Ci Poems of Non-Abiding

陈与义Jun 2024

4.5

Word count: 1.8K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive, and literary. Early forms of thought have distinctive features, and subjects such as religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and local gazetteers are vast and profound. This series, "Essence of Classic Chinese Studies: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their temperament and quietly appreciate the classics of Chinese studies.

Editor's review

Wuzhu Ci is Chen Yuyi's collection of ci poems. Chen Yuyi was famous for his poetry; his ci works are few in number but often praised by critics of ci, with a clear and gentle style and deep, fine feeling, mirroring the somber grandeur of his poetry. This book belongs to the classics of Chinese studies series that preserves the original appearance of the original, focusing on authenticity and transmission, and is suitable for readers with some experience in reading classical poetry to savor carefully. Reading ci differs from reading poetry: the long and short lines and the rhythmic and tonal patterns require repeated recitation to appreciate, so this book is better suited to slow reading and recitation rather than quick browsing. For readers who want to understand the diverse landscape of Song dynasty ci and are not satisfied with reading only anthologies of famous writers, this collection offers a window onto another brush of the poet. It is recommended to read it alongside Chen Yuyi's poems to appreciate the emotional expression and linguistic interest of the same author in different genres.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with some grounding in classical poetry who want to broaden their reading of Song ci
Literature lovers who admire Chen Yuyi's poetry and wish to understand his ci style
Students and researchers engaged in the study of Song dynasty literature who need to consult the ci texts
Readers of classical literature who prefer editions preserving the original appearance and value textual authenticity

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners with no grounding in classical poetry who need line-by-line vernacular explanation
Readers expecting long-form stories or an essay-style reading experience
Readers who want only selected anthologies of popular ci and are unwilling to approach lesser-known individual collections

Reading tips

First read through once without pausing to feel the overall rhythm of the language, then return to read each poem closely
Choose several ci you like and recite them repeatedly, paying attention to the pauses and tonal patterns of the long and short lines
Read alongside Chen Yuyi's poems to compare the differences in expression between poetry and ci by the same author
Keep a reference book on ci studies at hand to look up ci-tune patterns and allusions as needed

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FAQ

Why is Chen Yuyi's ci called Wuzhu Ci?

The term "wuzhu" is related to Buddhist thought and is often understood as not clinging and not dwelling in one place; using it as the title of a ci collection carries a certain intellectual resonance. The specific reason for the naming needs to be appreciated through the author's life and close reading of the text; readers may note the mood and wording revealed in the ci works as they read.

Is this ci collection suitable for beginners?

Not very suitable for complete beginners. This book preserves the original appearance and has no line-by-line vernacular annotation, and the allusions and tonal patterns in the ci also require some accumulation to appreciate. It is advisable to first read annotated anthologies of Song ci to build a foundation, then return to this individual collection for a more noticeable gain.

Does reading this ci collection require other books?

Two kinds of books are recommended: first, Chen Yuyi's poetry collection, to compare the different aspects of his poetry and ci; second, reference books on ci studies or annotated anthologies of Song ci, to help look up ci-tune patterns and allusions. In this way you can both understand the text and place the ci works back in the context of the Song ci world.

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About the author

陈与义 Author

Chen Yuyi was a poet of the Song dynasty, and three of his works are included in this collection. Available public information is limited, and many details of his life cannot be verified; nevertheless, his surviving works show his clear place in the classical poetic tradition. His representative works include Wuzhu Ci, a collection of his ci lyrics, and Songshi Chao: Jianzhai Shichao, a selected anthology of his poems, indicating that he was accomplished in both shi and ci. His works commonly appear in books on literary appreciation and ancient poetry. Stylistically he inherited the Jiangxi school yet developed his own voice, with concise language and lucid, distant imagery, and he is representative of the poetic climate around the time of the Song court's southward move. Later anthologists and critics have often praised his art; his works circulated narrowly but have exerted a lasting influence, making him a poet not to be overlooked in the study of Song poetry and ci.