Liu Yong (about 987-about 1053), a famous poet in the Northern Song Dynasty and a representative of the graceful school. Han nationality, from Chong'an (now Wuyishan, Fujian Province), originally named Sanbian, with the courtesy name Jingzhuang, and later changed his name to Yong, with the courtesy name Qiqing, ranked seventh, also known as Liu Qi. He was a Jinshi in the Renzong Dynasty of Song Dynasty, and became a tuntian Yuanwailang. In his old life, he was called Liu tuntian. He calls himself "Liu Sanbian, who writes lyrics on orders", devotes his whole life to composing lyrics, and prides himself on being "the prime minister in white clothes". Most of his poems describe the city scenery and the life of singing girls, and are especially good at expressing the feelings of traveling and servitude. Among them, there are many slow poems, which are descriptive and descriptive, blending scenes, popular language, and melodious. They were widely circulated at the time, with the saying "Everywhere there is well water" Everyone can sing willow lyrics wherever they drink." As one of the most representative figures of the Wanyue School, Liu Yong had a significant influence on the development of Song Ci. His representative works include "Yulin Ling", "Ba Sheng Ganzhou", "Feng Qi Wu", etc.[1], there are a large number of existing works Psalms.

Family background

Liu Yongxiang (2 photos)

Liu Yong was born in Rencheng County, Jeju, East and West Road, Jingxi Road, in the fourth year of Yongxi reign (987). From the first year of Chunhua (990) to the third year of Chunhua (992), Liu Yong's father Liu Yi made a decree to the whole state. According to the official system of the Song Dynasty, he was not allowed to bring his family members there. Liu Yi had no choice but to take his wife and son Liu Yong back to his hometown in Chong'an, Fujian, and asked his stepmother, Liu Yong's step-grandmother Yu, to raise them on their behalf. He did not return to Bianjing until the first year of Zhidao (995). Therefore, Liu Yong spent his childhood in his hometown of Chong'an when he was four to nine years old. After that, Liu Yong never had the chance to return to Chong'an in his life. The poem "Zhongfeng Temple" written in Zhongfeng Temple in Chong'an recorded in "Jianning Prefecture" was written by Liu Yong in his childhood, and he can also be called a child prodigy.

Liu Yong was born in Wufuli, Chong'an (now Chajing Village, Shangmei Township, Wuyishan City, Nanping, Fujian Province), where lotus plants flourished. In front of his house was a huge white lotus elephant, and the beautiful landscape was full of beautiful scenery. Raising Jin Nai further shaped Liu Yong's free and elegant feelings about life and his view of the world, where the world is short and where the clouds come back. Therefore, as soon as Liu Yong left home, he never came back, that beautiful hometown, that Baihe He can only remain in the pure thoughts of his heart.

The bumpy official career

Liu Yong's portrait (2 photos)

Due to the bumpy official career and poor life, Liu Yong turned from pursuing fame to becoming tired of officialdom and indulged in charm. In the prosperous urban life, we find sustenance in "leaning on the red and nestling in the green" and "singing in a low voice". As the first lyricist in the Northern Song Dynasty who devoted himself to writing lyrics, Liu Yong was a major lyricist in the Northern Song Dynasty and played an important role in the history of poetry. He expanded the scope of Ci and produced many excellent works. He not only expanded the subject matter and content of Ci, but also wrote a large number of slow Ci, developed narrative techniques, promoted the popularization and colloquialism of Ci, and had a great influence in the history of Ci. . He is a Jinshi of Jingyou and a foreign official in the official field. He is a dissolute man and will be in trouble all his life. When he died, he relied on singing girls to donate money for burial. His poems mostly describe the city scenery and the life of singing girls, and are especially good at expressing the feelings of traveling and traveling.

Many chapters use sad tunes to sing the pain of some down-and-out literati in the prosperous age, which is truly touching. He was the most accomplished lyricist in the early Northern Song Dynasty and authored "Collection of Movements". Liu Yong's father (Liu Yi), uncle (Liu Xuan), brother (Sanjie, Sanfu), son (Liu Chu), and nephew (Liu Qi) are all Jinshi. Liu Yong himself had a bumpy official career. In the first year of Jingyou (1034), he was granted the title of Jinshi, when he was nearly fifty years old. The lyrics are excellent and widely circulated. Only one volume of his works, "Collection of Movements", has survived to this day. Songs that describe the sorrow of traveling in poverty, such as "The Bell in the Rain" and "Eight Sounds of Ganzhou", use a serious attitude to sing about the unbearable parting and the unbearable reflection, which are very contagious.

