Liu Yong was born in a family that has been an official for generations, and his father was an official in the Southern Tang Dynasty, so Liu Yong has been well influenced by poetry since he was a child.
When he was a teenager, Liu Yong developed a strong interest in words, but his father regarded words as "Yanke", so Liu Yong had to hide this hobby in his heart, study hard and take the road of imperial examinations, and continue the family tradition of being an official.
However, fate was not all smooth sailing, he failed the list four times, and did not take the Jinshi examination until he was 51 years old, and his career was not smooth, and he only became a Tuntian outsider. It is this valuable experience that has allowed him to reach unprecedented heights in the attainment of words.
So, what are the effects of Yoo Yong's words?
Creation of long-pitched and slow-paced words
Liu Yong can be said to be the only lyricist dedicated to writing slow words during the Northern Song Dynasty. In the early Tang Dynasty, words appeared, and the Tang people called Xiaoqu Xiaoling, and the banquet was impromptu to fill in the lyrics, and the time tune Xiaoqu was used to make a wine order, which was called Lingqu or Xiaoling.
This can be reflected that the status of words is not high, and in the late Tang Dynasty, the style of words began to widely enter the field of vision of literati.
At that time, most of the words evolved from poems, so they were called "poems", and they were not taken seriously by the literati, and were more like word games for daily entertainment.
Therefore, all the lyrics of the literati at that time were mainly small orders, with a minimum of a dozen characters and a maximum of three or four crosses. For example, the famous "Flower Collection", he is China's first collection of literati songs, which collects 500 Xiaoling songs by eighteen lyricists of the late Tang Dynasty.
In terms of its style, most of them are small orders, although since the Tang Dynasty, there have been medium and long tunes, such as "Pouring a Cup of Music", "Content Jiao", "Eight Six Sons" and so on.
However, the selection of Xiaoling in "Between the Flowers" also reflects the aesthetic taste of the literati at that time, which continued until the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, and even the lyrics of the literary giants at that time were mostly Xiaoling.
For example, Ouyang Xiu's collection of words "Six Words", the style of concentrated lyrics is deeply influenced by Feng Yansi of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and most of them are small orders in terms of style;
He is especially good at Xiaoling, with a delicate, elegant and subtle style of words, and has a certain influence in the Northern Song Dynasty. Before Liu Yong, the word world can be said to be dominated by Xiaoling's family.
The reasons for this are: first, the literati did not pay enough attention to words, and there were no literati who specialized in lyrics, the group of lyricists was small, and the number of lyrics and songs at that time was limited; second, the Song Dynasty followed the system of assigning poetry to scholars in the Tang Dynasty, and it was not until Wang Anshi changed the law that the strategy theory was adopted.
Under the guidance of the government, the literati students with the ultimate goal of entering the imperial examination are still mainly composed poems and compositions, and poetry and literature are still dominant in the literary world.
However, Liu Yong fell into the first place four times, and in addition to being disappointed, he used more words to relieve his mind, which is also one of the reasons why Liu Yong is committed to lyrics.
Liu Yong composed many lyrics during the imperial examination in Bianliang four times, and slow words are one of the representative works, Wu Xionghe "General Theory of Tang and Song Words" records:
(Liu Ci) more than 200 songs, where the sixteen palace tunes, one hundred and fifty songs (the same name but the palace tune is different, still don't compose a song), the vast majority of the gift of Xinsheng is a long tune slow song.
The names of its songs are in Jiaofang Song (there are more than 40 songs) and Dunhuang Song (there are 16 songs) are originally small orders, and Liu Yongyi is also mostly derived into long tunes.
"Sauvignon Blanc" is 36 characters in double tone, and Liu Yongdu is 100 and 3 characters in double tone; "Waves and Sands" is 54 characters in double tone, and Liu Yongdu is 144 characters in three tones. ”
Through this material, we can see that one of the sources of Liu Yong's long tune is the derivation and restructuring of Xiaoling's word plate.
In addition, Liu Yong also made many long tunes, such as Xu Anqi's "On Liu Yong's Creative Thoughts on Slow Words" (2002), which shows that among Liu Yong's 100 slow tunes, 32 tunes and 47 tunes can be regarded as new tunes created by him.
