Dongzhou Cao Tang Poetry Collection - (Volume 1 & 2)

Author: Cao Xu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Although the title pages of "Dongzhou Cao Tang Shi Chao" are all printed with the words "Published in Changsha Wuyuan in the sixth year of the Tongzhi reign (Dingmao), during the lifetime of He Shaoji," the version history is somewhat complex. There are both copies of "Dongzhou Cao Tang Shi Chao" made during He Shaoji's lifetime, as well as an appendix of 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 in the Guangxu era. There is also a Guangxu-era publication from the twenty-seventh year (1901) that includes He Weidi's "Qianying Shi" (ten volumes) and "Wenji" (four volumes). Each of these versions has the same number of volumes.
What is even more interesting is that each time "Dongzhou Cao Tang Shi Chao" is reprinted, it uses the same old carved plates printed in the sixth year of the Tongzhi reign (Dingmao) in Changsha Wuyuan, but the content of the versions we see differs. First, the main poems and self-notes in the copies we see are missing individual words or phrases. Second, in some copies, the main poem in volume thirteen titled "Yunqiao Shu Wei Shuo Jin Nian Zhi Jiang Geng Sheng Xi Nian You Zhi Wu Xian Shu Zao Jiang Xian Hui Xian Zhi Shi" ends at "Tongpan Roushi Gong Laotao Shu," directly followed by the last line of another poem: "Feng Wan Bian Yuan." The latter half of the first poem is missing, as well as eleven titles and fourteen poems from "Liu Yue Liu Ri Yin Mu Shi Shi Zhi Zi Jun" to "Da En Zhuqiao Zhong Cheng." Third, in some versions, the "Cao Zhou Cao Tang Shi Yu" section is missing five ci poems from "Manting Fang" titled "Wu Yue Shi Jiu Ri Xin Yan Wei Nao Er Qu" to "Qian Diao" titled "Qing Wen Yunqiao Jin Wan Qing Ke Shi Ru Ci Nao Hu Kang Xu Hu Xiu Fu Yu Hou Xiao Ci Feng Jie."