Feihualing: Cypress cover

Feihualing: Cypress

Rating 3.5
Word count
58K words
Chapters
181
ISBN
9787520508650

Tags

Summary

Following the rules of feihualing, a traditional Chinese drinking game played with lines of classical poetry, this book selects 100 classic poems containing the character "柏" (cypress) by more than 70 poets. Each poem is accompanied by notes, a brief analysis, background information, and commentary from renowned critics, inviting readers on a lyrical journey through the world of classical poetry.

Well organized and illustrated, this is a popular cultural reader that combines knowledge, aesthetics, and cultural richness.

Editor's review

In classical poetry the character "柏" (cypress) appears less often than "柳" (willow) or "花" (flower), yet it carries its own weight: it is often paired with the pine as an emblem of integrity that endures the cold, and it also appears in settings such as tombs and temples, mountain monasteries, and ancient roads, lending a sense of solemnity and of time. This book follows the feihualing format, selecting 100 poems containing "柏" by more than 70 poets, each with notes, a brief analysis, background, and commentary from renowned critics, turning this relatively obscure character into a distinctive window. Its appeal lies in the freshness that the chosen character itself brings—the poets readers know well did not always write of cypress, and poems that do feature it often have a character all their own, so that browsing brings the pleasure of discovery: "So there is this one too." The notes and analyses are accessible, the background helps clarify what the poems refer to, and the critical commentary offers angles for appreciation. Illustrated throughout, the book suits both casual reading and reference. One caveat: an anthology organized around a single character is by nature discontinuous and is not meant to be read as a systematic history of poetry; but as a compact collection of poems on a single theme, to dip into over tea or after a meal, it lets readers savor all the more the pleasure of "a world in a single character."

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers interested in the pine-and-cypress imagery and in poems that use objects to express aspirations
  • Enthusiasts who want a fresh angle on classical poetry and to move beyond the usual characters
  • Language teachers looking for classroom material on less common characters or imagery themes
  • Casual readers who like to browse anthologies rather than read them systematically

Not a good fit for

  • Readers expecting a comprehensive, catalog-style reference covering every poem containing "柏"
  • Researchers who need character-by-character annotation, textual collation, and other scholarly apparatus
  • Readers who prefer continuous narrative or thematic essays and have little taste for the anthology format

Reading tips

  1. Read the background and brief analysis first, then return to the poem to grasp more quickly where the cypress stands in it.
  2. Read the poems on the pine-and-cypress virtues together to compare how different poets express their aspirations through the cypress.
  3. Don't skip unfamiliar poets; their inclusion usually means the poem has something distinctive.
  4. Read alongside other feihualing volumes to see how different themes work under the same rules of the game.

