Yu Xin () (513-581) was a Chinese poet, politician, and writer of the
Liang and
Northern Zhou
Zhou (), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (), was a Xianbei-led Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties of China's ...
dynasties of medieval China. Yu Xin was one of the founders of the Xu-Yu literary style together with
Xu Ling, and the author of a famous
fu. His
courtesy name
A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
was Zǐshān (), and he was known as Yu Shin in Japan.
['' Kanjigen'' entry "Yu Xin" (''Yu Shin'' in Japanese). ]Gakken
is a Japanese publishing company founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, which also produces educational toys. Their annual sales are reported at ¥ 90 billion ($789 million US).
Gakken publishes educational books and magazines and produces othe ...
2006.
Life
Yu Xin was born and raised in
Jiangling, which was once
the capital of Chu. His family was wealthy and aristocratic, and Yu became an important official of the Liang dynasty. As such, he served as the lover and patron of aspiring statesman Wang Shao.
[Hinsch, Bret. (1990). ''Passions of the Cut Sleeve''. University of California. pp. 69-70]
In 554, Yu Xin was sent as an ambassador to the
Western Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Western Wei (), was an imperial dynasty of China that followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei. One of the Northern dynasties during the era of the Northern and Southern dynasties, it ruled the weste ...
in
Chang'an
Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
, a mission that did not meet with success. On the way to his mission, he visited Wang Shao, now an official censor, who rejected further advances.
After the fall of the
Liang dynasty
The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () or Xiao Liang () in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It was pre ...
in 557, three of his children that remained in the Liang capital were executed. Yu was held in Chang'an for the rest of his life.
Works
Along with the poet and official
Xu Ling and the fathers of both men, Yu is known for the Xu-Yu Style (), which was known as "fancy and alluring".
Perhaps his most famous poem is ''The Lament for the South'' (), which
James Hightower has described as the highest development of the ''
fu'' form of poetry.
A translation of this poem can be found in:
* .
See also
*
Classical Chinese poetry
Classical Chinese poetry is traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese and typified by certain traditional forms, or modes; traditional genres; and connections with particular historical periods, such as the poetry of the Tang dy ...
*
Six Dynasties poetry
Six Dynasties poetry () refers to the types or styles of poetry particularly associated with the Six Dynasties era of Chinese history (220–589 CE). This poetry reflects one of the poetry world's more important flowerings, as well as being a uniqu ...
*
Xiaoxiang poetry
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yu, Xin
6th-century Chinese poets
6th-century Chinese writers
Liang dynasty poets
Liang dynasty government officials
Chinese male poets
Northern Zhou people
Northern Zhou poets
Poets from Hubei
Politicians from Jingzhou