Ci Studies (with Two Other Works)

Name: Ci Studies (with Two Other Works)
ISBN: 9787532598038

梁启勋 / Li ZhiqiangShanghai Classics Publishing House · ChinaMay 2021

4.3

Word count: 168K words
Chapters: 28
ISBN: 9787532598038

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Summary

Liang Qixun was a renowned ci scholar of twentieth-century China. Together with Xia Jingguan, Liu Yupan, Wu Mei, Wang Yi, Wang Dong, Gu Sui, Ren Ne, Chen Feishi, Liu Yongji, Cai Zhen, Yu Pingbo, Xia Chengtao, Tang Guizhang, Long Yusheng, Zhan Antai, Zhao Wanli, and others, he belonged to the Zhu–Kuang lineage. Completed in 1931, Cixue is Liang Qixun's pioneering work in the field of ci studies. Its general introduction states: “Learning evolves through successive change, and so becomes progress. Rhymed prose is likewise a form of learning and cannot be exempt from this universal law.” The book examines the development and transformations of ci and its place in the long course of Chinese literature through the lens of evolution. Immediately after completing Cixue, Liang Qixun began writing An Introduction to Chinese Rhymed Prose, applying the patterns and conclusions drawn from his ci studies to the study of the entire history of Chinese rhymed prose. Taking genre as the framework and writers and works as the warp and weft, it focuses on the evolution of the various forms of rhymed prose and their interrelations, imbued throughout with an evolutionary and developmental perspective. Completed in 1956, Cixue Quanheng is a condensed and simplified version of Cixue and An Introduction to Chinese Rhymed Prose, popular in nature and intended as an introductory textbook. For this edition, Cixue is based on the 1985 Beijing Chinese Bookstore photoreprint of the Jingcheng Printing House typeset edition; Cixue Quanheng is based on the 1964 Shanghai Bookstore typeset edition; and An Introduction to Chinese Rhymed Prose is based on the 1938 Commercial Press typeset edition. The three are combined in one volume as Cixue (with Two Other Works).

Editor's review

Cixue (with Two Other Works) is the representative work of the modern scholar Liang Qixun in the field of ci studies, meticulously edited and published by Shanghai Classics Publishing House. The main text, Cixue, systematically surveys the origins, formal structures, tonal prosody, compositional methods, and evolution of schools of ci, with rigorous arguments and solid textual scholarship, displaying the author's deep grounding in traditional Chinese learning and clear scholarly lineage. The two accompanying works, Manshu Studio Random Notes and A Critical Commentary on Xin Qiji's Ci, offer valuable materials from the angles of miscellaneous notes and dedicated textual exegesis respectively, providing anecdotes about ci poets, insights into creative practice, and textual collation. The three complement one another, forming a three-dimensional and richly detailed picture of ci studies. As the younger brother of Liang Qichao, Liang Qixun had profound family scholarly roots; his research inherits the rigor of Qing philology while incorporating the perspectives of modern scholarship, showing particular originality in prosodic analysis and the construction of ci history. For modern readers, this book is not only a reliable guide into the world of classical ci studies but also affords a glimpse of a traditional scholarly style that integrates learning with temperament, and textual criticism with appreciation. Reading it requires quiet concentration, but the reward is a deeper understanding of and resonance with ci as an exquisite literary form.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in classical Chinese poetry, especially Song ci, who wish to gain a systematic understanding of its prosody, development, and aesthetics.
University students in Chinese literature or researchers in related fields, for whom it can serve as a classic introductory or supplementary reference in ci studies.
Readers who love traditional culture and appreciate the scholarly style of Republican-era scholars, which blends erudition with personal sensibility.
Poetry enthusiasts with some grounding in appreciation who wish to improve their own creative or critical abilities.

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment or quick, bite-sized knowledge; the book is fairly specialized and requires patient study.
Complete beginners unfamiliar with classical literature and uninterested in learning its basic terminology and background, who may find it daunting.

Reading tips

It is recommended to first read through the main body of Cixue to establish a basic framework of ci studies, then explore the two accompanying works for expansion and deepening.
While reading, one may compare with the original classic ci works mentioned in the book; combining theory with practice will make the experience more profound.
For specialized sections on prosody and ci tablatures, there is no need to rush; one may ponder them repeatedly or consult reference works to digest them gradually.

