[Song, Liao, Xia, Jin, Yuan Volume] - Poetry on China's 5000 Years

Author: Wu Heqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: In the long and continuous history of China, poetry has been the mainstream of literary art for a considerable period of time. Poetry, with its brevity, clear rhythm, harmonious rhyme, implicit meaning, and ease of recitation, has been particularly favored by people. For example, the Book of Songs contains three hundred poems, with simple yet beautiful language. Whether expressing emotions or depicting events, it possesses strong artistic appeal. Since Confucius compiled it, it has been valued by scholars and literati. The Confucian school regarded it as a classic, repeatedly studying it, and achieving mastery in its subtleties could elevate one to the status of an expert. The Book of Songs has had a profound influence on the development of later poetry, from the Chu Ci and Han Fu to the Yuefu of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, from the Tang and Song Ci to the modern vernacular free verse. Chinese poetry has a long and rich heritage, with an abundance of outstanding works. Classical poetry gradually evolved from the initial themes of expressing emotions and depicting events to two main directions: romanticism and realism. Among them, narrative poetry, with its strong social impact, has been highly valued. For instance, poems like The Mulberry Grove, The Imperial Guard, The Peacock Flying Eastward, and The Ballad of Mulan from the Han and Wei Yuefu are celebrated for their enduring charm and popularity. Du Fu's "Three Officials and Three Farewells," Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Sorrow and The Pipa Song, and Yuan Zhen's Ode to the Palace of Connected Fragrances are timeless masterpieces. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, works such as Li Dongyang's Song of the Flower General, Li Mengyang's Ode to the Xueming Palace, Wei Yuan's Ode to Jiangnan and Ode to the Capital, and Huang Zunxian's Song of General Nie and Lament for Lushun have continued to pursue artistic excellence, all being immortal works. Compiling collections of narrative poetry is an excellent tradition in Chinese scholarship. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Ji Yougong extensively collected Tang Dynasty poetry, compiling a massive work. First came Chronicles of Tang Poetry, followed by Li Xiao's Chronicles of Song Poetry, Chen Yan's Chronicles of Liao, Jin, and Yuan Poetry, Chen Tian's Chronicles of Ming Poetry, Deng Zhicheng's Preliminary Chronicles of Qing Poetry, and Qian Zhonglian's Chronicles of Qing Poetry, edited by Qian Zhonglian. These works, though chronologically connected and following similar formats, differ in purpose: some aim to uncover hidden truths and "prove history through poetry"; others seek to evaluate artistic merit and "prove poetry through history"; while others simply preserve anecdotes and works of poets of a generation. Chronicles of Tang Poetry was compiled by Ji Yougong out of concern for the loss of authors' biographies, collecting the main works and anecdotes of 1,150 poets, preserving valuable materials. However, its shortcomings include the lack of citations and a lenient selection standard, resulting in a significant number of poems without context. Chronicles of Song Poetry was compiled by Li Xiao, who noticed that later scholars overlooked the artistic value of Song Ci, aiming to reform literary trends. His "events" still referred not to major social and political incidents but to anecdotes of poets' creative processes, supplemented by critiques of poetry, resembling a comprehensive collection of a generation's poetry. Chen Yan's Chronicles of Liao, Jin, and Yuan Poetry follows Li Xiao's format but maintains stricter selection criteria, excluding works that are not narrative poems. Chen Tian's Chronicles of Ming Poetry also follows Li Xiao's approach, focusing on collecting poets' anecdotes while occasionally including long poems reflecting major political events, though works without significant events still dominate. Deng Zhicheng, treating poetry as a historian, meticulously verified the biographies of the 600 poets included in Preliminary Chronicles of Qing Poetry, selecting over 2,000 poems with rigorous standards, excluding works without substantial context. From this perspective, his selections are not limited to renowned poets but prioritize "events." Unfortunately, he only covered the Qing emperors Shunzhi and Kangxi. Qian Zhonglian, professor and editor of Chronicles of Qing Poetry, combines the strengths of various formats, citing over 1,000 books and including more than 5,000 authors, creating a monumental work that comprehensively covers anecdotes and significant narrative poems of a generation. These collections follow the format of associating people with their poems, with works on the same event scattered across volumes, making retrieval cumbersome. "Proving poetry through history" is an excellent academic tradition in China. Huang Zongxi, a renowned thinker in the early Qing Dynasty, advocated for "complementing history with poetry," once stating: "When praising Du Fu's poetry as 'poetry of history,' it is indeed true. However, those annotating his poems only see 'proving poetry through history,' yet have never heard of 'complementing history with poetry.' Though called 'poetry of history,' history itself is not based on poetry." (Huang Zongxi: Preface to the Poetry of Mr. Wan Lian'an, in Collected Works of Nanlei Volume 1). Chen Yinque, a famous historian, recognized this and engaged in "proving poetry through history" research. His Annotations and Explanations of Yuan and Bai's Poetry holds significant academic value and is highly regarded by scholars. Historical records in dynastic histories are often meticulously altered and embellished by rulers, creating false realities and concealing truths. Through the "proving of history with poetry," one can uncover gaps in historical records and approach historical truth. Based on this understanding, we have carefully selected narrative poems of various themes, adopting the format of "associating events with poetry" to compile this book, aiming to find historical truth through the intersection of literature and history, appreciate poetic art, and disseminate knowledge. We hope that through systematic reading of epic poetry, literary enthusiasts can understand the rise and fall of Chinese history over five thousand years, while historians can appreciate the social impact of poetic art and enhance their literary and artistic appreciation. In compiling this book, we have strived for uniformity across volumes, but due to the division of labor among multiple contributors, inconsistencies may arise in details. We apologize for any shortcomings and welcome corrections from the knowledgeable. Additionally, due to the haste of compilation, omissions are inevitable. We sincerely request guidance from experts.