With the help of Dong Qiang,professor of comparative civilization (France-China) at the University of Beijing and award winning translator.

A very intimate essay in which Le Clézio, Nobel Prize winner, brings the Chinese poets of the Tang dynasty (618-907), back to life. 

In this very intimate work, J.M.G. Le Clézio brings the Chinese poets of the Tang dynasty (618-907), such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Wei, Bai Juyi… back to life, whether it be through the troubled period in which they lived, their love of wine, women, wandering, nature, the changing seasons, or through their shared suffering about poverty, violent wars…

“I did not randomly happen upon Tang poetry. I read a poem Li Bai in which a man and a mountain are face to face. The poet describes something so immobile and majestic in front of which a human being, weak and impermanent, can do no more than sit and watch. Li Bai introduced me to something my upbringing and language had not prepared me for: plenitude and inner peace. This peace was not hard to find. I just needed to sit and watch. Tang poetry is without a doubt the way to stay in touch with reality. It takes us outside ourselves, sharing with us its kingdoms, the passing of time, its dreams.”  — J.M.G. Le Clézio

According to these poets, humans should not dominate but rather dialogue with other kingdoms: animals, plans, water, earth, rocks, clouds, mist, stars…

A foray into the civilization that modernized China, this unique and fascinating book brings us into the creative process and private lives of the men and women whose lifestyles, elegance
and unbending truths still touch us today.

J.M.G. Le Clézio and Dong Qiang have selected and translated a wide selection of poems.