This collection presents a transformative selection of classical Chinese poetry, showcasing the profound influence it had on modern poetry, particularly on Ezra Pound. Translated and edited by the esteemed David Hinton, it aims to introduce contemporary readers to the rich literary heritage of China, emphasizing its artistic depth and cultural significance. The work promises to engage a new generation with the beauty and complexity of these timeless poems.
"This ancient text records the teachings of Mencius (4th c. B.C.E.), the second originary sage in the Confucian tradition which has shaped Chinese civilization for over two thousand years. In a culture that makes no distinction between those realms we call the heart and the mind, Mencius was the great thinker of the heart, and it was he who added the profound inner dimensions to the Confucian vision. Given his emphasis on the heart, it isn't surprising that his philosophical method is very literary in nature: story and anecdote full of human drama and poetic turns of thought. Indeed, the text is considered a paragon of literary eloquence and style. Mencius' strikingly contemporary empiricism represented a complete secularization of the spiritualist concepts of governance that had dominated China for over a millenia. He invested the humanist Confucian vision with its inner dimensions by recognizing that the individual is an integral part of a self-generating and harmonious cosmos. He saw all the spiritual depths of that cosmology inside us, and this led to a mystical faith in the inherent nobility of human beings. In his chaotic and war-ravaged times, he was therefore passionate in his defense of the people. Indeed, he advocated a virtual democracy in which a government's legitimacy depended upon the assent of the people. Such is the enduring magic of the Mencian heart-- full of compassionate and practical concern for the human condition, and yet so empty that it contains the ten thousand transformations of the entire cosmos"--Page 4 of cover
Revered for millennia in the Chinese spiritual tradition of the Tao Te Ching, this poetic translation of an ancient Taoist text comes alive for the modern reader Witty, engaging and spiced with the lyricism of poetry, Chuang Tzu's Taoist insights in the Inner Chapters are timely and eternal. The only sustained section of text widely believed to be the work of Chuang Tzu himself, these chapters date to the 4th century B.C.E and are profoundly concerned with spiritual ecology. With bold and startling prose, David Hinton's vital translation is surprisingly modern, making this ancient text from the golden age of Chinese philosophy come alive for contemporary readers. The Inner Chapters' fantastical passages offer up a wild menagerie of characters, freewheeling play with language, and surreal humor. Interwoven with Chuang Tzu's sharp instruction on the Tao are short stories that are often rough and ribald, rich with satire and paradox.
A once-in-a-generation translation of the definitive Ch’an (Zen) koan collection from preeminent translator David Hinton. The Blue-Cliff Record, a collection of Ch’an (Zen) koans stemming from the eleventh century, is a remarkable masterwork of classical Chinese literature, a philosophical text of profound power, and an active practice guide in use by Ch’an and Zen Buddhists all over the world. Rendered with his trademark lyricism and philosophical rigor, this new edition from renowned translator David Hinton presents a whole new Blue-Cliff Record. Full of poetry, storytelling, and characters both zany and profound, Hinton’s translation unveils the earthy insights of Ch’an’s original wisdom. Though it carries a reputation for impenetrable paradox, The Blue-Cliff Record was not meant to be a teaching tool understood only through long instruction from Zen masters. Rather, it is a finely crafted text intended to create a direct and immediate experience of awakening, a text that insists on the need to trust oneself rather than teachers for insight. Embracing this, Hinton’s translation presents only the original koans and poems, free of the commentaries that usually shroud it. In doing so, he rekindles the provocative and illuminating fire of these one hundred classic koans.
Wang Wei (701-761 AD) is often spoken of, with his contemporaries Li Po and Tu
Fu, as one of the three greatest poets in China's 3,000-year poetic history.
He may in fact be the most immediately appealing of China's great poets. This
work presents selected poems of Wang.
A concise and readable history of Dorset from the Post-Roman period to the Normans, accompanied by illustrations of some of the main sites and artefacts of the time.
"Although it tells the tale of an individual's life, this book is no ordinary biography. Awakened Cosmos presents the life and poetry of Tu Fu through the lens of the idea that animated all of his work that a person is a location in which the cosmos can awaken to itself. Each of the nineteen chapters begins with one of Tu Fu's poems, rendered first in literal character-by-character translation, then in translator David Hinton's signature style. Hinton captures the texture and density of the originals while rendering the poems in vivid, accessible English. He then offers a philosophically rich interpretation of each poem, at once delving into the depths of the Daoist and Ch'an influences, context, and subtext of the poems and guiding the reader through Tu Fu's dramatic life--which included everything from serving in the Emperor's court and achieving national prestige as a poet to experiencing warfare, deprivation, and years of refugee wandering. The result is nothing short of remarkable--a biography of the wild Cosmos awakened to itself in one particular human manifestation: the poet Tu Fu"-- Provided by publisher
Discover 4 seminal masterworks of Chinese thought—Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, the Analects of Confucius, the Chuang Tzu, and the Mencius—presented in one volume for the first time in nearly 2 centuries. Award-winning translator David Hinton offers fresh insights on the most influential texts on Taoism, Zen Buddhism, Chinese philosophy, and more. Hinton’s award–winning experience translating a wide range of ancient Chinese poets makes these books sing in English as never before. But these new versions are not only inviting and immensely readable—they also apply much-needed consistency to key philosophical terms in these texts, lending structural links and philosophical rigor heretofore unavailable in English. Breathing new life into these classics, Hinton’s new translations will stand as the definitive texts for our era. Perhaps the most broadly influential spiritual text in human history, Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching is the source of Taoist philosophy, which eventually developed into Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism. Equally influential in the social sphere, Confucius’ Analects is the source of social wisdom in China. The Chuang Tzu is the wild and wacky prose complement to the Tao Te Ching. And with its philosophical storytelling, the Mencius adds depth and complexity to Confucius’ vision.
Fossil Sky offers a unique poetic experience by presenting an epic poem on a single large sheet, breaking free from traditional formats. It captures a year of walks near the poet's home, exploring the connections between landscape, history, and thought. The work features a bold formal structure paired with an intimate and accessible voice, reflecting an inner journey shaped by the surrounding environment and the passage of time. This lyrical map invites readers to traverse both physical and mental landscapes.
The collection presents poems reflecting on the fragmented landscapes shaped by the poet's experiences following his exile from China in 1989. Through vivid imagery and emotional depth, these works explore themes of displacement, identity, and the struggle to find belonging in a new world. The poet's unique perspective invites readers to engage with the complexities of memory and the impact of cultural dislocation.
