Page:A history of Chinese literature - Giles.djvu/131

 BOOK THE THIRD MINOR DYNASTIES (A.D. 200600)

CHAPTER I POETRY MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE were not favourable to the development and growth of a national literature. During a great part of the time the empire was torn by civil wars ; there was not much leisure for book-learning, and few patrons to encourage it. Still the work was carried on, and many great names have come down to us.

The dark years between A.D. 196 and 221, which witnessed the downfall of the House of Han, were illu- mined by the names of seven writers, now jointly known as the Seven Scholars of the Chien-An period. They were all poets. There was Hsu KAN, who fell under the influence of Buddhism and translated into Chinese the PranyamAla shdstra tikd of Nagardjuna. The fol- lowing lines are by him :

" O floating clouds that swim in heaven above, Bear on your wings these words to him I love. . Alas ! you float along nor heed my pain^ And leave me here to love and long in vain /

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