The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-08
Chinese Poetry
NNR HUNDRED AND FORTY Of

are included because they are contained
Bile or have been given in versions whi:h
Mr.. Valley finds extremely faulty. With
an introduction on Chinese literature,
technique, the rise and progress of CHI
nese poetry and a brief word on tie
method of translation, the volume CONS
with tremendous import at a time when
there is such a revival of interest in Chi
nese literature Mr.. Valleys concise ard
Ineligible manner of dealing with his
subject and the graceful treatment Of his
TRANSACTIONS will recommend the work at
once to the discriminating student.
considering imagery TO be the soul cf
poetry" Mr.. Valley says, Il have avoided
either adding images of my own or SUP
pressing those Of the original" Because
he believes in literal translation he has
selected only poems which will allow Of
such a method, and because he does net
think it possible to carry the same rhyme
effect from the Chinese to the English
he has made no attempt at rhyming. Also
he believes that the restrictions of rhyme
necessarily injure either the vigor of lar
guage or the Hteralness of the version.
1t is worth while at this point to compare
a rhymed and an unrhymed version OF
the same poem. We have selected On the
Death Of His Father, as translated by Dr..
Herbert Giles in Chinese Poetry in Eng
Esh Verse, published in 1898, and by M.
Valley in The present volume. DR.. Giles
attributes the poem to Liu Heng, who
died 157 B. c. We quote the final lines:
otis well known saying, which all mel
allow,
That grief stamps the deepest of lines on
the brow:
Alas for my hair, it is silvery now!
Alas for my father, cut off in his pride!
Alas that no more may stand by hi,
side!
Oh, where were the gods when that great
hero diedf"
Mr.. Valley gives the credit to Wei
Vent, who founded the dynasty of Wei
and died in A. D. 900:
There is saying among people
Sorrow makes US grow old
Alas, alas for my white hairsl
All too early they have eomel
Long wailing, long signing
Ny thoughts are fixed on my sage parent.
They say the good live long:
Then why was he not sparedr
The entire second half of the book il
devoted to the works of Pc Chill, with
biographical sketch. This poet, who died
in S46 A. D., wrote IN a letter to friend:
"The world values highest just those o.
my poems which most despise OF con.
temporaries you alone have understood
my satires and reflective poems. A hun.
dred, a thousand years hence perhaps
some one VIII come who. will understand
them as you have done" With what reg
ularity have the poets through the ages
since echoed his SENTIMENT
Of the satires, which are as delightful
as anything that the Chinese have giver
US, Su Tung-p'o's On the Birth of Ha
Son Is already familiar to many, ane
Cheng Hsiao's Satire on Payin9 Calls IN.
August Will undoubtedly become so. We
quote in part:
"The conversation does not end quickly:
Prattling and babbing, what lot he
saysi
Only when one is almost dead with f.
tigue
he asks at last if one isn't finding him
firing.
Zones arm is almost In half with eontin-
ual tanning:
The sweat is pouring down ones neck in
streams.)
Do not say that this is a small matter:
consider the practice q blot on our So
cial life.
therefore caution all wise men
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