Poetry in China has existed for at least three thousand years (it is one of the oldest poetic traditions in the world). 'Begin education with poetry,' proclaimed the famous saying of Confucius. For centuries, every literate person in China, from emperors and officials to monks and students, strove to capture their feelings, observations, and reflections in beautiful verse. This edition presents remarkable examples of Chinese poetry from various eras: from the ancient Book of Songs (Shi Jing) to the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), translated by the eminent sinologist, Doctor of Sciences, and Professor Lev Nikolaevich Menshikov (1926–2005). There is no preconceived system for the selection of texts, but the compiler considered the poems included in the book to be 'important, significant, and perfect.' The verse translations are accompanied by articles, biographies of the poets, and detailed notes.