Stone Forest Yan Yu - A Collection of Masterpieces by Generations

Author: (Song) Ye Mengde / Li Xin, edited and annotated
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-05-01
Features: In the fifth year of the Xuanhe era, I had chosen a secluded villa in the Shilin Valley of Bianshan, gradually withdrawing from the city and no longer engaging in worldly affairs. Friends and relatives often visited and chatted with me. Under the rugged cliffs, there was nothing to entertain us, and our conversations often revolved around historical anecdotes and old tales, or the noble words and virtuous deeds of the past, which had been passed down by the elders and renowned figures, as well as the experiences I had encountered in the central court. Even the words of farmers and elderly villagers, along with witty and humorous remarks, sometimes brought us into laughter. With nothing to do in the secluded valley, I occasionally came across writing materials and jotted them down. In the second year of the Jianyan era, I returned to Ruyun to escape the turmoil. After the devastation of war, wells and paths were abandoned, and the guests of the past had mostly perished, with only half remaining. I too had grown old. Having endured further hardships, my will had weakened, and the memories of the past were gradually fading. Thus, I compiled them into ten volumes and named them "Shilin Yanyu." The order of the words, however, had no logical sequence and could no longer be arranged neatly. Confucius once discussed Yu Zhong and Yi, saying, "Those who live in seclusion speak freely." He also discussed Gongming about Gong Shuwen, saying, "The Master speaks only when the time is right, and people do not tire of his words." The Master replied, "That is so." Whether to speak or not to speak—how dare I comment on that? However, if one speaks without originally intending to, then even though I may have spoken, it is as if I had never spoken at all. On the eighteenth day of the eighth month, the Shilin Mountain Hermit composed this preface.