 Cover of a 1934 edition ofWhat the Master Would Not Discuss | |
| Author | Yuan Mei |
|---|---|
| Original title | 子不語 |
| Language | Chinese |
| Genre | Biji,Gods and demons fiction, supernatural, fantasy, adventure |
Publication date | 1788 CE |
| Publication place | Qing dynasty China |
| Media type | |
| What the Master Would Not Discuss | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 子不語 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 子不语 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | master not discuss | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 新齊諧 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 新齐谐 | ||||||||||||||
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What the Master Would Not Discuss (Zibuyu), alternatively known asXin Qixie, is a collection of supernatural stories compiled byQing Dynasty scholar and writerYuan Mei.[1] The original collection consists of over 700 stories.
The work has also been translated asWhat the Master Does not Speak of[2] and other such titles, as well asCensored by Confucius in one English-language translated work of selected tales.[3]
The title of the workZi bu yu refers to the passage of theAnalects ofConfucius[4] that states, "The topics the Master did not speak of were prodigies, force, disorder and gods".[5] His reference to the master was criticised as a 'heretical' use of Confucian texts.[6]
Yuan later changed the title toXin Qixie (新齐谐;新齊諧, "New Wonder Tales of Qi/from Qi") when he discovered there was aYuan dynasty text with the titleWhat the Master Would Not Discuss. However, Yuan's collection is still commonly known by its original title.[7][8]
The original anthology appeared in 24 volumes,[a] and a sequel anthology followed in 10 volumes[9][8] under the titleXu xin Qi xie (续新齐谐;續新齊諧, "A Sequel to New Wonder Tales of Qi").[8] The 34 total volumes combined boasts a content exceeding 1,000 short stories and accounts.[8]
Zi Buyu first appeared in print in 1788.[10] In contrast to the prevailingConfucian orthodoxy of theimperial court, the 747 short stories depicted a rich tapestry of daily life, including themes of ghosts, sex, betrayal, revenge, transvestism, homosexuality, and corruption.[6] However, Yuan defended the collection, as the whims of an ageing man enjoying his last days as much as possible,[11] though the content of his stories relates to many of his personal grievances with the Confucian establishment.[12]
The work was so popular that the government censored it in 1836 during attempts to suppress anti-establishment sentiment.[6]
The stories were collected over a lengthy period of time.[10] The sources included oral accounts from friends and relatives, official gazettes, or other collections.[13]
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