Selected Poems of Meng Haoran (English-Chinese Edition): 104 Poems in Free Verse, Translated by a Scholar & a Poet

What is this book?

This is a curated collection of 104 poems by Meng Haoran, one of the most celebrated poets of China's Tang Dynasty. It includes well-known works such as "Spring Dawn," "Visiting an Old Friend's Farm," and "Stopping at Jiande River." The book features side-by-side Chinese-English text, with the original Chinese and English translation presented on facing pages. It is a key volume in the Commercial Press's "Chinese Classical Literature in English Translation" series-17.

Why should I read it?

• If you love poetry: Meng Haoran was a leading figure of China's "Landscape and Pastoral Poetry" school. His poems celebrate nature, rural life, and quiet contentment. His language is clear and natural, his imagery profound. As one critic put it, "in his few chosen domains, he is the most effective poet, and often a deeply moving one"-.

• If you want to understand Chinese culture: Meng Haoran's poetry opens a window into the Chinese literary soul — a love of nature, a longing for simple living, and a gentle detachment from worldly ambition. To read him is to understand the landscape sensibility at the heart of Chinese culture.

• If you're learning English or Chinese: The bilingual layout makes this an excellent language-learning resource. The English translations were co-created by Professor Wu Fusheng, a Chinese-American scholar, and Graham Hartill, a British poet. They used unrhymed free verse, achieving translations that are both accurate and fluent-17.

Why trust this edition?

• Published by the Commercial Press, one of China's most prestigious academic publishers.

• The first-ever English translation of Meng Haoran's selected poems, filling a significant gap in publishing-.

• A true cross-cultural collaboration: Professor Wu Fusheng brings deep knowledge of both Chinese and Western literary traditions; Graham Hartill brings the ear of a practicing English poet. Together, they ensure both fidelity to the original and genuine poetic quality in English-.

• 253 pages, hardcover — a book made to be kept and read again-17.