Xin Qiji and Bold and Unconstrained Ci Poetry

After Su Dongpo pioneered bold and unrestrained ci poetry, the styles of ci poetry of the Song Dynasty began to change, and the graceful and restrained style and the bold and unrestrained style both shone, pushing the bold and unrestrained style of ci poetry of the Song Dynasty to a new climax.

Xin Qiji, with the courtesy name of Youan and the alias of Jiaxuan, was a patriotic person of ideals and integrity and a great ci poet. He wrote Jiaxuan s Ci Poetry. Politically, Xin Qiji was a representative figure of hawks, resolutely advocating the northern expedition for recovering the land of the Song Dynasty. He showed "in his lifetime, he had the extraordinary powers and took pride in his integrity and achievements." This righteous, just and patriotic political attitude exerted important influence on Xin Qiji's ci poetry.

Figure of Xin Qiji

In terms of literature, Xin Qiji emphasized that current events, social changes, thoughts and feelings should be important contents and basic tenets of literary creation. In particular, a person's lofty spirit should be a source of literary works' charm. He did not agree to the view that literary works should only manifest "vicissitudes of life" and "love and resentment:" "Weal and woe, old and new, joy to meet, grief to part, all come in view. Not only waves will rise by riverside, the way of the world is hard far and wide." (Partridges in the Sky) He particularly expressed his discontent with the excessive emphasis on the organization of ci poetry of the Song Dynasty and the excessive pursuit of exquisite modes of expression: "I intend to write works as magnificent as the Taishan Mountain and Huangshan Mountain instead of skillful and exquisite works" (Immortal at the River). He attached importance to emotion and momentum, and did his best to advocate the extremely powerful, bold and unrestrained style of ci poetry: "The poetry world is quite lofty, pens are like mountains, and ink is like streams" (Spring in a Pleasure Garden).

Xin's ci poems contain abundant and profound thoughts and emotions as well as his unique personal life experience, showing distinctive individual traits. Among Xin's ci poems, his patriotic ci poems are most emotional and widely influential. Different from ordinary writers and poets, Xin Qiji was first of all a warrior experienced in battle. His army life of charging, fighting and hardship made his patriotic feelings vivid and weighty. Expression of battlefield experiences and feelings became the most prominent characteristic of Xin's ci poetry. Dance of the Cavalry - Words of Encouragement sent to Chen Tongfu is a representative of such works:

Though drunk, we lit the lamp to see the glaive;

Sober, we heard the horns from tent to tent.

Under the flags, beef grilled

Was eaten by our warriors brave

And martial airs were played by fifty instruments:

'T was an autumn maneuver in the field.

On gallant steed,

Running full speed,

We'd shoot with twanging bows

Recovering the lost land for the sovereign,

'This everlasting fame that we would win.

But alas! White hair grows!

The thrilling scenes of lighting the lamp to see the glaive, returning to the army in a dream and reviewing soldiers in autumn can only be appreciated and understood by those with personal experience. However, "But alas! White hair grows!" expresses another feeling of Xin Qiji, i.e. the small imperial court of the Southern Song Dynasty content to retain sovereignty over a part of the country did not have the will to fight against the enemy but surrendered wholeheartedly and sought temporary peace. This made all patriotic persons of ideals and integrity including Xin Qiji unable to dedicate themselves to the service of their country. They felt sad because their enthusiasm and lofty ideals were in vain. This emotion runs deeply in many ci poems by Xin Qiji. Bodhisattva-like Barbarians - Written on the wall of Zaokou in Jiangxi Province is one of them:

The clear river water below Yugu Terrace;

How many tears in it - tears of the travelers.

If want to see Chang'an in the northwest,

It's pitiful beyond many a hillcrest.

The verdant mountains cannot block its flow;

After all towards the east it does go.

At dusk on the river I am grieving,

Hearing in deep mountains partridges tweeting.

In his late years, Xin Qiji defended Jingkou (i.e. Zhenjiang, Jiangsu). On the one hand, he still waited expectantly for the northern expedition, but on the other hand, he saw the cowardice of the rulers of the Southern Song Dynasty more clearly. Though Xin Qiji was in extremely painful conflict, he still deeply cherished faith in recovering the north and regaining the homeland. His work Joy of Eternal Union - Recalling the Past at the Beigu Pavilion of Jingkou expresses deep and complicated emotions in a bleak and gloomy style but is still unrestrained, powerful and frill of heroic spirit. It is an important representative work of Xi's ci poems:

The land is boundless as of yore,

But nowhere can be found

A hero like the king defending southern shore.

The singing hall, the dancing ground,

All gallant deeds now sent away

By driving wind and blinding rain!

The slanting sun sheds its departing ray

O 'er tree-shaded and grassy lane

Where lived the Cowherd King retaking the lost land.

In bygone years,

Leading armed cavaliers,

With golden spear in hand,

Tigerlike, he had slain

The foe on the thousand-mile Central Plain.

His son launched in haste a northern campaign;

Defeated at Mount Wolf,

he shed his tears in vain.

I still remember three and forty years ago

The thriving town destroyed in flames by the foe.

How can I bear

To see the chief aggressor's shrine

Worshipped 'mid crows and drumbeats as divine?

Who would still care If an old general

Is strong enough to take back the lost capital?

Where is the Central Plain?

Xin's ci poems are grand, vivid with distinctive images, ambitious, highly emotional and unrestrained, integrating description of people and events, blending feelings and settings naturally, themed on the past and present and not limited to one type. Xin Qiji's greater contribution was that he developed and promoted the bold and unrestrained style of ci poetry pioneered by Su Shi, pushed the bold, unrestrained and powerful style of ci poetry of the Song Dynasty to the extreme, and made it a general trend. From Su Shi to Xin Qiji, the bold and unrestrained school of ci poetry of the Song Dynasty was officially formed. Wang Shizhen (1634—1711) who lived in the Qing Dynasty made the following comment on Xin's ci poems: "They are fervent, free, and extremely arrogant. He changed the tunes of famous ci poets, suddenly came to the fore, and formed a unique style other than the exquisite feminine style, which still exists today."

Xin Qiji's ci poems like those of Su Dongpo are mostly bold, unrestrained and powerful works and graceful, restrained and beautiful works. Green Jade Table - Lantern Festival is obscure, restrained, charming, moving and meaningful:

One night s east wind adorns a thousand trees with flowers And blows down stars in showers.

Fine steeds and carved cabs spread fragrance en route;

Music vibrates from the flute;

The moon sheds its full light

While fish and dragon lanterns dance all night.

In gold-thread dress, with moth or willow ornaments,

Giggling, she melts into the throng with trails of scents

But in the crowd once and again

I look for her in vain.

When all at once I turn my head,

I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed.

Great poets and great ci poets from Su Shi to Xin Qiji were all versatile instead of limiting themselves to one type.