Cold Mountain Poetry Notes

Author: Han Shan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-26
Features: Han Shan's poetry is a unique gem in the realm of ancient Chinese poetry. It embodies both a compassionate heart for the suffering and a lament for the impermanence of life; it reflects both enlightenment achieved through forest hermitage and a broad-minded perspective gained from worldly life. Unbound by poetic conventions, it speaks directly from the heart, blending both the mundane and the refined, creating interest with every stroke. Han Shan's poetry has long been circulated in Zen monasteries, becoming a "topic" for discussions on Zen and Taoism. After the Song Dynasty, it was favored and imitated by poets and scholars, earning the title "Han Shan Style." In modern times, it has become wildly popular in Europe, America, and Japan, sparking a global "Han Shan Poetry Fever."
The Annotated Han Shan Poetry is another significant work by Professor Xiang Chu, following his Annotated Gong Fan Zhi Poetry. This book focuses on the annotation and interpretation of vernacular poetry from the Tang Dynasty. Based on the Siku Quanshu edition of the Song Dynasty, it cross-references with other renowned surviving editions such as the Japanese Kunoin Shoumon and Seichou manuscripts, the Korean edition, and the Siku Quanshu collection. It is considered the most complete definitive edition of Han Shan's poetry.
The book's most outstanding feature is its detailed and abundant annotations. Through of obscure terms, archaic allusions, and Buddhist terminology, it reveals the evolution of Han Shan's poetry in terms of its ideological content, artistic style, and cultural significance. Beyond its literary value, the book holds profound significance in the history of thought, culture, society, and religion.