The Shorter Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature

774 Pages·2000·2.04 MB·English

by  Victor H. Mair

the shorter
columbia anthology
of traditional chinese
literature
translations from the asian classics
translations from the asian classics
editorial board
Wm.TheodoredeBary,Chairman
PaulAnderer
IreneBloom
DonaldKeene
GeorgeA.Saliba
HaruoShirane
DavidD.W.Wang
BurtonWatson
THE SHORTER
Columbia Anthology
of Traditional Chinese
Literature
Victor H. Mair,
editor
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS / NEW YORK
ColumbiaUniversityPress
NewYork Chichester,WestSussex
Copyright(cid:1)2000ColumbiaUniversityPress
Allrightsreserved
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
TheshorterColumbiaanthologyoftraditionalChineseliterature/VictorH.Mair,editor.
p. cm.—(TranslationsfromtheAsianclassics)
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
ISBN0-231-11998-4(alk.paper)—ISBN0-231-11999-2(pbk.:alk.paper)
1. Chineseliterature—TranslationsintoEnglish. I. Title:Columbiaanthologyof
traditionalChineseliterature. II. Mair,VictorH.,1943– III. Series.
PL2658.E1S532000
895.1'08—dc21
00-035878
CaseboundeditionsofColumbiaUniversityPressbooksare
printedonpermanentanddurableacid-freepaper.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
c10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
p10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Forlistofpermissionsseepages732–735.
For Tom and Taunja
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CONTENTS
Introduction xvii
BibliographicalNote xxvii
Acknowledgments xxix
Map of the Provincesof China xxxi
PART I. FOUNDATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
Divinationsand Inscriptions
1. A Late ShangDivinationRecord 3
2. A BronzeInscriptionof the WesternChou 4
3. The Book of Changesof the Chou People 5
4. An Early Commentaryon the Classicof Changes 10
Philosophy,Thought,and Religion
5. Attributedto Kuan Chung,Kuan Tzu, “Dutiesof the Student’’ 12
6. Anonymous,ConfucianAnalects,Book 2 17
7. Meng K’o, Mencius,“Bull Mountain’’and “Fishand Bear’s
Paws’’ 20
8. ChuangChou,ChuangTzu, Chapter17 and other passages 22
9. Attributedto Lao Tzu, The ClassicBook of Integrityand the
Way: Tao te ching 32
10. Attributedto Lieh Yu¨-k’ou,Lieh Tzu, “The StupidOld Man
Who Moved a Mountain’’ 37
˚
11. Translatedby Hsu¨an-tsang,Abhidharma-maha¯vibha¯sa¯-s´a¯stra,
Chapter99: “The Sinsof Maha¯deva’’ 39
Criticismand Theory
12. Hsiao T’ung,Prefaceto Literary Selections 46
13. HsiehHo, Preface to Record of the Classificationof Old Painters 51
viii Contents
14. Yen Yu¨, Ts’ang-lang’sDiscussionsof Poetry,“An Analysisof Po-
etry’’ 52
15. Yu¨an Hao-wen,“Poemson Poetry,No. 30’’ 58
PART II. VERSE
ClassicalPoetry
16. Anonymous,Classicof Odes 61
17. Liu Chen,“Cockfight’’ 73
18. JuanChi, “Songsof My Soul’’ 74
19. Kuo P’u, “Poem on the WanderingImmortal’’ 77
20. T’ao Ch’ien“PoemsAfter DrinkingWine’’(No. 5) 77
“On Readingthe Mountainsand Seas Classic’’ 79
21. HsiehLing-yu¨n,“On My Way from SouthMountainto North
Mountain,I Glance at the Sceneryfrom the Lake’’ 80
