Wang Wei was one of the most celebrated poets of China's Tang Dynasty (618-907). An influential painter and practitioner of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, many of his poems contain concise and evocative descriptions of nature whose elegant minimalism offers subtle expression of a transcendence from everyday life. While this purity of poetic expression is what Wang Wei's reputation is built upon, he lived a courtly life of highs and lows in a tumultuous era, suffering demotions and exile, imprisonment and rehabilitation, all of which are evidenced in his verse. Wang Wei's poems grapple with the trappings of worldly life and the quest for enlightenment, painting a complex picture of both his psyche and his Chan discipline. Laughing Lost in the Mountains includes translations of poems running the spectrum of Wang Wei's subjects, as well as an extensive introduction that sheds light on Wang Wei's craft, spirituality, and historical context.

Author: Wang
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: University Press of New England
Published: 01/01/1992
Series: European Jewry Series; 12
Pages: 244
Weight: 0.9lbs
Size: 9.02h x 6.03w x 0.71d
ISBN: 9780874515640


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 01/15/1992 pg. 903