Product Description

“[Translator] Red Pine’s out-of-the-mainstream work is uncanny and clearheaded.”—Kyoto Journal

“Red Pine’s succinct and informative notes for each poem are core samples of the cultural, political, and literary history of China.”—Asian Reporter

Wei Ying-wu (737–791) is considered one of the great poets of the T’ang Dynasty, ranked alongside such poets as Tu Fu, Li Pai, and Wang Wei. Strangely, though, only a handful of Wei Ying-wu’s poems have ever been translated into English.

True to his reputation as one of the world’s leading translators of Chinese, Red Pine (a.k.a. Bill Porter) translates 175 of Wei’s poems and demonstrates why he is “one of the world’s great poets.” Presented in a bilingual Chinese-English format, with extensive notes and an informative introduction, In Such Hard Times is a long-overdue world premiere.

A courtyard of bamboo in the snow at midnight
a lone lantern a book on my table
if I hadn’t encountered the teachings of inaction
how else could I have gained this life of leisure

Wei Ying-wu (737-791) is considered one of the great poets of the T’ang Dynasty. Born into an aristocratic family in decline, Wei served in several government posts without distinction. He disdained the literary establishment of his day and fashioned a poetic style counter to the mainstream: one of profound simplicity centered in the natural world.

Red Pine (a.k.a. Bill Porter) is one of the world’s leading translators of Chinese literary and religious texts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #271311 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781556592799
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Chinese experts rate Wei among the greatest poets of China's classic era, right alongside Tu Fu and Li Po; severe, self-critical, openly political and prone at times to self-pity, Wei remains obscure in the West and shouldn't be. The prolific translator Red Pine has made a striking selection, 170 poems in a facing-page edition with storylike notes on each. Born to privilege in the last flowering of the T'ang dynasty, Wei (c. 737–791) entered the civil service in his youth and became a provincial official in a time of civil war, enforcing harsh laws he disliked, missing his literary friends and welcoming time alone. Some of Wei's poems are pellucid, brief impressions: the sound of mallets at the foot of leafless hills. Others give moral advice, or show introspection: Governing a prefecture takes no special skill/ what bothers me is eating for free. Wei's poetry reflects a sensibility and history that only Chinese traditions could produce. Some of its powers come from Wei's whole life, others inhere in single vivid moments: when will I hold someone's hand again/ the flowers overhead look like sleet. (Sept.)
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About the Author
Wei Ying-wu (737-791) is now considered one of the great poets of the T'ang Dynasty. Born into an artistocratic family on the decline, Wei served in several government posts without distinction. He also disdained the literary establishment of his day, so he fashioned a poetic style counter to the mainstream: one of profound simplicity.

Red Pine (aka Bill Porter) is one of the world's leading translators of Chinese literary and religious texts. After dropping out of a Columbia University Ph.D. program, Red Pine moved to a Buddhist monastery in Taiwan; he eventually became a popular radio journalist in Hong Kong, famous for his descriptions of traveling around mainland China.

Customer Reviews

Red Pine is Back!
Red Pine offers another treasure of innumerable value. I reverently place this alongside his Cold Mountain. But don't go thinking Wei Ying-wu reads the same as Hanshan! Wei is quite sentimental and devoted to his friends, his family, his old memories, and his home. He is constantly torn between government service and escaping the world to cultivate the Tao. Wei comes from a fallen noble house and his sense of duty never leaves him. When he drifts into the Tao his words become delicate brilliance. But Wei's ability to finely contrast (as opposed to sharply - Hanshan!) between these worlds is how Wei really makes his remarkable presence felt. Wei is a regular sort of man, struggling extraordinarily to take stock of his life and everything around him in the purest light, not a gatha slinging hero. He embraced all aspects of life, making good where he could. Not an easy thing to do in such hard times. As you will read about in the book, many things went wrong.

Red Pine provides illuminating notes to every poem. Many notes provide very specific context that significantly enhance the concise lines of Wei's (usually) 5 syllable structure. This being the first dedicated translation of Wei Ying-wu into English I'm guessing most people won't be familiar with specific events surrounding his life. Red Pine thankfully constructs a full, healthy picture of the man and his life.

I hope to never again find myself without the words of Wei Ying-wu!