Three Hundred Tang Poems


The Three Hundred Tang Poems is an anthology of poems from the Chinese Tang dynasty first compiled around 1763 by Sun Zhu, the Qing Dynasty scholar, also known as Hengtang Tuishi. Various later editions also exist. All editions contain slightly more than 300 total poems: in this case, three hundred means not exactly 300 but refers to an estimative quantification; the ten, twenty, or more extra poems represent a sort of a good luck bonus, analogous to the "baker's dozen" in the West. Even more, the number 300 was a classic number for a poetry collection due to the influence of the Classic of Poetry, which was generally known as The Three Hundred Poems.
Dissatisfied with the anthology Poems by a Thousand Masters compiled by Liu Kezhuang in the late Southern Song, and influenced by Ming Dynasty poetry anthologies, Sun selected the poems based on their popularity and educational value. The collection has been popular ever since and can be found in many Chinese households. For centuries, elementary students memorized the poems and used them to learn to read and write. It contains poems by Du Fu, Li Bai, Wang Wei, Li Shangyin, Meng Haoran, Han Yu, Du Mu, Bai Juyi, Liu Changqing, Cen Shen, Wang Changling, Wei Yingwu, and more. Li He is one notable Tang poet absent from the compilation.

Organization of poems

The original Qing Dynasty version of the 300 Tang Poems was organized by the poem's formal type, of which there were seven:
Out of 317 poems in one edition, 90 were in the gushi form and 227 were in the lüshi or the jueju forms.

