《千家詩》收錄了一百多位詩人的兩百餘首詩。所謂“千家”不是一個確切的數字，隻是形容詩人之眾。此詩選的編撰者為劉克莊（1187-1269），號後村，曾任工部尚書，是江湖派詩人的代表。 《千家詩》成書後就廣為流傳，是一部影響深遠的蒙學詩歌選本，詩歌題材廣泛，包括田園詩、送別詩、詠物詩等。
《千家詩：雙語版》對詩中涉及的典籍、典故、歷史事件及人物等做了詳細的注釋，並配有英文譯文，方便讀者多層次的使用需求。

王榮華，1998—2002年任中國駐冰島共和國大使，現任國際儒學聯合會顧問、外交筆會理事、對外經濟貿易大學中國語言文學學院特聘教授、濟南大學客座教授、國際中西哲學比較研究會會員。著有：英文作品The Story of China Studies和The Rooster Crows，譯注作品《聲律啟蒙》、《三字經》、《千字文》和《千家詩》，編注作品《百家姓》，以及中文作品《四方步，六人行——國學大師的故事》等。

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Part I“Seven?Characters a Line”Quatrains
卷一七絕
1． A Poem Prompted by a Spring DayCheng Hao
春日偶成程顥
2． A Spring DayZhu Xi春日朱熹
3． Spring NightSu Shi春宵蘇軾
4． Early Spring in the Eastern Area of CityYang Juyuan
城東早春楊巨源
5． A Spring NightWang Anshi春夜王安石
6． Drizzle in Early SpringHan Yu初春小雨韓愈
7． The New Year?s DayWang An日王安石
8． Attending the Imperial Banquet on the Night of the
Lantern FestivalSu S侍宴蘇軾
9． A Poem Prompted by the Spring SolsticeZhang Shi
立春偶成張?
10． Return from Polo PlayingChao Shuizhi
打球圖晁說之
11． A Palace VerseWang Jian宮詞王建
12． Examination in the Throne HallXia Song廷試夏竦
13． Paying Homage to the Palace of HuaqingDu Chang
詠華清宮杜常
14． A Verse for“Clear and Even”TuneLi Bai
清平調詞李白
15． Inscription on the Hotel Room WallZheng Hui
題邸間壁鄭會
16． A QuatrainDu Fu絕句杜甫
17． The Cherry?Apple FlowerSu Shi海棠蘇軾
18． The Pure Brightness DayDu Mu清明杜牧
19． The Pure Brightness DayWang Yucheng
清明王禹?
20． The Day to Offer Sacrifice to the Land DeityWang Jia
社日王駕
21． The Cold Food DayHan Hong寒食韓?
22． Spring South of Changjiang RiverDu Mu
江南春杜牧
23． To Assistant Minister GaoGao Chan上高侍郎高蟾
24． A QuatrainMonk Zhi Nan絕句僧志南
25． Fail to Get into the GardenYe Shaoweng
遊園不值葉紹翁
26． On My VisitLi Bai客中行李白
27． Inscriptions on a ScreenLiu Jisun題屏劉季孫
28． My Casual VersificationDu Fu漫興杜甫
29． Peach Flower at Qingquan CottageXie Bingde
慶全庵桃花謝枋得
30． Watching Peach Blossom at Xuandu Taoist TempleLiu Yuxi
玄都觀桃花劉禹錫
31． Revisit the Xuandu Taoist TempleLiu Yuxi
再遊玄都觀劉禹錫
32． The West Gully at ChuzhouWei Yingwu
滁州西澗韋應物
33． Flower ShadowsXie Bingde花影謝枋得
34． The North MountainWang Anshi北山王安石
35． On the LakeXu Yuanjie傑
36． My Casual Versification(7)Du Fu
漫興(七)杜甫
37． A Clear Day after RainWang Jia雨晴王駕
38． Late SpringCao Bin春暮曹豳
39． Fallen FlowersZhu Shuzhen落花朱淑真
40． Visiting a Small Garden in Late SpringWang Qi
春暮遊小園王淇
41． The Oriole ShuttleLiu Kezhuang鶯梭劉克莊
42． A Poem Prompted by Late SpringYe Cai
暮春即事葉采
43． Mountain ClimbingLi She登山李涉
44． Chant of Lady Silkworm RaiserXie Bingde
蠶婦吟謝枋得
45． Late SpringHan Yu晚春韓愈
46． Sorrow over the Elapse of SpringYang Wanli
傷春楊萬裡
47． Seeing off SpringWang Ling送春王令
