Wen Tingyun

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公开 可引用 更新于 2026-09-13

Life

From youth Wen was quick-minded and skilled in poetry and fu rhapsody.[5] Proud in temperament and fond of satirizing the powerful, he offended Chancellor Linghu Tao.[6] He repeatedly failed the jinshi examinations.[7] His examination-room speed became proverbial: he reportedly wrote without a draft, completed one rhyme with each recitation, and produced eight rhymes with eight crossings of his hands, earning the sobriquets Wen Bayin, Wen Bacha, and Wen Bayun.[8]

His travels took him east to Wu and Yue, south to Qian and Wu, and northwest to Xiaoguan and Huizhong.[9] During Emperor Xuanzong’s Dazhong era, he was dismissed for disrupting an examination and made magistrate of Suixian (隨縣; also written 隋縣).[10] When Xu Shang governed Xiangyang, he appointed Wen as a xunguan[11], and Wen exchanged poems with Duan Chengshi and Wei Chan[12]. After becoming disillusioned, he returned to Jiangdong, later went to Chang’an as assistant instructor at the Directorate of Education, and was demoted to magistrate of Fangcheng before his death[13]; another account says that in the seventh year of Xiantong he was an assistant instructor and ended his life wandering.[14] He exchanged poems and prose with Xu Shang and Linghu Tao.[15]

Literary achievement

Wen was a major lyricist of the late Tang and was also renowned as a poet; he was ranked with Li Shangyin as “Wen and Li.”[16] His lyrics often treated women’s inner chambers and used a richly ornate style, and they were later included in the *Huajian ji*; he was a leading lyricist of the Huajian school, was paired with Wei Zhuang as “Wen and Wei,” and later readers hailed him as the progenitor of that school.[17]

His poetry was marked by an ornate, intricately wrought, and graceful language, especially in his yuefu pieces. His historical poems often carried satirical or admonitory meanings, poems about women often had tragic overtones, and a small number directly exposed social contradictions; his poetry therefore cannot be dismissed wholesale as merely “seductive and ornate verse.”[18] He was particularly accomplished in regulated verse, whose tonal resonance was clear and whose manner was lofty; works such as “Passing the Tomb of Chen Lin” and “On the Fifth Pass at Wuzhangyuan” are examples. His brief landscape poems were fresh and appealing, and the lines “The cock crows, the thatched inn under the moon; / Frost on the plank bridge, traces of human feet” from “An Early Morning Journey at Shangshan” were long celebrated.[19]

Later critics variously praised his brilliant talent, clear tonal quality, and unfailingly polished diction, or faulted his poetry as beautiful but insubstantial and ornate without breadth; they also disagreed over the relative merits of his yuefu songs, contemporary-style verse, and longer poems.[20] His poetic style, together with those of Li Shangyin and Duan Chengshi, was known as the “Three-Six Style,” because all three ranked sixteenth in their families.[21]

Works

His lost collections included 《握蘭集》 in three juan, 《金筌集》 in ten, 《詩集》 in five, and 《漢南真稿》 in ten[22]; 《金筌集》 is also written 《金荃集》[23]. His lyrics survive in 《花間集》 and 《金奩集》, and Wang Guowei compiled 《金荃詞》 in one juan.[24] The extant 《溫飛卿集》 consists of seven juan with a separate one-juan collection, while the *Quan Tang shi* contains nine juan of his poetry; its supplements add one poem and six fragmentary lines.[25]

A more complete annotated edition of his poetry was assembled and successively supplemented and revised by Zeng Yi, Gu Yuxian, and Gu Sitli: 《溫飛卿詩集箋注》 contains nearly 330 poems.[26] Other works attributed to him include the one-juan 《採茶錄》, 《乾𦠆子》, 《乾𦠆子佚文》, and 《靚妝錄》.[27]

