4 Cozy, Ancient Chinese Poems
That will make you feel warm
You may not think that 8th Century Chinese poetry is what will really hit the spot this holiday season — but trust me — these poems will feel like coming home. Not that home is a place we haven’t seen enough in recent times, but you get my drift.
The Three Tang Dynasty Poets
Wang Wei — born c.699, died c.761
Li Po — born 701, died 762
Tu Fu — born 712, died 770
N.B. In the Penguin Classics edition that I have, all of these poems have been translated by G.W. Robinson and Arthur Cooper.
Unfortunately I am Not Actually Chinese, so I can’t tell you if they did a good job or not. Still, these translations still struck a chord with me, and I like to think that the mood each poem creates has transcended it’s language:
№1 — Return to Mount Sung, by Wang Wei
The river ran clear between luxuriant banks
And my carriage jogged along on its way
And the water seemed to flow with a…