48． Seeing off Spring on the Last Day of MarchJia Dao
三月晦日送春賈島
49． Early Summer amidst My JourneySima Guang
客中初夏司馬光
50． An AppointmentZhao Shixiu有約趙師秀
51． Up from a Nap in Early SummerYang Wanli
閑居初夏午睡起楊萬裡
52． On the Way to Sanqu PrefectureZeng Ji
三衢道中曾幾
53． Inspired by What I SeeZhu Shuzhen即景朱淑真
54． A Feast at the Zhang GardenDai Fugu
初夏遊張園戴復古
55． An Account of My Visit to the Southern Tower at E Zhou
Huang Tingjian鄂州南樓書事黃庭堅
56． In the Mountain Kiosk in SummerGao Pian
山亭夏日高駢
57． Farmers? LifeFan Chengda田家範成大
58． Life in the VillageWeng Juan村居即事翁卷
59． For Pomegranate FlowerHan Yu題榴花韓愈
60． An Evening in the CountryLei Zhen村晚雷震
61． Wall Inscription on Mr?Huyin?s CottageWang Anshi
書湖陰先生壁王安石
62． The Dark Attire LaneLiu Yuxi烏衣巷劉禹錫
63． Seeing off Yuan Er before His Mission at An XiWang Wei64． Inscription on the Stele at the North PavilionLi Bai
題北榭碑李白
65． Inscription at Huainan TempleCheng Hao
題淮南寺程顥
66． The Autumn MoonZhu Xi秋月朱熹
67． At Night on the Double Seventh DayYang Pu
七夕楊樸
68． The First Day of AutumnLiu Han立秋劉翰
69． An Autumn NightDu Mu秋夕杜牧
70． The Mid?Autumn MoonSu Shi中秋月蘇軾
71． Thoughts on the Riverside TowerZhao Gu
江樓有感趙嘏
72． Inscription on the Hotel Wall in LinanLin Sheng
題臨安邸林升
73． Seeing off Lin Zifang outside the Jing Ci Temple at Sunrise
Yang Wanli曉出淨慈寺送林子方楊萬裡
74． Drinking on the Lake while the Rain Resumed after It
Had StoppedSu Shi飲湖上初晴後雨蘇軾
75． On DutyZhou Bida入直周必大
76． Mounting the Canopy Kiosk on a Summer DayCai Que
夏日登車蓋亭蔡確
77． On Duty at the Imperial AcademyHong Zikui
直玉堂作洪咨夔
78． Bamboo BuildingsLi Jiayou竹樓李嘉佑
79． On Duty at the Edict Drafting OfficeBai Juyi
直中書令白居易
80． Reflections on ReadingZhu Xi觀書有感朱熹
81． Float the BoatsZhu Xi泛舟朱熹
82． The Cold Spring PavilionLin Zhen冷泉亭林稹
83． A Winter SceneSu Shi鼕景蘇軾
84． Berthed at Night beside the Maple BridgeZhang Ji
楓橋夜泊張繼
85． A Winter NightDu Lei寒夜杜耒
86． Moon in the Frosty NightLi Shangyin霜夜李商隱
87． Plum BlossomWang Qi梅王淇
88． Early SpringBai Yuchan早春白玉蟾
89． Snow and Plum（1）Lu Meipo雪梅盧梅坡
90． Snow and Plum(2)Lu Meipo雪梅盧梅坡
91． In Reply to Zhong RuowengMu Tong
答鐘弱翁牧童
92． To Berth at the Qinhuai RiverDu Mu泊秦淮杜牧
93． The Returned Wild GooseQian Qi歸雁錢起
94． Wall InscriptionAnonymous題壁無名氏


Part II“Seven?Characters a Line”Octaves
卷二七律
1． Early Morning Audience at the Daming PalaceJia Zhi
早朝大明宮賈至
2． In the Tune of Jia?s Morning AudienceDu Fu
和賈舍人早朝杜甫
3． In the Tune of Jia?s Morning AudienceWang Wei
和賈舍人早朝王維
4． In the Tune of Jia?s Morning AudienceCen Shen
和賈舍人早朝岑參
5． A Poem on the Lantern Festival at the Order of the
EmperorCai Xia應制蔡襄
6． A Poem on the Lantern Festival at the Order of the
EmperorWang G應制王?
