Arthur Waley était une autorité distinguée de la langue et de la littérature chinoises, dont les œuvres offraient des aperçus profonds sur la culture orientale. Célébré pour ses nombreuses traductions du chinois, ses interprétations ont donné aux lecteurs occidentaux accès à la richesse des traditions poétiques et philosophiques de l'Asie de l'Est. Son approche unique a capturé l'esprit et les nuances des textes originaux, faisant de lui une figure centrale du paysage littéraire interculturel.
Probably the most popular book in the history of the Far East, this classic combination of picaresque novel and folk epic mixes satire, allegory, and history into a rollicking tale. It is the story of the roguish Monkey and his encounters with major and minor spirits, gods, demigods, demons, ogres, monsters, and fairies.
In the eleventh century Murasaki Shikibu, a lady in the Heian court of Japan, wrote the world's first novel. But The Tale of Genji is no mere artifact. It is, rather, a lively and astonishingly nuanced portrait of a refined society where every dalliance is an act of political consequence, a play of characters whose inner lives are as rich and changeable as those imagined by Proust. Chief of these is "the shining Genji," the son of the emperor and a man whose passionate impulses create great turmoil in his world and very nearly destroy him. This edition, recognized as the finest version in English, contains a dozen chapters from early in the book, carefully chosen by the translator, Edward G. Seidensticker, with an introduction explaining the selection. It is illustrated throughout with woodcuts from a seventeenth-century edition.
Take a first-hand journey into a time, society and world full of intrigue.
A.D. 701-762
This volume translates and places in the appropriate historical context a number of private documents, such as diaries, autobiographies and confessions, which explain what the Opium War felt like on the Chinese side.Originally published in 1958 by Allen & Unwin.
One of the most influential books of all time, The Analects of Confucius collects the sayings and wisdom of the Chinese philosopher and his followers. Still as relevant today as they were over two thousand years ago, these teachings together present a moral code that values virtue above all, and make up the core values of the Confucian tradition. This edition includes a full introduction that gives the social and political background of the ancient work, analyses of key terms in Chinese thought, and a careful study of the history of the book and its interpretations. There are also full notes illuminating the references to contemporary events and clarifying obscure passages. An essential work of literature and philosophy, The Analects of Confucius has shaped generations of readers around the world.
This comprehensive biography, first published in 1950, delves into the life of one of China's most celebrated poets, offering insights that were previously unavailable in any language. It explores the poet's influences, works, and the cultural context of his time, making it a significant contribution to literary scholarship and an essential read for those interested in Chinese poetry and history.
First published in 1956.Arthur Waley here presents an engrossing account of the works and life of Yuan Mei (1716-1797), the best-known poet of his time. Gaiety is the keynote of his works and the poet was a friend of the Manchu official with whom Commodore Anson had dramatic dealings at Canton in 1743. Yuan Mei gives an account (not previously translated) of Anson's interview with the Manchu authorities. The book contains many translations of Yuan Mei's verse and prose.
