Book of Songs (Shi-Jing)

"Although it is among the oldest books in the world, this collection of poems is very easy for readers to enjoy today. With lyrical simplicity and a focus on inner feelings and experiences, it is relatable across time and culture. Shijing has been incredibly influential in East Asia, including on Confucius and his followers, and even today most Chinese probably know some of the poems off by heart. Variously translated as The Book of Songs, The Odes , and The Classic of Poetry, Shijing consists of around three hundred poems thought to date from the 11th to the 7th century BCE, with the eulogies and ballads being the oldest. There are odes of celebration and hymns of praise, formal verses about events at the Zhou court, dynastic legends, warriors and battles, feasting, friendship, and lamentations. Nature is an integral part of the Book of Songs , and we get a sense of the importance of the agricultural calendar and seasonal celebrations. The literary versions of folksongs, in particular, with universal themes such as love and longing, resonate as much now as they did when they were first sung. Many of the poems are visually very striking, and the images often feel surprisingly fresh. If you want to read the whole collection there is Arthur Waley’s version from 1937, but James Trapp’s translation of 32 selected poems is a very attractive option. It was published in a beautiful gift edition in 2021, with the Chinese characters on one page and the English translation opposite. In the preface he writes: “The more you read the verses of the whole work, the more you realize how unchanging the preoccupations of humans are”."