Chinese poems by Li Shang-yin

[pea]

Li Shang-yin(812?-58)
is a famous poet in the late Tang Dynasty. And his use of allusion is thought to be the subtlest in Chinese poetry.

I choose two poems as a simple introduction.
Li wrote many untitled poems and here I present the most popular one. And the other poem Night Rains: to my Wife up North is my personal favorite.

Untitled Poem
(translated by A.C. Graham <POEMS OF THE LATE T'ANG> penguin books)

For ever hard to meet, and as hard to part.
Each flower spoiled in the failing East wind.
Spring's silkworms wind till death their heart's threads:
The wick of the candle turns to ash before its tears dry.
Morning mirror's only care, a change at her cloudy temples:
Saying over a poem in the night,
does she sense the chill in the moonbeam?
Not far, from here to Fairy Hill.
Bluebird, be quick now, spy me out the road.

here's another translation of the first four verses:

So hard for us to meet, Harder still to part.
Languid though the east wind, Faded flowers are blown apart.
The silkworm’s silk is exhausted, Only when its life is spent;
The candle’s tears are dried, When itself to cinder’s burnt.

Night Rains: to my Wife up North
(translated by A.C. Graham <POEMS OF THE LATE T'ANG> penguin books)

You ask how long before I come. Still no date is set.
The night rains on Mount Pa swell the autumn pool.
When shall we, side by side, trim a candle at the West window,
And talk back to the time of the night rains on Mount Pa?


another translation:

Writing to My Wife at a Rainy Night

I cannot foretell when to leave Mount Ba for our reunion.
So far the Autumn Lake is rising with the night rain.
I don’t know when to light off our wedding candle again;
We’ll recall what happened tonight with the rainy mountain.

I personally prefer the translation of A.C. Graham, what do you think?

[white camellia]

The ancient Chinese verse should always worth our highest appreciation and persistent study.
Of the Untitled, I prefer the first translation too, but the fifth line appears as a flaw, where the word in the original "distressed" has no representation in his translation. The author of this verse was distressed when he saw his die-away appearance in the morning.
No matter how perfect any translation would be, the original work stand out alone with its greatness...