Classical Chinese Poetry: An Anthology

One must be a poet at heart to translate another poet, and I believe David has accomplished this masterfully. His introductions to the various writers offer a proper context. Anyone can pick up this book and enjoy it. Thank you, David!

I have been reading Chinese and loving Chinese poetry for about 25 years, over half my life now. I have also read many books of translations, for better and worse, but nothing in English so alive, so understanding and wide as this. I have an old experience of reading Chinese poems and thinking - this poem is so amazing, o if I could tell them... & had long given up the thought that I would ever see a group of translations I could so enthusiastically share with my non-Chinese speaking friends. Now I am buying this book for that purpose. When you sit long enough with a good thought you never know what exactly will happen. This is how I feel about this book.Regarding the book itself, it is miraculous to have such an English translation of so many poems at once, and to have the poems so intelligently selected and ordered to illustrate the changes in style and thought over time. It is completely delicious. It is like innocently visiting those Chinese places, those rivers, mountains and temples, in an English language time machine. I feel this especially with the Chan era poems of the Tang and Sung, with their emphasis on rendering immediate experience. In the context of their immediacy, they arrive as timeless, and so translate amazingly well in the hands of such a gifted translator.Technically, Hinton does a good job of dealing with the impossible problem, of rendering the natural multivalence of Chinese imagery and syntax while maintaining the life-stream of fluency and clarity these poems have. I agree with the previous reviewer Maynard here, and like his adjectives for this translation: "knotty, thoughtful, muscular and torsive...musical." Maynard talks of the earlier Pound translations as "pellucid and minimalist." This is also the case. In Hinton we have a bridge to a better understanding of Chan/Zen than Pound had.The empty Zen garden we imagine from photos, the one that looks like a perfect celestial parking lot, is at best a tool for people practicing to learn what Wu-emptiness means. It is not the result of Zen. The "ten-thousand things" - they are what is empty, & what need to be realized as empty. The better Chinese Chan poets really knew this, & Hinton seems to understand it, which is why his non-minimalist style is more accurate, meaningful, and to me more beautiful. He chooses poems which say as much and renders them vividly.I think Hinton may confuse Chan emptiness somewhat with the Taoist wash-away realization of the great mystery of the come-and-go, but I think the Chinese also may have had this confusion, so maybe Hinton is just expertly representing that, or maybe it is my problem. It is a point that could be discussed. Hinton is like the Chinese poet masters in that he is a scholar, realizer and musician too. We see him as a scholar in his introductions to the periods the poems where written in, and in the useful references he provides. As a poet we judge him as the poems go. We can each of us decide what percentage, balance or mix of these elements makes the best poet or the best translator, but I don't know who, who takes these things to heart, can quibble with the value of this effort.Translations can never be the poems themselves, but with a heroic effort the poems will try to leap through, and I think this is that. Like I said, you never know what will happen. I suggest everyone who is interested should get this book, keep it and read it. Thank you to the translator for your attention, inspiration and labor. It is very kind to us.

I really wanted to get a good, panoptic view of premodern Chinese poetry, and this book delivered. You begin with the earliest poems, and Hinton guides you quickly through the next 1.5 millenia of excellence. Every poet has a short biographical and stylistic introduction. Their importance to the overall poetic tradition is explored, and there is a feeling of continuity throughout his brief introductions that fans of poetry and history will certainly appreciate. It's very informative, the scope is epic, and he ultimately succeeds in narrating the development of one of the world's greatest poetic traditions.I have to detract a star due to the translations. All the poems are written in unrhymed couplets. The effect is a feeling of artificiality, and at times, the individual poets' styles seem to blur together. These translations also feel comparatively anglicized, especially early on, where the verse is suspiciously alliterative.As a book that takes you on a journey—not only from place to place, but—through time and through many, many individual perspectives, this is a must-have. Although I felt compelled to drop a star for the sometimes lackluster read on the poems, i couldnt recommend it enough for learners. I look forward to exploring the poets i discovered here, first, in more depth with other translators. And, push come to shove, i would definitely buy anither Hinton translation for my areas of interest in Chinese Poetry and Philosophy

Let me say right off the bat that I am not much of a poetry afficionado but I have been a student of chinese philosophy for a long time. There is an argument to be made that many Chinese classical texts are written in a poetic style. Indeed, Ihave argued that myself. Poetry, like music and art, has the abilty to convey more than the sum of its words, notes or pictures. Through the artistic arrangement of words, images and white space memorable and meaningful pieces can be produced, whether with poetry, music or art.It is with this understanding that I heartily recommend this anthology. This book is filled with such memorable and meaningful passages as to defy imagination. I keep this by my bedside to read before turning outthe lights.Whether you like chinese philospohy or are a poet at heart you will be able to find this book a great read.

I am enjoying this anthology section by section. The problem is that I cannot readily compare the translation with the original script since the entire book is in English. So I end up seeking the Chinese version of each poem via my own collections or the Internet. But for those who are only interested in getting a "feel" for Chinese poetry for over two millennia, this does that very well.

This book has been a real pleasure. I am new to Chinese poetry (and pretty much everything else Chinese). "Classical Chinese Poetry" has been very helpful in introducing me to the long and sweeping history of their poetry with essays on the major periods as well as each of the poets.I purchased this book after having checked out a copy from my public library because I wanted to be always available. I am not knowledgeable about the nuances of translation, but these poems sound true to me. (I have also read and continue to value translations by Red Pine.)I have by now read many of David Hinton's translations as well as his deeply moving books, "Existence" and "Hunger Mountain," which I also highly recommend.

David Hinton's incredible introductions and analyses of these great poets is enlightening and inspiring. One of the most joyful reading experiences of my life. A must-have to any book lover's collection.

This is a beautiful collection, covering all the main classical poets, with succinct introductions to each period and poet and a good set of notes, plus an introduction to the key philosophical concepts that come up in the poems. A fascinating insight into a cultural history and aesthetic different from my own. Rivers and mountains, family and love, the impact of war, daily labour and government, the night sky, the seasons, wildlife, friends, it's all there.

Good translations. Well designed and sturdily produced paperback. It compares well with the Waley translations and clearly superior to Ezra Pound's free versions.

My first reaction is the editing is good: good sampling of poems, some of which I have not read before. The introductory essays are also good, as they help to explain how the tradition developed, and the role of poems in the tradition. I could be accused of escapist dreaming, but some poems seem a little more concrete and expressive of reality. I haven't finished yet, but this book has already given me an appreciation of classical Chinese poetry.

To really enjoy this book you have to have read Hintons book on translating Chinese. Then his work becomes really magical, as he leads you through the centuries of Chinese poesy. A book to keep beside you as the computer warms up, but then it is hard to put down. Food for contemplation and thought. Enjoy these landscapes.

Great