New Songs from the Jade Terrace
Encyclopedia
New Songs from the Jade Terrace is a collection of Chinese poetry dating to the time of the Six Dynasties
. Its poems have frequently been translated and have otherwise been of great artistic influence around the world. Although there is uncertainty about the authorship of the individual poems, the anthology was compiled by Xu Ling
, a Southern Dynasties
writer who lived from 507 to 583. The "Jade Terrace" is a reference to the luxurious palace apartments to which upper-class women were often relegated, although Burton Watson
adds that may also "mean a mirror stand of jade such as women use in their toilet; and since the Chinese are fond of elegant euphemisms for parts of the body, it may even have some more esoteric connotation." New Songs from a Jade Terrace is an important collection of Chinese poetry, in part because of the individual poems which it contains, but also because the overall theme of the collection remarkably involves the discussion of sex and gender roles and ideals of love and beauty.
through poems contemporary to the time of composition.
Six Dynasties
Six Dynasties is a collective noun for six Chinese dynasties during the periods of the Three Kingdoms , Jin Dynasty , and Southern and Northern Dynasties ....
. Its poems have frequently been translated and have otherwise been of great artistic influence around the world. Although there is uncertainty about the authorship of the individual poems, the anthology was compiled by Xu Ling
Xu Ling
Xu Ling was the compiler and editor of the famous poetry anthology New Songs from the Jade Terrace during the poetically prolific Southern Dynasties era, 420–589...
, a Southern Dynasties
Southern dynasties
The Southern dynasties comprise the Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang Dynasty and Chen Dynasty, whose capital were at Jiankang , and Emperor Yuan of Liang, as well as the later Western Liang emperors , also set their...
writer who lived from 507 to 583. The "Jade Terrace" is a reference to the luxurious palace apartments to which upper-class women were often relegated, although Burton Watson
Burton Watson
Burton Watson is an accomplished translator of Chinese and Japanese literature and poetry. He has received awards including the Gold Medal Award of the Translation Center at Columbia University in 1979, the PEN Translation Prize in 1981 for his translation with Hiroaki Sato of From the Country of...
adds that may also "mean a mirror stand of jade such as women use in their toilet; and since the Chinese are fond of elegant euphemisms for parts of the body, it may even have some more esoteric connotation." New Songs from a Jade Terrace is an important collection of Chinese poetry, in part because of the individual poems which it contains, but also because the overall theme of the collection remarkably involves the discussion of sex and gender roles and ideals of love and beauty.
The collection
New Songs from a Jade Terrace is divided into ten sections, and 769 chapters "devoted almost entirely to poems about love," that is, the primary emphasis is upon male-female love in the context of the women's apartments, and contains material ranging from anonymous Han Dynasty balladsHan poetry
Han poetry refers to those types or styles of poetry particularly associated with the Han Dynasty era of China. This poetry reflects one of the poetry world's more important flowerings, as well as being a special period in Classical Chinese poetry, particularly in regard to a new style of shi...
through poems contemporary to the time of composition.
See also
- Bao LinghuiBao LinghuiBao Linghui was a Chinese poetess of the Southern Dynasty, the younger sister of Bao Zhao and, like her brother, wrote in the style of refined imitation of Han dynasty folksongs and ballads. Dates of her birth and death were unknown, but according to Bao Zhao's Qingjiaqi ,she might die during the...
- Classical Chinese poetryClassical Chinese poetrythumb|right|300px|Attributed to [[Han Gan]], Huiyebai , about 750CE .Classical Chinese poetry is that type of poetry that is the traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese. It is typified by certain traditional forms, or modes, and certain traditional genres...
- J. H. PrynneJ. H. PrynneJeremy Halvard Prynne is a British poet closely associated with the British Poetry Revival.Prynne's early influences include Charles Olson and Donald Davie. His first book, Force of Circumstance and Other Poems was published in 1962; Prynne has excluded it from his canon...
- Six DynastiesSix DynastiesSix Dynasties is a collective noun for six Chinese dynasties during the periods of the Three Kingdoms , Jin Dynasty , and Southern and Northern Dynasties ....
- Six dynasties poetrySix Dynasties poetrySix dynasties poetry refers to those types or styles of poetry particularly associated with the Six dynasties era of China . This poetry reflects one of the poetry world's more important flowerings, as well as being a unique period in Classical Chinese poetry' which, over this time period,...
- Liang DynastyLiang DynastyThe Liang Dynasty , also known as the Southern Liang Dynasty , was the third of the Southern dynasties in China and was followed by the Chen Dynasty...
External links
- Yutai xinyong page at Chinaknowledge.org
- Silkqin.com (regarding guqinGuqinThe guqin is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family...
musical instrument lyrics)