Nalan Ci

Author: (Qing) Nalan Xingde
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Nalan Xingde (1655–1685) was a renowned lyric poet of the Qing Dynasty. His original name was Chengde, styled Rongruo, and also known by the pseudonym Lingjia Mountain Person. He excelled in both poetry and prose, particularly in lyric poetry. He compiled Selected Works of the Complete Tang Poetry and Brief Rules of Lyric Rhyme. He authored lyric poetry collections The Hat and Drinking Water Lyrics. Xu Qianxue comprehensively compiled his poems, lyrics, prose, and fu into The Tongzhi Hall Collection. His lyric poetry is described as "delicate and graceful, surpassing contemporary works," with profound thoughts, fresh style, expressive emotions, and unique depictions that break away from conventional patterns. As a result, after the publication of his lyric poetry collections, it became a phenomenon where "every household competed to sing Drinking Water Lyrics." Nalan's lyrics are genuine, natural, deep, and melancholic. Wang Guowei, when discussing Nalan Xingde, said: "Nalan Rongruo observes things with a natural eye and expresses emotions with a natural tongue. This is because he had just entered Central China and had not yet been influenced by the customs of the Han people, hence his ability to be so authentic. Since the Northern Song Dynasty, he stands alone." This not only highlights his important historical position in Chinese lyric poetry but also summarizes his personal artistic style. The lyric poems in this book are carefully selected from Lyric Poetry of the Tongzhi Hall compiled by Chen Naiquan, with reference to other versions, and some minor revisions have been made to individual characters. The collection includes 203 lyric poems and 27 illustrations, meticulously arranged and printed in two colors.