Li He

A fantasy poet of the mid-Tang Dynasty in China. His pen name was Changji. He was born to a small landowner in Changgu (Henan Province). At the age of 20, he took the Jinshi exam with the recommendation of Han Yu, who recognized his talent, but he was advised not to take the exam because the kanji for his father's name, Jinshu, was homophonic, so he was forced to give up on his official career. His poetry was characterized by a fantasy world that combined splendor and horror, and his style was dark, painted with pessimism and decadence. He was fond of subjects such as the ghosts of beautiful women, mysticism in the deep mountains, and will-o'-the-wisp at graves, which led to him being called a "genius" (a person with supernatural powers from the underworld) by critics in later generations. He died at the age of just 27, but at that time he told his mother, "The Emperor of Heaven has called me to compose a poem to celebrate the construction of the White Jade Tower." This gave rise to the idiom "becoming a man in the White Jade Tower" when a writer dies. "Li Changji's Poems" is a four-volume work.

[Kazuo Noguchi]

"Selected works of Chinese poets 14, Li He, by Ken Arai (1959, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Chinese poetry series 13, Li He, by Akira Saito (1967, Shueisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、中唐の幻想詩人。字(あざな)は長吉(ちょうきつ)。昌谷(しょうこく)（河南省）の中小地主の出身。20歳のとき、彼の才を認めた韓愈(かんゆ)の推薦を得て進士の試験に臨んだが、父の名晋粛(しんしゅく)の晋と進士の進が同音だから受験を遠慮せよとの説が出て、官途を断念せざるをえなかった。その詩は絢爛(けんらん)と凄絶(せいぜつ)を兼ね合わせた幻想の世界を得意とし、作風はペシミズムとデカダンスに塗り込められて暗い。美女の亡霊、深山の妖(あや)かし、墓前の鬼火などを好んで詩題としたため、後世の批評家から「鬼才絶」（冥界(めいかい)の異能力者）と称されるに至った。わずか27歳で夭逝(ようせい)したが、そのとき「天帝が白玉の高楼を建てた祝いに、詩を作らせようと私をお召しになる」と母に告げたという。ここから文人の死を「白玉楼中の人となる」との成語を生んだ。『李長吉歌詩』四巻がある。

［野口一雄］

『荒井健注『中国詩人選集14　李賀』（1959・岩波書店）』▽『斎藤晌著『漢詩大系13　李賀』（1967・集英社）』

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