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In Love with the Way: Chinese Poems of the Tang Dynasty
The poetry selected for this volume comes from the Tang Dynasty (618907), an era when the influence of Buddhism was at its strongest in China. The best loved and most influential of all Chinese poems come from this period.
Like all books in the Shambhala Calligraphy series, In Love with the Way takes a classic spiritual text that has been a subject for calligraphers for many years—and uses it to showcase a uniquely modern example of the calligrapher's art, bringing the text to life in a striking new way.
In Love with the Way is accompanied by François Cheng's introductory essay on poetry of the Tang period, and by a closing essay on the work of the calligrapher, Fabienne Verdier.
Calligraphy (from the Greek for "beautiful writing") is an art where word and image meet, where the artist strives to give visual expression to the meaning of words in a way that transcends the text while remaining completely faithful to it. It is a discipline that has been invested with spiritual significance wherever it has arisen—and it has arisen throughout the world in every age, in virtually every language, culture, and religion.
The Shambhala Calligraphy series is a collection of books devoted to contemporary expressions of this "art of the word," featuring contemporary calligraphers' striking new interpretations of texts that have been traditional subjects for calligraphic interpretation. Whether in Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Chinese pictographs, the characters, words, and sentences are brought to life anew here in a choreography of mind, hand, and heart by which letter and spirit fuse in a single stroke.
Like all books in the Shambhala Calligraphy series, In Love with the Way takes a classic spiritual text that has been a subject for calligraphers for many years—and uses it to showcase a uniquely modern example of the calligrapher's art, bringing the text to life in a striking new way.
In Love with the Way is accompanied by François Cheng's introductory essay on poetry of the Tang period, and by a closing essay on the work of the calligrapher, Fabienne Verdier.
Calligraphy (from the Greek for "beautiful writing") is an art where word and image meet, where the artist strives to give visual expression to the meaning of words in a way that transcends the text while remaining completely faithful to it. It is a discipline that has been invested with spiritual significance wherever it has arisen—and it has arisen throughout the world in every age, in virtually every language, culture, and religion.
The Shambhala Calligraphy series is a collection of books devoted to contemporary expressions of this "art of the word," featuring contemporary calligraphers' striking new interpretations of texts that have been traditional subjects for calligraphic interpretation. Whether in Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Chinese pictographs, the characters, words, and sentences are brought to life anew here in a choreography of mind, hand, and heart by which letter and spirit fuse in a single stroke.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
46 people want to read
About the author
François Cheng
78 books78 followersFrançois Cheng is a French academician, writer, poet and calligrapher. He is the author of essays, novels, collections of poetry and books on art written in the French language, and the translator of some of the great French poets into Chinese.
Born in China and taking French citizenship in 1973, he was elected to the Académie française in 2002, and was the first person of Asian origin to be a member of the Academy. He was the winner of the 1998 Prix Femina for Le Dit de Tianyi ("The saying of Tianyi")
When Cheng arrived in France in 1948, on a study grant, he did not speak a word of the language. He subsequently adapted quickly and profoundly. In his speech to the Académie française, he explained, "I became a Frenchman in law, mind and heart more than thirty years ago [...] especially from that moment when I resolutely went over to the French language, making it the weapon, or the soul, of my creative work. This language, how can I say everything that I owe to it? It is so intimately bound up with the way I live and my inner life that it has proved to be the emblem of my destiny." It took many years before he became a novelist. His first works were on Chinese poetry and painting. Later he began to write works of poetry himself, before finally turning to the writing of novels.
Born in China and taking French citizenship in 1973, he was elected to the Académie française in 2002, and was the first person of Asian origin to be a member of the Academy. He was the winner of the 1998 Prix Femina for Le Dit de Tianyi ("The saying of Tianyi")
When Cheng arrived in France in 1948, on a study grant, he did not speak a word of the language. He subsequently adapted quickly and profoundly. In his speech to the Académie française, he explained, "I became a Frenchman in law, mind and heart more than thirty years ago [...] especially from that moment when I resolutely went over to the French language, making it the weapon, or the soul, of my creative work. This language, how can I say everything that I owe to it? It is so intimately bound up with the way I live and my inner life that it has proved to be the emblem of my destiny." It took many years before he became a novelist. His first works were on Chinese poetry and painting. Later he began to write works of poetry himself, before finally turning to the writing of novels.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 11, 2019
Fabienne Verdier's exquisite works of original calligraphy in full color (on sturdy, high-gloss paper) are paired with -- and sometimes stamped with -- a short poem by Du Fu, Li Po, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, Jia Dao, Bo Juyi, Li Shangyin, Qian Qi, Du Mu, Wei Yingyu, or Li Yu. In total, 24 poems by 11 Tang poets. Added at the end of the book is an illuminating essay by the highly esteemed female calligrapher, Fabienne Verdier. I purchased this copy at Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon.
May 7, 2019
Enjoyed reading this; unlike many poetry books, the poems here led you forward to the next. I know the calligraphy was the point of the series but have only read this book in the series & it was not the point for me, although that is not to say it was not good - just not why I enjoyed this
September 12, 2021
"Fleur. Est-ce une fleur ? / Brume. Est-ce la brume ? Arrivant à minuit, s'en allant avant l'aube. / Elle est là : douceur d'un printemps éphémère. / Elle est partie : nuée du matin, nulle trace."
September 4, 2023
J'aurais bien aimé avoir plus d'explication quand aux poèmes proposés, plus de contexte, d'informations pour apprécier encore plus les extraits proposés. Dommage.
July 25, 2012
A gentle celebration of the present moment! Such a gift through time.
July 27, 2013
4.5/5.0 This well-crafted book reflects the quality of linguistic artistry within its covers. My favorite poets are Li Yu and Li Po.
January 6, 2021
A beautiful book to hold in the hand, the mind, and the heart. The combination of words and images conjures up the emotion of serene silence as vividly as a person can hope for.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews