Sent to Censor Yang

周贺Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaAug 2020

3.3

Word count: 3K words
Chapters: 49

Summary

Zhou He [Tang] (fl. c. 821), courtesy name Nanxiang (Quan Tang Shi gives Nanqing; here following Tang Caizi Zhuan), a native of Dongluo (present-day northwestern Guangyuan, Sichuan).

Editor's review

This volume presents "To Censor Yang" by the Tang poet Zhou He in a traditional facsimile edition, preserving the appearance of the version printed and issued by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company. Zhou He's poetry is spare and crisp in style, and he often associated with monks and recluses. This poem, addressed to Censor Yang, is both a reply and a gift, revealing his circle of acquaintances and his state of mind. For general readers, it is a light collection of Tang poetry suited to slow, piecemeal reading: begin with the lines themselves, then note the official title "Shiyu" (Censor) in the title, which helps clarify the relationship between the poet and the recipient. The facsimile also has value for its direct presentation of typography and character forms, letting readers experience the printing style of old-style publishers since the Republican period. Note that the surviving author biography is brief, and the poem's allusions and background should not be overinterpreted; readers may compare the relevant volume of Quan Tang Shi for a fuller understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in collections of Tang poetry and the social circles of Tang poets
Edition enthusiasts who enjoy facsimiles and the typographic style of old-style publishers
Readers who need short Tang poems for daily recitation or calligraphy practice
Students of classical literature studying Zhou He's poetry and wishing to check textual appearance

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers expecting detailed annotations, vernacular translations, and in-depth appreciation
Researchers seeking a systematic understanding of Zhou He's life and the Tang historical background

Reading tips

First read the title and text through, then use the official title "Shiyu" to understand the recipient and the occasion of writing.
Compare with the Zhou He volume in Quan Tang Shi, note textual differences, and pay attention to typographic details of the facsimile.
Read only one or two poems at a time, jotting down unfamiliar allusions or words, then look them up together.
Read alongside Tang poems of the same gift-and-reply type to appreciate the spare, crisp, plain qualities of Zhou He's language.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
【晚发咸阳，寄同院遗补】李嘉祐
【早秋京口旅泊，章侍御寄书相问，因以赠之，时七夕】李嘉祐
【秋晓招隐寺东峰茶宴，送内弟阎伯均归江州】李嘉祐
【送严员外（一作刘长卿诗）】李嘉祐
【赴南中留别褚七少府湖上林亭（一作刘长卿诗）】李嘉祐
【与从弟正字、从兄兵曹宴集林园】李嘉祐
【酬皇甫十六侍御曾见寄（此公时贬舒州司马）】李嘉祐
【暮春宜阳郡斋愁坐，忽枉刘七侍御新诗，因以酬答】李嘉祐
【送舍弟】李嘉祐
【送从弟永任饶州录事参军】李嘉祐
【送马将军奏事毕归滑州使幕】李嘉祐
【闻逝者自惊】李嘉祐
【伤歙州陈二使君】李嘉祐
【白田西忆楚州使君弟】李嘉祐
【送陆澧还吴中（一作刘长卿诗）】李嘉祐
【春日忆家（一作春日归山）】李嘉祐
【远寺钟】李嘉祐
【白鹭】李嘉祐
【夜宴南陵留别】李嘉祐
【题前溪馆】李嘉祐
【过乌公山寄钱起员外】李嘉祐
【寄王舍人竹楼】李嘉祐
【韦润州后亭海榴】李嘉祐
【送崔十一弟归北京】李嘉祐
【访韩司空不遇】李嘉祐
【题道虔上人竹房】李嘉祐
【秋朝木芙蓉】李嘉祐
【袁江口忆王司勋、王吏部二郎中、起居十七弟】李嘉祐
【答泉州薛播使君重阳日赠酒】李嘉祐
【题张公洞】李嘉祐
【句】李嘉祐
卷二百零八
【送泉州李使君之任（一作送李使君赴泉州）】包何
【和孟虔州闲斋即事】包何
【同李郎中净律院梡子树】包何
【同阎伯均宿道士观有述】包何
【送乌程王明府贬巴江】包何
【同舍弟佶、班、韦二员外秋苔对之成咏】包何
【送王汶宰江阴】包何
【和苗员外寓直中书】包何
【阙下芙蓉】包何
【江上田家】包何
【送韦侍御奉使江岭诸道催青苗钱】包何
【和程员外春日东郊即事】包何
【裴端公使院，赋得隔帘见春雨】包何
【相里使君第七男生日（一作生日）】包何
【同诸公寻李方直不遇】包何
【婺州留别邓使君】包何

FAQ

Is this book a collated and annotated edition or a facsimile?

From the publication information, the book was printed and issued by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company and is a traditional facsimile that preserves the old edition's appearance; it is not a collated edition with detailed annotations and vernacular translations. Reading requires some classical Chinese foundation, and allusions should be looked up as needed.

Can I read this book without knowing Zhou He?

Yes. Zhou He's surviving poems are few, and his language is generally plain and spare; individual pieces are short, so direct reading poses little difficulty. For deeper understanding, first learn about Tang official titles such as "Shiyu" and the poet's associations with monks and recluses, then return to a close reading.

Does the book contain anything besides "To Censor Yang"?

The available information only states that the book relates to Zhou He's "To Censor Yang" and provides no details of the full table of contents, so it is inadvisable to speculate about what other works are included. After obtaining the book, readers can judge its scope from the contents and layout, then decide whether to read it closely or selectively.

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About the author

周贺 Author

Zhou He is an ancient Chinese poet whose life is very sparsely documented in publicly available sources: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and courtesy name are all unrecorded. All that is currently known is that three of his works are preserved in the collection, commonly classified as ancient poetry. Judging from the titles of representative pieces such as "Revisiting My Old Residence in Nanxu on a Spring Day," "To Censor Yang," and "Seeing Off the Mountain Man Geng on His Return to Hunan," his writing centers on themes of revisiting old places, sending poems to friends, and bidding farewell to mountain recluses, bearing the marks of traditional literati social life and travel. Place names such as Nanxu and Hunan suggest that his footsteps may have reached the Jiangnan and Huxiang regions. Owing to the scarcity of historical records, the details of his life, his line of transmission, and the full scope of his work cannot be verified; from the surviving titles, however, one may infer that he chiefly wrote regulated verse, with a language inclined toward elegance and restraint, attentive to the interplay of scene and feeling, and that in his poems of dedication and farewell he expressed friendship and a longing for a reclusive life. On the whole, Zhou He belongs among those ancient poets whose works survive through documentary preservation while their personal histories have faded; though his extant poems are few, they still offer a glimpse of the conventions of farewell, dedication, and nostalgic remembrance in ancient Chinese poetry.