7． At His Majesty?s DinnerShen Quanqi侍宴瀋?期
8． In Reply to Ding YuanzhenOuyang Xiu9． A Chant for Inserting FlowersShao Yong
插花吟邵雍
10． An AllegoryYan Shu寓意晏殊
11． A Note on the Cold Food DayZhao Ding
寒食書事趙鼎
12． All Souls? DayHuang Tingjian清明黃庭堅
13． All Souls? DayGao Zhu清明高翥
14． Improvised by a Trip to the SuburbCheng Hao
郊行即事程顥
15． On a SwingShi Huihong秋千釋惠洪
16． The Qujiang River(1)Du Fu曲江(一)杜甫
17． The Qujiang River(2)Du Fu曲江(二)杜甫
18． The Tower of Yellow CraneCui Hao黃鶴樓崔顥
19． Thoughts on Staying away from HomeCui Tu
旅懷崔塗
20． Reply to Li DanWei Yingwu答李儋韋應物
21． Village by the RiverDu Fu江村杜甫
22． On a Summer DayZhang Lei夏日張耒
23． After a Long Rain at Wang ChuanWang Wei
輞川積雨王維
24． Fresh BambooLu You新竹陸遊
25． A Night Reminiscing with My CousinDou Shuxiang
表兄話舊竇叔向
26． An ExtemporeCheng Hao偶成程顥
27． Touring the Moon?Shaped PondCheng Hao
遊月陂程顥
28． Being Prompted by the Autumn(1)Du Fu
秋興?其一杜甫
29． Being Prompted by the Autumn(3)Du Fu
秋興?其三杜甫
30． Being Prompted by the Autumn(5)Du Fu
秋興?其五杜甫
31． Being Prompted by the Autumn(7)Du Fu
秋興?其七杜甫
32． Boating in the MoonlightDai Fugu月夜舟中戴復古
33． An Autumn Scene at Chang?anZhao Gu
長安秋望趙嘏
34． Early AutumnDu Fu新秋杜甫
35． Mid AutumnLi Pu中秋李樸
36． In Cui Village at Lantian on the Ninth DayDu Fu
九日藍田崔氏莊杜甫
37． Autumn ThoughtsLu You秋思陸遊
38． My Southern Neighbor ZhuDu Fu與朱山人杜甫
39． Listening to a FluteZhao Gu聞笛趙嘏
40． A Winter SceneLiu Kezhuang鼕景劉克莊
41． The Winter SolsticeDu Fu鼕至杜甫
42． PlumLin Bu梅花林逋
43． Words to my Nephew at the Languan PassHan Yu
左遷至藍關示姪孫湘韓愈
44． War Is the Bane of My LifeWang Zhong干戈王中
45． My SolitudeChen Tuan歸隱陳摶
46． The Widow in the MountainsDu Xunhe
山中寡婦杜荀鶴
47． Seeing Off the Heavenly MasterZhu Quan
送天師朱權
48． Seeing Off Mao BowenZhu Houcong
送毛伯溫朱厚?

