Bai Juyi - Bai Juyi

A Chinese poet from the mid-Tang Dynasty. His pen name was Rakuten. His domicile was Taiyuan (Shanxi Province), and his birthplace was Xinzheng (Henan Province). He was born as the second son of a local government official ten years after the death of Li Bai and two years after the death of Du Fu. Even as a mute child, he was already able to distinguish between the characters "zhi" and "mu", and he began learning poetry at the age of five. At the age of 16, he already showed an astonishing talent for poetry. At the time, civil war continued, and he moved frequently, even wandering far away to Jiangnan. However, he always studied hard to become a Jinshi (scholar), and passed the exam at the age of 29 in 800 (the 16th year of the Zhenyuan era). He then passed the parent's examination administered by the emperor, becoming one of the chosen people of the era. At that time, he wrote poems such as "Song of Everlasting Regret" and "Warming Wine in the Woods, Burning Autumn Leaves". Eventually, at the age of 37, he became a Hanlin Scholar and Left Collector, and participated in politics through literature. He continued to produce a group of poems he called "satirical poems" such as "New Amusement Palace", which sharply criticized the contradictions in society, sometimes with the passion of his youth, instead of Confucian idealism. In 811 (6th year of the Genwa era), he retired to Xia Zhi and mourned, but then lost his young daughter again. This caused him to question the issue of death in humans, which is difficult to resolve in Confucianism, and he became more interested in the doctrines of Taoism and Buddhism. Thus, he composed a group of poems called "sentimental poems" and "leisurely poems". Three years later, he returned to Chang'an as the prince's advisor, but in 815 he was accused of exceeding his authority when he submitted a petition regarding the assassination of the prime minister. This triggered a resentment among the nobles that he had previously stirred up with his "sarcasm poems." In the end, he was exiled to the remotest part of the world by Sima in Jiangzhou on false charges related to morality.

Thus, his beliefs in life were shaken, he became skeptical of authority, he began to reflect on literature, and he once again turned to Taoism and Buddhism, and he continued to live at Donglin Temple and a grass cottage in Lushan. Soon, a new perspective opened up, and he wrote poems such as "Pipa Journey" and "I listen to the bells of Yi'ai Temple with my pillow raised, and watch the snow on Xianglu Peak with the blinds raised." In 818, he was appointed governor of Zhongzhou, but was recalled to Chang'an when the crown prince ascended to the throne (821, Emperor Mujong). However, the high-ranking bureaucrats in the capital were divided, and a fierce power struggle had begun. In 822, he sought out the position of governor of Hangzhou to avoid this situation. While he achieved administrative results such as repairing the banks of Qiantang Lake, he continued to compose, inspired by the beautiful scenery. He wrote a poem, "The wind blows through the old trees, the rain on a clear day; the moon shines on the flat sand, the frost on a summer night." At that time, Yuan Zhen, who he had known as a literary friend for a long time, was appointed governor of nearby Yuezhou, and the two of them sang together and compiled the 50 volumes of the "Bai Changqing Collection" (824). The following year, he was transferred to the position of governor of Suzhou, but was soon summoned to the central government. However, seeing the power struggles among high-ranking officials becoming increasingly severe, in 829 (the third year of the Taihe era) at the age of 58, he decided to settle in Luoyang permanently. This was an act of criticism of the power struggles. In poetry, he writes, "What are we arguing about on the horns of the snail? In the midst of the firelight, I take refuge here." He was once the governor of Henan Prefecture, but it was mostly a nominal position, and he spent his days at leisure, calling himself the "Drunken Master" and calling "poetry, wine, and the koto" his "three friends." During this life, he deepened his literary relationship with Liu Yu-si, and wrote many volumes of his collection of singing songs. Eventually, he saw his friends, such as Yuan Zhen, pass away, and he suddenly felt the loneliness of life and became devoted to Buddhism. He restored Xiangshan Temple in Longmen and called himself "Xiangshan Layman," and he collected his poetry and prose and donated them to Buddhist temples associated with him, such as Donglin Temple in Lushan. He viewed his creation as an act of repentance, as "a tale of farce and vain talk." In 842 (the second year of Kaichang), at the age of 71, he retired from his post with the promotion of Minister of Justice. He then conquered the difficult area of ​​Shitan, the eighth section of Longmen, and attended the "Meeting of the Seven Elders". As a final accounting of his life, he completed the complete works of Bai Juyi's Collected Works, 75 volumes in total. Having exhausted all the talent he showed as a child, he passed away in 846 at the age of 75 and was buried by the banks of the Xiangshan Temple.

