Classical Chinese Poetry: The Book of Songs / 詩經 (1046–771 BC)

The 詩經 or Shijing (alternately known as the "Classic of Poetry", "The Book of Songs", and other names) is the oldest collection of poetry in world literature and a cornerstone of Chinese cultural heritage. Compiled between the 11th and 6th centuries BC, it preserves 305 poems that capture the voices of early Zhou society — from folk songs sung in villages to ceremonial hymns performed at ancestral rites and political odes composed for rulers. Centuries later, the Shijing would become central to Confucian philosophy and re-interpreted (some would argue mis-interpreted) as a guide to moral cultivation, social order, and ritual propriety.

The collection's verses — simple yet profound — cover themes of daily life, love, family, longing, work, nature, and politics, offering insight into both the inner lives of common people and the ideals of rulers. It has deeply influenced Chinese literature, philosophy, culture, and aesthetics for over three millennia.

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This is a series of meetups to discuss the rich tradition of classical Chinese poetry. We'll begin by live reading (in English translation, and optionally in Chinese) the poems contained in Michael Fuller's An Introduction to Chinese Poetry: From the Canon of Poetry to the Lyrics of the Song Dynasty (2018, Harvard University Press) — the format of this book including its multiple translations of each poem is excellent. Then the series will dive deeper into particular movements, poets, and themes.

At this meetup (Aug 29), we will start at the beginning with selections from the 詩經 or The Book of Songs, a collection of poetry dated to 1046–771 BC from the cultural region of the Zhou Dynasty. A pdf of the Fuller book is here if you want to follow along. The complete Chinese text (with middling translations) is available on the Chinese Text Project and a decent English translation of all the poems is here (we can also read from this if we have time).

On a personal note, I think the poetry in the Book of Songs is remarkable and I look forward to reading and discussing these together!