Shi Jing
Encyclopedia
The Classic of Poetry translated variously as the Book of Songs, the Book of Odes, and often known simply as its original name The Odes, is the earliest existing collection of Chinese poems
and songs. It comprises 305 poems and songs, with many range from the 10th to the 7th centuries BC. It forms part of the Five Classics.
Over half of the poems are said to have originally been popular songs. They concern basic human problems such as love, marriage, work, and war. Others include court poems, and legendary accounts praising the founders of the Zhou Dynasty
. Included are also hymns used in sacrificial rites, and songs used by the aristocracy in their sacrificial ceremonies or at banquets. The Odes first became known as a Jīng, or a "Classic", in the canonical sense, as part of the Han Dynasty
official adoption of Confucianism
as the guiding principles of Chinese society around the 1st century AD. As with all great literary works of ancient China, the Shi have been annotated and commented on numerous times throughout history. The annotations by Han Dynasty scholar Mao Heng and his nephew Mao Chang are most well known and are considered authoritative.
The poems of Classic of Poetry have strict patterns in both rhyme and rhythm, make much use of imagery, and tend to be short: the style of these lyric poems help to set certain patterns for later Chinese poetry (especially for the shi
as opposed to ci
or fu
formal categories); although the four-character line which is typical for them was largely replaced by either the five or the seven-character line. It is regarded as a revered Confucian classic, and has been studied and memorized by centuries of scholars in China. The popular songs were seen as good keys to understanding the troubles of the common people, and were often read as allegories; complaints against lovers were seen as complaints against faithless rulers, for example.
Confucius was supposed to have selected and edited the poems from a much larger body of material.
period. The Classic of History
says that the poem "Owl" in the Odes of Bin was written by the Duke of Zhou
. The latest material in the Shi Jing (said by scholar Zheng Xuan to be the song "Tree-stump Grove" in the Odes of Chen) dates to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period.
There are two traditional stories regarding the gathering and compilation of the songs that make up the Odes: the "Royal Officials' Collecting Songs" and "Master Confucius
Deletes Songs" . The former is recorded in the Book of Han
, where the Zhou Dynasty
court was said to have dispatched officials to each area of what was then Han Chinese
territory (roughly the Yellow River Plain
, Shandong
, southwestern Hebei
, eastern Gansu
, and the Han River region) during the harvest
to record local songs. After the project was completed, the Emperor was said to have read them in an effort to understand the hearts and minds of the common people.
The second story involves Confucius, and is mentioned in the Records of the Grand Historian
. It says that there were originally 3,000 songs and poems in the Odes, and that Confucius selected the 300 that he felt best conformed to traditional ritual propriety, producing what would become the classic Shi Jing. However, the Zuo Zhuan
records that the Shi Jing already existed in a definitive form when Confucius was just a young child.
, namely feng, ya and song, with the ya genre further divided into "small" and "large":
The Confucian tradition holds that the collection, one of the Wu Jing, or Five Classics, came to what we have today after the editing of Confucius
. The collection was officially acknowledged as one of "Five Classics" during the Han Dynasty
, and previously in Zhou Dynasty
Shi (詩) was one of "Six Classics". Four schools of commentary existed then, namely the Qi (齊), the Lu (魯), the Han (韓), and the Mao (毛) schools. The first two schools did not survive. The Han school only survived partly. The Mao school became the canonical school of Book of Songs commentary after the Han Dynasty. As a result, the collection is also sometimes referred to as "Mao Shi" (毛詩).
Zheng Xuan
's elucidation on the Mao commentary is also canonical. Many of the 305 poems had to be reconstructed from memory by scholars since the previous Qin Dynasty
had burned the collection along with other classical texts
.
The poems are written in four-character lines. The airs are in the style of folk songs, although the extent to which they are real folk songs or literary imitations is debated. The odes deal with matters of court and historical
subjects, while the hymns blend history, myth
and religious material.
The three major literary figures or styles employed in the poems are straightforward narrative (賦 fù), explicit comparisons (比 bǐ) and implied comparisons (興 xìng).
