This book consists of 305 poems dating from 1713 B.C. (“The Rise of Shang”) to 505 B.C. (“Comradeship”). It is divided according to the type of music into four main sections: 160 Songs sung by the people in 15 city states and collected by royal musicians; 74 Odes and 31 Epics sung by the nobles at court or at banquets, and 40 Hymns used during sacrifice to the gods and ancestors. The section of Hymns is subdivided into “Hymns of Zhou,” “Hymns of Lu” and “Hymns of Shang,” the last of which is said to be the oldest, dating from between the 17th and the 12th century B.C.
