The Spring and Autumn of Yanzi

This book is a compilation of the words and deeds of Yan Ying, the prime minister who served the three generations of Dukes Ling, Zhuang, and Jing of the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period in China. In the Confucian section of the "Yuwenzhi" section of the "Book of Han," it is simply called "Yan Zi." After the central Tang dynasty scholar Liu Zongyuan deemed this book to have been written by a follower of Mo Di living in Qi, it was classified as a Mohist book depending on the book's title. In the "Siku Quanshu Zongmu Tieyou," it is classified as a historical biography. It is unclear whether the current version is the same as the book seen by Sima Qian, Liu Xiang, Ban Gu, and others, or whether it was compiled by a later person. The current edition is divided into an inner volume and an outer volume, the former consisting of six chapters, including the upper and lower volumes of Remonstrances, the upper and lower volumes of Questions, and the upper and lower volumes of Miscellaneous, while the latter consists of two volumes, upper and lower volumes. In terms of content, it is centered on the teaching of frugality and vigor as the key to governing, but within each volume there are many similar but different questions and answers and stories. As a resource, it can be used as a treasure trove of proverbs and stories. As an annotation, Wu Zeyu's Annotated Collection of the Spring and Autumn Annals of Yanzi is excellent.

[Michihiro Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、春秋時代、斉(せい)の霊公、荘公、景公の3代に仕えた宰相晏嬰(あんえい)の言行を集録した書。『漢書(かんじょ)』の「芸文志」の諸子略の儒家類には単に『晏子』と称する。中唐の文人、柳宗元(りゅうそうげん)がこの書を斉国在住の墨翟(ぼくてき)の徒の作とみなして以後、書目によっては墨家類に列する。なお、『四庫全書総目提要』ではこれを史部伝記類に収める。現行本が司馬遷(しばせん)、劉向(りゅうきょう)、班固(はんこ)などがみた書と同一物であるか、それとも後人の編纂(へんさん)物であるか、判然としない。現行本は内篇(ないへん)と外篇とに二分され、前者は諫(かん)上下、問上下、雑上下の6篇、後者は上下の2篇からなる。内容的には、もっぱら治政の要諦(ようてい)としての勤倹力行が説かれているが、各篇相互に同工異曲の問答、説話を数多くみいだすことができる。資料的には格言や説話の宝庫として活用できよう。注解としては呉則虞(ごそくぐ)『晏子春秋集釈』が優れている。

［伊東倫厚］

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