Selected Poems of the Book of Songs and Poetic Paintings (English-Chinese Contrastive Translation)

Author: Xu Yuanchong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: The Classic of Poetry is China's first collection of poems, compiled around the mid-Spring and Autumn period, approximately the 6th century BC, roughly contemporary with the Homeric Epics of ancient Greece. Initially known as Poetry, Three Hundred Poems, or Three Hundred Pieces, it was revered as a Confucian classic during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 25) and became one of the "Six Classics" alongside the Book of Documents, Book of Rites, Book of Music, Book of Changes, and Spring and Autumn Annals. The Classic of Poetry is China's first collection of poems, divided into three parts: "Airs," "Odes," and "Hymns," comprising a total of 160 poems. The works are primarily lyrical poems, supplemented by narrative, satirical, and ballad forms. Employing the artistic techniques of fu, bi, and xing, it achieves remarkable artistic excellence and has had a profound influence on later literary creation. This book selects 51 poems from the Classic of Poetry, all representative works of the collection. Accompanied by Pinyin annotations and English translations, it allows poetry enthusiasts from around the world to appreciate its charm. The illustrations chosen for the book are mostly created by renowned masters of the past, making them rare artistic treasures that greatly aid in understanding the content of the Classic of Poetry and appreciating its artistic essence.