Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official

Song Bian 宋弁

Attested AD 490 - AD 520

Passages: 10
Chapters: 4
Histories: 3

Overview

The translated histories identify Song Bian as a courtier, diplomat, envoy, and official. This record brings together 10 passages from 4 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Song Bian	宋弁	Song Bian
Given	Bian	弁	Bian
Given	Bian	弁	Biàn
Personal name	Song Bian	宋弁	Song Bian
Personal	Song Bian	宋弁	Sòng Biàn

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · beiqishu:034:s0193, weishu:024:s0048, weishu:027:s0053

Roles

Courtier
Diplomat
Envoy
Official

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 十一年 · Western Year: AD 493
Explicit · nanqishu:047:s0098, nanqishu:047:s0104
Source Date: Text: 太和中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 493 · End: AD 496
Explicit event contextual date · weishu:027:s0053
Source Date: Text: 太和十九年 · Western Year: AD 495
Explicit event contextual date · weishu:024:s0048
Source Date: Text: 魏時 · Western Interval: Start: AD 490 · End: AD 520
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:034:s0193

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Parent of Father of Song Qindao (宋欽道父)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological

Career and standing

Label: Minister of Personnel / 吏部尚書 · Action: held
Explicit · beiqishu:034:s0193
Label: Yellow Gate Attendant / 黃門侍郎 · Action: held
Explicit · weishu:024:s0048

Works and attributed material

Kind: memorial · Role: author · Other Person Id: Emperor Xiaowen (孝文皇帝)
Explicit · weishu:024:s0048, weishu:024:s0049, weishu:024:s0050, weishu:024:s0051, weishu:024:s0052
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Wang Rong (王融)
Explicit · nanqishu:047:s0099, nanqishu:047:s0101, nanqishu:047:s0104, nanqishu:047:s0105, nanqishu:047:s0112, nanqishu:047:s0114, nanqishu:047:s0117

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 34Volume 34 Biographies 26: Yang Yin; Yan Zixian; Song Qindao; Zheng Yi · 1 passage

宋欽道，廣平人，魏吏部尚書弁孫也。 Song Qindao was from Guangping, grandson of Wei minister of personnel Song Bian.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 47Volume 47 Biographies 28: Wang Rong, Xie Tiao · 7 passages

上以融才辯，十一年，使兼主客，接虜使房景高、宋弁。 Because the emperor valued Rong's eloquence, in the eleventh year he made him also Director of Guests to receive the Northern Wei envoys Fang Jinggao and Song Bian.

弁見融年少，問主客年幾？ Bian saw that Rong was young and asked how old the Director of Guests was.

後日，宋弁於瑤池堂謂融曰：「昔觀相如《封禪》，以知漢武之德； A few days later Song Bian said to Rong at Yaochi Hall, "When I once read Sima Xiangru's 'Feng and Shan,' I learned Emperor Wu of Han's virtue;

宋弁曰：「不容虛偽之名，當是不習土地。」 Song Bian said, "A false reputation will not stand—probably they are unaccustomed to the terrain here."

弁曰：「王主客何爲懃懃於千里？」 Bian said, "Why is Director Wang so eager about a thousand-li horse?"

弁曰：「向意旣須，必不能駕鼓車也。」 Bian said, "Since you already wanted one, he surely will not drive the drum carriage."

弁不能答。 Bian had no answer.

Book of Wei, Chapter 24Volume 20: Emperor Wencheng's Five Princes · 1 passage

黃門侍郎崔光、宋弁，通直常侍劉芳，典命下大夫李元凱，中書侍郎高聰等議曰：[4]「三臨之事，乃自古禮，爰及漢魏，行之者稀。 Cui Guang and Song Bian of the Yellow Gate, Liu Fang, regular attendant of direct transmission, Li Yuankai, master of ceremonies lower grandee, Gao Cong, secretariat attendant, and others replied:[4] "Three visits are an ancient rite, yet from Han through Wei few have practiced it.

Book of Wei, Chapter 27Volume 22: Emperor Xiaowen's Five Princes · 1 passage

高祖泛舟天淵池，謂郭祚、崔光、宋弁曰：「人生須自放，不可終朝讀書。 Gaozu drifted a boat on the Tianyuan Pool and said to Guo Zuo, Cui Guang, and Song Bian, "A man must sometimes loosen the rein. He cannot read from dawn to dusk.