Discourses of the States (Guoyu)

Zuo QiumingShanghai Classics Publishing House · ChinaAug 2016

Rating 4.3
Word count
94K words
Chapters
44
ISBN
9787532573080

Tags

Eastern Philosophy Spring and Autumn StatesAristocratic PoliticsDiplomatic RhetoricRise and Fall of StatesRecorded SpeechesCourt Historian TraditionState-by-State History

Summary

Guoyu (Discourses of the States) is traditionally said to have been written by Zuo Qiuming, a historian of the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period. The book consists of twenty-one volumes, recording the historical events of eight states — Zhou, Lu, Qi, Jin, Zheng, Chu, Wu, and Yue — from the late years of the Western Zhou dynasty through the Spring and Autumn period. It is China's earliest history organized by individual states, a pioneering form in ancient Chinese historiography.

Editor's review

As a state-by-state historical record, Guoyu is often mentioned alongside Zuo Zhuan and is indispensable for the study of pre-Qin history. This Shanghai Classics Publishing House edition is based on the Qing scholar Dong Zengling's Guoyu Zhengyi, collated against multiple editions, and meticulously emended, offering readers a reliable and readable standard text. Far from a dry heap of historical data, the book uses the 'yu' (discourse) genre—chiefly dialogue and argument—to vividly record the history, speeches, and thought of the eight states of Zhou, Lu, Qi, Jin, Zheng, Chu, Wu, and Yue. Its narrative is lively, its rhetoric sharp, and its thought profound, combining historical value with literary appeal. From 'Shao Gong Remonstrates with King Li Against Suppressing Criticism' and its people-centered thought to 'Goujian Destroys Wu' and its strategy of biding one's time, the political wisdom, diplomatic strategy, and philosophy of life in the book still offer deep insight today. For modern readers, reading Guoyu is not only a process of tracing the origins of Chinese civilization and understanding 'what makes China China,' but also a dialogue across time with ancient sages. This edition's concise annotations effectively help non-specialist readers overcome textual obstacles and grasp the essence of the original.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. You may begin with the Zhou Yu and Lu Yu sections, which have a stronger Confucian flavor and are relatively easier to grasp intellectually.
  2. Reading it alongside the Zuo Zhuan allows for a more three-dimensional understanding of historical events and figures of the Spring and Autumn period.
  3. Focus on the book's outstanding remonstrations and dialogues to appreciate their art of argumentation and logical force.

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.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 卷 一
  3. 周语上
  4. 卷 二
  5. 周语中
  6. 卷 三
  7. 周语下
  8. 卷 四
  9. 鲁语上
  10. 卷 五
  11. 鲁语下
  12. 卷 六
  13. 齐语
  14. 卷 七
  15. 晋语一
  16. 卷 八
  17. 晋语二
  18. 卷 九
  19. 晋语三
  20. 卷 十
  21. 晋语四
  22. 卷 十一
  23. 晋语五
  24. 卷 十二
  25. 晋语六
  26. 卷 十三
  27. 晋语七
  28. 卷 十四
  29. 晋语八
  30. 卷 十五
  31. 晋语九
  32. 卷 十六
  33. 郑 语
  34. 卷 十七
  35. 楚语上
  36. 卷 十八
  37. 楚语下
  38. 卷 十九
  39. 吴语
  40. 卷 二十
  41. 越语上
  42. 卷 二十一
  43. 越语下
  44. 《国语》解叙 ［吴］韦昭

FAQ

What is the difference between the Guoyu and the Zuo Zhuan? The Zuo Zhuan is a chronological history with detailed narrative; the Guoyu is organized by state and focuses on recorded speech, especially the words of nobles of various states. The two can complement each other. The Guoyu is also known as the Outer Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals.
Does this edition include a vernacular translation? This is a punctuated and collated edition; the main text is the original, with brief annotations, and it does not provide a full vernacular translation. It is suitable for readers who wish to read the original directly and have some grounding in Classical Chinese.
What ideas are mainly reflected in the book? The Guoyu's thought is diverse, with Confucian people-oriented and ritual-governance ideas as its backbone, while also containing early seeds of Legalist and Diplomatist thought. It vividly reflects the intellectual vitality on the eve of the "Hundred Schools of Thought" during the Spring and Autumn period.

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About the author

Zuo Qiuming Author · Chinese

Zuo Qiuming was a historiographer and historian of the State of Lu in the late Spring and Autumn period. He served as Grand Historiographer of Lu and is traditionally credited with authorship of the Zuo Commentary and the Guoyu. His birth and death years cannot be verified with certainty, and public sources are limited; old claims such as 556–451 BCE and 502–422 BCE remain disputed. He is regarded as a founding figure of traditional Chinese historiography, and Confucius is said to have called him a gentleman. Judging from the works attributed to him, he excelled at combining narrative records with recorded speech to portray the rise and fall of the states during the Spring and Autumn period. His writing is meticulous in structure, vivid in character and dialogue, and valuable both as history and as literature. His works are commonly classed under Eastern philosophy, literary appreciation, historical reading, and documentary literature, and have deeply influenced later historical and biographical writing.