Through the Dynasties · LD15

Qing

Final imperial integration and modern collision

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Classical Poetry

Orthodox classical Chinese poetry spanning archaic ballads to Tang regulated verse.9 works
  1. Song of YuanyuanWu Weiye · Old-Style SongsSix armies wept clad in white mourning; he burst with crown-raising wrath for a fair lady.
  2. Bamboo and RockZheng Banqiao · Regulated QuatrainsClamping tightly upon green crags never letting go, its roots were firmly anchored in fractured rocks from the start. Enduring a thousand grindings and ten thousand strikes it remains adamantly firm, defying whatever winds blow from east, west, south, or north.
  3. Random ReflectionsHuang Jingren · Regulated OctavesNineteen out of twenty in this world deserve cold white stares; utterly useless in practical matters is the destitute scholar. Let not poetic lines of sorrow turn into prophetic doom, as spring birds yearn to cry while twilight doors swing shut.
  4. Composed on Setting Out for Exile to Show My FamilyLin Zexu · Regulated OctavesIf it benefits the nation, I would dedicate my life unto death; how could I evade or seek it based on personal fortune or peril? Exiled to remote borders is truly the sovereign's profound grace; nurturing modesty suits a garrison soldier well.
  5. Miscellaneous Poems of the Jihai Year: No. 5Gong Zizhen · Regulated QuatrainsBoundless parting sorrow swells as the pale sun slopes westward; pointing my chanting crop to the east, the road stretches to the edge of the world. Fallen petals are not unfeeling things: turning into spring mud, they nurture future flowers all the more.
  6. Inscribed upon the Prison WallTan Sitong · Regulated QuatrainsSeeking refuge at welcoming doors recalls Zhang Jian; enduring death for a brief while awaits Du Gen. I raise my blade and laugh toward Heaven: whether leaving in exile or staying to die, our loyal spirits stand like towering Kunlun peaks!
  7. Inscribed on a Landscape Painting · Few Are Ink Drops, Many Are TearsZhu Da (Bada Shanren) · Regulated QuatrainsInk drops are few, yet tear drops are countless; when our ancestral mountains and rivers fall into ruin, how can one cry out? The heavens have not exhausted the sorrow of the Lisao, as cuckoos weep bitter blood all day through ivy vines.
  8. Inscribed on a Painting of PinesShi Jing'an (Eight-Fingered Monk) · Regulated QuatrainsHeavy snow weighs down the branches; a solitary pine stands firm upon the freezing hill. Defying the frost it never yields, its verdant azure green illuminating thousand autumns.
  9. Miscellaneous Poems of the Year Jihai (No. 125)Gong Zizhen · Regulated QuatrainsI urge the Lord of Heaven to rouse himself once more and send down talent without sticking to one mold.

Ci Lyrics

Pinnacle of lyric verse and musical poetry spanning delicate grace and heroic grandeur.8 works
  1. Magnolia Blossom: Ancient Severing Words for a FriendNalan Xingde · Short LyricsIf only human lives could remain forever like our first encounter, why should chilly autumn breezes mourn over painted fans? Lightly inconstancy alters an old love's heart, yet they falsely blame an old love's fickle heart.
  2. Everlasting Longing: A Stretch of Mountains, a Stretch of RiversNalan Xingde · Short LyricsA stretch of mountains, a stretch of rivers, heading toward the far side of Shanhai Pass; deep into night gleam a thousand camp tent lamps. A watch of wind, a watch of snow, clamoring and shattering the homesick heart so dreams cannot form—in my homeland there is no such sound.
  3. Sands of the Washing Stream: Who Mourns in Chilly West WindNalan Xingde · Short LyricsWho pities this solitary chill in the autumn west wind? Amid rustling yellow leaves closing the curtained casement, lost in memories standing in fading twilight. Soothed with wine, let not heavy spring slumber be stirred; betting on texts won fragrant spills of tea—in those days, I thought it was merely ordinary.
  4. Gathering Mulberry: The Moon in Tender Pity Must Smile at MeNalan Xingde · Short LyricsThe bright moon in tender pity must smile at me, smile at my state today: betraying the heart of spring, walking alone and chanting in solitude. Lately I dread speaking of bygone days; under shallow moonlight and deep lamp shadows, where in dreams can drifting clouds be found?
  5. The River Turns Red: Sojourning in the CapitalQiu Jin · Long LyricsThough my body cannot stand in the ranks of men, my heart burns fiercer than any man's! In all my life, my loyal courage has ever burned for others. Who among common minds can fathom my spirit? Heroes at dead ends must endure cruel trials. Where in this vast dusty world can I find a kindred soul? My azure robes are drenched in tears!
  6. Lin Jiang Xian · Planting Begonias the Day Before QingmingGu Taiqing · Mid-Length LyricsAll worldly affairs drift away with wind and rain—let them cease, let them cease. Ancient traces south of Xima Terrace, overgrown mounds amidst partridge cries. Where are the wild poets of bygone years? Caressing carved railings in vain: when begonias bloom, do you remember ancient Jiangnan?
  7. Jinlv Qu · Sent to YunlinGu Taiqing · Long LyricsI too am a wanderer drifting at the ends of the earth—how could I bear turning back to gaze upon the Jiangdong road? Raising my cup to question Heaven, Heaven answers not; leaning high gazing till sight breaks against Jiangnan trees. In human life, how many joyful reunions can there be?
  8. Farewell · Outside the Long PavilionLi Shutong (Master Hongyi) · Self-Composed TunesOutside the long pavilion, along the ancient road, fragrant emerald grasses stretch to meet the sky. Evening breezes brush weeping willows as the fading flute melody dies; the setting sun sinks behind mountains beyond mountains. At heaven's edge and earth's corners, cherished soulmates have mostly scattered away. Draining a jar of cloudy wine to exhaust our remaining joy—tonight, dreams of parting will be cold.