AssociationsCBDB

PersonRelationYears
李德裕贈詩、文–
賀知章贈詩、文–
段成式贈詩、文–
李蔚贈詩、文–
令狐綯贈詩、文–
劉禹錫贈詩、文–
王涯贈詩、文–
盧言贈詩、文–
李肱贈詩、文–
李貽孫贈詩、文–
釋知玄贈詩、文–
趙嘏贈詩、文–
釋圓鑒贈詩、文–
徐商贈詩、文–
裴度贈詩、文–
袁郊贈詩、文–
李郢贈詩、文–
李遠贈詩、文–
李逸贈詩、文–
苗紳贈詩、文–
郭道源贈詩、文–
釋一行贈詩、文–
王元裕贈詩、文–
王知白贈詩、文–
釋雲栖贈詩、文–
司馬札贈詩、文–
崔咸贈詩、文–
騫生贈詩、文–
釋宗密贈詩、文–
宋壽贈詩、文–
釋造微贈詩、文–
盧岵贈詩、文–
溫德彝贈詩、文–
大明俊贈詩、文–
李詡贈詩、文–
李羽贈詩、文–
李億贈詩、文–
李永贈詩、文–
李晟贈詩、文–
李炎贈詩、文–
韋壽贈詩、文–
韋籌贈詩、文–
蕭鄴贈詩、文–
薛保雍贈詩、文–
釋楚雲贈詩、文–
杜悰贈詩、文–
釋泰恭贈詩、文–
釋岳雪贈詩、文–
釋岳雲贈詩、文–
陳嘏贈詩、文–
周繇贈詩、文–
鄭遨贈詩、文–
李憶贈詩、文–
段成式收到段成式的贈詩、文–
李商隱收到李商隱的贈詩、文–
韋蟾收到韋蟾的贈詩、文–
張祜收到張祜的贈詩、文–
魚玄機收到魚玄機的贈詩、文–
紀唐夫收到紀唐夫的贈詩、文–
徐夤收到徐夤的贈詩、文–

