Hu Zhiyu (胡衹遹; 1227–1293 or 1295) was a Yuan-dynasty writer, poet, and official. His name also appears as 胡祗遹 and 胡祇遹; his courtesy name is given as 紹聞, alternatively 紹開, and his sobriquet was 紫山. He received the posthumous name 文靖 and was a native of Wuan in Cizhou.
Life and official career
He was orphaned young. After growing up, he studied and won recognition from prominent men. His father was Hu Degui, his father-in-law Wang Xin, his son Hu Chi, and his son-in-law Wang Xixian (1246–1288).
Early in the reign of the Yuan emperor Shizu, he entered office through recruitment as a yuanwailang (員外郎), was appointed Yingfeng Hanlin wenzi (應奉翰林文字), and later served as Left Secretariat yuanwailang (左司員外郎). After offending the powerful official 阿合馬, he was sent out as administrator of the Taiyuan Circuit (太原路治中), where his performance was highly regarded. His offices also included Zhongshu Sheng yuanwailang (中書省員外郎) in 1279, a Hanlin and National History Academy学士 (翰林國史院學士), a deputy investigating censor in Hedong (河東按察司副使), a deputy commissioner in a provincial pacification office (宣慰使司副使), and a general administrator of the Circuit General Administration Office at Jining (濟寧路諸路總管府總管).
After the pacification of the Song, he served as Investigating Censor of the East and West Shandong Circuit (山東東西道提刑按察使), and was credited with benevolent administration wherever he went; he was then transferred to the Jiangnan–Western Zhejiang Circuit (江南浙西道提刑按察使) and returned because of illness. In 1286, Wang Pan recommended him; Wang Yun also recommended him and wrote a preface to 《易直解》.
Writings and literary circle
He was skilled in poetry, prose, and sanqu, and wrote 《紫山大全集》. His writings include epitaph inscriptions, spirit-way steles, tomb inscriptions, lineage steles, biographies, mourning pieces, elegies, farewell poems and prefaces, architectural inscriptions and notes, prefaces to poetry and prose, and colophons.
His literary circle included Wang Yun, Yelü Zhu, and Jiang Yu, with whom he exchanged poems. Wang Yun wrote a preface to 《易直解》, Liu Geng wrote the preface to 《紫山大全集》, and Hu wrote a colophon to Yuan Haowen's manuscripts and an inscription for a painting by Zhao Mengfu.
Posthumous reception
After his death, Wang Yun wrote 《紫山胡公哀挽詩卷小序》 and 《故翰林學士紫山胡公祠堂記》, while Zhang Zhihan wrote 《輓胡紫山紹開二首》. Both Wang Yun and Zhang Zhihan left works mourning Zishan.
References
- CBDB Hu Zhiyu (28603)
- 搜韵 胡祗遹 (40252)
- Wikidata Hu Zhiyu (Q10489840)