How to Read Chinese Poetry A Guided Anthology

c i P oe t ry : s Hor t s ong ly riC s 249

early song lyrics, mostly anonymous and characterized by wide thematic variation.
The second major source is the literati ci anthology Huajian ji (Among the Flowers
Collection), which dates from the Five Dynasties period. The anthology, compiled
in the mid-tenth century, collects five hundred poems, by early ci masters Wen
Tingyun (813?–870) and Wei Zhuang (836–910), along with a number of poets of
the court of the western kingdom of Shu. (By the Song dynasty, poets began pub-
lishing individual collections of their own ci poetry.)
The first poems considered are a pair of anonymous poems from Dunhuang.
They constitute a dialogue between a man and a woman that plays with the conven-
tions of female abandonment (thematic table of contents 2.3) in a lively dramatic
exchange. These conventions of abandonment and neglect have a long history in
the tradition, the roots of which can be traced back in the literati poetic tradition
to the Shijing (The Book of Poetry) and the Chuci (Lyrics of Chu).
The first poem of the pair presents the male speaker’s accusatory
interrogation:

C 1 2. 2

To the Tune “Southern Tune,” No. 1

Standing leaning at the beaded curtain,
2 With whom have you been sharing your heart?
The new scratches on your face are plain as day.
4 Who tied the love knot in your silk sash?
And who’s torn the hem of your skirt?

6 Why are your cicada locks in disarray?
And your hairpin—why is it broken?
8 For whom these tear streaks in your rouge?
Tell me straight, here before the hall.
10 Don’t hem and haw.
[QTWDC 7.893]

南歌子 其一 (nán gē zĭ qí yī)

slanted leaning bead curtain stand 斜隱珠簾立 (xié yĭn zhū lián lì)
emotion matters with whom intimate 情事共誰親 △ (qíng shì gòng shéi qīn)
distinct clear face on finger scar new 分明面上指痕新 △ (fēn míng miàn shàng zhĭ hén xīn)
silk sash together heart who tie 羅帶同心誰綰 (luó dài tóng xīn shéi wăn)
what person step broke skirt 甚人踏破裙 △ (shèn rén tà pò qún)

cicada locks because what mess 蟬鬢因何亂 (chán bìn yīn hé luàn)
gold hairpin because what broke 金釵為甚分^ △^ (jīn chāi wèi shèn fēn)
red makeup hang tear miss what lord 紅妝垂淚憶何君^ △ (hóng zhuāng chuí lèi yì hé jūn)
distinct clear hall before truly tell 分明殿前實說 (fēn míng diàn qián shí shuō)
don’t low mutter 莫沉吟^ △^ (mò chén yín)