Part III“Five?Characters a Line”Quatrains
卷三五絕
1． Day Break in SpringMeng Haoran春曉孟浩然
2． An Unsuccessful VisitMeng Haoran
訪袁拾遺不遇孟浩然
3． Seeing Off Mr?GuoWang Changling
送郭司倉王昌齡
4． The Luoyang AvenueChu Guangxi洛陽道儲光羲
5． Sitting Alone in the Jingting MountainsLi Bai
獨坐敬亭山李白
6． On the Stork TowerWang Zhihuan登鸛鵲樓王之渙
7． The Princess Being Married to a Neighboring StateSun Ti
觀永樂公主入蕃孫逖
8． Her Grievance in SpringJin Changxu春怨金昌緒
9． Pear Flowers in the Courtyard of the Left OfficeQiu Wei
左掖梨花丘為
10． Longing for the Intimacy with His MajestyLinghu Chu
思君恩令狐楚
11． The Villa of the Yuan FamilyHe Zhizhang
題袁氏別業賀知章
12． Seeing off Zhao Zong at NightYang Jiong
夜送趙縱楊炯
13． My Bamboo Forest RetreatWang Wei竹裡館王維
14． Seeing off Zhu DaMeng Haoran送朱大入秦孟浩然
15． A Chang Gan TuneCui Hao長干行崔顥
16． An Interlude in HistoryGao Shi詠史高適
17． After My ResignationLi Shizhi罷相作李適之
18． The Knight I MetQian Qi逢俠者錢起
19． Looking at the Lushan Mountains from my BoatQian Qi
江行望匡廬錢起
20． Reply to Li HuanWei Yingwu答李浣韋應物
21． Prelude to the Autumn WindLiu Yuxi
秋風引劉禹錫
22． To Landlord QiuWei Yingwu秋夜寄丘員外韋應物
23． A Day in AutumnGeng Wei秋日耿
24． On the Lake in AutumnXue Ying秋日湖上薛瑩
25． The Imperial CourtLi Ang宮中題李昂
26． The Hermit Was Not InJia Dao尋隱者不遇賈島
27． Being Startled by Autumn on the Fen RiverSu Ting
汾上驚秋蘇?
28． Behind ScheduleZhang Yue蜀道後期張說
29． Thoughts in the Still NightLi Bai靜夜思李白
30． The Song of Qiu PuLi Bai秋浦歌李白
31． To Examiner QiaoChen Ziang贈喬侍御陳子昂
32． Reply to the Wuling ViceroyWang Changling
答武陵太守王昌齡
33． Missing the Home Garden in Chang?an on the Double?Ninth
Day while on a MarchCen Shen
行軍九日思長安故園岑參
34． The Concubine?s GrievanceHuangfu Ran
婕妤怨皇甫冉
35． For the Bamboo Forest TempleZhu Fang
題竹林寺朱放
36． The Qu Yuan TempleDai Shulun三閭廟戴叔倫
37． Farewell by the Yishui RiverLuo Binwang
易水送別駱賓王
38． Departing Mr?LuSikong Shu別盧秦卿司空曙
39． An AnswerThe High Hermit答人太上隱者


Part IV“Five?Characters a Line”Octaves
卷四五律
1． Going through Jianmen Pass from SichuanLi Longji
幸蜀回至劍門李隆基
2． Reply to Prime Minister LuDu Shenyan
和晉陵陸丞早春遊望杜審言
3． In Praise of Zhongnan MountainsDu Shenyan
蓬萊三殿侍宴奉敕詠終南山杜審言
4． Saying Goodbye to a Friend in a Spring NightChen Ziang
春夜別友人陳子昂
5． Banquet at the Palace of the PrincessLi Qiao
長寧公主東莊侍宴李嶠
6． A Poem Rhyming with the Sound of“Lin”Zhang Yue
恩賜麗正殿書院賜宴應制得林字張說
7． Seeing off a FriendLi Bai送友人李白
8． Seeing off a Friend to SichuanLi Bai送友人入蜀李白
9． At the Foot of Beigu MountainsWang Wan
次北固山下王灣
10． The Villa of the Su FamilyZu Yong蘇氏別業祖詠
11． On Duty in a Spring NightDu Fu春宿左省杜甫
12． Inscription for the Mural in the Monk?s RoomDu Fu
題玄武禪師屋壁杜甫
13． The Zhongshan MountainsWang Wei終南山王維
14． To Inspector DuCen Shen寄左省杜拾遺岑參
15． The Temple of Absolute ControlCen Shen
登總持閣岑參
16． Ascending the Yanzhou City TowerDu Fu
登兗州城樓杜甫
17． Before Du Takes His Office in ShuWang Bo
送杜少府之任蜀州王勃
18． Seeing off Cui RongDu Shenyan送崔融杜審言
19． On Her Majesty?s Sacrificial OfferSong Zhiwen
扈從登封途中作宋之問
20． An Inscription for the Room of the Respected
MonkMeng Haoran題義公禪房孟浩然
21． To Zhang Jiuxu When I Got DrunkGao Shi
醉後贈張九旭高適
22． The Yutai TempleDu Fu玉臺觀杜甫
23． Viewing a Landscape PaintingDu Fu
觀李固請司馬弟山水圖杜甫
24． My Mind during a Nocturnal TripDu Fu
旅夜書懷杜甫
25． Ascending the Yueyang TowerDu Fu
登嶽陽樓杜甫
26． My Travel in the SouthZu Yong江南旅情祖詠
27． Spending a Night at the Longxing TempleQi Wuqian
宿龍興寺綦毋潛
28． An Inscription for the Monk?s RoomChang Jian
題破山寺後禪院常建
29． An Inscription at the Songting Courier StationZhang Hu
題松汀驛張祜
30． The Sheng Guo TempleMonk Chumo
聖果寺釋處默
31． A View of the FieldsWang Ji野望王績
32． Before Cui Joins the Battle in the EastChen Ziang
送別崔著作東征陳子昂
33． Encountering Rain at Night when Enjoying the
