Book of Songs

Author: Li Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: "Poetry" originally referred to songs accompanied by music. Therefore, according to musical tunes, the Book of Songs can be divided into three parts: Feng, Ya, and Song. Feng refers to folk songs from different regions, including the fifteen states of Zhou Nan, Zhao Nan, Bei, Xiang, Wei, Wang, Zheng, Qi, Wei, Tang, Qin, Chen, Huai, Cao, and Bin, totaling 160 poems. Most of these poems are folk songs that express the joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness of the people. Ya, meaning "proper," refers to the court music of the Western Zhou Dynasty, representing the musical tunes of the royal domain. Ya is further divided into Da Ya and Xiao Ya. Da Ya consists of 31 poems, most of which were created during the Western Zhou Dynasty, with a small portion written in the late Western Zhou period. The authors are mainly upper-class nobles, often praising the achievements of the ancestors and former kings, as well as describing banquet activities. Xiao Ya has 74 poems, mostly written in the late Western Zhou period, with authors ranging from upper-class nobles to lower-class nobles and those of humble status. Many of these poems express grievances and criticisms. Song refers to sacrificial hymns sung during temple ceremonies, divided into Zhou, Lu, and Shang songs, totaling 40 poems. As China's earliest collection of poetry, the Book of Songs pioneered eternal themes such as love, war, and banquets.