In China, the written word began to be called "wen" (drawing, ornament) from the 6th century BC.
Here I note that the "hieroglyph" familiar to everyone from the school desk is not of Eastern but of Greek origin, as for the Chinese hieroglyphic writing, in the opinion of many scholars, it arose from fortune-telling signs.
Since ancient times, poems have been written in the shi (song) genre. Hence the name of the book of folk songs - "Shijing". "Shijing" is one of the five ancient canonical books of China, the so-called "Pentateuch", which also includes "Yi Ching" ("Book of Changes"), "Shujing" ("Book of History"), "Liji" ("Book of Ritual") and "Yueji" ("Book of Music"). The Shijing collection contains folk songs written in an ancient four-word verse, that is, a verse consisting of four hieroglyphs. Later, the poets will add another hieroglyph to the verse, developing a five-word verse, new for Chinese poetry, more flexible, melodious and expressive, close to colloquial speech.
The reason for the Chinese poem was almost always a memory and often - about the famous work of the great predecessor poet, known from childhood; there was no question of rivalry, but the desire to somehow shade the commemorative line, slightly shift the emphasis, paint with a new detail, of course, was present. That is why the Chinese poet's gaze is so keen and his attention is so sophisticated to the slightest overflow of sounds, colors, feelings. And he always kept in his memory the medieval maxim: "the line ends, the thought is limitless."
It probably won't be superfluous to mention that China developed along the path of logic, and not mysticism or religiosity. Confucianism only strengthened and betrayed a more subtle cut to strict rationalism and labor for the benefit of society. The place of a clergyman we are accustomed to in ancient China is gradually being taken by an official. Religious and ethical norms are completely subordinated to the requirements of social policy and administration. Everyone is able to get a good "place in the sun" if they study diligently, or pass the imperial exam successfully. Along with history, literature occupies a significant place in education. Therefore, much higher than the collections of individual, albeit the most remarkable poets, various kinds of anthologies were valued in China. Anthology was revered as a special art. The main thing that was embodied in the best collections is the proportion of names, themes, genres, a kind of game with traditional reputations, accessible only to true connoisseurs.
Until the beginning of this century, the Chinese were committed to the dynastic periodization of their own history. No matter how long the rule of a particular dynasty lasted, this time was always perceived as a complete historical and cultural unity.
% 0A ">… The world was flourishing and falling.
One hundred transformations - and everything is fleeting.
Nobility, wealth - rush-rush,
The glory of the worthy remains forever!
I thought for a long time: what is the meaning of the universe?
He sat down, and sighed, and said, sighing:
“If, like an ancient relic,
Human life has become durable!
(Sushi... Song Period)
FROM POETRY III-VI CENTURIES. Period of Six Dynasties
Cao Zhi
A bonfire is burning from the stalks of beans,
And the beans are boiled on the fire,
About my bitter fate.
And cry, and cry beans in the cauldron
“We have one root,” the beans groan. -
We are brothers to you, stems, not slaves. (
Xie Wan
I look at the peak of a steep rock, In front of me is a high forest.
Green ivy clothed the ridges, Bamboo hides the ridges.
The splash of a brook is heard in the valley, The monastery drum beats.
Smoke smokes from the dark depths, Mist thickens in the darkness.
Gu Kaizhi
Lakes are full of spring water, Quaint silence in the summer mountains.
The radiance of the autumn moon is streaming, The pine is fresh in the winter solitude ...
Xie Lingyun
(...) I, ill, now have no time for worldly care, -
I don't want anything else from people.
I leave them, from now on I am free
And I will dwell forever in my monastery.
May every new day really be new
And you, friends, comfort me with a kind word. 
***
I walked many paths between mountains and stones,
I spend the tenth night in my boat.
Flying birds descend on my oar,
From twinkling stars it becomes light everywhere.
The moon rises, the moon rises, surrounded by darkness
Dewdrops sparkle, sparkle under a clear moon.
Fan Yun
You have already traveled to the east and west more than once,
And we parted again - a whole century has passed since then.
We said goodbye to you, and the snow was like flowers,
You came back today, and the flowers look so much like snow. 
Ren Fang
The pre-dawn fog spread from the first rays,
It immediately became warm on my eastern terrace.
Immediately, dried herbs were visible everywhere,
The red-hot sun rose up against the western wall.
The leaves warped, the plane tree in front of the house withered,
And the sunflower wilts, and the peas wither under the sun.
Behind the double curtain, the same agonizing heat
The hot stones seem to breathe heat.
Like pearls on a string, sweat drops on my forehead
I sigh in frustration, I swear loudly to fate
Tao Yuan-ming
I'm going, I'm going, I'm swimming - I'm returning to my native land,
And I count the days when the old house envies
With the first joy, to serve my dear mother again,
And second after her, to meet my brothers again.
So for the oars and on the road - a restless, winding path.
I will look at the luminary - it was hidden in the western far corner.
Now the river, now the mountain - is there no danger in them?
The wanderer, hurrying to the house, in his thoughts sees what lies ahead
The south wind blew. He interferes with my aspirations
We put the oars in the boat, motionless in the wilderness of the lake,
Behind the tall grass that filled the distance without boundaries,
Behind the trunks of trees that spread summer dress
And no one will say that the traveler is far from home
I'll take a closer look - there are a hundred before him
I gaze steadily - now I recognized the South Mountain
My sigh will not help. How could we get out of here! 
POEMS AND ROMANCES VII-X CENTURIES. Tang and Five Dynasties period
Li Bo
I see a white heron On a quiet autumn river;
Like frost, flew away And floats there, in the distance.
