sòngcí: 宋词 - Song Dynasty Poetry, Ci Poetry

• Keywords: Song ci, Song dynasty poetry, ci poetry, Chinese poetry, Tang shi Song ci, Su Shi, Li Qingzhao, what is ci poetry, classical Chinese literature, 宋词, 苏轼, 李清照
• Summary: Discover 宋词 (Sòng cí), a major form of classical Chinese poetry that flourished during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). Known as Ci poetry or Song lyrics, this art form is celebrated for its musical origins, with lines of varying lengths written to fit specific tunes. Unlike the more formal Tang poetry, Song ci often explores personal and intimate themes of love, sorrow, nostalgia, and the subtle beauty of nature, making it one of the most beloved and influential genres in Chinese literary history.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): sòng cí
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A type of lyric poetry characterized by lines of varying lengths, which was the dominant poetic form of the Song Dynasty.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine a poet writing new lyrics for a popular song on the radio today. That's the essence of 宋词 (Sòng cí). In the Song Dynasty, poets would compose new verses to existing musical melodies. This meant the poems had to follow strict rhythmic and tonal patterns, resulting in beautiful lines of unequal length. This form allowed for a more fluid, personal, and emotional expression than earlier poetry, making it perfect for capturing fleeting moments, deep longing, or profound philosophical insights.

• 宋 (sòng): This character refers to the Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE), a golden age for Chinese arts, culture, and technology. When you see this character in a historical context, it almost always points to this specific period.
• 词 (cí): While this character most commonly means “word” or “term” today (e.g., in `词典 cídiǎn`, dictionary), in this literary context, it means “lyric” or a specific genre of poetry meant to be sung.

Together, 宋词 (Sòng cí) literally translates to “Song lyrics” or “lyrics of the Song,” directly referencing the dominant poetic art form of that era.

宋词 (Sòng cí) is a titan of Chinese literature, often paired with the poetry of the preceding Tang Dynasty in the common phrase 唐诗宋词 (Táng shī Sòng cí). This phrase signifies the highest achievements of classical Chinese poetry, with each representing the pinnacle of its respective era. The key difference lies in form and feeling. Tang Poetry (唐诗) is often compared to a grand, majestic oil painting. It typically uses regular five or seven-character lines and often tackles broad themes like history, war, epic landscapes, and social duty. Song Ci (宋词), in contrast, is more like an intimate watercolor sketch. Its variable line lengths create a more musical, flowing rhythm, and its content is often deeply personal, focusing on:

• Love and longing for a distant lover.
• The sorrow of parting or loss.
• Nostalgia for past glories.
• The quiet beauty of a single flower or a rainy evening.

Comparison to Western Culture: One can compare the relationship between 唐诗 (Táng shī) and 宋词 (Sòng cí) to that of epic poetry (like Homer's *The Iliad*) and lyrical poetry (like Shakespeare's sonnets or Romantic odes). The former tells grand stories and addresses great events, while the latter delves into the personal emotions and inner world of the author. 宋词's unique feature is its composition based on pre-existing musical templates called 词牌 (cípái), a constraint that, paradoxically, fostered immense creativity. This art form reflects a cultural shift towards valuing individual experience and refined aesthetics, which were hallmarks of the Song Dynasty's sophisticated scholar-official class.

While 宋词 is a classical form and not used in daily conversation, its presence in modern China is pervasive and profound.

• In Education: It is a mandatory part of the curriculum from elementary school through university. Every educated Chinese person can recite at least a few famous lines of 宋词.
• In Art and Media: The elegant and evocative lines of 宋词 are frequently used in calligraphy, traditional painting, song lyrics for modern pop songs (especially in the “Chinese style” or `中国风`), and as titles or themes for TV dramas and films.
• As a Cultural Touchstone: Quoting a line from a famous 宋词 in a conversation or piece of writing is a way to appear educated and cultured (`有文化 - yǒu wénhuà`). It's used to add depth and beauty to an expression, much like quoting Shakespeare in English. For example, to express a feeling of shared longing despite being far apart, someone might quote Su Shi: “但愿人长久，千里共婵娟” (dànyuàn rén chángjiǔ, qiānlǐ gòng chánjuān).

Essentially, you don't “speak” in 宋词, but you use the term to refer to this body of literature, and you quote from it to enrich modern language.

