Sima Xiangru

Sima Xiangru
Born179 BC
Nanchong, Sichuan
Died117 BC
OccupationMusician, poet, politician
Sima Xiangru
Traditional Chinese司馬相如
Simplified Chinese司马相如
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinSīmǎ Xiāngrú
Wade–GilesSsŭ1-ma3 Hsiang1-ju2
IPA[sɹ̩́.mà ɕjáŋ.ɻǔ]
Wu
RomanizationSy-mo Sian-zyu
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationSīmàah Sēungyùh
JyutpingSi1-maa4 Soeng1-jyu4
IPA[si˥.ma˩˧ sœŋ˥.jy˩]
Southern Min
Tâi-lôSu-má Siong-jû
Middle Chinese
Middle ChineseSi-má Sjang-nyo
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)*s-lə mˤraʔ [s]ang na

Sima Xiangru (pronounced [sɹ̩́mà ɕjáŋɻǔ], c. 179 – 117 BC) was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician who lived during the Western Han dynasty. Sima is a significant figure in the history of Classical Chinese poetry, and is generally regarded as the greatest of all composers of Chinese fu rhapsodies. His poetry includes his invention or at least development of the fu form,[1] applying new metrical rhythms to the lines of poetry, which he mixed with lines of prose, and provided with several of what would in ensuing centuries become among a group of common set topics for this genre. Sima Xiangru was also versatile enough to write in the Chu ci style, while it was enjoying a renaissance, and he also wrote lyrics in what would become known as the yuefu formal style.

  1. ^ Hawkes (2011), p. 193.