27 A 



CHIN A. 



figurative style, which the ancient oriental* in general 

 employed in their religious instructions. 



There are two kind* of Chinese poetry, which may 

 be distinguished by the epithet* written or painted, and 

 oral or audible. The first is chiefly addressed to the 

 eye, and it* principal excellence consists in such a selec- 

 tion of character* a* may convey the meaning in a con- 

 cise expression, and, at the *ame time, excite agreeable 

 association in the mind of a Chinese reader. This lat- 

 ter effect i produced by bold metaphorical terms, by 

 ingenious etymological combinations, or by allusions to the 

 more important and interfiling events in history. Many 

 of these figures of speech, or rather figures of writing, 

 are sufficiently fanciful, and far beyond the most pro- 

 found conceits of our metaphysical bards. Others are 

 so entirely applicable to Chinese history, as to be in- 

 telligible only to those, who are well acquainted with 

 their ancient events and proverbs. Thus the head is 

 denominated the sanctuary of reason ; the ears, the 

 princes of hearing; the eyes, the stars of the forehead, 

 ot living pearls ; the nose, the mountain of fountains ; 

 the stomach, the laboratory of aliments ; a mat for bed- 

 ding, the kingdom of sleep. To paint the tugcr is an 

 expression which signifies to drink hard; because an an- 

 cient painter, when he was about to depict that fero- 

 cious animal, used to stimulate his imagination by co- 

 pious draughts of strong liquor. A peach tree and a. 

 soring ofusaier signify the retirement of a sage; because a 

 Chinese philosopher, when fleeing from persecution, sub- 

 sisted for some time in a desert place upon peaches and 

 rfl/rr. And the expression slie trill not cut off her nose, 

 describes a gay widow in quest of a second match ; be- 

 cause a beautiful widow is recorded in history to have 

 mutilated her nose, that she might not be compelled to 

 enter a second time into the married state. 



In the second species, which is addressed to the ear, 

 there are verses of a regulated measure, occasionally, 

 though not uniformly, terminating in rhyme. In conse- 

 quence of the small number of words in the spoken lan- 

 guage, the poet is allowed to have one blank verse, at 

 least, in every four of metre. This measured poetry is 

 pronounced always in a recitative tone, which approaches 

 to singing ; and the particular notes, even, are frequent- 

 ly affixed to the written character. This tone is essen- 

 tial to the oral poetry; and, as there is frequently little 

 rhyme in these compositions, the sole difference between 

 verse and prose, often consists merely in the singing tone, 

 with which tlic former is accompanied. 



The most ancient and approved of the Chinese poetry 

 is the Shee-king, mentioned among the sacred classics, 

 which contains about 300 pieces, collected and revised 

 by Confucius. They are chiefly of the oral species, and 

 are generally repeated with musical cadences. As nei- 

 ther the expression of the visible character to please the 

 eye, nor the accompanying tones addressed to the ear, 

 can be represented to the European reader, it is not pos- 

 sible to give a fair specimen of such poetry ; but curiosi- 

 ty may be gratified, to a certain extent, by the following 

 extract from the S/iee-king, which is a poetical record of 

 a solar eclipse. 



Teh* yu* tchi kiM 



Tchou gv Kin-mao 



Gi-yimi 1 1 



Yc koung tchc trhcuu 

 ic rul wel 



TV gc cul wel 

 ihin inin 



Ye koung tcho ngmi." 



Literally translated. 



J.iier.iture. 



' Tenth moon'* conjunction, first day tin-ito, nn << "'""Y"* 

 had eclipse : All portend bad. Whether sun covered or 

 moon covered, people in general fear bad." 



Among the first of modern Chinese poets is reckoned 

 the late emperor Kien-long. One of his productions, en- 

 titled, the praise of Mook-den," a city and district in 

 Mantchoo Tartary, is of the written kind, and is a selec- 

 tion of characters, without measure or rhyme ; but con- 

 tains so much of the Mantchoo language, as to be unintel- 

 ligible to a mere Chinese scholar. Another of his poems, 

 " the Conquest of the Miao-tse,"* is of the second species, 

 composed in a regular measure, accompanied by a kind 

 of melody ; and its 30 stanzas may be regarded as mere- 

 ly so many military bulletins, set to music, the first of 

 which is as follows : 



Nien M tchong tseoo ye tchoo she 

 Moulan ing Ice tec hong Lee 

 Pen lai poo mo vouen toon pan 

 Shoo pouei kin siau voaen Ku n-ti InV. 



Thus rendered verbatim. 



Twenty-four m .! ddlc 8th month night '' l lo ** 

 time watch 



Moulan eamp banner . lcttcr . , red , fla f "'"' 

 brought 2 dragons 



Principal made * e gjj how could I believe army 

 Proclaim early morning nigh like see. 



Thu<; Ptiniphriusrd !>:/ Mr It'rston. 

 " It was on the 24-th of the 8th moon, between the se- 

 cond and third watch, in the middle of the night, in the 

 camp of Moulan, that they came to tell me of the arrival 

 of a messenger from the army with a red flag. Hovr 

 could I believe, that, this night I should see the certain 

 sign of victory, and have so early an occasion of proclaim- 

 ing the glory and reward of my army." 



One of this emperor's most celebrated poems is an ode '"'peria! 

 in praise of tea, or rather a receipt for the proper infu- r c "'P' f * r 

 sion of that beverage ; which is thus translated by Mr J"^"* D * 

 Barrow. 



" On a slow fire set a tripod, whose colour and tex- 

 tnre shew its long use. Fill it with clear snow-water. 

 Boil it as long as would be sufficient to turn fish white, 

 and cray-fish reel. Throw it upon the delicate leaves of 

 choice tea, in a cup of yooe (a particular kind of porce- 

 lain). Let it remain as long as the vapour rises in a cloud, 

 and leaves only a thin mist floating on the surt.io-. At 

 your ease, drink this precious liquor, which will chace 

 away the five causes of sorrow. We can taste and feel, 

 but not describe, the state of repose produced by a li- 

 quor thus prepared." 



The Chinese have their odes, elegies, eclogues, epi- Ballads, 

 grams, satires, and even bouts ritnfx ; ami t' n ** 



people are furnished with songs and ballads e.iiteil to 

 their taste. These are frequently composed by tlu-ir 

 most distinguished writers, who have put into verse, for 

 the use of the lower classes, their most celebrated moral 

 maxims and rules of good breeding; and who vindicate 

 the utility of these humble labours by the following pro- 

 verb : " Though good grain should produce only straw, 

 still it will benefit the soil by preventing the growth of 

 weeds." 



We add, from Mr Barrow, one of the most popular 

 Chinese songs, entitled 



Tbi* poem has lately been translated into English by Mr Stephen Wcston. 



