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Yuan Hongdao (, 1568–1610) was a
Chinese poet of the
Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...
, and one of the
Three Yuan Brothers, along with his brothers
Yuan Zongdao and
Yuan Zhongdao
Yuan Zhongdao (袁中道, Wade-Giles ''Yüan Chung-tao''; 1570–1624) was a Chinese poet, essayist, travel diarist and official was born in Kung-an in Hu-kuang.
History
He shares his fame with two other brothers, Yuan Zongdao (1560–1 ...
. Hongdao's life spanned nearly the whole of the
Wanli Wanli was the era name of the Chinese Ming dynasty.
Wanli may also refer to:
*Wanli Emperor (1563–1620), the 14th emperor of the Chinese Ming dynasty
*Wanli District, Nanchang, district of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
*Wanli District, New Taipei, a ...
period (1573-1620) in Chinese history. A native of Gong'an in Hukuang, his family had been military officials for generations. Hongdao showed an interest in literature from youth and formed his own literary club at age fifteen. At the age of twenty-four in 1592 he took the
jinshi examination and subsequently received an official position in 1595. However he quit out of boredom after a year. He traveled and consulted with the radical philosopher
Li Zhi Li Zhi may refer to:
*Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628–683), named Li Zhi, Emperor of China
*Li Ye (mathematician) (1192–1279), Chinese mathematician and scholar, birth name Li Zhi
*Li Zhi (philosopher) (1527–1602), Chinese philosopher from the M ...
. On another trip his brothers joined him. Hu's elder brother was a Buddhist-Confucianist synchronist. His travels resulted in his publishing a poetry compilation ''
Jietuo ji''
ollection of One Released His and his two brothers' poetry, which focused on clarity and sincerity, produced a following eventually known as the Gong'an school, the central belief of which was that good writing was a result of genuine emotions and personal experience. When his elder brother Zongdao died in 1600, Hongdao retired to a small island in a lake to meditate and write poetry. The resulting work is ''
Xiaobi tangji''
ade-Green Bamboo Hall Collection
Poems
THE CAPITAL
Bright are the city walls of the capital;
Red-robed officials shout on broad streets.
There is a white-headed destitute scholar;
Hanging from his mule's saddle, sheaves of poems.
Clasping his calling card, he knocks on doors for work;
The gate keepers smirk at one another.
Ten try and ten fail;
Walk the streets, his face is haggard.
Always fear in serving the rich;
Sorry your flattery isn't quick enough.
Over an eye a black eyepatch;
Half blind, the fellow is old!
A STRANGE PRIEST
Bought his mantle to escape draft and taxes;
Now he's the head priest amid his splendor.
Recites incantations, but sounds like a bird;
Writes Sanskrit that looks like twisted weeds.
With his begging bowl he distributes food of the spirit;
On his seat he faces the lamp of Buddha;
If you don't devote you whole body and soul,
How can there be anywhere Buddhism at all?
Prose writings
He was also a notable author of the
xiaopin, a form of short literary essay.
[Mair 2001. "Introduction: The Origins and Impact of Literati Culture", paragraph 22.]
References
Bibliography
* Chaves, Jonathan trans. ''Pilgrim of the Clouds'', New York-Tokyo, 1978; new edition Buffalo New York: White Pine Press, 2005.
* Carpenter, Bruce E. "The Gentleman of Stones: Yüan Hung-tao", ''Tezukayama University Review'' (Tezukayama Daigaku ronshu), Nara, Japan, no. 24, 1979.
*
Mair, Victor H. (ed.) (2001). ''
The Columbia History of Chinese Literature
''The Columbia History of Chinese Literature'' is a reference book edited by Victor H. Mair and published by the Columbia University Press in 2002. The topics include all genres and periods of poetry, prose, fiction, and drama but also areas not t ...
''. New York: Columbia University Press. . (
Amazon Kindle edition.)
External links
oberlin.edu/mao_xiang
Ming dynasty poets
1568 births
1610 deaths
Ming dynasty essayists
People from Jingzhou
Poets from Hubei
Chinese tea masters
{{China-poet-stub