Cool Accompanied by Singing Girls(1)
Du Fu攜妓納涼晚際遇雨?其一杜甫
34． Encountering Rain at Night when Enjoying the
Cool Accompanied by Singing Girls(2)
Du Fu攜妓納涼晚際遇雨?其二杜甫
35． Spending a Night at the Garret of the Yunmen
TempleSun Ti宿雲門寺閣孫逖
36． Ascending the North Xie Tiao TowerLi Bai
秋登宣城謝?北樓李白
37． By the Side of Dongting LakeMeng Haoran
望洞庭湖贈張丞相孟浩然
38． Visiting the Xiangji TempleWang Wei
過香積寺王維
39． Before Zheng Was Ostracized to FujianGao Shi
送鄭侍御謫閩中高適
40． Assorted Poems at QinzhouDu Fu秦州雜詩杜甫
41． The Da Yu TempleDu Fu禹廟杜甫
42． The Area North of the Qinling MountainsLi Qi
望秦川李頎
43． Sharing My Thoughts with Wang at Lake DongtingZhang Wei
同王征君洞庭有懷張謂
44． Crossing the Yangzi RiverDing Xianzhi
渡揚子江丁仙芝
45． Nightingale at the You PrefectureZhang Yue
幽州夜吟張說

Why do I say this is a most widely read book of poetry? Because I figured out that from the time this book came into being to the year of 1949，there had been a large number of children who had read and studied this book?I shall give an account of how I came out with this number in the note below.
This book is entitled in Chinese phonetic alphabet―Qianjiashi，which means is poems written by one thousand poets?But there are only 226 poems by 122 poets in this book?Why is this? Because its source book―Anthology of Poetry of Different Categories by One Thousand Bards was composed of twenty?two volumes in fourteen sections、one hundred and thirty three categories and four hundred and forty two entries and totaled 1?281 quatrains and octaves by 368 poets?So，the words“one thousand”should not be treated as an exact figure，but an adjective to indicate a large number of poets.The compiler of this book was the then Minister of Engineering Mr?Liu Kezhuang(1187―1269)，who was an important member of Folk Society School of literature?However，his collection was not for the purpose of enlightenment，but rather for the aim of appraisal and appreciation.
It was Xie Bingde(1226―1289)who rendered the book into a form of enlightenment for children?Xie was once a Chief Administrator of a prefecture，assistant ministers at several ministries?When the Yuan troops were invading，he rallied up over ten thousand militia with his own money and fought against the Yuan dynasty army?During the war，his wife，one daughter，two brothers and three nephews were killed by the aggressors?After the country was lost，he lived in seclusion，on teaching，selling his calligraphy and straw shoes he made at Jianyang，Fujian Province?He was finally identified and sent to the capital，where the Yuan rulers wanted him to work for the new regime?Xie refused and fasted for five days to death(he purposely ate a little food on the way up to the capital)?It was during his secluded and teaching period he compiled the present form of this book?Neighbors of his asked him to teach their children，and it so happened that Liu Kezhuang was from this region and was very influential there?So he chose some poems from Liu?s book and had it printed?Jianyang was one of the three printing centers of China at the time?It was profitable to print such a primer，which was so popular?Ever since this primer came into being，schools，both private and public，used this book to teach children poetry.
You may wish to know that Three Hundred Tang Poems came out much later?It was compiled by Heng Tang Tui Shi，whose original name was Sun Zhu(1711―1778).Three Hundred Song Poems was even later，it was compiled by Zhu Xiaozang(1857―1931)，whose another name was a Villager from Shangjiang?These two books were not intended for children，but we must say they have been as popular as the primer.
