Related News
Home » Sunday » Now and Then
唐诗 Beautiful words stand the test of time
February 17, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TEXTS THAT have SHAPED CHINA
Throughout China's long history, classic texts have played a vital role in shaping the country and the everyday lives of its people. They have provided academic learning, practical advice, instruction on how to live and given expression to hopes and dreams, joys and sorrows. In this series, we introduce classic texts, spanning more than 3,000 years, covering everything from science, mathematics and military strategy, through to religion, philosophy and art, literature and travel. Written by Zhang Ciyun, editor-in-chief of Shanghai Daily, these are the stories of China's classic texts, how they made their mark on the country and how their influence can often be felt to this day.
The Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) was one of the most prosperous times in China's history and it also produced the "golden age" of classic Chinese poetry.
During the nearly 300-year dynasty, China brought forth thousands of poets. Even today, about 2,300 of them still enjoy different degrees of popularity among Chinese speakers all around the world.
Of those, Li Bai, Du Fu and Bai Juyi remain widely regarded as the best.
Li (AD 701-762), who produced more than 1,000 poems during his lifetime, has been revered ever since he was christened an "immortal" and the "God of Poetry."
Many of Li's poems involve the moon and wine, one of his passions. And, according to a legend, he died because of his love of wine and the moon.
"On a Quiet Night" is one of Li's most famous moon poems.
"Moonlight paints the floor white in front of my bed,
I wonder whether it's the hoarfrost instead?
Looking up, I see the bright moon,
Looking down, I suddenly miss my hometown."
Li died of illness in AD 762 although some say he died from excessive drinking. But according to a legend, the "God of Poetry" drowned when, half drunk, he fell off a boat drifting along the Yangtze River while trying to scoop the moon out of the water.
Du (AD 712-770), another preeminent poet of the Tang Dynasty, is called the "Saint of Poetry" by many critics.
But unlike Li, who enjoyed a reputation as a star poet during his lifetime, Du was not recognized as an outstanding poet until nearly 130 years after his death.
Du is admired for his creativity, rich imagination, deep compassion, unfailing wit and humor. He is also sometimes called the "Poet of History" since he recorded the turbulent times in his poems.
Du often revealed his profound compassion for his fellow countrymen. In one of his most famous poems, "My Cottage Unroofed by Autumn Gales," the poet writes:
"How could I get thousands of capacious houses,
So I could provide shelter for all the poor under heaven.
And let them beam with smiles,
In wind and rain, these mansions would stand unshaken like mountains!
Alas, when such houses would appear in front of my eyes,
I'd be content if only my cottage collapses.
And I myself am frozen to death."
Bai (AD 772-846) wrote more than 2,800 poems during his lifetime, many of which were extremely popular at the time not only because they were so well written, but also because of their accessibility. It was said that Bai tended to copy and distribute his poems among friends and colleagues.
He was also known for his long narrative poems, such as the 60-line, 840-character "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow," which tells the story of a famous beauty and beloved consort of a Tang emperor.
Another well-known poem written by Bai is "The Song of the Pipa Player," which contains 616 characters.
Most Tang poems were written with either five or seven characters per line. And millions of Tang poems were compiled into books. The two most popular editions are the "Complete Poetry of Tang" and "Three Hundred Tang Poems." The former contains 42,863 poems and the latter "about" 300 poems.
One saying still popular today encourages people to read the Tang poems by claiming that "memorizing 300 Tang poems will turn you into a poet."
Another popular practice in China today is that many parents will teach their young children to recite Tang poems as soon as they can speak complete sentences.
Throughout China's long history, classic texts have played a vital role in shaping the country and the everyday lives of its people. They have provided academic learning, practical advice, instruction on how to live and given expression to hopes and dreams, joys and sorrows. In this series, we introduce classic texts, spanning more than 3,000 years, covering everything from science, mathematics and military strategy, through to religion, philosophy and art, literature and travel. Written by Zhang Ciyun, editor-in-chief of Shanghai Daily, these are the stories of China's classic texts, how they made their mark on the country and how their influence can often be felt to this day.
The Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) was one of the most prosperous times in China's history and it also produced the "golden age" of classic Chinese poetry.
During the nearly 300-year dynasty, China brought forth thousands of poets. Even today, about 2,300 of them still enjoy different degrees of popularity among Chinese speakers all around the world.
Of those, Li Bai, Du Fu and Bai Juyi remain widely regarded as the best.
Li (AD 701-762), who produced more than 1,000 poems during his lifetime, has been revered ever since he was christened an "immortal" and the "God of Poetry."
Many of Li's poems involve the moon and wine, one of his passions. And, according to a legend, he died because of his love of wine and the moon.
"On a Quiet Night" is one of Li's most famous moon poems.
"Moonlight paints the floor white in front of my bed,
I wonder whether it's the hoarfrost instead?
Looking up, I see the bright moon,
Looking down, I suddenly miss my hometown."
Li died of illness in AD 762 although some say he died from excessive drinking. But according to a legend, the "God of Poetry" drowned when, half drunk, he fell off a boat drifting along the Yangtze River while trying to scoop the moon out of the water.
Du (AD 712-770), another preeminent poet of the Tang Dynasty, is called the "Saint of Poetry" by many critics.
But unlike Li, who enjoyed a reputation as a star poet during his lifetime, Du was not recognized as an outstanding poet until nearly 130 years after his death.
Du is admired for his creativity, rich imagination, deep compassion, unfailing wit and humor. He is also sometimes called the "Poet of History" since he recorded the turbulent times in his poems.
Du often revealed his profound compassion for his fellow countrymen. In one of his most famous poems, "My Cottage Unroofed by Autumn Gales," the poet writes:
"How could I get thousands of capacious houses,
So I could provide shelter for all the poor under heaven.
And let them beam with smiles,
In wind and rain, these mansions would stand unshaken like mountains!
Alas, when such houses would appear in front of my eyes,
I'd be content if only my cottage collapses.
And I myself am frozen to death."
Bai (AD 772-846) wrote more than 2,800 poems during his lifetime, many of which were extremely popular at the time not only because they were so well written, but also because of their accessibility. It was said that Bai tended to copy and distribute his poems among friends and colleagues.
He was also known for his long narrative poems, such as the 60-line, 840-character "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow," which tells the story of a famous beauty and beloved consort of a Tang emperor.
Another well-known poem written by Bai is "The Song of the Pipa Player," which contains 616 characters.
Most Tang poems were written with either five or seven characters per line. And millions of Tang poems were compiled into books. The two most popular editions are the "Complete Poetry of Tang" and "Three Hundred Tang Poems." The former contains 42,863 poems and the latter "about" 300 poems.
One saying still popular today encourages people to read the Tang poems by claiming that "memorizing 300 Tang poems will turn you into a poet."
Another popular practice in China today is that many parents will teach their young children to recite Tang poems as soon as they can speak complete sentences.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
