Pekinese Rhymes/Preface
PREFACE
I bring for the first time to light a collection of Pekinese children-rhymes with the conviction that the reader may gather from the lecture these benefits.
1°. The acquirement of a small treasure of words and phrases hardly to be met with elsewhere.
2°. A clearer insight into scenes and details of Chinese common life.
3°. The notion that some true poetry may be found in chinese popular songs.
These rhymes have no known authors; some of them are perhaps composed by mothers watching at children's bedside, others may be composed by naughty school-boys when the teacher is having his nap over a page of the great philosopher. At all events they are like wild flowers which spring up nobody knows how and when and fade and die in the same way.
The trouble in collecting them was far greater than I had thought. "Tabood" as we are in Peking, where could I go myself to hear the rhymes and note them down?
Then I had recourse to my teacher, but as he thinks to be a literary man, he grew quite indignant at my proposal, and assured and pledged that no such rubbish had ever existed in China. However as I happened (of course by chance) to take out of my drawer some dollars, and place them beneath his reach， he suddenly abated his furors and mumbled that "perhaps I was not mistaken and that of course he would by every possible mean try to get what I wanted".
And I shall say to his justice that he kept his word and the dollars. But when he had collected forty or so, his stock was quite exhausted and I had to look for other helps.
In summer time residing in temples in the neighbourhood of Peking I had large chance of intercourse with the people and could increase my stock of rhymes. I was furthermore able to improve the former texts and to reprove all those which being not matched by oral testimony were probably spurious.
After the work of collection, came the work of explanation and translation which was not always easy. The people who spoke the words often were not able to give me light on the difficult points. When pressed by me they suggested something and I picked up what looked more truthlike and reasonable; never did I force or prefer views of my own.
Somebody will object to my statement that sparkles of true poetry are to be found in this book. That will very naturally happen to all those who are entirely foreign to the chinese world. Several rhymes (however few in proportion to the bulk of the book)[1] are simple and touching and may be "poetry" for those who have even a slight knowledge of chinese joys and sorrows.
I shall draw also the reader's attention to the system of versification followed in these rhymes. Composed as they are by illiterate people who have no notion of written language, they show a system of versification analogous to that of in any European countries, and almost completely agreeing with the rules of the Italian poetry. A new national poetry could perhaps spring up based on these rhythms and on the true feelings of the people.
I took every pain to collect the most I could, yet the work could be by far richer than it is. Those who live in freeer intercourse with the people could easily add numerous and fine samples of this uncultivated poetry. I would be extremely pleased if anyone would either furnish to me new materials, or would himself undertake the work of a new collection of rhymes.
Any critic, advise or literary contribution will be gratefully received by the author.
I am glad to be able to express here my deep feelings of gratitude to Mr. A. M. C. Raab of the British Legation, who kindly undertook the revision of almost the whole manuscript and to Mr. Krebs of the German Legation who kindly helped me in correcting the proofs.
Baron Guido Vitale
Italian Legation.
Peking. 30th September 1896.
