Vikram Seth has written acclaimed books in several genres: verse novel, The Golden Gate; travel book, From Heaven Lake; animal fables, Beastly Tales; epic fiction, A Suitable Boy. His most recent novel, An Equal Music, was published in 1999. He lives in England and India.
This collection by translator Seth consists of poems by Wang Wei, Li Bai (or Li Po), and Du Fu (or Tu Fu)--three eighth-century Chinese poets whose works have often been translated in recent years. What makes it unique is Seth's thoughtful selection from these masters' vast output. The poems work well together; rich with interaction between the beauties of the physical world and the suffering of the human condition in times of upheaval, they give a tangible sense of China in the final years of the Tang dynasty. Each poet's treatment of these dichotomies springs from his spiritual source: Wang Wei is Buddhist, Li Bai Taoist, and Du Fu Confucian. Seth has blended accessibility with near-faithful recreation of the rhythm and tone of the originals. These poems spring easily from page and tongue, as in this couplet from Du Fu's ``Spring Scene in Time of War'': ``I scratch my white hair, which has grown so thin/ It soon won't let me stick my hatpin in.'' Recommended for all libraries with even the smallest collections of international poetry.-- Judy Clarence, California State Univ. - Hayward Lib.
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