About the publisher

China Culture and History Press China · Founded in 1980

China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 解读飞花令
  3. 佚名
  4. 茑与女萝,施于松柏
  5. 如松柏之茂,无不尔或承
  6. 泛彼柏舟,亦泛其流
  7. 泛彼柏舟,在彼中河
  8. 平陵东,松柏桐,不知何人劫义公
  9. 遥看是君家,松柏冢累累
  10. 古墓犁为田,松柏摧为薪
  11. 白杨何萧萧,松柏夹广路
  12. 青青陵上柏,磊磊涧中石
  13. 刘桢
  14. 岂不罹凝寒?松柏有本性
  15. 陆机
  16. 坟垄日月多,松柏郁芒芒
  17. 刘琨
  18. 南山石嵬嵬,松柏何离离
  19. 谢灵运
  20. 柏梁冠南山,桂宫耀北泉
  21. 鲍照
  22. 不见柏梁铜雀上,宁闻古时清吹音
  23. 萧衍
  24. 果欲结金兰,但看松柏林
  25. 何逊
  26. 曲终相顾起,日暮松柏声
  27. 我心如松柏,君情复何似
  28. 徐惠
  29. 旧爱柏梁台,新宠昭阳殿
  30. 刘希夷
  31. 已见松柏摧为薪,更闻桑田变成海
  32. 孟浩然
  33. 旧曲梅花唱,新正柏酒传
  34. 李颀
  35. 枯桑老柏寒飕飗,九雏鸣凤乱啾啾
  36. 李白
  37. 万乘慎出入,柏人以为识
  38. 杜甫
  39. 摘花不插发,采柏动盈掬
  40. 丞相祠堂何处寻?锦官城外柏森森
  41. 孔明庙前有老柏,柯如青铜根如石
  42. 武侯祠堂不可忘,中有松柏参天长
  43. 岑参
  44. 柏台霜威寒逼人,热海炎气为之薄
  45. 泽国龙蛇冻不伸,南山瘦柏消残翠
  46. 韩愈
  47. 森然魄动下马拜,松柏一径趋灵宫
  48. 白居易
  49. 竹柏皆冻死,况彼无衣民
  50. 施肩吾
  51. 千年独鹤两三声,飞下岩前一枝柏
  52. 李贺
  53. 斜山柏风雨如啸,泉脚挂绳青袅袅
  54. 章孝标
  55. 木牛零落阵图残,山姥烧钱古柏寒
  56. 李商隐
  57. 谁料苏卿老归国,茂陵松柏雨萧萧
  58. 贯休
  59. 不能更折江头柳,自有青青松柏心
  60. 韦庄
  61. 柏台多半是狐精,兰省诸郎皆鼠魅
  62. 王仁裕
  63. 为有故林苍柏健,露华凉叶锁金飙
  64. 包佶
  65. 岁华唯陇柏,春事罢公桑
  66. 宋庠
  67. 仪世瑞鹓曾接翼,论交寒柏不知春
  68. 宋祁
  69. 无忽豫章材,行参柏梁构
  70. 梅尧臣
  71. 山下溪流照城郭,幽庭柏子风自落
  72. 棐柏移皆活,风霜不变青
  73. 韩维
  74. 松柏手自种,夏阴郁苍苍
  75. 曾巩
  76. 柏府地严方许国,芸台官冷但容身
  77. 司马光
  78. 松柏傥非生磊落,岩崖何易出峥嵘
  79. 翠色添崖柏,寒声拍涧冰
  80. 棘刺罥衣行路难,枯藤寿柏同樊援
  81. 苏轼
  82. 庭柏阴阴昼掩门,乌知有赦闹黄昏
  83. 不嫌雾谷霾松柏,终恐虹梁荷栋桴
  84. 但指庭前双柏石,要予临老识方壶
  85. 松柏月中老,猿猴物外啼
  86. 贺铸
  87. 驱车柏子冈,引首东南望
  88. 毛滂
  89. 柏叶椒花芬翠袖
  90. 陈瓘
  91. 身如古柏童童老,心似平江湛湛流
  92. 晁说之
  93. 乃见松与柏,不似柳与蒲
  94. 李弥逊
  95. 客来了不言,碧眼照庭柏
  96. 王洋
  97. 遥看古原上,松柏暮萧萧
  98. 陈与义
  99. 柏树解说法,桑叶能通禅
  100. 邓肃
  101. 老松古柏争清劲,社稷元勋李文正
  102. 张嵲
  103. 松柏萧萧九原路,高名常共建溪流
  104. 胡铨
  105. 一杯遥祝慈闱寿,松柏长春共有心
  106. 陆游
  107. 出岫孤云静,凌霜老柏青
  108. 范端臣
  109. 柏子得妙见,梅花有奇攀
  110. 范成大
  111. 竹柏森严立,蒲荷索莫休
  112. 周必大
  113. 可怜寂寞湘江路,磷走萤飞翠柏新
  114. 释宝昙
  115. 柏叶春齐初养麝,髯松岁晚复然脐
  116. 陈造
  117. 万木同一秋,松柏正也独
  118. 楼钥
  119. 依依山水佳,萧萧松柏声
  120. 薛扬祖
  121. 君诚松柏姿,何患不长春
  122. 丘处机
  123. 含风翠柏,双崖争长,千株竞秀
  124. 孙应时
  125. 由来松柏干,不争桃李春
  126. 洪咨夔
  127. 环蜀多宜柏,回龙独见松
  128. 刘克庄
  129. 柏下人埋将宿草,管城子秃已无花
  130. 未知坟上柏,此去几时栽
  131. 白玉蟾
  132. 开门放入前山翠,试把星儿柏子焚
  133. 赵崇嶓
  134. 秾华侈春艳,松柏凌霜雪
  135. 苏泂
  136. 陶山松柏日夜长,屋下儿孙渐满堂
  137. 谢枋得
  138. 雪中松柏愈青青,扶植纲常在此行
  139. 何梦桂
  140. 政自伤悲叹纬嫠,可堪重赋柏舟诗
  141. 王灼
  142. 大柏森森护盘石,老聃踞坐三人立
  143. 翁卷
  144. 香爇何年柏,芽煎未社茶
  145. 卫宗武
  146. 归来椒柏新,德人年未艾
  147. 孔梦斗
  148. 柏亦助道乡,每号风雨夕
  149. 卢珏
  150. 皇华礼遣荣花县,宣命恩浓出柏台
  151. 晁公溯
  152. 歌公竹枝词,举我柏叶觞
  153. 可旻
  154. 七重行树强松柏
  155. 佚名
  156. 椿龄柏算何须祝,名列仙班亦孔昭
  157. 淳藏王
  158. 数行大字贝多叶,一炷粗香古柏根
  159. 范令闻
  160. 柏在去弗宿,万安退而止
  161. 王讴
  162. 寂历松柏径,经过花草香
  163. 方回
  164. 摽梅迨吉年虽浅,泛柏维仪志不逾
  165. 轻鸥熟与风波狎,劲柏宁资粪壤栽
  166. 牟巘
  167. 自种秋柏实,离离满山翠
  168. 王冕
  169. 黄叶浑未落,乌柏最先红
  170. 张以宁
  171. 窗过梅花月,帘浮柏子烟
  172. 于谦
  173. 闲花野草尚葳蕤,风吹柏树将何为
  174. 陆容
  175. 性孤高似柏,阿娇金屋
  176. 王磐
  177. 东风小阁陡生凉,尽日浓薰柏子香
  178. 薛蕙
  179. 暂附松柏枝,终辞霜露色
  180. 王守仁
  181. 柏府楼台衔倒影,茅茨松竹泻寒声

