Selected Poems of Qian Qianyi: Master of Classical Chinese Poetry

Author: Pei Shijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Qian Qianyi was the leader of the Ming Dynasty's poetic scene, studying Du Fu and Li Shangyin, and mastering their essence. His poems, profound and passionate, yet delicate and exquisite, greatly influenced Qing Dynasty poets. This book is the first comprehensive collection of Qian's poems in mainland China, selecting 196 poems with detailed annotations and explanations. Reading it not only allows one to understand his poetry but also provides insights into Qian Qianyi himself and his era.
Qian Qianyi (1582–1664) was a prose writer and poet of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. He styled himself Shouzhi, was known as Muzhang, and later as Mengsuo and Dongjian Yela. Born in Changshu (now part of Jiangsu Province), he passed the imperial examination in 1610 and was appointed as a compiler. Soon after, he returned home to mourn his father and participated in the Donglin Party. During the Tianqi era, he served as the chief scholar for imperial lectures and as the deputy director of the Imperial Academy. In 1628, he became the assistant minister of rites and academician of the Hanlin Academy, but was dismissed after a conflict with Wen Tiyan and Zhou Yanyou over the position of Grand Secretary. During the Southern Ming Hongguang dynasty, he served as the minister of rites. After the Ming fell, he held the position of assistant minister of rites and supervised the Secretariat Institute, serving as the deputy editor-in-chief of the Ming Shi (History of the Ming Dynasty). In 1646, he resigned and returned home. In 1647, he was arrested in connection with the Huang Yugu anti-Qing case but was released and pardoned in 1656, returning to his hometown to write until his death. His home, the Jianshun Tower, was renowned for its vast collection of books but was destroyed by fire in 1654.
Qian Qianyi was a scholar of great erudition, extensively reading classics, histories, literature, and Buddhist texts. He opposed the imitation of the "Neo-Confucian" (imitation school), the narrowness of the "Jingling" (Jingling school), and the superficiality of the "Gong'an" (Gong'an school). He advocated for "authentic emotion" and "profound feeling" to counter imitation, and emphasized learning to combat emptiness. Thus, he argued that "writing is the manifestation of the noble essence of heaven and earth, formed by the interaction of human spirit and practice" (Preface to Li Junshi's Tainan Collection), yet also believed that "it must be grounded in ambition, expressed through words, guided by classics and history, and structured by rules and regulations" (Preface to Zhou Xiaoyi's Manuscripts). His main stance was that writing must combine "unique nature, diverse emotions, and specialized knowledge" (Preface to Feng Dingyuan's Poetry), "deeply accumulated within, yet expressed through extraordinary encounters" (Preface to the Yushan Poetry Collection), and "must be refined and expressed" (Preface to Fan Xiqing's Poetry Collection), while also preserving the grandeur of ancient masterpieces.
Therefore, his prose often blends the exposition of knowledge with the expression of thoughts and emotions, being both expansive and unrestrained. His goal was to unify the "scholar's prose" and the "literary prose." In terms of specific works, though their content is varied, their scope is vast, sufficient to transform the decline of Ming-era prose and revitalize the literary style of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Examples include the Preface to Tang Yiyong's Collected Works, A Journey to Huangshan, Biography of Sun Gong, Grand Secretary of the Ministry of War, Eulogy for Yang Gong, the Loyal and Righteous, Biography of Xu Xiake, Letter to Tang You'e on Literature, Reading Su Shangyi's Prose, Preface to the Newly Printed Collection of Chen Chuan's Works, Preface to Mei Village's Poetry Collection, and Preface to the Brief Record of the Lengyan Zhilüe.
Qian Qianyi's poetry initially drew from the Tang Dynasty, later studying the works of various masters from the Tang and Song dynasties, learning from multiple styles. He drew strength from Du Fu and Yuan Haowen, learned the flow of Su Shi and Lu You, and mastered the art of language and imagery from Li Shangyin and Han Shizhong. With his dual talent for learning and creativity, he often wrote grand series of poems. His poems after the fall of the Ming dynasty expressed the sorrow of his turbulent life, blending melancholy beauty with passionate sorrow, making them particularly distinctive. Representative works include Five Poems on Xuzhou, Thirty Poems from Prison, Four Poems on a Night of Banquet in Jiyou Year, Four Poems Inspired by Qian Qianyi's Poems, Twenty Poems on West Lake, A Hundred and Ten Lines of Lament for Jia Xuan, Song for the Portrait of Zuo Ningnan by Liu Jingting, and Thirteen Repetitions of Autumn Meditations (104 Poems).
His major works include the Chuxueji (110 volumes), Youxueji (50 volumes), Toubizhi (2 volumes), Kuhaiji (1 volume), and various other collections. These are now available in annotated editions by Shanghai Guji Press. Additionally, he compiled the Qian's Annotations to Du Fu's Poetry (20 volumes) and edited the Collected Poems of the Ming Dynasty (77 volumes, 81 volumes in the Shunzhi edition). The Wuyaji (1 volume) and Brief Biographies of Poets in the Collected Poems of the Ming Dynasty (compiled by Qian Luccan from Qian Qianyi's poet biographies) are also published separately.