A Silver Treasury of Chinese Lyrics
A Silver Treasury of Chinese Lyrics
Edited by Alice W. Cheang
2003
186 pages
ISBN 962-7255-27-0
The song lyric (ci), which began as a form of minor divertissement in the urban pleasure quarters of eighth and ninth century China, evolved into a major, and then dominant, poetic form over the four centuries that followed. Though most of the original tunes are now lost, the lyric remains unrivalled among Chinese literary genres for musicality and sheer evocative power. It was also, until modern times, the preferred vehicle for the expression of romantic love.
The 128 poems in this collection are chosen to represent the genre's major stylistic developments and the varied talents of its best poets. These poems have been translated by some of the most respected scholars and translators in Chinese literary studies. Now English readers may share in the pleasure that the lyric has afforded its Chinese aficionados for over a thousand years.
A bilingual hardcover edition is also available in the Renditions Books series.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction — xi
Acknowledgements — xxxvii
Anonymous Songs from Dunhuang 敦煌曲子詞 — 1
The Phoenix Returns to the Clouds 鳳歸雲 — 2
The Pleasures of Playing Ball 拋球樂 — 3
Joyful Autumn Days 喜秋天 — 3
A Farewell to the Faeries 別仙子 — 4
Heavenly Barbarian (No. 1) 菩薩蠻 — 5
Heavenly Barbarian (No. 2) 菩薩蠻 — 5
Mountain Hawthorne 生查子 — 6
Audience at Golden Gate 謁金門 — 6
Riverbank Faery 臨江仙 — 7
The Sands at Silk-washing Creek 浣溪沙 — 7
The Huajian ji 花間集 — 8
Niu Xiji 牛希濟
Mountain Hawthorne 生查子 — 9
Huangfu Song 皇甫松
Remembering the South 憶江南 — 10
Waves Scour the Sands 浪淘沙 — 10
Ouyang Jiong 歐陽烱
The South Country 南鄉子 — 11
River Town 江城子 — 11
Yin E 尹鶚
Heavenly Barbarian 菩薩蠻 — 12
Wen Tingyun 溫庭筠 — 13
A Southern Song (No. 1) 南歌子 — 14
A Southern Song (No. 2) 南歌子 — 14
Heavenly Barbarian 菩薩蠻 — 15
Water Clock by Night 更漏子 — 16
Wei Zhuang 韋莊 — 17
Priestess of Taoist Mysteries (No. 1) 女冠子 — 18
Priestess of Taoist Mysteries (No. 2) 女冠子 — 18
Heavenly Barbarian (No. 1) 菩薩蠻 — 19
Heavenly Barbarian (No. 2) 菩薩蠻 — 19
Heavenly Barbarian (No. 3) 菩薩蠻 — 19
Feng Yansi 馮延巳 — 20
Butterflies Romancing the Flowers (No. 1) 蝶戀花 — 21
Butterflies Romancing the Flowers (No. 2) 蝶戀花 — 22
Picking Mulberry Leaves 采桑子 — 23
Li Yu 李煜 — 24
A Bushel of Pearls 一斛珠 — 26
Jade Tower Spring 玉樓春 — 27
Crows Cry in the Night (No. 1) 烏夜啼 — 28
Crows Cry in the Night (No. 2) 烏夜啼 — 28
Waves Scour the Sands (No. 1) 浪淘沙 — 29
Waves Scour the Sands (No. 2) 浪淘沙 — 29
The Beauteous Lady Yu 虞美人 — 30
Liu Yong 柳永 — 31
Magnolia Bloom 木蘭花令 — 33
Viewing the Tide 望海潮 — 34
Crane Rushes Heavenwards 鶴衝天 — 35
Lost Among Faeries 迷仙引 — 36
Jade Butterfly 玉蝴蝶 — 37
Empty the Cup 傾杯 — 38
Yan Shu 晏殊 — 39
The Sands at Silk-washing Creek 浣溪沙 — 40
Treading the Sedge 踏莎行 — 41
Willow by the Hillside Pavilion 山亭柳 — 42
Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修 — 43
A Southern Song 南歌子 — 45
Riverbank Faery 臨江仙 — 46
Waves Scour the Sands 浪淘沙 — 47
Picking Mulberry Leaves (No. 1) 采桑子 — 48
Picking Mulberry Leaves (No. 2) 采桑子 — 49
Su Shi 蘇軾 — 50
River Town (No. 1) 江城子 — 53
