What the Master Would Not Discuss

{{Infobox book

|name = What the Master Would Not Discuss

|image = File:NLC511-027032013020226-14392 子不語 第1卷.pdf

|caption = Cover of a 1934 edition of What the Master Would Not Discuss

|title_orig = {{noitalics|{{linktext|子|不|語}}}}

|author = Yuan Mei

|country = Qing dynasty China

|language = Chinese

|genre = Biji, Gods and demons fiction, supernatural, fantasy, adventure

|release_date = 1788 CE

|media_type = Print

|pages =

}}

{{Infobox Chinese

|t=子不語

|s=子不语

|l=master not discuss

|p=zǐ bù yǔ

|w=tzu1-bu4-yu3

|j=zi2 bat1 jyu5

|y=jí bāt yúh

|t2=新齊諧

|s2=新齐谐

|p2=xīn qí xié

|j2=san1 cai4 haai4

|y2=sān chàih hàaih

}}

{{italic title}}

What the Master Would Not Discuss (Zibuyu), alternatively known as Xin Qixie, is a collection of

supernatural stories compiled by Qing Dynasty scholar and writer Yuan Mei.{{sfnp|Santangelo|Yan edd.|2013}} The original collection consists of over 700 stories.

The work has also been translated as What the Master Does not Speak of{{sfnp|Thome|2008}} and other such titles, as well as Censored by Confucius in one English-language translated work of selected tales.{{sfnp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996}}

Title

The title of the work Zi bu yu refers to the passage of the Analects of ConfuciusConfucius. Shu Er, Analects 《论语·述而》: "Zi bu yu guai, li, luan, shen {{lang|zh|{{linktext|子|不|语|怪}}、{{linktext|力}}、{{linktext|乱}}、{{linktext|神}}。}}" that states, "The topics the Master did not speak of were prodigies, force, disorder and gods".Lau, D. C. tr. (1982) [1979] Confucius: The Analects, Book Seven, p. 88 apud {{harvp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996}}, p. xxiii His reference to the master was criticised as a 'heretical' use of Confucian texts.{{sfnp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996|p=xxiii}}

Yuan later changed the title to Xin Qixie ({{lang-zh|t=新齊諧|s=新齐谐|labels=no}}, "New Wonder Tales of Qi/from Qi") when he discovered there was a Yuan dynasty text with the title What the Master Would Not Discuss. However, Yuan's collection is still commonly known by its original title.{{sfnp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996|p=xxxiii}}{{sfnp|Lo trr.|1992|p=77}}

The original anthology appeared in 24 volumes,{{efn|Volumes or juan ({{lang|zh|巻}}).}} and a sequel anthology followed in 10 volumes{{sfnp|Lo trr.|1992|p=77}} under the title Xu xin Qi xie ({{lang-zh|t=續新齊諧|s=续新齐谐|labels=no}}, "A Sequel to New Wonder Tales of Qi").{{sfnp|Lo trr.|1992|p=77}} The 34 total volumes combined boasts a content exceeding 1,000 short stories and accounts.{{sfnp|Lo trr.|1992|p=77}}

Release

Zi Buyi first appeared in print in 1788.{{sfnp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996|p=xxx}} In contrast to the prevailing Confucian orthodoxy of the imperial court, the 747 short stories depicted a rich tapestry of daily life, including themes of ghosts, sex, betrayal, revenge, transvestism, homosexuality, and corruption.{{sfnp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996|p=xxiii}} However, Yuan defended the collection, as the whims of an ageing man enjoying his last days as much as possible,{{sfnp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996|p=xxiv}} though the content of his stories relates to many of his personal grievances with the Confucian establishment.{{sfnp|Thome|2008|p=27}}

The work was so popular that the government censored it in 1836 during attempts to suppress anti-establishment sentiment.{{sfnp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996|p=xxiii}}

Stories

The stories were collected over a lengthy period of time.{{sfnp|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996|p=xxx}} The sources included oral accounts from friends and relatives, official gazettes, or other collections.{{sfnp|Santangelo|Yan edd.|2013|p=1}}

Explanatory notes

{{notelist}}

References

=Citations=

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite book|last=Lu |first=Hsun |author-link=Lu Xun |title=A Brief History of Chinese Fiction |location=Honolulu |publisher=University Press of the Pacific |date=2000|orig-date=1930 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XRgBo81L7R8C&pg=PA260 |pages=260–261 |isbn=9780898751543}}

}}

=Works cited=

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite thesis|type=M.A. |last=Thome |first=Jennifer |author-link= |title=Strange Overtones: The Expressions of Resentment and Compassion in Yuan Mei's What the Master Does not Speak of |publisher=Arizona State University |date=2008 |url=https://nanopdf.com/download/strange-overtones-the-expressions-of-resentment_pdf |page=}}
  • {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Kam|Edwards trr.|1996}}|last=Yüan |first=Mei |author-link=Yuan Mei |translator1-last=Kam |translator1-first=Louie |translator1-link=|translator2-last =Edwards |translator2-first=Louise P. |translator2-link=Louise Edwards (historian) |title=Censored by Confucius: Ghost Stories by Yuan Mei |location=Armonk, NY |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |date=1996 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YSpN8dP99J8C&q=Yuan+Mei+zibuyu&pg=PR18 |isbn=9781563246807 }}
  • {{cite journal|ref={{SfnRef|Lo trr.|1992}}|last=Yuan |first=Mei |author-link=Yuan Mei |translator-last=Lo|translator-first= Yuet Keung |translator-link= |title=New Wonder Tales of Qi: excerpts |journal=Renditions: A Chinese-English Translation Magazine |number=37: Special section on Post-Misty Poetry |date=Spring 1992|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ssk_AQAAIAAJ |pages=77–85}}
  • {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Santangelo|Yan edd.|2013}}|last=Yuan |first=Mei |author-link=Yuan Mei |title=Zibuyu, What the Master Would Not Discuss |editor1-last=Santangelo |editor1-first=Paolo |editor1-link= |editor2-last=Yan |editor2-first=Beiwen |editor2-link= |year=2013 |publisher=BRILL |location=Leiden |isbn=9789004216280 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aeMTAAAAQBAJ}}

{{refend}}