A brief collection of my attempted English renditions of selected Chinese poems, both contemporary and classical. (Each original classical Chinese poem may be presented in both the traditional and simplified forms, followed by the English translation.) Comments and suggested amendments welcome. (But I may not have the time to respond to every comment.) I am a follower of Andrew W F Wong's excellent blog "Classical Chinese Poems in English".
Monday, 9 September 2013
此木為柴山山出,因火成烟夕夕多。This kind of wood is fire-wood
折字聯 佚名
此木為柴山山出,
因火成烟夕夕多。
"Exploded Character" Chinese Couplet
-- by Anon
-- Translated by Frank C Yue
(Version 'A')
This kind of wood is fire-wood;
They are produced in many a mountain.
Where there is smoke there is fire;
The ev'ning chimneys become smoke
fountains.
(Version 'B')
此 木 為 柴 山 山 出
'THIS WOOD' makes very good 'FIRE-WOOD';
It's produced on 'HILL-UPON-HILL'.
因 火 成 烟 夕 夕 多
'SMOKES, FROM FIRES' on chimney-tops stood';
'EV'NING-UPON-EV'NING' there are 'MORE' still.
Trans-literal translation:
此 木 為 柴 山 山 出,
This wood is firewood mountain mountain produce,
因 火 成 烟 夕 夕 多。
Because fire makes smoke evening evening more.
The radical/character 此 + 木 = 柴 (meaning 'firewood')。
('此' means 'this' and '木' means 'wood'。)
The radical/character 山 + 山 = 出 (meaning 'produce')。
('山' means 'hill, mountain'。)
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