SOME NEW PROOFS OF BAI JUYI’S POETRY AND PROSE IN BAI’S CORPUS PRINTED BY NAWA DOUEN IN JAPAN

Abstract

Japan has preserved many editions of Bai’s Corpus printed by Nawa Douen, which were proofread by ancient manuscripts in the early days of Edo, ncluding the proofread editions by Hayasi Razan in the Tokyo National Museum, by Tenkai in the Sonkeikaku bunko, by Housa bunko, and the editions of Waseda University, of Imperial Palace, and of Daito Bunka University. The proofreading of these ancient manuscripts can supplement and correct the friendship relationship between Bai Juyi and Han Yu, Yuan Zhen, Liu Sheng and Li Weijian. It can reproduce the original connotation of Bai Juyi’s poetry and prose, which has important reference value for the study of the stylistic evolution of the Tang Dynasty. It can also confirm the conjectures of later revisers, by way of correcting the wrong articles in Bai Juyi’s works, and help to understand some self-annotations that were not passed down from the past.