The book of which this is a translation is "La Flute de Jade: Poesies Chinoises," by Franz Toussaint. "Thus we get it at third hand in our language. It is to the great credit of the last translator that in only one or two instances is a French flavour carried over, The title "lyrics" is one which may reasonably be called " in question. Chinese poetry cannot be asked to carry our Western labels. None of these poems can be truly called lyrics. They are, as are most Chinese poems, pictures rather than songs. The majority are, in fact, only sketches. The Chinese poet asks more of his readers or hearers than the Western. Many of the poems are not to be understood without a knowledge of Chinese mythology and folk lore. This book, however, does not offer any explanations of the poems. The translator says, in her Preface "The keen joy of working with thought and sentiment as ethe—real og that of these Chinese Poems, some of which have ended for more than 30 centuries, together with the thought of helping others to enjoy their charm has been my chief reason for putting them into English. In translate ing the. work of Monsieur Tous-saint there has been no thought of supplying material for the student of Chiney> literature, however interesting they may prove from that point of view and the poems are offered without note or comment, knowing that the true lover of poetry comes to his book not to acquire knowledge, but for pure delight—and to that end I inscribe this emall volume."
That is all to the good with regard to most ofthe poems. But in some cases the moaning is lost to a lover of poetry who is uneducated m Chinese literature, and in others the only value the words have is from the point of view of a study of it. Some are not poetry at all in any Occidental sense, There reMain many which are the "'pure delight" that the translater. promises.. Thesa have that "thought and sentiment ethereal" which. set. (the reader - adream.
ere. is' no thought the clothing of the wei
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.