Appreciation of Yu Shinan's "Ode to the Wind"
Ode to the Wind
Yu Shinan
Dance with light sleeves,
The song is passed down and the song goes round and round.
Moving branches create chaotic shadows,
Blowing flowers brings distant fragrance.
Yu Shinan (558-638), courtesy name Bo Shi, was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. He was one of the four great calligraphers of the early Tang Dynasty who entered the Tang Dynasty from the Sui Dynasty. He studied calligraphy with the monk Zhiyong since he was a child. The so-called "deep knowledge of the true biography of Shanyin" means that he deeply believed in Wang Genzhi's calligraphy. He was highly regarded by Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, starting from Emperor Wenzong of the Tang Dynasty, emperors of all dynasties took Wang Xizhi's calligraphy as a model. Taizong once "asked for Wang Xizhi's calligraphy with gold and silk, and the whole world competed for ancient books and offered them to Queque." Yu's calligraphy was more inherited than created. In addition, Yu Shinan was erudite, knowledgeable, honest and honest, so he was deeply favored. Taizong vowed to study Wang Xizhi far away and Yu Shinan near home, which shows his influence. Later generations of "Yu style" have different reviews. His writing style is round and square, soft on the outside and hard on the inside, with almost no decoration or fire. It is also a style of calligraphy of its own, and his cursive script is almost the same as that of Wang Genzhi's cursive calligraphy. Directly passed down.
Born from a distinguished family
Yu Shinan (558-638), courtesy name Boshi, was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. He was one of the four great calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty. Born into a distinguished family. From the Three Kingdoms to the Tang Dynasty. The Yuyao Yu family produced many famous people, including Yu Fan (164-233), a classics scholar of the Wu Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period, and Yu Xi (281-356), an astronomer in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. There were also several famous calligraphers, such as the Taihe reign of Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty. The calligrapher Yu (Yu He) wrote "On Book Lists" handed down from generation to generation, discussing the wonderful works of ancient and modern times. He has cursive calligraphy, color-coded scrolls, and authentic and fake volumes. He was also commissioned by Emperor Ming to communicate with Chao Shangzhi and Xu Xixiu. , Sun Fengbo and others compiled the legal books of the two kings. The third one was Yu Shiji (? - 618), who was also good at cursive writing and served as an official in the Chen Dynasty and Sui Dynasty. He was the brother of Yu Shinan.
The most famous among them is Yu Shinan. He was born in the second year of Yongding of Emperor Chen Wu in the Southern Dynasty. His grandfather Yu Jian was the counselor of King Shixing of Liang in the Southern Dynasty. His uncle Yu Ji was the concubine of Prince Chen in the Southern Dynasty. Yu Shinan was adopted by his uncle as his son since he was a child, so he was given the name Bo Shi. Shinan was quiet and studious by nature. When he was young, he studied under King Gu Ye of Wu County (519-581). Gu Yewang, also known as Xifeng, was a calligrapher in the Southern Dynasty who was the minister of Huangmen, Guangluqing. He knew everything about the strange calligraphy of Chongzhuan, but unfortunately his handwriting has never been seen. Yu Shinan was diligent and studious, and he was unremitting in his thinking. He admired Zuopushe Xu Ling (507-585), a Liang writer and minister in the Southern Dynasties, and imitated Xu Ling in his compositions, which were graceful and beautiful. Xu Ling himself recognized them. During the reign of Emperor Chen Wen of the Southern Dynasties, his biological father Yu Li passed away. Emperor Wen praised Yu Li's virtues and knew that his two sons were very knowledgeable, so he sent envoys to the Yu family to comfort and inspect him. When Shinan's mourning period expired, he summoned Fa Cao, the king of Jian'an, to join the army. However, his adoptive father Yu Ji was trapped by the rebels. In the end of the Taijian period, Emperor Chen Xuan put down the rebellion and "Fang ordered Shinan to eat meat." After the fall of the Chen Dynasty (589), Shinan and Shiji brothers went to Chang'an together. At that time, people compared him to the Erlu (Lu Ji and Lu Yun) of the Jin Dynasty. When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was the king of Jin, he heard about Yu Shinan's reputation and planned to hire him as secretary. After Emperor Yang came to the throne, Shinan resigned. , Daye (605-618), he was awarded the title of Secretary Lang and moved to the living room. Although Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty loved Yu Shinan's talent, he did not appreciate his upright character and actually did not put him in charge of the government at that time. He successively served as Guanglu. The doctor, the Minister of Internal Affairs, lived a luxurious life. Although Yu Shinan lived with his brother, he still lived a simple life and did not change his old habits. He was not allowed to replace his brother, and people at that time praised him for his righteousness. Shinan followed Yu Wenhua to Liaocheng and served as the minister of Huangmen under the rebel army Dou Jiande. It was not until Qin King Li Shimin eliminated Dou Jiande and introduced Yu Shinan as his confidant. p>
Meeting the Lord of the Ming Dynasty in the late period
When Yu Shinan entered the Tang Dynasty, he was already in his sixtieth year. He first joined the army for the Prince of Qin's Palace, and soon turned it into a record office. He was awarded the bachelor's degree of Hongwen Museum and became the first master of the Qin Dynasty with Fang Xuanling. Wen Han. Once, Li Shimin ordered him to write the "Biography of Lienu" on the screen. There was no original copy at that time, so Yu Shinan wrote it out word by word. Li Shimin was appointed as the prince, and Yu Shinan was the prince.
