Preface to the Poetry - Shidaijo (English: Preface to the Poetry)

Japanese: 詩大序 - しだいじょ（英語表記）Shī dà xù

The preface to the Guan Sui chapter at the beginning of the Book of Songs's Biography of Mao Shixuan attempts to provide an overall overview of the Book of Songs, and is therefore called a large preface, whereas the prefaces of the other chapters are called small prefaces, which merely explain the circumstances of the creation of each chapter. It first describes the origins of poetry, then the relationship between poetry and politics, and then explains the six meanings of Feng, Fu, Bi, Xing, Elegance, and Song. It is China's oldest and most comprehensive literary treatise, and has had a great influence on later generations, including the preface to Japan's Kokinshu.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

《詩経》毛詩詁訓伝の巻頭にある関睢（かんしよ）篇の序は，《詩経》全般にわたる総論を試みているので，他の各篇の序がその篇の成立事情の説明にとどまるのを小序と呼ぶのに対して大序という。まず，詩の起源を述べ，ついで詩と政治との関連に及び，つぎに風･賦･比･興･雅･頌の六義（りくぎ）を取りあげて説明する。中国のもっとも古くまとまった文学論であって，その後世への影響は大きく，日本の《古今集》序も多くの影響を受けた。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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