The Seventh Night

Du MuNanhai Publication Company · ChinaJul 2024

3.0

Word count: 4.2K words
Chapters: 48

Summary

Du Mu (803–ca. 852), courtesy name Muzhi, style name Fanchuan Jushi, Han Chinese, was a native of Wannian, Jingzhao (present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi). He was an outstanding poet and prose writer of the Tang dynasty, grandson of the chancellor Du You and son of Du Congyu.

Editor's review

Centered on Du Mu and his poem "Qixi" (The Seventh Night), this book offers readers a way into the poetry of the late Tang. Du Mu excelled at the seven-character quatrain: his brushwork is brisk and spirited, and he often lodges subtle feelings within limpid scenes—"Qixi" belongs to this kind of short piece. It draws on a traditional festival and folk legend, yet does not merely retell the story; with spare strokes it conveys the sense of parting and reunion in human life, and may be read alongside works such as "Qiu Xi" (Autumn Night). This edition, published by Nanhai Publishing House in 2024, serves as an introductory reader for understanding Du Mu and his poetry and for appreciating how classical verse fuses feeling and scene. When reading, one may place it within the lineage of Qixi poems and read it against "Tiaotiao Qianniu Xing" from the Nineteen Old Poems and Qin Guan's "Queqiao Xian," to feel how different eras handle the same motif; one may also set it beside Du Mu's other quatrains to appreciate the concision and turns of his language. For classroom or parent-child reading, first clarify the poem's meaning and festival background, then discuss the relation between feeling and scene; the piece is short but its topics are concentrated, making it easy to develop discussion.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers who wish to approach Tang poetry through short poems
Primary and secondary school language teachers seeking teaching materials on Qixi or Du Mu
Readers interested in traditional festivals and folk legends
Parents who need to read classical poetry together with their children

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking the elaborate emotional texture of long Song-dynasty ci
Academic researchers seeking detailed textual scholarship on Du Mu's life

Reading tips

First read the poem straight through on your own, noting first impressions of its scenes and any questions.
Look up the background of the Qixi festival and the legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, then reread the lines to sense their implications.
Read it alongside "Tiaotiao Qianniu Xing" and Qin Guan's "Queqiao Xian" on the same theme, comparing approaches and emotional emphasis.
Read the poem aloud and copy it out, attending to the rhythm and turns of the seven-character quatrain and to Du Mu's control of language.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
【皇帝上礼抚事述怀】李峤
【奉和幸韦嗣立山庄侍宴应制】李峤
【倡妇行】李峤
【饯薛大夫护边】李峤
【和杜学士旅次淮口阻风】李峤
【送光禄刘主簿之洛】李峤
【送骆奉礼从军】李峤
【王屋山第之侧杂构小亭，暇日与群公同游】李峤
【奉和杜员外扈从教阅】李峤
【军师凯旋自邕州顺流舟中】李峤
【夏晚九成宫呈同僚】李峤
【田假限疾不获还庄载想田园兼思亲友率成短韵…赠杜幽素】李峤
【刘侍读见和山邸十篇重申此赠】李峤
【晚秋喜雨】李峤
【中秋月二首】李峤
【侍宴桃花园咏桃花应制】李峤
【奉和圣制幸韦嗣立山庄应制】李峤
【游苑遇雪应制】李峤
【送司马先生】李峤
【风】李峤
【上清晖閤遇雪】李峤
【石淙】李峤
【南海乱石山作】杜审言
【送和西蕃使】杜审言
【蓬莱三殿侍宴奉敕咏终南山应制】杜审言
【望春亭侍游应诏】杜审言
【宿羽亭侍宴应制】杜审言
【岁夜安乐公主满月侍宴应制】杜审言
【奉和七夕侍宴两仪殿应制】杜审言
【大酺（永昌元年）】杜审言
【赋得妾薄命】杜审言
【和韦承庆过义阳公主山池五首】杜审言
【和晋陵陆丞早春游望（一作韦应物诗）】杜审言
【秋夜宴临津郑明府宅】杜审言
【和康五庭芝望月有怀】杜审言
【登襄阳城】杜审言
【旅寓安南】杜审言
【春日怀归】杜审言
【代张侍御伤美人】杜审言
【送高郎中北使】杜审言
【都尉山亭】杜审言
【夏日过郑七山斋】杜审言
【送崔融】杜审言
【经行岚州】杜审言
【重九日宴江阴】杜审言
【除夜有怀】杜审言
【晦日宴游】杜审言

FAQ

What background knowledge is needed before reading "Qixi"?

It helps to first know the festival customs of Qixi and the basic plot of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend, which will help you understand where the poem's scenes come from. A brief sense of the late Tang atmosphere in which Du Mu lived is also useful, but there is no need to study it in advance; supplementing background after a first reading often makes the poem easier to appreciate.

Is this book suitable for children?

Yes. The poem is short, and the Qixi legend itself appeals to children. Parents are advised to first explain the story outline and the festival's origins, then read aloud together, without explaining word by word; the focus should be on letting children feel the poem's rhythm and imagery, and for younger children recitation should be the main activity.

How can "Qixi" be read in connection with Du Mu's other works?

Begin by reading Du Mu's seven-character quatrains as a group to appreciate his limpid, spirited style, then return to "Qixi" to see how it achieves shifts of scene and emotional expression within a short space. Moving from the overall style to close reading of a single poem deepens the impression and makes it easier to recognize the common features of Du Mu's poetry.

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About the author

Du Mu Author · Chinese

Du Mu (803–852), courtesy name Muzhi and styled Fanchuan Jushi, was a native of Wannian in Jingzhao (present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi). A distinguished poet and prose writer of the Tang Dynasty, he was the grandson of the chancellor Du You. He rose to the office of Zhongshu Sheren and is known above all for his seven-character quatrains; together with Li Shangyin he is called one of the "Little Li-Du." His works include the prose piece "Epang Palace Fu" and poems such as "Mountain Journey" and "Mooring on the Qinhuai River." This library holds nineteen of his works, among them "Two Poems of Parting," "The Complete Works of Du Mu," "The Collected Works of Du Mu," "A Quatrain Sent to a Recluse," and "Three Poems Recalling Past Travels"; they are commonly classified under social sciences, classical poetry, and classic works. His writing is admired for its vigor and clarity, and his quatrains in particular have been praised by later generations, giving him an important place in Tang literary history.