• Example 1:
  • 我最喜欢的中国古典文学就是宋词。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuì xǐhuān de Zhōngguó gǔdiǎn wénxué jiùshì Sòng cí.
  • English: My favorite type of classical Chinese literature is Song ci.
  • Analysis: A straightforward sentence using 宋词 as the name of the literary genre.
• Example 2:
  • 苏轼和李清照是宋词最杰出的代表。
  • Pinyin: Sū Shì hé Lǐ Qīngzhào shì Sòng cí zuì jiéchū de dàibiǎo.
  • English: Su Shi and Li Qingzhao are the most outstanding representatives of Song ci.
  • Analysis: This sentence names two of the most famous poets associated with the genre, providing important cultural context.
• Example 3:
  • 这首流行歌曲的歌词很有宋词的韵味。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shǒu liúxíng gēqǔ de gēcí hěn yǒu Sòng cí de yùnwèi.
  • English: The lyrics of this pop song have the feel/charm of Song ci.
  • Analysis: This shows how 宋词 is used as a benchmark for aesthetic quality in modern creative works. `韵味 (yùnwèi)` means a lingering charm or appeal.
• Example 4:
  • 老师要求我们背诵一首宋词。
  • Pinyin: Lǎoshī yāoqiú wǒmen bèisòng yī shǒu Sòng cí.
  • English: The teacher asked us to memorize a Song ci poem.
  • Analysis: This reflects the role of 宋词 in the Chinese educational system. The measure word for a poem is `首 (shǒu)`.
• Example 5:
  • 学习宋词可以帮助我们更好地理解宋朝的文化。
  • Pinyin: Xuéxí Sòng cí kěyǐ bāngzhù wǒmen gèng hǎo de lǐjiě Sòng cháo de wénhuà.
  • English: Studying Song ci can help us better understand the culture of the Song Dynasty.
  • Analysis: This highlights the function of 宋词 as a historical and cultural artifact.
• Example 6:
  • “大江东去，浪淘尽，千古风流人物”是苏轼豪放派宋词的开篇。
  • Pinyin: “Dàjiāng dōng qù, làng táo jìn, qiāngǔ fēngliú rénwù” shì Sū Shì háofàng pài Sòng cí de kāipiān.
  • English: “The great river flows east, its waves have washed away all the romantic figures of the ages” is the opening of one of Su Shi's heroic-style Song ci.
  • Analysis: This example quotes a famous line to illustrate a specific style (`豪放派 - háofàng pài`, the heroic/unrestrained school) within the genre.
• Example 7:
  • 很多人认为李清照的宋词写尽了女性的细腻情感。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō rén rènwéi Lǐ Qīngzhào de Sòng cí xiě jìn le nǚxìng de xìnì qínggǎn.
  • English: Many people believe that Li Qingzhao's Song ci perfectly captures the delicate emotions of women.
  • Analysis: This connects a specific poet to a thematic strength, showing the depth of the genre.
• Example 8:
  • 读不懂宋词的意境，就无法体会它的美。
  • Pinyin: Dú bù dǒng Sòng cí de yìjìng, jiù wúfǎ tǐhuì tā de měi.
  • English: If you can't understand the artistic mood of Song ci, you cannot appreciate its beauty.
  • Analysis: This sentence introduces the important aesthetic concept of `意境 (yìjìng)`, the mood or atmosphere created by a work of art.
• Example 9:
  • 他是一位书法家，特别喜欢书写宋词名句。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì yī wèi shūfǎjiā, tèbié xǐhuān shūxiě Sòng cí míngjù.
  • English: He is a calligrapher and particularly likes to write famous lines from Song ci.
  • Analysis: This illustrates the connection between 宋词 and other traditional Chinese arts like calligraphy.
• Example 10:
  • 唐诗和宋词是中国文学的两座高峰。
  • Pinyin: Táng shī hé Sòng cí shì Zhōngguó wénxué de liǎng zuò gāofēng.
  • English: Tang poetry and Song ci are the two peaks of Chinese literature.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the common pairing “Táng shī Sòng cí” to emphasize the genre's monumental status.

• Mistake 1: Confusing 宋词 (Sòng cí) with 唐诗 (Táng shī).
  • While both are forms of classical poetry, they are distinct. The easiest way to tell them apart is by structure. Tang poems (`诗 shī`) usually have lines of equal length (5 or 7 characters). Song poems (`词 cí`) have irregular, varied line lengths designed to match a musical tune. Think: `诗` is like a metered stanza, `词` is like a song's verse.
  • Incorrect: “Li Bai wrote many beautiful Sòng cí.”
  • Reason: Li Bai (李白) was a Tang Dynasty poet famous for writing `唐诗 (Táng shī)`, not `宋词 (Sòng cí)`.
• Mistake 2: Assuming `词 (cí)` always means lyric poetry.
  • The character `词 (cí)` has multiple meanings. In modern Chinese, its most common meaning is “word” (e.g., `生词 shēngcí` - new word). It only refers to this specific genre of poetry in a literary or historical context, especially when paired with `宋 (Sòng)`. Context is everything.
• Mistake 3: Thinking all poetry from the Song Dynasty is 宋词.
  • While `ci` was the most innovative and celebrated form of the Song era, many poets of the time also continued to write in the older `shi` (诗) style. So, `宋词 (Sòng cí)` refers specifically to the `ci` form written during the Song Dynasty, not the entire poetic output of the period.

• 唐诗 (Táng shī): The dominant poetry of the Tang Dynasty. More structured and often grander in theme than `Sòng cí`. The other “peak” of Chinese poetry.
• 词牌 (cípái): The name of the musical tune or metrical pattern to which a `ci` was written. Each `cípái` has a unique title (e.g., “Water Dragon's Chant”) and dictates the poem's line length, rhythm, and tone sequence.
• 苏轼 (Sū Shì): A giant of Chinese literature and a master of `Sòng cí`, famous for his broad intellectualism and his role in establishing the `豪放 (háofàng)` or “heroic” school of poetry.
• 李清照 (Lǐ Qīngzhào): Widely considered China's greatest female poet. She was a master of the `婉约 (wǎnyuē)` or “graceful and restrained” school, known for her deeply personal and moving `ci` poems about love, loss, and the turmoil of her era.
• 豪放 (háofàng): The “heroic and unrestrained” style of `ci` poetry. It uses grand imagery and tackles broader themes like history, philosophy, and patriotism. Su Shi is its most famous practitioner.
• 婉约 (wǎnyuē): The “graceful and restrained” style. It focuses on delicate emotions, personal feelings, love, and sorrow, often with elegant and subtle language. Li Qingzhao is the quintessential example.
• 元曲 (Yuán qǔ): The major literary genre of the Yuan Dynasty, which followed the Song. It is a type of sung poetry used in operas and plays, evolving from `Sòng cí`.
• 诗经 (Shī Jīng): The “Classic of Poetry,” the oldest collection of Chinese poems, dating from the 11th to 7th centuries BCE. It is the foundational text for all Chinese poetry.