The birth of China seen through poetry / [compiled and translated by] Chan Hong-Mo.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Chan, Hong-Mo.

Language:

Chinese

English

Subjects (All):

Chinese poetry--Translations into English.

Chinese poetry.

China--In literature.

China.

Physical Description:

x, 254 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Singapore ; Hackensack, N.J. : World Scientific, [2011]

Language Note:

In English and Chinese.

Summary:

The book introduces Chinese culture to readers of English, using poetry from the various periods rendered into English verse to bring back to life past Chinese society as it developed from about 1000 B.C. to the form we see today.

With China's increasing importance on the world stage today, many readers, no doubt, would want to learn more about its ancient culture. However, to learn about a culture from its history alone, especially one as long as that of China, is time-consuming and requires a historian's expert skills. This book offers the general reader a direct glimpse into the human core of it via the universally accessible channel of poetry.

It provides an outline of Chinese history from prehistoric times to the present printed mostly on left-hand pages, accompanied on the right by a selection of Chinese poems of the corresponding periods translated into English verse by the author. The poems total about eighty in number and come mostly from the classical phase dating from around 1000 B.C. to 1200 A.D. Book jacket.

Contents:

The Spring and Autumn Period (770-475 B.C.) 8

In the Seventh Month (Shijing) 11

Rouse not the Dog (Shijing) 17

War-drum (Shijing) 19

Fluff-ball (Shijing) 21

Tuck up your Clothes (Shijing) 23

Tightly Bound (Shijing) 25

Winning Smiles (Shijing) 27

The Warring States (475-221 B.C.) 30

In the Beginning there was... (Qu Yuan) 33

The God of the Yellow River (Qu Yuan) 35

Lament for the Fall of Ying (Qu Yuan) 39

The Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 B.C.) 42

Encircled / Xiang Yu Yu, Xiang 45

The Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) 46

Cartwheels (Anonymous) 49

Parting at Dawn (Anonymous) 51

Vultures (Anonymous) 53

Home-coming (Anonymous) 55

Even Hungry, I'll not Feed with Tigers (Anonymous) 57

Promise (Anonymous) 59

A Length of Silk (Anonymous) 61

The Building of the Great Wall / Chen Lin Lin, Chen 63

Eighteen Pieces for the Hujia / Cai Yan Yan, Cai 67

Wine! Let's Sing with it a Song / Cao Cao) 71

Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties (220-624 A.D.) 74

Beans and the Beanstalk / Cao Zhi Zhi, Cao 77

Overnight Stop at Longtou (Anonymous) 79

Dancing by the River (Anonymous) 81

Jujube (Anonymous) 83

The Well on Top of Mount Huayin (Anonymous) 85

Ballad of the Three Gorges (Anonymous) 87

Wordless / Tao Yuanming Yuanming, Tao 89

Resignation / Bao Zhao Zhao, Bao 91

A String my Zither Broke / Yu Xin Xin, Yu 93

The Tang Dynasty (624-907 A.D.) 94

The Distant View on Top ... / Chen Zi'ang Zi'ang, Chen 97

Worship at Shrine of Master Kong / Li Longji) 101

Taishan Peak / Du Fu Fu, Du 103

Down the River to Jiangling / Li Bai Bai, Li 105

Pastorale / Wang Wei Wei, Wang 107

Chance Encounter Afloat / Cui Hao Hao, Cui 109

A Parting Cup / Wang Wei Wei, Wang 111

Tonight We Feast / Li Bai Bai, Li 113

A Flask of Wine Alone among Flowers / Li Bai Bai, Li 117

Chariots Rumble / Du Fu Fu, Du 119

Hu is Emptied / Li Bai Bai, Li 123

Autumn Night in Frontier Land / Du Fu Fu, Du 125

Brief Encounter with a Cousin / Li Yi Yi, Li 127

Poor Old Liu Wenshu / Huang Fanchuo Fanchuo, Huang 129

Pick Your Flowers When in Bloom / Du Qiuniang Qiuniang, Du 131

O Shoo away that Nightingale / Jin Changxu Changxu, Jin 133

Wolves of the Manor / Kan Man Er Er, Kan Man 135

The First Emperor / Du Mu Mu, Du 137

The Bronze Man's Farewell / Li He He, Li 139

A Lost Paradise / Wang Wei Wei, Wang 141

Like Flower, but not a Flower / Bai Juyi Juyi, Bai 145

Mother / Meng Jiao Jiao, Meng 147

Invitation / Bai Juyi Juyi, Bai 149

Bashan's Rain / Li Shangyin Shangyin, Li 151

Water / Liu Yuxi Yuxi, Liu 153

Sunset / Li Shangyin Shangyin, Li 155

Green Hills / Li Bai Bai, Li 157

Untitled / Li Shangyin Shangyin, Li 159

A Parting Gift / Du Mu Mu, Du 161

Chrysanthemums / Huang Chao Chao, Huang 163

Song and its preceding Five Dynasties (907-1273 A.D.) 164

A Moonlike Vision / Wei Zhuang Zhuang, Wei 167

A Very Special Taste / Li Yu Yu, Li 169

Rouge-Tinted Wine / Li Yu Yu, Li 171

East Wind / Li Yu Yu, Li 173

She's Learned to Make the Pipa Cry / Wang Anguo Anguo, Wang 175

Where is Spring? / Huang Tingjian Tingjian, Huang 177

Wildgoose on a Snow-bound Field / Su Shi Shi, Su 179

Plum Blossoms in the Shade / Su Shi Shi, Su 181

White Ash / Su Shi Shi, Su 183

Where Brows and Eyes Entwine / Su Shi Shi, Su 185

Watch on a Lone Fortress / Fan Zhongyan Zhongyan, Fan 189

Cricket / Wang Anshi Anshi, Wang 191

Visions of Home / Wang Anshi Anshi, Wang 193

One Autumn Morning / Su Shi) 195

Found on a Wall of Xiongzhou Station (Jiang Xingju's daughter) 197

The Festival of Lights / Li Qingzhao Qingzhao, Li 199

On Brown Heron Tower / Yue Fei Fei, Yue 201

O Sorrow, Why Dost Borrow / Xin Qiji Qiji, Xin 203

Roundoff 204

The March of the Volunteers (National Anthem) / Nie Er Er, Nie, Tian Han Han, Tian 210

This Festering Wound of History (unknown) 212

Dark Tears / Yau Shun-chiu Shun-chiu, Yau 213

Ambition of the Common Man / Lunxizhishi 214.

ISBN:

9789814335331

9814335339

OCLC:

725026543