Of Leaves & Ashes

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OF LEAVES & ASHES by Patty Ho (何世嫻) is a collection of poems: among these, some relate to philosophy and some to old Chinese poems to which Patty Ho has added new thoughts. Others are more musical and are additionally presented on the accompanying CD as songs.

           Love and pain, dreams and disillusion, leaves and memories, ashes and hopes, encounters and homecomings, sorrow and beauty... all are interwoven in the poems in this book.

           The notes contain Patty Ho’s translations of the Chinese poems quoted in the book.

           Patty Ho has an intense interest in English and Chinese poetry, philosophy and music. She found inspiration for her poems from the enlightening thoughts of great philosophers as well as from the poetry of the Tang and Sung Dynasties. This book integrates treasured quotations and inspiration from famous philosophers and poets (both Chinese and Western) across the centuries.

           Patty Ho’s essay ‘A solitary song for nothing’, which concludes the book, discusses poetry and philosophy.

           The CD accompanying the book consists of poems and songs written and sung by Patty Ho to music composed by herself. Most of the songs are in English, but two of the old Chinese poems are sung in Cantonese; another song is sung half in Putonghua and half in English.

           Philosophy, poetry, music and songs, concerning existence, truth, love and beauty, are intermingled in this book of leaves and ashes...

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Here, love that can raise the dead is dancing;
Here, there is blending of philosophy and poetry;
Music flows with beauty; butterflies soar with dreams...

—“Reeds” (Translated by Patty Ho)

 Drawn together by the calls of their being, the poetess and her readers are engaged in a journey: a shared journey of discovery.

— Horace Wong

Patty’s poetry shows us the world of thinking and feeling, love and tragedy, sadness and happiness, peace and turmoil, memory and oblivion, desire and frustration, and truth and untruth.

—Professor Cheung Chan-Fai