POETRY ACROSS WORLDS

Payne, Robert (1911–1983)

The White Pony: An Anthology of Chinese Poetry from the Earliest Times to the Present Day [Signed - Association Copy]

London: George Allen & Unwin LTD., 1949. First Edition, First Printing.
SIGNED TO BEN AND PEARL REYBURN — A MID-CENTURY BRIDGE BETWEEN EASTERN POETRY AND THE WESTERN LITERARY WORLD.
A warmly inscribed association copy linking poet, novelist, and translator Robert Payne to Horizon Press publisher Ben Reyburn and Pearl Reyburn. Written in red ink on the front endpaper: ‘For Pearl Reyburn and for Ben Reyburn, with joy, with love from Robert — February 1975.’ The inscription reflects the close literary and publishing relationships that shaped postwar transatlantic intellectual culture.

Originally published in 1949, The White Pony became an important mid-century English-language anthology introducing generations of Western readers to classical and modern Chinese poetry. Payne’s translations range from the Tang masters Li Po and Tu Fu to twentieth-century voices, balancing literary elegance with accessibility during a period of expanding Western interest in Eastern philosophy and literature.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Blue cloth binding with gilt spine titles. Octavo, 8.75 inches tall. 356 pages including index of first lines and translator list. Hardcover with original unclipped dust jacket retaining additional publisher price label. First Edition, First Printing.

CONDITION: Bindings are tight and secure. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. Light shelf wear to cloth. Dust jacket shows losses at both front corners and light scuffing at the spine ends. An attractive and well-preserved association copy. Signed and inscribed by Robert Payne to Pearl and Ben Reyburn in red ink.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Robert Payne was a prolific British writer, translator, and historian whose works introduced Eastern literature, philosophy, and history to broad Western readerships. During the postwar decades, anthologies such as The White Pony played an important role in expanding literary awareness beyond traditional European canons.

Ben Reyburn, founder of Horizon Press, became a significant publisher of modernist and international literary voices in America. This association copy reflects the cosmopolitan literary culture shared among translators, publishers, poets, and critics of the mid-century period.

The White Pony reflects the growing postwar effort to broaden Western literary horizons through serious engagement with Asian literature and philosophy. Payne’s selections move fluidly between lyrical nature poetry, philosophical reflection, political commentary, and meditations on exile, longing, and mortality.

Rather than presenting Chinese poetry as purely scholarly material, Payne emphasizes emotional immediacy and poetic voice, helping make these works accessible to mid-century English-language audiences. His translations helped position Chinese poetry within broader conversations about modernism, symbolism, and international literary culture.

The inscription to Ben and Pearl Reyburn further situates the volume within the independent literary networks that sustained serious publishing and cultural exchange during the twentieth century. Association copies tied to Ben Reyburn and the Horizon Press literary circle remain uncommon in commerce. Signed copies of The White Pony are encountered less frequently than Payne’s historical works and carry added appeal when connected to notable mid-century publishing figures.

Subjects: Robert Payne, Chinese Poetry, Association Copy, Horizon Press, Ben Raeburn, Mid-Century Literature, East-West Cultural Exchange, Signed Book, World Poetry, Translation, Chinese Literature, Postwar Literary Anthology

Item #21208

Price: $225.00