Summary of groupings of poems from the Classic of Poetry
note: alternative divisions may be topical or chronological (Legges): Song, Daya, Xiaoya, Guofeng
The Classic of Poetry is the oldest known purely literary work in Chinese history, providing the first extant examples of narrative and emotion-expressing verse and rhyme in Han Chinese
history. The Odes provided founding principles in composition and rhyme that were patterned by Chinese writers for well over two thousand years. Additionally, the Odes preserve the earliest known descriptions of daily life among the ancient Han Chinese culture that occupied the Yellow River watershed, a culture that gradually spread out and assimilated or conquered non-Chinese tribes.
Confucius held the Classic of Poetry in highest esteem. The Analects records: "The Master said: The three hundred Odes, summarizing them in one phrase, say: 'Speak only of going straight.'" Another story in the Analects recounts that Confucius' son Kong Li told the story: "The Master once stood by himself, and I hurried to seek teaching from him. He asked me, 'You've studied the Odes?' I answered, 'Not yet.' He replied, 'If you study the Odes not, then I have nothing to speak.'"
The Odes even influenced political dealings in ancient China. When kingdoms or feudal leaders wished to express delicate or difficult positions, they would sometimes couch the message within a poem. This practice became common among educated Chinese in their personal correspondences and spread to Japan
and Korea
as well.
Modern scholarship on the Classic of Poetry often focuses on doing linguistic reconstruction and research in Old Chinese
by analyzing the rhyme schemes in the Odes, which show vast differences when read in modern Mandarin Chinese. Even Cantonese
and Min Nan
, which preserve more Old Chinese syllable endings than Mandarin, are believed to be very different from the original language of the Odes.
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
and songs. It comprises 305 poems and songs, with many range from the 10th to the 7th centuries BC. It forms part of the Five Classics.
Over half of the poems are said to have originally been popular songs. They concern basic human problems such as love, marriage, work, and war. Others include court poems, and legendary accounts praising the founders of the Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
. Included are also hymns used in sacrificial rites, and songs used by the aristocracy in their sacrificial ceremonies or at banquets. The Odes first became known as a Jīng, or a "Classic", in the canonical sense, as part of the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
official adoption of Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
as the guiding principles of Chinese society around the 1st century AD. As with all great literary works of ancient China, the Shi have been annotated and commented on numerous times throughout history. The annotations by Han Dynasty scholar Mao Heng and his nephew Mao Chang are most well known and are considered authoritative.
The poems of Classic of Poetry have strict patterns in both rhyme and rhythm, make much use of imagery, and tend to be short: the style of these lyric poems help to set certain patterns for later Chinese poetry (especially for the shi
Shi (poetry)
Shi is the Chinese word for "poetry" or "poem", anciently associated with Chinese poetry. In modern times, shi can and has been used as an umbrella term to mean poetry in any form or language, whether or not Chinese; but, it may imply or be used to refer certain classical forms of poetry, for...
as opposed to ci
Ci (poetry)
Ci is a kind of lyric Classical Chinese poetry using a poetic meter based upon certain patterns of fixed-rhythm formal types. For speakers of English, the word "ci" is pronounced somewhat like "tsuh"...
or fu
Fu (poetry)
Fu is a kind of rhymed prose, or poetry style essay, popular in ancient China, especially during the Han Dynasty. The term fu is often used in a multiway contrast with the more purely poetic shi style, with the fixed-rhythm forms of poetry , and with various more explicitly prosaic forms of...
formal categories); although the four-character line which is typical for them was largely replaced by either the five or the seven-character line. It is regarded as a revered Confucian classic, and has been studied and memorized by centuries of scholars in China. The popular songs were seen as good keys to understanding the troubles of the common people, and were often read as allegories; complaints against lovers were seen as complaints against faithless rulers, for example.
Confucius was supposed to have selected and edited the poems from a much larger body of material.
