Zhou Bangyan Ci Xuan -- Classical Poetry Masters

Author: Sun Hong, Ren Yixuan, editor
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Zhou Bangyan's ci poems are profound, elegant, rich in color, and exquisite in craftsmanship, widely recognized as a master of the gentle and refined style and regulated verse during the Northern and Southern Song dynasties. The compilers of this book have conducted extensive research on Zhou Bangyan and his works, having earlier compiled A Critical Edition of the Qujing Collection, and have further refined their work by consulting discussions from scholars such as Yu Pingbo and Jiang Zhenlun. As a result, they have been able to elucidate subtle meanings and achieve remarkable refinement, creating this excellent reading of Zhou's ci poems. This series of ancient "Classical Poetry and Prose Masters" is a collection of renowned works by famous poets and writers from Chinese history, compiled by Zhonghua Book Company and featuring the latest research. It provides a systematic and accessible selection of poetry and prose that caters to both academic and general readers. The publication was specially curated by over 30 experts and scholars from more than 20 institutions.
1. The primary criterion for selecting works is their popularity and transmission, while also considering their ideological and artistic value.
2. The selected texts are primarily based on authoritative versions, especially well-edited editions, without annotations for textual criticism. Minor variations are generally not explained, while significant ones are clarified in the notes.
3. Each book includes an introduction before the main text, providing a comprehensive and concise evaluation of the selected author, works, and related content.
4. The poems and their notes are arranged chronologically. Works without a clear date are grouped at the end of the chronological entries.
5. Below each poem, there are "Annotations" and "Explanations." The annotations provide background information, themes, artistic techniques, and explanations of relevant names, places, and reign periods, while the notes address the needs of general readers, with special attention to clarifying allusions, technical terms, and difficult expressions. Obscure characters are annotated with Pinyin, and confusing sentences are explained in detail.
By reading this series, readers can gain a thorough and systematic understanding of outstanding poets and works in Chinese literary history, fostering spiritual resonance, enriching life experiences, and serving as a model for learning and imitation in poetry and prose creation.
Zhou Bangyan's ci poems are profound, elegant, rich in color, and exquisite in craftsmanship, widely recognized as a master of the gentle and refined style and regulated verse during the Northern and Southern Song dynasties. The compilers of this book have conducted extensive research on Zhou Bangyan and his works, having earlier compiled A Critical Edition of the Qujing Collection, and have further refined their work by consulting discussions from scholars such as Yu Pingbo and Jiang Zhenlun. As a result, they have been able to elucidate subtle meanings and achieve remarkable refinement, creating this excellent reading of Zhou's ci poems.
Zhou Bangyan (1056–1121), styled Meicheng, was also known as the Qujing Jushi. He was from Qiantang, Zhejiang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). A Northern Song dynasty poet, he was known for his unconventional youth before studying at the Imperial Academy. During Emperor Shenzong's reign, he was appointed as the Chief of the Imperial Academy after submitting the Eulogy of Bianjing. Under Emperor Zhizong, he served as a professor in Luzhou, magistrate of Lishui County, assistant director of the Imperial Academy, and chief scribe of the Secretariat. During Emperor Huizong's reign, his career was more prosperous, serving as a junior compiler, participating in rituals, and later as the head of the Great Sound Bureau, responsible for creating court rituals and music. In his later years, he served as the magistrate of Shunchang Prefecture and the head of the Hongqing Palace in Nanjing. He was posthumously granted the title of Xuanfeng Dafu.
Zhou Bangyan was proficient in music and composed many new tunes, such as Slow Dance to the New Moon, Near Fragrance of Lychee, and Four Offences of the Precious Jade. He left behind over 200 ci poems, most of which depict love and parting, with relatively thin content and a somber tone. His style evolved from Liu Yong but with fewer urban influences and more courtly elegance, being more classical and reserved, with a talent for detailed narration and skillful integration of classical phrases. His poems are rich in vocabulary, harmonious in melody, and characterized by profundity, elegance, and precision. Examples include Ruyongyin (Road to Zhangtai) and Xihé (Where Beauty Lingers). His landscape poems, such as Sumo (Burning Incense), are fresh and elegant. He was a representative of the Great Sound School, the culmination of the gentle and refined and regulated verse styles, and influenced the later styles of Jiang Kui and Zhang Yan. His impact on later generations was significant. Wang Guowei in Words on Human Life remarked: "Meicheng's depth of meaning cannot match Ouyang Xiu or Qin Guan, but in depicting emotions and objects, he achieves unparalleled craftsmanship. Thus, he remains a master of the flow, though he is regretted for his talent in creating new tunes rather than new ideas."
His life is detailed in Volume 444 of the Song Shi, and his collected works are titled Piuyu Ci. This book selects six of his poems: Ruyongyin (Road to Zhangtai), Mantingfang (Old Sparrows in the Wind), Sumo (Burning Incense), Liuchou (Trying Wine in a Single Garment), Lanling Wang (Straight Shadows of Willows), and Xihé (Where Beauty Lingers).