My soul is sad, Heart - in deep anguish.
I stand alone On a sandy empty island
***
On a mountain peak Night in an abandoned temple.
I can touch the twinkling stars with my hand.
Afraid to speak loudly: In earthly words
I am the inhabitants of the sky I dare not disturb the peace 
***
(...) I was told that the Saints drank wine without end,
That a glass of strong wine Was the delight of a sage.
But since the holy sages Always tried to drink wine -
Why strive for heaven? We get drunk here - it doesn't matter.
Give me three cups now - And I will go on a long journey.
And give me a drink to drink - I'll merge with nature somehow.
And if you, my friend, find the charm in wine -
Shut up before the bigots - They will not understand: tell me
Doo fu
Hundreds of souls who have flown away are moaning in battle.
They are sung only by mourning elders
Crowds of clouds crowded over the sunset strip.
Irresistible snow swirls in a blizzard dance.
In the corner there is a gourd-gourd ... no green wine.
Coals glow in the stove ... but does it warm?
Long away from the world, and there is no news at all,
I yearn for a letter ... to whom am I writing, why? 
***
You see: the gates of Penglai Palace are facing south,
Dew collects a pillar of golden Unthinkable height.
You see: in the distance, on the Jasper pond, the goddess of fairies descends -
And the purple haze mirage Becomes paler.
Then the clouds move apart - And now there was a
Behind the sparkle of dragon scales, the shining royal face.
And I lie alone by the river, On the slope of the evening years.
Yuan Zhen
(...) They wanted to sweep away the enemies like rubbish - And in the sky the sword appeared as a broom.
But they have lost their purpose since then, And this is a censure of the hero.
Who is ready to forge a sword today? Centuries have passed - and all over again.
But if Feng Hu had not forged blades, then Ya-tszyu's swords would not have existed.
Since then, as the term came to wander, I increasingly believe in my own strength.
When I took out the priceless sword, How my heart was not easy for me to humble!
Ah, why is the wondrous sword so beautiful? Oh, why is there little room for a ravine in the heart?
This shrine should be protected, do not use it at random:
Fight with evil spirits that priceless sword awaits. It is not good for the concubines to be frightened by them.
Do not touch the serpent from the abyss of waters, O stray dogs, do not blunt steel.
To live amid the litter - your sentence is harsh. Amid the squabble, my efforts are drowning too.
The vile rumor of high words is afraid, That is the reason for my silence. 
POEMS, ROMANCE, POEMS X-XIII centuries Song period
Zhang Lei.
I spent the night in a Buddhist temple, it's too late to return home; I hear the rustling of rain streams in the hedge that has thinned out.
A guest driven like a duckweed by the wind will not temper his sorrow;
In the monastic cell I read poetry overheard by the shower.
Ouyang Xiu
We the ancients are not destined to contemplate people,
But the zither of those times And today is alive.
When she sings as if echoing her
Forgotten words reach us (...) 
***
Far away, near the mountains? There is no measure of distance!
I go to meet them - And everything is in front of me!
Turn a little - and the mountains Change outlines.
And I, the orphan wanderer, Who is this before them?
Liu Yong
(...) A withered lotus drops Petals,
From the decrepit willow A shadow spreads.
Walking on the shore, washing yarn
Girlfriends From neighboring villages.
Seeing a traveler, They gossip about him
And in their sleeves, embarrassed, Smiles are hidden (...) 
Sushi
As soon as I got to this edge - the wind blew and the rain dripped.
Lonely wanderer, will I find refuge in the great world?
I would get a cloud from the sky And put it on like a hat,
I would wrap myself in earth, As a simple road cloak!
***
Look grief in the face - the top is dumb. And look from the side - the mountain is sharp.
You go towards it - and it is higher and higher, You go back - and that mountain is lower ...
Oh no, the mountain does not change its appearance, It is one and the same - this is the essence.
And the transformations depend on from where to look at it. 
***
Among the river is a high rock, The path to the top has not yet been found.
And on the rock there is a sacred ox, Not knowing what it means to pull a plow.
Pilgrims gathered at the temple, prostrated themselves with hope and prayer,
A white sheep is sacrificed to the sound of flutes and drums.
And in the field, a little further off, a live ox, O stumbling stones, pulls the plow ...
The horns are weathered and stepped, And the hooves are hewn - how much torment!
But they give him only half a bunch of grass to satisfy his eternal hunger.
Truly: what to be a live ox - Where better to be a statue!
Li Qingzhao
I see again the blue expanse, a quiet sunset over the pavilion.
We are completely drunk with you, we have forgotten the way back.
There was happiness - and it ended suddenly! It's time for us to row on the way back,
Only the lotus has grown around, the lotus is everywhere in our path.
We put on the oars more amicably, we row, We are exhausted.
... And in confusion, seagulls fly away from the sandy spit in the distance.
***
Your foliage - jasper fringe - Hangs over the ground, layer by layer,
Tens of thousands of your petals burn like chased gold ...
Oh, chrysanthemum, autumn flower, Your proud spirit, your unusual view
They tell Me about the perfections of gallant husbands. (...)
***
Wherever I cast my gaze from the tower - The azure of the heavens and gave blue.
A carpet was woven to the horizon, Fragrant green grass ...
It would be better for me not to ascend the tower, So that old wounds in my soul are not reared.
How long have the first shoots been? Now the bamboo at the temple is full-length.
The flowers have gone, the petals have fallen, Mixed with the clay of the swallow's nests.
