Compiled by a leading scholar of Chinese poetry, Clouds Thick,
Whereabouts Unknown is the first collection of Chan (Zen) poems to be
situated within Chan thought and practice. Combined with exquisite
paintings by Charles Chu, the anthology compellingly captures the
ideological and literary nuances of works that were composed,
paradoxically, to "say more by saying less," and creates an unparalleled
experience for readers of all backgrounds.
Clouds Thick, Whereabouts Unknown includes verse composed by
monk-poets of the eighth to the seventeenth centuries. Their style
ranges from the direct vernacular to the evocative and imagistic. Egan's
faithful and elegant translations of poems by Han Shan, Guanxiu, and
Qiji, among many others, do justice to their perceptions and insights,
and his detailed notes and analyses unravel centuries of Chan metaphor
and allusion. In these gems, monk-poets join mainstream ideas on poetic
function to religious reflection and proselytizing, carving out a
distinct genre that came to influence generations of poets, critics, and
writers.
The simplicity of Chan poetry belies its complex ideology and
sophisticated language, elements Egan vividly explicates in his
religious and literary critique. His interpretive strategies enable a
richer understanding of Mahayana Buddhism, Chan philosophy, and the
principles of Chinese poetry.
