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This substantial collection of Tang Dynasty poetry includes extensive commentary and notes—offering insight into this rich literary heritage."Stretching out my hand I feel the pulse of the stars," wrote Li Po, one of the most famous of the T'ang dynasty poets. This superlative study of the Golden Age of Chinese poetry, based on nearly 50,000 poems written by more than 2,000 poets, captures not only the pulse of that period but also the spirit and soul.Of this Tang blossoming, Dr. Wu says that for nearly thirteen centuries after Christ, poetry in Europe, with the exception of Juvenal, kept a death–like silence. It hibernated so long that when it woke up again in the person of Dante, the last poetic voice it could remember was that Virgil. It seems though Mother Earth purposely rocked Europe to sleep for some time that she might teach Asia to sing. These poetic interpretations, including comparisons with many Western poets such as Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot, represent a remarkable scholarly achievement.
Exotics and Retrospectives
"Even the worst tea is sweet when first made from the new leaf."–Japanese proverb.Here is a Lafcadio Hearn gem about Japanese customs and traditions destined to survive the inroads of time and Western trends. This masterpiece has the deep azure patina of Fuji-san; it utters the chirping notes of Suzumushi, the caged insect; it is as melodious as Kajika, the singing frog–and is an altogether delightful and entrancing portrayal of a nation's «Exotics and Retrospectives,» told by a master storyteller.
Japan: Theme & Variations
This collection of Japanese poetry contains over 200 poems by some 153 Americans writing of their impressions and experiences of Japan.If Japan forms the theme of the poems collected here, the variations are certainly the deep feeling so many Americans have come to have for Japan and the Japanese People. And the Resulting Choral is, we are convinced, both a thing of beauty and unique expression of goodwill between nations.Through the many years and in many countries poets have been entranced with the romances suggested by the name Japan. They have enthralled the sweetness of its children; serenity of its art; the beauty of its fields, seas, and mountains; the grandeur of its ancient architecture and quiet gardens; colorful pageantry of its history and deep emotions of its drama; the industriousness of its workers, charm of its women, and indomitable character of its people.
Moon Lore
This classic compendium of lunar literature covers moon mythology, worship, superstitions and is of great interest to cultural scholars and mythologists alike.For Man the moon has always exerted a magic and madness. This madness and magic has paid off in the Apollo accomplishments. And still man continues to dream of new worlds to conquer. After the moon, what? Will it be Mars and Venus? While the earth is getting smaller, our universe is growing by leaps and space ships.What could be more timely than a book about the moon! Moon Lore, set the stage for the recent lunar landing almost 100 years ago with its scientific observations such as the one which saw "the surface of the satellite scooped into deep valleys, or spread over with vast walled plains from 130 to 140 miles across. But this timely book according to its author has no pretensions to scientific merit; in fact, he calls it «a compendium of lunar literature in its least scientific branches.» He does say, however, that his work "is a contribution to light literature, and to the literature of light.
Lady Nijo's Own Story
Lady Nijo, a lady–in–waiting of the thirteenth–century Japanese Imperial Court, was a small child when the young ex–Emperor Go Fukakusa took her under his protection. She was between twelve and thirteen years old when he made her his mistress, and for more than a decade after that the lovely young girl from one of Japan's most noble families lived at the court as an honored Lady in the ex–Emperor's entourage.As a historical work, the book documents the routine of long-ago court life, with its great emphasis on poetry contests, «football» games, drinking parties, and clothing (at the most tragic moment, Lady Nijo stops to describe what the messenger bringing word of her lover's death is wearing).Lady Nijo's story is much more than a day-to-day record of trivial events. It is the tale of a courageous woman, told with consummate skill. Scholars agree that the newly-discovered diary is one of the masterpieces of the country's literature, a genuine autobiography that not only records the social pastimes of the aristocracy, but also gives a contemporary view of the political and economic movements of the time.
