The Complete Cold Mountain Poems of the Legendary Hermit Hanshan

A fresh translation--and new envisioning--of the most accessible and beloved of all classic Chinese poetry.

Welcome to the magical, windswept world of Cold Mountain. These poems from the literary riches of China have long been celebrated by cultures of both East and West—and continue to be revered as among the most inspiring and enduring works of poetry worldwide. This groundbreaking new translation presents the full corpus of poetry traditionally associated with Hanshan (“Cold Mountain”) and sheds light on its origins and authorship like never before. Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt honor the contemplative Buddhist elements of this classic collection of poems while revealing Hanshan’s famously jubilant humor, deep love of solitude in nature, and overwhelming warmth of heart. In addition, this translation features the full Chinese text of the original poems and a wealth of fascinating supplements, including traditional historical records, an in-depth study of the Cold Mountain poets (here presented as three distinct authors), and more.

KAZUAKI TANAHASHI is a world-renowned calligraphic artist, a Zen teacher, author, environmentalist, peaceworker--and translator, particularly of the works of Eihei Dogen. He is author or translator of numerous books, and his art has been featured in shows throughout the world. PETER LEVITT is a poet and Zen teacher who lives in British Columbia. He was authorized to teach in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki by Norman Zoketsu Fischer. He is the author of several collections of poetry and is the recipient of the prestigious Lannan Foundation Award in Poetry. He also teaches creativity in writing and other endeavors in various venues--he is the author of Fingerpainting on the Moon: Writing and Creativity as a Path to Freedom (Harmonym, 2003).