Complete Ci Poems of Zhang Lei

全宋词Aug 2024

4.5

Word count: 846 words
Chapters: 9

Summary

This collection is part of the Complete Song Ci. Ci began in the Southern Liang, took shape in the Tang, and reached its height in the Song. Tang poetry and Song ci have long been regarded as a twin pinnacle, each representing the literature of a major historical era. According to statistics, more than 1,300 people in the Northern and Southern Song left ci works to posterity, and their total output approaches 20,000 poems! These figures alone suggest the scale of composition at the time. Song ci mainly falls into two styles, the “delicate and restrained” and the “bold and unconstrained,” each exquisite in its own way and each reaching its own height, rich and varied.

Editor's review

Zhang Lei made his name as a poet and left only a small number of ci. This standalone volume gathers the portions of the Complete Song Ci attributed to him, making it easy for readers to see the ci-writing side of this Su School man of letters. His ci style is close to his poetry: the language is plain and natural, with little polish and much candor; his descriptions of scenery and expressions of feeling are often light and flavorful, forming a contrast with contemporary ci poets who deliberately strove for craft. Because the body of work is limited, it takes little effort to read through in one volume, which makes it well suited to observing one practice of “using poetry as ci” among Northern Song literati. Readers who have already read Zhang Lei’s poetry will gain a more complete grasp of his creative profile by reading his ci; those who start with the ci can also use it to extend their reading into his poetry and prose. This book is better suited to thematic study and comparative reading than to serving as a main primer on Song ci.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have read Zhang Lei’s poetry and prose and want to understand the shape of his ci work
Literature enthusiasts interested in the Northern Song phenomenon of “using poetry as ci” and in thematic comparison
Students and teachers of classical literature who need to consult the original text of Zhang Lei’s ci

Not a good fit for

General readers hoping for a large number of famous masterpieces and the cream of an anthology
Beginners with no basic knowledge of Song ci who need guidance and detailed annotations

Reading tips

After reading through once, pick out the few poems with the plainest language and recite them repeatedly to appreciate their poetry-as-ci character.
Read alongside Zhang Lei’s poetry and compare the differences in subject matter and tone between the same author’s different genres.
Take notes against the broader background of the Northern Song Su School literati, placing individual pieces back into the context of ci history.

版权信息
减字木兰花
鹧鸪天
满庭芳
风流子
秋蕊香
少年游
失调名
鸡叫子

FAQ

Did Zhang Lei write a large number of ci?

Zhang Lei is known chiefly for his poetry, and the number of his ci that survives is limited. This book collects his extant ci in one volume, so the reading burden is not great and it is suitable for thematic understanding.

Does this book have annotations and appreciation?

This book is mainly the original ci texts, without detailed annotations or appreciation. Readers need some grounding in classical Chinese, or should have reference works and relevant research materials at hand.

Why is it worth reading Zhang Lei’s ci separately?

Zhang Lei’s ci style is plain and candid, close to his poetry, and offers a concrete sample for observing the Northern Song literati practice of “using poetry as ci.” It has reference value for readers studying the creative profile of the Su School literati.

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About the author

全宋词 Author

Quan Song Ci (Complete Song Ci) is not a single ci poet but the compiler name used for the dynastic anthology of Song ci; this site lists 114 works under that author entry. Public information is limited, so no personal biography can be confirmed. The titles indicate edited collections of individual Song poets, including complete ci by major figures such as Xin Qiji and Li Qingzhao, as well as works by Chao Buzhi, Zhang Lei, Chen Shidao, Liu Kezhuang, Jiang Kui, and Liu Chenweng from various periods of the Song. These editions generally aim to preserve, collate, recover, and annotate the surviving ci, keeping the original character of the texts while making each poet's works accessible for reading and for research on themes, tonal patterns, and stylistic change. The series reflects the philological approach of dynastic compilations and serves as a bridge between popular access to classical texts and scholarly study of ci, and is commonly classified under ancient poetry.