Wenxuan - Monzen

This is an anthology of literary and poems compiled by Xiao Tong, Prince Zhaoming of the Southern Liang Dynasty in China, with the help of his close associates. It contains over 800 works divided into 37 different styles. It consists of 30 volumes. Since the Han and Wei dynasties, literary creation has become more active, and as the number of works has increased, there has been a demand for an anthology of excellent works. The Wen Xuan emerged as the culmination of this. Other anthologies that preceded it have disappeared over time. The selection of works in the Wen Xuan is limited to literary and poems, and in principle excludes classics, books by the Hundred Schools of Thought, and historical texts, and ignores novels. It spans the period from the ancient Spring and Autumn Period to the contemporary Liang Dynasty, but does not include works by literati still living at the time. The selection criteria can be summed up in the preface by Xiao Tong, "When matters arise from contemplation, the meaning returns to the writings of the Han." It was considered to be a model of beautiful, meaningful prose. Although it has been criticized by later generations, as a whole it beautifully organizes the literature of the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties periods with concrete works. Not only are the works included in the collection a first-class resource, but it is a major achievement in Six Dynasties literary criticism, along with literary theory books (such as Wen Xin Chao Long). Since poems were included in the Tang Dynasty imperial examinations, Wen Xuan was highly valued as a model for creative writing. Li Shen of the Tang Dynasty annotated the Wen Xuan to expand the length from 30 volumes to 60 volumes, and the reprinted text of the same line by Hu Kejia of the Qing Dynasty is considered the best.

It has been introduced to Japan for a long time, and quotations from this book have already been noted in the "Seventeen-Article Constitution" (604), and it is also said that the section structure of the "Manyoshu" was modeled on this book's format. Furthermore, it is known that the works contained in this book were influenced by Man'yo poets and other Nara and Heian period literature, not only in the genres of Chinese poetry and prose, and that they were beloved by them. In addition, several valuable old manuscripts have been handed down, and a Japanese print was published in the Edo period.

[Tetsuo Naruse]

"World Literature Series 70: Wen Xuan, translated and annotated by Shiba Rokuro and Hanabusa Hideki (1963, Chikuma Shobo)" ▽ "New Interpretation of the Chinese Classics Series 14 & 15: Wen Xuan (Poetry)," translated and annotated by Ami Yuji and Uchida Izuminosuke (1963, 1964, Meiji Shoin)" ▽ "New Interpretation of the Chinese Classics Series 79-81: Wen Xuan (Fuhen)," translated and annotated by Nakajima Chiaki (1977-, Meiji Shoin)" ▽ "New Chinese Classics New Books: Wen Xuan, translated and annotated by Ami Yuji (1969, Meitoku Publishing)" ▽ "Complete Interpretation of the Chinese Classics Series 26-32: Wen Xuan, translated and annotated by Oobi Koichi and Hanabusa Hideki (1974-76, Shueisha)" ▽ "Chinese Classics Series 23 & 24: Wen Xuan, translated and annotated by Togawa Yoshiro et al. (1984, 1985, Gakken)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、南朝梁(りょう)の昭明太子蕭統(しょうとう)が側近の文人たちの協力を得て編集した文章詩賦(ふ)のアンソロジー。800余の作品が37種の文体に分けられている。30巻。漢魏(かんぎ)以来文学創作が活発となり、作品数が増すにつれ、優れた作品の選集が求められるようになった。その集大成として現れたのが『文選』である。先行する他の選集は時代とともに滅んだ。『文選』が選択の対象としたのは、文章詩賦の類で、経書や諸子百家の書および史書などは原則的に除外され、また小説の類は無視されている。時代は春秋戦国の古代から当代の梁にまでまたがるが、当時現存の文人のものは含まれていない。選択の基準は、蕭統の序にみえる「事は沈思に出でて、義は翰藻(かんそう)に帰す」に集約される。内容ある美文が典型とされたのである。後世批判がないわけではないが、全体として漢魏六朝(りくちょう)の文学を具体的作品でみごとに体系づけている。所収の作品が第一級の資料であるばかりでなく、文学理論の書（『文心雕竜(ぶんしんちょうりょう)』など）と並んで六朝文学批評の大きな成果である。唐代科挙の試験に詩賦が課せられたこともあり、『文選』は創作の手本として重んじられた。唐の李善(りぜん)が注して30巻を60巻とし、その系統の清(しん)の胡克家(ここくか)の復刊したテキストが最良とされる。

　日本への伝来は古く、すでに「十七条憲法」（604）に本書からの引用が指摘されており、また『万葉集』の部立(ぶだて)も本書の体例をモデルにしているといわれる。さらに万葉の歌人をはじめ、奈良平安の文学には、漢詩文のジャンルのみならず、本書所収作品の影響がみられ、愛読されたことが知られる。そのほか貴重な古鈔本(こしょうほん)がいくつか伝えられており、江戸時代には和刻本も出版されている。

［成瀬哲生］

『斯波六郎・花房英樹訳注『世界文学大系70　文選』（1963・筑摩書房）』▽『網祐次・内田泉之助訳注『新釈漢文大系14・15　文選（詩篇）』（1963、1964・明治書院）』▽『中島千秋訳注『新釈漢文大系79～81　文選（賦篇）』（1977～・明治書院）』▽『網祐次訳注『中国古典新書　文選』（1969・明徳出版社）』▽『小尾郊一・花房英樹訳注『全釈漢文大系26～32　文選』（1974～76・集英社）』▽『戸川芳郎他訳注『中国の古典23・24　文選』（1984、1985・学習研究社）』

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