This anthology was compiled by Xiao Tong 蕭通, called Prince Zhaoming, 昭明太子 (d. 531),
Contains 37 (38) types of literary styles:

賦 fu rhapsodies 詩 shi lyric poetry 騷 sao elegic poems of the South 七 qi poems entitled "Seven" 詔 zhao edicts 冊 ce patents of enfeoffment 令 ling commands 教 jiao instructions 文 wen (策文 cewen or 對策 duice) examination questions 表 biao memorials 上書 shangshu letters of submission 啟 qi openina communications 彈事 tanshi "touching matters" accusations 箋 or 牋 jian memoranda 奏記 zouji notes of presentation 書 shu letters (移 yi manifestos) 檄 xi proclamations 對問 duiwen "response to question" texts 設論 shelun hypothetical discoures 辭 ci Southern style poems 序 xu prefaces 頌 song eulogies 贊 zan encomia 符命 fuming mandates through prophetic signs 史論 shilun treatises the histories 史述贊 shishu zan evaluations and judgments the histories 論 lun treatises 連珠 lianzhu moods like "linked pearls" 箴 zhen admonitions 銘 ming inscriptions 誄 lei dirges 哀 ai laments 碑文 beiwen epitaphs 墓志 muzhi grave memoirs 行狀 xingzhuang conduct descriptions 吊文 diaowen condolences; and 祭文 jiwen offerings.

The most important parts of the anthology are the poems that stand at the begin, followed by texts concerning state affairs, first imperial texts, then petitions. The third great group are the texts about historical persons and historical comments, the last great section comprises funeral texts.
Translated by Burton Watson, Ulrich Theobald. Rimed or rhythmical texts are in italics

13.＜賦庚＞＜獸鳥上＞＜賈宜鵩鳥賦一首＞
單閼之歲兮 四月孟夏，庚子日斜兮 鵩集予舍
止于坐隅 貌甚閒暇。異物來集兮 私怪其故。
發書占之兮 筴讖言其度。曰：「野鳥入處兮 主人將去。」
請問于服兮 「予去何之，吉乎告我，凶言其菑。
淹速之度兮 語予其期。」
服乃歎息，舉首奮翼。口不能言，請對以意。
萬物變化兮 固無休息。斡流而遷兮 或推而還。
形氣轉續兮 變化而嬗。沕穆無窮兮 胡可勝言。
禍兮 福所倚福兮 禍所伏，憂喜聚門兮 吉凶同域。
彼吳彊大兮 夫差以敗。越棲會稽兮 句踐霸世。
斯游遂成兮 卒被五刑，傅說胥靡兮 乃相武丁。
夫禍之與福兮 何異糾纆。命不可說兮 孰知其極。
13. Rhapsodies VII, Animals A: 1. The Rhapsody of the Owl by Jia Yi (d. 168 BC; translated by Burton Watson)
In the year of dan'e, fourth month, first month of summer (June 174 BC), on the day guizi, when the sun was low in the west, an owl came to my lodge
and perched on the corner of my mat, phlegmatic and fearless. Secretly wondering the reason the strange thing had come to roost,
I sought a book to divine it, and the oracle told me its secret: "Wild bird enters the hall; the master will soon depart."
I asked and importuned the owl, "Where must I go? Do you bring me luck? Then tell me! Misfortune? Relate what desaster!
Must I depart so swiftly? Then speak to me of the hour!"
The owl breathed a sigh, and beat its wings. Its beak coult utter no word, but let me tell you that it sought to say:
All things alter and change; never a moment of ceasing. Revolving, whirling, and rolling away; driven far off and returning again;
form and breath passing onward, like the mutations of a cicada. Profound, subtle, and illimitable, who can finish describing it?
Good luck must be followed by bad; bad in turn bow to good. Sorrow and joy throng the gate; weal and woe in the same land.
The state of Wu was powerful and great; under king Fucha (r. 496-473) it sank in defeat. The state of Yue was crushed at Guaiji, but king Goujian (r. 496-465) made it an overlord.
