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Poem I
of the three Quiet and Peaceful Melody Poems
by Li Bai
The clouds like swirling clothes, the flowers like a face,
The Spring breeze brushes railings, dewdrops condensate.
If you don’t see her at the mountaintop displayed,
Meet there beneath the moon at the terrace known as Jade.
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Spring Dawn
by Meng Haoran
Sleeping unaware through waking Spring,
Everywhere the bird beaks chirp and sing.
The wind and rain resounded through the night,
How many flowers did the downpour smite?
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A Spring Night’s Delightful Rain
by Du Fu
A good rain knows when it should come,
__And that is in the Spring.
It sneaks in quiet on the wind,
__Moistening each thing.
The wild paths are dark with clouds,
__Only the riverboats shine.
At dawn, you’ll see the wet red spots
__And know by that design
Soaked flowers in the imperial city
__Hang their heads in decline.
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Presented to Water Bureau Official
Zhang Shiba in Early Spring
by Han Yu
O heavenly street, moistened by rain’s cream—
No grasses there, but from afar they seem.
The Spring’s best time of year is here in full,
Surpassing the misty willowed Capital.
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Dalin Temple’s Peach Blossoms
by Bai Juyi
The human world’s perfume of April
__Fades as it’s consumed,
But mountain temple blossoms
__Begin their lives’ full bloom.
Long-lasting grudges have nowhere
__To go back to this Spring,
Nor do I know what will come of me
__Amidst what these changes bring.
previously published by Shen Yun Collections
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Original Chinese
其一
雲想衣裳花想容，春風拂檻露華濃。
若非群玉山頭見，會向瑤臺月下逢。
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春曉
春眠不覺曉，處處聞啼鳥。
夜來風雨聲，花落知多少。
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春夜喜雨
好雨知時節，當春乃發生。
隨風潛入夜，潤物細無聲。
野徑雲俱黑，江船火獨明。
曉看紅濕處，花重錦官城。
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早春呈水部張十八員外
天街小雨潤如酥，草色遙看近却無。
最是一年春好處，絕勝烟柳满皇都。
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大林寺桃花
人間四月芳菲盡，山寺桃花始盛開。
長恨春歸無覓處，不知轉入此中來。
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Evan Mantyk teaches literature and history in New York and is Editor of the Society of Classical Poets. His most recent books of poetry are Heroes of the East and West and a translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
How peaceful these are, even the line “How many flowers did the downpour smite?”
These are masterpieces by master poets. Just reading them produces a sense of peace. I copied and pasted Poem 1 to Deepl.com, and then clicked on the speaker icon to have it read to me in Chinese. I was surprised to find that the poet used rhyme, as did your translations. I didn’t realize rhyme was a part of Chinese poetry, others that I have seen in Romanized script didn’t seem to indicate rhyme.
Thank you Evan for translating these. They are so beautiful.
I didn’t know you knew Chinese! I spent 10 years teaching there and never got to the point where I could translate poetry 🙂
I like this line: “The Spring breeze brushes railings, dewdrops condensate.”
Plus the bit about a “good (Spring) rain . . . knowing when it should come” – “sneaking quietly in.” – So true – the best kind!
Regarding “Dalin Temple’s Peach Blossoms” – In the second stanza, that’s a fascinating note of regret/looming-danger/. . . ? It’s latent with ambiguity, and I feel like Chinese poetry strikes that note really well.
Thanks for these!
These are captivating and uplifting spring vignettes beautifully rhymed in exquisite translation. I know how difficult translations can be and know it takes a mastery of two languages to pull it off in beautiful poems as you have done.
These are lovely English translations, and Evan’s publishing of the Chinese originals allows speakers of both languages to make a judgment about how well he has managed. The fact that he has maintained the rhyme-scheme of the original texts is a testament to his ability and skill in both idioms — it’s not an easy trick to pull off. That is one of the wonderful things about the SCP — it is multicultural in a real sense, bringing together the richness of two different forms of cultural expression by honoring both of them with the best that is in each of them. Bravo, Evan!
