Chu Ci -- Basic Collection of Chinese Family Classics

Author: Chen Subin
Translation Notes:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The name "Chuci" first appeared in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian·Zhang Tang Biography. During the Han Dynasty, it was sometimes referred to as "ci," "fu," or "ci-fu." These works were influenced by certain aspects of the Book of Songs while also having a direct relationship with the songs of the Chu region. By the mid-Zhou Dynasty, the works of Qu Yuan and Song Yu gradually gave rise to a new literary style. By the late Western Han Dynasty, Liu Xiang compiled their works and those of Han imitators into a collection titled Chuci, at which point "Chuci" became the name of a poetry collection. The most important author of Chuci is Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BC), whose given name was Ping and courtesy name was Yuan. He was a native of Shigui, Hubei Province, and a key political figure of the Chu State. He advised the King of Chu, discussed state affairs, responded to guests, drafted constitutional orders, and promoted reforms. He also allied with other vassal states to resist Qin, serving as an envoy to Qi twice. The King of Chu was foolish and weak, and after believing slander from Shangguan Da, he angrily exiled Qu Yuan. After the King of Chu's death, King Qiangxiang succeeded him, and Qu Yuan was exiled again. Eventually, he drowned himself in the Miluo River, unable to realize his dream of a "beautiful governance," thereby demonstrating his loyalty and patriotic spirit. He poured his political and philosophical thoughts, as well as his deep love for his homeland and its people, into his poetry, achieving remarkable success. After Qu Yuan, the Chu people Song Yu, Tang Le, and Jing Cha all produced works imitating Qu Yuan's style. During the Han Dynasty, a large number of poems imitating Qu Yuan's works emerged. Although the authors were not necessarily Chu people, their emotions and words were distinctly Chu, hence the term "Chuci." Chuci is characterized by its strong regional flavor—"writing in the Chu language, setting to the Chu melody, recording the Chu land, and naming the Chu objects." The shamanic music prevalent in the Chu region permeated the works of Chuci, giving them a rich mythological quality. They allowed the imagination to soar, transcending heaven and earth, and wandering in the Nine Palaces, becoming the crystallization of the romantic and passionate Chu culture of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. This translation and annotation are based on Zhu Xi's Collected Annotations on Chuci, with the structure largely following the original while correcting several obvious errors.