu (birthday well-wishing) on commission. As a zònghéng yóushì, his ambition was on official success; truly he could not regulate his speech and act; no need to make excuses. Again Qìn yuán chūn 7th’s note: “sent to Xīn chéngzhǐ (Xīn the Chéngzhǐ); the chéngzhǐ summoned and I did not go”; another note: “some have it as in wind-snow wishing to go to Jiàxuān; long lodging at the lake unable to go; composed this.” The matter is clear here; the ZhōngWú jìwén also says Jiàxuān was governing Yuè; hearing his name, sent messengers to invite; not in time; so imitated Xīn-style composing this Qìn yuán chūn to send. The Yuèfǔ jìwén however says when Yòuān (Xīn) governed Jīngkǒu, Gǎizhī in shabby clothes and dragging slippers had answered the summons; — so the two became friends before Yòuān governed Yuè. The Shānfáng suíbǐ records this cí as in Jiàxuān’s Yuè-period, with Gǎizhī wanting to see Xīn and being refused, until Huìān (Zhū Xī 朱熹) and Nánxuān (Zhāng Shì 張栻) mediated — xiǎoshuō fabrication; cross-reference confirms its falseness.

Abstract

The transmitted Lóngzhōu cí descends through Máo Jìn’s late-Míng cutting. Modern editions: the Quán Sòng cí of Táng Guīzhāng 唐圭璋 preserves around 84 cí. Liú’s birth-date 1154 and death-date 1206 are firmly established by Liú Lóngzhōu niánpǔ studies. The collection is the principal documentary witness to the late-twelfth-century Xīn-led háofàng circle, including the famous Qìn yuán chūn · Jì Xīn Chéngzhǐ — composed in Jiātài 4 / 1204 when Xīn invited Liú from Línān to Shàngráo, but Liú could not come because of snow; the cí imagines a four-figure poetic gathering with Lín Bū 林逋, Sū Shì 蘇軾, and Xú Hún 許渾.

Translations and research

  • Yáng Hǎi-míng 楊海明, Liú Guò nián-pǔ 劉過年譜 — chronological study.
  • Táng Guī-zhāng 唐圭璋 et al., Quán Sòng cí 全宋詞 (Zhōng-huá shū-jú, 1965; rev. 1999), vol. 4 — collated corpus.
  • Tōng Pèi-jí 童斐基, Liú Guò shī cí jiào yì 劉過詩詞校譯 (Sì-chuān rén-mín, 1990s).

Other points of interest

The Qìn yuán chūn · Jì Xīn Chéngzhǐ — Liú’s imagining of a temporal-impossible literary gathering (Lín Bū, Sū Shì, Xú Hún summoned across the centuries) as his “letter” to Xīn for declining the invitation — is one of the supreme stylistic feats of the late-Sòng cí: it shows the háofàng manner could be entirely playful as well as militant.

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