I look at the forest and grieve with all my heart. Yes, I catch the cry of the cuckoo from the forest. 
Lu Yu
The ruins of the wall are by the river. Birds and monkeys are melancholy cries.
And there is an ancient temple a little further away, where the Great Man used to be.
Century after century passed in succession, the wall grew overgrown and ran wild.
But the river gurgles at my feet just as it gurgled at His feet!
Xin Qiji
Flowers woke up, All in dew tears.
This early morning, Flowers have no time for sleep,
They whisper quietly about something And they murmur,
Dissatisfied with the fact that the spring is leaving.
And they do not know what is in the same yard,
In the midst of greenery - a rose, Yuna and tender.
She stole the Charm of Spring,
And she hid in the shadows for the time being.
No, not in a bright outfit All her beauty,
Purity, purity Stronger than beauty.
Even willow fluff Will not touch her,
Falling, flowers will not touch her.
Like matte jasper, Her petals,
And the dewdrops on them are burning with an even light,
As if after bathing, Yang Fei came out
And she brought with her Warm jets a scent. 
x x x
Azure mountains soar into the sky, On their tops - reflections of the sunset,
The cold wind of the western expanses Sweeps somewhere over the coast.
The thick foliage is agitated by the stream, And a pink flower is lost in it.
And his tender beauty does not need No honor, No glory, No reward.
The sad beauty in silence Dropped her hands on the windowsill.
Suddenly a sob was heard in the silence - The groan of a heart weary in separation.
So far from here to Henyang! He still does not go to her, her desired one.
Seeing the geese, he asks them with a prayer For the dear, take the news with you.
Fan Chengda
The evening of the year has come, The frozen mountains are of the same color.
The lake surface And the misty distance are motionless.
The clouds are cold, Snow will go and, I think, soon.
On this holiday For some reason, sadness in my soul ...
Cypresses, bamboo - It was as if they were chilled in the cold,
Senile reed As if sleeping - unfriendly and wild.
I walk the mountain road with a bamboo stick,
And without a stick, of course, I wouldn't reach the Northern Mountains ... 
ARIA XIII-XIV CENTURIES. Yuan period
Yuan Haowen
Like round jasper, moon in the night
clear as crystal, trees at dawn.
The rich feast in their palace
in silk robes on a bright carpet.
And in the backyard - flowers and the moon.
Spring is everywhere tonight!
Ma Zhiyuan
By sunset from the village in flowers,
clouds are leaving the bench with a grassy roof,
the rain has died down, the sky is shining with purity,
and the dawn on the mountain slopes - a strip,
and on the silk of spring grasses with strokes - turquoise. 
x x x
Raindrops on lotuses, dewdrops on roses by the walls,
the scent of innuendo chrysanthemums hangs over the courtyard.
Lonely as a shadow! On plum sprigs
the moon sinks lower ... I waited in vain for four hours.
Cruel, I hate you!
Zhang Kejiu
I'm tired of embroidering, I don't hold needles in my hands,
lost all the pins and idly lie.
Already the nightingale in the willows mourned the spring,
the swallows began dancing behind the curtain.
The spring wind is strong - everyone is addicted to wine again. 
Bo Pu
The rain has stopped, the clouds are leaving.
Chilled melon is so sweet!
A willow tent hung over the house,
and spreading a carpet under the canopy,
the maiden removes thin silks.
Gao Qi
Heard, through the sound of running water, somewhere a spinning wheel knocks.
A bridge under the arches of spring foliage, the time of flowers has passed.
Suddenly the wind carried the most wonderful scent from behind the mountains.
It is in the village near the pass that afternoon tea is prepared. 
Xu Zaisi
I left myself. I hide in rain and fog
I comprehend the chants of the woodcutters and the song of the shepherd.
Together with the clear moon, and the living wind, relentless
three of us, serene, free and strange.
We erase the line between "yesterday" and "today" together.
Qiao ji
Far, far A couple of cranes rushed.
By the East Sea They lost each other.
He hurries to the north For his beloved friend,
But she flew Not to the north, but to the south.
Beak and beak side by side - These days are irrevocably gone,
And the parting came And the deaf time of hard times.
Did they scare you? - Thousands of li are obedient to them.
They are afraid of something else: they would not fall into the heavenly net.
***
Autumn melts dawn in a mercury cauldron.
A snowball melts in a tea vat on the fire.
I look at the fallen leaves floating by the gazebo,
the wind blows in Ulin in the spring. (...)
http://lib.meta.ua/book/12426/
http://lib.ru/POECHIN/china_lyrics.txt
http://lit.1september.ru/2002/42/2.htm
http://www.tyumwu.narod.ru/du-fu1.htm
http://dragons-nest.ru/ross/sudunpo.php
http://www.fidel-kastro.ru/poetry/bambuk.html
Poetry has always been a favorite literary genre for man for many thousands of years. This art is not taken very seriously in the West, especially over the past two hundred years, but with all this, the poetry of ancient China is read to this day, and Chinese writers enjoy great honor and praise among readers. Some of the greatest and brightest poets are believed to have lived over a thousand years ago during the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), and Han (206 BC - 220 AD) dynasties. .). Among these, such famous names as Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi immediately come to mind; also distinguish five main styles of poetic literary flow of that time, they are called: Shi, Qi, Ge, Tsu and Fu.
