Crossing the Yellow River : Three Hundred Poems from the Chinese [Hardcover]

Sam Hamill (Author)

Book Description

Series: New American Translations | Publication Date: September 1, 2000

After years of passionate labor, Sam Hamill has translated both familiar and little-known Chinese poems from three millennia (330 BC to the 16th century) to compile the most comprehensive collection of its kind. Crossing the Yellow River:Three Hundred Poems from the Chinese represents a "lifetime's devotion to the classic originals," in the words of W. S. Merwin, begun when Hamill was introduced to classical Chinese by Kenneth Rexroth and the Beat poets of the late 1950s.

Unlike earlier translators of Chinese and Japanese poetry, Hamill attempts to bring the poems into English with their directness and simplicity intact, at the same time attempting to remain true to the poet's orginal message. Hamill includes the rarely-translated social poems of Tu Fu, the poems and songs of Tzu Yeh and Li Ch'ing-Chao, and lyrical selections from Li Po, Shih Ching, Wang Wei, Su Tung-p'o and others. Hamill's introduction provides the most definitive overview to date of aesthetic impulses propelling Chinese poetry and reveals his own reasons for his "lifetime's devotion." "I sit at the feet of the great old masters of my tradition not only to be in a position to pass on their many wonderful gifts," Hamill says, "but to pay homage while in the very act of nourishing, sustaining and enhancing my own life."