River Town (No. 2) 江城子 — 54
Prelude to Water Music 水調歌頭 — 55
The Charms of Niannu 念奴嬌 — 56
Courtyard Filled with Fragrance 滿庭芳 — 57
The Diviner 卜算子 — 58
Riverbank Faery 臨江仙 — 59
Feasting the Bridegroom 賀新郎 — 60
Butterflies Romancing the Flowers 蝶戀花 — 61
Yan Jidao 晏幾道 — 62
Partridge Weather (No. 1) 鷓鴣天 — 63
Partridge Weather (No. 2) 鷓鴣天 — 64
Jade Tower Spring 玉樓春 — 65
Huang Tingjian 黃庭堅 — 66
Pure Serene Music 清平樂 — 66
The Beauteous Lady Yu 虞美人 — 67
Qin Guan 秦觀 — 68
Courtyard Filled with Fragrance 滿庭芳 — 69
Eight Sixes 八六子 — 70
Much Ado 好事近 — 71
Zhou Bangyan 周邦彥 — 72
Youthful Diversions 少年遊 — 73
Jade Tower Spring 玉樓春 — 74
Butterflies Romancing the Flowers 蝶戀花 — 75
Courtyard Filled with Fragrance 滿庭芳 — 76
Virtuoso Piece 六醜 — 77
West River 西河 — 78
Li Qingzhao 李清照 — 79
Tipsy Under the Flowers 醉花陰 — 81
Heavenly Barbarian 菩薩蠻 — 82
The Sands at Silk-washing Creek 攤破浣溪沙 — 83
The Bliss of Eternal Union 永遇樂 — 84
A Southern Song 南歌子 — 86
Spring at Wuling 武陵春 — 87
Zhu Dunru 朱敦儒 — 88
Partridge Weather 鷓鴣天 — 89
Magnolia Bloom (short form) 減字木蘭花 — 90
Much Ado 好事近 — 91
The Charms of Niannu 念奴嬌 — 92
Chen Yuyi 陳與義 — 93
Riverbank Faery 臨江仙 — 94
Yue Fei 岳飛 — 95
The River Runs Red 滿江紅 — 96
Fan Chengda 范成大 — 97
Butterflies Romancing the Flowers 蝶戀花 — 98
Drunk, Down and Out 醉落魄 — 99
Enchanting Eyes 眼兒媚 — 100
Lu You 陸游 — 101
Phoenix Hairpin 釵頭鳳 — 103
Partridge Weather 鷓鴣天 — 104
Fisherman’s Pride 漁家傲 — 105
Night Revels in the Palace 夜遊宮 — 106
Faeries on the Magpie Bridge 鵲橋仙 — 107
Much Ado 好事近 — 108
The Diviner 卜算子 — 109
Xin Qiji 辛棄疾 — 110
Song of Zhu Yingtai 祝英臺近 — 112
Green Jade Wine Jar 青玉案 — 114
Pure Serene Music 清平樂 — 115
Picking Mulberry Leaves 采桑子 — 116
Spring in the Princess’s Garden 沁園春 — 117
West River Moon 西江月 — 119
Feasting the Bridegroom 賀新郎 — 120
Breaking Through the Ranks 破陣子 — 122
Partridge Weather 鷓鴣天 — 123
The Bliss of Eternal Union 永遇樂 — 124
Jiang Kui 姜夔 — 126
Treading the Sedge 踏莎行 — 128
The Charms of Niannu 念奴嬌 — 129
Dark Fragrance 暗香 — 131
Joyous as Heaven 齊天樂 — 132
Shi Dazu 史達祖 — 134
Perfumed Silks 綺羅香 — 135
Three Lovely Maidens 三姝媚 — 136
Dai Fugu 戴復古 — 137
Song of the Grotto Faery 洞仙歌 — 138
Pure Serene Music 清平樂 — 139
Liu Kezhuang 劉克莊 — 140
The River Runs Red 滿江紅 — 141
Jade Tower Spring 玉樓春 — 143
Pure Serene Music 清平樂 — 144
Wu Wenying 吳文英 — 145
The Oriole Song Sequence 鶯啼序 — 146
Wind Enters the Pines 風入松 — 148
The Sands at Silk-washing Creek 浣溪沙 — 148
Liu Chenweng 劉辰翁 — 149
Willow Tips A-greening 柳梢青 — 150
Precious Censer 寶鼎現 — 151
Jiang Jie 蔣捷 — 153
Swallows Nesting Under the Beams 燕歸梁 — 153
The Beauteous Lady Yu 虞美人 — 154
Feasting the Bridegroom 賀新郎 — 156
Wang Yisun 王沂孫 — 149
Bewitching Beauty 眉嫵 — 158
Joyous as Heaven 齊天樂 — 159
Zhang Yan 張炎 — 149
High Mount Yangtai 高陽臺 — 162
Courtyard Filled with Fragrance 滿庭芳 — 163
Master Ruan Returns 阮歸郎 — 164
Translators — 165
Chinese Texts — 171
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EDITOR(s)
Alice Cheang, the editor, specializes in the study of Song dynasty poetry. She received her B.A. in English literature from Yale University and her Ph.D. in Chinese literature from Harvard University.