Here is the world's oldest surviving anthology of poetry, now in a faithful modern-English edition that captures the beauty and spirit of the original. The Book of Songs gathers 305 poems from ancient China—folk songs of love and longing, odes of work and war, hymns of praise and sacrifice—that have inspired readers for nearly three thousand years. This edition renders them in clear, inviting language while preserving their rhythm and meaning, making the wisdom of this Confucian classic accessible to today's readers. Whether you seek the tender voice of a lover, the lament of a soldier, or the solemn chant of a priest, these songs speak across the ages with startling freshness. Part of The Sacred Wisdom Library.