Whether it is the reform of the old tone or the creation of a new one, this reflects Liu Yong's original work on the style of words. Why does Liu Yong love long and slow words?
First of all, from the point of view of the expressiveness of the whole word, the slow word is undoubtedly far better than the small order, and the more words and syntax greatly increase the capacity of the whole word.
Xiaoling is beautiful in subtle and timeless, but the text jumps greatly, and the narrative restrictions are also larger, in contrast, long and slow words are more suitable for narration, and the longer length brings new innovation possibilities to the narrative angle, narrative mode, narrative transformation and other aspects of the word.
Although this has higher requirements for the lyricist's literary skills and creative ability, excellent lyricists can also use it to display their talents and better lyrical aspirations.
Secondly, Xiaoling has appeared since the Tang Dynasty, developed rapidly during the Five Dynasties, and can be said to have gradually matured, and the style of words also urgently needs more formal innovation to adapt to his development, as Wang Guowei said in "Words in the World":
"There are four words and Chu words, Chu words and five words, five words and seven words, ancient poems and words. The cover style has been popular for a long time, and it has become a habit of its own. It is also difficult for heroic people to come up with new ideas in it, so they retreat to other bodies to liberate themselves. ”
This sentence clarifies the internal law of the changeability of the style, just in terms of the style of words, can we say that "the small order is small and has a long tone"?
In addition, in terms of the nature of the word, it is a kind of lyrics with uneven sentence length, filled in and sung according to a certain musical score.
In this respect, long tunes allow courtesans and dancers to play longer, give people a longer time to immerse themselves in the world depicted in the words, bring a longer sense of pleasure, and are also conducive to the performance of courtesans.
To sum up, Liu Yong has an indelible pioneering contribution to long and slow words, and slow tone has also brought Liu Yong better artistic expression ability, which is a two-way innovation.
At the same time, we should note that from the small order to the long tone is also one of the development laws of the word itself, and Liu Yong's choice conforms to this law of development.
The widespread use of colloquial slang
The word originated from folk literature, and the original words all exuded a strong market atmosphere, such as the Dunhuang song lyrics "The groan of the wanderer, the strong words of the loyal ministers and righteous soldiers, the joy of the hidden gentleman, the enthusiasm and disappointment of the young students, and the praise of the Buddha, and the song of the doctor." ”
With the development of words, words gradually moved from the folk to the literati, that is, from the vulgar to the elegant. During the late Tang Dynasty, literati became the main body of word creation, and the elegance of words gradually began.
After the death of the country, Empress Li changed the popular style of fragrant and superficial words, and added a heavy sadness of family destruction and death to the words.
In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, "Eryan and Yiou" tried their best to avoid gaudy and vulgar lyrics, and Su Shi began to "take poetry as words", passed through Li Qingzhao's "words, don't be a family", and Xin Qiji's "use text as words", and the elegance of words was basically stereotyped.
During this period, Liu Yong's vulgar words can be described as unique, and the anti-vulgar style of words makes Liu Yong's words precious in the history of Song Dynasty words.
The most distinctive feature of Liu Yong's colloquial words in terms of form is the extensive use of colloquial slang, which makes his lyrics unique among his contemporaries.
Just as Su Shi satirized Qin Guan's words "Ecstasy, at this time, is it not Liu Qi's syntax?" In Liu Yong's words, vulgar slang is everywhere, such as "Remembering Emperor Jing" in "Remembering Dijing", "Bo Shu small pillow is cool weather, and at first glance I feel the taste of parting."
The exhibition turned a few cold watches, and I slept again. After all, you can't sleep, and the night is as long as a year. He also intends to wait, but he returns to the requisition, and he fights for Nai, and it has been planned. Ten thousand thoughts, many explanations, only lonely and tired.
Tie my heart all my life, and bear you a thousand tears. The whole word is written in a language similar to the vernacular, and the words "get up and fall asleep" and "only lonely and tired" can be described as extremely popular, more like dialect colloquialism.
Another example is "Hatred is gone, there is no sound book" in "Fixing the Storm: Since Spring", "I knew it earlier, regretted the beginning, and did not lock the carved saddle", etc., the language used is extremely suitable for the tone of the characters, and the female image in the market who does not practice poetry and books but has sincere feelings is vividly expressed.
