Preface

China is well known for its cultural affinity with poetry．Classical poems，especially those following regulated patterns of rhythm and rhyme，are as gems in the nation's cultural heritage．

Through the centuries，one generation of poets after another has contributed to a cornucopia of brilliant verse that has played no small part in recording history and carrying China's cultural heritage forward．These poems are still very familiar to the tongue today．They are a perennial source of inspiration and ideas，attesting to man's cultural edification and mental well-being；they are instrumental in fostering an exchange of personal feelings，the appreciation of art and the advance of social and cultural development．

The development of classical Chinese poetry over the past millennia and its enduring vitality are attributable fundamentally to the Chinese characters that serve as its carrier language．The square structure of these independent written forms，as monosyllables of four tones，allowed poets in China's dynastic past to follow aesthetically viable tonal patterns and metrics，and construct a consummate poetic framework —— a thing of beauty in its equilibrium，rhythm，musicality，symmetry，and its succinctness．This has culminated in an accurate and concise language so pleasing in tonality and rhyme to the ear，and so easy to learn to recite，that all find joy therein．

As a professional economist who has worked for long years in government economic departments，I have developed a deep affection for Chinese culture and letters．I regard myself as an“aficionado”of classical Chinese poems．I started reading Tang dynasty poems and lyrical verse of the Song dynasty in my childhood．Later，I learned the rhythmic rules and tonal patterns of classical verse which encouraged me to write a first few pieces in my spare time．With the encouragement of family members and friends，I have published collections of my poem，including the Chants of a Wayfarer and Echoes of the Heart．These selected pieces record the major events at home and abroad that I experienced personally；some reflect those things I love or hate with a passion；some reflect my thoughts and observations on life，nature，loved ones and friends；and combined together，they sketch a trajectory of my personal life and career over the last six decades or so．To my immense delight，these poems have found resonance among quite a few readers；they also give me the opportunity to make new friends through verse and compare notes with other poets．Indeed，reading，writing and appreciating poems has become an important part of my life．

On the occasion of the release of the English edition of the Echoes of the Heart，I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude to Professor Ling Yuan and his team of translator-editors Ren Xiaomei，Peng Lin and Zhong Zhilan，translators Fan Haixiang and Ge Meng and editor Man Xingyuan of the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press for their translation and editorial work with attention to the minute detail，and to President Cai Jianfeng of the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press for his competent leadership．I would like also to thank Ms Karen Smith，a renowned Chinese art historian of Britain and a longtime friend from the former Chinese Literature Press，for reading through the final drafts of the poems and for her helpful suggestions．I am most indebted to Director-General Xu Lin of the Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters and President Li Pengyi of the China Education and Media Group for arranging this translation project；to Mr Li Zhaoxing，former Foreign Minister and incumbent President of the China Translators Association，and Professor Dai Xingyue of Peking University for taking time to read the first translation drafts and set the guideline for improvement；and to Director-General Chen Jinyu of the Counsellors' Office of the State Council and President Chen Yulu of Renmin University for their unstinting support．My thanks are also due all those friends who have contributed to the English edition of the Echoes of the Heart．

I concluded the preface to my first poem collection，the Chinese edition of the Chant of a Wayfarer，by saying：“If a single poem or line in this book is beneficial to people and to this world，if the paper and ink consumed to produce this book and the time and effort put into it by my friends are not wasted，I would feel most gratified．”The spirit of that line also applies to this book，but I would like to add：I would feel very happy if this English edition of the Echoes of the Heart can enhance cultural exchange between China and other countries，if my international readers find this book useful for them to know a little better about China and its culture and its civil servants．

MA KAI

April 2012，Beijing