Poets

The poets of the Tang shi include a number of authors ranging from the well-known and famous to obscure or anonymous poets, and even include at least one emperor. The poet with the most pieces included in this collection is Du Fu, with thirty-nine. Li Bai is a close runner-up, with thirty-four. Wang Wei has twenty-nine poems included in the anthology and Li Shangyin has twenty-four. Meng Haoran has fifteen, Wei Yingwu twelve, Liu Changqing eleven, and Du Mu ten. After that, each of the other poets' included pieces number in the single digits; however, some of these poets are quite important, such as Liu Zongyuan or Bai Juyi. Some important poets, such as Li He, are not represented at all.
NameTraditionalSimplifiedPinyinWade-GilesDatesNumber of included pieces
Bai Juyi白居易白居易Bái JūyìPo Chü-i772–8466
Cen Shen岑參岑参Cén ShēnTs'en Shen715–7707
Chang Jian常建常建Cháng JiànCh'ang Chien708–765?2
Chen Tao陳陶陳陶Chén TáoCh'en T'ao824–8821
Chen Zi'ang陳子昂陈子昂Chén ZĭángCh‛en Tzŭ-ang661?–7021
Cui Hao崔顥崔颢Cuī HàoTs'ui Hao704?–7544
Cui Hu崔護崔护Cuī HùTs'ui Hu772-8461
Cui Shu崔曙崔曙Cuī ShǔTs'ui Shu704–7391
Cui Tu崔塗崔涂Cuī TúTs'ui T'u854–?2
Dai Shulun戴叔倫戴叔伦Dài ShūlúnTai Shu-lun732–7891
Du Fu杜甫杜甫Dù FǔTu Fu712–77039
Du Mu杜牧杜牧Dù MùTu Mu803–85210
Du Qiuniang 杜秋娘杜秋娘Dù QiūniángTu Ch'iu-niang?–825?1
Du Shenyan杜審言杜审言Dù ShěnyánTu Shen-yen646–708?1
Du Xunhe杜荀鶴杜荀鹤Dù XúnhèTu Hsün-hê846–9041
Gao Pian高駢高骈Gāo PiánKao Pian821-8871
Gao Shi高適高适Gāo ShìKao Shi716?–7652
Gu Kuang顧況顾况Gù KuàngKu K'uang725—8141
Han Hong韓翃韩翃Hán HóngHan Hung754?-784?3
Han Wo韓偓韩偓Hán WòHan Wo844–9231
Han Yu韓愈韩愈Hán YùHan Yü768–8244
He Zhizhang賀知章贺知章Hè ZhīzhāngHe Chih-chang659?–7441
Huangfu Ran皇甫冉皇甫冉Huángfǔ RǎnHuang-fu Jan716–7691
Jia Dao賈島贾岛Jiǎ DǎoChia Tao779–8431
Jiaoran皎然皎然JiǎoránChiao-jan730–7991
Jin Changxu金昌緒金昌绪Jīn ChāngxùChin Ch'ang-hsü?1
Li Bai 李白李白Lǐ Bái Li Pai 701–76234
Li Duan李端李端Lǐ DuānLi Tuan743–7821
Li He李賀李贺Lǐ HèLi He790-8162
Li Pin李頻李频Lǐ PínLi P'in818–8761
Li Qi李頎李颀Lǐ QíLi Ch'i690–7517
Li Shangyin李商隱李商隐Lǐ ShāngyǐnLi Shang-yin813?–858?24
Li Shen李紳李绅Lǐ ShēnLi Shen772-8461
Li Ye 李冶李冶Lǐ YěLi Yeh?–78418
Li Yi李益李益Lǐ YìLi I748?–827?3
Liu Changqing劉長卿刘长卿Liú ChángqīngLiu Chang-ch'ing710?–789?11
Liu Fangping劉方平刘方平Liú FāngpingLiu Fang-p'ingmid 8th century2
Liu Jixu劉脊虛刘脊虚Liú JǐxūLiu Chi-hsü?1
Liu Yuxi劉禹錫刘禹锡Liú YǔxīLiu Yü-hsi772–8424
Liu Zhongyong柳中庸柳中庸Liǔ ZhōngyōngLiu Chung-yung?–775?1
Liu Zongyuan柳宗元柳宗元Liǔ ZōngyuánLiu Tsung-yüan773–8195
Lu Lun盧綸卢纶Lú LúnLu Lun739–7996
Luo Binwang駱賓王骆宾王Luò BīnwángLo Pin-wang640?–684?1
Ma Dai馬戴马戴Mǎ DàiMa Tai799–8692
Meng Haoran孟浩然孟浩然Mèng HàoránMeng Hao-jan689?–74015
Meng Jiao孟郊孟郊Mèng JiāoMeng Chiao751–8142
Nie Yizhong聶夷中聂夷中Niè YízhōngNie YiChong837-8841
Pei Di裴迪裴迪Péi DíPei Ti716?–?1
Qian Qi錢起钱起Qián QǐCh'ien Ch'i722?–780?3
Qin Taoyu秦韜玉秦韬玉Qín TāoyùCh'in T'ao-yülate 9th century1
Qiu Wei邱為邱为Qiū WéiCh'iu Wei694–789?1
Qiwu Qian綦毋潛綦毋潜Qíwú QiánCh'i-wu Ch'ien692?–755?1
Quan Deyu權德輿权德舆Quán DéyúCh'uan Tê-yu759–8181
Rong Yu戎昱戎昱Róng YùJong Yu740-8002
Shen Quanqi沈佺期沈佺期Shěn QuánqīShên Ch'üan-ch'i650?–713?2
Shi Jianwu施肩吾施肩吾Shī JiānwúShi Chuan'wu780-8611
Sikong Shu司空曙司空曙Sī KōngShǔSsû-k'ung Shu720?–790?3
Song Zhiwen宋之問宋之问Sòng ZhīwènSung Chih-wên656?–712?1
Tang Xuanzong 唐玄宗唐玄宗Táng XuánzōngT'ang Hsüan-tsung685–7621
Wang Bo王勃王勃Wáng BóWang Po649?–6761
Wang Changling王昌齡王昌龄Wáng ChānglíngWang Ch'ang-ling698–7568
Wang Han王翰王翰Wáng HànWang Han687-7261
Wang Jian王建王建Wáng JiànWang Chien?–830?1
Wang Wan王灣王灣Wáng WānWang Wan693–7511
Wang Wei王維王维Wáng WéiWang Wei699–75929
Wang Zhihuan王之渙王之涣Wáng ZhīhuànWang Tsu-huan688–7422
Wei Yingwu 韋應物韦应物Wéi YìngwùWei Ying-wu737–79212
Wei Zhuang韋莊韦庄Wéi ZhuāngWei Chuang836–9102
Wen Tingyun溫庭筠温庭筠Wēn TīngyūnWen T'ing-yun812–8704
Wu Mingshi 無名氏无名氏WúmíngshìWu-ming-shih?1
Xibi Ren 西鄙人西鄙人Xībǐ RénHsi-pi Jen?1
Xu Hun許渾许浑Xǔ HúnHsü Hun791–8582
Xue Feng薛逢薛逢Xuē FéngHsueh Fengmid 9th century1
Yuan Jie元結元结Yuán JiēYüan Chieh723–7722
Yuan Zhen元稹元稹Yuán ZhěnYüan Chen779–8314
Zhang Hu張祜张祜Zhāng HùChang Hu785–849?5
Zhang Ji from Hubei張繼张继Zhāng JìChang Chi715?–779?1
Zhang Ji from Jiangnan張籍张籍Zhāng JíChang Chi766–830?1
Zhang Jiuling張九齡张九龄Zhāng JiǔlíngChang Chiu-ling678?–7405
Zhang Mi 張泌张泌Zhāng MìChang Milate 9th century1
Zhang Qiao張喬张喬Zhāng QiáoChang Ch'iao?1
Zhang Xu張旭张旭Zhāng XùChang Hsü658?–747?1
Zhang Zhihe張志和张志和Zhāng ZhìhéChang Chi'he732-7741
Zheng Tian鄭畋郑畋Zhèng TiánCheng T'ien824?–882?1
Zhu Qingyu朱慶餘朱慶余Zhū QìngyúChu Ch'ing-yüearly 9th century2
Zu Yong祖詠祖咏Zǔ YǒngTsu Yung699–746?2

Translations

The first complete translation of the Three Hundred Tang Poems into English was published as The Jade Mountain, translated by Witter Bynner and Jiang Kanghu. From 1929 through 1972 it went through ten editions. It has also been translated by Peter Harris in 2009.