Sam Hamill's celebrated translations include The Art of Writing: Lu Chi's Wen Fu; The Essential Chuang Tza; The Essential Basho; The Spring of My Life & Selected Haiku by Kobayashii Issa and Only Companion: Japanese Poems of Love & Longing. He is the author of a dozen volumes of original poety and three collections of essays. He is Founding Editor of Copper Canyon Press, director of the Port Townsend Writers' Conference and contributing editor at The American Poetry Review. He lives in Port Townsend, Washington.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Love Song by Ch'iao Chi
Farewell Song by Ch'in Kuan
From A Dream by Ch'in Kuan
Sleepless by Ch'in Kuan
Song by Ch'in Kuan
Elegy by Chang Chi
At Waterfall Temple by Chang K'o-chiu
Year's End by Chang K'o-chiu
T'ung Pass by Chang Yang-hao
Lament by Cho Wen-chun
Peach Blossom Stream by Chou Pang-yen
To An Ancient Tune by Chu Tun-ju
Watching A Lonely Wild Goose At Nightfall by Hsiao Kang
Climbing Stone Drum Mountain by Hsieh Ling-yun
Crossing The Mountain, I Follow The Chin-chu River by Hsieh Ling-yun
Visiting Pai-an Pavilion by Hsieh Ling-yun
Written On The Lake While Returning To Stone Cliff Hermitage by Hsieh Ling-yun
Complaint Near The Jade Stairs by Hsieh T'iao
Lu-lung Village, Autumn by Hsu Hsuan
On Love by Hsu Tsai-ssu
Love Song by Hu Chih-yu
Springtime South Of The Yangtze by K'o Chun
Love Song by Kuan Yun-shih
An End To Spring by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Boat Of Stars by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Bodhisattva's Headdress by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Butterflies Love Flowers by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Drunk In Flower Shadows by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Eternal Joy by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Happiness Approaches by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Happiness Approaches by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Lips Painted Red by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Magnolia Blossoms by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Partridge Sky by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Partridge Sky by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Plum Blossoms by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Sands Of The Washing Stream by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Sands Of The Washing Stream by Li Ch'ing-chao
To The Tune: Spring At Wu Ling by Li Ch'ing-chao
A Country Road by Li Ho
Days Of Rain by Li Ho
Drinking All Night, Sleeping All Day by Li Ho
Lament For A Courtesan by Li Ho
Life At The Capital by Li Ho
The Lute Player by Li Ho
Melancholic by Li Ho
Song: Green Water, Singing Girl by Li Ho
To The Tune: The Wine Spring by Li Hsun
To The Tune: The Wine Spring by Li Hsun
About Tu Fu by Li Po
Ancient Airs by Li Po
At Ch'ang-men Palace by Li Po
Blue Water by Li Po
Complaint Near The Jade Steps by Li Po
Crows At Dusk by Li Po
Drinking Alone With The Moon by Li Po
Drinking Wine With A Mountain Hermit by Li Po
Fall River Song by Li Po
Fall River Song by Li Po
Farewell To Yin Shu by Li Po
Going To Visit A Taoist Recluse On Heaven's Mountain Only To Find.... by Li Po
The Great Bird by Li Po
In A Village By The River by Li Po
In Memory Of Ho Chi-chen by Li Po
Listening To A Flute In Yellow Crane Pavilion by Li Po
Listening To A Flute On A Spring Night In Lo-yang by Li Po
Longing For Someone by Li Po
Looking For Master Yung Ts'un Near His Hermitage by Li Po
Mountain Drinking Song by Li Po
O-mei Mountain Moon by Li Po
Old Dust by Li Po
Old Style Poem by Li Po
On Dragon Hill by Li Po
Parting by Li Po
Questions Answered by Li Po
Quiet Night Thoughts by Li Po
Remembering Ancient Days In Yueh by Li Po
Remembering East Mountain by Li Po
Return Of The Banished by Li Po
Rising Drunk On A Spring Day by Li Po
Saying Good-bye In A Ch'in-ling Wineshop by Li Po
Saying Good-bye To Meng Hao-jan At Yellow Crane Pavilion by Li Po
Seeing Off A Friend by Li Po
Springtime South Of The Yangtze by Li Po
Summer Days In The Mountains by Li Po
Taking Leave Of A Friend by Li Po
To A Friend by Li Po
To The Tune: Beautiful Barbarian by Li Po
To Tu Fu From Shantung by Li Po
Waterfall At Lu-shan by Li Po
Women Of Yueh: 1. by Li Po
Women Of Yueh: 2. by Li Po
Women Of Yueh: 3. by Li Po
Women Of Yueh: 4. by Li Po
Zazen On Ching-t'ing Mountain by Li Po
Alone Beside The Autumn River by Li Shang-yin
From The Heights by Li Shang-yin
Song by Li Yen-nien
Listening To A Flute At Night Near The City Wall by Li Yi
To The Tune: Beautiful Lady Yu by Li Yu
Snowy River by Liu Tsung-yuan
Blacktail Row by Liu Yu-hsi
Cicada Song by Liu Yung
Lament by Liu Yung
Song by Liu Yung
Song by Liu Yung
Song by Liu Yung
Song by Liu Yung
Song Of Mount T'ai by Lu Chi
Mural, Ch'ien-ming Temple by Lu Yu
Evening Bells Near A Temple by Ma Chih-yuan
In Autumn by Ma Chih-yuan
Love Song by Ma Chih-yuan
The Lice by Mei Yao-ch'en
Necessities by Mei Yao-ch'en
Despair by Meng Chiao
Returning Late To Lu-men Shan by Meng Hao-jan
Spring Dreams by Meng Hao-jan
A Cutting by Ou Yangxiu
After Reading Lao Tzu by Po Chu-yi
Cold Night by Po Chu-yi
Night Duty In The Palace, Dreaming Of A Hsien-yu Temple by Po Chu-yi
On A Portrait Of The Poet by Po Chu-yi
Reading Yuan Chen On A Boat by Po Chu-yi
River Flute by Po Chu-yi
To A Young Widow by Po Chu-yi
To Yuan Chen by Po Chu-yi
At The Temple Of Kuan Yin In The Rain by Su Shih
Climbing Yun-lung Mountain by Su Shih
Rain During The Cold Food Festival by Su Shih
Remembering My Wife by Su Shih
Drinking Alone In The Rainy Season by T'ao Ch'ien
Fire, Sixth Month, 408 by T'ao Ch'ien
Lament by T'ao Ch'ien
Passing Through Ch'ien-hsi Third Month, 405 by T'ao Ch'ien
Reply To Prefect Liu by T'ao Ch'ien
Returning To My Fields And Gardens by T'ao Ch'ien
To My Cousin, Ching-yuan, Twelfth Month, 403 by T'ao Ch'ien
Taoist Song by Teng Yu-pin
Taoist Song by Teng Yu-pin
Taoist Song by Teng Yu-pin
Drinking Song by Ts'ao Ts'ao
After Rain by Tu Fu
After Solstice by Tu Fu
After The Harvest by Tu Fu
Another Spring by Tu Fu
At The Thatched Hall Of The Ts'ui Family by Tu Fu
Becoming A Farmer by Tu Fu
A Broken Boat by Tu Fu
By Yangtze And Han by Tu Fu
Ch'iang Village by Tu Fu
Clear After Rain by Tu Fu
The Cricket by Tu Fu
Crooked River Meditation by Tu Fu
Departing From Ch'in-chou by Tu Fu
Descending Through Dragon Gate by Tu Fu