Compilation
The earliest items in the Odes are believed to date to the Western ZhouWestern Zhou
The Western Zhōu period was the first half of the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China. It began when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty at the Battle of Muye. C.H...
period. The Classic of History
Classic of History
The Classic of History is a compilation of documentary records related to events in ancient history of China. It is also commonly known as the Shàngshū , or simply Shū...
says that the poem "Owl" in the Odes of Bin was written by the Duke of Zhou
Duke of Zhou
The Duke of Zhou played a major role in consolidating the newly-founded Zhou Dynasty . He was the brother of King Wu of Zhou, the first king of the ancient Chinese Zhou Dynasty...
. The latest material in the Shi Jing (said by scholar Zheng Xuan to be the song "Tree-stump Grove" in the Odes of Chen) dates to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period.
There are two traditional stories regarding the gathering and compilation of the songs that make up the Odes: the "Royal Officials' Collecting Songs" and "Master Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
Deletes Songs" . The former is recorded in the Book of Han
Book of Han
The Book of Han, Hanshu or History of the Former Han Dynasty |Fan Ye]] . Various scholars have estimated that the earliest material covered in the book dates back to between 206 and 202 BCE...
, where the Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
court was said to have dispatched officials to each area of what was then Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
territory (roughly the Yellow River Plain
Central Plain (China)
Zhongyuan or the Central Plain of China refers to the area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization. It forms part of the North China Plain....
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
, southwestern Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
, eastern Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
, and the Han River region) during the harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
to record local songs. After the project was completed, the Emperor was said to have read them in an effort to understand the hearts and minds of the common people.
The second story involves Confucius, and is mentioned in the Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
. It says that there were originally 3,000 songs and poems in the Odes, and that Confucius selected the 300 that he felt best conformed to traditional ritual propriety, producing what would become the classic Shi Jing. However, the Zuo Zhuan
Zuo Zhuan
The Zuo Zhuan , sometimes translated as the Chronicle of Zuo or the Commentary of Zuo, is among the earliest Chinese works of narrative history and covers the period from 722 BCE to 468 BCE. It is one of the most important sources for understanding the history of the Spring and Autumn Period...
records that the Shi Jing already existed in a definitive form when Confucius was just a young child.
The collection
The collection is divided into three parts according to their genreGenre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
, namely feng, ya and song, with the ya genre further divided into "small" and "large":
| Part | Number and meaning | Date (BC) |
|---|---|---|
| 風/风 fēng | 160 folk songs (or airs) | 8th to 7th cent. |
| 小雅 xiǎoyǎ | 74 minor festal songs (or odes traditionally sung at court festivities) | 9th to 8th cent. |
| 大雅 dàyǎ | 31 major festal songs, sung at more solemn court ceremonies | 10th to 9th cent. |
| 頌/颂 sòng | 40 hymn Hymn A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification... s and eulogies Eulogy A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions... , sung at sacrifices to gods and ancestral spirits of the royal house |
11th to 10th cent. |
The Confucian tradition holds that the collection, one of the Wu Jing, or Five Classics, came to what we have today after the editing of Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
. The collection was officially acknowledged as one of "Five Classics" during the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, and previously in Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
Shi (詩) was one of "Six Classics". Four schools of commentary existed then, namely the Qi (齊), the Lu (魯), the Han (韓), and the Mao (毛) schools. The first two schools did not survive. The Han school only survived partly. The Mao school became the canonical school of Book of Songs commentary after the Han Dynasty. As a result, the collection is also sometimes referred to as "Mao Shi" (毛詩).
Zheng Xuan
Zheng Xuan
Zheng Xuan , courtesy name Kangcheng , was an influential Chinese commentator and Confucian scholar of the Han Dynasty. He was born in modern Weifang, Shandong, and was a student of Ma Rong.-See also:*Three Kingdoms...
's elucidation on the Mao commentary is also canonical. Many of the 305 poems had to be reconstructed from memory by scholars since the previous Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
had burned the collection along with other classical texts
Burning of books and burying of scholars
Burning of the books and burying of the scholars is a phrase that refers to a policy and a sequence of events in the Qin Dynasty of Ancient China, between the period of 213 and 206 BC. During these events, the Hundred Schools of Thought were pruned; legalism survived...
