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The Shishuo xinyu 世說新語 "New account of tales of the world" is a collection of dialoges and stories circulating around a dozen of literati from the Later Han 後漢 (25-220) to the Southern Dynasties 南朝 (420~589) period. It was written Liu Yiqing 劉義慶 (403-444), Prince of Linchuan 臨川王 and member of the ruling family of the (Liu-)Song dynasty 劉宋 (420-479). Liu Yiqing has also written the Xuzhou xianxian zhuanzan 徐州先賢傳贊 "Biographies and praise to the former worthies of the province of Xuzhou", a book called Dianxu 典叙 "Statutory introductions", and a collection of phantastic stories called Youminglu 幽明錄 "Records of dark and bright". The early Han period scholar Liu Xiang 劉向 had once written a book with the title Shishuo 世說, which is lost. The words xinyu 新語 "new speeches" were therefore added to Liu Yiqing's book by later scholars in order to distinguish the two books. The Shishuo xinyu originally was 8 juan "scrolls" long, together with Liu Xiaobiao's 劉孝標 commentary 10 juan. The book has been revised by Tang period 唐 (618-907) scholars and is not preserved in the original shape. The received version is arranged in 3 juan and 36 headlines under which the stories are grouped.
The discussions mainly center around persons and their human qualities, but also touch on mystical matters of cosmology, a type of philosophy called xuanxue 玄學 "the study of the mysterious". What the Shishuo xinyu is most famous for is the style of the discussions which are not philosophical tractates but easy-going and quick-witted conversations, the so-called qingtan 清談 "pure conversations". Although the personalities are all historical, their conversation must be seen as fiction, partially with philosophical content, but some stories have also a touch of phantasy. Liu Yiqing included his own views towards the particular persons into the stories and conversations. Persons from the end of the Later Han period 後漢 (25-220) are generally highly regarded by him, whereas his stance towards the Cao-Wei 曹魏 (220-265) and Jin 晉 (265-420) periods scholars like Le Guang 樂廣, Ruan Ji 阮籍, Wang Yan 王衍, or Huan Xuan 桓玄, is quite ambivalent. The characters of persons are often vividly described, like Zu Yue 祖約 and Ruan Fu 阮孚. The conversational part is sometimes written in vernacular language and thus not easy to understand, like, for instance, the southern dialect word qing 渹 "cold".
The Shishuo xinyu is traditionally classified as a novel (xiaoshuo 小說) and not as a kind of history. Nevertheless it can give an impression of the life and thought of the upper social class during the Southern Dynasties period.
Contemporaries of Liu Yiqin continued compiling books in the style of the Shishuo xinyu, of which the most important are Pei Qi's 裴啟 Yulin 語林 "The garden of speeches", and Guo Chengzhi's 郭澄之 Guozi 郭子 "Master Guo". Both books are lost.
Liu Xiaobiao, the commentator to the Shishuo, was also a member of the imperial family of the Song. He lived for a while in China's north, under the rule of the Northern Wei dynasty 北魏 (386-534), before he returned to the south – which was meanwhile reigned by the Qi dynasty 齊 (479-502) - and started translating Buddhist writings into Chinese. In his commentary to the Shishu xinyu he used textcritical methods similar to Pei Songzhi 裴松之 in his commentary to the official dynastic history Sanguozhi 三國志, adding missing parts and correcting errors. For his work Liu Xiaobiao made use of more than 400 sources. The quality of his commentary is so valuable that it became an integral part of the Shishuo xinyu. Later commentaries were written by Yu Jiaxi 余嘉錫 (Shishuo xinyu jianshu 世說新語箋疏), Xu Zhen'e 徐震諤 (Shishuo xinyu jiaojian 世說新語校箋), and Yang Yong 楊勇 (same title).
The oldest surviving print dates from the Song period 宋 (960-1279). It has been preserved in the Library of Kanazawa 金沢文庫 in Japan. In Japan, too, some fragments from a Tang period manuscript have survived. The Shuishuo xinyu is included in the collectaneum Sibu congkan 四部叢刊, which reproduces the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) print from the Jiaqu Hall 嘉趣堂.
