Complete Song Prose

Zeng Zaozhuang / Liu LinQunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.7

Word count: 451K words
Chapters: 65

Summary

Its difficulty lies in four aspects. As for Song dynasty prose, there are over seven hundred kinds of collected works (bieji) transmitted; if scattered writings without such collections are also counted, the authors would exceed ten thousand and the works over one hundred thousand. Therefore, in compiling the Complete Song Prose, beyond collected works and general anthologies, historical works and local gazetteers, encyclopedias and notes, stone inscriptions and model calligraphy, and the Buddhist and Daoist canons should all be included in the search. Since it is named the Complete Song Prose, it aims to leave not a single piece out. This is the difficulty of comprehensive survey and collection.

The editing of Song collected works is complex. Some were self-edited, some by descendants, relatives, friends, or disciples, some by a combination of self and others, and some original collections are lost and were recompiled by Ming and Qing scholars. Transmitted editions abound with textual errors, and editing suffers from mistakenly included forgeries. To clarify the muddy, one relies on ajiao; to analyze the minute, one depends on a bright mirror.

This is the difficulty of collation and authentication. In compiling the Complete Song Prose, if one takes various collected works, supplements their lost pieces, arranges them chronologically, and adds those without collected works, the task is relatively easy. But this is a compilation of Song literary collections, not conforming to the format of the Complete Song Prose; moreover, the arrangements of various collections are complex and inconvenient for consultation. If one takes each author's works, scatters them into individual pieces, rearranges them, and then gathers them into one book in chronological order of authors, it would be more appropriate.

However, when arranging, chronological dating is difficult to verify, and division by genre is complicated. If the method of division by genre is used, how to balance ancient and modern, grasp the main points, and unify the format for easy retrieval? This is the difficulty of classification and ordering. As for writing author biographies and punctuating original texts, since many hands share the work, each may act differently and inconsistently; therefore, one must first consider deeply and establish detailed and clear regulations, so that compilers have rules to follow and reviewers can be more precise. This is again the difficulty of establishing regulations.

Editor's review

The Complete Song Prose is a massive general anthology of Song dynasty prose, compiled under the direction of Zeng Zaozhuang and Liu Lin. Unlike the Complete Song Ci, which focuses on the verse of one dynasty, it confronts a vast and complex documentary landscape of over seven hundred Song collected works, more than ten thousand authors, and over one hundred thousand works. The compilers had to go beyond collected works and general anthologies to include historical works and local gazetteers, encyclopedias and notes, stone inscriptions and model calligraphy, and the Buddhist and Daoist canons, undertaking comprehensive survey and collection, collation and authentication, classification and ordering, and the establishment of regulations—an extremely difficult task. For readers, the value of this work lies in systematically gathering Song prose from dispersed collected works and scattered documents, allowing prose, parallel prose, memorials, letters, epitaphs, prefaces and colophons, and other writings to be presented by author and period, making it easier to observe Song literati thought, politics, scholarship, and everyday writing. It is not light reading but a tool-like and research-oriented documentary anthology; readers need to use the explanatory notes, table of contents, and author biographies to understand the organizing logic and use it effectively. For researchers in ancient literature, history, and intellectual history, it is a basic reference kept at hand; for ordinary literary enthusiasts, it is better suited as a resource for consultation and further reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of ancient Chinese literature and history who need to consult a general anthology of Song prose.
Undergraduate and graduate students in Chinese and history writing papers on Song topics.
Researchers in intellectual history and textual scholarship concerned with Song literati writing and textual transmission.
Libraries and reference rooms needing to add basic documentary sources on Song prose.
Advanced readers with classical Chinese proficiency who wish to read Song prose systematically.

Not a good fit for

Beginners in classical literature lacking selections with annotations and introductions; the reading threshold is high.
Casual readers who only want Song vignettes or famous pieces; the full work is too large.
Readers needing vernacular translation and detailed appreciation; the general anthology does not focus on this.
Young students; the classical Chinese difficulty and documentary scale are unsuitable.

Reading tips

First read the explanatory notes and general table of contents to understand the scope, arrangement, and author biography format, then select specific pieces to read.
Do not read straight through from beginning to end; search by author, genre, or theme of interest, concentrating on a group of related pieces each time.
Read alongside Song history, literary history, and chronological tables, understanding the pieces in the context of the author's life and times.
When doing research, first consult author biographies and documentary sources, then check the original text and collation notes, cultivating the habit of tracing sources.

About the publisher

Qunyan Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

Founded in 1989, Qunyan Publishing House has long been committed to publishing academic and educational books for mid- and high-level readers, and has built up a certain presence in Eastern philosophy, classical literature, and classic works. Representative titles available in the database include Records of the Grand Historian, Dream of the Red Chamber, Selections of Refined Literature, Complete Song Ci, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Record of Daily Knowledge, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang, and The Collected Works of Wang Yangming, covering common categories such as ancient poetry, medicine, and examinations. Its author resources include Sima Qian, Cao Xueqin, Xiao Tong, Li Shan, Pu Songling, and Gu Yanwu. The press also offers distinctive series such as the Biographical Series of the China Democratic League and the Historical Documents Series of the China Democratic League, and publishes research on historical documents, biographies, memoirs, and textbooks and academic works by League members. Public information is limited, and its overall publishing scale and complete catalogue require further verification.