The poetry of that time told about the simplest, but unchanging things, such as love, romance and nature - what has always been the highest value for people. Despite the fact that most of the works of poetry of that time were written in the era following the Song dynasty (960-1279), with each generation poets became more and more erudite, highly educated and possessing sacred and esoteric knowledge, which modern Chinese cannot always do end to interpret the meaning and meaning of the above. Although the Chinese writing system has its own specific sign system in contrast to the alphabetical writing system, and despite the fact that its language system has undergone a number of specific changes, modern Chinese can still read the poetic texts of that time. Since the pronunciation of words has changed significantly, quite often the rhyme or tonal rhythm is lost in a poem that has its own originally set rhyme or tonal shade. But nevertheless, the symbolic meaning has practically not changed, although the modern reader can interpret the meaning of the stated a little differently than what the writer wanted to display. Hue and connotation can be lost. Since the poems of that time have survived to this day and the modern Chinese understand the meaning inherent in these works, they are still highly regarded.
Five varieties
Shi 詩
Shi poetic creations are couplets. These are verses consisting of two or more paired lines. The two lines of the verse usually rhyme and rhythmically match and complement each other in their intonation. Modern Mandarin only has five tones, but the ancient language usually had more, so some tonal rhythms tend to get lost.
Qi 詞
Qi poetry can be described as poems that have their own syllabic and tonal patterns of expressing meaning. In the process of writing a poetic creation, the poet chooses a speech that matches a certain template. This structure may have once been part of the song. But the music was lost. There are various speech structures in poetry, using which they achieve a certain effect when expressing thoughts or are various characters and tonality to the world.
Ge 歌
The word "GE" means song. Poems of this style are a set of words built in a certain way that can be sung. There have always been folk songs, as well as songs written by a literate and educated composer.
Qu 曲
When the Mongols conquered China and founded the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), they brought with them their own musical style and form of entertainment. They especially loved to enjoy the spectacle of the shadow puppet theater, which was a performance of small puppets tied on ropes, pulling on which they moved, the light was directed at them in such a way that the shadow fell on the screen. It is believed that the image of the performance of the Yuan Dynasty opera drama imitated this shadow theater. The style of music and songs in the opera was called Yuan Qu or Mongolian music. Opera and contemporary songs embodied Ku's poetic style, which was also popular in later eras. The poetic style is free from various forms.
Fu 賦
The fifth major style in poetry is called Fu. These are descriptive poems that contain both prose and couplets. They were popular around 1500-2000 years ago. Often, poets included in their masterpieces rare or unusual written signs borrowed from previous eras.
Examples of poets
It is believed that the most talented poets of that time lived in the Tang, Song, and Han eras. If you remember the greatest Chinese poets, such names as Du Fu and Li Bai of the Tang dynasty, who were contemporaries and traveled throughout China, involuntarily come to mind. Both lived in Chang An, which was the capital of the Tang Dynasty. They also went through the An Lu Shan Rebellion, which began in 755. The Tang Dynasty writers are generally considered the best. Poetry during the Tang Dynasty was simple and told about common things such as love, romance and nature, which were always the highest value for people. Along with such famous personalities as Du Fu and Li Bai, another famous poet of that time, Su Shi, is attributed to the period of the Song dynasty.
Doo Fu (712-770)
Du Fu liked to write his poems in a structured form, which was called Lu Shi or structured poetry. As a child, he loved to read. He always said, "I read ten thousand scrolls until they wear out completely." Perhaps one of the reasons people love his poetry so much is precisely because he wrote about the people and places he visited. After the An Lu Shan uprising, he is believed to have lived in a thatched cottage near Chengdu in Sichuan.
He is considered one of the greatest realist poets in China. His poems reflect the horror of the events of hostilities, the way people died while being next to rich rulers, as well as everyday rural life. He was an official in the capital of the Tang dynasty, Chang An, and was taken prisoner when the capital was attacked. It is believed that he lived in a simple hut in the last days of his life, where he wrote many of his best realistic poems. More than 1400 of his poems have survived and his masterpieces are still read and loved in China.
Here is one of the famous verses:
Behind the scarlet door is the smell of wine and food;
On the road, in the dead, the frozen people are almost dead.
Li Bai (701-762)
Li Bai loved to write his poems in free form, as was the case in more ancient times. This type of poetry is called Gu Shi. Like Du Fu, he traveled extensively and lived both in Chan An in the far north and in Sichuan in the southwest. He also wrote about the places he visited and the things he saw. They speak of him as a romantic poet.
Su Tongpo (1037-1101)
Su Tongpo is also called Su Shi. He is considered a great poet of the Northern Song era (960-1127). More than 2000 of his poems have survived to this day. He was an official at court during the Song Dynasty, and passed the official qualification exam with honors. Due to political problems, he was expelled and lived on a farm. It is believed that many of his best poems were written during his exile. Here are the stanzas by his brush:
The light of the moon in a quiet hour walks around the red house
Leaning unhurriedly towards the soft door immediately
Pours out its light on the sleepless perelelon at the door
Leaving all grievances without saying a word
Ah, friend moon, why do you strive to be fat
When people are apart
Poetic art of China
1. The origins of the poetry of ancient China.
The cultural origins of Chinese poetry are more archaic in comparison with the origins of hieroglyphic writing.
The myths and legends of ancient China represent the image of song and poetry as a divine creation, samples of which were created either by divine characters and legendary rulers of antiquity, or at their command.
"Di Ku ordered Xiao Hei to create singing, and he invented nine songs of the shao type, six of the le type, and five of the yang type," says the translation of a fragment of a treatise from the middle of the 3rd century. BC. "Lü-shi chun qiu" ("Spring and Autumn of Mr. Liu", tsz. 5), which has survived to this day.
