Hau Kiou choaan or, The pleasing history |
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A
DISSERTATION
ON THE
POETRY of the CHINESE. |
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| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| I. |
 | Hau Kiou choaan |  |
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A
DISSERTATION
ON THE
POETRY of the CHINESE.
EXTRACTED
From a Memoir of M. Freret.
In L'Hifl. de l' Acadamie Royal des Inscrip. &
Bell. Let. (Depuis 1711 jusques 1717.)
WITH ADDITIONS.
"THE Chinese language is the
most musical and harmonious
of all we are acquainted with; for
the words, which compose it, are
varied not only by Quantity, or the
longer and shorter time in which
the raising and falling of the voice,
and by various inflections of tones,
like those in European music[2] . Yet
the Chinese have never been acquainted
with a versification whose
cadence is regulated by the arrangement
or disposition of these musical
tones. Their verses have only been
distinguished by the number of syllables,
to which at length they have
added rhymes[3] .
"Their first measured verses were
always composed of four syllables
or words: for these are synonimous
with the Chinese, each of their words
being pronounced in one time. Here
follows an example extracted from
the Shi-king or collection of verses,
Confucius collected together many
ancient pieces of poetry. These are
verses of the king Voëne Van-li,
Lonh. Shee. nane. piene.
Chi. tsoo. i. shingh.
Chioo. Hai. tsine. kiene.
"That is.
"While the dragon and the serpent are
silent, we perceive no difference: but
at the first hiss they discharge, we
begin to distinguish them.
"The Chinese verses at present consist
of an unequal number of syllables,
viz. of five, seven, or nine:
the ancient verses of four syllables
being now rejected. The verses now
in use have rhymes, and although the
Chinese don't distinguish, as we (Sc. the
French) their rhymes into masculine
and feminine, they nevertheless
very artificially dispose them in such
poems, as have the rhymes varied;
for the Chinese have pretty long
rhyme, and this kind of versification
is in great request amongst them.
"The stanzas are always composed
of an even number, whether of four,
six, eight, ten or twelve verses: but
in each of these the rhymes are differently
disposed according to the
nature of the stanza, in a regular
stated method, from which they never
deviate. Thus in Quatrains or
stanzas of four verses, the first and
fourth, the second and third rhyme
together. But in Sixtains or stanzas
of six verses, the first, fourth and
sixth rhyme together: the second
with third, and the fifth is left free.
are observed in the other stanzas[4]
.
"By way of example, we shall present
the Reader with a stanza of
eight verses together with a translation:
it is An Elogium on the willow
tree, extracted from a Chinese Romance,
which the Sieur Hoangh[5]
a
into French."
Iao ine siou sha iao thao hhoa
I tiene shine hhene iou hiene hhoa
Ki toane giou hhoene pou soane ki
Neune sse pe theon ine iou ki
Hhoa moe chouang hiaa khi von szeu
Iu ho pou taï tehune tsane szeu
Ie ie chi chi tzeu thon shi.
THE ELOGIUM ON THE WILLOW TREE
attempted in the same kind of stanza
with the original.
The sprightly willow cloaths in robes of green.
Blushing with shame the gaudy peach is seen;
She sheds her blossoms and with spleen decays.
Soft harbinger of spring! what glowing rays,
What colours with thy modest charms may vie?
No silkworm decks thy shade; nor could supply
The velvet down thy shining leaf displays[6] .
Thus far the account of M. Freret:
which is correspondent with that of
the missionaries, who add some other
particulars not mentioned in it. They
inform us that the Chinese verses ought
in their rhymes, but also in their signification
and meaning: thus if one
verse signify a mountain, fire, water, or
whatever else, the correspondent verse
(as suppose the first and fourth) must
likewise correspond in its meaning[7] .
They tell us also that they have another
kind of poetry without rhyme, which
consists in the antithesis or opposition
of the thoughts; insomuch that if the
first thought relates to the spring,
the second shall turn upon the autumn:
or if the first mention fire, the other
shall express water[8] . In short the
more difficult and artificial their compositions
valued.
From this account the Reader of
taste will expect no great matters from
the Chinese poetry: and yet this pleasing
art hath been no where in higher
request, than in China, where it was
the first vehicle of their morality religion
and politics, and where it hath
always been regarded with peculiar
reverence and esteem. Nay a facility
of composing verses is not only intitled
to general applause, but is among
the qualifications expected in all their
great Doctors and Mandarines of letters.
And they have often occasion to
exert these talents, for the Emperor
for them to embellish with poetical
inscriptions[9] : nor is it unusual
at great entertaiments for the company
to divert themselves with capping
extemporary verses[10] .
But after all, the Chinese Poetry seems
to be chiefly of the epigrammatic kind,
and to consist of those difficiles nugæ,
which good taste and sound criticism
does not appear that they have ever
attempted any of the greater kinds of
Poesy: this at least is true of the Epic:
and it is matter of doubt whether the
Dramatic may be excepted: for the
Chinese Plays seem to be meer prosaic
dialogues, interspersed with a sew airs,
like the Italian opera. Their ancient
Odes, it must be confessed, have a grave
and majestic simplicity; but if we may
judge from the specimens produced by
P. Du Halde, they are rather solemn
lectures on morality[11] , than fraught
which we expect to find in compositions
of that name. The only kinds
of Poetry that are cultivated much
among the Chinese, are either short
pieces, resembling the Epigrams, Rondeaus
and Madrigals of the last age:
or else collections of moral Apothegms,
which are their only essays of any
length. But in almost all their poetical
productions appears a quaintness
and affectation; a fondness for little
conceits; and a want of that noble
simplicity, which is only to be attained
by the genuine study of nature, and
of its artless beauties: a study to which
the Chinese seem to pay the least attention
of any people in the world.
