The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain (Mandarin Chinese and English Edition) [Paperback]

Cold Mountain (Han Shan) (Author), Red Pine (Translator), John Blofeld (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

This authoritative, bilingual edition represents the first time the entirety of Cold Mountain's poetry has been translated into English.

These translations were originally published by Copper Canyon Press nearly twenty years ago. Now, significantly revised and expanded, the collection also includes a new preface by the translator, Red Pine, whose accompanying notes are at once scholarly, accessible, and entertaining. Also included for the first time are poems by two of Cold Mountain's colleagues.

Legendary for his clarity, directness, and lack of pretension, the eight-century hermit-poet Cold Mountain (Han Shan) is a major figure in the history of Chinese literature and has been a profound influence on writers and readers worldwide. Writers such as Charles Frazier and Gary Snyder studied his poetry, and Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums is dedicated "to Han Shan."

1.B

storied cliffs were the fortune I cast
bird trails beyond human tracks
what surrounds my yard
white clouds nesting dark rocks
I've lived here quite a few years
and always seen the spring-water change
tell those people with tripods and bells
empty names are no damn good

71.

someone sits in a mountain gorge
cloud robe sunset tassels
handful of fragrances he'd share
the road is long and hard
regretful and doubtful
old and unaccomplished
the crowd calls him crippled
he stands alone steadfast

205.

my place is on Cold Mountain
perched on a cliff beyond the circuit of affliction
images leave no trace when they vanish
I roam the whole galaxy from here
lights and shadows flash across my mind
not one dharma comes before me
since I found the magic pearl
I can go anywhere everywhere it's perfect

Cold Mountain

A mountain man lives under thatch
before his gate carts and horses are rare
the forest is quiet but partial to birds
the streams are wide and home to fish
with his son he picks wild fruit
with his wife he hoes between rocks
what does he have at home
a shelf full of nothing but books

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Poems Of Big Stick: 1
The Poems Of Big Stick: 2
The Poems Of Big Stick: 3
The Poems Of Big Stick: 4
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 1
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 10
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 100
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 101
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 102
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 103
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 104
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 105
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 106
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 107
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 108
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 109
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 11
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 110
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 111
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 112
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 113
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 114
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 115
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 116
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 117
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 118
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 119
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 12
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 120
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 121
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 122
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 123
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 124
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 125
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 126
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 127
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 128
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 129
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 13
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 130
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 131
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 132
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 133
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 134
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 135
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 136
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 137
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 138
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 139
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 14
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 140
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 141
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 142
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 143
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 144
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 145
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 146
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 147
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 148
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 149
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 15
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 150
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 151
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 152
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 153
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 154
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 155
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 156
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 157
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 158
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 159
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 16
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 160
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 161
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 162
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 163
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 164
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 165
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 166
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 167
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 168
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 169
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 17
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 170
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 171
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 172
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 173
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 174
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 175
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 176
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 177
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 178
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 179
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 18
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 180
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 181
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 182
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 183
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 184
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 185
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 186
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 187
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 188
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 189
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 19
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 190
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 191
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 192
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 193
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 194
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 195
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 196
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 197
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 198
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 199
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 2
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 20
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 200
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 201
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 202
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 203
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 204
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 205
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 206
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 207
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 208
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 209
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 21
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 210
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 211
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 212
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 213
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 214
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 215
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 216
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 217
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 218
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 219
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 22
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 220
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 221
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 222
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 223
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 224
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 225
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 226
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 227
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 228
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 229
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 23
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 230
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 231
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 232
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 233
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 234
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 235
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 236
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 237
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 238
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 239
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 24
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 240
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 241
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 242
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 243
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 244
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 245
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 246
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 247
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 248
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 249
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 25
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 250
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 251
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 252
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 253
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 254
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 255
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 256
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 257
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 258
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 259
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 26
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 260
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 261
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 262
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 263
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 264
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 265
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 266
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 267
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 268
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 269
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 27
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 270
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 271
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 272
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 273
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 274
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 275
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 276
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 277
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 278
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 279
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 28
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 280
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 281
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 282
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 283
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 284
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 285
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 286
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 287
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 288
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 289
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 29
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 290
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 291
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 292
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 293
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 294
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 295
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 296
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 297
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 298
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 299
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 3
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 30
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 300
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 301
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 302
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 303
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 304
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 305
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 306
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 307
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 31
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 32
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 33
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 34
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 35
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 36
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 37
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 38
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 39
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 4
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 40
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 41
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 42
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 43
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 44
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 45
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 46
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 47
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 48
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 49
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 5
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 50
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 51
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 52
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 53
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 54
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 55
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 56
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 57
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 58
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 59
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 6
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 60
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 61
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 62
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 63
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 64
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 65
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 66
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 67
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 68
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 69
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 7
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 70
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 71
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 72
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 73
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 74
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 75
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 76
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 77
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 78
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 79
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 8
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 80
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 81
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 82
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 83
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 84
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 85
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 86
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 87
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 88
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 89
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 9
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 90
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 91
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 92
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 93
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 94
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 95
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 96
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 97
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 98
The Poems Of Cold Mountain: 99
The Poems Of Pickup: 1
The Poems Of Pickup: 10
The Poems Of Pickup: 11
The Poems Of Pickup: 12
The Poems Of Pickup: 13
The Poems Of Pickup: 14
The Poems Of Pickup: 15
The Poems Of Pickup: 16
The Poems Of Pickup: 17
The Poems Of Pickup: 18
The Poems Of Pickup: 19
The Poems Of Pickup: 2
The Poems Of Pickup: 20
The Poems Of Pickup: 21
The Poems Of Pickup: 22
The Poems Of Pickup: 23
The Poems Of Pickup: 24
The Poems Of Pickup: 25
The Poems Of Pickup: 26
The Poems Of Pickup: 27
The Poems Of Pickup: 28
The Poems Of Pickup: 29
The Poems Of Pickup: 3
The Poems Of Pickup: 30
The Poems Of Pickup: 31
The Poems Of Pickup: 32
The Poems Of Pickup: 33
The Poems Of Pickup: 34
The Poems Of Pickup: 35
The Poems Of Pickup: 36
The Poems Of Pickup: 37
The Poems Of Pickup: 38
The Poems Of Pickup: 39
The Poems Of Pickup: 4
The Poems Of Pickup: 40
The Poems Of Pickup: 41
The Poems Of Pickup: 42
The Poems Of Pickup: 43
The Poems Of Pickup: 44
The Poems Of Pickup: 45
The Poems Of Pickup: 46
The Poems Of Pickup: 47
The Poems Of Pickup: 48
The Poems Of Pickup: 49
The Poems Of Pickup: 5
The Poems Of Pickup: 6
The Poems Of Pickup: 7
The Poems Of Pickup: 8
The Poems Of Pickup: 9
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Copper Canyon Press; Rev Exp edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: Mandarin Chinese, English
• ISBN-10: 1556591403
• ISBN-13: 978-1556591402
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #97,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Chinese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Red Pine grasps Cold Mountain., December 4, 2000

