Nine Songs

屈原Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaDec 2020

5.0

Word count: 2K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

"Nine Songs" is a title of pieces in the "Songs of Chu." It was originally the name of an ancient song from Han mythology and legend, adapted or reworked by Qu Yuan, a Chu native of the Warring States period, from Han folk songs for sacrifices to the gods.

Editor's review

"Nine Songs" is a suite of poems that Qu Yuan adapted and reworked from folk sacrificial songs of the Chu region, comprising eleven pieces and involving deities of heaven, earth, and human spirits as sacrificial subjects, combining the solemnity of religious ritual with the lingering intimacy of human emotion. Its uniqueness lies in fusing the framework of sacrificial song with individual feeling: the solemnity of "Great Lord of the East," the longing of "Lord Xiang" and "Lady Xiang," and the tragic grandeur of "Hymn to the Fallen" display the distinctive lavish imagination and uneven rhythmic cadence of the Songs of Chu. This Nanhai Publishing House edition allows general readers to read the whole suite and serves as a starting point for entering the Songs of Chu. When reading, first grasp each piece's sacrificial subject and emotional tone, then note the recurring images of fragrant herbs, rippling water, and cloud banners, which form the lexical foundation of the Songs of Chu. For readers new to the Songs of Chu, reading aloud is recommended, using the voice to feel the pauses and emotional rises and falls at the particle "xi"; for those with some foundation, different annotated editions can be compared to understand divergences in glosses.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers seeking an initial understanding of the Songs of Chu and Qu Yuan's works who need a reliable complete reading edition
History and literature enthusiasts interested in ancient sacrificial culture and mythological imagery
Teachers and students needing the text of "Nine Songs" for classroom teaching or thesis writing
Readers who enjoy reciting and wish to experience the rhythm of classical verse through the voice

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want vernacular stories and are unwilling to engage with the classical original
Specialist researchers expecting detailed scholarly textual criticism and collation of editions
Readers uninterested in mythological and sacrificial themes who prefer modern fiction

Reading tips

First read through in the order of the pieces, focusing on the differences in each piece's sacrificial subject and emotional tone.
Read aloud, paying attention to pauses at the particle "xi," using the voice to grasp changes in line length.
Compile the recurring images of fragrant herbs, rippling water, and cloud banners into a simple word list for easy reference.
After reading "Hymn to the Fallen," look back at the lyrical pieces and compare how the tragic and the tender styles are handled.

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
九歌（一）
九歌（二）
九歌（三）
九歌（四）
九歌（五）
九歌（六）
九歌（七）
九歌（八）
九歌（九）
九歌（十）
九歌（十一）

FAQ

What pieces does "Nine Songs" include?

The standard edition of "Nine Songs" contains eleven pieces: "Great Lord of the East," "Lord of the Clouds," "Lord Xiang," "Lady Xiang," "Great Master of Fate," "Lesser Master of Fate," "Lord of the East," "Count of the River," "Mountain Spirit," "Hymn to the Fallen," and "Ritual Hymn," corresponding respectively to different sacrificial subjects and ritual stages.

Without a foundation in classical Chinese, will reading "Nine Songs" be too difficult?

The original language is indeed challenging, but "Nine Songs" has relatively regular line structures and short lengths, making it easier to approach than "Li Sao." An annotated edition is recommended: read the annotations first, then return to the original, combining with recitation, and gradually become familiar with the language of the Songs of Chu—there is no need to understand everything at once.

What is the relationship between "Nine Songs" and sacrificial ritual?

It is generally believed that "Nine Songs" originated from folk sacrificial songs of the Chu region, which Qu Yuan adapted and reworked. The suite retains the ritual framework of welcoming, entertaining, and sending off the gods, while incorporating individualized feeling, so it possesses both religious color and distinct literary lyricism.

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About the author

屈原 Author

Qu Yuan is one of the most important poets in the history of Chinese literature, though public sources offer limited detail about his life, and neither his dates nor his nationality are clearly recorded. Judging from the works handed down under his name, he drew on the language and mythology of the Chu region and pioneered a lyrical, imaginative style known as sao poetry. The library holds 10 of his works, including the signature pieces Li Sao and Jiu Ge, as well as several editions of Chu Ci: an unannotated version, a general collection, a fully annotated, translated and phonetic edition, and a vernacular metrical rendering. These works span ancient poetry, folk literature, Eastern philosophy and culture; they are intense in feeling and rich in wondrous imagery, often using fragrant herbs and beautiful figures to express inner concerns. Qu Yuan exerted a profound influence on later poetry, and his works remain essential texts for studying pre-Qin literature and thought.