Selected Poems of Li He

Li He, the 'ghost genius', wrote poems of ghosts, gods and strange colours before dying at twenty-six. Bold, eerie and unlike anyone else, his poems of autumn ghosts, sky palaces and bleeding colours are among the most startling in Chinese literature. This is a complete new English translation, with names in modern pinyin and the text rendered as plain, readable English prose. Each poem is given in clear English that keeps its images and its order of lines, so readers can follow the poet's thought without notes. Poetry was the highest art of traditional China, written by emperors, officials, monks, courtesans and soldiers, and these poems are among the finest ever written in any language. It is an ideal book for curious readers who want to explore Chinese literature and thought beyond the few famous titles, in a clear modern English version.