FAQ

Poems on the character "柏" are rather obscure—will reading them be dull?
Precisely because they are obscure, they lack the repetition of familiar lines. The selected poems mostly concern pine-and-cypress imagery, meditations on the past, mountain monasteries, and integrity; their tone tends toward the solemn and crisp, with a character all their own. Reading them grouped by theme makes them easier to enter than reading straight through.
Is this book formatted the same way as the "杨" volume in the same series?
According to the available information, both were compiled by Suxin Luoxue and published by the same publisher in the same year. Both select 100 poems containing the designated character according to the feihualing rules, with notes, brief analyses, background, and commentary from renowned critics. The format is the same, so they can be read side by side.
Is the commentary on each poem written by the editor or taken from renowned critics?
The description says "commentary from renowned critics," which usually means selected appreciation by earlier scholars or famous critics rather than the editor's own writing. For specific sources and how they are attributed, check the notations in the book; look for source information after each commentary.
Is it suitable as a gift for a friend who loves poetry?
As a popular cultural reader, it is typically compact and elegantly illustrated, and its theme is distinctive—suitable for a friend interested in classical poetry who is not looking for academic depth. If the recipient prefers systematic collected works or scholarly studies, it may not be the best fit.

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About the author

素心落雪 Author · Chinese

Su Xin Luoxue is a young writer and Doctor of Literature who graduated from the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Beijing Normal University. A lover of classical poetry since childhood, she has long devoted herself to literature and history, and her writing is known for blending classical culture with modern sensibilities. The library currently holds twenty-eight of her works, represented by the Feihualing series of classical poetry appreciation books, with themes such as snow, the moon, flowers, plum blossom, autumn, chrysanthemum, summer, and spring; her works are commonly classified under literary appreciation and ancient poetry. Publicly available information about her birth and death dates, English name, and detailed biography is limited, so the present introduction rests mainly on her educational background and the character of her works. Her writing addresses general readers, using themed selections and commentary to guide them toward the imagery and emotions of classical poetry, building a bridge between tradition and the present and giving her a recognizable place among popular readings on classical poetry.

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