The primer is divided into four parts：The first part is devoted to“seven?characters a line”quatrains，the second part to“seven?characters a line”octaves，the third part to“five?characters a line”quatrains and the fourth part to“five?characters a line”octaves.
The text of this writing is headed by translation of each poem，then the poem is presented in both the Chinese phonetic alphabet and Chinese characters，to be followed by some notes，which would provide some background knowledge about the poet and the poem and other things that the translator thought readers may need to know?An index of poets is attached at the end of the book.
Poetry is a way of expression?Poems in this book tell us how Tang and Song poets responded to their living conditions，how they said farewell to their relatives and friends，how they missed their homes，how they appreciated their beautiful landscape and so on?When pupils learned these poems，in particular since the Song Dynasty，they were asked to use first of all their eyes，their mouths and their mind?In using their eyes，they should not miss any character in reading；in using their mouths they should read aloud，because they believed that after they had read aloud one thousand times，the meaning of what they read could come into their minds；in using their mind they should memorize what they were reading.
The purpose of this book is to draw a profile of ancient Chinese poetry to English readers?In spite of the unique forms of poetry，I hope readers can easily find out the emotions and impulses of the poets included in the book，to feel the“soul”of the ancient Chinese poets through their responses to their realities?Such an experience may help readers to have a grasp of what traditional Chinese culture is，and may further their understanding of contemporary Chinese and their culture.
The origin of the book was published by ZhongHua Book Co?in 2009，its text the publisher used was based on Poetry by One thousand Bards with Illustrations and Annotations printed by stone blocks by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company.
我為什麼說這本詩集擁有的讀者最多？因為，我算了一下，從此書問世到1949年，有大量兒童閱讀並學習過它。具體的算法列在前言的末尾，供讀者參考。