Sanqu & Drama

Sanqu lyric suites, Yuan Zaju poetic dramas, and Ming-Qing Kunqu masterworks.3 works
  1. Commentary on the Song of Won-DoneCao Xueqin · Sanqu SongsIn this desolate empty hall, official ivory tablets once filled the couch; amid withered grass and barren willows, revelers once danced and sang. Cobwebs now weave across carved beams, while green gauze is freshly pasted over rustic windows. In the end, all labor is merely sewing wedding gowns for another!
  2. The Palace of Eternal Youth: Ballad SingingHong Sheng · Chuanqi DramaEndless to sing are the dreams of imperial rise and fall; limitless to pluck are the sorrows and joys of parting and union! Caught unawares in declining years by turbulent chaos, stranded on desperate paths grieving over life's trials.
  3. The Peach Blossom Fan: Lament for JiangnanKong Shangren · Chuanqi DramaBehold him raising vermilion towers, behold him feasting noble guests, behold his towering mansions crash to ruins! Upon these piles of moss-grown emerald tiles, I once slept romantic dreams, drinking my fill of fifty years of dynastic rise and fall.

Classical Prose

Authoritative classical prose from Pre-Qin philosophers to Tang-Song prose masters.15 works
  1. Preface to the Record of Daily KnowledgeGu Yanwu · Letters & PrefacesThe rise and fall of the realm is the responsibility of every common person. In preserving the moral and cultural universe under Heaven, even the humblest citizen shares an unyielding duty.
  2. Inquiry into the SovereignHuang Zongxi · Essays & MemorialsIn antiquity the people of the realm were the masters, and the ruler was the guest; whatever the sovereign labored for his entire life was for the realm. Today, the ruler treats himself as master and the realm as guest... The greatest affliction under Heaven is none other than the autocratic monarch!
  3. Commentary on the Comprehensive Mirror: Qin Shi HuangWang Fuzhi · Essays & MemorialsThe system of prefectures and counties has endured for two thousand years without alteration, bringing peace to past and present alike; this historical trend of momentum—how could it prevail were it not grounded in universal principle?
  4. Anecdotes of Duke Zuo ZhongyiFang Bao · Historical NarrativeState affairs have deteriorated to such catastrophe; my old life is finished! If you recklessly risk your life and lose sight of the overarching cause, who will remain as the pillar to sustain the realm!
  5. Notes from PrisonFang Bao · Informal EssaysTruth and falsehood are subtle and obscured, unnoticed by the world. Confined in the Ministry of Justice prison, witnessing the cruelty of jailers and exorbitant extortion fees, I felt deeply the corruption of the legal system and the suffering of the populace.
  6. Record of Ascending Mount TaiYao Nai · Travel WritingGradually, at the furthest eastern horizon amid clouds, a singular line of wondrous color emerged, turning in moments into five brilliant hues. As the sun rose, glowing scarlet like pure cinnabar, a billowing crimson light supported it from below—which some say is the Eastern Sea.
  7. Epitaph for My SisterYuan Mei · Epitaphs & ElegiesAlas! Frustrated and unfulfilled in life, obscure in the dark realms of death; Heaven is high and Earth is deep, spiritual resonance is hard to fathom. Do you perceive my grief, or do you perceive it not?
  8. On Borrowing Books for Student HuangYuan Mei · Essays & MemorialsBooks are rarely read unless borrowed! Have you not heard of book collectors? Stored away on lofty shelves in tied brocade cases, merely admired from afar. This is true not only of books, but of all things in the world.
  9. Author's Preface to Strange Tales from a Chinese StudioPu Songling · Letters & PrefacesDraped in creepers and orchids, Master Sanlü was stirred to compose elegies; conjuring ghosts and spirits, Master Changzhua wrote out of indignant grief. Amassing fur bits to form a cloak, I boldly continue records of the unseen realm; drinking wine with brush in hand, I create merely a book of solitary outrage. Such being my sanctuary, how tragic indeed!
