The Book of Songs: Translation and Annotation
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Summary
Editor's review
Compared with editions that emphasize academic textual research, this book lays greater stress on "readability" and "popular accessibility," making it an excellent bridge to guide modern readers into the world of the Book of Songs. Readers can not only appreciate the sweetness of "guan guan, the fish hawks cry" and the vastness of "thick grow the reeds," but also, through Mr. Zhou's clear and fluent interpretations, touch the life, emotions, and wisdom of the ancients. The book is clearly organized: each poem includes the original text, a translation, and annotations, making comparison easy. Whether as a text for literary appreciation or as a window onto the history and culture of the pre-Qin period, this An Annotated Translation of the Book of Songs displays a lasting and profound charm.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Beginning and advanced readers with a strong interest in classical Chinese poetry and traditional culture
- Learners who wish to read the Book of Songs systematically and need reliable translations and concise annotations to aid understanding
- Middle school, high school, and university students and Chinese-language teachers, who can use it as quality extended reading and a teaching reference
- Readers seeking an authoritative, readable edition of the Book of Songs for daily reading and personal cultivation
Not a good fit for
- Professional researchers seeking extremely detailed academic textual research and cutting-edge scholarly views
- Readers hoping for abundant illustrations, vernacular story adaptations, or highly personalized interpretations
Reading tips
- First read through the translation to take in the overall imagery and rhythm of the poems, then savor the original text in detail with the annotations
- There is no need to follow the order strictly; read selectively by the "Feng," "Ya," and "Song" categories, or begin with pieces you already know
- While reading, consider the historical background and try reading the original aloud to experience its linguistic musicality as song lyrics
About the publisher
Zhonghua Book Company is a publisher known for collating ancient texts and academic publishing, with its output centered on Eastern philosophy, culture, classic works, art, and historical reading. Its library contains 532 titles, including Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Qingfan's Collected Commentaries on Zhuangzi, the four-volume Chinese Literature: Four Great Classical Novels, and the two-volume Table of Seal and Clerical Script Forms from Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin. These titles span historical classics, commentaries on the philosophers, classical novels, and philological reference works. Representative authors include Chen Shou, Guo Qingfan, Wu Cheng'en, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Xu Wenwu, and the Hanyu Dazidian character-form group, reflecting a focus on primary sources and scholarly editors. Its publishing character lies in combining authoritative editions and annotated texts with both accessible classics and specialized research. Public information on its fuller catalog is limited; this note describes only the directions evident in the library's holdings.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 引言
- 卷一
- 国风
- 周南
- 召南
- 卷二
- 国风
- 邶风
- 鄘风
- 卫风
- 王风
- 卷三
- 国风
- 郑风
- 齐风
- 魏风
- 唐风
- 秦风
- 陈风
- 桧风
- 曹风
- 豳风
- 卷四
- 小雅
- 鹿鸣之什
- 白华之什
- 彤弓之什
- 卷五
- 小雅
- 祈父之什
- 小旻之什
- 北山之什
- 卷六
- 小雅
- 桑扈之什
- 都人士之什
- 卷七
- 大雅
- 文王之什
- 生民之什
- 荡之什
- 卷八
- 颂
- 周颂清庙之什
- 周颂臣工之什
- 周颂闵予小子之什
- 鲁颂
- 商颂
- 《诗经译注》修订本后记
FAQ
Is the translation in this edition literal or free?
How academically deep are the annotations? Are they suitable for beginners?
What are the main differences between this book and other Zhonghua Book Company annotated editions of the Book of Songs (such as Cheng Junying's)?
Comments
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About the author
Zhou Zhenfu (1911–2000), whose formal name was Linrui, was a native of Pinghu, Zhejiang, and a renowned scholar of literature and history as well as an editor. He worked for many years at Kaiming Bookstore, China Youth Publishing House and Zhonghua Book Company, serving successively as editor and senior editor, and edited such works as Guan Zhui Bian and Tan Yi Lu. Beyond his editorial work, he devoted himself to the study and popularization of classical poetry, prose composition and rhetoric, authoring works including Examples of Shi and Ci, Examples of Prose, and A History of Chinese Rhetoric, as well as a ten-volume Collected Works of Zhou Zhenfu. His annotated translations such as the Shijing and Zhouyi, and his appreciative studies including Selected Works of Li Shangyin and Appreciation of Mao Zedong's Poetry, combine scholarship with readability and have had a broad influence on the collation and transmission of classical Chinese culture.
