Complete Ci Poems of Dai Fugu

全宋词Jul 2024

3.8

Word count: 4.3K words
Chapters: 33

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 ranked as a twin summit, each representing the literature of a great 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 pieces! These figures alone convey the scale of composition at the time. Song ci mainly falls into two styles, the "delicate and restrained" and the "bold and unconstrained," each superb in its own way and each at its height, rich and varied.

Editor's review

Dai Fugu was a representative figure of the Southern Song Jianghu poetry school and also left a considerable number of ci poems. This book gathers Dai Fugu's ci from the Complete Song Ci, offering readers a convenient text for focused reading of this Southern Song literatus's ci. Dai Fugu spent his life wandering the rivers and lakes, and his ci often convey feelings about his life circumstances and social ties; stylistically, some pieces are clear and natural while others lament current affairs. For researchers studying the Jianghu literati circles of the Southern Song and the phenomenon of writers skilled in both poetry and ci, this small collection can serve as a basic source. General readers who have read famous pieces in Song ci anthologies and wish to learn more about the diverse landscape of mid- and late Southern Song ci circles will also find this a suitable entry point. Again, it should be noted that the book is mainly a compilation of original texts with limited annotation and appreciation; readers should have reference books at hand and consult relevant literary histories.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students studying the Southern Song Jianghu poetry school who need the original text of Dai Fugu's ci
Enthusiasts who have read anthologies of famous Song ci poets and wish to expand to second-tier ci poets
Readers of literature and history who enjoy reading poetry and ci against the historical background of the Southern Song

Not a good fit for

Beginners in Song ci who need line-by-line annotation and vernacular translation
Readers who only want classic famous pieces and have little interest in obscure poets
Casual readers expecting detailed appreciation essays or stories about the circumstances of composition

Reading tips

First learn the basic background of Dai Fugu and the Jianghu poetry school, then read the ci; this makes it easier to grasp the feelings about his life circumstances.
Roughly group the ci by subject—social exchange, travel, personal reflection—and read by category to observe where his writing focuses.
For ci with dense allusions or textual variants, check against the original Complete Song Ci and related collation notes.

版权信息
满江红
水调歌头
沁园春
贺新郎
水调歌头
满庭芳
醉落魄
柳梢青
锦帐春
行香子
鹊桥仙
木兰花慢
洞仙歌
西江月
贺新郎
沁园春
鹧鸪天
减字木兰花
浣溪沙
清平乐
临江仙
鹊桥仙
祝英台近
大江西上曲
满江红
望江南
清平乐
醉太平
满庭芳
渔父
沁园春
附戴复古妻《祝英台近》

FAQ

Dai Fugu is known for poetry; is his ci worth reading?

Dai Fugu is indeed better known as a poet of the Jianghu school, but his ci are also included in the Complete Song Ci and have some documentary value. The significance of this book lies in presenting this side of the poet's ci writing; it suits readers interested in the overall creative profile of Southern Song literati rather than general readers seeking classic famous pieces.

What is the relationship between this book and the Complete Song Ci?

The content is taken from the ci attributed to Dai Fugu in the Complete Song Ci and is a version compiled for an individual poet. It cannot replace the complete text and collation of the Complete Song Ci; it suits everyday reading and preliminary consultation, while scholarly citation should still follow the Zhonghua Book Company edition of the Complete Song Ci.

What should I prepare before reading this book?

It is advisable to have basic classical Chinese reading ability and a simple understanding of mid-to-late Southern Song history and the Jianghu poetry school. Keep a dictionary of classical Chinese and a general work on Song ci at hand for reference while reading; this markedly lowers the difficulty of comprehension and makes it easier to see how the ci relate to their era.

Comments

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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.