{"product_id":"selected-poems-of-cao-zhi-english-chinese-edition-61-poems-translated-by-a-scholar-a-poet","title":"Selected Poems of Cao Zhi (English-Chinese Edition): 61 Poems Translated by a Scholar \u0026 a Poet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1097\/0087\/4574\/files\/be48ef44ea94aa5c8d6c8fa82cac4e19193d796100cfa462f79c2934bcab47d4.jpg?v=1793436911\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eHe lived only 40 years. His words have echoed through China for 2,000.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eYou may not know the name Cao Zhi. But you may know this:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e“We were born of the same root—why burn with such haste to destroy each other?“\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eThose lines come from Cao Zhi’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eSeven Steps Poem\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e. The story behind it is brutal: Cao Zhi‘s elder brother, Emperor Cao Pi, ordered him to compose a poem in the time it took to walk seven steps—or die. Cao Zhi walked seven steps and wrote the poem. His brother let him live.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_2ed5dee\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_49c6e07\"\u003e\u003csvg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M3.2131 7.12714L4.44639 5.89384L5.22393 6.67138L3.99064 7.90468C3.40952 8.4858 3.40952 9.42831 3.99064 10.0094C4.57176 10.5905 5.51428 10.5905 6.09539 10.0094L7.32868 8.77613L8.10622 9.55367L6.87293 10.787C5.86224 11.7977 4.2238 11.7976 3.2131 10.787C2.2024 9.77627 2.2024 8.13783 3.2131 7.12714Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M7.12707 3.21304L5.89378 4.44633L6.67132 5.22387L7.90462 3.99058C8.48574 3.40946 9.42824 3.40946 10.0094 3.99058C10.5905 4.5717 10.5905 5.51421 10.0094 6.09533L8.77607 7.32862L9.55361 8.10616L10.7869 6.87287C11.7976 5.86218 11.7976 4.22374 10.7869 3.21304C9.77621 2.20234 8.13777 2.20234 7.12707 3.21304Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M8.79388 5.98339L5.98341 8.79387L5.20587 8.01633L8.01634 5.20585L8.79388 5.98339Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eIt may be the most famous “prompt” in Chinese history. But Cao Zhi was far more than one poem. Known as the “peerless talent of the Jian’an era,” he was the brightest literary star of China‘s Three Kingdoms period.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eFor Western readers: think of him as China’s Shakespeare—the greatest poet of his age, and a name that Chinese literature has never been able to move past.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eWhat‘s inside?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eThis book collects 61 of Cao Zhi’s poems, arranged chronologically from his early confidence to his later melancholy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_2ed5dee\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_49c6e07\"\u003e\u003csvg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M3.2131 7.12714L4.44639 5.89384L5.22393 6.67138L3.99064 7.90468C3.40952 8.4858 3.40952 9.42831 3.99064 10.0094C4.57176 10.5905 5.51428 10.5905 6.09539 10.0094L7.32868 8.77613L8.10622 9.55367L6.87293 10.787C5.86224 11.7977 4.2238 11.7976 3.2131 10.787C2.2024 9.77627 2.2024 8.13783 3.2131 7.12714Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M7.12707 3.21304L5.89378 4.44633L6.67132 5.22387L7.90462 3.99058C8.48574 3.40946 9.42824 3.40946 10.0094 3.99058C10.5905 4.5717 10.5905 5.51421 10.0094 6.09533L8.77607 7.32862L9.55361 8.10616L10.7869 6.87287C11.7976 5.86218 11.7976 4.22374 10.7869 3.21304C9.77621 2.20234 8.13777 2.20234 7.12707 3.21304Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M8.79388 5.98339L5.98341 8.79387L5.20587 8.01633L8.01634 5.20585L8.79388 5.98339Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eYou‘ll find:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eThe hero’s dream\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eThe White Horse\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etells of a young knight who longs to ride to battle and die for his country. The passion still feels immediate after two millennia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eLove for friends\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eTo Wang Can\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eTo Ding Yi\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewere written for exiled friends. Every line says: “I know you’re suffering. So am I.” No formalities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eLoneliness and defiance\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e: Cao Zhi spent his later years under his brother‘s suspicion, pushed out of court. His late poems carry a compressed fury—the voice of a man trapped, talking to himself at night.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eWhy this edition?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eMany English translations of classical Chinese poetry fall into two traps: too academic (reads like a dissertation) or too loose (beautiful English, but far from the original).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eThis edition has a translator pairing worth noting:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eWu Fusheng\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a professor of Chinese and comparative literature at the University of Utah, with a PhD in comparative literature from Brown.