From Library Journal
This collection by translator Seth consists of poems by Wang Wei, Li Bai (or Li Po), and Du Fu (or Tu Fu)--three eighth-century Chinese poets whose works have often been translated in recent years. What makes it unique is Seth's thoughtful selection from these masters' vast output. The poems work well together; rich with interaction between the beauties of the physical world and the suffering of the human condition in times of upheaval, they give a tangible sense of China in the final years of the Tang dynasty. Each poet's treatment of these dichotomies springs from his spiritual source: Wang Wei is Buddhist, Li Bai Taoist, and Du Fu Confucian. Seth has blended accessibility with near-faithful recreation of the rhythm and tone of the originals. These poems spring easily from page and tongue, as in this couplet from Du Fu's "Spring Scene in Time of War": "I scratch my white hair, which has grown so thin/ It soon won't let me stick my hatpin in." Recommended for all libraries with even the smallest collections of international poetry.- Judy Clarence, California State Univ. - Hayward Lib.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
The three T'ang dynasty poets translated here are among the greatest literary figures of China, or indeed the world.Responding differently to their common times, Wang Wei, Li Bai, and Du Fu crystallize the immense variety of China and the Chinese poetic tradition and, across a distance of twelve hundred years, move the reader as it is rare for even poetry to do.

Language Notes
Text: English, Chinese (translation)
Original Language: Chinese

About the Author

Vikram Seth who has translated poets, is the author of two bestselling novels, A Suitable Boy--a veritable tour de force in fiction--and a novel in verse, The Golden Gate.He spent several years living in China and published a travel book, From Heaven Lake:Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet.

FROM THE PUBLISHER