The Draft Board At Shih-hao by Tu Fu
Dragon Gate Gorge by Tu Fu
Dreaming Of Li Po: 1. by Tu Fu
Dreaming Of Li Po: 2. by Tu Fu
Drinking At Crooked River by Tu Fu
Drinking With Elder Cheng The Eighth At Crooked River by Tu Fu
Early Rising by Tu Fu
Empty Purse by Tu Fu
Evening After Rain by Tu Fu
Evening Near Serpent River by Tu Fu
Facing The Snow by Tu Fu
Facing The Snow by Tu Fu
Farewell Rhyme by Tu Fu
Firefly by Tu Fu
Going To The Palace With A Friend At Dawn by Tu Fu
Heading South by Tu Fu
Heavenly River by Tu Fu
Homage To The Painter General Ts'ao by Tu Fu
Homestead by Tu Fu
A Hundred Worries by Tu Fu
I Stand Alone by Tu Fu
Impromptu by Tu Fu
In A Village By The River by Tu Fu
In Praise Of Rain by Tu Fu
In Seclusion by Tu Fu
The Journey North by Tu Fu
Lament For Ch'en T'ao by Tu Fu
Leaving Ch'in-chou by Tu Fu
Leaving Government Offices by Tu Fu
Listless by Tu Fu
Lone Wild Goose by Tu Fu
Looking At Mount T'ai by Tu Fu
The Madman by Tu Fu
Moon On The Cold Food Festival by Tu Fu
Moon, Rain, Riverbank by Tu Fu
Moonlit Night by Tu Fu
New Year's Eve At The Home Of Tu Wei by Tu Fu
Night In A Room By The River by Tu Fu
Night Thoughts While Traveling by Tu Fu
On A Portrait Of A Falcon by Tu Fu
P'eng-ya Road by Tu Fu
Passing Mr. Sung's Old House by Tu Fu
Passing The Night by Tu Fu
Poem For Mr. Li In Early Spring by Tu Fu
Poem For My Brother Returning To My Farm by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (i) by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (ii) by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (iii) by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (iv) by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (ix) by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (v) by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (vi) by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (vii) by Tu Fu
Random Pleasures (viii) by Tu Fu
Rising Spring Waters by Tu Fu
River Pavilion by Tu Fu
Running From Trouble by Tu Fu
Sent To The Magistrate Of P'eng-chou by Tu Fu
The Servant Boy Delivers by Tu Fu
Sick Horse by Tu Fu
Singing Girls (written In Jest): 1. by Tu Fu
Singing Girls (written In Jest): 2. by Tu Fu
Six Choruses by Tu Fu
Sleepless Nights by Tu Fu
Song For A Young General by Tu Fu
Song Of T'ung-ku by Tu Fu
Song Of The War Wagons by Tu Fu
Spring Homecoming by Tu Fu
A Summit by Tu Fu
Sunset by Tu Fu
Taking Leave Of Two Officials by Tu Fu
The Thatched Hut by Tu Fu
Thinking Of Li Po by Tu Fu
To A Guest by Tu Fu
To Abbot Min The Compassionate by Tu Fu
To Li Po On A Spring Day by Tu Fu
To Li Po On A Winter Day by Tu Fu
To My Younger Brother by Tu Fu
Traveler's Pavilion by Tu Fu
Visiting The Monastery At Lung-men by Tu Fu
Watching The Distances by Tu Fu
Word From My Brothers by Tu Fu
Yen-chou City Wall Tower by Tu Fu
Departing In Early Morning by Tu Mu
Admonition by Tzu Yeh
All Night by Tzu Yeh
Bitter Harvest by Tzu Yeh
Busy In The Spring by Tzu Yeh
An End To Spring by Tzu Yeh
An End To Spring by Tzu Yeh
Illusions by Tzu Yeh
Late Spring by Tzu Yeh
The Lotus Lover by Tzu Yeh
A Smile by Tzu Yeh
Song by Tzu Yeh
Song by Tzu Yeh
Elegy by Anonymous
Farewell Poem by Anonymous
Festal Song by Anonymous
In The Shadows Of The Wu-t'ung Tree by Anonymous
In The Shadows Of The Wu-t'ung Tree by Anonymous
Song by Anonymous
To An Ancient Tune by Anonymous
To The Tune: Beautiful Barbarian by Anonymous
War Lament by Anonymous
War Lament by Anonymous
At Home by Wang Anshih
Hui-chu Temple, Mount K'un by Wang Anshih
Night Watch by Wang Anshih
On Chung Mountain by Wang Anshih
Spring Evening On Pan Mountain by Wang Anshih
Working For The Government by Wang Anshih
Silent At Her Window by Wang Ch'ang-ling
View From Heron Tower by Wang Chih-huan
Drinking Alone by Wang Fan-chih
Poem by Wang Fan-chih
Reclusive by Wang Fan-chih
Requiem by Wang Fan-chih
In The Mountains by Wang Po
Song Of Parting by Wang Po-ch'eng
At A House In The Bamboo Grove by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
At Lake Yi by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
At Li's Mountain Hermitage by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
At The Hermitage Of Master Fu by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Birdsong Valley by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Chi River Gardens And Fields by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Crossing The Yellow River by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Deer Park by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Hermitage At Chung-nan Mountain by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
A Meal For The Monks by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Mourning For Yin Yao by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Reply To A Magistrate by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Return To Wang River by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Sailing Down The Han by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Sitting Alone On An Autumn Night by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Visiting The Mountain Hermitage Of A Monk At Gan-hua Monastery by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
The Way To The Temple by Wang Wei ( (701-761)
Magic City Monastery by Wang Yang-ming
Taoist Song by Wang Yang-ming
Against Conscription by Wei Chuang
To The Tune: Beautiful Barbarian by Wei Chuang
To The Tune: Southern Song by Wen T'ing-yun
To The Tune: The Water Clock by Wen T'ing-yun
To An Ancient Tune by Yao K'uan
Song by Yen Shu
Bidding Farewell To Secretary Chou by Yu Hsin
Bamboo Mat by Yuan Chen
Dreaming Of My Wife by Yuan Chen
Elegy by Yuan Chen
Empty House by Yuan Chen
Letter Smuggled In A Fish by Yuan Chen
Oriole by Yuan Chen
Peach Blossoms by Yuan Chen
Remembering by Yuan Chen
Retirement by Yuan Chen
Three Dreams In Chiang-ling: 1. by Yuan Chen
Three Dreams In Chiang-ling: 2. by Yuan Chen
Three Dreams In Chiang-ling: 3. by Yuan Chen
When We Are Apart by Yuan Chen
White Dress by Yuan Chen
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder® --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: BOA Editions Ltd. (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880238977
• ISBN-13: 978-1880238974
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,672,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Embarassment of Riches, June 9, 2001

