10/29 Literature Of The Fourth Century

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玄言

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Discourse on Laozi and Zhuangzi. As Buddhism gained influence in court, Buddhist scriptures also became part of arcane discourse.

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干寶
Gan Bao

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(d.336) Southern literary figure who publicly condemned the open scorn of conventional social norms that was associated with those who practice arcane discourse. Author of 搜神記

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葛洪
Ge Hong

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(283-343) The prolific Taoist writer; the author of Outer Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity 抱朴子外篇, Inner Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity 抱朴子內篇, and Biographies of Divine Transcendents 神仙傳

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志怪

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“strange tales” or “anomaly accounts” that gave account of supernatural phenomena, exotic locales, fantastic flora and fauna.

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In Search of the Supernatural 搜神記

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Written by Gan Bao (4th Century), a defining work of the 志怪genre. It is about anything considered out of the ordinary, such as prophetic dreams, animal spirits, ghosts, and demons. Gan Bao claimed in the preface that “the spirit world is no fabrication”.

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玄言詩

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A poetry drawing heavily upon the terminology and concerns of the philosophy expounded in the Laozi and Zhuangzi as well as Buddhist doctrine. Landscape was an essential element in 玄言詩.

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遊仙

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A popular poetic topic in the Eastern Jin which pointed to immortality and transcendence.

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陶淵明
Tao Yuanming

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(365?-427) aka Tao Qian. His poems on reclusion transforms the conventional vocabulary and stock images of poetryone of the greatest classical Chinese poets; dealt extensively with reclusion. Wrote 歸去來辭 (Guiqulai ci “Return” follows tradition of Guitian fu by Zhang Heng); (Zi ji wen 自祭文) a sacrificial address to himself; “Biography of Master Five Willows” (Wuliu xiansheng zhuan 五柳先生傳); “The Record of Peach Blossom Spring” (Taohuayuan ji 桃花源記); may have written A Sequel to In Search of the Supernatural (Xu Soushen ji 續搜神記 or Soushen houji 搜神後記)

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郭璞
Guo Pu

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(276-324) a taciturn man learned in Confucian Classics, passionate about ancient scripts and skillful in the occult arts. His famous works include 江賦. He was also considered the representative poet of the genre “roaming as an immortal”.

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Fu on the Yangzi River 江賦

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Guo Pu’s poetic exposition composed around 317.

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曹毗
Cao Pi

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(ca. 326-386) A descendent of the Wei royal family and produced 曹氏家傳. He also composed the poetic exposition “Fu on the Southern Capital”, which played a crucial role in the dynastic building program of the Eastern Jin.

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孫綽
Sun Chuo

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(314-371) one of the most versatile Eastern Jin writers and illustrious poets of arcane discourse; he had often been asked to compose stele inscriptions for renowned public figures. Wrote “Fu on Roaming the Heavenly Terrace Mountain” (You Tiantai shan fu 遊天臺山賦)

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Zi ji wen 自祭文

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The sacrificial address that Tao Yuanming wrote for himself, in which he compared death to a journey home, and the ritual offering, a farewell banquet.

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Pallbearers’ song 挽歌

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The funerary genre that was not only sung at funerals but also treated as an entertainment form. (4th century)

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慧遠
Huiyuan

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(334-417) an influential personage in Chinese Buddhism, and also a prominent literary figure. His extant works includes letters, treatises, prefaces, an inscription on Buddha’s shadow, and a poem on Mount Lu.

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王羲之 and王獻之
Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi

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王羲之(303-361) and 王獻之 (334-386) were considered the greatest calligraphers of all times. Their handwritten notes are highly valued, usually short and casual, but exuding a whimsical charm. These letters were a source of inspiration for the late Ming informal prose.

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Exchange poems 贈答詩

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Poetry used under formal social circumstances, presenting or replying to the poet’s associates. It is usually in four-syllable line.

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李充
Li Chong

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(d. 350s) a prolific writer, bibliographer and the only Eastern Jin literary figure known to have written a work of literary criticism, Literary Grove Treatise Hanlin lun 翰林論.

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Literary Grove Treatise翰林論

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Compiled by 李充 Li Chong (d. 350s), probably when he was organizing the imperial book collection. It consists of Literary Grove, an anthology of writings in a variety of genres, and Treatise, discussing the characteristics of different genres and making critical comments on these writings. Only a few fragments from the Treatise survive.

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許詢
Xu Xun

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(d. 361) An illustrious poets of arcane discourse. No complete poem by Xu Xun survives.

