For generations, Arthur Waley's lyrical translations served as the primary gateway to Chinese poetry for the English-speaking world. Organized by dynasty, this edition transforms Waley's scattered masterpieces into a coherent historical journey through Chinese literature, from the ancient Zhou foundational texts to the twilight of the Tang. This structure reveals the evolving concerns of Chinese civilization, from ritual and statecraft to intimate personal reflection and profound philosophical inquiry, all through Waley's singular poetic voice.
Waley, a self-taught scholar who never visited Asia yet won the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, rendered classical verse into enduring English poetry, creating a bridge between scholarly precision and accessible artistry that continues to define the Western encounter with China's poetic heritage.
From the solemn hymns of ancient courts to the wine-stained verses of Tang Dynasty taverns, this volume begins with the folk rituals and moral wisdom of the Zhou Book of Songs (Shijing) and the political elegies of the Han. A pivotal shift occurs in the Six Dynasties period, exemplified by the recluse poet T'ao Ch'ien (Tao Yuanming), whose verses on rustic solitude, farming, and wine established a paradigm of Daoist-inspired personal spirituality.
This sets the stage for the Tang dynasty, China's poetic golden age. Here, the romantic genius of Li Po (Li Bai), the wandering Daoist immortal, dominates the High Tang period with his extravagant imagery and emotional intensity. The focus then shifts to the Mid and Late Tang, with the populist master Po Chü-i (Bai Juyi). A reformist official, Po Chü-i crafted accessible, narrative verse concerned with social reality, governance, and personal loss.
Witness the world through a lens of profound simplicity, feel the enduring human passions of solitude, friendship, loss, and delight, and discover the timeless voice of a civilization that found its purest expression in the perfect line.
