Ryu Sogen

A poet of the Tang Dynasty in China, he is counted among the "Eight Great Poets of the Tang and Song Dynasties" and is a master of classical Chinese prose. His pen name was Zihou. He was from Hedong (Yongji County, Shanxi Province). He is also known as "Han Liu" along with Han Yu, a native of the mid-Tang Dynasty. In later generations, he was called Liu He Dong after his birthplace and Liu Liuzhou after his place of employment in his later years. He compiled 45 volumes of the "Liu He Dong Collection," which contains about 160 poems. In 793 (the 9th year of the Zhenyuan era), at the young age of 21, he passed the Jinshi examination. At the age of 33, while serving behind the scenes as the inspector general, he participated in the political reform movement promoted by Wang Shuwen (753-806) and others, backed by the newly enthroned Emperor Shunzong (reigned 805). However, this movement was defeated within five months due to a counterattack from the eunuchs and former bureaucrats. Shunzong abdicated, Wang Shuwen was executed the following year (806), and Liu Zongyuan was exiled to the Sima of Yongzhou (Lingling, Hunan Province), with eight other key officials exiled to Simas in outlying areas. This incident is known as the "Eight Simas Incident." Ten years later, he was transferred to the position of governor of Liuzhou (Liuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), where he carried out many reforms, including the emancipation of slaves, and died in 819 (Genwa 14) at the age of 47.

He is one of the four natural poets known as "Wang Meng Weiliu," and his famous poems include "In the Middle of the South River," "Fisherman," and "Snow on the River." As a writer, he, along with Han Yu, advocated a movement for classical writing that was not bound by form, and completely changed the trend that had been dominated by benbun (four- or six-line couplets) for hundreds of years since the Six Dynasties. His writings include "Eight Records of Yongzhou," which depicts the beauty of the southern mountains and rivers, "Theory of the Snake Catcher" and "The Legend of the Seed Tree and the Camellia," which are political satires, "On Feudalism," a historical and political treatise, and the atheistic "Non-national Language."

[Toshio Nakajima January 19, 2016]

"Iseo Yokoyama, Translated: "Chinese Classics 30: Eight Poets of the Tang and Song Dynasties, Vol. 1" (1982, Gakken) " "Shinnosuke Hayashida, Chinese Poets 9: Liu Zongyuan" (1983, Shueisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、唐代の詩人で、「唐宋(そう)八大家」の一人に数えられる「古文」の名文家。字(あざな)は子厚(しこう)。河東（山西省永済県）の人。中唐の人で、韓愈(かんゆ)とともに「韓柳」と併称される。後世では、出身地にちなんで柳河東、晩年の任地にちなんで柳柳州ともよばれる。『柳河東集』45巻が編まれていて、詩は約160首がある。793年（貞元9）21歳の若さで進士に及第。33歳、監察御史裏行(りこう)のとき、王叔文（753―806）らが、即位した順宗（在位805）を後ろ盾として推し進めた政治の改革運動に参加。だがこの運動は宦官(かんがん)・旧官僚の反撃にあって5か月で挫折(ざせつ)した。順宗は退位し、王叔文は翌806年、死を賜り、柳宗元は永州（湖南省零陵）の司馬に流されるなど、おもだった8人は辺地の司馬に流された。世に「八司馬の事件」という。10年後、柳州（広西チワン族自治区柳州市）の刺史（長官）に遷(うつ)され、奴婢(ぬひ)を解放するなど多くの改革を行い、819年（元和14）47歳で卒(しゅつ)した。

　彼は「王孟韋柳(おうもういりゅう)」と称される自然派の四詩人の一人で、有名な詩として「南澗(なんかん)中に題す」「漁翁」「江雪」などがある。文章家としては、韓愈とともに、形式にとらわれぬ古文運動を提唱し、六朝(りくちょう)以来、数百年にわたって文章は駢文(べんぶん)（四言・六言の対句づくりの文）と決まっていた流れを一変した。文に、南方の山水の美を写した『永州八記』、政治を風刺した「蛇を捕うる者の説」「種樹郭橐駝(しゅじゅかくたくだ)伝」、歴史的政治論の「封建論」、無神論的な「非国語」などがある。

［中島敏夫　2016年1月19日］

『横山伊勢雄訳『中国の古典30　唐宋八家文　上』（1982・学習研究社）』▽『林田慎之助著『中国の詩人9　柳宗元』（1983・集英社）』

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