Xie Daoyun

Xie Daoyun (Simplified Chinese: 谢道韫; Traditional Chinese: 謝道韞; Pinyin: Xiè Dàoyùn) courtesy name Lingjiang , was a renowned poet of the Eastern Jin dynasty (266–420) CE. She was a native of Yangxia County, Chen Commandery (present-day Taikang County, Henan Province). Though she originally had a poetry collection spanning several volumes, most of her works have been lost over time, with only a few surviving pieces, such as Climbing the Mountain and Imitating Ji Kang’s Ode to the Pine (拟拟嵇中散咏松诗).

Xie Daoyun was the niece of Prime Minister Xie An, the daughter of General Xie Yi, the elder sister of General Xie Xuan, and the wife of calligrapher Wang Ningzhi. She is best known for the anecdote about her exceptional literary talent, commonly referred to as the "Talent for Chanting about Snow" (咏絮之才).

Xie Daoyun exemplifies the Wei-Jin Daoist practice of qingtan, the premier form of philosophical discourse of this period.

Life

A Precocious Mind Xie Daoyun was born into the illustrious Xie clan of Chen Commandery during the Eastern Jin dynasty. Her father was Xie Yi and her mother was Ruan Rong, both being from aristocratic houses, as Ruan Rong hailed from the equally prestigious Ruan clan of Chenliu. Surrounded by scholars and statesmen, Xie Daoyun was immersed in literature and philosophy from an early age.

Her intellect soon became evident. One day, her uncle, Xie An, sought to test the young members of the family. "Which verse from the Book of Songs is the finest?" he asked. While others hesitated, Xie Daoyun confidently responded, "Ji Fu composes an ode, as pure as the gentle breeze. Zhong Shanfu cherishes these words, finding solace in his heart." (吉甫作颂，穆如清风。仲山甫永怀，以慰其心) sought her out. He had long admired her reputation and wished to meet the woman whose name carried such weight. Xie Daoyun, ever composed, received him in her modest residence.

Due to the scarcity of surviving pieces, it is difficult to comprehensively assess her literary style. However, through the remnants of her poetry and the trajectory of her life, later generations can still catch a glimpse of her inner world.

In addition to poetry, she is also very accomplished in music. A Ming Dynasty musical composition is all about the gatherings of Xie Daoyun and Xie An.