About the publisher

Shanghai Classics Publishing House China · Founded in 1956

Shanghai Classics Publishing House is a professional publisher centered on the collation of ancient texts and academic research works. Its publishing areas cover historical readings, classical poetry, folk literature, literary appreciation, canonical works, and Eastern philosophy. Its books include Chen Yinke's A Brief Discussion of the Origins of the Sui and Tang Institutions, Xin Qiji's Chronological Annotated Edition of Jiaxuan's Ci (Simplified Edition), Tang Xianzu's The Peony Pavilion, Liu Xie's The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, as well as New Annotations to Three Hundred Tang Poems (Collector's Edition), Annotated Edition of Han Changli's Collected Works (Simplified Edition, 3 volumes), and Youyang Zazu. Its authors include Chen Yinke, Xin Qiji, Tang Xianzu, Liu Xie, Deng Guangming, Hengtang Tuishi, Han Yu, and Ma Qichang. In terms of publishing characteristics, the house emphasizes collation, annotation, and compilation of ancient texts alongside academic research works, and continues to issue simplified and collector's editions that balance scholarship and accessibility. Public information about the publisher's fuller publishing profile is limited.

版权信息
前言
凡例
词学
例言
上编
下编
词学铨衡
一、绪论
二、词曲韵律之由来
三、词曲与韵律的举例
四、词之变化
五、词之特殊规律
六、词在文学上之地位
七、余韵
中国韵文概论
序
总论
骚
赋
七
骈文
律赋
诗
乐府
词
曲
附录：林宰平先生评

FAQ

What is the book's Douban rating?

Upon checking, the book currently has no public rating on Douban. It is a fairly specialized academic work, but its author and publisher enjoy high reputations in the relevant field.

What exactly are the 'two other works'?

The 'two other works' are two additional works by Liang Qixun appended after the main text of Cixue: Manshu Studio Random Notes and A Critical Commentary on Xin Qiji's Ci. The former is a collection of scholarly notes, and the latter is a textual study and commentary on Xin Qiji's ci.

Is this book suitable for readers with no background at all?

As a systematic treatise on ci studies, the book assumes readers have the most basic familiarity with classical literature. Readers with absolutely no background may encounter terminological obstacles at first; it is suggested they start with more accessible introductory works on poetry appreciation before tackling this book.

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About the author

梁启勋 Author

Verifiable biographical information about Liang Qixun is limited: his birth and death years, native place and educational background are not clearly recorded. What can be confirmed is that three works appear under his name. In subject matter he worked in two areas, ci studies and informal essays. On the one hand, he compiled and annotated the ci poems of Xin Qiji (Jiaxuan), working in the traditional vein of textual collation and appreciation, with attention to wording, allusion and the circumstances of composition. On the other hand, he wrote miscellaneous essays in a freer style, close to reading and everyday observation. The two kinds of writing address different readers, yet both show a sustained interest in traditional literati taste and literary pursuits. On present evidence, his influence lies mainly in his ci scholarship, consulted by later students, and in his essays as a personal record of reflections.

Li Zhiqiang Author · Chinese · 1967

Li Zhiqiang, born in 1967, is a first-class lawyer in Shanghai and a founding partner of Jin Mao Partners. He served as the 30th president of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and has long practiced law in international investment, financing and capital markets. Beyond his legal profession, he has authored and edited more than thirty works, including The Lawyer's Stage, Entering the Lawyer's Door and Legal Practice in Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions. His interests span a wide range of fields; eleven of his titles are held in this collection, covering popular science, social culture, literary appreciation, medicine, documentary writing and law. These include several volumes on Lepidoptera in the Nanling Insect Fauna, Macao Moths and A Checklist of Insects of Guangdong, as well as textual studies of ci poetry such as An Annotated Edition of Xin Qiji's Ci and Studies of Ci Poetry (with Two Other Works). He also contributed to medical practice writing in Clinical Single-Disease Transfusion, and recorded the oral history of construction workers in Our "Breath of Pride" Bridge: Interviews with Builders of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge.