Song of the South Wind

"Song of the South Wind" (南风歌，Nan Feng Ge) is a pre-Qin verse allegedly composed by the sage-king Shun. Its reference first appeared in Family sayings of Confucius.[1] Qing dynasty scholar Cui Shu contended that the verse was not authored by Shun but by musicians and lyricists from later dynasties. The lines portray an ideal emperor in line with Confucian ideology.[2]

The first two lines describe how the gentle south wind brings both physical and emotional comfort, while the last two lines emphasize how this seasonal wind promotes the growth of crops, thereby aiding the people in building their fortunes.

Sima Qian remarked in the Records of the Grand Historian, Book of Music, that "Song of the South Wind" is a song on the emperor's virtue and benevolence to care for its people.[4] Wang Su (王肃), a scholar during the Three Kingdoms era, and the editor of Family sayings of Confucius, echoed this view, stating that the "Song of the South Wind" is a poem about nurturing the people.[5]

The "South Wind" became a symbol of a prosperous and harmonious society under the reign of sage kings. Later generations of poets including Wang Wei[6] and Bai Juyi[7] often referenced the "South Wind" as an ode to such an era.[2]

  1. ^ 《孔子家语·辩乐解》："昔者舜弹五弦之琴，造南风之诗，其诗曰，南风之薰兮，可以解吾民之愠兮，南风之时兮，可以阜吾民之财兮。"
  2. ^ a b "舜歌南风与虞舜的形象塑造". finance.sina.cn. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  3. ^ Owen, Stephen (1977). The poetry of the early Tʻang. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-300-02103-5.
  4. ^ Sima Qian,《史记·乐书》: 昔者舜作五弦之琴，以歌南风；夔始作乐，以赏诸侯。故天子之为乐也，以赏诸侯之有德者也。德盛而教尊，五谷时孰，然后赏之以乐。故其治民劳者，其舞行级远；其治民佚者，其舞行级短。故观其舞而知其德，闻其谥而知其行。大章，章之也；咸池，备也；韶，继也；夏，大也；殷周之乐尽也。
  5. ^ 南朝宋·裴骃《史记集解》：「王肃曰：『〈南风〉，育养民之诗也。其辞曰：南风之薰兮，可以解吾民之愠兮』
  6. ^ 王维《大同殿赐宴乐敢书即事》："陌上尧樽倾北斗，楼前舜乐动南薰。"
  7. ^ 白居易《太平乐词》："湛露浮尧酒，熏风起舜舞。愿同尧舜意，所乐在人和。"