Shijing

Shijing, commonly translated as the Book of Songs or Classic of Poetry, is the oldest extant collection of Chinese poetry. Traditionally dated to the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn periods (roughly 11th–7th centuries BCE), it is believed to have been compiled or edited by Confucius, though modern scholarship treats it as a more complex collection formed over time. The anthology contains about 305 poems drawn from various states and centuries, offering a rare window into early Chinese life, politics, and ritual.

The collection is divided into three sections: Guo Feng (Airs of the States), Ya (Elegies or Odes), and Song (Odes). The Guo Feng comprises folk songs collected from many regions and often presents daily life, labor, love, and social mood. The Ya includes more formal, aristocratic hymns and ceremonial pieces, reflecting courtly functions and values. The Song contains some of the oldest court and ritual poems. The poems vary in form and length and are noted for their concise diction and use of parallelism, a feature that influenced later Chinese poetics.

Language and significance: The Shijing preserves early Old Chinese linguistic and cultural data, offering insights into pronunciation, customs, and social relations of its era. It has had a profound impact on Chinese literature, education, and philosophy. Confucius is traditionally credited with interpreting and teaching the poems as moral exemplars and social instruction. The text became a cornerstone of the Five Classics in Confucian education and has inspired extensive annotation, study, and translation in China and beyond.