Plain Song Lyrics: Three Hundred Poems

Author: Li Zhiliang
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Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Three Hundred Songs of the Song Dynasty is a collection of Song Dynasty lyrics selected and compiled by Zhu Zumu during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. Zhu Zumu, styled Xiaozang and known as Qiangcun Village Elder, was himself a renowned lyricist and was honored as one of the "Four Great Lyricists of the Late Qing Dynasty" alongside Kuang Zhouyi, Wang Pengyun, and Zheng Wenchuo. Zhu dedicated his life to the study of lyric poetry, and his Qiangcun Collection gained widespread acclaim domestically. It was the largest compilation of Song Dynasty lyrics before the publication of Tang Guizhang's Complete Lyrics of the Song Dynasty and Complete Lyrics of the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. His lyric studies work, Qiangcun Lyrics, is also regarded as a benchmark in the field of lyric studies. This Three Hundred Songs of the Song Dynasty was compiled as an introductory text for young enthusiasts of lyric poetry after Zhu's extensive research on the genre. Like Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty, this book was highly valued by literary lovers upon its release. The modern lyric master Tang Guizhang once wrote annotations for it, further enhancing its popularity. To help young friends appreciate these beautiful works more quickly and conveniently, we have provided annotations, translations, and interpretive guides for all 283 lyrics.
As the ancients said, "Poetry has no definitive interpretation," meaning that poetry lacks a fixed framework for understanding. Lyrics are a form of poetry, so they also do not have a definitive interpretation. Our translations are merely for reference. Even in the interpretive guides, there may be biases or even contradictions in reasoning. Readers are encouraged to interpret and appreciate the works freely according to their own imagination.