Li Si, the chancellor of Qin, who went forth to grertness, at last suffered the five mutilations. Fu Yue was sent into bondage, yet king Wuding of Shang made him his aide.
Thus fortune and disaster entwine like the strands of a rope. Fate cannot be told of, for who shall know its ending? [...]
且夫天地為鑪兮 造化為工。陰陽為炭兮 萬物為銅。
至人遺物兮 獨與道俱。眾人或或兮 好惡積意。
真人淡漠兮 獨與道息。寥廓忽荒兮 與道翱翔。
乘流則逝兮 得坻則止。縱軀委命兮 不私與己。
其生若浮兮 其死若休。澹乎若深淵之靜，氾乎若不繫之舟。
不以生故自寶兮 養空而浮。德人無累兮 知命不憂。
細故蒂芥兮 何足以疑。
Heaven and Earth are the furnace, the workman, the Creator; his coal is the yin and yang, his copper, all things of creation [...]
The Perfect Man abandons things and joins himself to the Dao alone, while the multitudes in delusion with desire and hate load their hearts.
Limpid and still, the True Man finds his peace in the Dao alone. Transcendent, destroying self, vast and empty, swift and wild, he soars on wings of the Dao.
Borne on the flood he sails forth; he rests on the river islets. Frecing his body to Fate, unpartaking of self,
his life is floating, his death is a rest. In stillness like the stillness of deep springs, like an unmoored boat drifting aimlessly,
valuing not the breath of life, he embraces and drifts with Nothing. Comprehending Fate and free of sorrow, the Man of Virtue heeds no bonds.
Petty matters, weeds and thorns - what are they to me?
39.＜上書＞＜李斯上書秦始皇＞
臣聞吏議逐客，竊以為過矣．
昭王得范雎，廢穰侯，逐華陽，彊公室，杜私門，蠶食諸侯，使秦成帝業．此四君者，皆以客之功．由此觀之，客何負於秦哉！向使四君卻客而弗納，疏士而弗用，是使國無富利之實，而秦無彊大之名也．
臣聞地廣者粟多，國大者人眾，兵彊者則士勇．是以太山不讓土壤，故能成其大；河海不澤細流，故能就其深；王者不卻眾庶，故能明其德．是以地無四方，民無異國，四時充美，鬼神降福，此五帝三王之所以無敵也．今乃棄黔首以資敵國，卻賓客以業諸侯，使天下之士退而不敢西向，裹足不入秦．此所謂藉寇兵而齎盜糧者也．
Letters of submission: 1. Letter of Submission to the First Emperor of Qin by Li Si (d. 208 BC, translated by Ulrich Theobald)
I have heard that many officials dismiss their clients, but I dare to esteem this to be a bad practise [...]
King Zhao(xiang; r. 305-251 BC) the Prominent Accomplisher employed Fan Sui as his chancellor, discharged his corrupt uncles Ranghou and Huayang, only to eleminate unauthorized behaviour and to invigorate the strengh of the ruling family's position. He devoured the territories of the feudal lords and made the house of Qin able to become emperors. These four rulers (including duke Mu the Respectful, r. 660-621; duke Xiao the Filial, r. 362-338; and king Huiwen the Benevolent Culturer, r. 338-310) were successful because of their advisors. this aspect, how could the advising clients let the rulers of Qin down? If these four rulers would not have employed and incorporated consultants in their politics, the state of Qin would not be as rich and prosperous as it is now, and Qin would not be a strong and powerful country [...]
I have heard that in a country with ample fields, grain is abundant, that a state with a vast territory has many inhabitants, and that soldiers are very brave if the army is strong. Equally, the Taishan "Great Mountain" does not push away the soil, and thus has acheived its greatness. The rivers and oceans are that deep because they do not refuse the water the small creeks. And a king can clarify his virtue only by not driving out the inhabitants of his country. Therfore, it is important not to stretch a country all over the world, and not to make people become estranged to their country; and only then, the four seasons will be completed and beautiful, the spirits and gods will grant good luck, and all will be like during the age of the Five mythical Emperors and the Three holy Kings (of Xia, Shang and Zhou), who all had no enemies on earth. If your majesty now would dismiss your advising clients, they would be a fortune for your enemies' countries. If you would allow people of ability under Heaven to draw back your court and not to come here to the west, they would not put one step on the ground of your state of Qin. That would be the same like lending weapons to robbers and to give grain to the bandits.