.
The poems are written in four-character lines. The airs are in the style of folk songs, although the extent to which they are real folk songs or literary imitations is debated. The odes deal with matters of court and historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
subjects, while the hymns blend history, myth
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
and religious material.
The three major literary figures or styles employed in the poems are straightforward narrative (賦 fù), explicit comparisons (比 bǐ) and implied comparisons (興 xìng).
Contents
Guo Feng
| group | char | group name | poem #s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 周南 | Odes of Zhou Zhou Dynasty The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as... & South | 001-011 |
| 02 | 召南 | Odes of Shao & South | 012-025 |
| 03 | 邶風 | Odes of Bei | 026-044 |
| 04 | 鄘風 | Odes of Yong | 045-054 |
| 05 | 衛風 | Odes of Wei Wei (Spring and Autumn Period) This article is about the State of Wei founded during the Spring and Autumn Period. For the Warring States Period state whose name is pronounced identically, see Wei .... | 055-064 |
| 06 | 王風 | Odes of Wang | 065-074 |
| 07 | 鄭風 | Odes of Zheng Zheng (state) Zheng （) was a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty located in the centre of ancient China in modern day Henan Province on the North China Plain about east of the royal capital at Luoyang. It was the most powerful of the vassal states at the beginning of the Eastern Zhou... | 075-095 |
| 08 | 齊風 | Odes of Qi Qi (state) Qi was a powerful state during the Spring and Autumn Period and Period of the Warring States in ancient China. Its capital was Linzi, now part of the modern day city of Zibo in Shandong Province.... | 096-106 |
| 09 | 魏風 | Odes of Wei Wei (state) The State of Wei was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state during the Warring States Period of Chinese history. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and Qi and included parts of modern day Henan, Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong... | 107-113 |
| 10 | 唐風 | Odes of Tang | 114-125 |
| 11 | 秦風 | Odes of Qin Qin (state) The State of Qin was a Chinese feudal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history... | 126-135 |
| 12 | 陳風 | Odes of Chen Chen (state) Chen was a minor Zhou Dynasty vassal state during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese History. It was a relatively minor state based on a single urban centre near what is now Huaiyang County in the plains of eastern Henan province... | 136-145 |
| 13 | 檜風 | Odes of Kuai | 146-149 |
| 14 | 曹風 | Odes of Cao Cao (state) The State of Cáo was a vassal state in China during the Zhou Dynasty . The state was founded sometime in the 11th century BCE by Caoshu Zhènduó （曹叔振鐸）, son of King Wen of Zhou and the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou. With its capital at Táoqiū , the State of Cáo covered roughly the area of... | 150-153 |
| 15 | 豳風 | Odes of Bin | 154-160 |
Xiao Ya
| group | char | group name | poem #s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 鹿鳴 之什 | Decade of Lu Ming | 161-170 |
| 02 | 白華 之什 | Decade of Baihua | 170-175 |
| 03 | 彤弓 之什 | Decade of Tong Gong | 175-185 |
| 04 | 祈父 之什 | Decade of Qi Fu | 185-195 |
| 05 | 小旻 之什 | Decade of Xiao Min | 195-205 |
| 06 | 北山 之什 | Decade of Bei Shan | 205-215 |
| 07 | 桑扈 之什 | Decade of Sang Hu | 215-225 |
| 08 | 都人士 之什 | Decade of Du Ren Shi | 225-234 |
Da Ya
| group | char | group name | poem #s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 文王之什 | Decade of Wen Wang | 235-244 |
| 02 | 生民之什 | Decade of Sheng Min | 245-254 |
| 03 | 蕩之什 | Decade of Dang | 255-265 |
Song
| group | char | group name | poem #s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 周頌 | Sacrificial Odes of Zhou1 | 266-296 |
| 01a | 清廟之什 | Decade of Qing Miao | 266-275 |
| 01b | 臣工之什 | Decade of Chen Gong | 276-285 |
| 01c | 閔予小子之什 | Decade of Min You Xiao Zi | 286-296 |
| 02 | 魯頌 | Praise Odes of Lu3 | 297-300 |
| 03 | 商頌 | Sacrificial Odes of Shang1 | 301-305 |
note: alternative divisions may be topical or chronological (Legges): Song, Daya, Xiaoya, Guofeng
Influence and legacy
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
history. The Odes provided founding principles in composition and rhyme that were patterned by Chinese writers for well over two thousand years. Additionally, the Odes preserve the earliest known descriptions of daily life among the ancient Han Chinese culture that occupied the Yellow River watershed, a culture that gradually spread out and assimilated or conquered non-Chinese tribes.