In 627 AD, when Li Shimin came to the throne, Yu Shinan was appointed as the Minister of Sanqi, Yuanwai Sanqi, and as a bachelor of Hongwen Hall. At that time, Yu Shinan was nearly 70 years old, and he requested to retire and return to his hometown. However, Taizong refused and moved him to be the crown prince's right concubine. Yu Shinan refused and was still appointed. As a secretary, he is a young prisoner. In the sixth year of Zhenguan (633), he was promoted to Secretary Supervisor, in charge of books and writings and other matters, and was known as "Yu Supervisor" in the world. In the eighth year of Zhenguan, he was granted the title of Duke of Yongxing County. Therefore, it is called "Yu Yongxing" in history.
Taizong of the Tang Dynasty admired Yu Shinan's erudition, frankness and loyalty very much. He often talked with him about knowledge and studied classics and history in his spare time from government affairs. Shinan has an elegant appearance but a strong will. Whenever the pros and cons of ancient emperors' governance are discussed, there is always a sense of exhortation and satire. Taizong often said to his courtiers: "In my spare time, I was discussing the ancient and modern times with Yu Shinan, and I made a mistake. I feel regretful because of my sincerity. I would like to express my gratitude."
After the death of Li Yuan, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, , Li Shimin issued an edict to build a mausoleum for his father, taking Changling, the tomb of the great ancestor Liu Bang, as a model, which was extremely grand and grand. It wastes people and money. Yu Shinan went to court twice to remonstrate with him, believing that the country should be used sparingly to bring peace to the people soon after the founding of the country, and advocated "a thin burial". The ministers and officials also asked them to act in accordance with Emperor Gaozu's edict and to be thrifty. Under the advice of Yu Shinan and other ministers, the size of the mausoleum was greatly reduced. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty loved hunting, but Yu Shinan also went to court to dissuade him many times. Once, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty wrote a palace-style poem, asking the officials to respond. Yu Shinan was afraid that this kind of poetry with "not elegant and upright style" would spread. It was popular in the world and had a bad influence, so he refused to compose poems. From all these, we can see Yu Shinan's upright and loyal character. Taizong often said that Yu Shinan had "five special qualities", namely virtue, loyalty, erudition, literary poetry, and calligraphy. "If you have one of these, you are enough to be a famous minister." Think highly of him.
In the twelfth year of Zhenguan (638), Yu Shinan became an official (retired), with the official titles of Yinqing Guanglu Doctor and Hongwenguan Bachelor. He died of illness this year at the age of eighty-one. Emperor Wenzong of the Tang Dynasty issued an edict to bury him in the Zhaoling Mausoleum, posthumously presented him as the Minister of Rites, and gave him the posthumous title "Wen Yi". He also issued an edict to Wei Wangtai, saying: "The world is as one with me. I will pick up the missing pieces and make up for them. I will never forget them. I will build up the famous ministers of our time and have the right human ethics. Now that the clouds are dead, there is no one left in Shiqu and Dongguan!" He also ordered the living man Chu Suiliang to recite and burn a poem he wrote in front of the soul of Yu Shinan. The friendship between the emperor and his ministers could not be more profound than this.
Yu Shinan compiled 172 volumes of "Beitang Shuchao" and wrote 30 volumes of "Yu Shinan Collection".