48.＜符命＞＜司馬長卿封禪文一首＞
大漢之德，逢涌原泉，沕潏曼羨，旁魄四塞，雲布霧散，上暢九垓，下泝八埏．懷生之類，沾濡浸潤，協氣橫流，武節猋逝，邇狹遊原，遐闊泳末，首惡鬱沒，晻昧昭晰，昆蟲闓澤，迴首面內．然後囿騶虞之珍群，徼麋鹿之怪獸，導一莖六穗於庖，犧雙觡共柢之獸，獲周餘珍放龜于岐，招翠黃乘龍於沼．
於是大司馬進曰：「陛下仁育群生，義征不譓，諸夏樂貢，百蠻執贄，德侔往初，功無與二，休烈浹 洽，符瑞眾變，期應紹至，不特創見．意泰山梁甫設壇場望幸，蓋號以況榮，陛下謙讓而弗發，挈三神 之歡．
自我天覆，雲之油油．甘露時雨，厥壤可遊．滋液滲漉，何生不育！嘉穀六穗，我穡曷蓄﹖
宛宛黃龍，興德而升．采色炫燿，煥炳煇煌．正陽顯見，覺悟黎蒸．
於傳載之，云受命所乘．厥之有章，不必諄諄．依類託寓，喻以封巒．
Mandates through prophetic signs: 1. Offerings to Heaven and Earth by Sima Xiangru (Sima Changqing, d. 118 BC; translated by Ulrich Theobald)
[...] The virtuous deeds of the great Han Dynasty (208 BC-8 AD) are like water bubbling its well and never ceasing flows all around, filling everything between the nine heaven's borders and the eight shores of the earth, like a cloud veil and scattered fog. All living beings are wettened and moistened by her virtue, peacefully and richly; the martial virtue of Han spreads to the far borders; everything near drifts to its sources, everything far is floating upon its flood. Bad people vanish, and the dark ones experience Han's cultivation. The dragons joyfully face the emperor of Han. Later on, miraculous animals like the Zouyu tiger and the David's deer "unicorn" were kept in the imperial gardens; a grain plant with six ears was offered, and a miraculous beast was sacrified, having two corns sprouting one single base. A wonderful turtle was caught, once risen by the kings of Zhou in the ponds at Qishan mountains. In the swamps, an emerald yellow dragon horse was found, (once ridden by the Yellow Emperor). [...]
Therefore the Great Marshal Sima Xiangru proposes: Your Majesty had educated people with humaneness, and with righteousness you lead back the unfaithful. The lords offer their gifts with greatest joy, and the barbarians likely present their tributes. The virtue of Han is well comparable with the virtue of the ancient kings, and her merits find no counterpart. Their noble deeds flow ceaselessly, and omina of good fortune succeed one to another, not solitary and separated, but unbroken until their time has come. Therefore, one could suppose that your Majesty is given a clue to climb Mount Taishan and Liangfu Peak personally to make sacrifices on the altars of Heaven and Earth by yourself, to pray for glory and honor. Otherwise, the three deities of Heaven would lose their interest in the Han dynasty, if you would be too modest and not accept the challenge to climb these mountains. [...]
Since Heaven has given its mandate to Han, clouds are drifting white in blue,
sweet rain comes down, makes blooming the vast land over all,
sprinkles, wettens, pours, refreshes; all life sprouts around.
Grain, one stalk, six ears, we shall harvest eternally [...]
Yellow dragon squirms along, rising like the perfect virtue,
shining colored, dazzling, glaring, splendid, powerful.
He resembles the shining sun, wakening up all people,
and the books report to us: "Heaven gives mandate once more!"
If Heaven wants to speak, it does not use many words,
but omina are Heaven's expression, if it further accepts offering. [...]

