These are believed to be the oldest existing examples of chinese poetry. The collection includes refined folk songs, ritualistic poems, dynastic legends and hymns for ancestral temples. The classic of poetry, also shijing or shihching, translated variously as the book of songs, book of odes, or simply known as the odes or poetry is the oldest. Tradition says that it was edited into its present form by the sage of sages, confucius himself. The shih ching contains 305 songs, which tradition claims were selected by confucius.
Read the shi jing the book of odes, the oldest classic chinese scripture. Bilingual edition, english and chinese classic of poetry, book of songs ebook. The shihching, translated variously as the book of songs, book of odes, or simply known as the odes or poetry is the oldest existing collection of chinese poetry, comprising 305 works dating from the 11th to 7th centuries bc. Shih ching, translated variously as the classic of poetry, the book of songs or the book of odes, is the earliest existing collection of chinese poems.
Believed to be compiled by confucius, shih ching or book of odes is a collection of 305 poems, dating from to 600 bc. The book of odes, 1950 dark, dark be reed and rush, the white dew turns to frost. Subsequent confucian tradition held that the shijing collection was edited. The book of odes index internet sacred text archive. The shi king, the old poetry classic of the chinese online. The title shih ching is usually translated in english as the book of songs or sometimes as the odes. It was burned along with other confucian books in 2 b. Chinese literature begins with shijing book of odes, an anthology of songs, poems, and hymns. This is the unabridged translation of the book of odes the shih ching by james legge. The religious portions of the shih king wikisource, the. The classic of poetry, also shijing or shihching, translated variously as the book of songs, book of odes or simply known as the odes or poetry, is the oldest existing collection of chinese poetry, comprising 305 works dating from the 11th to 7th centuries bc. The earliest chinese poetry begins with the shih ching, a collection of 305 poems of varying length, drawn from all ranks of chinese society. Book of odes by confucius, free pdf, ebook global grey. The shih ching the book of poetry predates confucius by some three.
A complete translation by legge is also available at this site. It comprises 305 poems, some possibly written as early as bc. This selection of poems from the chinese book of odes appeared in the. The following poem is the first poem appearing in maos ordering of the shih ching, but is often numbered 87 in english versions of that anthology. The shih king or book of poetry, 1871 the reeds and the rushes grow green. The poem is about the speakers search for her love the speaker is assumed to be female. In fact the book was assembled before, during, and after the life of confucius. In its present form, the shih ching consists of three major sections, the kuo feng, or odes of the states, comprising 160 of the 300 are generally but not always folk songs. Shih ching book of odes, classic of poetry, an anonymous work of chinese literature written between the 11th and sixth centuries b. The book of odes, or shih ching, is one of the five classics from ancient china. It is one of the five classics traditionally said to have been compiled by confucius. Shijing book of songs or book of poetry or book of odes, also known as maoshi maos version of the book of songs is one of the confucian. To learn more about this famous collection of poems, click here. It is one of the five classics traditionally said to have been compiled by confucius, and has been studied and memorized by scholars in china and neighboring countries over two millennia.
The shih ching, usually translated as either the book of songs or the classic of poetry, is the first great collection of chinese poetry. This edition, scanned from a reprint published in shanghai in 1931,includes all of the english translations,as well as some of the introductory matter from the 1876 edition. This selection of poems from the chinese book of odes appeared in the wisdom of the east series. Classic of poetry, aka book of songs, book of odes, shijing, shihching or the sheking. The ya elegant verses subdivided with no obvious criteria into greater and lesser, include poems 161265, and the sung or temple odes high ritual songs and bits of dynastic myth, include poems 266305.
The book of poetry index internet sacred text archive. Legge translated the chinese book of odes,one of the five chinese classics, in 1876. Virtually every chinese student memorizes this poem. Shi jing article about shi jing by the free dictionary.