Writing lyrics according to the order

The dawn wind and the waning moon in the rain and bells

Liu Yong passed the imperial examination, but he never thought that his "Crane Soaring to the Sky" contains the words "forbearance" "False fame, replaced by a shallow cup of wine and singing in a low voice." This sentence offended the emperor and caused him to lose his official position. As we all know, Jinshi must be approved by the emperor's imperial pen. However, this word reached Song Renzong's ears one day. Song Renzong was very angry, so he erased Liu Yong's name from the list of candidates, and laughed and cursed: "This person is easy to go to Qianzhong." Singing lowly, why do you want to write lyrics? "After losing the ranking, Liu Yong said: "I wrote lyrics according to the order, how cool and unrestrained!

Emotional matters

The love story between Liu Yong and a famous prostitute in a brothel

During the Renzong period of the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a famous prostitute named Xie Yuying who was beautiful and talented. I love singing Liu Yong’s lyrics. Liu Yongcai was arrogant and arrogant, which annoyed Renzong and could not be reused. He passed the imperial examination and was only appointed Yuhang County Prime Minister. Passing through Jiangzhou, I wandered into a prostitute's house as usual, and met Xie Yuying. I saw a volume of "Liu Qixin Ci" in his study, which she had copied in small regular script. Therefore, I understand her heart as soon as I read it, and my talents and talents match her.

When parting, Liu Yong wrote a new poem to show that he would never change his heart, while Xie Yuying vowed to treat Liu Lang behind closed doors from now on.

Liu Yong served in Yuhang for three years and met many famous prostitutes in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but he did not forget Xie Yuying. Ren Man returned to Beijing and met her in Jiangzhou. Unexpectedly, Yuying took on new customers and went to drink with them. Liu Yong was very melancholy and wrote a poem on the flower wall. Finally, he said: "I heard that Song Yu from Lantai was versatile and good at poetry. May I ask where Xingyun went from morning to night?" , feeling ashamed that he had not kept his former alliance, he sold his belongings and rushed to Tokyo to look for Liu Yong. After many twists and turns, Xie Yuying found Liu Yong at the home of Chen Shishi, a famous prostitute in Tokyo. After meeting again after a long separation, it is difficult to express all kinds of feelings. The two of them want to make peace again. Xie Yuying lived in Chen Shishi's east courtyard and lived with Liu Yong as husband and wife.

Later, Liu Yong made rude remarks and offended the court officials. Renzong dismissed him as a farm official, and the edict said: "I will serve as prime minister in white clothes, and write lyrics before the wind and the moonlight." They are all provided by famous prostitutes, and they all ask him to give them a word to increase their worth. He was also happy to roam the houses of famous prostitutes and write lyrics as a career, claiming that he was ordered to write lyrics for Liu Sanbian.

2 Fame Editor

On the surface, Liu Yong despises fame and wealth, and is quite rebellious. In fact, these are just Liu Yong's complaints after being disappointed. He still can't forget his fame in his heart. In "Like Fish in Water", he said on the one hand, "False fame and fortune are nothing." Fight hard. Don't worry about right and wrong." On the other hand, he comforted himself by saying, "Wealth is not determined by people, but high aspirations must be rewarded." Therefore, soon after his first defeat in the examination hall, he regrouped and fought again in the examination hall.

In the early years of Renzong's re-examination, the test results were already passed, but because the poem "Crane Climbing to the Sky" was banned, it was sent to Dachen to listen. When Linxuan released the results, Renzong used the poem "Crane Climbing to the Sky" as an excuse to say that Liu Yong was politically unqualified, so he deposed him and ordered: "Go ahead and just drink wine and sing in a low voice. Why do you want to be famous?" (Wu Wu) Zeng "Neng Gai Zhai Man Lu" Volume 16). After yet another failure, Liu Yongzhen was a little angry. He simply called himself "Liu Sanbian, who wrote lyrics on orders". From then on, he wandered around brothels and restaurants without any scruples, devoting himself to the artistic creation of new folk voices and lyrics. The misfortune in the officialdom actually made Liu Yong, a talented poet, a man of his dreams, allowing his artistic talent to be fully utilized in the field of poetry creation. At that time, every time the musicians and singers got a new tune, they would ask Liu Yong to write lyrics for it, so that it could be passed down to the world and recognized by the audience. Many of the new vocal tunes and lyrics created by Liu Yong are the result of collaboration with jiafang musicians and singing girls. Liu Yong wrote lyrics for the musicians and geishas of the church, so that they could sing in restaurants and karaoke houses, and he often received financial support from them. As a result, Liu Yong could linger in the theater without having to worry about too much food and clothing. Volume 2 of Volume C of Luo Ye's "Talks of a Drunkard" in the Southern Song Dynasty says, "The elders lived in Beijing and visited brothels in their spare time. Wherever they went, the prostitutes mostly gave them gold and material supplies." Liu Yong won the award for his popular literary and artistic creations. A certain amount of economic income showed that the commercialization of literature in the Song Dynasty had begun to sprout, setting a precedent for the calligraphy talents who later engaged in popular literary and artistic creation "professionally".

However, during this period of his life, he never really let go of his desire for fame. He still wants fame, and he still hopes to embark on a path that leads to an official career. So he either went to roam or was on the way to change his official position. During the long road, the long hope and loneliness, Liu Yong wrote a lot of words about his journey. Such works have always been praised by scholars of all ages. Wu Zeng's "Neng Gai Zhai Man Lu" Volume 16: Chao Wujiu said: "It is said in the world that Liu Qiqing's songs are not customary. For example, "Ba Sheng Ganzhou" says: "The frost is getting colder, the wind is getting colder, and the Guanhe River is desolate. , The remaining light is on the building. 'This is a true Tang Dynasty language, which does not reduce the height of the Tang Dynasty." "Ba Sheng Ganzhou" is a poem about traveling and fighting. Chen Tingzhuo of the Qing Dynasty also said in his "Ci Tan Cong Hua": "Qin wrote about the scenery of mountains and rivers, and Liu wrote about the feelings of traveling in captivity. They are both superb, and some of them cannot be described in words." Liu Yong wrote about 60 poems about traveling in captivity, accounting for 10% of the total. Nearly a quarter of the entire word. The theme of "Jilu" is often used to express the mood and thoughts of scribes after their pursuit of fame and fame failed. Therefore, Liu Yong's "Jilu" Ci also reveals a strong literati temperament. This temperament is often expressed in the nostalgia of the past or the calligraphy of "Jilu", such as "Double Voice" "Zi" (the evening is desolate), or Jilu Ci is used to express the despair and loneliness of feudal literati who pursue fame, such as "Returning to the Morning Joy" (A Boat on the Other Shore) and "Luntaizi" (A Pillow of Green Nights) . However, if you carefully read Liu Yong's travel poems, you will find that quite a few of these poems still have a secular tail between them, that is, on the one hand, they sing the literati style, and on the other hand, they express the lovesickness and lingering memories of the singing girls.

Let's take a look at the phrase "Snowy Plum Blossom": "The scenery is desolate, and the dangerous buildings stand alone in the clear sky. It evokes the sad autumn mood, and Song Yu echoed it at that time. The solitary smoke in the fishing market is cold and green, and the remaining leaves in the water village dance in sad red. The clear sky is broad, and the waves are soaked in the setting sun, thousands of miles away. Rong Rong. Facing the wind, I miss my beautiful face, but it's a pity that the rain and clouds are traced back then. "Hong." At the beginning of the poem, it is written that the bleak autumn scenery triggered his own emotions of autumn sadness, and this emotion should be the same as that of Song Yu at that time. Song Yu, the originator of the tragic autumn complex, is used to write about this kind of sadness, which also reflects the desolation and grief that talented people feel when they age and feel that their years have passed irrevocably and their aspirations have not yet been completed. Liu Yong failed many times in the imperial examination. In the end, although he became a minor official, he did not have a stage to realize his dream. In addition, with the twists and turns of changing his official position, there was no hope of promotion. Liu Yong's heart was full of sighs about life and life. Sceneries such as "Dangerous Building", "Lone Smoke", "Remnant Leaves", "Chutian" and "Setting Sun" more deeply show the desolation of the scenery at that time. But this scenery is consistent with the author's inner feelings.

