Table of Contents

Introduction 1. The Book of Odes 2. The Ch'u Tz'u 3. Early Songs, Poems in Rhyme-Prose Form, and Yueh-fu Ballads 4. Poems of the Han and Wei 5. T'ao Yuan-ming 6. Chin, Six Dynasties, and Sui Poets 7. Major T'ang Poets I: Wang Wei, Li Po, Tu Fu 8. Major T'ang Poets II: Han Yu, Po Chu-i, Han-shan 9. Other T'ang Poets 10. Two Major Sung Poets: Su Tung-p'o, Lu Yu 11. Other Sung Poets 12. Lyrics in Tz'u Form

Promotional Information

The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry presents translations of more than 420 poems by 96 poets drawn from the great ages of Chinese poetry. It includes selections from the Book of Odes, the oldest anthology of Chinese poetry compiled around the seventh century B.C., and covers the succeeding generations down to the end of the Sung dynasty in A.D. 1279. A general introduction discusses the major characteristics and forms of traditional Chinese poetry, while introductory essays to the individual chapters outline the history of poetic development in China over the centuries

About the Author

Burton Watson is one of the world's best-known translators from the Chinese and Japanese. His translations include The Lotus Sutra, The Vimalakirti Sutra, Ryokan: Zen Monk-Poet of Japan, Saigyo: Poems of a Mountain Home, and Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings all published by Columbia.

Reviews

This gathering of translations in the surest, clearest, most comprehensive presentation of Chinese poetry yet. Burton Watson's lifelong dedication to Chinese literature becomes a gift to us all. -- Gary Snyder