Chants on Discussing the Sword

吕定Jul 2024

2.2

Word count: 2.1K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are especially distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are all vast and profound. This "Essence of the Chinese Classics" series preserves the original appearance of the texts 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 come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Shuo Jian Yin is included in the "Essence of the Chinese Classics" series, edited on the principle of preserving the original appearance of the text and emphasizing the presentation of traditional thought and culture in its original textual form. The title, with its "sword" and "chant," easily brings to mind the ancient scholar's ideal of cultivating both civil and martial arts and the tradition of recitation, but the book's real value lies more in its identity as a reader of original classics: the selected content serves to preserve and transmit traditional Chinese thought and culture rather than to provide modern scholarly annotation or popular stories. In reading, one comes directly into contact with the feel and conventions of ancient texts and appreciates the rhythm and diction of the sages' writing. For readers who wish to bypass second-hand interpretation and face the originals themselves, this "minimally processed" approach offers considerable room for personal reflection. It is suitable as a slow-reading book to keep at one's desk, taking a small passage at a time for careful tasting, consulting reference works for difficult words, and through repeated immersion experiencing the edification of traditional literature. Those expecting strongly plotted reading or systematic exposition should adjust their expectations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in original classics who wish to engage directly with traditional texts
Lovers of classical Chinese reading who enjoy slow, careful reading and are willing to look up words themselves
General readers who wish to cultivate character and temperament through the writings of ancient sages

Not a good fit for

Beginners in classical Chinese who expect vernacular translation and detailed annotation
Readers who prefer plot and seek a light reading experience
Researchers who need systematic scholarly exposition and background verification

Reading tips

Read only a small passage each time: first read through to sense the feel, then look up uncertain words one by one
Keep a dictionary of common classical Chinese characters at hand, consulting and marking unfamiliar places as you go
Read alongside similar original classics to appreciate differences in conventions and style between texts
After reading, summarize what you have gained in your own words to test whether you have truly understood the original meaning

版权信息
说剑吟

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no foundation in classical Chinese?

Not very. The book emphasizes preserving the original appearance of the text and does not focus on vernacular translation or detailed annotation, so readers without a foundation in classical Chinese may struggle with words and punctuation. It is advisable first to build some experience in reading classical Chinese through annotated anthologies, then attempt this kind of original-text reader.

What does "preserving the original appearance of the text" mean for reading?

It means that editorially the book makes as few modernizing changes as possible, retaining the original text's conventions, diction, and style. The benefit is direct access to the flavor of ancient texts; the cost is a higher threshold, requiring readers to use reference works themselves to resolve questions of wording and background.

How can one read it without giving up halfway?

Set small goals: read only a short passage each day, and after reading write one or two lines of notes recording your understanding or questions. Do not aim to finish the whole book at once; the point is sustained contact with the text and accumulation of feel for the language. If a passage is truly impenetrable, skip it for the time being and return to it later.

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About the author

吕定 Author

Lu Ding's biographical details are scarce: his courtesy name, native place, and dates of birth and death are all unrecorded, and public information about him is limited. Judging from the works that survive, he was an author who wrote in classical poetic forms. His writings were included by later anthologists in the Songshi Chao (Anthology of Song Poetry), where his collection appears under the title Zhong'an Ji Chao, and a separate work, Shuojian Yin (Chanting of the Sword), has also come down to us. These two works touch on both lyrical self-expression and documentary narrative; their language is compact, and their imagery often involves swords, scholars, and travel, revealing a vigorous yet somber tone. As a comprehensive anthology of Song poetry, the Songshi Chao has long been regarded as an important selection for the study of Song verse, and the inclusion of Lu Ding's work there indicates that the compilers considered his poetry somewhat representative. In the two works currently available, Lu Ding adheres to the metrical traditions of classical poetry while, in his documentary pieces, retaining attention to real life; his style tends toward the plain and forceful rather than the ornate. Because historical sources are lacking, his life, acquaintances, and creative background remain difficult to examine in detail, and readers may chiefly appreciate his poetic style through the works themselves.