A Selection of Classical Chinese Love Poetry

Author: Qiu Xiaolong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: Qiu Xiaolong has an extraordinary qualification to translate these poems: when he was still a Chinese citizen, he won awards for his poetic creations and translations of Eliot and other British and American poets; later, after becoming a U.S. citizen, he won awards again for his English translations of Chinese poems and novels. In my opinion, the "Long Gan Xing" in this collection is worthy of comparison with Ezra Pound's "The Wife of the River Merchant," a poem that should have been celebrated but was not translated as faithfully. These translations possess a clarity in both language and imagery, along with subtle rhythms. Qiu Xiaolong also has a poet's sixth sense, knowing how to elevate a line of translation with a less direct but more evocative word when needed (occasionally), thus saving us from the blandness of some early translations of Chinese poetry. This is a rich collection of translated poems from our "important strangers" China, and also a new and popular chapter in the realm of love poetry.