The Dang Decade

AnonymousJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

4.7

Word count: 4.1K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

One of the ten-poem sections of the Major Odes in the Book of Songs, it is a Han poetry collection from the pre-Qin era.

Editor's review

Dang zhi Shi is one of the ten-poem sections of the Major Odes in the Book of Songs, a collection of Han poems handed down from the pre-Qin era. The term shi refers to the Book of Songs' arrangement in groups of ten, through which readers can glimpse the cyclic structure and ritual-musical context of early poetry. These poems mostly concern Zhou-dynasty politics, sacrifices, and human affairs; their language is archaic and their verse forms orderly, with a marked ceremonial and solemn quality. For today's readers, their value lies not in narrative but in offering a window onto pre-Qin social concepts and poetic forms: from diction and chapter structure to the manner of repeated chanting, one can feel the distinctive texture of early Chinese poetry. This book is printed and issued by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company and is suitable as a slice for thematic reading of the Book of Songs. Readers need not force themselves to finish it in one sitting; they may first choose one or two pieces for close reading, using annotations to understand the words and the meaning of each chapter, then read them aloud to experience their rhythm and solemnity.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical literature learners systematically reading the Book of Songs who wish to proceed section by section
University students interested in pre-Qin ritual-musical culture and early poetic forms
Chinese teachers or self-learners who need short classical texts for recitation practice

Not a good fit for

General readers who prefer modern vernacular and light narrative reading
In-depth researchers seeking detailed chapter-by-chapter translation and scholarly textual research

Reading tips

First choose one or two pieces for close reading; use annotations to grasp the words and chapter meaning, and do not be greedy for quantity.
Read aloud to feel the rhythm and solemn tone of four-character verse; this is more rewarding than silent reading.
Read alongside the overall framework of the Book of Songs to understand the shi arrangement and its ritual-musical background.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
○荡
○抑
○桑柔
○云汉
○崧高
○焌民
○韩奕
○江汉
○常武
○瞻卬
○召昮

FAQ

What does shi mean?

Shi is an organizational unit in the Book of Songs, usually grouping ten poems together, similar to a poetic cycle. Dang zhi Shi is a group of poems in the Major Odes arranged in this way.

Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Yes, but you will need annotations or a selected edition. It is advisable to start with an annotated translation and compare sentence by sentence; you need not understand every chapter's meaning at once.

What do these poems have to do with modern readers?

They record pre-Qin people's political ideas, sacrificial activities, and emotional expression. They are material for understanding the origins of Chinese poetry and can help readers experience the rhythm and solemnity of early language.

Comments

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.