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支遁
Zhidun

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(支道林, 314-366) a famous monk who had close relationship with literati members, and often participate the “pure conversation”. He composed the eleven encomia on buddhas and bodhisattvas written in the five syllable line.

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嚴可均

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(1762-1843) compiler of the Complete Jin Prose.

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習鑿齒
Xi Zuochi

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(d. 384) Embracing an anti-mainstream notion of imperial legitimacy and the succession of power, he compiled the 漢晉春秋 on the premise that the Jin had received its mandate to rule from the Han, not from the Wei.

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Record of the Kingdom of Huayang 華陽國志

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The earliest extant regional history written by 常璩 Chang Qu 。

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常璩
Chang Qu

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(291?-361) A famous scholar of the Cheng-Han Kingdom in Sichuan; author of 華陽國志。

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Biography of Master Five Willows 五柳先生傳

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The fictional biography composed by Tao Yuanming in the tradition of Ruan Ji’s 大人先生傳。

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Biography of the Master of Wonderful Virtue 妙德先生傳

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Yuan Can’s 袁粲 (421-478) fictional biography inspired by Ruan Ji and Tai Yuanming.

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Outer Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity 抱朴子外篇

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Fifty essays dealing with social, political, and cultural issues written by 葛洪 Ge Hong

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Inner Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity 抱朴子內篇

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Twenty essays on esoteric matters written by 葛洪 Ge Hong

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Biographies of Divine Transcendents 神仙傳

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And hagiography written by 葛洪 Ge Hong. In the context of his age and his personal belief system, 神仙傳 was not intended as fiction, but as a record of actual facts.

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A Sequel to In Search of the Supernatural 續搜神記 or 搜神後記

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A work of the “anomaly accounts”. The authorship remains uncertain although it was once attributed to Tao Yuanming.

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Responsive Manifestations of Avalokitesvara 觀世音應驗記 (Guangshiyin yingyan ji )

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Produced by 謝敷, a Buddhist layman, 4th century. It is the earliest extant collection of Buddhist miracle tales in the Chinese tradition.

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裴啟
Pei Qi

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Author of 語林(written in 362)

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Forest of Tales 語林

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A collection of anecdotes about past and present celebrities written by 裴啟 Pei Qi in 362.

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A New Account of Tales of the World 世說新語

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A collection of anecdotes about past and present celebrities composed by 劉義慶 and his attendants from the early fifth century. Its incorporated many items from 語林。

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A Miscellaneous Record of the Western Capital 西京雜記

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A collection of anecdotes about the Western Han, some fantastic and some mundane, produced between the third and sixth centuries. The authorship was disputed over 葛洪 Ge Hong，吳均 Wu Jun，蕭賁。

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吳均
Wu Jun

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(469-520) a historian and literati. He is known for his “landscape” writings and letters written in parallel prose. He also wrote the anomaly account 續齊諧記

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Fu on Roaming the Heavenly Terrace Mountain 遊天臺山賦

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孫綽’s famous fu which relates an imaginary journey that may have been inspired by looking at illustrations.
Sun Chuo 孫綽 (314-371)

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顧愷之
Gu Kaizhi

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(ca.345-406) a famous painter and writer; author of 畫雲臺山賦。

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宗炳
Zong Bing

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(374-443) a painter, Buddhist layman and recluse; author of 畫山水序。

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Preface to Painted Landscape 畫山水序

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Written by 宗炳 Zong Bing, suggesting that the painted landscape is no less real than a real landscape.

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謝道韞
Xie Daoyun

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Xie An’s niece and Xie Xuan’s sister, known as a talented woman writer. Composed 泰山吟.

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Preface for poems on an excursion to Stonegate Mountain 登石門詩序

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Written in 400 by an anonymous member of the Buddhist circle, revealing the lesson that without the right state of mind, the beauty of the landscape would not have been revealed.

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Poetry on paintings 詠畫詩

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A subgenre describing the landscape in a particular painting and enables us to catch a glimpse of what the painting was like.

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Encomium on painting 畫贊

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A subgenre that usually focuses on the moral character of the person being painted.

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楊羲
Yang Xi

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(330-386) A Taoist priest who claimed that he received visitations from Taoist deities, who dictated the poems and asked him to transcribe them.

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楊方

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(fl. 323) a learned scholar who left five love poems 合歡詩

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Poems on history 詠史詩

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Poems lamenting over historical events, often inspired by passing specific historical sites. An important subgenre during the fifth century.