In Liu Yong's words, the adverbs "恁", "how", "了", "te", etc., the verbs "all come", "eliminate", etc., the first person "I", "home", the second person "Yi", "you", and the third person "person", etc.
He is proficient in using ordinary colloquial language, just like a deep boudoir woman talking to herself about her affection for distant relatives, giving people a sense of face-to-face intimacy and easy to accept.
In addition, it is easier to sing by using colloquial slang or even dialects, which avoids to a certain extent the disadvantages of only emphasizing the meaning of the text and the incongruity of the sound rhythm after the word is elegant, so it is widely spread in the market.
A depiction of women in the market
Liu Yong's original name was Liu Sanchang, which came from "A gentleman has three changes: he looks at it, he is warm, and he listens to his words". This is Yoo Yong's father, Yoo Yi, who has high expectations for Yoo Yong.
However, it backfired, and in the emperor's masterpiece "History of the Song Dynasty", Liu Yong's words could not be found. In the collections written by literati of the same era, Liu Yong is occasionally mentioned, and most of them are criticized.
Most of the literati have a common view on Liu Yongci as "vulgar" and "glamorous", such as Huang Sheng said that Liu Yong is "good at delicate words, but it is close to slang, so the people in the market are happy with it".
Critics have commented on this because most of the materials and content of Liu Yong's lyrics are related to the kataka at the bottom of society, and these vulgar contents are completely contrary to the pursuit of elegance that the literati have always pursued.
However, unlike the contempt of literati doctors, the low-level people in the market showed an unusually welcoming attitude towards Liu Ci, and Liu Yongci was sung by the people to an unprecedented degree.
Just like the well-known "where there is a well water drinking place, you can sing willow words", and there is a popular rumor in the market "I don't want the king to call, I want to get the willow seven calls, I don't want a thousand gold, I want to get the willow seven hearts."
I don't want the gods to see it, I want to know the seven faces of the willow", the popularity of the willow word can be seen. In addition to the amazing and brilliant pen in Liu Yong's hand, what really moved those Fengyue women in the Golan Tile House was Liu Yong's respect and understanding for them.
Liu Yong fell four times, from becoming famous as a teenager to being frustrated in middle age, he was adrift for half his life, and he could only make a living by selling words. In his opinion, these fallen women are no different from himself, and they are all people at the bottom of the society who are desperately trying to survive.
So in his words, there is an expression of the noble character of the singer and the dancer, such as "The Lost Immortal": "Just after the end of the year, at the beginning of the clouds, I learned to sing and dance." In front of the throne, the king and grandson made a promise.
If you are idle and pay a smile, you will be lazy. is often only afraid, easy to change the flowers, and the time is wasted. It has been favored by the king, and it is good to be based on flowers. Wanli Danxiao, why not go back hand in hand.
Forever abandoned, fireworks companion. Exempt people from seeing concubines, morning clouds and twilight rain. "Nian refers to a woman who is fifteen years old or an adult. This poem is written as an inner monologue of a fallen woman who has just come of age.
She was only over fifteen years old and began to learn singing and dancing, because of her talent, the prince and grandson at the banquet did not hesitate to spend a lot of money to make her laugh.
However, what she cares about is not temporary money and favor, but being able to join hands with the person she likes, so as not to leave people with the impression of being capricious in this wind and moon field.
Although the woman in the words has fallen to this, her heart is very clear, and she wants a long and stable life more than a moment of happiness. How could the prince and grandson at the banquet know the true desire of these women's hearts, only Liu Yong deeply understood their pain and expectations.
Although there are many women in the market, Liu Yong is not the same, and Liu Yong can always portray a colorful female image.
In addition to the kabuki who is not for money but seeks true love introduced above, there is also the image of the Huansha girl in "Midnight Happiness: Freezing Clouds and Bleak Weather": "The defeated lotus is scattered, the declining poplars are covered, the shore is two, two, three, three, three, and three, and the Huansha Wandering Girl." Avoid travelers, smile shyly. ”
The timid and shy Huansha girl depicted in the lyrics is certainly endearing, but in the autumn and winter weather of "scattered lotus, declining poplars", she still has to work in Huansha, and she has to be pitied. In addition, there is also the image of the lotus picking girl in "River Biography": "Xian'e paints a boat, and the dew stains are red and fragrant."
It is difficult to distinguish between flowers and noodles, and gradually feel that the light boat is full, calling for companionship, and the village is far away. The faint song is gradually blocked by the leaves, and the song is gone. In contrast, the image of the lotus picker is more lively. They have beautiful faces, flowers and faces, and after the harvest is full, they sing songs with their partners and row home on the boat, which looks natural and fresh.
Since ancient times, literati have regarded themselves as arrogant and noble, so they often disdain to talk about these vulgar places, and few people pay attention to the women in these places, so Liu Yong's attention to them is also precious in the entire history of literature.
Liu Yong expresses the demands of these low-level women as equals, which cannot be expressed by those literati who are high and self-assured, and this is also Liu Yong's great creativity and contribution to the expansion of the content of words. In Liu Yong's words, although these women are in the mud, they have noble hearts.
Therefore, it is indeed biased for the people of the time to evaluate Liu Ci only with vulgarity, and the spiritual connotation and value expressed in Liu Ci need to be explored more deeply.
The Influence and Reception of Liu Yongzi
Yoo Yong's words were popular not only among the lower classes of society, but also among the upper classes. Although the literati unanimously criticized Liu Yong's vulgar words, they were quite appreciative of Liu Yong's lyric skills and rhythm, and they couldn't put down some of Liu Yong's words and sentimental words.
Even, during the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a trend of "learning Liu Qi", such as Wang Anshi's "Yulin Ling, Zi Zi Ji", "There are thousands of opportunities, how to avoid Yi Tang abruptly" and Liu Yong's "Yu Lin Ling, Cold Cicada Poignantly" in the sentence "There are thousands of styles, and who to say" is extremely similar, and the traces of imitation are obvious.
Su Shi can be said to be the master of poetry, calligraphy and painting, and he also intends to compare with Liu Yong in terms of lyrics, as recorded in Yu Wenbao's "Continuation of Blowing the Sword" (2015):
Dongpo is in the jade hall, there are shoguns who are good at praise, because they ask: "What is my word better than willow words?" to say: "Liu Lang is in the word, I have to be seventeen or eighteen girls, holding red teeth to clap the board, singing 'Yang Liuwai, Xiaofeng Wanyue'." Bachelor's words, must be Kansai Han, holding the iron plate and singing 'Dajiangdong Go'. "The public is overwhelmed.
can let everyone like Su Shi take the initiative to compare with him, and it can also be seen from the side that Liu Yong's lyrics are profound. Su Shi also said: "Recently, it is quite a small word, although it does not have the flavor of Liu Qilang, it is also a family, hehe! A few days ago, I hunted in the suburbs and got a lot."
Make a que, so that the strong men of Dongzhou stand up to the palm and sing, play the flute and beat the drum as a festival, quite spectacular. Su Shi is also complacent because he does not learn Liu Qi's style of style.
It can be seen that Su Shi deliberately took Liu Yong as the reference object of his lyrics, and there are traces of deliberately imitating Liu Ci in his words, such as "The clothes and belts are gradually widening and there is no other meaning, and the new book reports me to be haggard", which is obviously learning from Liu Yong's "The clothes and belts are gradually widening and will not regret it, and people will be haggard for Yi".
In addition, Qin Guan, Huang Tingjian, Li Qingzhao, Zhou Bangyan and other Northern Song Dynasty poets were also influenced by Liu Ci, and we can also see the traces of Liu Yongci from their lyrics, they borrowed one or more advantages of Liu Ci, plus their own understanding and creation of words, so as to form their own school.
In the Southern Song Dynasty, Xin Qiji "used text as words", and brought the narrative and lyrical functions of long and slow words to the extreme, and could better see the internal changes of the word body.
epilogue
To sum up, Liu Yong's development of words is undoubted, and in form, he broke the situation of Xiaoling's dominance and created many new long tunes, which enhanced the expressiveness of words.
In terms of content, he uses colloquial slang to convey the inner world of low-level women and expand the scope of expression of words. Liu Yong, with his genius-like creative techniques and innovation ability, became a family of his own in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the value and significance of Liu Ci are worthy of our unremitting exploration.