An Examination of the Book of Songs

Wang YinglinJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 30K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive, and literary. Early forms of thought are distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography—all are profound and extensive. This "Essence of Classic Chinese Studies: Original Texts of Cultural Distinction" series preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate character and subtly encounter the classics of Chinese studies.

Editor's review

Shi Kao is Wang Yinglin's work of textual criticism. It examines the names and objects, institutions, variant readings, and surviving doctrines of the Three Schools of the Book of Songs, embodying the rigorous Song-dynasty scholarly approach of using documents to verify the classics. This edition preserves the appearance of the original book, allowing readers direct access to the original expression of traditional scholarship. Its value lies not in offering popular appreciation but in showing how earlier scholars sorted out variant readings and textual lineages in the classics, which genuinely helps in understanding the evolution of Book of Songs scholarship. It is best read alongside the original text of the Book of Songs, noting the documentary basis of each textual note. There is no need to read it straight through; it can be used as a reference work to consult as needed. The content leans toward exegesis and the recovery of lost texts, and the language is archaic and terse, requiring some patience; but precisely for this reason it offers enthusiasts more solid textual training than ordinary popular works and is also suitable as auxiliary material for studying traditional cultural classics.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the text and textual history of the Book of Songs
Students and teachers of classical Chinese literature or bibliography
Enthusiasts of traditional culture accustomed to reading original classical texts and comfortable with classical Chinese
Readers who need to look up the surviving doctrines of the Three Schools of the Book of Songs and its names and objects

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a vernacular translation and literary appreciation of the Book of Songs
Readers impatient with classical Chinese textual criticism who prefer light reading
Readers seeking a systematic general history or introductory overview

Reading tips

First read through the original poems of the Book of Songs, then compare them with the textual notes in this book to understand what they verify.
Use the book as a reference work, consulting it by poem or keyword as needed rather than reading it straight through.
Keep notes while reading, recording variant readings and documentary sources for easy comparison.
Read it alongside an annotated edition of the Book of Songs to lower the threshold for understanding classical Chinese textual criticism.

版权信息
提要
自序
诗考

FAQ

What does Shi Kao mainly examine?

The book conducts documentary textual criticism around the Book of Songs, covering names and objects, institutions, variant characters, and the surviving doctrines of the Three Schools. It focuses on sorting out variant readings and origins in the classic text, embodying Wang Yinglin's scholarly method of using documents to verify the classics rather than offering literary appreciation of poetic meaning.

Can someone without a foundation in classical Chinese read this book?

The language is archaic and terse, and the content leans toward exegesis and the recovery of lost texts, so readers without a foundation in classical Chinese will find it difficult. It is advisable first to acquire some ability to read classical Chinese and to read alongside the original text of the Book of Songs and a standard annotated edition before turning to the textual notes, which will make understanding much smoother.

Is this book suitable for reading straight through or for consultation?

It is better suited to consultative reading. The entries address specific questions and are fairly independent of one another, so readers can search by poem or keyword without reading from beginning to end. Using it as an auxiliary reference work for studying the Book of Songs is more efficient.

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About the author

Wang Yinglin Author · Chinese · 1223–1296

Wang Yinglin (1223–1296), courtesy name Bohou and art name Shenning Jushi, was a native of Yin County in Qingyuan Prefecture (present-day Ningbo, Zhejiang). A Southern Song scholar, educator, and statesman, he rose to the posts of Minister of Rites and concurrently Supervising Secretary. He followed Zhu Xi's learning and excelled in evidential research, covering the classics, history, philology, and textual scholarship. After the fall of the Song, he lived in retirement for twenty years, devoting himself to writing. His works include Kunxue Jiwen, Yuhai, and Xiaoxue Ganzhu. Kunxue Jiwen, in note form, examines the classics and histories and clarifies terms and institutions, reflecting his empirical and broad-minded approach and influencing later evidential scholarship. The primer Sanzi Jing is traditionally attributed to him; its plain language and clear structure made it widely circulated as an important traditional text for elementary education. This site holds 11 of his works, spanning philosophy, Eastern philosophy, culture, literary appreciation, and classic works.