As Ms. Ye Jiaying said in "Seventeen Lectures on Poems of the Tang and Song Dynasties", Liu Yong's poems successfully transitioned the mood of the poem "from a spring girl's kindness to an autumn scholar's susceptibility", truly writing It reflects the sorrow of a scholar. The next part of the poem turns to longing. "I miss a beauty when I'm facing the wind, and when I say goodbye, my face is sad and my eyebrows are calmed down." Liu Yong missed his loved one in the wind, and at the same time imagined that the other person missed him. She should have a sad face and a deep frown. Such thoughts are written very truly and sincerely. However, the next sentence immediately turns to "the traces of rain and clouds". Since Song Yu's "Gaotang Fu" pioneered the use of the image of "clouds and rain" as a metaphor for the love between men and women, the word "clouds and rain" has also become a metaphor for the love between men and women. synonym. This is what "clouds and rain" means here. When Liu Yong misses his beauty, he thinks of the scenes of love in the past. This has almost become a common problem in Liu Yong's poems.

In other poems about traveling, although Liu Yong did not mention Yun Yu, he did mention the Qin Lou Chu Pavilion and other fireworks places that were also shameful to the literati, as well as the beautiful singing girls. The main reason is that when he was in the capital, Liu Yong spent most of his life with geishas, ??and those geishas gave him countless happy and beautiful memories that made him feel that his self-worth had been realized. The things and people you think of in the future are always the ones that make you unforgettable, comfort you, and save you when you are down. The same goes for Liu Yong. During the journey, the only thing he could remember was the fireworks women who stayed with him when he was unhappy. A writer's experience determines the style of his creations. It was the social conditions at that time that gave Liu Yong such a bumpy experience that forced him to use fireworks venues as a haven. Therefore, we cannot demand Liu Yong to write such works as "The Great River Goes East". Such an ambitious sentence. All he could think of and describe were the memories of Yan Hong when he was young and the people in his memories, such as "Magpie Bridge Immortal" (Ji Zhengtu).

Liu Yong[2]

Liu Yong was born in a scholar-official family, but possesses an incompatible romantic atmosphere and musical talent. His whole life has been between the two. Busy and busy. He is obsessed with love, but he never forgets his official career. A "Collection of Movements" is a combination of his unremitting pursuit, the sadness of losing ambition and the tenderness of his children as he struggled between the two. He wanted to be a scholar, but he could never get rid of his attachment and dependence on secular life and love; and when he was drunk and sleeping in flowers and willows, he was always thinking about his fame. Liu Yong is contradictory. His contradictions stem from both himself and the society in which he lives. He is a frustrated person in life and career. He has no time to pay attention to the eternal and universal life worries of people. Instead, he focuses on the deep thought and experience of his own destiny and the depression of existence, and his yearning and pursuit of true love. He is obsessed with the pursuit of true love. The desire and pursuit of fame, wealth, and sensual enjoyment express the pain of being unappreciated and having a difficult fate. Therefore, he can only be the self-proclaimed "White Prime Minister" dragging a secular tail.

Liu Yong has expanded the scope of his poetry and has many excellent works. He also described the bustling scene of the city and the scenery of the four seasons, as well as themes such as traveling to immortals, chanting history, chanting objects, etc. Liu Yong developed the style of poetry and has preserved more than 200 poems, using as many as 150 tones, most of which are unprecedented, modified from old accents or new homemade tones, and seven out of ten Eighth is the long and slow Ci, which has made great contributions to the liberation and progress of Ci. Liu Yong also enriched the expression techniques of his words. His words pay attention to the composition and structure, his style of writing is sincere and clear, his language is natural and fluent, and he has a distinctive personality. He inherited Dunhuang music, wrote a large number of "slang words" in folk spoken language, and developed Jin and Yuan music.

Liu's lyrics often use new accents and beautiful accents, which are charming and affectionate and full of musical beauty. His words were not only widely circulated at that time, but also had a profound influence on later generations.