51.＜論一＞＜賈誼過秦論一首＞
秦孝公據殽函之固，擁雍州之地，君臣固守，以窺周室，有席卷天下，包舉宇內，囊括四海之意，并吞八荒之心．當是時也，商君佐之，內立法度，務耕織，修守戰之具，外連衡而斗諸侯．於是秦人拱手而取西河之外．
及至始皇，奮六世之餘烈，振長策而御宇內，吞二周而亡諸候，履至尊而制六合，執敲扑以鞭笞天下，威振四海．南取百越之地，以為桂林、象郡．百越之君，俛首係頸，委命下吏．乃使蒙恬北築長城而守蕃籬，卻匈奴七百餘里，胡人不敢南下而牧馬，士不敢彎弓而報怨．於是廢先王之道，燔百家之言，以愚黔首．墮名城，殺豪俊，收天下之兵聚之咸陽，銷鋒鍉鑄以為金人十二，以弱天下之民．良將勁弩，守要害之處，信臣精卒，陳利兵而誰何？天下已定，始皇之心，自以為關中之固，金城千里，子孫帝王，萬世之業．
Treatises I: 1. The Faults of Qin by Jia Yi (d. 168 BC; the book 新書 Xinshu "New Treatises" translated by Ulrich Theobald)
Duke Xiao the Filial (r. 361-318 BC) was able to control the region of Yongzhou thanks to the safety of the Hangu Pass in the Yao mountain ridge. His ministers followed him in loyalty and assisted him making conspirations against the weak house of Eastern Zhou (770-256 BC). The duke wanted to wrap the world into his mat, to envelop the universe with his power and to seize the Four Seas into his bag, devouring the eight cardinal points. During that time, Lord Shang was his counsillor, advising the duke to issue laws and measures, to let people engage in agriculture and weaving, to renew the army and its strategies, and to make coalitions with Qi and Chu to defeat the other feudal lords. Thereupon, the state of Qin almost effortless could occupy the territory west of the Yellow River bend [...]
When the time came to the First Emperor (246/221-210 BC), he made even more effort to realize the plans then the six rulers of Qin before him. He brandished the great whip to command the universe, devoured the two houses of Zhou and extinguished the feudal lords. Holding cane and cudgel, he scourged all under heaven and spread horror among the Four Seas. In the south, he conquered the territory of the Hundred Yue barbarians and installed the commanderies of Guilin and Xiangjun. The rulers of the Hundred Yue put a rope around their necks to express their submission even to the lowest of Qin's officials. The First Emperor sent Meng Tian to erect the Great Wall in the north in order to protect the border regions. He drove back the Xiongnu nomads more than seven hundred miles away. The Non-Chinese peoples did not even dare to come to the south to pasture their horses, and their soldiers did not even risk to span their bows to take revenge.
The First Emperor left the virtuous way of the former kings and burned the writings of the Hundred Schools of Thought only to make the black headed people stupid. He devastated the great cities and killed the heroes; he had collected all weapons in the empire and brought them to the capital Xianyang. He had melted all arrow-heads to cast twelve bronze statues the metal, all to weaken the people [...] Good generals had to use crossbows to protect strategic points; loyal ministers had to command skilled armies to hinder everyone to question the power of Qin. When the empire was appeased, the First Emperor thought that the territory west of the Hangu Pass would be safe, and inside his metal wall of a thousand miles, he wanted to establish an eternal rule of his sons and grandsons of the house of Qin.

