Zhou Bangyan (Chinese: 周邦彥; 1056–1121) was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician of the Northern Song Dynasty. He was from Qiantang (in modern Hangzhou). His courtesy name was Meicheng (Chinese: 美成; pinyin: Měichéng), and his art name was Qingzhen Jushi (Chinese: 清真居士; pinyin: Qīngzhēn Jūshì). He left a two-volume poetry anthology called either the Qingzhen-ji or the Pianyu-ci.

Biography

Birth and early life

Zhou Bangyan was born in 1056.^[a] He was a native of Qiantang (錢塘/钱塘 Qiántáng, modern-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province).^[1][2]

Political career

At the age of 23, Zhou went to live in the capital Bianliang as a student at the National Academy.^[3] In 1083 he published "Rhapsody on the capital" (汴都賦 Biandu fu), which described the bustle of Bianliang^[4] while also praising the Song dynasty's accomplishments.^[3] The poem pleased Emperor Shenzong, and Zhou was appointed Supervisor at the National Academy (太學正/太学正 taixuezheng).^[5][2]

In 1087, at the age of 31, Zhou was sent to Lu Prefecture in Anhui where he worked as an instructor (教授).^[3] He stayed in the provinces for ten years, mostly as Sub-prefect of Lishui County in Jiangsu, before Emperor Zhezong recalled him in 1097 to be Registrar of the National Academy (國子主簿).^[3] He found favour with Emperor Zhezong and his successor Emperor Huizong,^[3] and thereafter rose through the ranks in the central government.^[3] He left the capital in 1112 to serve as Prefect of Longde-fu (隆德府, in the area of present-day Changzhi) and Mingzhou (明州), before returning in 1116 to become Director of the Palace Library (秘書監), the highest position he received.^[6]

Later life and death

In 1118 Zhou was again assigned a prefectural post.^[3] After three transfers, he died in Nanjing (present-day Shangqiu) in 1121, aged 66.^[b]

Names

His courtesy name was Meicheng, and his art name was Qingzhen Jushi.^[1][2]

Works

Zhou is especially famous as a composer of ci,^[1][2] a form of poetry that began in the Tang era and flourished during the Song Dynasty.^[1] His complex and elegant poetic style is noted for its polished and elaborate form, and has been praised as "simple and honest, and elegant" (渾厚和雅).^[1] His two-volume poetry anthology is called the Qingzhen-ji (清真集) or the Pianyu-ci (片玉詞).^[1][2]

Zhou was a noted composer of tunes and lyrics, working in close association with the imperial Music Bureau (大晟府 Dashengfu),^[7][c] which presided over court music. He was a proficient musician, and set many of his own poems to music.^[2]

Reception

He became known as the "Patriarch of Ci Poets" (詞家正宗),^[2] and is listed along with Liu Yong, Xin Qiji and Jiang Kui as the "Four Great Ci Poets".^[2] His poetry served as a model for ci poets of later eras,^[8] with many imitators among the Southern Song literati.^[4] One example is the He Qingzhen-ci (和清真詞) by Fang Qianli (方千里).^[1]

Chen Yuanlong (陳元龍) of the Southern Song composed a ten-volume commentary on his poetry entitled Pianyu-ji (片玉集).^[1]