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).
In the south are trees with curved drooping branches, / With the doliches creepers clinging to them. / To be [...] Cf. Shijing 4 | The Master said, "A cornered vessel without corners. – A strange cornered vessel! A strange cornered vessel!" [...] Cf. Lunyu 145 | Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning / Clouds and thunder: The image of DIFFICULTY AT THE BEGINNING. Thus the superior [...] Cf. Yijing 3 |
Stretch a bow to the very full, / And you will wish you had stopped in time; / Temper a sword-edge to its very [...] Cf. Daodejing 9 | Throughout this dynasty no one had painted horses / Like the master-spirit, Prince Jiangdu – / And then to [...] Cf. Tangshi 60 | With this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare, and three-tenths [...] Cf. Sunzi 20 |
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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