Zhang Lei Collection - (Complete Two Volumes)

Author: Zhang Lei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1990-07-01
Features: Zhang Lei (1054-1114) was a poet of the Northern Song Dynasty. His courtesy name was Wenqian, and his sobriquet was Keshan. He was originally from Qiao County, Bozhou (now Bo County, Anhui Province), and grew up in Huaiyin, Chuzhou (now part of Qingjiang, Jiangsu Province). He was one of the "Four Scholars of Su's Circle." Zhang Lei was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and could write by the age of 13. He studied under Su Shi and was highly regarded by him. In the sixth year of Emperor Shenzong's Xining era (1073), he passed the imperial examination and held various positions, including Chief Clerk of Linhuai, Chief Officer of Shou'an, Chief Clerk of Xianping, Academician of the Imperial Academy, and Compiler of Historical Records. In the early years of Emperor Zhizong's Jiexing era, he was appointed as the Direct of Runzhou. In the early years of Emperor Huizong's Yuanyou era, he passed the examination for imperial secretaries and was appointed as a Secretary of the Secretariat, rising to the position of Director of the Imperial Secretariat. In the Shaosheng era, he was accused of being a member of the Yuanyou Faction and was demoted to oversee the wine tax in Huangzhou. He was later transferred to Fuzhou and faced multiple. After Emperor Huizong ascended the throne, he was appointed as the Deputy Magistrate of Huangzhou, the Governor of Yanzhou, and later recalled as the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He soon left to govern the two prefectures of Ying and Yu. Upon learning of Su Shi's death in Yingzhou, he observed mourning. After Su Shi, Su Zhe, Huang Tingjian, and Chao Buzhi, Zhang Lei was the sole surviving scholar, and others turned to him for learning. Zhang Lei's writing style drew inspiration from the "Three Su" (Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Su Xun), advocating for a balance between literary substance and form, with a simple and smooth tone. He pioneered the trend of Southern Song poets learning from Tang Dynasty styles. His style was similar to that of Liu Yong and Qin Guan, with representative works such as "Youthful Pastimes" and "Flamboyant Lover." "Youthful Pastimes" depicts the emotions of a young woman, vividly capturing her shy and tender demeanor, leaving readers in admiration. The warmth and beauty of the poem are truly "intense to the point of melting." His excellent lines, such as "Washing the well to dispel midday drunkenness, sweeping the flowers to sit in evening cool," "Midnight rain in the valley, cold in the fifth watch of autumn," and "Green waves with sound as yellow hats move, spring breeze too weak to lift colorful banners," are highly praised. His creative achievements were highest in poetry, with over 30 volumes of folk songs and classical poems, totaling nearly 1,700 poems. Except for personal lyrical works, most of his poems focus on rural landscapes, the hardships of farming, and the suffering of the people, reflecting the style of Bai Juyi, Zhang Ji, and Wang Jian, avoiding excessive ornamentation. Works like "The Peasant" and "On the Way to Haizhou" exemplify this. His landscape poems are genuine, natural, fresh, and smooth, leaving readers to savor their depth. Poems like "Labor Song," which reflects the hardships of laborers, "The Transport of Wheat," which depicts the pain of farmers, and "In Response to Chao Yingzhi's Compassion for the Farmers," which portrays farmers turning to theft due to hunger and cold, show innovation in both theme and thought. Zhang Lei's poetic style is characterized by simplicity, elegance, and clarity, with few harsh phrases or obscure allusions. Chao Buzhi once praised in "Postscript to Wenqian's Poetic Collection": "Your poems are effortless yet profound, like spring breezes opening a hundred flowers." Su Shi, in "Reply to Zhang Wenqian," described his writing as resembling Su Zhe's: "Vast and tranquil, with a lingering charm." However, Zhang Lei excelled in crafting exquisite lines but lacked skill in structuring his poems, sometimes resulting in works that were too rushed or rough. Zhang Lei wrote very few ci (a form of Chinese poetry), and the "Records of the Able to Amend" (Nenggai Zhanlu) Volume 17 records only two of his ci: "Youthful Pastimes" and "Autumn Jasmine," stating: "The Yuanyou scholars all had folk songs, but only Zhang Lei was known for these two ci." This shows that his ci were not widely seen at the time. Modern scholars have compiled only six ci in "Keshan Ci," including "Autumn Jasmine" and "Flamboyant Lover," which are deeply emotional and stylistically similar to Qin Guan's ci. Zhang Lei's collected works include "Keshan Collection" (50 volumes), "Collected Works" (12 volumes), and "Supplementary Collected Works" (1 volume), preserved in the Zuying Hall of Fujian and the Guangya Press. His "Collection of Zhang the Right Historian" (60 volumes) is available in a printed copy from the "Four Treasures of the Four Libraries." His "Wanquan Collection" (76 volumes) is included in the "Complete Library of the Four Treasuries." Poems and articles found in "Wanquan Collection" but not in "Keshan Collection" have been compiled into "Collected Works." This edition of "Zhang Lei Collection" is a compilation of all known versions of his works. Additionally, we have collected sixteen poems (phrases) and one eulogy from books like "Zhu Po's Conversations on Poetry," "Broad Records of Poetry," and "Complete Records of Fragrant Flowers," compiled as "Collected Lost Works" and appended at the end. Biographical materials and prefaces to editions of Zhang Lei's works are also included. Original prefaces, chronicles, and other appendices are merged into the end of the book. Zhang Lei also wrote "Notes on Mingdao" (1 volume), a monograph in the form of notes, which was not included in this edition. For easy reference, an index of titles is appended at the end.