The Shishuo has been translated in many languages, from Japanese and English to French.
Sources:
Cao Daoheng 曹道衡 (1986). "Shishuo xinyu 世說新語", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo wenxue 中國文學, vol. 2, pp. 750-751. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
Zhou Yiliang 周一良 (1992). "Shishuo xinyu 世說新語", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 2, p. 943. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
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1. 德行 Dexing Virtuous conduct
2. 言語 Yanyu Speech and conversation
3. 政事 Zhengshi Affairs of state
4. 文學 Wenxue Letters and scholarship
5. 方正 Fangzheng The square and the proper
6. 雅量 Yaliang Cultivated tolerance
7. 識鑒 Shijian Insight and judgement
8. 賞譽 Shangyu Appreciation and praise
9. 品藻 Pinzao Classification according to excellence
10. 規箴 Guizhen Admonitions and warnings
11. 捷悟 Jiewu Quick perception
12. 夙惠 Suhui Precocious intelligence
13. 豪爽 Haoshuang Virile vigor
14. 容止 Rongzhi Appearance and behaviour
15. 自新 Zixin Self-renewal
16. 企羨 Qixian Admiration and emulation
17. 傷逝 Shangshi Grieving for the departed
18. 棲逸 Qiyi Living in retirement
19. 賢媛 Xianyuan Worthy beauties
20. 術解 Shujie Technical understanding
21. 巧藝 Qiaoyi Skill and art
22. 寵禮 Chongli Favours and gifts
23. 任誕 Rendan The free and unrestrained
24. 簡傲 Jian'ao Rudeness and contempt
25. 排調 Paidiao Taunting and teasing
26. 輕詆 Jingdi Contempt and insults
27. 假譎 Jiaju Guile and chicanery
28. 黜免 Chumian Dismissal from office
29. 儉嗇 Jianse Stiniginess and meanness
30. 汰侈 Taiyi Extravagance and ostentation
31. 忿狷 Fenyuan Anger and irascibility
32. 讒險 Chanxian Slander and treachery
33. 尤悔 Youhui Blameworthiness and remorse
34. 紕漏 BiluoCrudities and slips of the tongue
35. 惑溺 Huoruo Blind infatuations
36. 仇隙 Chouxi Hostility and alienation
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Exemplarious translation:
57.顧悅與簡文同年，而發騷白。簡文曰：「卿何以先白？」對曰：「蒲柳之姿， 望秋而落；松柏之質，經霜彌茂。」
Speech and conversation
Gu Yue (the painter Gu Kaizhi's father) was the same age as emperor Jianwen (r. 371-72), but his hair had turned white earlier. Jianwen asked him, "How is it you've turned white first?" Gu replied, "The character of the rushes and willow is to drop their leaves as they approach the autumn, while the nature of pines and cypresses is to be still more luxuriant amid the ice and frost."
4.＜文學＞
10.何晏注釋《老子》，未畢，見王弼自說注《老子》旨，何意多所短，不復得作聲， 但應諾諾，遂不復注，因作《道德論》。
Letters and Scholarship
He Yan had been writing a commentary on the Laozi and had not yet finished when he went to visit Wang Bi. Wang explained for him the gist of his own commentary on the Laozi. He's ideas for the most part were inferior to Wang's, so he never got make a sound, except only to answer "Quite so, quite so." After he had did not go on with his commentary, but composed separate treatises on the Way and the Power instead.
42.支道林初從東出，住東安寺中。王長史宿構精理，并選其才藻，往與支語，不大當對。王敘致數百語，自謂是名理奇藻。支徐徐謂曰：「身與君別多年，君義言了不長進。」王大慚而退。
When Zhidun first came out to the capital from the east, he lived at the Dung'an Temple. Wang Meng, having workes out beforehand his choicest arguments, and in additon having selected the finest examples of his eloquence, went to converse with Zhidun, but the latter did not offer much response. Wang set forth his ideas in several hundred words, thinking to himself that they were the most elegant and wonderful of all Names and Principles. Zhidun said to him very calmly and deliberately, "You and I have been separated many years, but your interpretations and terminology haven't made any progress whatever." Wang withdrew in great embarrassment.
