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".
Friday, 7 June 2013
刘叉 洒肠宽似海,诗胆大如天。Spilling out my guts, they are like the ocean wide; My poetic boldness is as huge as the sky.
《自问 》 唐 • 刘叉
自问彭城子, 何人授汝颠?
洒肠宽似海, 诗胆大如天。
断剑徒劳匣, 枯琴无复弦。
相逢不多合, 赖是向林泉。
ZI WEN: "Asking Myself"
-- by LIU CHA
-- Translated by Frank C Yue
I ask myself about the "Son of Peng City" --
By whom have you been given this insanity?
Spilling out my guts, they are like the ocean wide;
My poetic boldness is as huge as the sky.
A sharp but broken sword would just the scabbard waste;
On a decaying qin, no sound string would e'er stay.
Though we have met, there is not much communion;
I'd seek the serene woods and fountain for union.
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