(Translation) 芝峯集

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  • 芝峯集 지봉집(Chibongjip) 1634 (2)

Introduction

Yi Su Kwang 李睟光 (1563–1628), also know by his pen name Chibong 芝峯, was a Korean litteraty, a military official, and a diplomat of the Yi Dynasty of Choson. He was also an academic and an encyclopedist.

He was a member of the Korean winter solstice embassy to Ming China (1597-1598). At this occasion, he got in contact in Beijing with an embassy from Vietnam, and, in particular, with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phùng Khắc Khoan 馮克寬 (1528- 1613).

The present translation is a part of the content of their “brush-talks,” the written dialogue they held in classical Chinese, from Yi Su Kwang 李睟光 collected works, Chibongjip 芝峯集, where he recorded this dialogue and the several poems the envoys exchanged. As such, Yi’s collected works preserve one of the most detailed accounts of a contact between tribute envoys while on a mission in China. Besides the substance of this dialogue amounting to a virtual late sixteenth century intelligence report on Vietnam, the communication between these two envoys provides a greater understanding of the nature of knowledge and identity within the Chinese cultural sphere. This text is an important source to understand the ideological and identity position of Koreans and Vietnameses against China, especially after Ming fall and Qing rise. It's maybe one of the most important document about Vietnamese-Korean pre-modern relations.

Original Script

Classical Chinese

English

1- 問答 2- 問。古之越裳交趾。是貴國疆域否。 3- 答曰是也。 4- 問。大人何官。 5- 答曰。愚老在賤國忝侍郞職。 6- 問。貴國官制風俗何如。 7- 答曰。習孔孟詩書禮樂之敎。唐宋進士科擧之文。 8- 問。取人以詩賦乎。以策論乎。亦有武擧否。 9- 答曰。科擧取人法。有鄕試科。有會試科鄕。試科第一場。試五經四書各一道。第二場。詔制表文各一道。第三場。詩賦各一道。第四場。策文古今治道一題。會試科第一第二第三第四場。同鄕試。第五場廷試策對。武科以陣前爲上。有騎馬騎象騎射之才。五年一選。 10- 問。舊聞貴國王是莫姓。今黎氏乃創業之主耶。有何變亂而革命耶。 11- 答曰。前者賤國是黎王管封。後爲莫氏簒僭。今黎氏復舊業。再請封。 12- 問。黎王失國幾年。始復舊物。 13- 答曰。經五十餘年。 14- 問。貴國有都統使。是何官職。 15- 答曰。賤國自古有國以來。未嘗有都統使司之職。特以莫氏僭逆。天朝宥以不死。權置都統使司。秩從二品。以待叛臣耳。如今要復王封。廷臣方議定恩賞。 16- 問。莫氏是莫茂洽耶。 17- 答曰。使臣乃驚視良久然莫茂洽乃其故王姓名蓋訝其知之也。 18- 問。黎王得國。是討亂逆耶。抑出推戴耶。 19- 答曰。黎王是代陳氏不祀。國人共推戴。 20- 問。大人在莫氏朝仕爲何官。 21- 答曰。愚老是黎氏遺臣。未嘗仕莫。 22- 問。貴國冬暖如春。無氷無雪云。信否。 23- 答曰。南天春多冬少。 24- 問。貴國有再熟之稻。八蠶之絲。信否。 25- 答曰。歲有再熟之稻麥。有八蠶之絲麻。 26- 問。貴國地方幾許。 27- 答曰。地方五千餘里。 28- 問。貴國距雲南幾里。 29- 答曰。隔山千重。接壤一界。 30- 問。距琉球日本幾里。 31- 答曰。隔海道。遠不通。 32- 問。馬伏波銅柱。豎在何地。 33- 答曰。古傳在於梅嶺。今無矣。 34- 其使臣問我國制度如何。答以官制倣天朝。置三公六部臺省。自餘法度。悉遵用華制。使臣曰。貴大國舊稱文獻之國。賤國非敢望也。 35- 朝會時。我國使臣爲首立於前行。安南使臣次於後行。相接之際。每致恭遜之意。

