Book of Songs (Anthology of Chinese Poetry in Chinese-English Translation)

Author: Yang Xianyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: This book includes major selections from the Book of Songs and translates them into both Chinese (colloquial) and English poetic styles, with each piece accompanied by exquisite illustrations. The artistic achievements of the Book of Songs are fully reflected in the artistic characteristics of folk songs. Words with identical or similar initial and final sounds, predominantly four-character sentence structures, recurring and overlapping chapters, and the techniques of fù, bǐ, and xìng are all natural manifestations of the inherent qualities of folk songs. The Book of Songs marks the brilliant starting point of Chinese literature. The sense of hardship among Chinese scholars, the realist spirit in Chinese literature, and the fēng yǎ and bǐ xìng concepts in Chinese literary theory—all represent the fine traditions pioneered by the Book of Songs. The emergence of the Book of Songs, its ideological and artistic accomplishments, stand as a testament to the longevity of Chinese literature and are a source of pride for our nation. This book includes major selections from the Book of Songs and translates them into both Chinese (colloquial) and English poetic styles, with each piece accompanied by exquisite illustrations. The artistic achievements of the Book of Songs are fully reflected in the artistic characteristics of folk songs. Words with identical or similar initial and final sounds, predominantly four-character sentence structures, recurring and overlapping chapters, and the techniques of fù, bǐ, and xìng are all natural manifestations of the inherent qualities of folk songs. The Book of Songs marks the brilliant starting point of Chinese literature. The sense of hardship among Chinese scholars, the realist spirit in Chinese literature, and the fēng yǎ and bǐ xìng concepts in Chinese literary theory—all represent the fine traditions pioneered by the Book of Songs. The emergence of the Book of Songs, its ideological and artistic accomplishments, stand as a testament to the longevity of Chinese literature and are a source of pride for our nation.