Jiāng Yān 江淹 (444–505), zì Wéntōng 文通, native of Jǐyáng Kǎochéng 濟陽考城 (modern Lánkǎo 蘭考 in Hénán), was a major literary and political figure of the late LiúSòng / Southern-Qí / early-Liáng transition. He served the Sòng Lìu Jǐngsù 劉景素 as cānjūn and was involved in the 477 plot crisis at Xuānchéng. Under the Qí he rose to guànjūn jiāngjūn lìbù shàngshū 冠軍將軍吏部尚書, and entered the Liáng as jīnzǐ guānglù dàifū 金紫光祿大夫, enfeoffed Lǐlínghóu 醴陵侯, posthumously titled Xiàn 獻. Standard biographies in Liáng shū 14 and Nán shǐ 59. CBDB confirms the dates 444–505.
Jiāng is canonically known for the twin pillars of medieval Chinese fù — the Hèn fù 恨賦 and the Bié fù 別賦 (both preserved in the Wén xuǎn) — and the Zá tǐ shī sānshí shǒu 雜體詩三十首, a series of poems imitating thirty earlier poets that is one of the great reception documents of HànWèiSòng poetry. He is also notorious for the jiāng láng cái jìn 江郎才盡 (“Master Jiāng’s talent has run dry”) legend recorded in Nán shǐ, which became the canonical figure for premature creative decline. Wilkinson notes Jiāng as the author of the lost Qí shǐ 齊史 in annals-biography form. His writings survive in KR4b0015 Jiāng Wéntōng jí 江文通集 (WYG 4-juǎn) and KR4b0016 Liáng Jiāng Wéntōng wén jí 梁江文通文集 (SBCK 10-juǎn).