Selected Song Lyrics of Xin Qiji

Xin Qiji, soldier and patriot, wrote powerful ci of war, the lost north and old age. Bold and passionate, he brought the voice of the battlefield and the frustrated patriot into the song lyric, alongside poems of country life and friendship. 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.