Three Hundred Songs of the Song Dynasty

Author: Liu Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1995-06-01
Features: Song Ci and Tang Poetry both hold a prominent place in the history of Chinese literature. The lyrical charm of Song Ci, with its poignant and lingering emotions, and its elegant and graceful tones, surpasses that of poetry. It has been said since ancient times that "Ci is the realm of romance." It was not until Su Dongpo introduced the style of poetry into Ci that it gradually broke free from the constraints of writing about romance and expanded into a broader realm, expressing deeper thoughts and emotions. Especially in the Southern Song Dynasty, the Ci poets led by Xin Qiji echoed the theme of patriotism. Over the years, compilers have either focused on form or on content, compiling various selections. Taking Qian Jucun's Three Hundred Songs of Song Ci as an example, the majority of the selected Ci lean towards formal artistry. Among them, twenty-six Ci by Wu Wenying are included, followed by those by Zhou Bangyan and Jiang Kui. Wen Tianxiang's Ci are not included, Lu You's only a few, and Su Dongpo's Nian Nu Jiao · Chi Bi Huai Gu is also excluded. This time, we have reselected and annotated Song Ci, striving to balance all schools and styles, and to preserve the rich diversity and varied sentiments of Song Ci. We have made every effort to include the best-known ancient and modern masterpieces that are widely sung and enjoyed. The annotations focus on explaining allusions, sources, difficult and obscure characters, without providing line-by-line translations, allowing readers to grasp the essence and appreciate the true flavor of the poems.