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Shibajia shichao 十八家詩鈔 is a collection of poems of eminent early writers. It was compiled by Zeng Guofan 曾國藩 (1811-1872).
The anthology of 28 juan length includes poems of Cao Zhi 曹植 (192-232), Ruan Ji 阮籍 (210-263), Tao Yuanming 陶淵明 (Tao Qian 陶潛, c. 365-427), (385-433), Bao Zhao 鮑照 (c. 414-466), Xie Tiao 謝朓 (464-499), Wang Wei 王維 (692-761), Meng Haoran 孟浩然 (689-740), Li Bai 李白 (701-762), Du Fu 杜甫 (712-770), Han Yu 韓愈 (768-824), Bai Juyi 白居易 (772-846), Li Shangyin 李商隱 (813-c. 858), Du Mu 杜牧 (803-852), Su Shi 蘇軾 (Su Dongpo 蘇東坡, 1037-1101), Huang Tingjian 黃庭堅 (1045-1105), Lu You 陸游 (1125-1210), and Yuan Haowen 元好問 (1190-1257), with a total amount of 6,599 poems. Some of them are enriched by commentaries.
In contrast to many other anthologies, Zeng did not select the best or most beautiful poems per se, but poems of 18 famous and representative writers the Wei 曹魏 (220-265) to the Jurchen Jin period 金 (1115-1234). Of all persons, Zeng selected excellent examples of all lyric genres, and left out less distinguished pieces. Of Li Bai, for instance, no seven-syllable regular poem was taken (qilü 七律), and no five-syllable old-style poem (wugu 五古) was considered from the works of Su Shi, Huang Tingjian and Lu You. On the other hand, Wang Wei and Meng Haoran are only represented by five-syllable regular poems (wulü 五律), and Yuan Haowen only by his seven-syllable regulars. Of the genre seven-syllable short poems (qijue 七絕), only such of Li Bai and Du Fu are selected. In spite of the selective character of the anthology, trends and developments in the popularity of genres can clearly be perceived, for instance, the gradual disappearance of five-syllable old-style poems during the Tang period.
The anthology is included in the series Sibu beiyao 四部備要 and the compiler’s collected writings Zeng Wenzhenggong quanji 曾文正公全集. Other editions are Fuzhong Shuju 傳忠書局 (1874), Shanghai Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局, Jingshi Guoqun Zhuyi She 京師國群鑄一社, Peking (1914), Shanghai Shangwu Yinshuguan 上海商務印書館 (1920), Shanghai Zhongyuan Shuju 上海中原書局, Shanghai (1926), Shanghai Saoye Shanfang 掃葉山房 (1932), Shanghai Jinzhang Shuju 上海錦章書局.