"Di Ku had eight sons. They were the first to create songs and dances," according to an essay of the III-I centuries. BC. "Shan hai jing" ("Canon. Catalog of mountains and seas", tsz. 18). This plot developed in the future, where song and poetic traditions (from ancient times, cult chants) are elevated to the works of divine powers.
Translation of ancient sources gives one of the hypotheses of the archaic origin of poetry, according to which the art of singing, adding and reciting poetic lines arose along with the appearance of people.
Archaeological materials from ancient China (musical instruments, ceramic vessels, painted with images of dancing people) allow us to make an assumption about the origin of musical and dance art in China in the Neolithic era (c. VIII-III millennium BC). It is assumed that the poetic element was the most important element of the music and dance art, ritual and dance actions of ancient China.
2. Separation of poetry from ritual music and dance art.
The process of separation of poetry from music and dance art was outlined in the first half of the Zhou era.
This process is marked by the appearance (from about the 8th century BC) the term shi - "verse", "poem", "poetry", with the help of which in the period of the 1st-2nd centuries. AD defined any poetic work.
The etymology of the hieroglyph "shi" supposedly goes back to the pictogram for the ritual of sacrifice, accompanied by music and dance.
Its graphic composition includes the grapheme "temple", as well as the designation of a special category of persons who were presumably ancient court performers: musicians, singers, and poets. According to ancient sources, court poets and musicians either had congenital physiological abnormalities (lameness, blindness), or went through deliberate injury as a consequence of punishment. This evidence suggests the inherent mentality of the population of ancient China about the stimulating effect of the physical disabilities of the human body on the development of musical and poetic abilities.
At the moment of separation of poetic creativity from musical creativity, two types of functions were distinguished:
Religious and ritual functions (inscriptions on sacred objects),
Functions of hieroglyphic writing.
3. Ancient examples of Chinese poetry.
Poetic inscriptions on bronze vessels.
Inscriptions on bronze vessels are considered the oldest poetic texts.
X-VIII centuries BC. - the emergence and development of poetic epigraphy. In the XXI century, more than 40 samples of ancient poetic inscriptions on hard materials (stone, ceramics, metal, etc.) are known.
The most voluminous inscription contains 248 hieroglyphs and is placed on a vessel intended as a gift to the temple. The inscription is considered a full-fledged poetic work in the categories "volume" and "organicity": a clear breakdown into stanzas, the presence of rhyme, a certain compositional scheme.
Corpus "Chu tsy" ("Chu stanzas").
Expression of poetic creativity in ancient China, which took place in the culture of the ancient kingdom of Chu (XI-III centuries BC). Southern region with areas of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze. This tradition is expressed in the works of the Chu poets Qu Yuan and Song Yu, who lived in the 4th-3rd centuries. BC.
Samples of Chu poetry were initially recognized in Chinese philology as works of authorship, the distinctive features of which were the strength of the sound of the individual emotional principle, the expression of the image of a lyric hero - an outcast poet undergoing dramatic life collisions.
The main theme of "Chu stanzas" is a personal experience of the imperfection of the surrounding world, society and injustices.
Chu poetry had its own origins, different from the ritual activities of the Yellow He regions. In the local culture, a type of ritual was widespread, in which, through a poetic text, expressing his emotional state at a given moment, a person established a communication with higher powers, joined secret and valuable knowledge.
Anthology "Shi Jing" ("Book of Songs", "Canon of Poetry").
Collections of poetic texts testify to the content of chants performed during sacrifices and court ceremonies, which found expression in one of the ancient models of literary and poetry, one of the main Confucian books - Shi Jing (Book of Songs, Canon of Poetry).
The appearance of "Shi Jing" is a symbol of the completion of the stage of the formation of literary poetry. The compilation of the Shih Jing anthology is attributed by historians to Confucius (551-479 BC). The book covers poetic works created in the XI-VIII centuries BC, with primary sources going deep into antiquity.
The further development of Chinese poetry took place under the influence of the "Shih Jing" ("Book of Songs") anthology.
The structure and content of the "Shih Jing":
A source of knowledge about nature and society;
305 poetic works dating from the XI century. BC-VI century BC.;
4 sections;
100 names of herbs, 54 names of plants, 38 names of birds, 27 names of animals, 41 names of fish and insects.
Go fyn - "Mores of kingdoms";
Xiao I - "Small Odes";
Yes, I am "Great Odes";
Song - "Hymns".
Each section has the meaning of a stand-alone book and has unique features.
The first section, "Morals of Kingdoms", contains 160 songs from fifteen different kingdoms of ancient China during the Zhou Dynasty. Properties: the soulfulness of the poetics of songs, the expression of simplicity and the strength of sincere feelings. Folk songs.
The second section - "Small Odes" is, mainly, an example of the poetry of court circles, praising the exploits of the ancient rulers of China.
The third part - "The Great Odes" contains mainly poetic works of the Zhou tribe and was written, presumably, by court poets.
The fourth part - "Hymns" is a collection of ancient temple chants and cult hymns in honor of the spirits, ancestors and wise rulers of the ancient dynasties of China.
Presumably, the selection and editing of the Shih Jing works was made by Confucius.
"Shih Jing" was included in the canonical collection of Confucian texts Wu Ching.
213 BC e. - the books "Shih Jing" are subject to burning along with other Confucian books. 2nd century BC e. - restoration of the book "Shi Jing".
According to the historians Shang-shu and Zao-chuang, "The Book of Songs" found wide distribution not only among the people, but also among the educated elite of China. Knowledge of "Songs" was a sign of belonging to a cultural circle.
