Shilin's Ci Poems

叶梦得Oct 2025

4.0

Word count: 9.7K words
Chapters: 100

Summary

A total of one hundred ci poems. The author, Ye Mengde, courtesy name Shaoyun, styled himself Shilin Jushi and was a representative ci poet of the Southern Song heroic and unrestrained school. His works opened a new path in the ci world by introducing "qi" (spirit/energy) into ci composition, manifested mainly in three aspects: heroic spirit, wild spirit, and untrammeled spirit. His emotions are sincere and his language refined, and he played a pioneering and pivotal role in the Southern Song ci world.

Editor's review

*Shilin Ci* collects one hundred ci poems by Ye Mengde, offering a window into the turn of ci style in the early Southern Song. Ye lived across the transition between the Northern and Southern Song; his ci are infused with "qi"—heroic spirit, wildness, and untrammeled ease interwoven—with sincere feeling and no ornamentation, and a language both spare and strong-boned. The book contains both impassioned works facing national upheaval and free, unrestrained pieces from his retirement in the countryside, revealing a scholar-official's spiritual posture amid the shocks of his age. Compared with common anthologies of the graceful and restrained (wanyue) school, this collection offers another aesthetic path: it wins not by delicacy but by force of character. As you read, note how "qi" shifts with subject matter, and the pioneering significance of the bold and unconstrained (haofang) style around the southward crossing. Suited to careful reading in quiet hours, and as supplementary material for thematic reading on Song ci.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the Southern Song ci world and the development of the haofang style
Those hoping to move beyond wanyue ci and broaden their aesthetic range in Song ci
Classical poetry lovers who enjoy strong-boned, sincere works
Teachers and students needing materials for teaching or research on Song ci

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer purely graceful, delicate styles and have limited interest in the haofang vein
Beginners expecting plain-language interpretation or extensive annotation
Those who only want to skim famous lines without reading whole poems

Reading tips

First read through the table of contents and read by thematic groups, observing how "qi" manifests across different subjects.
Read each poem twice: the first time to grasp the emotional tone, the second to notice where the language is spare and concentrated.
Read alongside haofang poems of the same period to appreciate the pioneering features of ci style around the southward crossing.
Keep brief notes recording lines that move you and your immediate impressions after reading.

版权信息
贺新郎
水调歌头
水调歌头
水调歌头
水调歌头
水调歌头
水调歌头
水调歌头
八声甘州
八声甘州
八声甘州
八声甘州
念奴娇
念奴娇
念奴娇
满庭芳
满庭芳
满庭芳
满江红
满江红
应天长
定风波
定风波
定风波
定风波
江城子
江城子
江城子
江城子
江城子
江城子
竹马儿
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
永遇乐
永遇乐
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
临江仙
虞美人
虞美人
虞美人
虞美人
虞美人
虞美人
虞美人
虞美人
减字木兰花
减字木兰花
减字木兰花
木兰花
点绛唇
点绛唇
点绛唇
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
水龙吟
水龙吟
千秋岁
千秋岁
蓦山溪
清平乐
雨中花慢
南乡子
南乡子
南乡子
卜算子
卜算子
菩萨蛮
蝶恋花
醉蓬莱
南歌子
采桑子

FAQ

Where does Ye Mengde stand in the history of Song ci?

Ye Mengde, styled Shilin Jushi, is one of the representative ci poets of the Southern Song haofang school. His ci are infused with "qi"—heroic spirit, wildness, and untrammeled ease—with sincere feeling and spare language; he played a pioneering and pivotal role in the Southern Song ci world and is an important figure for understanding the stylistic shift at the turn of the two Songs.

*Shilin Ci* has only one hundred poems—is that a suitable amount to read?

A hundred poems is a moderate scale for reading a ci collection: it presents the author's range of subjects and styles without being too long to read through. It is suggested to finish it in several sessions of about ten poems each, which makes it easier to savor and review.

Can I read this book if I'm not familiar with ci prosody?

Yes. The feeling and language of the poems are accessible in themselves; you need not master prosody first. If you encounter difficulties, use annotations or reference books to learn the background and cipai, while keeping the focus on the character and emotional expression of the ci.

Comments

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About the author

叶梦得 Author

Ye Mengde was a literary figure of the Song dynasty. Public information about him is limited, and details such as his birth and death years, native place, and official career remain unverified. The library holds nine of his works, covering poetry, poetic criticism, notes, and essays, which shows the breadth of his writing. Representative works include Shilin Shihua (Remarks on Poetry from Shilin), Shilin Ci, Shilin Yanyu, Bishu Luhua, and the Jiankang Collection. Among them, Shilin Shihua comments on poetry in a leisurely manner, paying attention to phrasing and intention, and is one of the more influential works of Song poetic criticism. Shilin Ci is clear and graceful in style, often treating personal feelings and everyday scenery. Shilin Yanyu and Bishu Luhua are note-style works recording court and local observations, institutional lore, and reading reflections, possessing both historical and literary value. Overall, Ye Mengde's writing spans creative work and criticism, with varied subjects and a plain yet refined language, giving him a place in categories such as classical poetry, literary appreciation, and Eastern philosophy.