Complete Poems

This is an outstanding collections of translations from the Chinese by a well-known poet (Kenneth Rexroth) and (in the U.S. at least) a lesser-known Chinese poet: Ling Chung. At the end of the collection there is a good, if brief, biography of Li by Ling Chung.The poems read well in English even though some of them have a definite "Rexroth feel" to them. This is not meant to take anything away from the translations or the translators. Anyone who makes the attempt to translate from one incomensurate language (English) to another (Chinese) has his/her work cut out for them.This small book certainly has a place in the library of anyone who has even a passing interest in Asian poetry in general and Chinese poetry in particular.

Poetry and translations of high quality. These English renditions are more restrained than one might expect from co-translator Kenneth Rexroth. The notes suggest an almost scholarly angle.

Humble, but careful edition of the complete poems of Li Ching Chao.

The book is in very good shape. I appreciate having this book. Haeven't had time to read it as yet.

I only wish it posted the Chinese characters next to the translation.

Judging from this translation, I find it hard to believe Li Ch'ing-chao is the greatest female Chinese poet. But if that is so, then Emily Dickinson should be considered a goddess. Reading her skimpy biography, she seems to have lived a full and exciting life.Perhaps it is the fault of the Rexroth's translation.Perhaps all of her wonderful poems were destroyed. And what was survived was found at the bottom of a parakeet cage.Perhaps she just wasn't that good.Perhaps she doesn't translate well. I know enough about translation, especially of ideograms, to know that much Chinese poetry is limited by the translator's "limitations".To repeat her obsessions, as I read the book a "fine rain" of boredom settled upon me as the sun streamed through the "jade curtains".

In about 1985, while I was a student at the University of Colorado, Boulder, a fellow student in one of my writing classes gave me the beautiful hardbound edition of this book. It remains a treasured item among the limited number of books I have kept through many moves over the past 27 years. These poems are vignettes that chronicle a woman's life , describing, at first, youth and love and later absence and loneliness, the society and politics of her time, and finally old age. And "vignette," which refers to a thought concise enough to be written on a grape leaf, is an appropriate appellation: many of the poems are infused with plum blossoms and wine and, occasionally, hangovers. The best of this writing transcends boundaries of geography, culture and time. Consider these lines from "Written by Chance."Fifteen years ago, beneath moonlight and flowers,I walked with you.We composed flower-viewing poems together.Tonight the moonlight and flowers are just the sameBut how can I ever hold in my arms the same love.Li Ching Chao--and Kenneth Rexroth's translations--beautifully capture the sense that our time here is fleeting.

Li Qingzhao was a supremely talented poet of the Sung dynasty period of China. She broke taboos concerning women writers by writing openly and creatively over a wide range of topics, both personal and social. She is revered in China today as being perhaps the greatest woman poet in Chinese history. It is enchanting to read her complete works and discover her recurring use of motifs and symbolism. Her voice is very feminine and very passionate but also very humble. It gives a glimpse of how women were expected to behave in Confucian society.

The poetry of Li Ching-chao has always appeared quite inspirational. Rexroth's translations do, for a western audience, convey the power and the pathos of the poems. As with all translations one feels tempted to seek out other versions to see both the similarities and the many differences in interpretation. Rexroth is not without his critics and even the notes by his colleague in the book point to silent 'editing' by the poet/translator, but that cannot take away from the genuine empathy that he has with his subject. I'm certainly happy with the results.. Enjoy!!

As I have to write a term paper in my seminar on Chinese Lyrics I chose this book to work with. The poems are already in a certain order (Youth, Loneliness, His Death etc) which is helpful in analyzing them. There is a lot of space around each poem for notes and comments. The biography at the end is also nice. The extra comments on the poems were sometimes helpful, sometimes not that much. For Western readers some explanations would be nice, for instance what wild geese mean in Chinese poems etc. But still it is great to work with. My only negative point is that there were no dates for the poems. Only the chapters give some idea on when each poem was written (I know it possibly is difficult to give a date because Li Qingzhao lived some time ago but an estimate would have been nice. I can only guess by chapter title and biography. Difficult when you have to work with it as a student and cite it correctly..Anyway, all in all I really like this book.Besides, some of the poems are really nice and carry a lot of meaning. If one likes the use of nature to convey meaning and emotions in poems: this is the book!

This is a really wonderful book and anyone who is interested in poetry from any country would love it.