And yet amidst all the restraint and
disguise in which false taste may have
confined or obscured it, true genius
will exert its powers, so that among
the Poetry of the Chinese, there will
frequently be found something to be
admired.
With this view it was thought so
short a collection as the following would
not be unacceptable to the public: nor
are there materials for a much larger.
It consists of Fragments, which are
found sprinkled up and down in a few
Latin and French books: which, although
they are only occasionally produced
in short extracts, and therefore
must appear to great disadvantage thus
perhaps ill-repay the trouble of a slight
perusal. After all, we must intreat
the Reader's candour for whatever imperfections
he finds in the following
pieces: desiring him to consider that
many of them are not such as we
would have chosen, had we known
where to have found better.
It might be added that (excepting one)
every word in the Chinese language ends, either
with a vowel, or with the generous liquid N,
or with the nasal found N G: which last is
according to the Portuguese way of writing, frequently
expressed by M.
Bayer, P. Du Halde, P. Le Compte, &c.
The words of M. Freret are, "les mots - - -
sont variez, non seulement, &c. - - - - mais encore
par l'elevement et abaissment fixè de la voix et par
diverses inflections de tons semblables a celles de
notre musique. Neanmoins les Chinois n'ont jamais
connu la versification cadencée par l'arrangement
de ces tons musicaux; Leur poesie a seulement
eté consacrée par le nombre des syllabes, et dans la
suie on y a ajoûtê la rime. Which passage Bayerus
thus translates in his Chinese grammar, - - -
"Verba - - - - valde variantur, non modo, &c.
- - - - verum etiam in elevatione aut depressione
certâ et determinatâ vocis, et per varias toni inflectiones,
ad nostræ musicæ similitudinem. Nihilo
magis Sinenses cognitam habent pöesim, quæ secundum
nostræ musicæ canatur. Poesis enim eorum
tantummodo ad certum syllabarum numerum instituta
est: tandem etiam rythmi accesserunt." He
afterwards adds by way of remark, Verum illud
est, Sinicæ linguæ modulationem nihil affine habere
nostræ musicæ. Itaque Kercherum nobis illusisse
opinor, cum - - - - accentus ad tonos musicos nostros
accommodaret. Bayer, tom. 1. 126. 131.
This is adduced here to prepare the Reader
for the following passage of P. Du Halde,
which can only be reconciled with that of M.
Freret by supposing that by cadencée, and cadence
they mean something very different.
"The verses [of the Chinese] are measured
by the number of written characters, which
are so many words of one syllable. Some
of their verses are long, some short; that is,
have more or fewer words in them, which
please by the variety of their cadence and
harmony." [Fr. Qui plaisent par la variété
de la cadence et de l' harmonie.]
"Their verses ought to have a relation to
each other, both in the rhyme and in the
signification of the words, which have among
them a variety of tones agreeable to the
ear." [Fr. Qui ont enter' eux une variété des
tons agreable a l' oreille.]
P. Du Halde, v. 2. p. 146.
The Reader, who thinks it worth his while,
may find a particular description of all the several
stanzas, in the Memoir from which this
account is extracted.
The Sieur Arcadio Hoangh was one of the
Chinese Literati of the province of Fo-kien; and
came over into France in the quality of secretary
to one of the missionary bishops. Some members
of the academy thought he might be of service
in facilitating the knowledge of Chinese literature
in Europe. He was accordingly presented
to Louis XIV. and was set to compose a Chinese
grammar and dictionary, in which he was assisted
by M. Fourmont, the Arabic professor: but he
died before he had half compleated his undertaking.
M. Fourmont however found means to
continue the plan of the Sieur Hoangh: and afterwards
undertook and finished one more commodious
and more methodical of his own.
The death of this Chinese happened between
1714 and 1720. Voi L'Hist. de l' Acad. Roy. des
Inscript. quarto. Tom. 5. p. 318. Edit. 1729.
N. B. It is to the Sieur Hoangh that M. Freret
acknowledges himself indebted for the account
he here gives us of the Chinese Poetry.
It is very probable, that the Chinese have some species of the willow, which we are not acquainted with. It is certain that they cultivate this vegetable with the greatest pains, allowing it a prime place in their gardens, and nursing slips of it in flower-pots with as much care, as we should the most delicate flower. See Let. ed. xxjv. p. 402. &c. P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 159.
N. B. Although it will shew the defects of the above translation, but too plainly: it may be satisfactory to subjoin the French version from which it is copied: which we are told comes as near the turn of the Chinese, as the difference between the two languages would admit.
"A peine la saison du printemps est venüe, que le Saule couvre d'une robe verte la couleur jaune de son bois. Sa beauté fait honte au pêcher, qui de dépit arrache les fleurs qui le parent et les repand sur la terre; l' eclat des plus vives couleurs ne peut se comparer aux graces simples et touchantes de cet arbre. Il previent le printemps, et sans avoir besoin des vers à soye il revêt ses feuïlles et ses branches d' un duvet velouté, que cet insecte n' a point filé."
P. Du Halde gives an extract from a Chinese
author, who inveighing against such, as neglect
their studies, adds, "These persons are
most at a loss, when a banquet is almost over.
The plate and dice go round that the number
of little verses, which every one ought
to pronounce [Fr. chacun doit dire] may be
determined by chance. When it comes to
their turn they appear quite stupid." Vol.
2. p. 52.
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