Any literary translation is a challenge, and I don't believe there is such a thing as a "perfect" or "definitive" translation when it comes to Chinese poetry in English. In his introduction, Murphy states his philosophy of translation this way: "I believe that the works on the page point the way to the poem. It is not just the words that we translate, but rather that which is pointed to" (v). This is a perfectly reasonable position. In practice, it is up to the translator to recreate the texture of the original through careful choices of diction, syntax, rhythm, and tone. Should one preserve the different levels of parallelism in the originals? Should one keep the repetitions so common in modern Chinese poetry, or omit them for the sake of succinctness in English? Should one use the singular or the plural form of noun and verb? Should one, at the risk of wordiness, replicate the length of a line such as "Ni zheme changjiu de chenshui jiujing wei le shenme? [你这么长久的沉睡究竟为了什么？]," or opt for a straightforward rendition: "why your long, long sleep?" (263) In most cases, Murphy exercises sound judgment.