52.＜論二＞＜魏文帝典論論文一首＞
文人相輕，自古而然．傅毅之於班固，伯仲之間耳，而固小之，與弟超書曰：「武仲以能屬文為蘭臺令史，下筆不能自休．」夫人善於自見，而文非一體，鮮能備善．是以各以所長，相輕所短．里語曰：「家有弊帚，享之千金．」斯不自見之患也．
常人貴遠賤近，向聲背實，又患闇於自見，謂己為賢．
夫文，本同而末異．蓋奏議宜雅，書論宜理，銘誄尚實，詩賦欲麗．此四科不同，故能之者偏也；唯通才能備其體 ．
Treatises II: 2. Discussing Literature "Rules for Literature" by Cao Pei (emperor Wen-di of Wei, r. 220-226; translated by Ulrich Theobald)
Since oldest times, men of letters disdain each other, like Ban Gu (d. 92 AD) who usually was on good terms with Fu Yi, but scorned the latter concerning his literary works. In a letter to his brother Ban Zhao, Ban Gu wrote: "Fu Yi (Wuzhong) is just able to compose some small essays, and that was enough to become director of the imperial Lantai 'Orchid Terrace' library, but he does not know when to lay down his writing brush." Often people only look at their own strengths without considering that a writer's ability is not exhausted in one literary style. Very few writers are able to master all different literary styles, and that is the reason why most people measure other writers' weaknesses with their own strengths. A proverb says, "In your own house, even a broken broom is worth a thousand golden coins." This is just the fault of not looking at oneself another standpoint [...]
Usually, people esteem things far away, not the things accustomed to them, and they trust what is said without asking if it is really true. Further, most people make worries about something invisible to themselves and think themselves to be better then others.
The frame for a writing has a common character, while the content of a text is unique. Memorials and petitions (zou yi) should be elegant, letters and treatises (shu lun) should be logical and ordered, inscriptions and elegies (ming lei) should report the truth, and poems and rhapsodies (shi fu) require beauty. These four types are different to each other, and people that are expert in one of them cannot be expert in another. Only persons with universal abilites are able to master all of them.

60.＜祭文＞＜顏延年祭屈原文一首＞
惟有宋五年月日，湘州刺史吳郡張邵，恭承帝命，建旟舊楚．訪懷沙之淵，得捐珮之浦．弭節羅潭，艤舟汨渚．乃遣戶曹掾某，敬祭故楚三閭大夫屈君之靈：
蘭薰而摧，玉縝則折．物忌堅芳，人諱明潔．曰若先生，逢辰之缺．
溫風怠時，飛霜急節．嬴芊遘紛，昭懷不端；謀折儀尚，貞蔑椒蘭．
身絕郢闕，跡遍湘干．比物荃蓀，連類龍鸞．聲溢金石，志華日月．
如彼樹芳，實穎實發．望汨心欷，瞻羅思越．藉用可塵，昭忠難闕．
Offerings: 2. Offering to Qu Yuan by Yan Yannian (d. 456; translated by Ulrich Theobald)
One month and one day in the fifth year of the Liu-Song dynasty (424), Zhang Shao Wu commandery, respectfully received the imperial mandate as inspector of Xiangzhou, and went to take his office in the territory of Old Chu. He visited the well of Huaisha "Misery Sands" and reached the water margin at Juanpei "Abandoned Jade". His coach passed by River Tan, and he shipped along the Rivers Mi and Luo. Then, Zhang Shao asked some official to organize an offering to the soul of Qu Yuan, one of the three Directors of the Lanes, (the highest ministers of the antique state of Chu.)
Orchids are plucked because of their fragrance, fine jade is broken on account of its ornaments.
Things fear to be stable and odorous, people dislike clearness and loyalty.
Oh, Sir (Qu Yuan), you met a time full of lacks.
The warm wind missed the right season, and the flying frost rushed in too early.
The Ying clan of the state of Qin disturbed the order of Chu's ruling clan of Miu, because king Zhaoxiang of Qin did not treat correctly king Huai the Mindful (r. 329-299) of Chu.
King Huai was betrayed by Zhang Yi (the chancellor of Qin) and Jin Shang (his own chancellor), the upright minister (Qu Yuan) was disregarded in favour to Zishu and Zilan.
After Qu Yuan had left the palace at the capital Ying, his footsteps went along the River Xiang.
He was like fragrant grass, and joined the dragons and phoenixes.
His voice poured over metal bells and sounding stones, his mind bloomed over sun and moon.
Like these blossoms on the trees was he, ripe ears with long grown awns.
Looking at River Mi, his heart was full of sorrow, the eyes at river Luo, he thought of times far away.
One single instant can endure forever, and upright trustful loyalty will never fade.