During his long life, literature underwent many transformations. The romantic tendencies of his youth took on an intellectual light, and he turned to an idealistic stance, criticizing society and politics. Eventually, he discovered the individual within society, and created literature that explored the way humans live in relation to the individual. During this time, under fixed, marginal conditions, he devoted himself to singing in unison, making full use of linguistic functions, and even created a style of the time known as the "Genwa-tai." Furthermore, in his later years, he satirized human desire for power from the lofty standpoint of Laozi and Zhuangzi and Shakyamuni. However, what remained consistent was his awareness that literature should be directed at the way humans live, and that it must be backed up by a sense of life. As a result, his subjects became empirical, his language took on a sense of the everyday, his ideas followed the natural psychology, his structure followed logical necessity, and his themes became universal, creating literature that is characterized as "elegant and simple." Compared to Li Bai's "elegance" and Du Fu's "majesty," this poem became a remarkable individuality that was shared throughout the Tang Dynasty. As a result, it was circulated among the common people during his lifetime, and even sung by cowherds and horsemen. After his death, the current Emperor Xuanzong also dedicated a funeral poem, praising "Sixty years of stringing together jewels and beads," and "Floating clouds are not connected, his name is Juyi, he was created without doing, his nickname is Rakuten," and posthumously honoring "Duke Wen" for his contributions to culture. It was soon sung and recited in the Chinese language cultural sphere of the time, from Korea to Japan and Vietnam, and its circulation was said to be unprecedented in history. Even today, his works continue to be highly praised and read not only in China but throughout East Asia and even in Western countries.

[Hideki Hanabusa]

"Bai Juyi - A Popular Poet" by Katayama Tetsu (Iwanami Shinsho)" ▽ "Bai Juyi - Life and Literature" by Tsutsumi Tomekichi (1957, Keibunsha)" ▽ "Bai Juyi, by Arthur Waley, translated by Hanabusa Hideki (1959, Misuzu Shobo)" ▽ "A Study of Bai Juyi" by Tsutsumi Tomekichi (1962, Shunjusha)" ▽ "A Study of Bai Juyi" by Hanabusa Hideki (1971, Sekaishisosha)" ▽ "Selections of Chinese Poetry and Prose 17, Bai Juyi" by Hiraoka Takeo (1977, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、中唐の詩人。字(あざな)は楽天。本籍は太原(たいげん)（山西省）、生地は新鄭(しんてい)（河南省）。李白(りはく)の死後10年、杜甫(とほ)の没後2年、地方官吏の次男として生まれた。口もきけぬ幼時、すでに「之」と「無」との字を弁別し、5歳のころから作詩を学び、16歳で早くも人を驚かす詩才をひらめかした。当時、内乱が続き、転々として移り、遠く江南を放浪したこともあった。しかしつねに進士への勉学に努め、800年（貞元16）29歳で及第した。ついで皇帝のつかさどる親試に合格し、時代の選ばれた人となった。そのころ『長恨歌(ちょうごんか)』や「林間に酒を暖めて　紅葉を焼く」の詩歌がものされた。やがて37歳、翰林(かんりん)学士、左拾遺(さしゅうい)となり、文学で政治に参加することとなった。ときに儒教的理想主義から若い情熱を傾けて社会の矛盾を鋭く批判する『新楽府(しんがふ)』など、「諷諭詩(ふうゆし)」と名づける一群の制作を続けた。811年（元和6）母の死にあい、退いて下邽(かけい)で喪に服したが、重ねて幼い娘を失った。ここに、儒教では解決しがたい、人間における死を問題とし、道・仏の教理へ関心を強めた。かくて「感傷詩」や「閑適詩」とよぶ詩歌群がつづられた。3年ののち、太子補導役として長安に復帰したが、815年、宰相暗殺事件に関する上奏を越権行為として責められ、それを契機に、かつて「諷諭詩」で刺激した権貴の反感がよみがえり、ついに人倫にかかわるあらぬ罪名のもとに、地の果てのような江州の司馬に追放された。

