Tan'an's Ci Poems

赵师使Oct 2025

Rating 3.6

Word count: 13K words
Chapters: 150

Summary

Contains 149 poems. The author, Zhao Shishi, styled Tan'an, was a Southern Song ci poet who served in office in several places. His work is distinguished by three features. First, he excels at expressing feeling through natural scenery, as in “Beyond the clear, shallow river's flow, / The hills half show, half hide” for a grand vista, and “The guttering candle, / The old peach-wood charms” for year-end reflection. Second, his language is plain and natural, his feeling sincere, combining the open-mindedness of “Life is but a sojourn, / The ways of the world shift with the times” with the delicacy of “Grief of parting grows dark; / Stay not your departing steps.” Third, his subjects stay close to life, mostly recording everyday travels and gatherings, in a style both refined and accessible, truthfully reflecting the life and mood of mid-level literati of the day.

Editor's review

Tan'an Ci collects 149 ci poems by Zhao Shishi, a fine window into the everyday inner world of mid-level Southern Song literati. Zhao, styled Tan'an, held office in several places, and his poems mostly draw on travels, gatherings, and seasonal reflections; descriptive lines such as “Beyond the clear, shallow river's flow, / The hills half show, half hide” open up a broad vista, while lyrical touches like “The guttering candle, / The old peach-wood charms” stay close to the details of daily life. The language is plain and natural throughout, unadorned, both open-minded and delicate—there is the equanimity of “Life is but a sojourn, / The ways of the world shift with the times,” and the lingering tenderness of farewell scenes. For readers who have already read the major poets such as Su Shi and Xin Qiji and wish to understand the general literary landscape of the Southern Song, this individual collection offers a relatively authentic sample. It may best be read as a Southern Song literatus's notebook of daily life—no need to hunt for famous lines; the point is to savor its everyday flavor and the atmosphere of the age.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical literature enthusiasts with a basic grasp of Southern Song ci poetry who wish to broaden their reading
Poetry readers who like plain, natural language and everyday lyrical subjects
Students of literature and history researching the life and social circles of mid-level Southern Song literati
General readers who want short ci poems for fragmented reading time

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting famous works of the bold and unconstrained school or canonical masterpieces of ci history
Readers who prefer strong dramatic conflict and intense emotional expression
Complete beginners with no classical Chinese reading ability who need line-by-line vernacular translation

Reading tips

Read through once, marking scenic and reflective poems, then reread closely grouped by subject
When reading each poem, note the time and place in prefaces or titles to reconstruct the author's travel scenes
Read alongside historical background on the Southern Song to understand the context of official travel and seasonal reflection
No need to memorize; copy out lines you like to build a feel for the language

版权信息
万年欢
水调歌头
水调歌头
☆水调歌头
☆水调歌头
水调歌头
水调歌头
水调歌头
水调歌头
满江红
满江红
满江红
满江红
满江红
沁园春
酹江月
酹江月
酹江月
酹江月
酹江月
酹江月
酹江月
促拍满路花
促拍满路花
永遇乐
永遇乐
永遇乐
风入松
凤凰阁
蝶恋花
蝶恋花
蝶恋花
蝶恋花
蝶恋花
蝶恋花
蝶恋花
蝶恋花
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
鹧鸪天
柳梢青
柳梢青
柳梢青
柳梢青
柳梢青
柳梢青
柳梢青
柳梢青
柳梢青
柳梢青
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
浣溪沙
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
菩萨蛮
好事近
好事近
醉蓬莱
汉宫春
厅前柳
厅前柳
诉衷情
诉衷情
一剪梅
一剪梅
朝中措
朝中措
朝中措
朝中措
朝中措
朝中措
点绛唇
☆点绛唇
点绛唇
扑蝴蝶
醉桃源
醉桃源
醉桃源
贺圣朝
踏莎行
踏莎行
忆秦娥
武陵春
武陵春
清平乐
清平乐
清平乐
鹊桥仙
鹊桥仙
鹊桥仙
鹊桥仙
谒金门
谒金门
谒金门
谒金门
谒金门
谒金门
东坡引
东坡引
东坡引
生查子
生查子
生查子
生查子
生查子
少年游
少年游
小重山
霜天晓角
霜天晓角
江南好
关河令
关河令
采桑子
采桑子
浪淘沙
浪淘沙
浪淘沙
双头莲令
画堂春
南柯子
西江月
西江月
洞仙歌
南乡子
行香子
卜算子
卜算子
卜算子
卜算子
卜算子
伊洲三台

FAQ

Can I read Tan'an Ci without any background in ci studies?

Yes, but you need some grounding in classical Chinese. Zhao Shishi's language is plain and rarely uses obscure allusions, so the barrier is not high. It is best to first grasp the literal meaning with an annotated edition or reference works, then savor the feeling, rather than seeking deep artistic analysis from the start.

What is the standing of Zhao Shishi's ci in Southern Song poetry?

The materials do not mention his place or influence in ci history. Judging from the extant works, he belongs to the ordinary literati poets of the Southern Song; his poems truthfully reflect the life and mood of mid-level literati and are better read as supplementary material for understanding the overall landscape of Southern Song ci than as canonical masterpieces.

What are the poems in this book mainly about?

Mostly everyday travels, gatherings, and seasonal reflections; he excels at expressing feeling through natural scenery, in a style both refined and accessible. There are grand landscape descriptions as well as delicate reflections on year-end festivals, generally close to life and with few grand narratives.

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About the author

赵师使 Author

Zhao Shishi is an author in the field of classical Chinese poetry, with only one surviving work attributed to him: Tan'an Ci. Public records are limited regarding his native place, dates of birth and death, and biographical details, making it difficult to know his life story in any detail. Judging from the extant work, Tan'an Ci belongs to the ci form of composition, with themes centering on the feelings, scenery, and sentiments common to traditional literati. Its language is elegant and restrained, with attention to the creation of atmosphere and the controlled expression of emotion. Although the small number of surviving works makes it hard to trace a complete arc of authorship, Tan'an Ci still provides a basic basis for later readers to understand his style as a ci writer. In the compilation and study of related poetic materials, Zhao Shishi is generally placed among classical ci poets, and his work is collected and preserved as part of the documentary record of ci scholarship.