Awakened Cosmos: The Mind of Classical Chinese Poetry

Hinton, David

ISBN 10: 1611807425 / ISBN 13: 9781611807424

Published by Shambhala, 2019

Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_438130408

Synopsis:

A deep and radically original exploration of Taoist and Ch''an (Zen) Buddhist wisdom through the lens of the life and work of Tu Fu, widely considered China''s greatest classical poet.

What is consciousness but the Cosmos awakened to itself? This question is fundamental to the Taoist and Ch''an (Zen) Buddhist worldview that shapes classical Chinese poetry. A uniquely conceived biography, Awakened Cosmos illuminates that worldview through the life and work of Tu Fu (712-770 C.E.), China''s greatest classical poet. Tu Fu''s writing traces his life from periods of relative normalcy to years spent as an impoverished refugee amid the devastation of civil war. Exploring key poems to guide the reader through Tu Fu''s dramatic life, Awakened Cosmos reveals Taoist/Ch''an insight deeply lived across the full range of human experience.

Each chapter presents a poem in three stages: first, the original Chinese; then, an English translation in Hinton''s masterful style; and finally, a lyrical essay that discusses the untranslatable philosophical dimensions of the poem. The result is nothing short of remarkable: a biography of the Cosmos awakened to itself in the form of a magisterial poet alive in T''ang Dynasty China.

Thirty years ago, David Hinton published America''s first full-length translation of Tu Fu''s work. Awakened Cosmos is published simultaneously with a newly translated and substantially expanded version of that landmark translation: The Selected Poems of Tu Fu: Expanded and Newly Translated (New Directions).

About the Author: DAVID HINTON's many translations of ancient Chinese poetry and philosophy have earned wide acclaim for creating compelling contemporary works that convey the actual texture and density of the originals. The author of countless books of essays and poetry, Hinton has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, numerous fellowships from N.E.A. and N.E.H, the Landon Translation Award, the PEN American Translation Award, and a lifetime achievement award by The American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Awakened Cosmos: The Mind of Classical ...
Publisher: Shambhala
Publication Date: 2019
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Very Good