Choosing to Be Simple

Navigating the uncertainty of a divided China wracked by warfare and corruption, Tao Yuanmings poetryexpertly translated by Red Pinechooses the path walked by Chinas ancient sages, finding joy in living a simple life. The latest work in Red Pines rich career of translation, Choosing to be Simple: Collected Poems of Tao Yuanming, is a definitive portrait of the early Chinese politician and poet. Thoroughly researched and beautifully translated, this bilingual collection of over 160 verses chronicles Tao Yuanmings path from civil servant to reclusive poet during the formative Six Dynasties period (220589). Familiar scenes like farming and contemplating the nature of work and writing are examined with intimate honesty. As Red Pine illuminates Tao Yuanmings sensitive voice, we find the poets solace and sorrow in a China transformed by modernity. Tao Yuanmings distinct verse shows a keen attention to rhythm as he explores the tension of scarcity and indulgence, duty and escape. Reverberating with clarity and sincerity and laced with humor, the poems of Choosing to Be Simple portray a mans timeless desire to live by the principles enshrined by Chinas sages. Guided by Tao Yuanmings own wonderment, we, too, find ourselves asking: Why did I ever question my heart? We are encouraged to find joy in simplicitythe tending of a garden, the sharing of wine with a stranger.