Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-10-12 13:14
中國姓氏故事 - 宋姓
美不美, 鄉中水.---Mei3 bu4 mei3, xiang zhong shui3,
親不親, 故鄉人.---Qin bu4 qin, gu4 xiang ren2
Irrespective of its quality, home water is beautiful,
Irrespective of his relationship, a fellow townsfolk is a relative.
對故鄉的東西倍感美好﹔對同鄉的人倍感親切。
.........................................................
Surname SONG 宋姓
Song means: name of an ancient State in China.
The surname Song is about 2,300 years old.
The surname Song originated in an area referred to during the Jin Dynasty
(晉朝 265AD to 420AD) as the Jingzhao prefecture (京兆郡). The present day
location of Jingzhao prefecture is in the east of Xian city (西安市 108.9
degree East and 34.1 degree North on the world map) in Shaanxi province
(陜西省).
Ji Chang (姬昌), the leader of the Zhou Clan (周族), lived in the western
region near the river of Wei (渭), in western part of present day Shaanxi
province (陜西省), was considered to be highly educated and very talented
man. He was also charismatic and highly respected by his people; to them
he was their Sage.
It was during the reign of Shang King Zhou (商紂王 1154BC to 1135BC) of
the Shang Dynasty (商朝 1783BC to 1122BC) that Ji Chang became obliged to
serve in the Shang Court, the domain in which Ji Chang lived was at that
time under the jurisdiction of the Shang Dynasty government. Ji Chang was
appointed by Shang King Zhou as an advisor and one of his sons, Ji Kao (姬
考) was to become his assistant.
Shang King Zhou was a very clever and capable King. Shang King Zhou married
Su Daji (蘇妲己), who was believed by many to be the most beautiful woman
in the land. The couple neglected the welfare of the country and Shang King
Zhou built many big palaces, squandering the wealth of the country. Shang
King Zhou became wicked and cruel and would kill or torture anyone who dared
to complain about his extravagance.
Shang King Zhou's half elder brother (same father but different mother),
Zi Weiqi (子微啟) tried to advise him not to be too lavish on luxuries.
Shang King Zhou expelled him from the country. Zi Weiqi went to live with
the Zhou people. Originally, Zi Weiqi was inducted by his father, Shang
King Yi (商乙王1191BC to 1155BC) as the Crown Prince. However, before his
death Shang King Yi replaced Zi Weiqi as the Crown Prince with Zi Shouxin
(子受辛), the son of his official wife. When Shang King Yi died in 1155BC
Zi Shouxin was crowned Shang King Zhou.
Ji Chang also tried to advise Shang King Zhou on the difficult financial
position of the country. Shang King Zhou did not listen to either and had
Ji Chang imprisoned and his son Ji Kao killed. Ji Chang spent three years
in prison at a place called Youli (羑里), located in present day Tangyin
county (湯陰縣) in Henan province (河南省). During this period of Ji Chang's
incarceration the Zhou Clan had to send Shang King Zhou treasures, beautiful
girls, cattle and horses in exchange of Ji Chang's release. Finally Ji Chang
was released; he returned to his homeland and he died soon afterwards.
Ji Fa (姬發) succeeded his father as the leader of the Zhou Clan and swore
that he would take revenge on Shang King Zhou. However, Ji Fa's people were
not yet strong enough to fight Shang King Zhou.
Twelve years later in 1122BC, Ji Fa, with the help of an anti-Shang alliance,
destroyed the Shang Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty (周朝1134BC
to 256BC). Ji Fa was then installed Zhou King Wu (周武王)
Zhou King Wu died in 1116BC and his eldest son, Ji Song (姬誦) succeeded
him as Zhou King Cheng (周成王) who reigned from 1115BC to 1079BC. In 1113BC,
Zhou King Cheng awarded Zi Weiqi the heritable title of Gong (公) or the
Duke, and also gave him the authority to rule the State of Song (宋國 in
the present day Shangqiu county 商丘縣) in Henan province (河南省). Zi Weiqi
became the founder of the State of Song and was known as Song Gong (宋公
).
The State of Song played a significant part in the period of Spring and
Autumn (春秋時代722BC to 481BC). In 487BC Song conquered and annexed the
State of Cao (曹國), in present day Dingtao county (定陶縣) in Shandong
province(山東省).
During the Warring States Period (戰國時代 453BC to 221BC) in 286BC the
State of Song conquered the State of Teng (滕國 present day Teng county
滕縣 in Shandong province). Zi Yan (子偃) was the 32nd ruler of the State
of Song at that time and he proclaimed that he was not Song Gong (宋公)
but Song Wang (宋王) or the King of Song. However, he was a wicked and cruel
King and his people hated him. Eventually the people of Song could not tolerate
him any more and they rose against him, plunging the State into turmoil.
Neighbouring the State of Song was the State of Qi (齊國 present day Linzi
county 臨淄縣 in Shandong province). Seeing an uprising in Song, Qi took
the opportunity and conquered Song. That was the end of the State of Song,
after in existence of more than seven hundred years and ruled by thirty
two rulers. Some of the royal members of Song changed their surname from
Zi (子) to SONG (宋) in remembrance of their extinct State.
