Liu Yong Collection

Author: Liu Yong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: In the history of Song Ci poetry, Liu Yong was a highly influential artist who made significant contributions. He adopted new melodies from the imperial music bureau and folk tunes to create slow, long-form Ci poems, boldly using colloquial language to express romantic themes directly. He also applied the narrative techniques of the fu style to the development of long-form slow Ci poems, expressing the wandering and emotions of a nomadic life, thereby creating and promoting the art of slow Ci. He was a renowned popular song composer of his time, known not only for urban and courtesan-themed poems but especially for his mastery of travel and journey-themed verses, achieving a balance between elegance and vulgarity—both highly refined and deeply popular. From then on, the short, refined Ci poems that were once favored among scholars and officials at banquets gradually gave way to the widely popular, folk-oriented slow tunes that spread far and wide. Their lyrics became widely circulated in society, forming a competition with the traditional five- and seven-character poems.
Liu Yong (c. 985–c. 1053), originally named Sanbian, styled Jingzhuang; later changed his name to Yong, styled Qiqing. His ancestors were originally from Hedong, but later moved south to Fujian and settled in Chong'an (now Chong'an, Fujian). He came from a typical official family; his father, Liu Yi, rose to the position of Director of the Imperial Secretariat after serving in the late Southern Tang dynasty. His eldest brother, Sanfu, became a Vice Director of the Ministry of Justice, while his second brother, Sanjie, became a Director of the Imperial Secretariat. The three brothers were all skilled in literature and arts, known as the "Three Perfections of the Liu Family."
Liu Yong spent his youth in Bianjing (now Kaifeng), often frequenting song houses and entertainment venues. In his heart, the prosperous Bianjing was his true home in terms of life and emotions. In his poem "Passing the Flower Branch," he wrote: "In life, I always believed in my own charm and talent. I spoke of Zhang, Chen, and Zhao with ease. I composed new Ci poems and adapted difficult orders, always knowing how to handle them. I said that life need not be filled with worries. On fine occasions, with beautiful scenery, I pursued joy and bought laughter." His youthful indulgence in a life of pleasure and entertainment led to the unfortunate consequence of failing the imperial examinations. In his poem "Yellow Bell Palace · Crane Soaring to the Sky," he lamented: