Lu You Selected Works

Author: Lu You / Wang Shuizhao / Gao Keqin (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-01-01
Features: Lu You, styled Wuguan, styled Fangweng, was a native of Shanyin in Yue Prefecture (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang). His father, Lu Zai, was a patriotic official and scholar who returned to his hometown and devoted himself to writing after the Southern Song court's retreat. Lu You received a patriotic upbringing from a young age and was determined to fight against the invaders and avenge the nation. At the age of 29, he passed the imperial examination and ranked among the top candidates but was dismissed for offending Qin Hui, a treacherous minister. During the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, he was granted the rank of jinshi and held various posts, including Assistant Magistrate of Kuizhou, Director of Jiangnan West Road Changping Tea and Salt Administration, Acting Magistrate of Yan Prefecture, and advisor to Wang Yan and Fan Chengda's military campaigns. Later, he served as a Court Councillor and a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. At the age of 65, he was dismissed from office and returned to his hometown of Shanyin to live in seclusion, passing away at the age of 86. Lu You throughout his life, despite suffering repeated setbacks from the faction advocating surrender, his patriotic resolve never wavered. Even on his deathbed, he still yearned for the unification of the nation. He was a great patriotic poet of the Southern Song Dynasty. He was diligent in writing, composing poems for 60 years of his life, leaving behind over 9,300 preserved works. His poetry covers a wide range of themes and is rich in content, with many works reflecting the spirit of his time in their portrayal of resistance against the Jin invaders. His style is bold and grand, resembling that of Li Bai, earning him the nickname "Little Taibai." Lu You's surviving works include the Jian Nan Shi Gao (85 volumes, with two additional posthumous volumes), the Wei Nan Wen Ji (50 volumes, including two volumes of ci poetry and six volumes of Entering Sichuan), the History of the Southern Tang (18 volumes), and the Notes from the Old Learning Studio (10 volumes). This book selects and annotates over 400 representative works from Lu You's various periods and genres, aiming to provide readers with a comprehensive reading of his works. The selected works are categorized by poetry, ci poetry, and prose, arranged chronologically within each category. Works that could not be dated are placed in appropriate sections according to the principle of "categorization by similarity" or appended to the chronological sections. The poetry selection is based on the Jian Nan Shi Gao, while the ci poetry and prose selections are based on the Wei Nan Wen Ji and the Notes from the Old Learning Studio in the Wenyuan Pavilion Siku Quanshu, with occasional references to other editions for cross-checking and selection.