There's actually a pretty great translation of Fitzgerald's 'Rubaiyat' by Kerson Huang 黃克孫 that renders the verses as fake classical Chinese poems. My copy of it is one of the things that got lost when I moved back to the States years ago, sadly, but I still remember his rendering of "For Is and Is-Not though with rule and line..." as "是非本在有無中," which I just find delightful for some reason.
Genuinely inspiring. No idea as to the quality of his I Ching translation -- the 易經 is one of those texts that I don't think anyone has ever actually understood -- but who knows, maybe a theoretical physicist would have a better shot.
Aw -- thanks! I do have a couple of mornings scheduled for next week, at the very least -- Tuesday's going to feature a favorite passage by the Beijing bad-boy author Wang Shuo...
Oh, I'm 100% stealing that Li Bai. I had no idea he'd replied to the Meng poem! I want to do a bunch of 行路难 poems next, but when I come out the other side, I'll do a version as well.
That last piece is spot on. "Worn to a whetstone."
Go for it! I should say that I'm *assuming* it's a response to the Meng Haoran poem, based on the similarity of the first line -- but I feel reasonably okay about making the claim. Looking forward to your version -- I've been really enjoying the 行路難 poems.
Astronomers: do we mean nothing to you?
Fair, fair -- though personally I don't concern myself with anything above the Kármán Line; saves a lot of time that way.
You can’t tell me poets don’t have something special to say about the moon and stars. “Music of the spheres” and all that.
Wake! For the Sun, who scatter'd into flight
The Stars before him from the Field of Night,
Drives Night along with them from Heav'n, and strikes
The Sultan's Turret with a Shaft of Light.
There's actually a pretty great translation of Fitzgerald's 'Rubaiyat' by Kerson Huang 黃克孫 that renders the verses as fake classical Chinese poems. My copy of it is one of the things that got lost when I moved back to the States years ago, sadly, but I still remember his rendering of "For Is and Is-Not though with rule and line..." as "是非本在有無中," which I just find delightful for some reason.
I have to say I’m impressed that a search for his books comes up half things like “Quarks, Leptons, and Gauge Theory” and half “I Ching”.
Genuinely inspiring. No idea as to the quality of his I Ching translation -- the 易經 is one of those texts that I don't think anyone has ever actually understood -- but who knows, maybe a theoretical physicist would have a better shot.
Your translations are real poetry, unlike the translations of most Sinologists, much appreciated
Very kind of you! I'm aiming for accuracy -- which means translating poems as poems.
If I could start every morning with a dive into Stories from a Burning House, it would be glorious!
Aw -- thanks! I do have a couple of mornings scheduled for next week, at the very least -- Tuesday's going to feature a favorite passage by the Beijing bad-boy author Wang Shuo...
Oh, I'm 100% stealing that Li Bai. I had no idea he'd replied to the Meng poem! I want to do a bunch of 行路难 poems next, but when I come out the other side, I'll do a version as well.
That last piece is spot on. "Worn to a whetstone."
Go for it! I should say that I'm *assuming* it's a response to the Meng Haoran poem, based on the similarity of the first line -- but I feel reasonably okay about making the claim. Looking forward to your version -- I've been really enjoying the 行路難 poems.
Gorgeous translations, as always. What really made my day was the subheading - I laughed for so long over that! Pure joy.
Aw, thanks, Cindy -- I try!
This is so great. Thanks for sharing!!