300 Yuan Qu Poems (2 volumes)

Author: Guangling Shushe Biann
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-09-01
Features: Yuanqu, together with Tang poetry and Song ci, is known as one of the three pillars of Chinese literature, standing as another gem in the history of Chinese literary tradition. Generally, Yuanqu is believed to consist of two parts: zaju (a form of traditional drama) and sanqu (a form of lyric poetry). Zaju, while sanqu, inherits the lineage of poetry and ci, serving as another form of poetry. The currently available selections of Yuanqu are, in fact, mostly collections of sanqu. This book also selects works limited to sanqu. Yuanqu originated from the folk culture, with its most prominent features being concise and brisk, sincere expression of emotions, humorous and playful, as well as easy to understand, hence the saying "Poetry is solemn, ci is charming, and qu is folk." Sanqu includes two main forms: xiaoling (single qu) and taqu (sets of qu). Xiaoling refers to individual qu pieces composed in different tunes. Common tunes include Zhenggong, Zhonglue, Nanlue, Xianlue, Huangzhong, Dashi, Shuangdiao, Shangdiao, and Yuediao, collectively known as "Five Gong and Four Diao," or "Nine Gong." Each tune has a name, such as "Shanpo Yang," "Shanxianzi," "Luomeifeng," "Bobuduan," and "Chenjiu Dongfeng," etc. The themes of Yuanqu are vast, and the social content they express is extremely rich, with the most prominent being landscape poetry, historical odes, social satire, reclusion, as well as the portrayal of romantic love and women's grievances. These works have reached a certain level in terms of linguistic techniques, artistic realm, and ideological depth, becoming the of literature during that period and enduring through the ages. Statistics show that there are over 200 Yuanqu authors with known names, and more than 4,000 existing works. This book collects 310 qu pieces from over 70 renowned Yuanqu authors, covering a wide range of themes and rich content, embodying the essence of Yuanqu. The book is published in the traditional bound form, with exquisite printing and elegant binding, making it convenient for reading and collecting, and is expected to be well-received by readers.