I am willing to live in the Song Dynasty (Thirty-seven Ways to Read Song Ci)

Author: Tang Xin, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Like a Dream·Li Qingzhao, "I still remember the evening by the brook, tipsy and unaware of the way home. When the fun was over, I returned by boat, accidentally drifting into the deep among the flowers. Striving to cross, striving to cross, startles a flock of wild geese." Just like this memory evoked by Li Qingzhao's "Like a Dream," the scene of the poem is spreading, without the barrier of time. A thousand years later, we read the charm of an era again. Rowing in the deep among the flowers is beautiful, even more so with the intoxicating evening breeze. The oar sounds echo on the water, clear and distant. This is a great joy deep in the world. It is a poem hidden in tranquility, where Li Qingzhao restores the illusion of an era. Above time, humanity ascends, and the lotus blooms. There are countless clichés in Song poetry, and you will feel that many Song poems are mutually copied and imitated, whether it's longing in the inner quarters or melancholy by the long pavilion. Both emotion and scenery lack novelty. But Li Qingzhao's poetry belongs to her alone. There is nothing in this poem that demands "words that do not shock are not worth writing," everything is naturally perfect. The poem is simple. Li Qingzhao, a pure and extraordinary figure who seems unlikely to have any reputation issues. A female poet of unparalleled beauty, she lives in seclusion, standing alone amidst the autumn wind and yellow flowers, uninvited and unbothered. What kind of reputation issues could she possibly encounter? It is this very question that touches upon the perilous and mysterious nature of reputation in life. —Yu Ming《》 Hangzhou is a prosperous city of the Southern Song Dynasty that indulges in fleeting pleasures and regards aesthetic appreciation as the highest pursuit of life. Although it was destined to be destroyed, at its peak of prosperity, a poet sang its praises—this was Liu Yong! —Bai Hu《》 Poetry emphasizes rhythm and cadence, which is an extreme technique that should not be overused. Overuse makes it cheap, and artists are already cheap enough; they are the same kind of outcasts across different eras. —Che Qianzi《》 Li Qingzhao wrote this poem in her later years, perhaps having witnessed countless springs pass. Every line is a vivid scene before her eyes, every line seeping into the skin with a chilling coldness. The most striking line is the rhetorical question at the end: "How can a single 'sorrow' suffice?" Readers today, reading her poetry, are also infected by this helplessness that has endured from ancient times to the present. —Zhai Yongming《》 If I had a choice, I would rather live in China during the Song Dynasty. —(British) Toynbee I long for the Song Dynasty. —Yu Ming This book collects over 100 appreciative essays on Song poetry by renowned writers such as Yu Ming, Deng Lijun, Zhao Lin, Bai Hu, and Che Qianzi. It features 37, presenting 37 different ways of reading Song poetry. Reading these fresh and insightful critiques, we discover that Song poetry is no longer so obscure, and appreciating it is not the exclusive privilege of scholars and literati. In fact, Song poetry is life itself! Following the melodious verses of the Song Dynasty, we return to that prosperous yet turbulent era. "Where shall I wake from the wine tonight? By the willow bank, with the morning wind and the fading moon," "Ten years of life and death, two souls lost to each other, unthought of, yet never forgotten," "I still remember the evening by the brook, tipsy and unaware of the way home." These lyrics bring scenes of prosperity vividly to life. Let us savor the feast of Chinese poetry history and explore that era of passion and reason together! This book collects over 100 appreciative essays on Song poetry by renowned writers such as Yu Ming, Deng Lijun, Zhao Lin, Bai Hu, and Che Qianzi. It features 37, presenting 37 different ways of reading Song poetry. Reading these fresh and insightful critiques, we discover that Song poetry is no longer so obscure, and appreciating it is not the exclusive privilege of scholars and literati. In fact, Song poetry is life itself! Following the melodious verses of the Song Dynasty, we return to that prosperous yet turbulent era. "Where shall I wake from the wine tonight? By the willow bank, with the morning wind and the fading moon," "Ten years of life and death, two souls lost to each other, unthought of, yet never forgotten," "I still remember the evening by the brook, tipsy and unaware of the way home." These lyrics bring scenes of prosperity vividly to life. Let us savor the feast of Chinese poetry history and explore that era of passion and reason together!