Complete Works of Yuan Zhen

元稹Bashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.3

Word count: 406 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Yuan Zhen (779–831, or from the 14th year of the Dali era of Emperor Daizong of Tang to the 5th year of the Taihe era of Emperor Wenzong), courtesy name Weizhi, alternate courtesy name Weiming, of Han ethnicity, was a native of Luoyang in Tang China (present-day Luoyang, Henan). His father was Yuan Kuan and his mother Lady Zheng. He was a descendant of the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei, the imperial clan of Northern Wei, and a 14th-generation descendant of Shiyijian. In his early years he and Bai Juyi jointly advocated the "New Yuefu." People often refer to him and Bai Juyi together as "Yuan-Bai."

Editor's review

Yuan Zhen's poetry and prose suffered serious loss from the late Tang onward. This Complete Works of Yuan Zhen from Bashu Publishing House uses extant sources as its base texts and systematically collects his poems, prose, tales, edicts, and other writings, offering general readers and researchers a relatively complete textual picture. In his early years Yuan Zhen advocated new yuefu alongside Bai Juyi; his poetic style is plain and fluent yet at times deeply moving, and his elegies for his deceased wife are especially affecting. His tale Yingying's Biography is a celebrated Tang-dynasty work of fiction with far-reaching influence. The arrangement balances genre and chronology, so readers can survey by form or follow a chronological thread to grasp the connection between the author's circumstances and changes in his writing. When reading, one may focus on the poems with the prose as support: read representative poems first to sense their linguistic texture, then turn to the tale and official documents to understand his dual identity as court official and man of letters. For readers who want to understand the literary scene of the mid-Tang, the origins of the Yuan-Bai poetic school, and the life of Tang literati, this book provides a solid textual foundation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Tang poetry lovers who want a systematic understanding of Yuan Zhen's style and the joint name Yuan-Bai
Students of classical Chinese literature who need the original texts of Yuan Zhen's works
Readers studying Tang tales and narrative literature
Readers interested in mid-Tang literati life and political culture

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers who want only popular anthologies and feel intimidated by a complete works
Readers who prefer modern vernacular annotations and have weaker classical Chinese reading ability
General readers seeking light or recreational reading

Reading tips

Begin with the new yuefu and elegiac poems in the poetry collection to form an intuitive sense of Yuan Zhen's linguistic style.
Then read tales such as Yingying's Biography, comparing them with the poems and prose to understand the relationship between narrative and lyric expression.
Read by genre in sections, concentrating on one category at a time, to avoid fatigue from reading the complete works straight through.
Note unfamiliar allusions as you go and use background material on the Tang to aid understanding.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
元稹全集

FAQ

What is the difference between The Complete Works of Yuan Zhen and The Collected Works of Yuan Zhen?

Both were published by Bashu Publishing House in 2024 and both are by Yuan Zhen, but the titles and scope of inclusion may differ. Before buying, check the table of contents and publication notes to confirm whether the edition you choose includes poems, prose, tales, edicts, and other specific categories, then choose according to your needs.

Can I read this book without a foundation in classical Chinese?

The whole book is in classical Chinese and requires some foundation in the language. If your foundation is weak, first use an annotated anthology or vernacular translation to become familiar with representative works, then return to the complete works for comparative reading, gradually building up common vocabulary and allusions.

Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi are named together; can reading this book help me understand the Yuan-Bai relationship?

Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi advocated new yuefu together in their early years and are known jointly as “Yuan-Bai.” The complete works collects Yuan Zhen's related poems and prose, and readers can compare them with Bai Juyi's works to appreciate the similarities and differences in their creative aims, but they should not expect this book to systematically discuss the whole course of their association.

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About the author

元稹 Author

Yuan Zhen was a Tang dynasty poet and writer of fiction. Public information about him is limited, and his dates, native place, and official career are not recorded in the available sources. This site holds twenty of his works, including collected editions such as The Complete Works of Yuan Zhen and The Collected Works of Yuan Zhen, as well as individual pieces such as Yingying's Story and its unannotated edition, "Moon at the Postal Pavilion on the Road East to Sichuan," "Huayue Temple," and "Ten Poems on Wine." His writing spans classical poetry and classical literature, with subjects ranging from travel and landscape to personal reflection and verse exchanges; his language is concise and his sentiments are subtly expressed. Yingying's Story, a tale of love in the chuanqi manner, is notable for its elegant prose and had a profound influence on later drama and fiction. His works are also classed among Eastern philosophy and classic works, reflecting the reflections on life and thought that run through his poetry and prose.