Selected and Annotated Masterpieces of Chinese Classical Poetry with Critical Comments

Author: Huang Nianran
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Book of Songs (Shijing)
The Book of Songs is a collection of ancient Chinese poetry. It includes 305 poems composed between the early Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC) and the mid-Spring and Autumn period (6th century BC), spanning approximately 500 years. Initially referred to as Poetry, it was later named the Book of Songs after Confucian scholars of the Han Dynasty elevated it to the status of a classic. The Book of Songs is divided into three parts: Feng, Ya, and Song.
Feng includes 15 Feng collections, such as Zhou Nan, with a total of 160 poems. Ya consists of 31 Dai Ya poems and 74 Xiao Ya poems. Song comprises 31 Zhou Song poems, 5 Shang Song poems, and 4 Lu Song poems.
In their original form, these poems were lyrics for songs, capable of being recited, played on musical instruments, sung, and accompanied by dance. Their authors varied widely, including court musicians of the Zhou Dynasty, songs presented by high officials and scholars, and many folk ballads passed down through generations. The primary purposes of the Book of Songs were initially ceremonial music, entertainment, and expressing opinions on social and political issues. Later, it became a widely used cultural textbook in the education of the aristocracy, and mastering the Book of Songs became a necessary cultural accomplishment for the elite.
The Book of Songs was burned during the Qin Dynasty but was preserved because it was easy to memorize and widely known among scholars. By the Han Dynasty, it was once again circulated. In the early Han Dynasty, there were four schools of Poetry: the Qi School by Yuan Gushi of Qi, the Lu School by Shen Pei of Lu, the Han School by Han Ying of Yan, and the Mao School by Mao Heng and Mao Chang of Lu and Zhao. Today, the Book of Songs we see is the transmission of the Mao School.
1. Guajiu (Zhou Nan)①
Guajiu, the birds of Guajiu,
On the sandbar by the river.②
Fair and gentle, the lady,
The gentleman’s ideal match.③
The rushes, long and short,
Flow to the left and right.④
Fair and gentle, the lady,
Awake and asleep, she seeks her.⑤
Seeking her but not finding,
Awake and asleep, she pines.⑥
Long, long the pining,
Tossing and turning in bed.⑦
The rushes, long and short,
Gathered to the left and right.
Fair and gentle, the lady,
The lute and zither delight her.⑧
The rushes, long and short,
Gathered to the left and right.
Fair and gentle, the lady,
The bells and drums delight her.⑩
Notes
① This poem is the first in the Feng section of the Book of Songs and also the first poem in the entire collection.
② Guajiu: The call of male and female birds of the Guajiu species.
③ The rushes: Aquatic plants with edible tender leaves. Flow: To scoop along the current.
④ Wake: To be awake. Sleep: To be asleep.
⑤ Thought: A grammatical particle. Serve: To think of.
⑥ Long: The appearance of being thoughtful. Tossing and turning: To turn over in bed.
⑦ Lute and zither: To play the lute and zither. Friend: To be close to or friendly with.
⑧ Mao: To pull up with the hand.
⑨ Bells and drums: To make her happy with the music of bells and drums.