Dongzhou Cao Tang Poetry Collection (Vol. 1 & 2)

Author: He Shaoji (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: July 1, 2006
Features: Although the title page of Dongzhou Cao Tang Shi Chao is printed with the words "Published in Changsha Wuyuan in the Dingmao year of the Tongzhi era," the version history is somewhat complex. There are both Dongzhou Cao Tang Shi Chao compiled during He Shaoji's lifetime, as well as an appendix with his son Qinghan's Mianqin Ge Qianwen (one volume), Gui Dai (two volumes), and an additional Huan Yue Lou Yi Shi (two volumes) by his daughter-in-law Li Mei, all published during the Guangxu era. There is also a Guangxu-era publication from 1927 (1901) that includes He Weidi's Qianying Shi (ten volumes) and Wenji (four volumes). All these versions have the same number of volumes.
What makes it even more interesting is that each time Dongzhou Cao Tang Shi Chao was reprinted, the same old engraving plates from the Dingmao year of the Tongzhi era in Changsha Wuyuan were used, but the content of the versions we see today differs. First, the poetry and self-notes in the Dongzhou Cao Tang Shi Chao we see are missing some individual characters and phrases. Second, in some copies, the main text of volume thirteen includes the poem "Yunqiao Shu Wei Shuo Jin Nian Zhi Jiang Geng Sheng Xi Nian You Zhi Wu Xian Zuo Shou Zao" up to "Tongpan Roushi Gong Laotao Shu," and then directly transitions to the last line of another poem, "Feng Wan Bian Yuan." The latter half of the first poem and eleven other poems from "Liu Yue Liu Ri Yin Mu Shi Shi Zhi Zi Jun" to "Da En Zhuqiao Zhong Cheng" are missing. Third, in some versions, the Cao Zhou Cao Tang Shi section is missing five ci poems from "Manting Fang" starting with "Wu Yue Shi Jiu Ri Xin Yan Wei Nao Er Qu" to "Qian Diao" ending with "Qing Wen Yunqiao Jin Wan Qing Ke Shi Ru Ci Nao Hu Kang Xu Gai Yu Yu Hou Xiao Ci Feng Jie."