(Photo: Chun Tao)
How many works of Qu Yuan are there? What are the respective topics? What types can be summarized?
Yu Dazhong
When we study Chu Ci and remember Qu Yuan, we must read Qu Yuan's works. This involves some common sense questions: how many works of Qu Yuan are there? What are the respective topics? What types can be summarized?
Western Han bibliographers Liu Xiang and Liu Xin had proofread Qu Yuan's works, and the Eastern Han Dynasty writer Wang Yi also had annotations to Qu Yuan's works. According to their views, Qu Yuan's works have 25 articles, namely 1 "Departure from Sorrow", 1 article of "Heavenly Question", 11 articles of "Nine Songs", 9 articles of "Nine Chapters", "Long Journey", "Buju", and "Fisher Father".
However, the Western Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian's "History of Qu Yuan's Biography" records that there is also a "Summoning Soul" article. Some scholars believe that the Great Trick is also Qu Yuan's work; others suspect that the following chapters of the Journey and several chapters of the Nine Chapters were not written by Qu Yuan.
(Author: Cui Fengchun)
In the contemporary era, Guo Moruo examined it, and Qu Yuan's works have been handed down a total of 23 articles. Among them, there are 11 "Nine Songs", including "Eastern Emperor Taiyi", "Dongjun", "Yunzhongjun", "Xiangjun", "Lady Xiang", "Great Si Ming", "Shao Si Ming", "Hebo", "Mountain Ghost", "National Martyrdom", "Ritual Soul", "Nine Chapters", including "Recitation", "Wading River", "Lamentation", "Reflections", "Huaisha", "Si Meiren", "Cherishing the Past", "Ode to Orange", "Sorrowful Return", "Leaving Sorrow", "Heavenly Question", and "Summoning Souls".
Regarding the classification of Qu Yuan's works, some scholars believe that there should be three types:
The first genre is represented by "Departure". Including "Nine Chapters", "Long Journey", "Buju", "Fisherman", "Summoning Souls", "Big Moves". It is a magnificent poem forged by Qu Yuan with his own ideals, encounters, pain, enthusiasm and even his entire life.
The second type is represented by "Tianwen". It is a poem written by Qu Yuan based on myths and legends.
The third type is represented by the Nine Songs. It is a sacred song of the Chu State, which has been processed and polished by Qu Yuan, and is full of a strong breath of life in the description of the characters' emotional expression and environmental atmosphere.