Wang Wei's Hundred Poems (Chinese-English Parallel Text with Illustrations and Text)

Author: Wang Baotong
Illustrator: Yu Ran
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: This book selects 100 poems by the famous Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei and presents them in Chinese-English parallel form. It translates the original poems' artistic conception and poetic flavor; it translates his Zen essence; it translates his "poetry within painting"; it translates his unique musical beauty. The rhythm of the translated poems is vivid, and the rhyme is rich. At the end of the main text, there is an essay by the author on Chinese poetry translation into English, published in 1993. The bibliography that follows includes other articles on this topic. On the subject of poetry translation, I advocate translating poetry with poetry, aiming to convey the artistic conception and poetic flavor of the original. Specifically regarding the English translation of Wang Wei's poems, I advocate translating his Zen essence, his "poetry within painting," and his unique musical beauty. The original poems have a clear rhythm, and the translated poems must also have a clear rhythm; the original poems have rich rhyme, and the translated poems must also have rich rhyme. If one ignores these characteristics of Wang Wei's poems when translating them, the result will not be Wang Wei's poetry. How these principles are implemented in this book is left for the readers to judge. At the end of the main text, there is an essay by me on Chinese poetry translation into English, published in 1993. The bibliography that follows includes other articles on this topic by me, all of which are for the readers' reference. On the subject of poetry translation, I advocate translating poetry with poetry, aiming to convey the artistic conception and poetic flavor of the original. Specifically regarding the English translation of Wang Wei's poems, I advocate translating his Zen essence, his "poetry within painting," and his unique musical beauty. The original poems have a clear rhythm, and the translated poems must also have a clear rhythm; the original poems have rich rhyme, and the translated poems must also have rich rhyme. If one ignores these characteristics of Wang Wei's poems when translating them, the result will not be Wang Wei's poetry. How these principles are implemented in this book is left for the readers to judge. At the end of the main text, there is an essay by me on Chinese poetry translation into English, published in 1993. The bibliography that follows includes other articles on this topic by me, all of which are for the readers' reference.