A Selection of Lyrics Through the Ages

Author: Cheng Yuzhui (Editor and Compiler)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: November 1, 2004
Features: This book selects 800 pieces of Ci poetry from 300 Ci poets from the Tang Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty. It is divided into four parts:
- The Tang and Five Dynasties section includes 25 poets and 106 pieces of Ci.
- The Northern and Southern Song Dynasty section includes 132 poets and 395 pieces of Ci.
- The Jin and Yuan Dynasty section includes 45 poets and 78 pieces of Ci.
- The Ming and Qing Dynasty section includes 98 poets and 221 pieces of Ci. Each part is generally arranged in chronological order based on the birth dates of the poets.
The selected poets and their Ci works are chosen to represent their ideological content, stylistic schools, and artistic achievements. Works that embody the main style of a representative poet are included as much as possible, while those with unique characteristics outside the main style are also selected to reflect the full picture. Some poets have very few surviving Ci, even only one piece, but their works or their contributions are representative, such as the Ci of Su Shunqin and Wen Jiweng from the Song Dynasty, which are also included. This helps to better reflect the overall history of Ci.
Some poets may not have outstanding overall achievements, but their works have had a special influence in the history of Ci, such as Shi Xiaoyou's Ci that pioneered the "scattered inner style," or Fan Chengda's pastoral Ci written in the style of his pastoral poems.
Additionally, some poets are not primarily known for their Ci, and the history of Ci has fewer female poets. Therefore, more attention is given to the Ci of female poets, such as Wei Lady from the Song Dynasty and He Shuangqing from the Qing Dynasty.