Abstract
At the end of the Southern Sung dynasty, the master-disciple transmission of methods for tz’u lyric composition was greatly emphasized. There are three major works of this kind, namely, Guide to Old Ballads by Shen I-fu, Wellspring of the Lyric by Chang Yan, and Principles of the Lyric by Lu Fu-chih. The first work has influenced the second, and the second, in turn, has had an influence upon the third. Especially important is Wellspring of the Lyric, which summarizes Chang Yan’s life-long research on the ts’u lyric. In this work Chang Yan formed a theory, systematically setting rules for lyric composition. Based on Shen I-Fu’s principle of elegance in lyric composition, Chang developed his own principle of refinement. His contribution represents the climax of the development of lyric theories under the Sung dynasty in general, and the Southern Sung in particular. Focusing on Wellspring of the Lyric, this paper attempts to demonstrate the way in which Shen I-fu’s Guide to Old Ballads influenced Chang Yan, as well as how the latter’s Wellspring of the Lyric transcends the former in both scope and content. In addition, this paper pays attention to Chang Yan’s influence upon Lu Fu-chi in order to explore how this influence has contributed to the maturity of the method for lyric composition at the end of the Sung dynasty. The stage of maturity makes the theories on the refinement of lyric composition truly profound and sophisticated.