Book of Songs: Illustrated Text

Author: Chen Zhenhuan
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Publication Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Chinese civilization is one of the world's widely recognized civilizations with independent origins and the only one that has never been interrupted, continuing to flow through the ages. Chinese culture is one of the most important components of Chinese civilization. Culture is the lifeblood of a nation, ensuring its continuity; the role of national culture cannot be overestimated, especially in today's rapidly advancing science and technology, where it plays a vital role in maintaining social order. Chinese culture, with its profound depth and breadth, has always attracted global attention. As the first comprehensive collection of Chinese poetry, the Classic of Poetry (Shijing), is a treasure of ancient Chinese culture and the origin of Chinese literature, a shining gem in the world's literary treasury. Studying and researching the Shijing holds great significance for understanding the development of Chinese literature and for inheriting and promoting the fine traditions of national culture. The Shijing is an important historical classic from the pre-Qin period, preserving earlier and more reliable materials. At the same time, it contains linguistic and textual materials from the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn periods. Therefore, it holds great value in the study of history and linguistics. Additionally, many disciplines can find early and reliable materials in the Shijing, such as agriculture, medicine, ethics, folklore, architecture, botany, and more.
Currently, there is a global fascination with classical Chinese literature, and the Shijing is highly favored. Reading the Shijing allows one to experience the emotions and spirit of people from over two and a half thousand years ago, recreating the social atmosphere of that time, especially its pure and authentic beauty, which is rarely found in later generations. The Shijing was originally called Poetry (Shi), and after being included in the Confucian classics, it was renamed the Classic of Poetry. It was compiled during the Spring and Autumn period, collecting approximately 305 poems from the early Western Zhou to the mid-Spring and Autumn period, spanning over five hundred years. It is said that the Zhou royal court sent to collect folk poems, known as "poem collection," which were then compiled into the collection. According to historical records such as the Records of the Grand Historian, the Shijing was edited and standardized by Confucius, but this theory is now widely doubted by modern scholars.
The Shijing is divided into three major categories: "Feng," "Ya," and "Song." The "Feng" includes fifteen "State Airs," the "Ya" consists of the "Great Airs" and "Small Airs," and the "Song" comprises the "Zhou Songs," "Lu Songs," and "Shang Songs." The poems originated from regions including modern-day Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, and Hubei. The "State Airs" are mostly folk songs, the "Ya" are mostly songs for banquets, and the "Song" are mostly poems for worshipping gods and ancestors. The form of the poems is primarily four-character lines, with the common use of the literary techniques of fu (narration), bi (metaphor), and xing (evocation). The excellent poems in the Shijing are vividly descriptive, with simple yet elegant language, natural and harmonious rhythms, and great artistic, earning them praise across generations.
During the Han Dynasty, there were four schools of Shijing interpretation: the Lu, Qi, Han, and Mao schools. The Lu, Qi, and Han schools were part of "Confucian poetry studies" (jinwen shixue), with doctoral positions established in the Western Han Dynasty, but they gradually declined after the Wei and Jin periods. The Mao school, representing "ancient text poetry studies" (guwen shixue), became popular after the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the Mao Commentary on the Shijing () became the standard text after the Wei and Jin periods. Since then, the study and transmission of the Shijing have continued without interruption, with many scholars dedicating their efforts to this field, further deepening its influence on the development of Chinese literature.
The author deeply loves national culture and holds the Shijing in high regard as a precious gem. Combining years of research and teaching on the Shijing, the author has not only drawn on the achievements of past scholars but also engaged in independent thinking, connecting ancient and modern folklore, language, and more. The author pays close attention to uncovering the subtle yet enlightening aspects of the poems, aiming to offer new insights, resulting in this book.