Three Hundred Tang Poems

by Peter Harris (Translator), Sun Zhu (Compiler)

A new translation of a beloved anthology of poems from the golden age of Chinese culture—a treasury of wit, beauty, and wisdom from many of China’s greatest poets.

These roughly three hundred poems from the Tang Dynasty (618–907)—an age in which poetry and the arts flourished—were gathered in the eighteenth century into what became one of the best-known books in the world, and which is still cherished in Chinese homes everywhere. Many of China’s most famous poets—Du Fu, Li Bai, Bai Juyi, and Wang Wei—are represented by timeless poems about love, war, the delights of drinking and dancing, and the beauties of nature. There are poems about travel, about grief, about the frustrations of bureaucracy, and about the pleasures and sadness of old age.

Full of wisdom and humanity that reach across the barriers of language, space, and time, these poems take us to the heart of Chinese poetry, and into the very heart and soul of a nation.

Genres: Poetry, China, Anthologies, Classics, Nonfiction, Asia, Chinese Literature

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1763

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Reviews

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poem quoted above was written by Du Fu, one of the greatest Chinese poets along with Li Bai; my favorite, Wang Wei, and my new favorite, Li Shangyin.
This fine collection from the Tang Dynasty (618–907) was bought and meant to be read while being on vacation, a time to relax. Considering my inability to do so, I read most of these gorgeous poems during much tougher times than sitting by a sun-drenched lake in almost complete silence.
These verses have been described as a treasury of wit, beauty, and wisdom; that is exactly what this book contains. From its exquisite book cover to the last non-rhyming line. In this edition, the poems are given by poet in alphabetical order and then arranged by type. There are also some notes at the back with explanations that should have been next to each poem to avoid some mild annoyance.

Beauty is expressed in many ways. Thoughts of home under the bright moon, hundreds of boats passing by the mountains, countless cups of ale regretting the inevitable. Wars won, friends lost and lovers resentful of the distance. There is a lot of parting in these verses. Wistful longings for the old days and bittersweet reveries that, at times, very few times, were interrupted by reality. By a much-awaited reunion.

Feb 25, 19
* Also on my blog.
** Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

[Anima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fallen Flowers
By Li Shangyin
“Admirers on the towers have left one after another.
Drifting in the garden are fallen flowers.

Blurry flower shadow stretches linking to a meandering trail.
Look remotely to the flowers reflected with sunset afterglow.

Feeling desperate, I cannot bear to sweep fallen flowers away.
With my eager expectation, spring returns hurriedly.

Whoever loves and cherish flowers naturally
complains about the flashing end of spring.
All my gain is tearful weeping with robes
dampened”

Passing the Xiangji Temple by Wang Wei

“ Not knowing where the Xiangji Temple exactly it is,
A mile after another, I have wrongly entered the
peaks surrounded by clouds repeatedly.

Towering ancient trees stand there but no human
footprint is found.
Somewhere unknown resound bells tolling deep
In the mountains.

Spring water from mountains is gurgling when
hitting rocks.
Sunshine radiates its coldness in pine woods.

At dusk, I enter this tranquil pond deeply hidden
in desolation.
Peacefully, I mediate and conquer the poisonous
dragon troubling my mind.”

[v · Rating 4 out of 5]

Figuring strongly in this svelte edition of the most classic compilation of Tang poetry: geese, flowers, towers, partings, and the moon.
Seldom, in fact, can a poetic tradition evoke so much from the same forms, themes, tones, and imagery as was done here, and the way that I came to understand this achievement was using T.S. Eliot's idea of the "objective correlative:" the precise re-arrangement of material to create subtle shadings of feeling. Peter Harris' translations generally bear these meanings across, even though something like "chrysanthemum wine" has no particular connotation for any English-language reader.
While the collection shows considerable range, there is an abiding plaintive mood to nearly all the poems. Perhaps this comes from the frustrated professional ambitions of the poets, the disappointments of the Tang dynasty during the An Lushan Rebellion (which the greatest poet of the period, Du Fu, addresses frequently), and the sensitivity to absolute impermanence in Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist philosophies. I still wonder about the meaning of the fixation on partings in so many of the poems -- in significant contrast, very few poems deal with death at any remotely personal level.
This is handily the best Chinese literature I've yet read, and I'm a tad jealous of the Chinese grade school children who memorize it and can draw on it throughout later life.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A interesting selection of the best poetry from the Tang Era of China, an era that saw a flowering of poetry and arts in general. I liked the size of the book and how the editor had arranged the poems, collecting them by the author. However, I did not like the use of endnotes, which forced me after reading each poem to check at the end of the book for notes. This constant flipping back and forth was annoying, there was plenty of space on the pages to make the notes footnotes. But that is a technical issue. Overall, I really liked the book and the poems. To conclude, I have included a few of my favorites:

"Looking back we cannot see the people of the past;
Ahead of us we cannot see those who are yet to come.
I muse on heaven and earth, immense and enduring,
And lonely, engulfed by sorrow, my tears fall."
-CHEN ZIANG-
-Climbing Youzhou Tower - a song-

"As the year ends the forces of nature
hurry the short day to an end;
On the edge of the sky the frost and snow
give way to a clear, cold night."
-DA FU-
-Night-time in the pavilion (part)-

"When I was young I left home;
now that I'm old I've come back.
My local accent hasn't changed
but the hair on my temples is wispy.
When children meet me they
don't know who I am ---
They laugh and ask, 'Where have
you come from, stranger?'"
-HE ZHIZHANG-
-A casual letter on returning home-

"I want to be forever drunk, and never sober up.
Since long ago all the sages and saints have quietly gone from the world;
Only those good at drinking ale have left their names behind."
-LI BAI-
-Bring in the ale (part)-

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read most of the great western poets, and none compare to the Three Hundred Tang Poems! These poems are so comfortable to read, and they aren't consumed with competitive language and death.

[Talbot Hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even begin to know how to discuss such a collection. The Tang Dynasty stands easily toward the top of epochal human achievement in art; there's simply very little approaching it in terms of its breadth, profundity, and insight: perhaps the closest other pinnacles are ancient Athens or 18th-19th-century Germany. Chinese poetry, at its heart, for me, is melancholy. It speaks of separation, of longing, of the acts of remembering and missing. It uses the seasons and nature in utterly marvelous ways, and still manages its moments of levity and pleasure. It really is beyond all words, even in translation (which, concerning poetry out of Chinese, is a minefield, believe you me). You can't possibly imagine the bickering translators get up to about such a densely-packed, picturesque language. Just to give a taste, check out the translations below of one of my favorites by Liu Zongyuan:

River Snow

A thousand mountains—no bird’s flight.
A million paths—no man’s trace.
Single boat. Bamboo-leaved cape. An old man.
Fishing by himself: ice river. Snow.

[Trans. Wai-lim Yip (my current favorite)]

The flights of birds are cut short in hundreds of hills;
On thousands of paths people's footprints are wiped out.
In a solitary boat an old man in a cape and a hat
Fishes on his own in the cold river snow.

[Peter Harris, editor of this translation]

A thousand mountains without a bird.
Ten thousand miles with no trace of man.
A boat. An old man in a straw raincoat,
Alone in the snow, fishing in the freezing river.

[Kenneth Rexroth]

These thousand peaks cut off the flight of birds
On all the trails, human tracks are gone.
A single boat—coat—hat—an old man!
Alone fishing chill river snow.

[Gary Snyder]

And in Chinese?

千山鳥飛絕 萬徑人蹤滅
孤舟簑笠翁 獨釣寒江雪

Literally?

