Not deeply philosophical

The jester Guo Sheren 郭舍人is often paired with Dongfang Shuo, coming off worst in riddle-battles.  Here, Sima Qian 司馬遷 tells us that this favourite jester of Emperor Han Wudi 漢武帝 (r. 141-87 BCE), although not deeply philosophical, nevertheless brought pleasure and delight to the emperor.

武帝時有所幸倡郭舍人者,發言陳辭雖不合大道,然令人主和說。

Source: `Guji liezhuan’ 滑稽列傳, in Shiji 史記, by Sima Qian 司馬遷 (c. 145-86 BC), annot. Pei Yin 裴駰 (Shanghai: Zhonghua Shuju, 1963), vol. 10, fol. 126, p. 3204.

Quotation: Guji liezhuan 滑稽列傳, in Shiji 史記 by Sima Qian 司馬遷

Image credit: Portrait of Han Wudi

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This