The White Pony: An Anthology of Chinese Poetry
Out of his deep love for and knowledge of China, author-poet Robert Payne has brought together a rich collection of Chinese poetry--spanning some three thousand years and covering every conceivable mood and subject: from the roaring of tigers to the wild anguish of war to the tender exaltation of love. Each poem included in this volume has been translated by the skilled Chinese scholar who considered himself best equipped to interpret it. All reflect the mind and heart of a people supremely alive--a people to whom every grain of rice is precious, every moment of life priceless.
"It is an excellent one-volume collection, representative of the best works in a vast field of poetry. The translations--simple, unrhymed, but rhythmic--are new, being the work of Chinese scholars edited and revised by Payne. One feels that his own contribution is greater than he admits. Through an appreciative introduction and informative pages on each poet, the anthology has further value as a brief history and interpretation of the three thousand years of poetry in China." -- Library Journal
"(His own) introduction is a learned study of Chinese poetry in its relation to Chinese culture ..." -- The New York Times
"The White Pony is unique as a one-volume survey text for China's three thousand years ... its choices and the proportions accorded those choices carry out the editor's intention to 'suggest the immensity that lies behind even the briefest exploration of Chinese poetry'".... Saturday Review of Literature
"If anyone can capture in print the spiritual essence of a place, of a way of life, of a culture, Mr. Payne can." -- The New York Times