93.孫興公道曹輔佐才如白地明光錦，裁為負版，非無文采，酷無裁製。
Sun Zhuo characterized Cao Pei's literary style, saying, "It's like bright luminary brocade with a white ground, cut to make breeches for a lowly census-board bearer. Not that there's any lack of pattern of color, but there's definitely no cut or shape."
18.＜栖逸＞
2.嵇康游於汲郡山中，遇道士孫登，遂與之游。康臨去，登曰：「君才則高矣，保身之道不足。」
Living in Retirement
While Xi Kang was wandering among the mountains of Ji commandery, he met the Taoist adept Sun Deng, and thereafter continued his wanderings in his company. As Kang was on the eve of departing, Deng said: "As far as your ability is concerned, it's enough, but your way of preserving your own life is inadequate."
3.山公將去選曹，欲舉嵇康，康與書告絕。
When Shan Tao was about to leave the Selection Bureau and wanted to recommend Xi Kang as his successor, Kang wrote him a letter announcing the breaking off of their friendship.
23.＜任＞
3.劉伶病酒，渴甚，從婦求酒。婦損酒毀器，涕泣諫曰：「君飲太過，非攝生之道，必宜斷之。」伶曰：「甚善。我不能自禁，唯當祝鬼神自誓斷之耳。便可具酒肉。」婦曰：「敬聞命。」供酒肉於神前，請伶祝誓。伶跪而祝曰：「天生劉伶，以酒為名，一飲一斛，五斗解酲。婦人之言，慎不可聽。」便引酒進肉，隗然已醉矣。
The Free and Unrestrained
Liu Ling was once suffering from a hangover, and, being extremely thirsty, asked his wife for some wine. His wife, who had poured out all the wine and smashed the vessels, pleaded with tears in her eyes, saying: "You're drinking far too much. It's no way to preserve your life. You'll have to stop it." Ling said, "A very good idea. But I'm unable to stop by myself. It can only be done if I pray to the ghosts and spirits and take an oath that I'll stop it. So you may get ready the wine and meat for the sacrifice." His wife said, "As you wish," and setting out wine and meat before the spirits, requested Ling to pray and take his oath. Ling knelt down and prayed, "Heaven produced Liu Ling, and took 'wine' for his name. At one gulp he will down a gallon - five dipperfuls to ease the hangover. As for his wife's complaint, be careful not to listen." Whereupon he drained the wine and ate up the meat, and before he knew it was already drunk again.
8.阮公鄰家婦，有美色，當壚酤酒。阮與王安奉常從婦飲酒，阮醉，便眠其婦側。夫始殊疑之，伺察，終無他意。
The wife of Ruan Ji's neighbor was very pretty. She worked as a barmaid tending the vats and selling vine. Ruan and Wang Rung frequently drank at her place, and after Ruan became druke he would sleep by this woman's side. Her husband at first was extraordinarily suspicious of him, but after careful investigation he ceased after a while to think anything amiss.
33.＜尤悔＞
15.簡文見田稻，不識，問是何草，左右答是稻。簡文還，三日不出，云：「寧有賴其末而不識其本？」
Blameworthiness and Remorse
Emperor Jianwen once saw some rice growing in a paddy, and, not recognizing what it was, asked, "What kind of grass is that?" His attendants replied, "It's rice." After the emperor returned, he did not go out again for three days. As he explained, "How could anyone depend on the end product without recognizing the source?"
Translated by: Richard B. Mather (1976). Shih-shuo Hsin-yü: A New Account of Tales of the World, by Liu I-ch’ing with commentary by Liu Chün, translated with introduction and notes by Richard B. Mather. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
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Chinese literature according to the four-category system
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