Calabashes and Kings
This eloquent and hauntingly evocative story of Hawaii is a true classic and is an essential read for any enthusiast of Hawaiian culture and history.With a sincerity and candor often lacking in books stressing the exotic and unusual, the author says there is no denying that Hawaii presents the usual blend of the lovely and the unlovely and is no more perfect than any other place. He writes of «a one–way street to happy adventure in the South seas; a background of the Polynesian sort, so easy–going and laughter–provoking on the surface, so tragic at its end; green valleys barred with rainbows, and windswept palis.»He write of Robert Lois Stevenson, who found peace in the iridescent Hawaiian Isles; of Mark Twain, who wrote, «No alien land in all the world has any deep strong charm for me but that one.» On the tragic side , he includes a very vivid description of the Battle of Kealakekua Bay, in which Captain Cook was killed.More than thirty fine photographs and maps embellish and enhance this charming contribution to Hawaiian literature and Americana.
A Gold Orchid
A Gold Orchid is a rare collection of classical Chinese erotic and love poetry translated for the first time.Chinese erotic poetry was at one time thought to be nonexistent, simply because it was considered unfit to translate from the imperial anthologies, This translation of poems of Tzu Yeh, a 4th-century wine shop girl, exposes a world the emperors may not have cared to record for posterity. But it is precisely this world that has fascination for the Western reader, who will discover in it, perhaps a shock of recognition, the same currents of feeling that rippled beneath alluring surfaces wherever girls like Tzu Yeh have offered entertainment and flattery, beauty, wit, and sometimes love-to paying customers.Following Tzu Yeh through the pleasure-chasing seasons into her years of bitter memories, the reader places together, but he left her «with a bitter heart still beating to each day’s sun.» She weaves. She remembers. «In thin silk dress, red sleeves a flutter» she searches for «a bold someone with a heart of mine»–her gold-orchid friend.These beautiful and original poems are made available to Western readers in a translation that fuses the imagery of age-old China with a supple, lively modern idiom.
Shadowings
This collection of essays and classic stories set in Japan by Lafcadio Hearn—one of the earliest Westerners to write about Japan—is an essential addition to any collection of Japanese literature.Shadowings is made up of three parts: «Stories from Strange Books,» which presents six old Japanese tales; «Japanese Studies,» in which Hearn explores the lore of his adopted country; and «Fantasies,» a group of essays in which he gives free rein to his wide-ranging imagination. All in all, it is a delightful collection of Japanese curiosities and fancies.
Hawaii's Religions
This is a comprehensive guide to the diverse religious history of Hawaii.Beginning with the religion of ancient Hawaii, depicting the arrival of the first missionaries, and, religion by religion, covering each faith as it came to Hawaii, the author thoroughly describes the inception and harmonious development of Hawaiian religions. Christianity, Judaism, Japanese and Chinese Buddhism, Shinto, the new religions from Japan (such as Tenrikyo), Baha'ism, and other religions are discussed, their leaders indicated, and their present standing in Hawaii given.Hawaii's Religions fills a gap in the library of Hawaiian literature. As a textbook, as a reference book, or for pleasure reading, it cannot be welcomed by those interested in Hawaiian culture.
History of Christianity in Japan
Despite the relatively small number of formal Christian believers in japan—less than one percent of the total population—Christianity has become and is likely to continue to be an important strand in modern Japanese culture.The Christian social message of the early decades of the twentieth century has become a lasting part of social welfare attitudes. The strong emphasis on education of the Christian missionary movement has left a visible legacy throughout Japanese education, primarily in the teaching of women.Author, Otis Cary's impressive work, first published in two volumes, appears here in a convenient one-volume edition. The first part deals with Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox missions; the second, with Protestant missions. The story begins with the arrival of Francis Xavier in Japan in 1549, unfolds through the early successes of the Roman Catholic missions and the subsequent age of hideous persecutions and the virtual extirpation of Christianity in the seventeenth century, and moves forward to its revival in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is in many ways an absorbingly dramatic tale, and Cary tells it exceedingly well.