版权信息
卷一
卷二
卷四
卷五
卷六
卷七
卷八
卷九
卷十
卷十一
卷十二
卷十三
卷十四
卷十五
卷十六
卷十七
卷十八
卷十九
卷二十
卷二十一
卷二十二
卷二十三
卷二十四
卷二十五
卷二十六
卷二十七
卷二十八
卷二十九
卷三十
卷三十一
卷三十二
卷三十二
卷三十三
卷三十四
卷三十五
卷三十六
卷三十七
卷三十八
卷三十九
卷四十
卷四十一
卷四十二
卷四十三
卷四十四
卷四十五
卷四十六
卷四十七
卷四十八
卷四十九
卷五十
卷五十一
卷五十二
卷五十三
卷五十四
卷五十五
卷五十六
卷五十七
卷五十八
卷五十九
卷六十
卷六十一
卷六十二
卷六十三
卷六十四

FAQ

Can ordinary readers read the Complete Song Prose?

They can, but a certain foundation in classical Chinese is needed. It is not a selection and lacks piece-by-piece annotation and appreciation; its arrangement is also that of a documentary anthology. Ordinary readers interested in a Song author or a type of writing can use the table of contents and author biographies to select readings; those new to classical Chinese are advised to start with annotated selections of Song prose before entering the complete collection.

What is the relationship between the Complete Song Prose and the Complete Song Ci?

Both are general anthologies of Song literature, but their objects differ. The Complete Song Ci collects the ci of one dynasty, focusing on verse; the Complete Song Prose collects Song prose, covering prose, parallel prose, memorials, letters, epitaphs, prefaces and colophons, focusing on prose and parallel writings. They can be used complementarily, helping readers understand Song literature from both the verse and prose dimensions.

What is the most important step in using the Complete Song Prose?

First read the explanatory notes and general table of contents. The explanatory notes explain the scope, arrangement, author biographies, and collation notes; the general table of contents helps locate authors and genres. If one skips this step in a large general anthology and goes straight to the text, one easily gets lost. After understanding the format, searching by author, period, or genre is much more efficient.

Why is compiling the Complete Song Prose so difficult?

According to its compilation notes, there are four main difficulties: Song prose has over ten thousand authors and over one hundred thousand works, making comprehensive survey and collection extremely hard; the editing of collected works is complex, with transmission errors and forged pieces, making collation and authentication difficult; the arrangements of various collected works are complex, and reclassifying and ordering them requires a unified format; writing biographies and punctuating original texts requires collaboration among many hands, so detailed and clear regulations must be established in advance. These factors together constitute the difficulty of compilation.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Zeng Zaozhuang Author · Chinese · 1937

Zeng Zaozhuang, born in 1937 in Jianyang, Sichuan, is a professor at the Institute of Ancient Book Collation and Research, Sichuan University. He has long devoted himself to the study of Song dynasty literature, the culture of the Three Su, and classical Chinese genre theory, combining textual scholarship with theoretical inquiry. He served as chief editor of major documentary projects such as the Complete Prose of the Song and the Song, Liao, and Jin-Yuan Literature volume of the Zhonghua Encyclopedia, providing an important foundation for preserving and disseminating Song prose. His works include a critical biography of Su Shi, a critical biography of Su Xun, and a general study of Song prose, offering systematic accounts of the Three Su and the Song essay system. His editions and studies cover classics such as the collected works of Su Shi, Ouyang Xiu, Zhu Xi, and the Cheng brothers, spanning ancient poetry and classical literature with both scholarly rigor and readability. Public information is limited, yet his editorial and authored works show his far-reaching influence on the collation of Song literary documents.

Liu Lin Author · Chinese · 1939

Liu Lin, born in 1939 in Danzhai, Guizhou, is a professor and former deputy director of the Institute of Ancient Book Collation and Research at Sichuan University. He has long engaged in the study of the history of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, historical philology, Song history, and local history of the Bashu region. He co-edited the 360-volume Complete Prose of the Song Dynasty with Zeng Zaozhuang, authored the representative work Annotated Collation of Huayang Guozhi, and participated in collating the Song Huiyao Jigao and The Complete Works of Huang Tingjian, demonstrating deep attainments in ancient book collation and historical research. The library contains 13 of his works, spanning classics, examination preparation, finance, management, social sciences, and inspirational growth. These range from the monumental documentary compilation Complete Prose of the Song Dynasty to popular books on thinking and communication such as Useful Game Theory and How to Ask So Others Will Speak; How to Speak So Others Will Listen, as well as textbooks including Practical College English Reading Course 2 and International Marketing, reflecting a cross-disciplinary writing vision that balances scholarship and popularization.