The Successor of Wang Shu
Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, advocated the calligraphy style of Wang Xizhi, the "Sage of Calligraphy". He personally wrote the "Biography of Wang Xizhi" for "Book of Jin", collected, copied, and appreciated Wang Xizhi's authentic works. He also ordered Xiao Yi to obtain the authentic "Preface to Lanting" from Shanyin monk Biancai, and had many copies copied and given to everyone. Chen, even buried the original copy of "Lanting Preface" in Zhaoling after his death. Calligraphy was one of the Chinese studies in the Tang Dynasty, and calligraphy was also emphasized in recruiting scholars. The prosperity of calligraphy in the Tang Dynasty was unprecedented in ancient times.
When Yu Shinan was young, he learned calligraphy from Zen Master Zhiyong, the seventh grandson of Wang Xizhi, and learned the essence of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy. In order to study calligraphy, he once locked himself upstairs, and only came downstairs after completing his work. A big jar was filled with scrap pens that I had written on. After practicing calligraphy during the day, he would scratch his belly or sheets with his fingers before falling asleep, pondering the momentum and texture of the calligraphy. As the days passed, the sheets became torn. Through hard study, Yu Shinan became the direct master of Wang's brushwork.
Zhang Huaiguan of the Tang Dynasty commented on Yu Shinan in his "Shujuan": "His book has the grand regulations of the great order (Wang Xianzhi), contains the upright colors of the five directions, is graceful and elegant, and has wisdom and courage. The beautiful ridges and dangerous peaks, It rises everywhere, especially when walking on grass, and its twilight teeth are not suitable for smelling sheep (Xin) and thin (Shaozhi)! This is the beauty of the southeast, and the bamboo arrows of Kuaiji are also suitable. "Bo Shili and Xingshu are very good. However, Ou (Yang Xun) and Yu can be said to be evenly matched in intelligence... In terms of their maturity, Yu will not be able to catch them. If Ou Ruo goes deep, it may be unfavorable; if Yu Xing makes a wonderful choice. , It is rare to miss a word. Yu is strong and soft, while Ou is exposed. A gentleman hides his weapons, and Yu is superior." At that time, Yu Shinan's reputation was higher than that of Ouyang Xun.
His calligraphy is smooth and elegant, soft on the outside and strong on the inside. Commentators think that his calligraphy is like a skirt with fluttering skirts, and his body is restrained and he walks in a straight line, which has the power of being inviolable with a crown and a sword. His writing style is pure and elegant, and he is famous in the history of calligraphy for his strong character and strength. The "Yu style" school he founded combines hardness and softness, and uses the square and the circle interchangeably. People praise "Yu Ti" for "gaining the beauty of the right army, but losing its handsomeness". Liu Xizai's "Book Summary" said: "Yongxing's calligraphy came from Zhiyong, so it is not only bright and sharp but connotated." The so-called "beautiful charm of Youjun" means that it was obtained from the direct inheritance of the Wang family; the so-called "lost of its handsomeness", This means that he is not purely part of the "King Shu", but stands on his own. Unique style. Together with Ouyang Xun's "Xian Jin", he is also known as "Ou Yu".
Together with Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji, they are known as the "Four Great Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty".
