Liu Zongyuan

Works

1. Literature · Prose36
   1. Record of the Small Stone PoolTangOne of Liu Zongyuan's Eight Records of Yongzhou: a clear pool, its fish, and the chill of exile
   2. On the Feudal SystemTangLiu Zongyuan's essay on why enfeoffment gave way to commanderies and counties
   3. Account of the Snake CatcherTangLiu Zongyuan's account of a Yongzhou family who catch deadly snakes to escape crushing taxes
   4. Biography of Camel Guo the Tree PlanterTangLiu Zongyuan's allegorical life of a hunchbacked gardener whose trees thrive when left alone
   5. First Excursion to the Western MountainTangFirst of Liu Zongyuan's Eight Records of Yongzhou: climbing West Mountain, lost in nature
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      1. Preface to Poems of the Foolish StreamTangLiu Zongyuan's preface to his poems on the stream he renamed Foolish, a wry protest from exile
      2. Letter to Wei Zhongli on the Way of the TeacherTangLiu Zongyuan's reply declining to be Wei Zhongli's teacher, setting out how he learned to write
      3. Record of Flatiron PoolTangSecond of Liu Zongyuan's Eight Records of Yongzhou: a pool carved by the Ran and a field bought
      4. Record of the Hillock West of Flatiron PoolTangThird of the Eight Records of Yongzhou: a hillock bought for 400 cash, unwanted like its buyer
      5. Record of Yuan Family KeTangFifth of the Eight Records of Yongzhou: islets, rocks, rare trees and wind-stirred colours
      6. Record of the Stone ChannelTangSixth of the Eight Records of Yongzhou: a stone channel's spring and pools, and its clearing
      7. Record of the Stone BrookTangSeventh of the Eight Records of Yongzhou: a brook running over a single bed of rock
      8. Record of Little Stone Fort HillTangLast of the Eight Records of Yongzhou: a natural stone fort that makes Liu doubt the Creator
      9. A Rebuttal of the Proposal on RevengeTangLiu Zongyuan rebuts a ruling that would both execute and honour an avenging son
      10. Disputing the Tale of the Paulownia-Leaf FiefTangLiu Zongyuan doubts the tale of a king held to a joking promise: what matters is being right
      11. Stele for JiziTangLiu Zongyuan's temple stele for Jizi, the Shang noble who endured, taught and civilised
      12. Biography of the Master BuilderTangLiu Zongyuan's builder who never lifts an axe, held up as a model for a chief minister
      13. Record of Prefect Wei's New Hall at YongzhouTangLiu Zongyuan on a Yongzhou prefect who made a wasteland into a hall, and what it shows of rule
      14. Letter Congratulating Wang Canyuan on the Fire at His HomeTangLiu Zongyuan congratulates a friend on a house fire that clears him of the rumour of wealth
      15. A Discussion of Duke Wen of Jin Asking Who Should Hold YuanTangLiu Zongyuan faults Duke Wen of Jin for asking a palace eunuch who should hold the city of Yuan
      16. On the Analects, Part OneTangLiu Zongyuan reasons from forms of address that Master Zeng's pupils compiled the Analects
      17. On the Analects, Part TwoTangLiu Zongyuan explains why the last book of the Analects opens with Yao's charge to Shun
      18. Disputing the LieziTangLiu Zongyuan corrects Liu Xiang's dating of Liezi and weighs what in the book is worth keeping
      19. Disputing the WenziTangLiu Zongyuan judges the Wenzi a patchwork and keeps an edited copy of its better parts
      20. Disputing the GuiguziTangLiu Zongyuan dismisses the Guiguzi as late and perverse, and chides Yuan Ji for glossing it
      21. Disputing the Annals of Master YanTangLiu Zongyuan argues the Annals of Master Yan was written by a Mohist of Qi, not a Confucian
      22. Disputing the HeguanziTangLiu Zongyuan sets the Heguanzi against Jia Yi's owl rhapsody and pronounces the book a forgery
      23. Letter to Li Jian of the Hanlin AcademyTangFrom exile in Yongzhou, Liu Zongyuan tells a Hanlin friend of illness, fear and hope
      24. Reply to Licentiate Wu, Thanking Him for His New WritingsTangLiu Zongyuan answers a young writer: weigh writing as on a balance, and add weight until I bow
      25. Record of an Outing to Yellow CreekTangLiu Zongyuan narrows the whole realm down to Yellow Creek, then walks it pool by pool
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2. Literature · Sayings16
   1. Wielding an Axe at Lu Ban's DoorTangIdiom from a preface to the Wang brothers' poems: showing off before a master, or modesty
   2. Not Even Chickens and Dogs Have PeaceTangIdiom from Liu Zongyuan's Account of the Snake Catcher: harassment so fierce no one has peace
   3. Harsh Government Is Fiercer Than a TigerTangIdiom from Confucius in the Book of Rites: harsh government is fiercer than a tiger
   4. Swaying and Shifting With the SeasonsTangIdiom found in Liu Zongyuan's Yuanjia Ke: plants that sway and change with the passing seasons
   5. A Chill That Pierces Spirit and BoneTangFamous line from Liu Zongyuan's Little Rock Pool: a scene so still and cold it chills the soul
   6. +11 more

