Classical Chinese Literature: From antiquity to the Tang dynasty

Front Cover
John Minford, Joseph S. M. Lau
Columbia University Press, 2002 - 1176 pages

The summation of more than two thousand years of one of the world's most august literary traditions, this volume also represents the achievements of four hundred years of Western scholarship on China. The selections include poetry, drama, fiction, songs, biographies, and works of early Chinese philosophy and history rendered in English by the most renowned translators of classical Chinese literature: Arthur Waley, Ezra Pound, David Hawkes, James Legge, Burton Watson, Stephen Owen, Cyril Birch, A. C. Graham, Witter Bynner, Kenneth Rexroth, and others.

Arranged chronologically and by genre, each chapter is introduced by definitive quotes and brief introductions chosen from classic Western sinological treatises. Beginning with discussions of the origins of the Chinese writing system and selections from the earliest "genre" of Chinese literature--the Oracle Bone inscriptions--the book then proceeds with selections from:

- early myths and legends;

- the earliest anthology of Chinese poetry, the Book of Songs;

- early narrative and philosophy, including the I Ching, Tao-te Ching, and the Analects of Confucius;

- rhapsodies, historical writings, magical biographies, ballads, poetry, and miscellaneous prose from the Han and Six Dynasties period;

- the court poetry of the Southern Dynasties;

- the finest gems of Tang poetry; and

- lyrics, stories, and tales of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties eras.

Special highlights include individual chapters covering each of the luminaries of Tang poetry: Wang Wei, Li Bo, Du Fu, and Bo Juyi; early literary criticism; women poets from the first to the tenth century C.E.; and the poetry of Zen and the Tao.

Bibliographies, explanatory notes, copious illustrations, a chronology of major dynasties, and two-way romanization tables coordinating the Wade-Giles and pinyin transliteration systems provide helpful tools to aid students, teachers, and general readers in exploring this rich tradition of world literature.

From inside the book

Contents

Foreword by Cyril Birch
xli
About the Editors
lx
Oracle Bones
10
Bronze Inscriptions
18
Calligraphy
24
Outlines Characters Signs
31
Early Myths and Legends
37
The Northern Lands Beyond the Sea Book 8 of the Book of Hills
45
Further Reading
488
Nineteen Poems translated by William Acker
495
Six Poems translated by Gladys Yang and Yang Xianyi
512
A Rhapsody translated by J R Hightower
517
Further Reading
540
Five Poems translated by Anne Birrell
546
Four Poems translated by Anne Birrell
556
Liu An Prince of Huainan d 122 B C
571

translated by James Legge
54
Further Reading
66
Sixty Songs in versions spanning two and a half centuries
72
vii Song of Welcome to the Bride of King Wen translated
80
xvii Guan Cries the Hawk translated by William McNaughton
89
GetanShade o the Vine translated by Ezra Pound
97
Caifan Pluck the Quince translated by Ezra Pound
104
Lüyi Green Robe translated by Ezra Pound
110
SangzhongHunting the Dodder translated by V W X
116
MengTo a Man translated by Herbert Giles
120
ZundaluIf Along the Highroad translated by Arthur Waley
126
Yuechu
132
Yuli Fine Fish to Net translated by Ezra Pound
141
Odes of Temple and Altar
147
Editors Note
153
Book 3 Reign of Duke Zhuang Years
161
Attitudes Toward the Supernatural
172
Philosophy
183
The Analects of Confucius c 551c 479 B C
192
The Way and Its Power Six Chapters translated by Arthur Waley
202
Three Passages translated by David Collie 1828
218
Two Passages translated by Burton Watson 1967
224
Further Reading
234
Qu Yuan c 340278 B C
240
Further Reading
264
Rhapsodies from the
267
Jia Yi 200168 B C
278
Sima Xiangru 179117 B C attrib
292
xiv Hid Hid translated by Ezra Pound 1954
324
Further Reading
327
History of the Former Han
351
Doctors Diviners and Magicians
359
Records of the Three Kingdoms
365
Lives of Immortals
371
Further Reading
381
Ten Old Poems translated by Arthur Waley
390
A Sad Song translated by Burton Watson
406
Poets of the Han
413
Liu Fuling Emperor Zhao of Han ?9574 B C
416
Orchid Pavilion
479
Ling d 74 B C
582
Introduction Craig Fisk
626
Strange Tales from the
651
Further Reading
673
Poets of the Early Tang
677
Two Poems translated by Stephen Owen
688
Two Poems translated by Stephen Owen
694
Introduction H C Chang
701
Letter to Pei Di Written in the Mountains translated by H C Chang
708
To See a Friend Off translated by Wailim Yip 1972
716
Introduction Burton Watson
722
Four Poems translated by David Young
751
Two Versions
756
Further Reading
763
Sixteen Poems translated by Burton Watson
785
Five of Seven Songs Written During the Qianyuan
790
Two Ballads translated by Arthur Cooper
803
Four Late Poems translated by A C Graham
809
Three Versions
813
Four Poems translated by Stephen Owen
835
Four Poems translated by Stephen Owen
867
Twentythree Poems translated by Arthur Waley
873
Record of a Poetic Friendship translated
894
Editors Note
954
Poetry of Zen and the Tao
975
Essays of the Tang Dynasty
989
Proclamation to the Crocodile
1004
Further Reading
1017
Ballads and Stories from
1077
The Quest of Mulian or The Great Maudgalyāyana Rescues His Mother
1088
Further Reading
1110
Further Reading
1131
Further Reading
1147
Major Chinese Dynasties and Periods
1155
Index of Authors
1165
117
1167
Index of Translators and Commentators
1173
1072
1174
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About the author (2002)

John Minford studied Chinese at Oxford and has taught in China, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.

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