Through the Dynasties · LH15

Qing

Final imperial integration and modern collision

55works

8forms

37authors

Classical Poetry

9 works

Orthodox classical Chinese poetry spanning archaic ballads to Tang regulated verse.

  1. Song of YuanyuanWu Weiye · Old-Style SongsThe six armies wailed, all clad in mourning white; but the rage that lifted his cap was for a rosy-cheeked beauty.
  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 OctavesNine men out of ten deserve a white-eyed glance; of all a hundred kinds, the most useless is the scholar.
  4. Composed on Setting Out for Exile to Show My FamilyLin Zexu · Regulated OctavesIf it benefits the country, I will give my life or death to it; how could I flee or seek a thing because it brings misfortune or fortune?
  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 Scroll Combining Qu Wengshan's Letters, Small Landscapes by Shitao, Shixi and Bada Shanren, and Baiding's Ink OrchidsZheng Xie (Zheng Banqiao) · Regulated QuatrainsDaubed across and brushed down, thousands upon thousands of scrolls: few are the drops of ink, many the drops of tears.
  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

8 works

Pinnacle of lyric verse and musical poetry spanning delicate grace and heroic grandeur.

  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.

Classical Prose

15 works

Authoritative classical prose from Pre-Qin philosophers to Tang-Song prose masters.

  1. Zhengshi, from Record of Daily KnowledgeGu Yanwu · Letters & PrefacesPreserving All-under-Heaven is a responsibility in which even the humblest common man has his share.
  2. Inquiry into the SovereignHuang Zongxi · Essays & MemorialsIn antiquity the world was the master and the ruler the guest; all that the ruler laboured at his whole life long was for the sake of the world.
  3. Anecdotes of Duke Zuo ZhongyiFang Bao · Historical NarrativeThe affairs of the state have rotted to this point. I, an old man, am finished; if you too make light of your life and lose sight of the great cause, who will be left to hold up the affairs of the realm?
  4. Notes from PrisonFang Bao · Informal Essaysthe living and the dead lie heel to head, with no room to turn or get away
  5. Record of Ascending Mount TaiYao Nai · Travel WritingThe blue-grey mountains bore snow, their brightness lighting the southern sky.
  6. Epitaph for My SisterYuan Mei · Epitaphs & ElegiesThe paper ash flies up, and the north wind blows wild across the open land. Your elder brother is going home, yet still turns back again and again to look at you.
  7. On Borrowing Books for Student HuangYuan Mei · Essays & MemorialsBooks are not read unless they are borrowed.
  8. Record of the Sick Plum PavilionGong Zizhen · Essays & Memorialsa plum is beautiful when curved, for a straight one has no grace; beautiful when leaning, for an upright one has no charm
  9. 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!
  10. Fourth Letter Sent from the Fan County Magistracy to Brother MoZheng Xie (Zheng Banqiao) · Letters & PrefacesI think the first rank of people in the world is the farmers, while scholars are last of the four classes.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. On Reading the Comprehensive MirrorWang Fuzhi · Essays & MemorialsThe system of commanderies and counties has endured two thousand years and could not be undone.
  14. Recipes from the Garden of ContentmentYuan Mei · NotebooksIn learning one must first know and then act — and so it is with food and drink.
  15. Six Records of a Floating LifeShen Fu · NotebooksI remember that as a small child I could look straight into the sun with my eyes wide open and make out the tip of an autumn hair.

Classical Fiction

3 works

Narrative masterworks from Six Dynasties strange tales to epic Ming-Qing novels.

  1. Strange Tales from a Chinese StudioPu Songling · Qing Tales of WonderGathering scraps of fur into a robe, I presume to continue the records of the netherworld; drinking deep as I write, I have made only a book of solitary indignation.
  2. Dream of the Red ChamberCao Xueqin · Chapter NovelsPages full of absurd words, a handful of bitter tears. All call the author a fool; who understands the flavor within?
  3. The Unofficial History of the ScholarsWu Jingzi · Satirical NovelsFame and wealth have no firm ground; they wear out the heart and squander the passing years.

Fables & Lore

3 works

Philosophical fables, historical allusion narratives, and primordial mythology.

  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

6 works

Classical literary aesthetics, treatises on poetic craft, and critical commentaries.

  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. On the Origins of PoetryYe Xie · Literary TheoryPrinciple, event and feeling: these three words suffice to exhaust the transformations of all things.
  3. Remarks on Poetry from the Sui GardenYuan Mei · Poetry TalksFrom the Three Hundred Poems to this day, every poem that endures springs from native sensibility, not from piled-up learning.
  4. Poetic Remarks in the Human WorldWang Guowei · Poetry TalksIn ci poetry, jingjie is supreme: with it, a lyric attains a loftiness of its own and yields famous lines of its own.
  5. Sayings on PaintingShitao · Literary TheoryIn remote antiquity there was no method, for the primal simplicity had not yet dispersed; once it dispersed, method was established.
  6. Casual Expressions of Idle FeelingLi Yu · Drama CriticismThis one person and this one event are the controlling idea of the chuanqi play.

Sayings & Idioms

9 works

Living Chinese linguistic heritage comprising idioms, proverbs, aphorisms, and couplets.

  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.
  5. Primer of Sound and RhythmChe Wanyu · CoupletsCloud pairs with rain, snow pairs with wind, evening glow pairs with clear sky. Arriving swan pairs with departing swallow, roosting bird pairs with singing insect.
  6. Seeing the Tip of an Autumn HairShen Fu · IdiomsI remember that as a child I could open my eyes wide to face the sun and see the finest autumn down clearly.
  7. A Huge Hulking ThingShen Fu · IdiomsOne day I saw two insects fighting among the grass; as I watched with great interest, suddenly a huge hulking creature came on as if uprooting mountains and felling trees: it was a toad.
  8. Tastes like Chewing WaxLi Yu · IdiomsShelled and eaten as you go, they have flavor; if someone else shells them and I eat them, not only do they taste like chewing wax, they no longer seem to be crab, melon seeds or water caltrops at all, but something else entirely.
  9. Many Days Lie AheadLiang Qichao · IdiomsThe road ahead is like the sea; many days still lie ahead.