Shi Jing – The Book of Odes
The oldest collection of Chinese poetry, more than three hundred songs, odes and hymns. Tr. Legge (en) and Granet (fr, incomplete).
Lun Yu – The Analects of Confucius
The Master discusses with his disciples and unveil his preoccupations with society. Tr. Legge (en), Lau (en) and Couvreur (fr).
Daxue – The Great Learning
Confucean thought summarized for the Prince. Tr. Legge (en), Pauthier (fr), Bog (fr).
Zhongyong – The Doctrine of the Mean
Confucius' grandson comments about the Way and human nature. Tr. Legge (en)
San Zi Jing – The Three-Character Classic
A textbook helpfull to start learning Classic Chinese. Tr. Giles (en) and Deverge (fr).
Yi Jing – I Ching, the Book of Changes
This famous system of 64 hexagrams plus their commentaries and transformations is at the root of Chinese thought. Tr. Wilhelm (en, fr).
Dao De Jing – The Way and Its Power
The naturalist, individualist and politic doctrine of Lao-tse exhibited in 81 poetic and obscure texts. Tr. Waley (en), Lau (en), Julien (fr) and Wilhelm (de).
Tang Shi – 300 Tang poems
An anthology of 320 poems. Discover Chinese poetry in its golden age and some of the greatest Chinese poets. Tr. by Bynner (en).
Sun Zi – The Art of War
Chinese strategy explained : know yourself and the ennemy, use deception, spies, and "win with ease". Tr. Giles (en, annotated) and Amiot (fr).
36 Ji – Thirty-Six Strategies
A recently uncovered notebook of 36 proverbs commented as military tactics that helps dealing with conflicts. Tr. Verstappen (en), Doc Mac Jr (fr).
We broke our axes, / And we splintered our hatchets ; / But the object of the duke of Zhou, in marching to the [...] Cf. Shijing 157 | 1. The Master said, "When a man's knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to [...] Cf. Lunyu 424 | Tui / The Joyous, Lake / Lakes resting one on the other: The image of THE JOYOUS. Thus the superior man joins with his [...] Cf. Yijing 58 |
A large kingdom must be like the low ground towards which all streams flows down. It must be a point towards which all [...] Cf. Daodejing 61 | On a road outreaching the white clouds, / By a spring outrunning the bluest river, / Petals come drifting on [...] Cf. Tangshi 143 | When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, they are faint from want of food. If those who are sent to draw water [...] Cf. Sunzi 146 |
In these pages it's possible to read the Analects of Confucius (Lunyu), The Way and its Power (Daode Jing) attributed to Lao-tse and some other wisdom or poetry texts in Chinese with English and French translations. Any Chinese characters are linked to dictionaries. Your browser must display Chinese.
Why read Confucius, Lao-tse or the Book of Changes? Well, these Chinese classics have had a major influence on the oldest civilization still in existence on the face of this planet; that should be enough. If not, please consider that China, mostly as a distant mirror where hopes and fears are reflected, has exercised a profound impact on the thinking patterns of Western civilisations, and will. This article in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy explains things better.
Wengu – Chinese Classics – Chinese off/on – Français/English
The Book of Odes, The Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Three-characters book, The Book of Changes, The Way and its Power, 300 Tang Poems, The Art of War, Thirty-Six Strategies
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