The Songs of the South: An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poems by Qu Yuan and Other Poets

This anthology was first compiled in the second century AD. Its poems, originating from the state of Chu and rooted in Shamanism, are grouped under 17 titles. The earliest poems were composed in the 4th century BC and almost half of them are traditionally ascribed to Qu Yuan. In his introduction to this edition, David Hawkes provides a discussion of the history of these poems and their context, styles and themes.