Topic

Song Ci

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Ci (lyrics) are also called other names such as quzi ci (melody lyrics) and gequ (song lyrics). The ci form began in the Sui (581–618) and the Tang (618–907) dynasties, took form in the Five Dynasties period (907–960), and flourished in the Song dynasty (960–1279). Since the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), ci has been used as the name of a particular kind of poetry. Having both literary and musical features, ci is a gem of classical Chinese literature.

 

Ci is a song to accompany banquet music. The literary form of ci goes along with the melody and beat of the music. Because of this, ci has different tune patterns, separate pian (stanzas), and lines of different length. The tune pattern is melody of the song, and thus it is the equivalent of the score of the song. Different tone patterns have different emotions. Pian is a passage of the music; in ci, it refers to a passage of the lyric. Each tune has a set number of lines, a fixed number of syllables in each line, and a required tone for each syllable. In terms of length, ci can be divided into xiaoling (short song), zhongdiao (medium length song), and changdiao (long song).

 

In the first half of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), the form of most ci is xiaoling, and the style is gentle and elegant. Yan Shu (991–1055), his son Yan Jidao (1040–1112), and Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072) have the highest achievement in this area. Yan Shu created a link between the Five Dynasties ci and the Northern Song ci. Yan Jidao’s works are even more moving and profound than his father’s. Together, Ouyang Xiu and Yan Shu are honored with the appellation “Ou and Yan.” They expanded the popularity of the ci form and found new ways of expressing ideas and emotions using ci.

 

Manci (long lyrics) first emerged in the Tang and the Five Dynasties, but were limited in quantity. In the succeeding Northern Song dynasty, society was peaceful and prosperous, and manci entered the mainstream. Have a longer pattern and more syllables, manci could embrace richer content and express more complicated feelings. The flourishing of manci is emblematic of the flourishing of ci. One of the greatest practitioners of manci tune patterns was the poet Liu Yong (987–1053). As a forbearer of the wanyue (delicate restraint) school of ci, Liu added a new page to the history of ci by developing both its content and form. First, he promoted the use of manci tune patterns and compositions; second, he enriched the methods of expression in ci, making strong emotion its main feature; and third, he changed the ci from an elite to a popular form by depicting lower class people and using vernacular language. In contrast, Su Shi (1037–1101) is a forbearer of the haofang (heroic abandon) school of ci. He avoided Liu Yong’s style, and expanded ci lyrics from just being sung by entertainers to being a prime literary form. His outstanding achievements include: first, extending the subject matter of ci to reflect society and life as in classical shi poetry; second, using the ci form to express more profound ideas and making it philosophical; third, breaking the restraints of metrical patterns and developing the ci form into an independent literary genre. Other notable representatives of Northern Song ci include He Zhu (1052–1125) who left a rich and diverse oeuvre of ci, Zhou Bangyan (1056–1121) who wrote balanced and refined ci, and Qin Guan (1049–1100) who also wrote graceful and elegant works.

 

In 1127, the Northern Song fell and the court moved south to establish the Southern Song. There were defenders and capitulators within the ruling Southern Song elite. The defenders felt oppressed and frustrated, and patriotic poets vented their pain and fury by composing ci in the “heroic abandon” haofang style. At the same time, the beautiful natural scenery of southern China significantly inspired the development of the “delicate restraint” wanyue school of ci. Xin Qiji (1140–1207) is not only the foremost exponent of the haofang school of ci in the Southern Song, but is also the most productive and accomplished ci composer of his time. His major achievements include: first, extending the subject matter of the ci form to the extent that anything could be written about; second, his ci cover all manners of styles including the untrammeled and unrestrained, the impassioned and brooding, the lucid and elegant, and the bright and sprightly; and third, he enriched the methods of expression by introducing the use of questions, answers, and argumentations into the ci form. Li Qingzhao (1084–ca.1155) is the representative of the wanyue school of ci in the Southern Song. Her ci poems have sincere emotions and detailed descriptions, and she was skilled in using simple language. Her language is concise, easy, and expressive, leading the “graceful restraint” style to a new peak. Other great poetic works from this period are the ci filled with righteous indignation of the military hero Yue Fei (1103–1142), the dejection and sorrow of Zhang Wugan’s (n.d.) ci, the impassioned and fervid ci of Liu Kezhuang (1187–1269), the profound resonance and chilly redolence of Jiang Kui’s (ca. 1155–ca. 1221) ci, and the elegant and rich ci of Wu Wenying (ca. 1200–ca. 1260). Toward the end of the Southern Song, the fragmentation of the country caused many poets to lament the loss of their country and this is vividly captured in their ci compositions.

 

Particular features are the life of art forms. Ci became a literary form in the Song dynasty equal to that of shi poetry of the Tang dynasty because of its delicate expression of feelings, obscure imagery, and indirect expression of a moral message. Critics claim that “shi is solemn, ci is charming” and “the realm of shi is wide, the language of ci is far-reaching” to differentiate them. Song ci and Tang shi are two significant literary forms. Together, they represent highpoints in the history of Chinese literature.

Last updated:
2019-08-22