Poems of Hanshan

by Hanshan, John C. Regruth

Hanshan, which means Cold Mountain, was the pseudonym adopted by an unknown poet who lived in China as a hermit twelve hundred years ago. The poems collected under his name have had an immense impact worldwide, especially among Zen Buddhists, and have been translated into many languages. Peter Hobson's translation of more than a hundred of the poems, almost all of which are published for the first time in this volume, brings those qualities of timelessness, poetic diction and engaging rhythm that do justice to the concepts and language of the original. This edition includes not only a clear and succinct introduction for the general reader but also highly informative sections on Hanshan's place in history and on issues involved in translating Hanshan.

Genres: Poetry

151 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2002

About the author

Hanshan was a Buddhist monk, poet, and spiritual writer who lived during the Tang dynasty. Little is known about his life, including where and when he was born, or even whether he actually existed. In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, Hanshan and his sidekick Shide are honored as emanations of the bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra, respectively. In Japanese and Chinese paintings, Hanshan is often depicted together with Shide or with Fenggan, another monk with legendary attributes.

It is said that he was a recluse who lived in a remote region, and that his poems were written on rocks in the mountains he called home. He is said to have written 600 poems, of which 313 were collected and have survived.

Reviews

[Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small collection of Taoist poems by the poet-sage Hanshan. Very beautifully written, as expected from Taoist writing, but many are actually rather dark in their content, which I'm not complaining about. The darker themes add to their beauty and make you think a bit deeper.

[Noah Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful zen hermit poetry similar to Ryokan. Calming and delightful.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and impressive collection.