While attending primary school in Taiwan, I was required to memorize Tang poetry. I didn't fully understand the intricacy and complexity of these poems until recently, when I revisited them with my daughter, who was attending primary school in Taiwan. The poetry of the Tang Dynasty, while regular in form, explores rich and timeless subjects and philosophy. I was particularly intrigued by a large body of poetry on the subject of wars; they reveal the constant struggles between the Middle Kingdom Han people and the peripheral invaders, such as the Mongols and Tartars. Indeed, eventually, it was the Mongols and Manchurians who defeated the Middle Kingdom and established the Yuan and Qing Dynasties for almost five hundred years. I was reminded that the assimilation and culture exchange chronicled in these poems took place long before our own familiar 21st Century.

The first three poems convey the violence of wars, while the last poem, "Midnight Song" expresses a longing for peace time. The performers, in addition to evoking the war scenes and Eastern sound world, recite the last poem at the end of the piece.

War Songs: From Middle Kingdom to Tartars was commissioned by Mary Jo White, flutist and Robert Nathanson, guitarist. Additional funding was provided by a Cahill Grant from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The English translations of these poems are taken from Chinese Poetry of Tang and Song Dynasties: A New Translation (by C.K. Ho), and have been used with permission given by The Commercial Press (H.K.) Limited.