Complete Ci Poems of Wang Mai

全宋词Jul 2024

3.3

Word count: 3K words
Chapters: 16

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

Wang Mai was a literatus of the mid-to-late Southern Song, and his ci poems are scattered through the various volumes of the Complete Song Ci. This book gathers Wang Mai's ci poems separately so that readers can focus on the creative profile of this relatively obscure ci poet. For readers already familiar with the famous ci of Su Shi, Xin Qiji, Li Qingzhao, and others, this collection offers a window into the writing scene of mid- and lower-ranking literati in Southern Song ci circles, allowing observation of the everyday state of the genre at the time in subject matter, allusion, and tonal prosody. The book is short and suits supplementary reading on Song ci as a topic, as well as classical literature enthusiasts who, after reading anthologies from the Complete Song Ci, wish to broaden their reading horizons. One caveat: this book is a compilation of ci texts with limited annotation and appreciation, so readers need some grounding in classical Chinese; it works best alongside reference books and relevant literary histories.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical literature enthusiasts already familiar with famous Song ci works who wish to broaden their reading
University teachers and students in Song literature research who need the original text of Wang Mai's ci
Slow readers who enjoy close reading of individual poets and keeping reading notes

Not a good fit for

Beginners new to Song ci who need detailed annotation and vernacular translation
General readers who want famous pieces by Su Shi, Xin Qiji, and other celebrated poets
Casual readers who prefer modern genres such as fiction and essays

Reading tips

First read through to grasp the overall style, then select the ci that leave the deepest impression and check the original text against the relevant volumes of the Complete Song Ci.
Keep a dictionary of common classical Chinese characters at hand, looking up and annotating rare characters and expressions as you go.
Read alongside a literary history of the Southern Song or a general work on ci studies to help understand the poet's historical context.

版权信息
水调歌头
沁园春
贺新郎
摸鱼儿
沁园春
念奴娇
沁园春
贺新郎
瑞鹤仙
满江红
念奴娇
水龙吟
沁园春
南歌子
沁园春

FAQ

Does this book include all of Wang Mai's ci poems?

The content is taken from the ci poems attributed to Wang Mai in the Complete Song Ci and is a compilation. Since the Complete Song Ci is itself the result of compilation and collation over successive generations, questions of authenticity and overlapping attribution for individual works remain debated in scholarship; readers citing it for research should check the Zhonghua Book Company edition of the Complete Song Ci and related textual studies.

Can I read this book without any grounding in classical Chinese?

The book consists mainly of the original ci texts, with relatively little annotation or appreciation, so it requires some classical Chinese reading ability. Without any grounding, it is advisable to start with an annotated anthology of Song ci and build up vocabulary and familiarity with allusions before reading this book, which will then go much more smoothly.

What is Wang Mai's place in the history of Song ci?

Wang Mai is not a first-rate master of Song ci, and the number of his surviving ci is not large, but he belongs among the literati of the mid-to-late Southern Song who left works to posterity. The value of this book lies not in presenting classic famous pieces but in showing readers the broader mid- and lower-ranking writing within the ecology of Song ci composition; it suits extended thematic reading.

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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.