  10. Record of the Sick Plum PavilionGong Zizhen · Essays & MemorialsPlums are deemed beautiful when twisted, for straight ones lack posture; beautiful when leaning, for upright ones lack dramatic vista; beautiful when sparse, for dense ones lack delicate form... I bought three hundred pots of crippled plums, freed them all, unloosed their cords, resolved to spend thirty years to restore their natural vitality.
  11. Ode to Young ChinaLiang Qichao · Essays & MemorialsTherefore today's responsibility lies not with others, but entirely upon our youth. If the youth are wise, the nation is wise; if the youth are prosperous, the nation is prosperous; if the youth are strong, the nation is strong... How magnificent is my Young China, ageless as Heaven! How glorious is China's youth, boundless as the realm!
  12. Fourth Letter Sent from the Fan County Magistracy to Brother MoZheng Xie (Zheng Banqiao) · Letters & PrefacesReading ten thousand scrolls, writing excels the finest minds. Reading is for probing truth, not chasing wealth and glory. The foremost people between heaven and earth are hardworking farmers; among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, scholars rank first—yet if scholars lack virtue, they cannot match honest farmers living by their own honest labor!
  13. Letter to Younger Brothers on Reading and AspirationZeng Guofan · Letters & PrefacesWhen scholars study, first they must have Aspiration (Zhi); second, Discernment (Shi); third, Perseverance (Heng). With aspiration, one refuses base mediocrity; with discernment, one recognizes learning is boundless and never grows complacent; with perseverance, there is nothing that cannot be achieved. None of these three can be lacking.
  14. Maxims for Managing the HomeZhu Bolu · NotebooksOver a bowl of congee or rice, reflect upon the arduous labor that produced it; holding half a strand of silk, keep in mind the difficulty of material resources.
  15. Preface to the Suiyuan Food MenuYuan Mei · Letters & PrefacesThe essence of flavor lies in balancing the five tastes, and culinary subtlety lies in understanding the natural qualities of ingredients.

Classical Fiction

Narrative masterworks from Six Dynasties strange tales to epic Ming-Qing novels.5 works
  1. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio · Nie XiaoqianPu Songling · Qing Tales of WonderNing Caichen was magnanimous and incorruptible, spotless in moral purity. Xiaoqian sighed: 'I have encountered countless men, yet none is pure as unyielding gold like you!' With swordsman Yan Chixia's magic sword pouch, they slew the demon, redeeming Xiaoqian to return to human life as his virtuous wife.
  2. Strange Tales · The Taoist of Mount LaoPu Songling · Qing Tales of WonderScholar Wang aspired to the Dao, ascending Mount Lao to study immortality, but unable to bear the toil of cutting firewood, he begged only for the art of walking through walls before returning home. Boasting to his wife, he charged headlong into the solid wall, falling backward with a swelling lump like an egg on his brow. The Chronicler sighs: 'How foolish is the vain charlatan!'
  3. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio · Painted SkinPu Songling · Qing Tales of WonderHe beheld a hideous demon with green face and jagged teeth like saws, spreading human skin upon the bed and painting it with colored brushes; throwing down the brush, it shook the skin like robes and donned it, instantly transforming into a fair maiden. The Chronicler remarks: 'How foolish are mortals, mistaking obvious demonic evil for alluring beauty!'
  4. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio · YingningPu Songling · Qing Tales of WonderYingning laughed enchantingly without ceasing, holding plum blossoms and laughing: 'This young man's eyes burn bright as a thief!' The Chronicler remarks: 'Beholding her innocent laughter, where under Heaven could one find such an exquisite speaking blossom!'
  5. Strange Tales · Xi Fangping's Quest for JusticePu Songling · Qing Tales of WonderXi Fangping endured the fiery bed and being sawn in half, his body split in two, yet remained unbroken through searing agony. When the underworld judge sneered: 'Dare you file suit again?' he gasped: 'Until great injustice is avenged, my beating heart dies not, and I shall sue to the end!' Ultimately the Sovereign of Heaven punished the corrupt officials and vindicated justice.

