Translation of the given content to English: Classical Chinese Masterpieces Translation and Annotation Series (Second Series) -- Book of Songs

Author: Chen Xiaoqing, translated and annotated by Chen Shuling
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Book of Songs is a collection of Chinese poetry. Initially known as "poetry" or "three hundred poems," it was said that Confucius edited and organized it, and by the time Confucianism became the dominant ideology in the Han Dynasty, it was revered as The Book of Songs. The book primarily collects works from the early Zhou Dynasty to the mid-Spring and Autumn period over five hundred years, totaling 305 poems. The time when it was compiled into a book was approximately the Spring and Autumn period in the 6th century BC. Initially, the "poems" were all songs, so according to musical tunes, The Book of Songs is divided into three parts: Feng, Ya, and Song.
Feng refers to folk songs from various regions, including the fifteen Feng (e.g., 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. It is further divided into Da Ya (Great Ya) and Xiao Ya (Small Ya). Da Ya has 31 poems, mostly from the Western Zhou Dynasty, with a small portion written in the late Western Zhou period. The authors were mainly upper-class nobles, often praising the achievements of ancestors and former kings, as well as describing banquets. 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 even those of humble status. Most of these poems are critical or satirical. Song refers to sacrificial hymns sung in temples, divided into Zhou, Lu, and Shang Song, totaling 40 poems.
As the earliest collection of Chinese poetry, The Book of Songs pioneered eternal themes such as love, war, and banquets. With a history of over two thousand six hundred years since its creation, it has endured for millennia, remaining timeless and influential. It has profoundly shaped later generations and continues to inspire admiration. In compiling this selection, we followed the principles of selecting works with strong lyrical and artistic qualities and representative content. Based on faithfulness to the original poems and attention to their origins, we provided annotations and translations in accurate, vivid, and elegant language. The goal is to help more readers overcome the challenges of archaic and obscure literary language, allowing them to freely explore the vast river of classical poetry and experience the joy of beauty.