Classic Chinese Poems of Mourning and Texts of Lament

Mair and Zhang offer here the first study of traditional Chinese poems of mourning and prose laments of the dead. The 120 selections have been carefully chosen and accurately rendered by some of the best translators in the field. The book will appeal to students of Chinese literature and religion, among others. * William H. Nienhauser, Jr., University of Wisconsin, USA *
A generous sampling from the vast body of efforts to find the right words to convey deep grief. In a variety of literary forms, writers here mourn the deaths of loved ones, show respect for lost friends and colleagues, and lament historical figures and ruined sites that are no more. Unprecedented in scope, this singular collection conveys the profound feelings of mourning, yearning, and even anguish over personal loss by many of China’s finest writers of nearly three millennia. This collection allows a deep understanding of what moved these many writers most profoundly and how they struggled to verbalize their emotions. * Robert E. Hegel, Washington University in St. Louis, USA *