Guoyu (book)
The Guoyu, usually translated as Discourses of the States, is an ancient Chinese text that consists of a collection of speeches attributed to rulers and other men from the Spring and [Autumn period]. It comprises a total of 240 speeches, ranging from the reign of King Mu of Zhou to the execution of the Jin minister Zhibo in 453 BC. Compilation of the Guoyu probably began during the 5th century and continued until the late 4th century BC. The earliest chapter of the compilation is the Discourses of Zhou.
The text's author is unknown, but it is sometimes attributed to Zuo Qiuming, a contemporary of Confucius; although as early as Jin dynasty, Fu Xuan objected to that attribution of authorship.
Contents
The texts compiled within Guoyu comprise the period, people, and events seen in the Spring and Autumn Annals, particularly one of its commentaries, the Zuo Zhuan by Zuo Qiuming. Thus, during the end of the Han dynasty, it was called the preface of the Zuo Zhuan. Scholars like Xu Gan mention it in their work, though the tradition has since died out.The text comprises eight books covering the Zhou court and seven of the feudal states, divided into 21 chapters: