Poetry of Du Fu

[Mr.lucifer]

Since JBI has offered to provide us with translations of the poetry of Du FU, provied we started a thread, lets have a discussion about his work.

[Paulclem]

I'd like to take part. Thanks for setting it up JBI and Mr Lucifer

[JBI]

I'll email the link to download this book in pdf form to anybody who asks for it. It is Watson's Selected Poems of Du Fu, I will search my catalogue for other books. I have A Little Primer of Tu Fu but worry that will be trickier for you guys to read, as it basically makes you arrange the sentences from translation of the characters, while giving you footnotes.

I also have an extensive collection of critical works and analyses, but I do not know if they are of any interest to any of you. And anyway, if you want probably the best analysis, I can send you a copy of Owen's The Great Age of Tang Poetry, which is one of three in a series he wrote covering the Tang dynasty, which are perhaps the best of their kind in English.

[Pierre Menard]

I'll take that link please JBI.

I also have a translation from David Hinton, so it'll be good to compare them.

[Mr.lucifer]

Do you think that Watson's translations of Du Fu are good, JBI?

[namenlose]

I would like to join in the discussion too.

I'm interested in both the translation and the critical analysis collections. It would be great to learn more about the different critical approaches to Tang poetry and to explore some elements which may not be understood with less informed readings.

[TenderButtons]

I would be interested in joining the discussion. I would also be interested in the critical analysis, though it would probably be far above my head/reading level and depress me.

[Delta40]

I'll take the link as well thanks JBI as a self-proclaimed novice

[JBI]

Have I missed anybody? As for the quality of translation, well, I am reading it in Chinese, so I cannot fairly compare - the Virgin experience of reading the work, if you will, has been compromised. He gets the accuracy down solid though, if he simplifies the stuff a great deal in the process.

[TenderButtons]

Hmmm, don't think I received anything JBI.

[Delta40]

Me neither

[JBI]

Check again Delta, I am sure I sent it. Click My Notifications.

[Greenazure]

why not poems from LI BAI or LI SHANGYIN? DU FU is too realistic.

[tailor STATELY]

JBI, please add me to the list... time to dip my toe into the sea. [email protected]

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[JBI]

why not poems from LI BAI or LI SHANGYIN? DU FU is too realistic.

As for both Li Bai and Li Shangyin, they are two different personalities. li Bai is another major figure, but Li Shangyin hardly works well in translation (his use of metonymy is offputting in English). Li Bai is a big vibrant voice, but Du Fu is unrivaled in terms of his place in the canon. As for him being too realistic, that is only the 200-odd poems that his followers in the Song Dynasty elevated. He like 陈思 is far more varied than that, but at the same time, he is to the Post-Tang what 陈思 was to the 魏晋南北朝。.