司马相如 (Sīmǎ Xiāngrú) · Sima Xiangru, Western Han dynasty poet

Meanings

1 Sima Xiangru, Western Han dynasty poet
2 considered the greatest master of the 赋 (fu) rhapsody form

About Sima Xiangru

c. 179–117 BC · 诗人 poet

Leading writer of 赋, the long rhymed rhapsody, at the Han court, known for 《子虚赋》 and 《上林赋》. His elopement with the young widow 卓文君 is one of China's best-known love stories.

Also called 长卿

Characters

司

sī

to manage (part of compound surname Sima)

Examples

HSK 5

司马相如和卓文君的爱情故事流传至今。

Sīmǎ Xiāngrú hé Zhuó Wénjūn de àiqíng gùshi liúchuán zhìjīn.

The love story of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun has been passed down to this day.

HSK 7-9

司马相如是汉代最著名的辞赋家。

Sīmǎ Xiāngrú shì Hàndài zuì zhùmíng de cí fù jiā.

Sima Xiangru was the most famous fu poet of the Han dynasty.

Tips

culture

His parents named him 犬子, 'puppy'; he renamed himself 相如 out of admiration for the statesman 蔺相如. 犬子 lives on as a humble way to say 'my son'. He also stammered, though he wrote superbly.