The couplet of surname Song:
出自子姓---Chu zi4 Zi xing4
京兆世澤---Jingzhao shi4 ze2,
Surname Song was evolved from surname Zi
And it originated from Jingzhao
...........................................
Prominent persons of the Song clan are:
(1) Song Zhiwen (宋之問 ? to 712AD) was a poet who lived during the Tang
Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD)
[The author was an official who was demoted and sent to serve in Dayu Ling
in Guangdong province by Empress Wu (武則天女皇帝 690AD to 705AD].
題大庾嶺北驛 [*1A] The Inscription On The Wall Of An Inn in North Dayu Mountain
陽月南飛雁,---Yang2 Yue4 [*2B] nan2 fei yan4,
傳聞至此迴.---Chuan2 wen2 zhi4 ci3 hui2.
我行殊未已,---Wo3 xing2 shu wei4 yi3,
何日復歸來?--He2 ri4 fu4 gui lai2?
江靜潮初落,---Jiang jing4 chao2 chu luo4,
林昏瘴不開.---Lin2 hun zhang4 bu4 kai.
明朝望鄉處,---Ming2 zhao wang4 xiang chu3,
應見隴頭梅.---Ying jian4 long3 tou2 mei2.
The explanations in plain Chinese and English.
(1) 聽說每年到了寒冷的十月, 那些到南方避寒的大雁,
People say that every year when the weather begins to get cold in the tenth
month those wild-geese that had flown to the south to avoid the cold weather,
(2) 都只飛到這裏就又轉回去了.
Would fly back to this place, but they make a U-turn and fly back to the
south.
(3) 而我這失意的旅人啊! 尚在茫茫的征途上,
A frustrated man like me is still on the journey travelling boundlessly.
(4) 不知什麼時候才能回去呢?
I wonder when will I return?
(5) 眼見那邊江面平滑無波, 正是潮水初落的時光:
The surface of the river is smooth without any waves as the tide ebbs.it.
(6) 樹林裏顯得暗沈沈的樣子, 山中的瘴氣更是凝結不散,呈現一片鬱結沈悶的氣息
.
The woods appear to be dimly dark with thick with clinging mist.
(7) 而明天, 當我登上大庾嶺眺望家鄉,
Tomorrow I will ascend to Dayu peak to look for my hometown,
(8) 應該可以看到嶺頭上遍開的梅花吧!.
And should be able to see the plum blossom in the ridge
Note:
[*1A] 大庾嶺北驛 Dayu Ling Bei Yi
Dayuling is in the north of Nanxiong county (北南雄縣) in Guangdong province
(廣東省). There are many plum trees growing on top of the ridge which is
also called Plum Ridge (梅嶺).
驛 Yi is a post station where in olden times couriers changed horses or
rested.
[*2B] 陽月 Yang Yue
Is the tenth month in the Lunar Calendar.
[*3C] 隴頭 long tou
means at the top of a ridge.
..............................................
(2) Song Jiaoren (宋教仁 1882 to 1913)
白眼看天下,---Bai2 yan3 kan tian xia4,
丹心報國家.---Dan xin bao4 guo2 jia.
Superciliously I look at the world,
With a loyal heart I serve the country.
http://yn.chung.id.au/Song.Jiaoren.jpg
(From the book "The Chinese Century" by Jonathan D. Spence and Annping Chin)
Song Jiaoren who was born in Tao Yuan county (桃源縣) in Hunan province
(湖南省). He helped Dr. Sun Yat-sen to overthrow the Qing Dynasty (清朝
1644 to 1911) and established the Republic of China. On 22 March 1913 Song
Jiao Ren, the organizer of Guomindang (國民黨) was assassinated in Shanghai
by an agent sent by Yuan Shikai (袁世凱), the second President of the Republic
of China.
...................................................
(3) Song Ting Fen (宋廷芬)
Song Ting Fen was born during the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD). She
was a scholar and she had five daughters, namely, Ruo Hua (若華), Ruo Zhao
(若昭), Ruo Lun (若倫), Ruo Xian (若憲) and Ruo Xun (若荀). Like her, all
her daughters were brilliant scholars and all of them vowed that they would
not marry to ordinary people. Eventually none of them got married. An official
by the name of Li Bao Zhen (李抱真) reported to Emperor De Zong (德宗皇帝
780AD to 805AD) about the five sisters. Emperor De Zong summoned the five
sisters to the Court and tested their literary talent. Indeed Emperor found
out that they were talented scholars. The Emperor appointed them as officials
and requested them to serve in the Tang Court. Emperor De Zong also appointed
their mother the Sima (司馬or the Administrator of the Armed Forces) of
Rao Zhou (饒州) in Jiangxi province (江西省).
This was what the scholars, during the Tang Dynasty, said about the five
sister,
女子明經,----------Nu3 zi3 ming2 jing,
天子呼為學士.---Tian Zi3 hu wei2 xue2 shi4.
On the contrary, Fong Ting Fen's few sons were no good in study and they
all became ordinary citizens of the country.
-----------------------------------------
Note:
Surname SONG (宋) is the 23rd most common Chinese surname in the world.
Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
|
|
The Asiawind forums are provided to you by
InTechTra Inc.
