Zhayi (; translated with "Notes" or "Transmitted collation notes", etc.) is a collection of textual-critical, commentary, and philological studies written by the prominent late Qing dynasty scholar Sun Yirang (1848âÂÂ1908), who is especially known for his research on the book Mozi 墨åÂÂ.
In his book Zhayi æÂÂè¿», Sun Yirang presented the results of textual-critical research on more than 70 ancient books from various literary genres. The work also provides valuable insight into the scholarly tradition of the Qing dynasty, its research methods, and ways to improve skills in studying and correcting ancient texts.
Zhayi contains the collected results of his over thirty years of study of ancient texts. Sun Yirang himself described its guiding principle as follows:
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(roughly translated) Everything that is examined, even if it concerns only the smallest detail, may seem insignificant, but it is treated with comprehensive care. Even if only a fraction of the texts is covered, every correction is based on factual evidence; no isolated evidence is used arbitrarily to distort ancient texts. </blockquote>
The Qing scholar Yu Yue (1821âÂÂ1907) says in the preface he wrote for the book:
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(roughly translated) As for his mastery of philological exegesis, he is meticulous and thoroughly versed in variant and extended usages of characters; drawing on ancient sources, he corrects textual corruptions and omissions, grounding his explanations in the principles of the classics to elucidate archaic expressions. With each individual interpretation, he naturally brings the preceding and following passages into coherent and effortless order.
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Individual studies within the Zhayi, such as those on the book Zhuangzi, are often referred to under titles like Zhuangzi zhayi (èÂÂÃ¥ÂÂæÂÂè¿»).
The Hanyu da zidian (HYDZD), for example, cites the Zhayi in the woodblock edition of the year Guangxu 22 (1896).