Wen Wang
- Qin Shi #7
2
|
文王 1
琴史 #7
Wen Wang 3 |
Wen Wang (d. ca. 1073 BCE), the Literary King, struggled against the corruption of Zhou Xin of the Shang dynasty.4 It was Wen Wang's son 武王 Wu Wang who finally defeated them, but he then declared Wen Wang the posthumous ruler. Another son, Bo Yi Kao, is depicted as an expert qin player in the Ming dynasty novel
Investiture of the Gods.5
Wen Wang is associated with several qin melodies.
- Wen Wang Cao
The Yuefu Shiji entry for lyrics of this name says Wen Wang himself wrote it.
- Juyou Cao, also called 離憂操 Liyou Cao
Zhu Changwen says Wen Wang wrote this,6 but that the Wen Wang Cao that Confucius played was not actually by Wen Wang himself.
- Gufeng Cao.
Shen Qi Mi Pu also credits Wen Wang with this melody
- Weibin Yin
Concerns Wen Wang meeting Lü Shang7 at the Wei Riverbank.
- Shi Xian
Also concerns Wen Wang meeting Lü Shang at the Wei Riverbank.
- Wen Wang Shou Ming
Qin Cao, Hejian Zage, #3; has commentary.
- Wen Wang Si Shi
Qin Cao, Hejian Zage, #4; has commentary.
- Qianjin Qing
A Song dynasty melody list says only that Wen Wang wrote it.
The original biography in Qin Shi is as follows.8
Wen Wang, at the time of Zhou Xin, was the only one to carry out virtuous rule. He took care of the old and nurtured the young....(translation incomplete)
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a
separate page)
1.
Wen Wang references
13766.25 文王 says to see 6368.34 姬昌 Ji Chang but 13766.25 has an illustration and more information. There is a memorial to Wen Wang at Anyang city in Henan province, at a place said to be the site of his imprisonment at
Youli.
(Return)
2.
15 lines
(Return)
3.
Wen Wang image
Found at 13766.25; original in San Cai Tu Hui.
(Return)
4.
紂辛 Zhou Xin (12th c. BCE)
See under Jizi.
(Return)
5.
伯邑考 Bo Yi Kao
538.107 伯邑考 says Bo Yi Kao (also written Bo Yikao and Boyi Kao) was the eldest son of Wen Wang. He is depicted as a qin player in the novel 封神演義 Feng Shen Yanyi; his playing enamours Zhou Xin's evil concubine Da Ji.
(Return)
6.
Yuefu Shiji lyrics
See YFSJ p.829f.
(Return)
7.
呂尚 Lü Shang (At right he has caught a fish without using a hook)
Lü Shang, commonly called 太公 Tai Gong or 太公呂 Taigong Lü, is said to have been a high official who broke his sword and retired into voluntary exile to avoid serving the tyrannous last Shang emperor, 紂辛
Zhou Xin. After Wen Wang (King Wen), who was serving as Chief of the West for the Duke of Zhou, met Lü by the Wei River (see Weibin Yin and Shi Xian) and, recognizing his merit, enticed him out of exile. Lü then helped Wen's son Wu Wang (King Wu) overthrow the Shang and establish the Zhou dynasty (ca. 1122 BCE). The image at right is from the Ming dynasty Liexian Quanzhuan, see under Liexian Zhuan. Further biographical details are in his biography in Liexian Zhuan
and elsewhere.
(Return)
8.
Original biography
Chinese text not yet online.
(Return)
Return to the top,
or to the Guqin ToC.