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eGraham Hartill\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a British poet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_2ed5dee\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_49c6e07\"\u003e\u003csvg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M3.2131 7.12714L4.44639 5.89384L5.22393 6.67138L3.99064 7.90468C3.40952 8.4858 3.40952 9.42831 3.99064 10.0094C4.57176 10.5905 5.51428 10.5905 6.09539 10.0094L7.32868 8.77613L8.10622 9.55367L6.87293 10.787C5.86224 11.7977 4.2238 11.7976 3.2131 10.787C2.2024 9.77627 2.2024 8.13783 3.2131 7.12714Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M7.12707 3.21304L5.89378 4.44633L6.67132 5.22387L7.90462 3.99058C8.48574 3.40946 9.42824 3.40946 10.0094 3.99058C10.5905 4.5717 10.5905 5.51421 10.0094 6.09533L8.77607 7.32862L9.55361 8.10616L10.7869 6.87287C11.7976 5.86218 11.7976 4.22374 10.7869 3.21304C9.77621 2.20234 8.13777 2.20234 7.12707 3.21304Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M8.79388 5.98339L5.98341 8.79387L5.20587 8.01633L8.01634 5.20585L8.79388 5.98339Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eA scholar who knows classical Chinese deeply, paired with a poet who writes poetry. The result is both accurate and alive.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eThe translators’ approach: direct translation where possible, transliteration when necessary, explanatory phrasing woven into the text when a cultural reference needs it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_2ed5dee\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_49c6e07\"\u003e\u003csvg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M3.2131 7.12714L4.44639 5.89384L5.22393 6.67138L3.99064 7.90468C3.40952 8.4858 3.40952 9.42831 3.99064 10.0094C4.57176 10.5905 5.51428 10.5905 6.09539 10.0094L7.32868 8.77613L8.10622 9.55367L6.87293 10.787C5.86224 11.7977 4.2238 11.7976 3.2131 10.787C2.2024 9.77627 2.2024 8.13783 3.2131 7.12714Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M7.12707 3.21304L5.89378 4.44633L6.67132 5.22387L7.90462 3.99058C8.48574 3.40946 9.42824 3.40946 10.0094 3.99058C10.5905 4.5717 10.5905 5.51421 10.0094 6.09533L8.77607 7.32862L9.55361 8.10616L10.7869 6.87287C11.7976 5.86218 11.7976 4.22374 10.7869 3.21304C9.77621 2.20234 8.13777 2.20234 7.12707 3.21304Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M8.79388 5.98339L5.98341 8.79387L5.20587 8.01633L8.01634 5.20585L8.79388 5.98339Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eThey abandoned forced rhyme in favor of free verse, aiming to reproduce the narrative and emotional effect of the originals rather than sacrificing meaning for form.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_2ed5dee\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"_49c6e07\"\u003e\u003csvg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M3.2131 7.12714L4.44639 5.89384L5.22393 6.67138L3.99064 7.90468C3.40952 8.4858 3.40952 9.42831 3.99064 10.0094C4.57176 10.5905 5.51428 10.5905 6.09539 10.0094L7.32868 8.77613L8.10622 9.55367L6.87293 10.787C5.86224 11.7977 4.2238 11.7976 3.2131 10.787C2.2024 9.77627 2.2024 8.13783 3.2131 7.12714Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M7.12707 3.21304L5.89378 4.44633L6.67132 5.22387L7.90462 3.99058C8.48574 3.40946 9.42824 3.40946 10.0094 3.99058C10.5905 4.5717 10.5905 5.51421 10.0094 6.09533L8.77607 7.32862L9.55361 8.10616L10.7869 6.87287C11.7976 5.86218 11.7976 4.22374 10.7869 3.21304C9.77621 2.20234 8.13777 2.20234 7.12707 3.21304Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath d=\"M8.79388 5.98339L5.98341 8.79387L5.20587 8.01633L8.01634 5.20585L8.79388 5.98339Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eIn short: you don‘t need to read Chinese to understand what these poems are saying. And if you do read a little Chinese, the bilingual layout lets you compare—and see how the translation works.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eWho is this for?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eReaders curious about Chinese culture but unsure where to start\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e: Cao Zhi is a good entry point—his poems are concise, emotional, and deal in universal themes: love, friendship, ambition, loss, resentment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eChinese language learners\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e: Bilingual format. Use it for reading practice or as a translation reference.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003ePoetry lovers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e: If you enjoy poetry but want to move beyond the English-speaking world, Cao Zhi offers a completely different aesthetic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-weight: 600;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eAs a gift\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e: Published by The Commercial Press, China’s oldest academic publisher, this edition is well-made and handsome—a thoughtful gift for anyone interested in Chinese culture.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1097\/0087\/4574\/files\/f9f10adf6c4268e43c7314cf53b7c406f92f2c96664eeb351cfe20bad96d0012.jpg?v=1793436914\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1097\/0087\/4574\/files\/28812fd72a24caf7c669eed80b156168c5e627ba417d206293351c57c40cff84.jpg?v=1793436919\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1097\/0087\/4574\/files\/11d6fc95e1621899bc9b7075e3f6ba2551d4c96049d377a0f0c18a8790cd9149.jpg?v=1793436922\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"orientalbookworm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":61462406398286,"sku":"978-7-100-09958-5-1649590-0-0-0-0-0-0","price":16.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1097\/0087\/4574\/files\/456c6991fa593f2102f98044a206740ae67d7f866c2f5efa130dedf14aaeac71.jpg?v=1793416729","url":"https:\/\/orientalbookworm.com\/products\/selected-poems-of-cao-zhi-english-chinese-edition-61-poems-translated-by-a-scholar-a-poet","provider":"orientalbookworm","version":"1.0","type":"link"}