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Zhuo Wenjun (; fl. 2nd century BC) was a Chinese poet of the
She is portrayed by
Zhuo Wenjun: A woman of great courage and wisdom
Han dynasty poets Chinese women poets 1st-century BC Chinese women writers 1st-century BC writers 1st-century BC Chinese poets Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 2nd-century BC Chinese women writers 2nd-century BC Chinese writers 2nd-century BC writers Writers from Chengdu 2nd-century BC Chinese people 1st-century BC Chinese people 2nd-century BC Chinese women Poets from Sichuan 1st-century BC Chinese women {{China-poet-stub
Zhuo Wenjun (; fl. 2nd century BC) was a Chinese poet of the Western Han
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a war ...
dynasty. As a young widow, she eloped with the poet Sima Xiangru
Sima Xiangru ( , ; c. 179117BC) was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician who lived during the Western Han dynasty. Sima is a significant figure in the history of Classical Chinese poetry, and is generally regarded as the greatest of all com ...
. The poem ''Baitou Yin'' (白頭吟, White-Haired Lament) which complains at the inconstancy of male love, is attributed to her.
Biography
Zhuo Wenjun was a lady from the Zhuo family of the Sichuan province, and her father was Zhuo Wangsun. She had the best education, highlighting music and poetry. Married at sixteen, she was soon widowed and returned to her parents. Sima Xiangru, a famous poet and musician, during a stay inChengdu
Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese provin ...
, was invited to their home by the Zhuos. Zhuo Wenjun fell in love with him when she saw him play the guqin and did not hesitate to run away with him. Angry, her father denied her any support. Finding herself in poverty because her new husband's family was not rich, Zhuo Wenjun opened a wine shop. Ashamed that his daughter was a simple innkeeper, her father relented and gave them money and servants.
Emperor Wu learned of Sima Xiangru's talent and offered him an official cargo in the capital. There, Sima distanced himself not only physically from his wife, but also wrote her a letter informing her of his intent to take a concubine. Saddened, Zhuo Wenjun replied with a long poem that moved him so deeply that he was ashamed of his plan and returned with her, living together until their old age. When he died, she composed a funeral ode in his honor.
Popular media
She is portrayed by Park Si-yeon
Park Si-yeon (born Park Mi-seon on March 29, 1979) is a South Korean actress. She joined the Miss Korea pageant in 2000, and using that as a springboard to an acting career, she made her acting debut in China in 2004, appearing in minor roles in ...
in the 2004 Chinese television series ''Feng Qiu Huang.''
References
Sources
Zhuo Wenjun: A woman of great courage and wisdom
Han dynasty poets Chinese women poets 1st-century BC Chinese women writers 1st-century BC writers 1st-century BC Chinese poets Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 2nd-century BC Chinese women writers 2nd-century BC Chinese writers 2nd-century BC writers Writers from Chengdu 2nd-century BC Chinese people 1st-century BC Chinese people 2nd-century BC Chinese women Poets from Sichuan 1st-century BC Chinese women {{China-poet-stub