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謝尚

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(308-357) cousin of 謝安; he was proficient in music, calligraphy, and pure conversation. His poetic exposition 談賦，箏歌 only survive in fragment.

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Sounds of Wu 吳聲歌

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330-odd songs which are believed to represent the Wu region of the lower Yangzi River with Jiankang as its center.

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Western Tunes 西曲歌

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142 songs from the central Yangzi region, particularly the Jianling江陵 and Xiangyang襄陽 areas.

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Collection of Yuefu Poetry 樂府詩集

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Compiled in the twelfth century, using 古今樂錄 as its source.

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Record of Music from Past and Present 古今樂錄

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Compiled by 智匠 in 568. (now lost.)

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彭澤
Pengze

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A country magistrate at 彭澤(a place not far away from潯陽), Tao Yuanming’s last appointment.

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A poetry of gardens and fields 田園詩

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Poetry extolling pastoral pleasures or the harmony between nature and man. Associated with Tao Yuanming.

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The Record of Peach Blossom Spring 桃花源記

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Written by Tao Yuanming, describing a utopian community where there are no usual social constrains, and everyone lives in contentment. Hidden away in the mountains, the community is accidentally discovered by a fisherman. Later, the fisherman tries to retrace his steps, but he can never find the community again.

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蕭統
Xiao Tong

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(501-531) Crown Prince Zhaoming of the Liang. He supervised the anthologizing of 文選, and was the first known editor of Tao Yuanming’s collection.

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蕭綱
Xiao Gang

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(503-551) Emperor Jianwen of the Liang, younger brother of 蕭統.

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苻朗
Fu Lang

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The son of 苻堅’s cousin. Author of 苻子. He was executed by 王國寶 in 389.

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Master Fu 苻子

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Written by 苻朗 Fu Lang (4th Century, northerner) in the tradition of 莊子. Some fragments are still extant.

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王猛
Wang Meng

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(325-375) Former Qin courtiers; 苻堅’s most trusted minister. He was also known for his literary accomplishments, having a collection in nine scrolls although only a few letters survive.

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王嘉 Wang Jia

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(d. 386) A Taoist recluse who authored An Account of Things Overlooked (Shiyi ji 拾遺記).

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An Account of Things Overlooked 拾遺記 (Shi yi ji)

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Written by 王嘉 Wang Jia (4th century); it is a collection of accounts of anomalies, recording strange occurrences from the antiquity down to the Jin.

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蘇蕙
Su Hui

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A women writer who composed the palindrome poem.
4th c

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Palindrome poem 回文詩

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The poem composed by 蘇惠 Su Hui, 840 words in all, expressing longing for her husband 竇滔. She wove the poem into a piece of brocade and sent it to him.

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張駿

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(307-346) the governor of 涼州. He had a collection in eight scrolls.

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李暠
Li Gao

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(351-417) The founder of Western Liang; and accomplished writer and an enthusiastic patron of literary and scholarly activities. He produces 靖恭堂頌(with his courtiers) and 述志賦 wrote “Fu on Expressing My Aims” (Shuzhi fu) .

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Fu on Expressing My aims 述志賦

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Composed by 李暠 Li Gao (351-417). It was one of the few literary writings surviving from the 16 Kingdoms.

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統萬城銘
Tongwan cheng ming

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Inscription to the Fortess of Tongwan. A lavish inscription in the four-syllable line composed by 胡義周 when 赫連勃勃founded the Kingdom of 夏in 407 and built the Fortress of Tongwan in 413.

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釋道安
Si Dao'an

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(314-385) An eminent monk who supervised the translation of Buddhist scriptures supported by the Qin rulers. He compiled the first systematic catelogue of translated sutras.

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鳩摩羅什

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(384-414) Kumarajiva, famous Kuchean monk and translator of Sutras.

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法顯
Fa Xian

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(ca. 340-421) he set out on an arduous pilgrimage from Chang’an to India in 399. 12 years and some 13 kingdoms later, he boarded a merchant ship from Ceylon and returned to China. He recorded his travels in 佛國記.

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Account of the Buddhist Kingdoms 佛國記

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Written by 法顯 Fa Xian, recording his travels to India.

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Sengzhao 僧肇

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(384-414), a disciple of Kumarajiva. Was an influential Buddhist thinker and a prolific, refined writer. His letter to Liu Yimin 劉遺民, a noted lay member of the Mount Lu Buddhist community in the South, and his dirge for Kumārajīva, are both elegant compositions.