Gems of Chinese Verse

This collection gathers some of the finest poems from China's Tang Dynasty, the golden age of Chinese verse. Bai Juyi, one of the most beloved poets in Chinese history, wrote with extraordinary clarity and warmth, crafting verses that-common folk and emperors alike could savor. His work captures the passing of seasons, the weight of friendship, the quiet beauty of everyday life, and the inevitable march of time. Here you'll find poems that linger like twilight, that ache with loneliness and glow with joy, that find universe enough in a single blade of grass or the moon's reflection in wine. These translations preserve the original's simplicity while retaining the music that has moved Chinese readers for over a millennium. Whether you come to these poems seeking solace, beauty, or a window into a vanished world, they offer something rarer than entertainment: the chance to hear a human voice across twelve centuries, still speaking with clarity and grace.