WorksCBDB

TitleRoleYearEra
採茶錄 一卷撰著者
乾𦠆子 一卷撰著者
乾𦠆子佚文 一卷撰著者
靚妝錄一卷撰著者

Citations

  1. [1] Name and identity Wen Tingyun is identified as a Tang poet and lyricist.
    • CBDBWen Tingjun (447567)The record supplies Wen Tingyun’s name and places him in the Tang dynasty.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The biographical entries identify him as a Tang figure who practiced poetry and ci and was a major late-Tang lyricist.
    • WikidataWen Tingyun (Q1367928)The item gives the English name Wen Tingyun and describes him as a poet and lyricist and as a Tang-dynasty ci poet.
  2. [2] Disputed dates The sources give three related date ranges: approximately 801–866, 812–870, and approximately 801–870.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The profile gives 801 and 866, while the biographical entries give approximately 801–866, 812–870, and approximately 801–870.
    • WikidataWen Tingyun (Q1367928)The item gives time values corresponding to 812 and 870.
  3. [3] Personal name and origin His personal name was Qi, his courtesy name Feiqing, he was the sixteenth in birth order, and he came from Qi in Taiyuan, now Qixian in Shanxi.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The biographical material gives the personal name Qi, courtesy name Feiqing, family rank sixteen, and the origin Qi in Taiyuan, identified with present-day Qixian.
    • WikidataWen Tingyun (Q1367928)The name list supplies Wen Qi, Wen Shiliu, and Feiqing as corresponding personal-name, rank, and courtesy-name forms.
  4. [4] Family Wen Tingyun was a descendant of Wen Yanbo.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The biographical entry explicitly calls him a descendant of Wen Yanbo.
  5. [5] Early talent From youth he was quick-minded and skilled in poetry and fu rhapsody.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The entries describe his early quickness, skill in poetry and ci, and particular ability in poetry and fu.
  6. [6] Temperament and official examination He was proud and fond of satirizing the powerful, and this led to his offending Chancellor Linghu Tao.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The biographical accounts describe his proud or self-willed temperament, his mockery of powerful figures, and his offense to Linghu Tao.
  7. [7] Repeated examination failure Wen repeatedly entered the jinshi examination but did not pass.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)All three principal biographical accounts mention his repeated failure in the jinshi examinations.
  8. [8] Examination-room sobriquets His reputed speed in writing examination compositions gave rise to the sobriquets Wen Bayin, Wen Bacha, and Wen Bayun.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)Several entries recount the no-draft, one-rhyme-per-recitation story and give the forms Wen Bayin, Wen Bacha, and Wen Bayun.
    • WikidataWen Tingyun (Q1367928)The English aliases include Wen bacha and Wen bayin; the Chinese biographical material supplies the additional Wen Bayun form.
  9. [9] Travels His travels extended east to Wu and Yue, south to Qian and Wu, and northwest to Xiaoguan and Huizhong.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The biographical account lists his journeys to Wu and Yue, Qian and Wu, Xiaoguan, and Huizhong.
  10. [10] Dazhong demotion During the Dazhong era he was dismissed for disrupting an examination and appointed magistrate of Suixian, with a variant writing for the date and county name.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The accounts describe dismissal or demotion after disturbing the examination, with one writing Suixian as 隨縣 and others using 隋縣 and placing it at the end of Dazhong.
  11. [11] Xu Shang’s staff When Xu Shang governed Xiangyang, he appointed Wen Tingyun as a xunguan.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The biographical entries state that Xu Shang governed Xiangyang and appointed Wen as a xunguan.
  12. [12] Poetic exchange with Duan and Wei Wen exchanged poems with Duan Chengshi and Wei Chan.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The account says that he sang and exchanged poems with Duan Chengshi, Wei Chan, and others.
    • CBDBWen Tingjun (447567)The association entries identify Duan Chengshi and Wei Chan as recipients of his poems and prose.
  13. [13] Later career After returning to Jiangdong and later serving in Chang’an as an assistant instructor, he was demoted to Fangcheng and died.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The biographical accounts describe his return to Jiangdong, service as assistant instructor in Chang’an, later Fangcheng office, and death.
  14. [14] Alternative account of the end Another account places him as assistant instructor in the seventh year of Xiantong and says that he ended his life wandering.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)A separate account gives the seventh year of Xiantong, the assistant-instructor office, and an end spent wandering.
  15. [15] Exchange with Xu and Linghu Wen had exchanges of poems and prose with Xu Shang and Linghu Tao.
    • CBDBWen Tingjun (447567)The association entries identify Xu Shang and Linghu Tao as recipients of his poems and prose.
  16. [16] Late-Tang poet and Wen-Li Wen Tingyun was a major late-Tang lyricist and a renowned poet, ranked with Li Shangyin as Wen and Li.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The entries call him a major late-Tang lyricist, note his poetic reputation, and describe his ranking with Li Shangyin as Wen and Li.
    • WikidataWen Tingyun (Q1367928)The item identifies him as a poet and lyricist and as a Tang-dynasty ci poet.
  17. [17] Huajian lyrics His lyrics commonly treated women’s inner chambers and were ornate in style; he was a leading Huajian lyricist, was paired with Wei Zhuang, and was later hailed as the school’s progenitor.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The entries describe the inner-chamber subject matter and ornate style of his lyrics, their inclusion in Huajian ji, his association with Wei Zhuang, and his status as progenitor of the Huajian school.
  18. [18] Poetic themes and style His poetry was ornate and graceful, especially in yuefu; historical and women-themed poems had distinctive meanings, and some poems exposed social contradictions, so his poetry cannot be dismissed wholesale as merely seductive and ornate verse.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The entry details the ornate and graceful language of his poetry, the prominence of yuefu, the meanings of historical and women-themed poems, and poems exposing social contradictions.
  19. [19] Regulated verse and famous lines He excelled in regulated verse and wrote highly regarded landscape poetry, including the famous lines from An Early Morning Journey at Shangshan.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The entry specifies his strength in regulated verse, its clear and lofty qualities, the named poems, and the celebrated lines from Shangshan zaoxing.
  20. [20] Critical reception Later criticism praised his talent and polish but also faulted the insubstantiality or limited breadth of his ornate style, while disagreeing over the merits of different poetic forms.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The collected critical passages praise his brilliance and diction, criticize his floating or insufficiently expansive ornament, and compare the merits of yuefu, contemporary verse, and longer poems.
  21. [21] Three-Six Style His poetic style with Li Shangyin and Duan Chengshi was called the Three-Six Style because all three ranked sixteenth in their families.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The entry explicitly names the Three-Six Style and explains that all three poets were sixteenth in birth order.
  22. [22] Lost collections The four named collections were all lost: Wolan ji, Jinquan ji, Shiji, and Hannan zhengao.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The biographical entry lists the four collections with their juan counts and says that all were lost.
  23. [23] Variant book title Jinquan ji is also written with the character 荃 rather than 筌.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)Different entries use the forms 金筌集 and 金荃集, documenting the variant character.
  24. [24] Transmission of lyrics His lyrics survive in Huajian ji and Jinlian ji, and Wang Guowei compiled a one-juan Jinquan ci.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The lyric-study entry places his lyrics in Huajian ji and Jinlian ji and names Wang Guowei’s one-juan Jinquan ci.
  25. [25] Extant poetry collections The extant Wen Feiqing collection has seven juan plus a separate one-juan collection; Quan Tang shi contains nine juan, with one additional poem and six fragmentary lines in its supplements.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The entries give the seven-juan collection, separate collection, nine juan in Quan Tang shi, and the supplemental poem and six fragments.
  26. [26] Annotated edition Wen Feiqing shiji jianzhu was assembled, supplemented, and revised by Zeng Yi, Gu Yuxian, and Gu Sitli and contains nearly 330 poems.
    • Souyun溫庭筠 (18032)The entry names the editors and revisers of Wen Feiqing shiji jianzhu, calls it the most complete annotation, and gives its nearly 330 poems.
  27. [27] Other works Other works attributed to him include four one-juan books: Caichalu, Qianjizi, Qianjizi yiwen, and Jingzhuang lu.
    • CBDBWen Tingjun (447567)The works entries list these four one-juan titles and identify Wen Tingyun as their author.