本書是《逸讀周夢蝶──荷蘭詩人漢樂逸解讀周夢蝶》的英文版原著，由詩人暨漢學家漢樂逸以詩人、翻譯者、讀者、文學研究者身分，精采剖析周夢蝶詩作，並透過文學、美學、哲學、心理學、現象學、神學等不同面向，來琢磨、推敲周詩，走進周夢蝶創作世界的豐富意涵，讀出周詩所具有的宇宙性或人性特質，以及詩作中引發的「個人與心靈的自由」。
This is the most extensive introduction in English to the metaphysical poet Zhou Mengdie (aka Chou Meng-tieh, 1921-2014), who lived much of his life in Taiwan and wrote in Chinese. It is a companion volume to Zhou Mengdie: 41 Poems which presents many of Zhou's most meditative poems in the original and in full translation, but can be read independently. This book shows how different reading strategies can help us to discern many-layered possible meanings in Zhou Mengdie's dense but rewarding poetry.
The first part, 'Reading Zhou Mengdie',goes beyond the traditional labeling of Zhou as a 'Buddhist'poet. Discussing many examples in translation, Lloyd Haft shows that interpretation via formalist literary theory, Freudian dream psychology, or Husserlian phenomenology can be just as revealing. The second part, 'On Translating Zhou Mengdie'; demonstrates the surprising ways in which the translation process itself can be a fruitful key to parallel or alternative meanings.