Mirage (Labyrinth of Poetry and Desire)

Author: Yuwen Suo'an (USA), translated by Cheng Zhangcan
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Features: "The Pavilion of Delusions" originally referred to a palace built by Emperor Yang of Sui in the early 7th century for his unrestrained pleasures. Its literal meaning is "a palace that makes one lose oneself," as anyone who entered it would become lost and forget to return. Yuwen Suo'an's work mimics the structure of the Pavilion of Delusions, delving deeply into poetry from diverse cultures and historical periods. Through this, it explores the theme of love and desire in both Eastern and Western poetry. These poems, which have no inherent reason to be grouped together, gain a vibrant resonance when combined. As a comparative poetics, this book is not confined to the well-known works within the European tradition but breaks conventions by blending the raw with the refined, the ancient with the modern. Otherwise, works that do not fit traditional categories would either be forcibly placed into unsuitable classifications or dismissed as outliers. The success of this book lies not in its conceptual framework but in the pleasure it brings us through these poems and the joy we experience when we slow down to contemplate them.