Song Ren

A scholar from the early Ming Dynasty in China. His pen name was Jinglian and his pen name was Qianxi. He was from Pujiang (Zhejiang Province). He was a master of classical Chinese literature from the Tang and Song Dynasties and Neo-Confucianism, and was a representative of the orthodox school of classical Chinese and literature at the time. He served as an advisor to Emperor Taizu, oversaw the editing of the Yuan History, held important positions in the Hanlin, and, together with Liu Ji, established the various systems of the Ming Dynasty. As a man of noble character, he educated the crown prince and was highly trusted by Emperor Taizu, but later, when his grandson Song Shen (1342-1382) was executed for complicity in the imprisonment of Hu Weiyong, he was exiled to Maozhou and committed suicide on the way. His writing is said to be the best of the early Ming Dynasty for its elegance, but on the other hand, it is prone to verbosity. However, his name is known far abroad, and many Japanese authors have written about him. His work includes the "Complete Collection of Scholars of the Song Dynasty." His biography is recorded in Volume 128 of the "History of the Ming Dynasty."

[Masakazu Fukumoto February 17, 2016]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、明(みん)初の学者。字(あざな)は景濂(けいれん)。号は潜渓(せんけい)。浦江（浙江(せっこう)省）の人。唐宋の古文と朱子学を窮め、当時の経学・文学における正統派の代表者である。太祖に仕えて顧問となり、『元史』の編集を総裁し、翰林(かんりん)の要職を歴任するとともに、劉基(りゅうき)とともに明朝の諸制度を定めた。高潔な人格者として皇太子を教育し、太祖の信任もきわめて厚かったが、のち孫の宋慎（1342―1382）が胡惟庸(こいよう)の獄に連坐(れんざ)して刑死したため、彼も茂州に流され、途中で自殺した。文章は典雅で明初随一と称されるが、一面冗漫の弊がある。しかしその名は、遠く海外に聞こえ、日本でも彼に請うた文は多い。著に『宋学士全集』がある。伝は『明史』巻128に記される。

［福本雅一　2016年2月17日］

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