Appreciation Dictionary of Three Hundred Tang Poems

Author: Fu Demin, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: China is a land of poetry. The Tang Dynasty poetry represents the peak and treasure of Chinese poetic development. The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty has been the most widely circulated, popular both domestically and internationally, and enduring selection of Tang poetry for nearly two hundred years. The compiler of The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty was Yingtang Tuishi, whose real name was Sun Zhu (1711—1778), styled Linxi, and originally from Wuxi, Jiangsu. He passed the imperial examination in the sixteenth year of the Qianlong reign (1751). He imitated the structure of "Three Hundred Poems" to inherit the tradition of the Book of Songs and showcase the essence of Tang poetry. He selected "the most renowned works of Tang poetry" and compiled them into a single volume, aiming to "enable children to learn them and even the elderly cannot forget them" (Preface). The book consists of eight volumes, selecting 307 poems from 75 Tang Dynasty poets, plus two anonymous works. In the eleventh year of the Guangxu reign (1885), the Huiteng Yin She edition added three previously unselected poems by Du Fu from Odes to Famous Historical Sites, bringing the total to 310 poems. This number accounts for only one sixtieth of the entire Tang poetry corpus, demonstrating an extremely selective approach. The selected poems are arranged by genre, including both ancient and modern forms of five- and seven-character lines. Volume 1 features five-character ancient poems, Volume 2 seven-character ancient poems, Volume 3 seven-character Yuefu, Volume 4 five-character regulated verse, Volume 5 seven-character regulated verse, Volume 6 five-character quatrains, and Volume 7 seven-character quatrains. The compiler's meticulous categorization helps readers better understand the various forms of Tang poetry. The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty, as a showcase of Tang poetry's finest works, exhibits the following distinct features:
First, the selected poems cover a wide range of styles. The compiler categorically included representative masterpieces of five-character ancient poems, regulated verse, quatrains, as well as seven-character ancient poems, regulated verse, quatrains, and Yuefu. For example, five-character ancient poems such as Gazing at Mount Tai (Du Fu), seven-character Yuefu like The Song of Yan (Gao Shi), and seven-character quatrains such as The Ballad of Liangzhou (Wang Han).
Second, the selected poems feature a diverse array of authors. They include renowned figures like Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Wei, Bai Juyi, Du Mu, Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, and Li Shangyin, as well as lesser-known individuals such as nobles, monks, courtesans, and even anonymous writers. For instance, Passing by Luoyang and Mournning Confucius (Tang Xuanzong) and Seeking Lu Hongjian, Who Was Not Found (Jiao Ran).
Third, most of the selected poems are easy to recite and memorize. Examples include Song of the Traveling Son (Meng Jiao), Weeds (Bai Juyi), Lovesickness (Wang Wei), Spring Dawn (Meng Haoran), Quiet Night Thoughts (Li Bai), Hearing of the Recovery of Henan and Hebei (Du Fu), Snowy River (Liu Zongyuan), and Returning Home by Chance (He Zhizhang). These poems possess beautiful imagery and harmonious rhythms, making them easily recited by both the elderly and children.
Fourth, the selected poems draw from a broad range of themes, without rigid constraints. They include poems depicting natural landscapes, such as Gazing at Mount Tai (Du Fu) and The Hard Road to Shu (Li Bai), as well as those showcasing pastoral scenes, like Visiting an Old Friend's Village (Meng Haoran) and The Fisherman (Liu Zongyuan). Some expose the suffering caused by war, such as The Ballad of the War Wagons (Du Fu), while others express parting sentiments, like Seeing Meng Haoran Off to Guangling (Li Bai). There are poems about the complexities of returning home, such as Returning Home by Chance (He Zhizhang), and others depicting the tragedies of emperors, such as The Song of Everlasting Sorrow (Bai Juyi). From urban life to frontier scenes, from trivial daily matters to national grievances and personal sorrows, both romanticism and realism are represented in The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty.
The only drawback is that some of the selected poems reflect themes of seclusion, palace grievances, complimentary verses, or dismissal from office, which may convey sentiments of depression, apathy, or frustration. This is partly due to the compiler Sun Zhu's aesthetic preferences and partly to the limitations of his time. However, as long as readers maintain a proper understanding of their own aesthetics, values, and perspectives on life, these works can still offer a diverse cultural landscape.
Since its publication, The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty has been widely popular, with numerous annotated editions appearing. Among them, the supplementary annotations by Chen Wanjun of Shangyuan in the twenty-fourth year of the Daoguang reign (1844) are particularly concise and appreciated for their "precise research and references." After the founding of New China, through the Cultural Revolution and into the new era, several annotated editions were published, including Detailed Analysis of the Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty (Yu Shouzhen), New Annotations of the Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty (Zhu Dake), New Annotations of the Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty (Jin Huaiyao), Detailed Annotations of the Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty (Tao Jinyan), New Critiques of the Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty (Huang Yu), and Annotations of the Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty (Chen Changqi). Building upon the research of predecessors, we have meticulously compiled The Appreciation Dictionary of the Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty, aiming to provide a popular reference for middle and high school students, university students, young adults, and readers who love Tang poetry. This effort contributes to promoting the spirit of Chinese culture and enhancing cultural literacy.
In this book, the "Annotations" avoid tedious textual research or academic debates, instead adopting a concise and straightforward approach to explanation. The "Appreciation" sections include the background, themes, and artistic features of each poem, striving for brevity and literary elegance to guide readers in appreciation and critique. In the "Appreciation," we make every effort to understand the poems from the perspective of the poets themselves, offering fresh insights that differ from conventional interpretations, thereby providing readers with a new perspective.
Additionally, to enrich the content, we have compiled three practical appendices: "An Introduction to the Forms of Tang Poetry in The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty," "Supplementary Explanations of Poetic Forms, Rhythms, and Terminology," and "Index of Famous Lines from The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty." These appendices not only provide readers with a quick understanding of the basics of Chinese poetic forms and rhythms but also allow them to grasp the timeless masterpieces of The Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty in a short time, achieving twice the result with half the effort.