　かくて人生の信念が揺らぎ、権威への懐疑に取りつかれ、文学への反省が始まり、ふたたび道教や仏教を回顧することとなり、廬山(ろざん)における東林寺や草堂の生活が続けられた。やがて新しい展望が開け、『琵琶行(びわこう)』をはじめとして、「遺愛寺の鐘は　枕(まくら)を欹(そばだ)てて聴き、香炉峰の雪は　簾(みす)を撥(かか)げて看(み)る」などの詩歌が詠ぜられた。818年忠州刺史を授けられたが、太子の即位（821。穆宗）とともに、長安に召還された。しかし首都では高級官僚が分裂し、激しい権力闘争が始まっていた。822年これを避けて自ら求めて杭州(こうしゅう)刺史に出た。銭塘湖(せんとうこ)堤の修築など行政効果をあげつつも、明媚(めいび)な風光に触発されて制作は続けられた。「風　古木を吹いて　晴天の雨、月　平沙(へいさ)を照して　夏夜の霜」の詩もなった。ときに、早くから文学的知己と許していた元稹(げんしん)が、近くの越州刺史として赴任したので、唱和が重ねられ、『白氏長慶集』50巻も編集された（824）。翌年、蘇州(そしゅう)刺史に転じたが、まもなく中央に召された。しかし高級官僚の権力闘争がいよいよ厳しさを増すのをみて、829年（太和3）58歳、洛陽(らくよう)への永住を決意した。権力闘争批判の行動である。詩歌でも「蝸牛(かぎゅう)角上　何事をか争う、石火光中　此(こ)の身を寄するに」という。河南府の長官となった一時期もあったが、おおむね名目的な閑職で、「詩と酒と琴」を「三友」とし、「酔吟先生」と号し、悠々自適の日々を送った。この生活のなかで劉禹錫(りゅううしゃく)との文交が深まり、唱和集も巻を重ねた。やがて元稹などの知友が鬼籍に入るのをみて、にわかに人生の寂寞(せきばく)を感じ、仏教へ傾倒していった。竜門の香山寺を修復しては「香山居士」と称し、詩文を結集しては廬山の東林寺などゆかりの仏寺へ奉納した。制作を「狂言綺語(きご)」と観ずる懺悔(ざんげ)の行為である。842年（会昌2）71歳、刑部尚書の待遇で退官した。やがて竜門の八節石灘(せきだん)の難所を開き、「七老会」を経て、人生の決算として『白氏文集』75巻の全集を手定し、幼時に示した才能を尽くして、846年、75歳の生涯を閉じ、香山寺畔に葬られた。

　この長い一生に、文学はしばしば変容した。若い日の浪漫(ろうまん)主義的傾向は、知的な光を帯びて理想主義的な立場に転じ、社会や政治を批判した。やがて社会のなかの個人をみいだし、個人に即して人間の生き方を探求する文学を形成した。その間、定型の限界的条件の下で、言語機能を駆使する唱和に専念し、「元和体」という時代様式をも創造した。さらに晩年は老荘や釈仏の高い立場から、人間の権力への欲望を風刺した。ただ一貫したのは、文学は人間の生き方を対象とし、生活意識に裏づけられねばならぬという自覚である。ために題材は経験的となり、言語は日常性を帯び、発想は心理の自然に沿い、構成は論理の必然に従い、主題は普遍的となって、「流麗坦易(たんい)」と標徴される文学を創造した。李白の「飄逸(ひょういつ)」、杜甫の「雄渾(ゆうこん)」に対し、唐一代に通じる著しい個性となった。ために在世中から民衆のなかまで流れ、牛追いや馬子にまで口ずさまれた。没後、当代の皇帝宣宗も弔詩を捧(ささ)げ、「玉を綴(つづ)り珠を聯(つら)ぬ　六十年」と詠じ起こし、「浮雲繋(か)けず　名は居易、造化無為　字(あざな)は楽天」とたたえ、文化に貢献したという「文公」を諡(おくりな)した。やがて朝鮮から日本、また越南(えつなん)（ベトナム）など、当時の漢語文化圏で歌い読まれ、流伝の広さは古今未曽有(みぞう)と称せられた。現代においても、その作品は中国はもとより東アジアを通じ、さらには欧米諸国でも高く評価され、読み続けられている。

［花房英樹］

『片山哲著『白楽天――大衆詩人』（岩波新書）』▽『堤留吉著『白楽天――生活と文学』（1957・敬文社）』▽『アーサー・ウェーリー著、花房英樹訳『白楽天』（1959・みすず書房）』▽『堤留吉著『白楽天研究』（1962・春秋社）』▽『花房英樹著『白居易研究』（1971・世界思想社）』▽『平岡武夫著『中国詩文選17　白居易』（1977・筑摩書房）』

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