June Fourth Elegies: Poems (Lannan Translation Selection (Graywolf Hardcover)) (Chinese Edition)

Exquisite poetry. This is a book every poetry lover should have.

June Fourth Elegies (the original title is 念念六四) is a collection of poems written over the years since the 1989 Tiananmen Square Incident, written on the anniversary of June Fourth to pay tribute to the lives lost.The original poems were written in Chinese, and Yang translated them into English. To fully understand the nuances behind the poems, a history of Chinese culture and history is strongly recommended. Liu's compositions are stark in their use of language, but this makes it even more poignant and heartbreaking, when one keeps in mind the historical context and current situation that Liu is in presently.Inevitably, some nuances are lost in translation (not Yang's fault, just the way things are). But that doesn't detract from the experience. Knowledge of Mandarin Chinese will help to appreciate the original text (and the translated text) but it's not a must.Overall, a fantastic book, and highly recommended.