Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations - From Antiquity to the Tang Dynasty

The summation of more than two thousand years of one of the world's most august literary traditions, this volume also represents the achievements of four hundred years of Western scholarship on China. The selections include poetry, drama, fiction, songs, biographies, and works of early Chinese philosophy and history rendered in English by the most renowned translators of classical Chinese literature: Arthur Waley, Ezra Pound, David Hawkes, James Legge, Burton Watson, Stephen Owen, Cyril Birch, A. C. Graham, Witter Bynner, Kenneth Rexroth, and others.
Arranged chronologically and by genre, each chapter is introduced by definitive quotes and brief introductions chosen from classic Western sinological treatises. Beginning with discussions of the origins of the Chinese writing system and selections from the earliest "genre" of Chinese literature -- the Oracle Bone inscriptions -- the book then proceeds with selections from:
. early myths and legends;
. the earliest anthology of Chinese poetry, the Book of Songs;
. early narrative and philosophy, including the I Ching, Tao-te Ching, and the Analects of Confucius;
. rhapsodies, historical writings, magical biographies, ballads, poetry, and miscellaneous prose from the Han and Six Dynasties period;
. the court poetry of the Southern Dynasties;
. the finest gems of Tang poetry; and
. lyrics, stories, and tales of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties eras.
Special highlights include individual chapters covering each of the luminaries of Tang poetry: Wang Wei, Li Bo, Du Fu, and Bo Juyi; early literary criticism; women poets from the first to the tenth century C.E.; and the poetry of Zen and the Tao.
Bibliographies, explanatory notes, copious illustrations, a chronology of major dynasties, and two-way romanization tables coordinating the Wade-Giles and pinyin transliteration systems provide helpful tools to aid students, teachers, and general readers in exploring this rich tradition of world literature.

List of contents

Foreward by Cyril Birch Editors' Introduction Part 1: Before the Han Dynasty (to 206 BC) Chapter 1. Pattern and Sign: The Chinese Language Chapter 2. Heavenly Questions: Early Myths and Legends Chapter 3. The Book of Songs: The Earliest Anthology of Chinese Poetry Chapter 4. The Source: Prose of the Ancients: Early Narrative and Philosophy Chapter 5. The Songs of the South: Shamanism and Poetry Part 2: The Han Dynasty and the Period of Disunion Chapter 6. Red and Purple Threads: Rhapsodies from the Han and Six Dynasties Chapter 7. Mortals and Immortals: Historical and Pseudo-Historical Writings from the Han and Six Dynasties Chapter 8. We Fought South of the City Wall: Ballands and Folksongs of the Han and Six Dynasties Chapter 9. Tigers Setting the Wind Astir: Poets of the Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties Chapter 10. Bamboo Grove, Golden Valley, Orchid Pavilion: Coteries of the Third and Fourth Centuries Chapter 11. Tao Yuanming (365-427): The Gentleman of the Five Willow Trees Chapter 12. The Murmuring Stream and the Weary Road: Xie Lingyun and Bao Zhao Chapter 13. New Songs from a Jade Terrace: Court Poetry of the Southern Dynasties Chapter 14. Green Bag and Yellow Covers: A Miscellany of Prose from the Han and Six Dynasties Chapter 15. The Carving of Dragons: Early Literary Criticism Chapter 16. Spirits and Humors: Strange Tales from the Six Dynasties Part 3: The Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties (589-960) Chapter 17. The Great River: Poets of the Early Tang Chapter 18. Wang Wei (701-761): Poet and Painter Chapter 19. Li Bo (701-762): The Banished Immortal Chapter 20. Du Fu (712-770): The Sage of Poetry Chapter 21. Spring, River, Flowers, Moon, Night: Poets of the High Tang Chapter 22. Stones Where the Haft Rotted: Poets of the Mid Tang Chapter 23. Bo Juyi (772-846): Madly Singing in the Mountains Chapter 24. The Patterned Lute: Poets of the Late Tang Chapter 25. Red Leaf: Women Poets from the First Century B.C. to the Tenth Century A.D. Chapter 26. Cold Mountain: Poetry of Zen and the Tao Chapter 27. Return to the Source: Essays of the Tang Dynasty Chapter 28. The World in a Pillow: Classical Tales of the Tang Dynasty Chapter 29. Turning the Scrolls: Ballads and Stories from Dunhuang Chapter 30. Among the Flowers: Lyrics of the Tang and Five Dynasties

About the author

Edited by John Minford and Joseph S. M. Lau

Summary

The summation of more than two thousand years of one of the world's most august literary traditions, this volume also represents the achievements of four hundred years of Western scholarship on China. The anthology includes over a thousand selections from the most renowned translators-including Ezra Pound, Cyril Birch, and Burton Watson.

Product details

• Authors: John Minford, John Lau Minford
• Assisted by: Joseph Lau (Editor), Joseph S. M. Lau (Editor), John Minford (Editor), Minford John (Editor)
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 27.03.2002
• EAN: 9780231096775
• ISBN: 978-0-231-09677-5
• No. of pages: 1248
• Series: Classical Chinese Literature;
• Subjects: Fiction > Mixed anthologies; LITERARY COLLECTIONS / General, Anthologies: general, Anthologies (non-poetry)