Wang Bo - Oubo

A Chinese poet of the early Tang dynasty. He was from Longmen, Jiangzhou (Hejin County, Shanxi Province). His pen name was Ziyasu. He was the grandson of the philosopher Wang Tong (Wen Zhongzi). There are various theories about his birth and death, but in recent years the most popular theory is that he was born in 650. In 666 (Qianfeng 1), he passed the civil service examination called the Yousuju and became a court slayer. He was summoned to the palace of Gaozong's son, King Pei, but a manifesto he wrote for fun on the subject of cockfighting angered Gaozong, and he was dismissed. He later became a military officer in Guozhou (Henan Province), but was punished for killing a slave and was stripped of his civil service qualifications. He fell into the sea and drowned on his way to see his father, who had been demoted to Jiaochi (Vietnam) for his involvement in the incident. He is known as one of the four great poets of the early Tang Dynasty along with Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang, and made an effort to dispel the sloppy style of poetry that prevailed at the end of the Six Dynasties. His famous "Teng Wang Pavilion" poems are known for their elegant yet dignified style of poetry. He also excelled in regulated verse and played an important role in the establishment of modern poetry. He is the author of the 16-volume "Wang Wang An Ji."

[Shigeru Saito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、初唐の詩人。絳州(こうしゅう)竜門（山西省河津(かしん)県）の人。字(あざな)は子安。思想家王通(おうとう)（文中子）の孫。生没年は諸説あり、近年は650年誕生説も有力である。666年（乾封1）幽素挙という官吏任用試験に及第して朝散郎となり、高宗の子の沛王(はいおう)の府に召されたが、闘鶏を題として戯れに書いた檄文(げきぶん)が高宗の怒りに触れて免職となった。のち虢州(かくしゅう)（河南省）の参軍となったが、奴隷を殺して処罰され、官吏の資格を奪われた。これに連座して交趾(こうち)（ベトナム）に左遷された父に会いに行く途中、海中に落ち溺死(できし)した。楊炯(ようけい)、盧照鄰(ろしょうりん)、駱賓王(らくひんのう)とともに初唐四傑とよばれ、六朝(りくちょう)末の艶冶(えんや)な詩風を払拭(ふっしょく)することに努力した。著名な「滕王閣(とうおうかく)」詩など、華麗ななかに格調を感じさせる詩風をもち、また律詩に優れ、近体詩の成立にも重要な役割を果たした。『王子安集』16巻がある。

［齋藤　茂］

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