"Yu style" rhyme
Throughout the history of calligraphy, from the beginning of the late Han Dynasty when Zhong (Yao) and Zhang (Zhi) opened regular scripts to the two kings of the late Jin Dynasty (Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi) The establishment of the law, through the Sui Dynasty of the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the early Tang Dynasty, the four great masters made the regular script perfect. Therefore, it is often called "Jin people took the rhyme, Tang people took the method, Song people took the meaning", and "Tang people used the method carefully". From a technical level, the core of Chinese calligraphy art is brushwork. It is said that as early as the Han Dynasty, Cai Yong learned the secret method of "octagonal hanging light" in the stone chamber of Songshan Mountain and became the ancestor of teaching brushwork. There is an article "Names of people who taught calligraphy" in Zhang Yanyuan's "Book of Calligraphy" of the Tang Dynasty. Attached to the article "Names of people who were able to write calligraphy in ancient times", it records the pedigree of people who taught calligraphy. There were 23 people in total. They are: Cai Yong passed it on to Cui Yuan and his daughter Cai Wenji (Yan), Wenji passed it on to Zhong Yao, Zhong Yao passed it on to Mrs. Wei, Mrs. Wei passed it on to Wang Xizhi, Wang Xizhi passed it on to his son Wang Xianzhi, Xianzhi passed it on to Yang Xin, and Yang Xin passed it on to Wang Sengqian. Wang Sengqian passed it on to Xiao Ziyun, Xiao Ziyun passed it on to Zhiyong, and Zhiyong passed it on to Yu Shinan. Huang Tingjian, a calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, said: "Looking back at the generations of Ou, Yu, Chu and Xue, they were all embarrassed by the law, how could it be like Lu Gong (Yan Zhenqing) Xiao Ran who was outside the rope of ink!" Even so, the four schools of the early Tang Dynasty each had their own Appearance. Yu Shinan's calligraphy is more inherited than created, and the source of his regular script can be found in works such as "The Statue of Gao Guiyan" in the Eastern Wei Dynasty. Ming Dynasty calligrapher Dong Qichang said: "Yu Yongxing's calligraphy always claimed to be enlightened in Taoism. The point where he writes is like drawing a knife to cut off water, just like Taishi Yan's "drawing sand with a cone". The calligrapher Bao Shichen of the Qing Dynasty also said in "Yizhou Shuangyi": "Yongxing is like a white crane flying in the sky, and people look up to the red top." Zhou Xinglian said in "Linchi Guanjian"; "Wang Xizhi and Yu Shinan's calligraphy." Xinyi, calm manner, and fluffy and spring-summer atmosphere. "Yu Shinan's and Zhiyong's characters are basically more mellow and subtle. The shape of Yu is slightly longer and more graceful. He uses a round pen with a center. , contains hardness and softness. The tip is not sharpened, and the roundness is uneven. Ouyang Xun's writing is made with folding strokes at the corners, while Yu Shinan's "Ge" method is particularly distinctive. According to historical records, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty once learned calligraphy from Yu Shinan, but because the handwriting of "ge" was not good, he left the character "戈" next to "ge" and asked Yu Shinan to fill it in. He showed it to Wei Zheng, who said: "Looking at the emperor's writings, only the character 'ge' in the character '戈' is the most like Yu Shinan." Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty praised Wei Zheng's high appreciation and deeply felt that he should learn the character 'ge' in the character Yu. It's not easy. His "ge" method is particularly long, and the long strokes have changes in weight and weight.
Yu Shinan and Ouyang Xun both presided over calligraphy (one of the six traditional Chinese studies in the Tang Dynasty). He made special contributions to the teaching of brushwork to his nephew Lu Jianzhi. Lu Jianzhi's "Wen Fu" and "Lanting Poems" are handed down from generation to generation, and they are elegant and elegant. Lu Yanyuan passed it on to his nephew Zhang Xu. The regular script "Langguan Shizhu Ji" has a Yu-style style. Chu Suiliang once asked Yu Shinan for advice: "What is this book like?" (Zhi) Yongshi?" Yu Shinan replied: "I heard that one word is fifty thousand. How can you be like this?" Chu asked again: "What about Ouyang Xun?" Everyone can do what they want, how can you do this?" Chu sighed and said: "Why should I pay more attention to this?" Yu replied: "If you use your hands and writing style, you will be worthy of it." Feng Ban's "Brut". "Yinshu Yao" says: "If you study Liu (Gong Quan)'s calligraphy to death, your disease will be the same as your ears. After understanding the ancient history of Liu Gong's study, the two kings, Ou, Yu, Zhu, and Xue will be better if they are beaten into a ball." It can be seen that. Liu Gongquan also studied Yu's calligraphy. In the Song Dynasty, Cai Xiang also studied Yu Shinan's calligraphy. He also studied Yu Shinan's calligraphy in "Zhao Gou's Thousand Character Essays", which was written by Zhao Gou. It is believed that the Yushu (thousand-character script) was written during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, so the characters "Min" and "Yuan" are missing strokes to avoid taboos. However, according to Chen Yuan's "Examples of Historical Taboos", it is believed that the calligraphy of the Tang Dynasty was missing strokes to avoid taboos. It was first seen in the first year of Qianfeng reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (666). The ink of "Yuan Jie Xi Si Lin Zhi Yong Qian Zi Wen" is collected in the Shanghai Museum. Judging from the style, it is most likely the Thousand Character Essay written by Lin Yu Shinan.