1- Question and answer. 2- Question. In the ancient times, Việt Thường and Giao Chỉ were territories of your distinguished country, were they not? 3- Answering that is so. 4- Question. Great man, what is your official position ? 5- Answer. During a long time, I served my humble country in an official capacity. 6- Question. What is the official system and what are the social customs of your distinguished country ? 7- Answer. We follow the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, The Book of Poetry, The Book of Rites and Music. As well as the text of Tang and Song for the Tiến sĩ examinations. 8- Question. Do you choose people by their poetry and compositions or by means of questions and Essay ? Also, do you have a military examination ? 9- Answer. We choose people by means of examinations. There is a provincial examination and the capital examination. For the provincial examination the first test is based on the Five Classics and Four Books. The second test is on evaluating imperial decrees and royal edicts. The third test is about poetry . The fourth test, the theme requires a response on the best way to rule the country. For the capital examination, there are the first, the second, the third and the fourth test. It is like the provincial examination. The fifth test, there is the palace examination, which requires composition and the reply to questions. As for the military examination, the examinees’ use of strategy is most important. There are talent competitions in horseback riding, elephant riding and shooting from horseback. Candidates are chosen every five years. 10- Question. I have heard that the name of the former king of your distinguished country was Mạc. Currently, has the Lê house resumed its duty as head of state? Was there a disturbance or a coup? 11- Answer. Our country was formerly ruled by the Lê kings. The house of Mạc carried out an insurrection and ruled after them. Currently, the Lê house has resumed its former position and is seeking investiture. 12- Question. For how long did the Lê house lose the kingship of the state ? When did they regain their former position ? 13- Answer. During a period of fifty years. 14- Question. Does your distinguished country have a "pacification commander" ? 15- Answer. Ever since we have had a state, the title of “pacification commander” had never existed. That title was a special feature of the Mạc insurrection and their rise to power. The Celestial Dynasty was generous by not putting them to death. The title is temporary and carries a second grade status, because it is dependent upon the holder’s abilities. Now the king is seeking deliberation and a decision regarding the disposition of this title. 16- Question. Is Mạc Mậu Hợp a member from the house of Mạc ? 17- Answer. Government officials were uneasy with him for a long time. But Mạc Mậu Hợp was the name of a former king. I am surprised that you know him. 18- Question. When the Lê king retook control of the contry, did he have to put down a riot, or did he simply resume his position? 19- Answer. The Lê king succeeded the house of Trần , but he did not perform the sacrifices. The people all pressed for his advancement and accession. 20- Question. In which official position did you serve the house of Mạc and their court? 21- Answer. From a long time been a subject of the Lê house, even when it was out of power, I did not serve the Mạc in any official position. 22- Question. In your distinguished country, the winter is as warm as spring. It is said you have no ice or snow. Isn't it ? 23- Answer. In the south, the weather is mostly like spring and the winter is brief. 24- Question. Your distinguished country has a rice harvest twice a year and produces eight kinds of silk from your sericulture. Isn't it ? 25- Answer. From our fields, we harvest rice and barley twice a year. We do have eight kinds of silk. 26- Question. What is the size of your distinguished country ? 27- Answer. Our state measures more than five thousand li. 28- Question. How many li is it from your distinguished country to Yunnan ? 29- Answer. We are separated by numerous mountains where our borders adjoin. 30- Question. How many li distant is your distinguished country from Ryūkyū and Japan ? 31- Answer. We are separated by the sea with distance and we dont have contact. 32- Question. As to Ma Fubo's bronze pillars, where are they located ? 33- Answer. According to old legends, they were in Mê Linh. They are not there now. 34- The [Vietnamese] envoy asked what the laws and system of our state were. I answered that we are governed by officials and regulations. In accord with the Celestial Empire, our officials are arranged in three ranks and six departments in ascending levels. As for our other laws and systems, they all respect the usages of China. The [Vietnamese] envoy commented, “Your Great distinguished country has long been regarded as a state gifted in the literary arts. My humble country cannot dare to approach its respect.” 35- At the morning audience, our state's delegation took a position at the front of the procession. According to the way in which the envoys were arrayed, those from Annam were placed more distantly. I determined that the significance of this was that their tribute was humble.