New Translation of Selected Works of Su Shi

Su Shi was a polymath who integrated the roles of man of letters, artist, thinker, and politician, and was hailed as a singular talent of the world. In literary creation, Su Shi was a versatile writer of poetry, lyrics (ci), and prose. His essays, often mentioned alongside those of Ouyang Xiu as "Ou-Su," represent the highest achievement of Song Dynasty prose. Su Shi's prose is famous for its majestic spirit, lofty intentions, natural sincerity, fusion of emotion and reason, unique creativity, and mastery of all genres, enjoying an even higher reputation than his poetry and lyrics. His life was full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and legendary colors; his prose serves as a faithful record of his mental journey. This book selects eighty-two pieces of Su's prose, covering various stages of the author's life and involving genres such as rhapsody (fu), treatises, policy essays, prefaces, discourses, records, biographies, epitaphs, steles, inscriptions, eulogies, memorials, memorials to the throne, letters, missives, elegies, miscellaneous writings, colophons, and miscellaneous notes, allowing readers to glimpse the changes in Su Shi's life and thought and appreciate his style in different genres. The original text refers to the punctuated and collated edition of "The Collected Works of Su Shi" by Kong Fanli, and has been meticulously cross-referenced with other editions. The selected texts are arranged chronologically and interpreted piece by piece according to sections such as background explanation, annotations, modern translation, and analysis. Some entries are accompanied by closely related poems and prose to broaden the reader's perspective. The book also includes a "Chronological Biography of Su Shi" and a "Categorized Bibliography of Research on Su Shi's Prose" as auxiliary tools for studying his work.