Selected Song Dynasty Poetry and Paintings (English-Chinese Parallel Translation)

Author: Compiled by Xu Yuanchong of the Five Continents Press
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The prosperity of Song Dynasty society provided vast space and favorable conditions for the development of its literature and arts. Song Ci poetry became another peak of ancient Chinese literature, comparable to Tang poetry. Filling out Ci poems became a trend during the Song Dynasty. "When scholars and literati gathered, those who could not recite the poetry of others would feel ashamed of their own inadequacies." The bold style represented by great Ci poets such as Su Shi and Xin Qiji, and the graceful style represented by Li Qingzhao and Liu Yong, were particularly renowned. Song Ci is known for its beautiful rhyme, profound imagery, and deep meaning, possessing a unique charm. Some even believe that reciting Song Ci may enhance one's refinement. Song Dynasty painters further deepened their understanding of painting art. Su Shi (1037-1101), a great Song Dynasty literary figure and painter, not only left behind numerous immortal Ci poems and paintings but also proposed the idea of "poetry within painting and painting within poetry," which became a pursuit for later generations of painters. This book selects some Song Dynasty Ci poems and paintings, accompanied by English translations, in hopes of sharing the beauty of Song Ci and Song Dynasty art with readers from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.