It is one of the very first art books which helped artists develop the
aptitude for seeing the inner essence of various natural
phenomena.--Shambhala Sun
Guide to Capturing a Plum Blossom could fit neatly into any number of
contemporary-sounding categories: hybrid text, art book, lyric essay,
etc. It is a book that relies on interdependence of image and text, of
history and the present, of evocation and concrete image.--The Rumpus
Red Pine introduces Western readers to both the text itself and the
traditions it has inherited.--Virginia Quarterly Review
All lovers of Asian poetry, mysterious history, divine drawing, and plum
blossoms will enjoy this book. Thank you once again, Red Pine, for deep
translation.--Michael McClure
Through a series of brief four-lined poems and illustrations, Sung
Po-jen aims at training artistic perception: how to truly see a plum
blossom. First published in AD 1238, Guide to Capturing a Plum Blossom
is considered the world's earliest-known printed art books. This
bilingual edition contains the one hundred woodblock prints from the
1238 edition, calligraphic Chinese poems, and Red Pine's graceful
translations and illuminating commentaries.
Tiger Tracks
winter wind bends dry grass
flicks its tail along the ridge
fearful force on the loose
don't try to braid old whiskers
Red Pine's commentary: The Chinese liken the north wind that blows down
from Siberia in winter to a roaring tiger. China is home to both the
Siberian and the South China tigers. While both are on the verge of
extinction, the small South China tiger still appears as far north as
the Chungnan Mountains, where hermits have shown me their tracks.
Sung Po-jen was a Chinese poet of the thirteenth century.
Red Pine (a.k.a. Bill Porter) is one of the world's foremost
translators of Chinese poetry and religious texts. His published
translations include The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain, Lao-tzu's
Taoteching, and Poems of the Masters. He lives near Seattle,
Washington.