Thousand | mountain | bird | fly | cut off
Ten-thousand | path | person | footstep | extinguish
Solitary | boat | grass-cape | bamboo-rain-hat | old man
Alone | to fish | ice | river | snow

Obviously there are several other shades of meaning inherent in all those characters and their translations, but the crux should be obvious: how to preserve the Chineseness of the poem, but render it serviceable in English? Like Yip did, by extracting out most of the prepositions, articles, and extraneous words that serve as tendon and oil? Or like Harris, which looks rather wordy by comparison? Goodness, you could debate that for months, and still not find an answer. It's likely good that there are multiple translations in existence, but if one is going for the more purely Chinese-feeling poem (i.e. one that puts you more closely in harmony with the Chinese cosmogony and aesthetic worldview, wherein a monosyllabic word carries untold weight), my money's on the simplicity. But look at the tangent I've followed . . . better to just read the poems, find those you love, and then branch out into the various translations. Who knows: you just might find a window you prefer.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice little translation of a famous collection of poetry from China's Tang Dynasty. I didn't realize there were notes at the back until I got there--useful notes, in fact--but there are so many excellent web pages and blogs devoted to these poems that I found lots of answers to questions.

If you read this collection, you may find--as I did--that certain poets stand out, or maybe connect, better than others. There are several here who feel like people I could know and be friends with, despite the passing of about twelve hundred years. Retiring to a country home with a garden to read? Sign me up. :) Visiting with friends? There ya go. Missing old friends? I feel you. Glad to be out of the rat-race? 100 per cent. Wanna go for a walk through the pines on the mountain? Me too!

This collection matches my expectations for poetry more than many others--the tone, the subject matter, the imagery, the strong feelings, the natural settings, even the length. Just right.

Those like me who are not naturally serious lovers of poetry might get turned around by this collection, like I did. And check out alternate translations of your favorites online. It's very enlightening.

Highly recommended.

[Lawrence Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful new world to me! I am woefully ignorant of all things Chinese, but this little gem of a book is a treasure chest to be opened to any page to find delight. The poems are short, compact, and easily readable in Peter Harris' skilled translation. There are some brief notes at the back but I think the best way to read poetry is simply to slow down and allow one's self to be taught and delighted by each line.

With this book and all others The Everyman's Library Pocket Poets series is a gift to humanity. The handy little volumes fit easily into a purse or a coat pocket, less so in jeans, but easily readable despite their compactness.

Did you know that tradition says that Li Po (or Li Bai), one of the best-known Tang poets, is said to have fallen into the water and drowned while trying to embrace the moon? This is probably not true, but it is a good yarn and reminds me of some of my disreputable family.

[AB Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant premise. Take three hundred of the most famous Tang poets and condense it down to an easily handled, manageable pocket book that can be read on the go. As part of the Everyman’s Library Pocket Poet Series, it inspired me to pick up other copies of the series, as well as potentially add this work to my overall library.

The Tang poets are rich in how they approach the natural world, and remain balanced against the power differentials featured across several of the poems. Indeed, a clearer delineation between natural and manmade worlds could not exist, particularly as each poet walks a fine line between what their sentiment of the natural world exposes about their awarenesses of human society. To read the Tang poets is to be dipped deeply in the recesses of a highly formalised society, where escape was only made possible in relation to the wideness of the cosmos. Reading these poems, I was instantly transported to a time/place that resonates solely in memory. It can no longer exist as it once was, yet it cannot be denied for what it represented.

4 stars. An excellent introduction to the world of the Tang poet. I intend to explore other collections; however, this collection is extremely accessible. That said, the Notes at the end would have been better included with each poem, rather than collecting them at the back. Flipping back and forth proved frustrating and slowed the pace of reading. Otherwise, an excellent collection of must-read poetry.

[Ernestasia Siahaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poetic glimpse of what life was like in China during the Tang dynasty. Common themes include waiting for war to be over, parting with friends, being awed by nature, palace life, concerns about aging.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just dipping my toe into this period of Chinese poetry but really enjoyed the collection. I had planned just to skim but ended up reading a lot of it. Several are particularly arresting. Many are lighthearted and humane in a way that feels very immediate and modern, like a friend wrote this poem instead of a scholar trying to impress a feudal baron a millennium and a half ago.

[Matt Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poets and poems in this hefty collection are beloved for good reason. Beautifully and concisely they speak to nature, old age and mortality, grief, sacrifice, loneliness and loss, and even how to value history. Complete representation or not, this is a valuable collection.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) compiled in the 18th century by a Chinese scholar and now rearranged and translated into clean, contemporary English by Harris. A pleasure to read.