Sima Xiangru facts for kids

Sima Xiangru (pronounced Chinese: 司馬相如; around 179–117 BC) was a famous Chinese poet, writer, and politician. He lived during the Western Han dynasty. Sima Xiangru is a very important person in the history of Classical Chinese poetry. Many people think he was the best writer of Chinese fu rhapsodies.

He helped create or improve the fu style of poetry. He used new rhythms and mixed lines of poetry with prose. He also wrote in the Chu ci style and created lyrics for the yuefu style.

Early Life and Beginnings

Sima's wife, Zhuo Wenjun, as imagined in an 18th-century illustration.

Sima Xiangru was born in the area of Shu (which is now Sichuan Province) in the early 100s BC. Most sources say he was born in 179 BC. He was likely born in Chengdu.

We do not know much about Sima's family. Some believe his family came from Sima Cuo. He was a general from the Qin state. As a young person, Sima loved to read and study. He also enjoyed swordsmanship. He chose the name "Xiangru" because he admired Lin Xiangru, a leader from the Warring States period.

Moving to the Capital

Around 150 BC, when Sima was in his twenties, he left Shu. He traveled to the capital city, Chang'an. He got a job at the court because he was wealthy. He became a mounted military attendant for Emperor Jing of Han. This was a low-ranking job. It allowed Sima to travel with the emperor.

Sima did not seem to like this job. Emperor Jing and his advisors did not like fancy writing. This was probably why Sima did not enjoy his work.

Life in Liang

In 149 BC, Sima moved to Liang. This area is now parts of Anhui, Shandong, and Henan. He became a guest scholar at the court of Liu Wu. Liu Wu was Emperor Jing's younger brother. Many famous writers were already at this court. These included Mei Sheng and Zou Yang. During this time, Sima began writing his "Fu on Sir Vacuous." This work later became part of his famous fu about the Shanglin imperial hunting park.

Sima stayed in Liang until Prince Liu Wu died in 143 BC. After that, he went back home to Shu. Sima had no money and was very poor when he returned.

Meeting Zhuo Wenjun

Sima's luck changed when Wang Ji helped him. Wang Ji was a local official in Linqiong (now Qionglai, Sichuan). Wang Ji introduced Sima to Zhuo Wangsun. Zhuo Wangsun was a rich iron maker. Sima quickly fell in love with Zhuo's daughter, Zhuo Wenjun. She had recently become a widow.

In 142 BC, Sima and Zhuo Wenjun ran away together. They supported themselves by running a small ale shop. Eventually, Zhuo's father felt ashamed. He was forced to accept their marriage. He gave the couple a lot of money and servants. This made Sima and Zhuo Wenjun wealthy.

Serving the Emperor

In 137 BC, the young Emperor Wu of Han called Sima to Chang'an. A well-known story says the emperor found a copy of Sima's "Fu of Sir Vacuous." He was so impressed that he wanted to meet the author. An official named Yang Deyi told the emperor that Sima wrote it. Emperor Wu then asked Sima to come to the capital. Some modern experts think this story might not be completely true.

Composing Grand Works

When Sima met Emperor Wu, he said he wanted to write a grand fu. This fu would be about the emperor's travels and hunts. The emperor gave Sima writing tools. Sima used them to write his most famous work. It was a fu about the imperial hunting reserve. It is usually called "Fu on the Shanglin Park." The emperor was very happy with Sima's writing. He immediately gave him a job at the imperial court.

Sima wrote fu for special events at the court. None of these works have survived today. Because Sima was from the Shu area, the emperor made him his personal helper. Sima worked on the southwestern border of China.

Later Court Service

Around 131 BC, Sima went to Shu for an imperial mission. He helped solve a problem between the local people and the governor. After this, the emperor promoted him. He became General of the Gentlemen of the Household. This was a high-ranking job.

Later, Sima was accused of taking bribes. He was quickly removed from his job. Even though he still had the emperor's favor, he never held a high-ranking position again. He also seemed to lose interest in court matters.

During Sima's time as General of the Gentlemen of the Household, Emperor Wu sent him back to Shu. His task was to oversee a road-building project. When he arrived with his large group, his father-in-law, Zhuo Wangsun, greeted him proudly. Zhuo Wangsun decided to give Zhuo Wenjun a large part of his wealth. This made Sima and his wife very rich. After Sima lost his job around 130 BC, he did not need to work anymore.

Later Life and Legacy

Between 130 and 120 BC, Sima mostly wrote poetry. He sometimes joined Emperor Wu on imperial trips. Around 120 BC, Sima took a job as director of Emperor Wen of Han's funerary park. This job was probably just for show.

Around 119 BC, Sima left this job because he was getting sicker. He likely had diabetes. He retired to Maoling, a town where the emperor made rich families live so he could watch them. In 117 BC, the emperor heard Sima was dying. He sent an official to collect Sima's writings to save them. However, by the time the official arrived, Sima had already died. He was about 62 years old.

His Writings

The "Monograph on Art and Literature" (Yiwenzhi) from the Book of Han lists 29 fu by Sima Xiangru. But only six complete fu and a small piece of another have survived. Two of these six might not even be his. None of his other poems are listed. A dictionary called Fan jiang is also listed as his work, but only five small parts of it remain.

The Selections of Refined Literature from the 400s AD has three of Sima's fu. It also has four other pieces. These include his "Proclamation on Ba and Shu" and "Letter Admonishing Against Hunting."

Books of Sima's collected works were listed in the histories of the Sui and Tang dynasties. But these seem to have been lost during the Song dynasty. Modern versions of his works were put together later. They used quotes from other writings.

His Impact

This painting, "Shanglin Park," was inspired by Sima Xiangru's famous rhapsody. It shows a grand park scene. The painting is meant to be read from right to left.

Sima Xiangru was an important poet of the Han dynasty. He also had a big influence on later art and artists.

See also

In Spanish: Sima Xiangru para niños