這本書中文名叫《千家詩》，也就是說它收錄了1 000名詩人的作品。然而，書中隻有122位詩人的226首詩，這是怎麼回事呢？因為其母體《分門纂類唐宋時賢千家詩選》共分22卷、14門、133類、442目，收錄了368位詩人的1 281首絕句和律詩。因此，所謂“千家”不是一個確切的數字，隻是形容詩人之眾。此詩選的編撰者劉克莊(1187―1269)，號後村，曾任工部尚書，是江湖派最出色的詩人之一。然而，他輯詩的初衷不是為了啟蒙後學，而是為了評判和欣賞。
將詩選縮減為兒童啟蒙讀物的是謝枋得(1226―1289)。他曾任江東提刑、江西招諭使、知信州，擔任過六部軍進犯後，他用自己的錢財，組織起萬人民軍。在戰爭中，他的妻子、一個女兒、兩個弟兄、三個姪子均遭殺害。戰爭失利後，他被迫隱姓埋名，逃亡福建，流寓建陽，以賣卜教書度日。後來他被人認出，被俘都軍對他進行勸降，他予以嚴詞拒絕，之後連續五日絕食(他在來北京的路上有意少食)而死。他在建陽隱居期間，編成了這本蒙學著作，由於他隱居處的街坊鄰居請他教授他們的孩子，他就用這本書做教材。他編這本書的原因之一，是劉克莊就是建陽人，而且在當地影響巨大，對劉的詩選進行改編就成了很自然的事。更何況，建陽是當時中國的三大印刷中心之一。由於此書改編後，需求量大，因此印刷它是有利可圖的。此書刊行之後，許多學堂、私塾都用它做教授兒童詩歌的教材。
讀者或許知道《唐詩三百首》問世的時間要晚得多。其編者是蘅塘退士，此人原名孫洙(1711―1778)。《宋詞三百首》就更晚了，其編者是朱孝臧(1857―1931)，其別號上?村民。這兩部書不是專為兒童而編，但是我們必須說它們受歡迎的程度不亞於《千家詩》。
《千家詩》共分四卷：卷一是七絕，卷二是七律，卷三是五絕，卷四是五律。
本雙語文本首先給出的是每首詩的英譯，其次給出的是詩的中文文本並加注拼音，最後給出的是關於詩人和詩歌的背景材料以及譯者認為讀者需要了解的有關內容。
詩歌是表達的一種方式。本書所收詩篇告訴我們唐宋詩人是如何看待他們的生活條件、如何告別親朋、如何思念家鄉、如何欣賞秀美的景色的。孩童讀詩的時候，特別是宋朝之後，要眼、嘴、腦並用。用眼閱讀，不能丟掉一個字；用嘴高聲朗讀，人們堅信朗讀千遍之後，詩歌中的含義就會入腦；用腦就是要記憶詩篇。
本書試圖為英語讀者提供一個關於中國古詩的梗概。除了解詩歌獨特的形式外，我希望讀者能感受到詩人們的感情和靈感，從詩人對他們所在現實的反應中觸摸到中國古代詩人的“靈魂”。這種閱讀經歷會讓讀者對什麼是中國傳統文化有所領悟，進而促進他們對當代中國人及其文化的了解。
本譯文所依據的中文文本是中華書局2009年出版的《千家詩》，其底本是上海錦章書局的石印本《繪圖千家詩注釋》。

這本書名叫《千家詩》，也就是說它收錄了1000名詩人的作品。然而，書中隻有122位詩人的226首詩，這是怎麼回事呢？因為其母體《分門纂類唐宋時賢千家詩選》共分22卷、14門、133類、442目，收錄了368位詩人的1281首絕句和律詩。因此，所謂“千家”不是一個確切的數字，隻是形容詩人之眾。此詩選的編撰者劉克莊（1187-1269），號後村，曾任工部尚書，是江湖派最出色的詩人之一。然而，他輯詩的初衷不是為了啟蒙後學，而是為了評判和欣賞。
將詩選縮減為兒童啟蒙讀物的是謝枋得（1226-1289）。他曾任江東提刑、江西招諭使、知信州，擔任過六部軍進犯後，他用自己的錢財，組織起萬人民軍。在戰爭中，他的妻子、一個女兒、兩個弟兄、三個姪子均遭殺害。戰爭失利後，他被迫隱姓埋名，逃亡福建，流寓建陽，以賣卜教書度日。後來他被入認出，被俘都軍對他進行勸降，他予以嚴詞拒絕，之後連續五日絕食（他在來北京的路上有意少食）而死。他在建陽隱居期間，編成了這本蒙學著作，由於他隱居處的街坊鄰居請他教授他們的孩子，他就用這本書做教材。他編這本書的原因之一是，劉克莊就是建陽人，而且在當地影響巨大，對劉的詩選進行改編就成了很自然的事。更何況，建陽是當時中國的三大印刷中心之一。由於此書改編後，需求量大，因此印刷它是有利可圖的。此書刊行之後，許多學堂、私塾都用它做教授兒童詩歌的教材。
讀者或許知道《唐詩三百首》問世的時間要晚得多。其編者是蘅塘退士，此人原名孫洙（1711-1778）。《宋詞三百首》就更晚了，其編者是朱孝臧（1857-1931），其別號上疆村民。這兩部書不是專為兒童而編，但是我們必須說它們受歡迎的程度不亞於《千家詩》。
《千家詩》共分四卷：卷一是七絕，卷二是七律，卷三是五絕，卷四是五律。
本雙語文本首先給出的是每首詩的英譯，其次給出的是詩的中文文本並加注拼音，最後給出的是關於詩人和詩歌的背景材料以及譯者認為讀者需要了解的有關內容。
詩歌是表達的一種方式。本書所收詩篇告訴我們唐宋詩人是如何看待他們的生活條件、如何告別親朋、如何思念家鄉、如何欣賞秀美的景色的。孩童讀詩的時候，特別是宋朝之後，要眼、嘴、腦並用。用眼閱讀，不能丟掉一個字；用嘴高聲朗讀，人們堅信朗讀千遍之後，詩歌中的含義就會入腦；用腦就是要記憶詩篇。
本書試圖為英語讀者提供一個關於中國古詩的梗概。除了解詩歌獨特的形式外，我希望讀者能感受到詩人們的感情和靈感，從詩人對他們所在現實的反應中觸摸到中國古代詩人的“靈魂”。這種閱讀經歷會讓讀者對什麼是中國傳統文化有所領悟，進而促進他們對當代中國人及其文化的了解。
本譯文所依據的中文文本是中華書局2009年出版的《千家詩》，其底本是上海錦章書局的石印本《繪圖千家詩注釋》。