Here in the rapidly warming desert, this poetry brought mental if not physical relief and transported me away to a different place and time. I found the poems romantic in the purist sense of the word.
Nicely done, Evan.
These are beautiful, Evan. Even without being able to read the original language, I find myself utterly transported to another world and time. I’m not proud of having contributed to the CCP’s coffers, but back in 2002 on a China tour I actually visited the museum of Du Fu’s home in Chengdu. It’s quite beautiful and your poetry brought back wonderful memories of a land which I pray will someday again be notable, not for its tyranny, but for being exotic, charming and highly cultured.
Dalin Temple’s Peach Blossoms, my favorite.
Nor do I know what will become of me
Amidst what these changes bring.
A hint to drop the usual trash and trivia on one’s mind and look into the meaning of your life and soul.
“Spring Dawn” and “Peach Blossoms” are my favorites. I’m curious to know, Evan, how long it took you to create these translations.
These are exquisite! Thank you
These have beautiful imagery, and a ringing musicality!
It’s quite a treat to be able to enjoy ancient Chinese poetry in such an accessible contemporary format. These nature themed poems are delightful to read, thank you Evan.
Thank you all for your comments!
To Cheryl, these did not take long. The Tang poets did the main work and I am merely their assistant. It helps that I’ve done these kinds of translations before. Once you have the right feeling for the balance between fidelity to the original and how they can best presented in English, then it flows much more easily.
You assist well, Evan. These are lovely. Compared to some prior translators of the same poets, you’ve obviously taken care to present formal shape and sound in each lyric. Like others here, I first came to Chinese poetry with the perception that it was imagistic and little more. Thanks for your discerning efforts.
Evan, thank you very much for making these exquisite poems accessible to English speaking readers. It is an absolute privilege to be able to enjoy them.
Isn’t it interesting that poems from different countries have their own uniqueness. That is why translation is difficult. Not straightforward at all.
These poems are beautiful , thank you.
These lovely translations of ancient poetry are a refreshing reminder that nothing is new under the sun. The world may appear to be crumbling before us, but the faithfulness of the seasons to bring fresh beauty will continue regardless.
Dear Evan –
Sorry to arrive at these exquisite translations so late! But I am so glad I did. The very first poem has a personality which flies across the centuries. That was some poet ! The comparisons are so unique and personal I was left feeling drained; as if I had written that poem myself. Each poem had a similar equality to offer. The ancient Chinese poets knew well the true meaning of poetry.
And your translations show us that you do as well. Just wonderful work!
Mr. Mantyk’s translation of Meng Haoran’s “Spring Dawn” has inspired the following octeca.
Downpour Spite
by Wu “Sacred Bee” Li
In Spring, asleep—not yet aware of morning taking place,
place, place, one hears the chirp, chirp, chirp, of dawn’s birds breaking peace.
Last night, one heard the blasting winds and rain-plas-ter-ing spew—
rose petals falling down—who knows how many, or how few?
And later, one comes to discover there a manifold;
more than eight hundred petals strewn, across the lawn unrolled.
But every one of them came from the older rosebush stems;
the younger ones, though drooping, lost no floral uncut gems.
Wu “Sacred Bee” Li is a poet of Ancient China. “Downpour Spite” comes from
NewMillennial poet Evan Mantyk’s translation of “Spring Dawn” by Meng Haoran (c. 690 – 740), a poet of the Tang Dynasty.
Evan, I read these lovely translations of the originals straight away and am sorry only now to be commenting. As I think you know, my wife is Chinese and introduced me to classical Chinese poetry when we first met 30 or so years ago. I’d only come across ‘Spring Dawn’ previously. What a revelation this poetry is to the Westerner, and how valuable that you’ve embraced the spirit and meaning of these poems and expressed them so vividly in your own unique way! Thank you – and I look forward to reading more.