Dewey Decimal895.11/2
SynopsisThis book provides a translation of the complete poems and fu of Cao Zhi (192-232), one of China's most famous poets. Cao Zhi lived during a tumultuous age, a time of intrepid figures and of bold and violent acts that have captured the Chinese imagination across the centuries. His father Cao Cao (155-220) became the most powerful leader in a divided empire, and on his death, Cao Zhi's elder brother Cao Pi (187-226) engineered the abdication of the last Han emperor, establishing himself as the founding emperor of the Wei Dynasty (220-265). Although Cao Zhi wanted to play an active role in government and military matters, he was not allowed to do so, and he is remembered as a writer. The Poetry of Cao Zhi contains in its body one hundred twenty-eight pieces of poetry and fu . The extant editions of Cao Zhi's writings differ in the number of pieces they contain and present many textual variants. The translations in this volume are based on a valuable edition of Cao's works by Ding Yan (1794-1875), and are supplemented by robust annotations, a brief biography of Cao Zhi, and an introduction to the poetry by the translator., Cao Zhi (192-232) is widely recognized as one of China's foremost pre-modern poets, yet to this day there has been no scholarly English translation of all of his poetry. This book remedies that deficit, supplying carefully annotated translations and text critical notes. It is intended for general readers and scholars alike. Cao Zhi and his fellow Jian'an period poets made important contributions to the development of many of the literary forms, topics, conventions, and practices that were to endure throughout subsequent ages. Presented here are not only poems designated shi and yuefu, but also Cao's fu (rhapsodies), lei (dirges), and other works employing rhyme. Chinese and English texts appear on facing pages, and there is a two-level system of annotation: footnotes provide explanations of names and terms in the translation, while endnotes provide information on textual issues, problems of meaning or translation, sources and allusions, and other matters. This book provides an important introduction into the world of early medieval Chinese literature for readers of poetry and will be useful to scholars and students of Chinese literature in reading and understanding Cao Zhi's works.