Fables & Lore

Philosophical fables, historical allusion narratives, and primordial mythology.3 works
  1. Pulling Chestnuts from the FireJean de La Fontaine · Satirical ParablesBeware taking the risks while someone else takes the rewards.
  2. Killing the Chicken to Scare the MonkeyAnonymous · Satirical ParablesPunishing one to frighten many may assert power, but it cannot replace fair management.
  3. Killing the Hen to Get the EggsAesop · Satirical ParablesGreed for immediate gain destroys the source of lasting benefit.

Literary Criticism

Classical literary aesthetics, treatises on poetic craft, and critical commentaries.8 works
  1. The Sixth Book of Genius · Romance of the Western Chamber PrefaceJin Shengtan · Drama CriticismIn human life between Heaven and Earth, no supreme joy equals reading books. Reading Romance of the Western Chamber is like walking along the scenic Shanyin roads, where ten thousand ravines compete in cascading streams and lush flora enchant the eye. Every single character and phrase pours from the deepest genuine nature.
  2. Origin of Poetry · Inner Chapters · ExcerptYe Xie · Literary TheoryThe foundation of poetry is the breadth of the poet's mind; the method of poetry is the elevation of the poet's style. Four essentials of poetic creation: Talent, Courage, Discernment, and Power. The four nourish one another, with Discernment (Shi) as primary—possessing discernment one perceives ultimate truth.
  3. Suiyuan Poetics · Chapter I · Spirit & NatureYuan Mei · Poetry TalksA poet is one who never loses his child-like innocence of heart. Poetry expresses innate spirit and nature, not dry academic pedantry. When true emotion pours forth, splendid lines form naturally; expressing one's own unique spirit without bondage to rigid moulds.
  4. Poetic Remarks in the Human World · Theory of Jingjie / Aesthetic RealmWang Guowei · Poetry TalksIn Ci lyric poetry, Jingjie (Aesthetic Realm) is of supreme value. When a work possesses Jingjie, it naturally achieves high style and produces immortal lines. It is precisely herein that the lyrics of the Five Dynasties and Northern Song remain peerless.
  5. Poetic Remarks · Realm with Self and Realm without SelfWang Guowei · Poetry TalksThere is a Realm with Self, and a Realm without Self. 'Tearful eyes ask the flowers, but flowers answer not; red petals flutter past the swing'—this is the Realm with Self. 'Plucking chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge, serenely I behold the southern mountains'—this is the Realm without Self. In the Realm with Self, one views objects through the ego, so all objects take on subjective colors; in the Realm without Self, one views objects through objects, so one knows not what is self and what is object.
  6. Poetic Remarks · Three Stages of Scholarly & Human EndeavorWang Guowei · Poetry TalksAll those through ancient and modern times who achieve great endeavors and grand scholarship must pass through Three Stages of Realm: First, 'Last night west winds withered green trees; climbing high towers alone, I gazed to the ends of the road'; Second, 'My robe grows loose day by day yet I have no regret, for her sake languishing into haggard sorrow'; Third, 'Seeking her in the crowd thousands of times, suddenly turning back, she stands right there where lantern lights are dim and waning.'
  7. Poetic Remarks · Obstructed and Unobstructed / Veiled and TransparentWang Guowei · Poetry TalksIf asked the difference between 'Obstructed' (Ge) and 'Unobstructed' (Bu Ge)? I say: The verse of Tao Yuanming, Xie Lingyun, Li Bai, and Du Fu—not a single word fails to be natural and vibrant, which is called 'Unobstructed'. Viewing flowers through heavy mist or scratching an itch across boot-leather—this is called 'Obstructed'.
  8. Treatise on Painting · Chapter on the Single BrushstrokeShi Tao (Zhu Ruoji) · Literary TheoryIn primeval antiquity there were no rigid rules; the primordial simplicity was undivided. The Single Brushstroke is the root of all existence, the source of all phenomena. When the Single Brushstroke is clear, the cosmic principles of all things reside within the heart. How is law established? It is founded on the Single Brushstroke—the primordial wellspring of all writing and painting.

Sayings & Idioms

Living Chinese linguistic heritage comprising idioms, proverbs, aphorisms, and couplets.4 works
  1. Not Bound by a Single PatternGong Zizhen · IdiomsNot confined to one standard or form; flexible and open, especially in choosing talent or creative methods.
  2. A Hundred Flowers BloomLi Ruzhen · IdiomsA hundred flowers blooming together; varied artistic styles flourishing freely.
  3. Seize the DayMao Zedong · IdiomsMaking every moment count to reach a goal as quickly as possible.
  4. A Cornered Dog Leaps the WallCao Xueqin · IdiomsEven a dog jumps the wall when desperate; a cornered person will do anything.