Tian Han

Tian Han (1898–1968), a native of Changsha, Hunan, courtesy name Shouchang, was a founder of modern Chinese drama, a playwright, and a poet. He studied in Japan in his early years, helped organize the Creation Society, and founded the South China Society. He wrote the lyrics to the March of the Volunteers, which later became the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. His plays such as Guan Hanqing and traditional operas including The White Snake and Xie Yaohuan have had a profound influence. The seven works collected here range from plays such as Xing Guniang, Before Dawn, Qilin, and Returning South to pieces like Between God and Man, The Repeat Offender, and The Human Scab, covering varied themes that often engage with social reality and human circumstance, with a style that is both lyrical and critical. These works appear under categories such as prose and miscellaneous writings, classic works, and foreign literature, showing that his writing spans drama, prose, and translation, in a plain yet deeply moving style.