Chinese classical poetry experienced a wave of translation enthusiasm in the West during the 19th and 20th centuries. Many musicians drew inspiration from these translated poems, composing a substantial number of Western musical works based on Chinese poetry, including numerous songs adapted from translations of theBook of Songs. The poem “To A Young Gentleman”, translated by the British sinologist Herbert Giles, was set to music by three composers: Scott, Roussell, and Carpenter. They employed modern musical language to interpret the poem's metaphorical, subtle Eastern sentiments and the spiritual essence of classical Chinese poetry. This article traces the incorporation of the Book of Songs into 20th-century Western music, examines the translation history of “To A Young Gentleman” and the differences in Chinese and Western interpretations, and focuses on a comparative analysis of the three related song compositions.