3 Anecdotes Editor

Origin of the name

Liu Yong, Prime Minister in White, (about 987-about 1053), Chongan (now Wuyishan, Fujian) people. A poet in the Northern Song Dynasty, one of the most representative figures of the Wanyue School, his representative work is "Yulin Ling". The original name was Sanbian, with the courtesy name Jingzhuang. He was born into a family of officials, and all three of his brothers had the character "三" in their names. They are three complexes, three connections, and three changes. When he was a boy, he and his two elder brothers studied at the foot of Ezi Peak in Wuyi Mountain. Since they were both good at poetry, the locals called them the "three talents of the Liu family". Later, because Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty knew his name and refused to let him pass the examination, he changed his name to Yong, with the courtesy name Qiqing. Ranked seventh, also known as Liu Qi. There is a sentence in Liu Yong's "Crane Soaring to the Sky" that "I tolerate the false reputation, but instead sing in a shallow cup and sing in a low voice". Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty once criticized him: "This person is so good at 'pouring a shallow cup and singing in a low voice', why do he want a 'false name'? Let's just write lyrics. ", erase the name. So he called himself "Liu Sanbian who was ordered to write lyrics", devoted his whole life to writing lyrics, and regarded himself as "the prime minister in white clothes".

The Road to the Imperial Examination

The young Liu Yong wandered among the fireworks alleys. At the age of 51, Liu Yong finally passed the exam and went to Fujian. He left behind his "Song of Cooking the Sea", expressing his deep sympathy for the people who made a living by cooking salt at that time. In just two years of official career, his name was included in the "Records of Famous Officials at Home", which shows his talent in economic matters. Unfortunately, due to his personality, he was repeatedly ostracized and demoted, so he entered the "floating life" of wandering around and developed a preference for desolate scenery and autumn-stained scenery. Liu Yong often compares himself to Song Yu, but does not comment on this. Liu Yong was destitute in his later years and was penniless when he died. Xie Yuying, Chen Shishi and a group of famous prostitutes, out of concern for his talents and infatuation, raised money to bury him. During the funeral, all the famous prostitutes from Tokyo came. Half of the city was deserted and there was a cry of mourning. Xie Yuying wore sackcloth and paid heavy tribute to him, and died two months later because she missed Liu Yong. There are no relatives to pay homage after death. Every year during the Qingming Festival, singing and dancing girls make an appointment to pay homage to their graves, and this has become a custom. It is called "Diaoliu Qi" or "Diaoliu Hui", also known as "Group of prostitutes bury Liu Qi together". ".

The Liu family has been officials for generations. Liu Yong studied hard in his hometown when he was young, hoping to inherit the family business and become a high official. After completing his studies, he went to Bianjing to take the exam, preparing to show off his ambitions and try his political skills. Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived in the eccentric capital, Liu Yong, a young talented man who was romantic at heart, was attracted by the singing girls in the brothel and completely abandoned his political ideals.

Liu Yong[2]

With all his thoughts behind him, he spends all day in the romantic den, having passionate fights with the brothel singers and prostitutes. He also writes about his romantic life in his lyrics: "In recent days, my crazy heart has been suddenly tied up. In the midst of Luo Qi Cong , at the Shengge banquet, there is someone who everyone likes. "I know how many times I have made a secret appointment in Qinlou. We are still holding hands and loving the embroidered quilt." ("Longevity") Of course, he did not forget to pass the Jinshi exam during this trip. His goal is just that he is "arrogant about his romantic talent", confident that he is "highly talented in art" and "versatile in poetry and poetry" ("Striking the Wutong"). He does not take the exam seriously, thinking that passing the Jinshi exam and becoming the top scholar is easy. thing. He once boasted to a capable sweetheart that even if the emperor came to test in person, he would "definitely be the best" ("Longevity"). Unexpectedly, things backfired, and when the rankings were released, his name dropped. When he was frustrated and angry, he wrote the famous work "Crane Soaring to the Sky" (on the gold list), which was widely circulated for a while, declaring that "I tolerate the fame and sing in a low voice instead of pouring it lightly". Your emperor won't let me pass the imperial examination and become an official. If I don't become an official, what can you do to me? Isn't it equally glorious to be the most powerful person in the world of poetry? It is precisely "a talented poet who is a prime minister in white clothes".