By 

G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain (Mandarin Chinese and English Edition) (Paperback)

Twelve hundred years ago, Chinese recluse-poet Han Shan ("Cold Mountain") "fled to the woods to dwell and gaze in freedom" (poem 26), where he also wrote the 307 poems collected here "on trees and rocks and walls" (p. 9) around the cave where he lived. In 1974, while living in a Taipei monastery as a Buddhist monk, Bill Porter (a.k.a. "Red Pine") began translating Cold Mountain's poems.

Red Pine breathes new life into Cold Mountain. "I enjoy the simple life," Cold Mountain writes in poem 224, "between dark vines and mountain caves/ the wilderness has room to roam/ with white clouds for companions/ there's a road but not to town." It is easy to appreciate Cold Mountain's verse not only for its "spiritual honesty, poignancy, and humor" (p. 15), as Red Pine observes, but also for its rich, natural imagery. White clouds cling to dark rocks (poem 1), and old pines cling to crags (poem 256). Cicadas sing (poem 300). Yellow leaves fall (poem 300). "My mind is like the autumn moon/ clear and bright in a pool of jade" (poem 5).

In a recent interview, Red Pine compares Chinese hermits to "a mountain spring that brings fresh water down into town" (Tricycle, Winter 2000, p. 69). Cold Mountain is a good teacher, and his poems offer insightful lessons. He writes: "Trust your own true nature" (poem 2). "Rock sugar and clarified butter/ mean nothing when you're dead" (poem 8). "The moon is the hub of the mind" (poem 10). "Silence thoughts and the spirit becomes clear/ focus on emptiness and the world grows still" (poem 82). "Drop a ball of mud in water/ and behold the thoughtless mind" (poem 86). "Retiring to my hut I accept white hair" (poem 122). "The world is full of busy people/ well-versed in countless views/ blind to their true natures" (poem 132). "People who wander among clouds/ don't have to buy the hills" (poem 219).

Red Pine's collection will become an well-travelled path on your bookshelf to contemplative, Cold Mountain. (It is easy to understand why Jack Kerouac dedicated his DHARMA BUMS to Cold Mountain in 1958.) For those interested in meeting other Chinese hermits, I recommend Porter's ROAD TO HEAVEN: ENCOUNTERS WITH CHINESE HERMITS (1993). For some contemporary poetry reminiscent of Cold Mountain, I recommend David Budbill's recent MOMENT TO MOMENT (2000).

G. Merritt

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterful Translation in a Beautiful Volume, February 8, 2001

By 

E. Wallace (PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain (Mandarin Chinese and English Edition) (Paperback)

It seems inevitable that something will always be lost in translation. At least I thought this was true until I purchased this volume. Not only does Red Pine stay true to the beauty of Han-Shan's verse, but the underlying Zen essence comes through loud and clear. I have heard it said of the Tao Te Ching that you can spend a day reading the entire work and a lifetime trying to truly understand it. This is also true for these poems. Short verses of simple construction that manage to capture something so vast. No, not capture. Illustrate. In several lines the universe is displayed before us, if only we pause to look. This edition is as much a must for any seek to understand Asian religion as it is for those who love Asian poetry.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Last!, November 21, 2000

By 

Timothy Cullen (Sevilla Espana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain (Mandarin Chinese and English Edition) (Paperback)

The two-year wait for this reissue has been well worth it; the book is as well done as Mr. Porter's Zen Works of Stonehouse. I have all Mr. Porter's work and will acquire anything he publishes. This is what translation should be! The books are superbly annotated, as is this one. I've for years enjoyed Burton Watson's Cold Mountain translation, but with all due respect to the venerable Mr. W., Red Pine has given us a truly thorough and thought-provoking work that goes far beyond earlier translations both in style and content.

The themes of the poems are likely well known to the interested reader; what places this book at the top of its class are the annotations, the facing text in Chinese and the evocative, excellent photos by Steven Johnson that have graced other books by Mr. Porter.

This book is a work to be read and reread: in short, it's a keeper.