By 

Stephen McLeod (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Crossing the Yellow River : Three Hundred Poems from the Chinese (New American Translations: 13) (Paperback)

Here are 270 pages of the most sublimely beautiful poems in English that I have ever read. Sam Hamill has brought us one step closer to the music of an ancient and culturally distant aesthetic that, until the modernist revolution of the last century, was closed to English speaking readers and writers.

It is difficult to overestimate the impact that Chinese poetry in translation had on modern poetry in English. Arthur Waley's *170 Chinese Poems* and Ezra Pound's enormously important adaptions in *Cathay* are cornerstones of modernism. Kenneth Rexroth's translations, starting with *100 Poems from the Chinese*, were equally as important to the last quarter of the 20th century. Moreover, the interest that these translations produced sparked an interest in world poetry, that completely transformed poetry in English during the last 50 years. The obvious issue that is always before the reader of poetry in translation is authenticity. Octavio Paz said all poetry is translation. Still, as a reader, it's impossible to know what distance is really spanned in the journey from Tu Fu's mouth to my ears.

I think this book goes a long way toward settling, if not answering some of these concerns. I don't read classical Chinese, so I don't know exactly how accurate these translations are. Nevertheless, Sam Hamill's informative (though somewhat loopy) introduction makes a strong case for thier reliability. By showing his method, he inspires confidence that not only are you reading beautiful English poems, but that what you're reading is speaking to over the bridge of centuries and cultures.

The center 100 pages of this amazing book contains probably the finest translations to date of China's great 8th century poets, Li Po, Wang Wei, and Tu Fu (who is, according to K. Rexroth, the greatest non-epic, non-dramatic poet in any language in the history of the world). These treasures are surrounded by a generous selection of poems dating from the 1st century BCE to the 16th century CE.

Whether you already love poetry or you want to start loving it, don't pass up the enrichment that these poems can bring to your life.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, April 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Crossing the Yellow River : Three Hundred Poems from the Chinese (New American Translations: 13) (Paperback)

The first book, after Rexroth, of Chinese poems I ever read from cover to cover in one sitting, for the pure joy of it, was Sam Hamill's first book of translations. Crossing the Yellow River is simply more and better, as far as I'm concerned. Great reading.