It is a simple scene-and yet for thousands of years, it has evoked such poignant sadness for its readers that it has become a classic among the Chinese.

In this book, I hope to offer readers a taste of Chinese poetry of the Tang and Sung dynasties,focusing on Shi (诗), and to make the experience as mellow and enjoyable as sips of the Bamboo Green wine would be.

Classical poems are an integral part of Chinese culture. The poems have been memorized, savoured and handed down from one generation to the next. Famous lines are quoted frequently in both daily life conversations and official speeches.

Shi and Ci, though both classical Chinese poems, are different in many ways. This volume focuses on Shi. Some of the most well-known Shi poems, mostly from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), are presented in this book.

The unique bilingual format captures the cadence and the spirit of each poem. The hanyu pinyin to all Chinese characters makes it possible for people who cannot read Chinese language can also appreciate the poems. The author explains the poems in such a way that you will find reading classical Chinese poems can be easy and fun. Enjoy the book！

1. Introduction

2. Dui Lian (对联): The Art f the Couplet

3. The Rules for Composing Shi (诗)

4. Translating a Chinese Poem

5. Why Yue Fei (岳飞) Must Die

6. The Lost Tone

7. Du Fu (杜甫): The Man and His Times

8. The Narrative Poems of Du Fu (杜甫)

9. Du Fu (杜甫): A Mixed Bag of Poems

10. The Mood Poems of Du Fu (杜甫)

11. Du Fu (杜甫) as a Friend of Li Bai (李白)

12. A Teacher who was also an Actor

13. The Obscure Poems of Li Shangyin (李商隐)

14. "The Richly Decorated Se"

15. Li Shangyin's (李商隐) Glorious Sunse

16. The Sound of Temple Bells

17. A Half Day of Leisure

18. The Right Word