      1. Hills and Streams Show Off Their Skills to the Little HillTangFamous line from Liu Zongyuan's Little Hill west of Gumu Pool: nature vying to show its beauty
      2. A Thousand Li Within a Foot's SpanTangIdiom from Liu Zongyuan's excursion to the Western Hill: vast distances at a glance
      3. Mind Gathered, Body DissolvedTangIdiom from Liu Zongyuan's Western Hill excursion: forgetting the body in nature
      4. Zigzagging Like the Dipper, Winding Like a SnakeTangIdiom from Liu Zongyuan's Little Rock Pool: a stream that bends like the Dipper
      5. Banks Jagged Like a Dog's TeethTangFamous line from Liu Zongyuan's Little Rock Pond: banks interlocking like a dog's teeth
      6. Fishing Alone in the Snow on a Cold RiverTangFamous line from Liu Zongyuan's River Snow: lofty solitude that refuses to follow the crowd
      7. Red Blossoms Scatter, Green Leaves Start in the WindTangIdiom from Liu Zongyuan's Record of Yuanjia Ke: flowers and leaves tossing in the wind
      8. Follow the Tree's Own NatureTangFamous line from Liu Zongyuan's Biography of Guo the Camel: let things grow by their nature
      9. Merging Silently with All Creation on Western HillTangFamous line from Liu Zongyuan's Western Hill excursion: becoming one with all creation
      10. Birds Gone from a Thousand Snowy PeaksTangFamous line from Liu Zongyuan's River Snow: a world frozen into silence
      11. Foolish Brook of YongzhouTangFamous line from Liu Zongyuan's preface on Foolish Brook: naming a stream to mock himself
3. Literature · Poetry5
   1. Heaven Answered · ExcerptTangLiu Zongyuan's answers to Qu Yuan's Heavenly Questions, written in exile in Yongzhou
   2. River SnowTangLiu Zongyuan's quatrain from exile in Yongzhou: a lone fisherman in a frozen, empty world
   3. Living by the StreamTangLiu Zongyuan in southern exile, calling banishment a blessing as loneliness shows through
   4. The Old FishermanTangLiu Zongyuan's old-style poem on a fisherman who comes and goes freely among the Xiang hills
   5. Climbing the City Tower of Liuzhou: To the Prefects of Zhang, Ting, Feng and LianTangLiu Zongyuan gazes from Liuzhou's walls and writes to four prefects posted, like him, far south
4. Literature · Rhapsodies1
   1. In Praise of Yi Yin's Five Journeys to JieTangLiu Zongyuan defends Yi Yin's five visits to the tyrant Jie: a sage hurries to save the people