Confucius held the Classic of Poetry in highest esteem. The Analects records: "The Master said: The three hundred Odes, summarizing them in one phrase, say: 'Speak only of going straight.'" Another story in the Analects recounts that Confucius' son Kong Li told the story: "The Master once stood by himself, and I hurried to seek teaching from him. He asked me, 'You've studied the Odes?' I answered, 'Not yet.' He replied, 'If you study the Odes not, then I have nothing to speak.'"
The Odes even influenced political dealings in ancient China. When kingdoms or feudal leaders wished to express delicate or difficult positions, they would sometimes couch the message within a poem. This practice became common among educated Chinese in their personal correspondences and spread to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
as well.
Modern scholarship on the Classic of Poetry often focuses on doing linguistic reconstruction and research in Old Chinese
Old Chinese
The earliest known written records of the Chinese language were found at a site near modern Anyang identified as Yin, the last capital of the Shang dynasty, and date from about 1200 BC....
by analyzing the rhyme schemes in the Odes, which show vast differences when read in modern Mandarin Chinese. Even Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
and Min Nan
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, which preserve more Old Chinese syllable endings than Mandarin, are believed to be very different from the original language of the Odes.
Translations
- Classic of Poetry, in The Sacred Books of China, translated by James LeggeJames LeggeJames Legge was a noted Scottish sinologist, a Scottish Congregationalist, representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong , and first professor of Chinese at Oxford University...
, 1879. - The Book of Songs, translated by Arthur WaleyArthur WaleyArthur David Waley CH, CBE was an English orientalist and sinologist.-Life:Waley was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, as Arthur David Schloss, son of the economist David Frederick Schloss...
, edited with additional translations by Joseph R. Allen, New York: Grove Press, 1996. - Book of Poetry, translated by Xu YuanchongXu YuanchongXu Yuanchong , born in Jiangxi, China in 1921, is a translator of Chinese ancient poets into English and French.Xu studied foreign language studies at Tsinghua University after he studied abroad. And after that, he became a professor in English and French...
(許淵沖), edited by Jiang Shengzhang (姜勝章), Hunan, China: Hunan chubanshe, 1993. - The Classic Anthology Defined by Confucius, translated by Ezra PoundEzra PoundEzra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1954. - The Book of Odes, translated by Bernhard KarlgrenBernhard KarlgrenKlas Bernhard Johannes Karlgren was a Swedish sinologist and linguist who pioneered the study of Chinese historical phonology using modern comparative methods...
, Stockholm: The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, 1950.
See also
- Chinese classics
- 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...
- Guan juGuan juGuan ju is a poem from the ancient anthology Shi Jing , and is one of the best known poems in Chinese literature. It has been dated to the seventh century BCE, making it also one of China's oldest poems. The title of the poem comes from its first line , which evokes a scene of ospreys calling on a...
- Chengyu
- Chinese artChinese artChinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
External links
- Bilingual Chinese-English searchable edition at Chinese Text Project
- Legge's translation of the Book of Odes at Chinese text initiative
- The Book of Odes in Chinese arrayed with James LeggeJames LeggeJames Legge was a noted Scottish sinologist, a Scottish Congregationalist, representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong , and first professor of Chinese at Oxford University...
translation. - Shijing with Mao prefaces and Zhu Xi commentary by Harrison Huang
- Legge's translation of the Book of Odes at the Internet Sacred Text Archive.