Yan Shu
| Yan Shu | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Yan Shu | |
| Native name | 晏殊 |
| Born |
991 Linchuan District, Fuzhou, Jiangxi |
| Died |
1055 Bianjing (汴京), modern day Kaifeng |
| Occupation | Prime minister |
| Ethnicity | Han Chinese |
| Period | Song dynasty |
| Subject | Poet, essayist, statesman |
| Notable works | 珠玉词, 晏元献遗文, 类要, 浣溪沙(一曲新词酒一杯), 蝶恋花(槛菊愁烟兰泣露), etc. |
| Children | Yan Jidao (晏几道) |
Yan Shu (Chinese: 晏殊; pinyin: Yàn Shū; Wade–Giles: Yen Shu, 991 – 1055) was a Chinese statesman, poet, calligrapher and a literary figure of the Song dynasty.[1] He was given the posthumous title of Yuanxian (元獻) as well as bestowed the title of Duke of Linzi.
Yan Shu was born in modern day Linchuan District of Fuzhou, Jiangxi. He was considered to be a child prodigy and at the age of 14, passed the imperial examinations.[2] During his lifetime, Yan Shu had composed over 10,000 Ci poems, but most have been lost. Of the remaining, the Pearl Jade (珠玉词), of which 136 poems remain, is considered to be one of his most notable works. Other major works in existence today include parts of 《晏元献遗文》 and 《类要》.[3] Together with Ouyang Xiu, they were referred to as "Yan-Ou".
He was a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, one of the initiators of the Qingli Reforms and served as prime minister to Emperor Renzong.
Early Life
Yan Shu was able to compose poems by the age of five and when he was fourteen, he passed the imperial examinations with ease after competing with over a thousand other scholars across the kingdom. During the Ci poem essay composition part of the examination, he informed the examiner that he had previously already worked the problem being asked, and if whether there were any other problems he can do instead. Emperor Zhenzong praised him and bestowed upon him the title of Tong Jin Shi (同进士). The then prime minister Kou Zhun (寇准) expressed that Yan Shu was an outsider from which Emperor Zong replied: “Was not Zhang Jiuling also an outsider at the time?”
Beginnings of Officialdom
Starting from 1008, Yan Shu served as an assistant to a Guanglushi official[4] and was tasked to edit imperial decrees. He later became an assistant to the Ministry of Ceremonies (Han dynasty) and promoted to become a keeper of the imperial seal. After ascension to becoming an entry-level official (外郎) of the Hu Bu (Ministry of Revenue), he became a close confident to the crown prince. He also became a scholar of the Hanlin Academy.[5]
References
- ↑ "Yan shu(晏殊),Representative of the Wanyue School of ci poetry in the Song Dynasty". Cultural China. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ↑ Zhongming Yang, edited by Shaoyi Duan, People from Fuzhou, Fangzhi Publishing Co. 2002, p. 16
- ↑ http://www.gudianwenxue.com/songci/yanshu/ retrieved on July 14, 2016
- ↑ Guanglushi (or 光禄寺) is the name of a type of clerk
- ↑ Yanshen Song, Zhiting Li and Tongce Wang, edited by Yuliang Sun, History of the Twenty Six Dynasties - Song Dynasty, Northern Women and Children Publishing Group, 1996, page 138