Collected Works of Bai

A collection of poems and prose by Bai Juyi. This refers to the complete collection, including the "Bai Shi Changqing Collection" and later collections. 72 volumes. However, originally there were 75 volumes and 3,840 poems. Although the last part is now missing, there are approximately 2,900 poems alone. This number is greater than that of the entire Tang dynasty. Its prolificacy is due to its long production period, its passion for literature, and its literary quality of "the scenery before one's eyes, the words spoken." It was compiled by Bai Juyi himself, which was rare at the time, and was based on his own literary consciousness. It was eventually published in China, Korea, and even Japan, and became a hit throughout the so-called Chinese character culture sphere, and is still being read in Europe and the United States through translations. In particular, in Japan, a copy was brought by the monk Huichuan, who had traveled to Tang China during Bai's lifetime, and was passed down to the families of the Kan and Jiang scholars, influencing these groups and being considered a book of culture for intellectuals. He also inspired the world of waka poetry through his "Kudai Waka" and "Senzai Kaku". In "The Pillow Book", he said, "Calligraphy is a collection of writings, a selection of writings", and this idea was strongly reflected in "The Tale of Genji" and "Shin Kokin Wakashu", and eventually spread to Noh plays, war chronicles, stories, haiku, and senryu.

The most reliable version of the main text is the Shaoxing edition, published in the early years of the Southern Song dynasty, although it is a revised edition. In this series is the Japanese print of Tateno Haruyo by Sugawara Katen. However, the version that conveys the structure before the revision is the woodblock print by Nawa Doen (Katsusho), which is based on a Korean edition. Also, there is a version formerly held by the Kanazawa Bunko that conveys the appearance of Huichu's edition, although it is only a remaining volume. Excluding fragments, the Kanda edition, "Collection of Poems, Volumes 3 and 4," which contains a considerable number of poems and is closest to the original form by Bai Juyi, was copied in hand in the mid-Heian period.

[Hideki Hanabusa]

"Heian Period Literature and the Collected Works of Bai Juyi" by Kaneko Hikojiro (1948, Kodansha)" ▽ "An Explanation of the Poetry of Bai Juyi" by Suzuki Torao (1952, Kobundo)" ▽ "A New Interpretation of Bai's Poetry" by Jianno Doming (1956, Meiji Shoin)" ▽ "Selected Works of Chinese Poets 11 and 12: Bai Juyi, Volumes 1 and 2" by Takagi Shoichi (1958, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Critical Study of the Collected Works of Bai Juyi" by Hanabusa Hideki (1960, Ibundo Shoten)" ▽ "Chinese Poetry Series 12: Bai Juyi" by Tanaka Katsumi (1964, Shueisha)" ▽ "Revised Collected Works of Bai Juyi" edited by Hiraoka Takeo and Imai Kiyoshi, all three volumes (1973, Kyoto University Institute for Research in Humanities)" ▽ "Study of the Kanda Edition of the Collected Works of Bai Juyi" by Ota Tsugio and Kobayashi Yoshinori (1982, Benseisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

白居易(はくきょい)の詩文集。『白氏長慶集』に後集等を含めた全集をいう。72巻。ただしもとは75巻、3840首。いまは末尾を失うが、詩歌だけでもほぼ2900首を存する。この数量は唐一代を圧する。その多産性は、長い制作時期、文学への熱情、「眼前の景、口頭の語」という文学質による。編集は当時にたぐい少ない自撰(じせん)であり、自らの文学意識に基づいている。やがて中国、朝鮮、さらに日本でも印行され、いわゆる漢字文化圏を通じて歌声を響かせ、欧米でも翻訳によって読み続けられている。ことに日本では白氏在世中、入唐(にっとう)僧慧蕚(えがく)が写本をもたらし、菅(かん)・江両博士家に継がれ、それらの集団に影響し、知識人の教養書とみなされた。また『句題和歌』『千載(せんざい)佳句』を通じて、歌壇に示唆を与えた。『枕草子(まくらのそうし)』では「書(ふみ)は文集、文選(もんぜん)」といわれ、そのまま『源氏物語』『新古今和歌集』などに色濃く投影し、やがて謡曲、軍記、物語、俳句、川柳(せんりゅう)にも及んだ。

　本文の信頼しうるのは、改編本ではあるが、南宋(なんそう)初年に刊行された紹興(しょうこう)本である。この系列に菅家点による立野春節(たてのはるよ)和刻本がある。ただし改編前の体制を伝えるものは、朝鮮本に拠(よ)る那波道円(なわどうえん)（活所）の木活字本である。また残巻ながら慧蕚本の姿を伝えるものに金沢文庫旧蔵本がある。断簡を除いて、かなりの詩編を収めて白居易の原形にもっとも近いのが、平安中期の書写にかかる神田本『文集巻3・巻4』である。

［花房英樹］

『金子彦二郎著『平安時代文学と白氏文集』（1948・講談社）』▽『鈴木虎雄著『白楽天詩解』（1952・弘文堂）』▽『簡野道明著『白詩新釈』（1956・明治書院）』▽『高木正一著『中国詩人選集11・12　白居易　上下』（1958・岩波書店）』▽『花房英樹著『白氏文集の批判的研究』（1960・彙文堂書店）』▽『田中克己著『漢詩大系12　白楽天』（1964・集英社）』▽『平岡武夫・今井清編『校定　白氏文集』全三冊（1973・京都大学人文科学研究所）』▽『太田次男・小林芳規著『神田本白氏文集の研究』（1982・勉誠社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例