The Book of Love

奥维德 / Dai WangshuApr 2025

4.4

Word count: 60K words
Chapters: 18

Summary

The Art of Love is the most controversial and repeatedly banned erotic poem of the ancient Roman poet Ovid, translated into Chinese by the renowned translator Dai Wangshu. Preaching the art of love in the name of the gods, it teaches men how to win the one they desire and women how to seduce men, composing an enduring love song. Ovid's love is bright and elegant, like a vivid and exotic historical scroll, revealing the colorful sexual life behind ancient Roman history. Dai Wangshu's translation is precise and expressive, allowing readers to appreciate the unique charm of this classical erotic poem.

Editor's review

Ovid's The Art of Love teaches the craft of love in verse, portraying courtship as a contest requiring strategy and tact, in a light and playful tone. It is neither moral admonition nor a modern relationship guide, but a literary reflection of sexual life in Roman society, possessing both a vivid brilliance and clear historical limitations. Dai Wangshu's translation is precise and expressive, preserving the rhythm and wit of the original poem, so that this repeatedly banned classical work remains readable and savourable in Chinese. When reading, one should place it back in its ancient Roman context: the names of gods, festivals, slavery, and gender relations all require the filter of historical perspective. Suitable for readers interested in classical literature, the art of translation, and the history of ideas about love, and also as a sample of Dai Wangshu's translation style. Taking it as a practical guide to modern romance would be a misreading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient Roman literature and Western classical poetry
Readers concerned with the art of translation who wish to compare Dai Wangshu's style
Students of the history of ideas about love and gender culture
General readers who enjoy witty, playful verse

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking modern emotional guidance or romance techniques
Readers unfamiliar with classical gods and allusions who are unwilling to consult notes
Readers expecting serious moral instruction or pure love stories
Younger readers lacking the ability to discern historical context

Reading tips

Read the preface or translator's notes first to understand Ovid's era and the origins of the book's controversy.
Mark unfamiliar god names and Roman customs as you go, then look them up together after finishing a section, so as not to interrupt the flow of the poetry.
Read it as literature, paying attention to metaphor and irony, and do not treat its advice as a guide to real behavior.
Read it alongside other translations by Dai Wangshu to appreciate how his style handles different genres.

版权信息
第一卷如何获得爱情
维纳斯的宝带
阿波罗热恋河神之女
维纳斯的诞生
宙斯与伊俄
抢夺沙皮尼妇女
第一卷注释及相关链接
第二卷如何保持爱情
罗马浴池
抢劫欧罗巴
美狄亚等待伊阿宋
阿里阿德涅被抛弃
第二卷注释及相关链接
第三卷爱情的良方
许拉斯与水泽仙女们
黄金时代
第三卷注释及相关链接

FAQ

Is The Art of Love a practical manual for teaching people how to date?

No. It is a classical literary work written in verse, teaching courtship techniques in an ancient Roman context, with playfulness and literary rhetoric. Many of its ideas are limited by their era and do not accord with modern social ethics. It is better read as literature and as material for the history of ideas, not adopted as a practical guide to modern romance.

Is Dai Wangshu's translation difficult to read?

The translation is precise and expressive, with a sense of rhythm in the verse, and general readers can get into it. The main difficulties lie in Roman god names, festivals, and customs, which require notes or background material. If you are willing to look things up as you read, the threshold is not high; if you are completely unwilling to engage with classical allusions, reading will be more of a struggle.

Why has this book been repeatedly banned?

According to available sources, it is known for its controversy due to explicit writing about love and has been banned many times in history. This relates both to the explicitness of its content and to the moral standards of different eras. When reading it today, what is more worth attention is its value as a literary reflection of Roman sexual life, and the changes in ideas reflected by the history of its banning itself.

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About the author

奥维德 Author

Ovid was a poet of ancient Rome. Public information about his life and nationality is limited, yet his surviving works have had a lasting influence. Four of his works are included in this collection: The Art of Love, The Art of Love (complete edition), and Metamorphoses and The Art of Poetry in Yang Zhouhan's collected works; they are commonly classified under foreign literature and intimate relationships. His writing is mainly in verse and spans love instruction and mythological narrative. The former explores attraction, courtship techniques, and intimacy in a light, witty tone tinged with playfulness and irony; the latter weaves together a wealth of Greek and Roman myths in dense, imaginative storytelling that greatly influenced later European literature and art. Ovid embeds psychological observation and worldly wisdom in elegant lines, and his love poetry both entertains and reflects the social customs of his time, continuing to attract Chinese readers today.

Dai Wangshu Author · China · 1905–1950

Dai Wangshu (1905–1950) was a Chinese symbolist poet of the modern school and a translator, born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. His signature poem "Rain Alley" earned him the title of "Rain Alley Poet"; his work is known for its hazy imagery and musicality and has had a lasting influence on modern Chinese poetry. He studied in France and Spain, and during the War of Resistance against Japan he engaged in anti-Japanese literary activities in Hong Kong before being arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese army, writing poems such as "Inscribed on the Prison Wall" and "I Use My Maimed Hand." His writings span modern poetry, essays, and translations of foreign literature, including a translation of Lorca's poetry. He died in Beijing in 1950 at the age of forty-five, leaving works such as Wangshu's Grass, My Memory, and Years of Disaster that are still read today.