Topics presented in "Shi Jing" ("Book of Songs"):
The culture of the people of China,
Ancient way of life,
Spiritual representations
The customs of ancient China,
Hard peasant labor and the dissatisfaction of ordinary people with inequality and oppression on the part of the princes-vanes,
Human feelings such as friendship and love.
4. Poets of Ancient China.
The epoch of life of the brightest poets of China - the period of the reign of the Tang dynasties (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Han (206 BC - 220 AD).
The names of the poets have survived to this day: Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Shi.
Poetry during the Tang Dynasty was characterized by simplicity in narrating common phenomena: love, romance, and nature.
Every government official knew how to write poetry, but only a few became the brightest poets.
As a rule, poets were officials. As an exception to the rule, people with failed careers. There were practically no cases when a poet was a peasant.
Having passed the exams, the new government officials came to serve in a foreign land, without relatives and friends. These conditions contributed to the poetic creativity of some of the officials, whose emotional sensitivity and intellectual development was combined with poetry.
Doo Fu (712-770)
Poetic Style: Structured Poetry (Lu Shi).
Known as one of China's greatest realist poets. His poems reflect the drama of war and rural life. Du Fu was an official in the capital of the Tang Dynasty, Chang An, and was taken prisoner in an attack on the capital. According to historical records, Du Fu spent the last days of his life in a hut, where he wrote many of the best realistic poetry. More than 1400 poetic works have survived to this day.
Li Bai (701-762)
Poetic Style: Free style adopted in more ancient times (Gu Shi.). Like Du Fu, he traveled a lot, lived in Chan An (north of China), in Sichuan (southwest).
The main themes of Li Bai's work are places visited and phenomena seen. He went down in history as a romantic poet.
Su Tongpo (1037-1101)
Su Tongpo is also called Su Shi. Known as the great poet of the Northern Song era (960-1127). More than 2000 of his poems have survived to this day.
Served as a court official during the Song Dynasty. As a result of political turmoil, he was expelled and lived on a farm, where, according to historians, he created the best of his poetry.
In the state of the Tang era, poets-officials, overcome by a sense of guilt before the peasant, denounce injustice, express the suffering of the people in poetry.
Poets: Du Fu and Bo Juyi.
The poets-officials placed the blame for human misfortunes on careless and selfish officials, accusing them before the people and the sovereign. Poets were deprived of official positions, exiled to the distant outskirts of the state, but they continued to express their protest in poetic form.
The pain for a person grew into pain for all the people of his native country, and then for the fate of the country, and in the 12th century, patriotic poetry develops in the Sung state, which was invaded by the Jurchens from the northeast and seized northern territories.
Representatives of patriotic poetry: Lu Yu, Xin Qiji.
Patriotic poetry continued during the suppression of China by the Mongol Yuan dynasty.
Poets risked their careers and lives, lost high positions, died in exile in the wild, spoke out in defense of the peasant and called for good treatment of the person.
5. Poetic styles of ancient China.
According to one of the classifications, there are five main styles of poetic art of ancient China:
Shi,
Qi,
Ge,
Tsu,
Ugh.
Shi詩
The structure of poetry: couplets. Poems consist of two or more paired lines. The two lines of the verse usually rhyme, rhythmically match and complement each other in their intonation.
Qi詞
The choice, at the discretion of the poet, of syllabic and tonal models for expressing meaning. Probably, this structure in ancient times was part of the song.
Ge歌 "song".
The structure of poetry: a set of words constructed in such a way that makes it possible to sing them. Folk songs. Songs composed by educated composers.
Qu曲
The style was introduced to China after the conquest of the country by the Mongols and the founding of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). The style has a characteristic musical structure and form.
The style of music and songs in the opera was called Yuan Qu or Mongolian music. Opera and contemporary songs embodied Ku's poetic style, which remained popular in later eras. The poetic style is characterized by freedom from various forms.
Ugh賦
Descriptive and informal poetry containing elements of prose and verses. The period of the greatest popularity of the style of poetry: about 1500-2000 years ago.
6. The purpose of poetry in the development of personality and society in ancient China.
The role of poetry in the society of ancient China is expressed in the formula shi yan zhi:
- "poetry speaks of will",
- "poetry is the will expressed in words."
"Poetry (a poetic text) is what conveys the will of a person in words" (Ch. "Shun dian" - "Acts of Shun").
In a more detailed form, the formula shi yan zhi is presented in Yue tszi, where zhi (will) is related to de (virtue) as the total embodiment of human moral qualities: "Virtue is the beginning of human nature, music is the flourishing of virtue ... there is a verse text verbal embodiment of his (ie noble personality) will ".
The shi yan zhi formula clearly defines the purpose of poetic creativity as a way of expressing the potential abilities and moral qualities of a person as a member of society.
Another function of poetry is educational: to have an ennobling effect on the mores and behavioral principles of people.
The extended function of poetry is controlling: to regulate the emotional state of members of society.
The consequence of Confucian views on shi was the emergence of a didactic pragmatic approach to poetry and literature in general.
The purpose of poetry and fiction (wen):
Establishment and strengthening of statehood and the ruling regime through the glorification of the authorities;
Weakening of political opposition, criticism of the actions of objectionable members of society through the teaching of the monarch and his entourage;
Promotion of Confucian ideals and moral values;
Exposing social vices.
Means of communicating ideas to members of society:
Transposition of the ideas of Confucian teaching through poetological attitudes;
The transmission of historical episodes that establish patterns of righteous (corresponding to the Confucian foundations) and unrighteous government,
Narratives of writers about contemporary events and people.