22. ShenYu¨eh, “Harmonizingwith a Poem by Left AssistantYu¨
Kao-chih RequestingSick Leave’’ 81
“Listeningto Gibbonsat Rock-Pool Creek’’ 81
23. Wang Seng-ju,“Describinga Dreamfor Someone’’ 82
24. Yu¨ Chien-wu,“SpringDay’’ 82
25. Hsiao Kang, “A Pheasanton His MorningFlight’’ 83
26. Brahmaca¯rinWang, [Untitled] 83
27. Lo Pin-wang,“On the Cicada:In Prison’’ 84
28. Ho Chih-chang,“WrittenImpromptuuponReturningto My
Hometown’’ 85
29. Ch’enTzu-ang,“Poemsof Reflectionon the Vicissitudesof
Life’’ 85
30. Chang Chiu-ling,“Poemsof Reflectionon the Vicissitudesof
Life’’ 87
31. Wang Chih-huan,“Climbingthe StorkPavilion’’ 87
32. Meng Hao-jan,“SeekingOut MasterChan on Incense
Mountain’’ 88
“SpringDawn’’ 89
“PassingSeven-LeagueRapids’’ 89
33. Wang Ch’ang-ling,“Silentat Her Window’’ 90
34. Wang Wei, “ClimbingPien-chu¨ehTemple’’ 90
“SecondSong for the Worshipof the Goddessat Yu¨
Mountain:‘Biddingthe GoddessFarewell’’’ 91
“Deer Enclosure’’ 92
35. Li Po, “To Meng Hao-jan’’ 92
“Late Bloomer at the Frontof My Garden’’ 93
“To Send to Tu Fu as a Joke’’ 93
“DrinkingAlone in the Moonlight’’(No. 1) 94
“StillNight Thoughts’’ 94
“Poemsin an Old Style’’ 95
Contents ix
36. Ch’uKuang-hsi,“The Streetsof Ch’ang-an’’ 96
37. Tu Fu, “SpringView’’ 97
“A Guest Arrives’’ 97
“RecruitingOfficerof Shih-hao’’ 98
“At the Sky’sEnd, Thinkingof Li Po’’ 98
38. Chang Chi, “MapleBridgeNight Mooring’’ 100
39. Ts’enShen,“A Song of the RunningHorse River:Presentedon
Saying Farewellto the Army Going on Campaignto the
West’’ 101
40. Ssu-k’ungShu,“In Illness,DismissingMy SingingGirl’’ 102
41. Meng Chiao,“On Failingthe Examination’’ 103
42. Han Yu¨, “The Girl of Mount Hua’’ 103
43. Hsu¨ehT’ao, “Listeningto a Monk Play the Reed Pipes’’ 105
“Lotus-GatheringBoat’’ 106
44. Liu Tsung-yu¨an,“RiverSnow’’ 106
45. Cold Mountain,[UntitledPoems] 107
46. Chia Tao, “Looking for a Recluse but Failingto Find Him’’ 111
47. Li Shen,“Pityingthe Farmer’’ 111
48. Li Te-yu¨, “To PatriarchSunat Hua-yangGrotto’’ 112
49. Li Ho, “At Ch’ang-ku,Reading:To Show to My Man Pa’’ 113
“My Man Pa Replies’’ 113
“Ravineon a Cold Evening’’ 113
50. AutumnMaid Tu, “The Robe of GoldenThread’’ 114
51. Li Shang-yin,“MasterChia’’ 114
52. P’i Jih-hsiu,“Impromptuon a Hangover’’ 115
53. Yu¨ Hsu¨an-chi,“On a Visitto Ch’ung-chenTaoist TempleI See
in the SouthHall the List of SuccessfulCandidatesin the
ImperialExaminations’’ 116
54. Mei Yao-ch’en,“SharingLodgingwith HsiehShih-houin the
Libraryof the Hsu¨ Family and Being Much Botheredby
the Noise of Rats’’ 116
“Shih-houPointedOut to Me That from AncientTimes
There Had NeverBeen a Poem on the Subjectof Lice,
and UrgedMe to Try WritingOne’’ 117
55. Wang An-shih,“BaldMountain’’ 118
56. Su Shih,“When Yu¨-k’oPaintedBamboo’’ 119
“Readingthe Poetry of Meng Chiao’’ 119
“Lamentof the Farm Wife of Wu’’ 120
57. Huang T’ing-chien,“To Go with ShihK’o’s Paintingof an Old
Man TastingVinegar’’ 121
58. Yang Wan-li,“Watchinga Village Festival’’ 122
“Songsof Depression’’(two selections) 122
59. Lu Yu, “The Merchant’sJoy’’ 123
“Writtenin a CarefreeMood’’ 124
“To Show to My Sons’’ 124
60. Wen T’ien-hsiang,“Chin-lingPost Station’’ 125