Wei Yingwu: His Life

Wei Yingwu: His Life

Wei Yingwu was born in 737, close to the ancient capital of Chang’an during the reign of emperor Xuanzong and Tang Dynasty (618-907). The family estate was to the southwest in the Duling area. The Wei family at one time was prosperous and well-known, as fourteen of his ancestors had held very senior government positions during the Tang Dynasty. But by the birth of Yingwu, the family fortunes had greatly deteriorated.

In 751, at the age of fifteen, Wei was given the position of palace guard. Several of his poems during this time describe his observations of the palace people, and the oncoming disaster of the An Lushan rebellion, which erupted just five years later. At this time he married his wife, Yuan Bing, and went to the capital in Chang’an to attend one of the imperial colleges. For many aspiring government officials, these colleges were a logical stepping stone.

By 763, Wei received his first of many government positions, as deputy magistrate in Loyang County. After serving the normal three years, Wei moved into a local Buddhist temple. He chose not to back to his hometown, as would be expected. Perhaps he did this because of reports that his family’s estate was greatly run down and poor.

Seven years after his first position, Wei received his second as a chief administrator within the garrison command of Hunan. Once again, after three years his moved to family, which now included his wife and two children, to another Buddhist temple. In the year 776 a son was born, but the joy was tempered by the death of his wife. Two long and moving poems were written grieving for his wife.

After a period of obligated mourning, Wei was appointed as a magistrate in Huxian County. In 779, he was fired, and then lived in a small monastery on the Feng River. The years from 782-790, Wei spent serving the imperial government in a series of posts along the Changjiang (Yangzi River). Wei Yingwu died in 791 was living in the large and important city of Suzhou.

Because Wei’s poetic writing style was interpreted as being too simple and too bereft of historical and literary allusions, his contemporaries found his work not worth praising. However, just a few decades later, the famous Tang Dynasty poet, Bai Juyi had adoration for his work by writing,
“Wei of Suzhou leaves me speechless, the feeling in his poems is so pure and serene.” By the Song Dynasty (960-1279) some of Wei’s poems found their way into the large and famous poetry anthologies. He was placed along side the likes of Du Fu, Li Bai, Wang Wei and Meng Haoran.

Notes:
Xuanzong: Tang Dynasty emperor (r. 712-756)

Tang Dynasty (618-907)

An Lushan: Led rebellion against empire in 756

Chang’an: ancient capital, current city of Xi’an

Hunan: province

Changjiang: also known as the Yangzi River

Bai Juyi: Tang Dynasty poet

Song Dynasty: (960-1279)

Du Fu, Li Bai, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran: Tang Dynasty poets