Collected Poems and Lyrics of Classical China: Translated by Xu Yuanchong

Chinese poetry has over 3,000 years of history, and with it much diversity and influence. American poets such as Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, Kenneth Rexroth, Gary Snyder, and David Hinton have been influenced by and even translated the poetry of ancient China. In Xu Yuanchong’s Collected Poems and Lyrics of Classical China, a Chinese scholar and translator brings revered works to new readers translated into English from his native tongue.

Xu Yuanchong’s Collected Poems and Lyrics of Classical China contains more than 450 ancient poems from the Han, Tang, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, as well as poetry by the great Su Shi and song lyrics from throughout China’s history. This bilingual edition presents the Simplified Chinese text side by side with the English translation and includes pinyin phonetic guides (ruby) to aid in studying the Chinese. From pastoral lyrics to romantic odes, these poems illustrate for the reader the natural beauty of ancient China and capture the essence of its storied antiquity.