Panegyrics,
Works on historical themes,
Works with socio-political motives (in the scientific literature are defined as "civic poetry").
The main themes of the poetry of ancient China:
Love,
Romance,
Nature.
Most of the poetry was created in the era following the Song dynasty (960-1279). The education and erudition of the poets increased with each generation. Poetic works of antiquity are filled with knowledge encrypted in a figurative allegorical form, remaining incomprehensible in meaning for the carriers of modern Chinese culture.
In Chinese poetry, the theme of nature is combined into a single whole with man, in which everyday life among people and hermitage are side by side. Numerous poetic works figuratively reveal the theme of a person's closeness to the fertile Chinese land, with its flowers and fruits, its trees, its birds, the knowledge of which was bequeathed by Confucius in Conversations and Judgments. Even the vast states of medieval China with their bustling trading cities were unable to tear poetry from the land, from the agricultural base and make it sing about the restless city.
The short duration of human life is one of the themes that found expression in numerous works of poets of ancient China.
The science and philosophy of that time were concentrated in poetry. Poets were the thinking stratum of society, and at some times (for example, in the Song era) and the most influential, ruling stratum of society.
7. Opposing currents in poetry.
Stream 1: Expression of a person's emotional state.
Flow 2: the expression of mental, logical activity.
The unification of poetic creativity with the rational activity of man fundamentally contradicted the very nature of poetry, lyric poetry - "poem together with singing and dancing are rooted in the heart of man" (the book "Yue Chi").
Observing this paradox, Confucian thinkers proclaimed the folk song as the standard, for which the absence of the figure of the poet-creator and, consequently, the individual emotional principle is organically characteristic.
This explains the composition and composition of the "Shih Jing" anthology, most of which are samples of song folklore.
8. Development of Chinese poetry.
key stages in the history of the development of Chinese poetry:
The era of Han (III century BC - III century AD);
The era of the Six Dynasties (Lu-chao, III-VI centuries).
III-II centuries BC e. - c creation of "six categories", ordering the structure of literature.
Fan works are lyrical.
My works are mostly lyrical and epic.
Songs are cult dramatic.
The first division of Chinese poetry into types is similar to the European classification - epic, lyric, drama.
9. Poetry and poetic genres.
A characteristic property of Chinese poetry is the alternation in a line of words with different musical tones, mutually different in pitch and character of sound (for example, alternation of an even, ascending and descending-ascending tone).
During the creation of the Shi Jing anthology (11th century BC-6th century BC), only two tones were present in the toolkit of the Chinese language - even and incoming.
Properties of poetry of the XI century. BC-VI century BC.:
Musicality (song poetry);
The verse was determined by the music;
The number of syllables in a line was not constant;
The form of a four-syllable verse;
Rhyme (circular, cross, etc.) with the exception of dramatic cult hymns (sung) with long lines.
In the last centuries BC. e. and in the first centuries. e. significant changes have occurred in the structure and phonetic structure of the Chinese language, as a result of which the old system of versification becomes incompetent:
Formation of new tones,
Change of rhymes.
Fu poetic style.
III century. BC BC - III century. n. e. - the emergence of poetic works composed of free verse fu ("odes", "prose-poem", "rhythmic prose"). Subsequently, the style of "prose poem" became widespread in Chinese literature, representing a combination of poetic and prose styles.
The structure of a style in a rhythmic organization created by a certain (but different in each case) number of syllables in a line, syntactic parallelism, caesura, etc.
The rhyme in them is episodic.
Yue Fu's poetic style.
II century BC e. - II and III - VI centuries. AD - the emergence of a group of genres of poetry yue fu. The etymology of the name is "The Musical Chamber" (an institution that collected and processed folk songs at a given period).
Yue fu poetry denotes collected ancient folk songs, works of authorship and created on their melodies, lyric songs, ancient ballads, isolated song excerpts from ancient folk tales, etc.
The term "yue fu" is also defined in broader temporal and ethnographic aspects, encompassing ancient folk songs and their imitations up to the 19th century.
VII century AD - IX century AD - poetic works of authors Bo Ju-i, Li Wo, Du Fu and others based on ancient folk songs, intended only for recitation (new yuefu).
The aphoristic song is one of the genres of Yue Fu poetry.
Yao - songs performed without musical accompaniment or accompanied by an instrument resembling castanets.
Song poetry consists mainly of a quatrain with an equal number of hieroglyphs per line (5, 7, etc.).
Song poetry properties:
Extreme economy of language resources,
Accuracy,
Conciseness,
Concreteness,
Topicality, satire (through song versification, the people expressed their attitude to every event that excited people).
Regular verse of Geluishi.
Approximately VI century. n. e. - the final formation of a new system of musical tones in the Chinese language, which resulted in the emergence of a new system of versification - the so-called. Gelyuishi ("statutory verse", "regular verse").
Properties:
A certain number of hieroglyphs-syllables in a line,
Regular alternation of tones,
Strict rhyme.
This verse wrote the poetry of Bo Juyi, Du Fu, Wang Wei, Li Bo.
Style status: classic.
Lifespan of the style: The regular verse style lasted 14 centuries.
Relevance in the XXI century: in demand.
Regular verse structure:
Five syllables-hieroglyphs,
Seven syllable hieroglyphs.
When reciting, they are separated by a pause into feet, two syllables each.
The number of syllables in a line is odd.
The last foot consists of one syllable.
There are usually eight lines in a poem.
Musical tones by their melodic sound are divided into:
Smooth (pin);
Uneven (tse).
In the poem, they alternate in strict sequence with the goal:
Elimination of monotony,
Giving the verse musicality,
Creation of a kind of rising-falling melody. The wave-like melody gives the verse its inherent rhythm.
Jueju ("Broken Lines").
A kind of regular verse.
In structure - half of a five- or seven-syllable verse.
The penultimate line, for the most part, remains non-rhymed and underlines the ending that follows.
Tsy.
The qi poetry genre, like the regular shi verse, is collectively the most revered and famous genre of classical Chinese poetry.
VII century AD - the emergence of the genre of versification tsy.
The basis of the genre is a folk city song.
Properties of poetic works of tsy:
Strict rhythm (alternation of even and uneven tones);
Strings of various lengths (from two to fourteen syllables);
The different size of the entire poetic work;
Each line rhymes, but the rhyme itself is less academic than in shi;
It is allowed to agree on the endings standing under an uneven tone, mutual rhyming of even and uneven tones;
In the area of content, lyricism is characteristic, mainly love themes.
The form of the tsy's works depended on the music. Subsequently, when the melodies were lost, the structure of the genre still retained a certain number of lines in the work and their length - the number of syllables in any tsy written for a given melody and the line pattern are always the same.
Song tsi have become widespread in Chinese drama.
Qu genre("melody, melody").
A kind of genre.
Properties:
Greater freedom in comparison with the canons of the genre;
In the course of the performance, inserted words, emphatic particles, etc., can be entered into the text,
The transition to the spoken style of the language is allowed.
10. Poetic art in XX century.
At present, adherence to the norms of classical versification is a rare phenomenon in the work of poets.
The classical norms of versification do not reflect the modern spoken language with a variety of phenomena that do not fit into the framework of the old system (stress, polysyllabic words).
Free verse.
XX century - a new period in the history of Chinese literature. In Sinological writings, the term "new Chinese poetry" was introduced to denote various currents of poetry: romanticism, realism, symbolism.
Free verse, which was formed under the influence of European free verse (vers libre), is widespread in Chinese poetry - verse, to varying degrees, free from rigid rhyming composition.
Free verse properties:
Unlike the classic statutory verse, many of the lines in it do not rhyme;
Rhyme can be completely absent and compensated by repetitions of the same words at the beginning or at the end of adjacent lines;
The number of syllables per line varies;
Tones alternate freely or with no alternation.
Many Chinese poems from the 1920s to the 1930s. repeat the combination of lines.
V XX-XXI centuries, most of the works of Chinese poetry have rhyme, often end-to-end with lines of approximately equal length.
Poetry XX century is enriched with new genres. In the 1920s, short xiaoshi poems became popular.
In the 1930s, the genre of epic and lyric-epic poem was developed.
The free verse form is widely used in the work of Chinese poets in philosophical short poems, civil, love and landscape lyrics.
The 1970s showed a tendency towards an increase in freedom of thought and a change in the subject matter of poetic works. Poets move from the glorification of historical events, sadness and accusations to a reassessment of history, perception and understanding of the life of modern society.
The importance of poetry in China in the 1980s and 90s has been gradually declining, giving way to the more meaningful and practical realities of modern life.
The Poetic Art of China - The Origins of the Poetry of Ancient China. The article is provided as an advertisement by the company
In the second year of the eighth century, when the Tang dynasty reigned in China, Li Bo * was born. Already during his lifetime he was considered a great poet. He left behind more than 900 poems, which continue to be read to this day.
Li Bo, the great poet of ancient China.
Art by: Kiyoka Chu / The Epoch Times
* Poet Li Bo also known as Li Bai (701-762 AD)
Already in early childhood, Li Bo stood out for his intelligence and self-confidence. At the age of 10, he showed an unusual talent for writing poetry and couplets. He studied the art of swordsmanship and over time became masterfully wielding it. Li Bo excelled in both literature and martial arts.
At the age of 20, he went on a trip to China, visited the most famous mountains. And at the age of 26, in search of work, he again went on a long journey and walked around half of the Celestial Empire.
During his travels, Li Bo always showed generosity and helped poor people. One day he was saddened by the sudden death of one of his friends. He organized a memorial ceremony by burying his friend on the shore of the lake. At that time, according to custom, people wanted to be interred in their hometown, and Li Bo, standing in front of the grave, promised that he would take her to his friend's hometown. A few years later, Lee returned to the shore of the lake, where his friend rested in the ground, took his remains and went on a long journey to his friend's hometown to fulfill his promise.
When the poet was 42 years old, one of the officials, who admired Li Bo's poems, recommended him to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Heeding the advice, the emperor issued a decree inviting Li to come to the capital Chang'an to serve at the court. However, it didn't take long before Li Bo realized that the emperor valued only his literary talent, and neglected his advice on how to best govern the state. On the other hand, it became more and more difficult for him to put up with the arrogance of the imperial family. In addition, Li Bo's talent attracted the envy and slander of influential officials on him, and then he realized that he could no longer remain in the service of the emperor.
Soon Li Bo left the capital and embarked on a new journey as a Taoist - a follower of the Tao teachings. During his travels, he never lost confidence or discouraged. He did not give up poetry even when he became poor.
Li Bo's poetry reflects deep patriotic feelings for the Tang Dynasty, and also contains the philosophy of hermitism and Taoism.
Even in difficult times of his life, the poet left many beautiful poems for posterity. More than nine hundred of his creations were collected and combined into a book that gained widespread fame at that time and took its place of honor on bookshelves throughout China. His books have become a precious legacy of Chinese literature and poetry.
David Wu, The Epoch Times
We also suggest that you familiarize yourself with.