Three Famous Chinese Poets

• Li Bai
• Du Fu
• Bai Ju Yi

Li Bai (701-762):  A Chinese poet who lived during the Tang Dynasty. He’s called the Poet Immortal with a distinctively Romantic style.

Magnum opus: Jing Ye Si (Thoughts on the Silent Night) is quite popular and almost everyone knows it in China even children.

Du Fu (712-770): Du Fu is widely acknowledged as the finest of the classical Chinese poets. He’s a man who has Confucian love for friends, and contrasts with Li Po in every way.

Magnum opus: Autumn Meditations (1-3); Ballad of the Ancient Cypress.

Bai Ju Yi (772-846): Bai Ju Yi was a poet in Tang Dynasty. He’s famous for using very simple language to express the emotions. He was a governor, so his poems mostly concern his responsibilities as a governor. He was also one of the most prolific of all Chinese poets.

Magnum opus: A Vist to Qiantang Lake; Fellings on Watching the Moon.

The Ballad of Mulan

The Ballad of Mulan

Many people have seen the Disney movie Mulan, but not so many people know that it is telling a true story of an ancient Chinese poem the Ballad of Mulan. In China, middle school students are required to recite the whole poem. If you travel to China, you can actually visit Mulan’s real village and museum now.

The poem was first written in the 6th century. The story has changed through the centuries. In the year of 1998, Disney made an animated film Mulan which was based on this story, but it isn’t entirely true though. It set the record for box office sales of that year. 

Hua Mulan is a legendary heroine from Chinese folklore. She joined an all-male army instead of her father, because her father is too old and ill to go off to fight. Mulan learnt how to ride a horse and use a sword from her father and spends 12 years fighting alongside other male soldiers. To do so, she needs to disguise herself as a man. After the army won the war, Mulan returned to her hometown to her parents. She surprised her companions when she takes off her armor, puts on her dress and makeup. No one ever suspected she  was a girl when she’s in army.

Anonymous (c.5 A.D.)

Tsiek tsiek and again tsiek tsiek,
Mulan weaves, facing the door.
You don't hear the shuttle's sound,
You only hear Daughter's sighs.
They ask Daughter who's in her heart,
They ask Daughter who's on her mind.
"No one is on Daughter's heart,
No one is on Daughter's mind.
Last night I saw the draft posters,
The Khan is calling many troops,
The army list is in twelve scrolls,
On every scroll there's Father's name.
Father has no grown-up son,
Mulan has no elder brother.
I want to buy a saddle and horse,
And serve in the army in Father's place.
In the East Market she buys a spirited horse,
In the West Market she buys a saddle,
In the South Market she buys a bridle,
In the North Market she buys a long whip.
At dawn she takes leave of Father and Mother,
In the evening camps on the Yellow River's bank.
She doesn't hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,
She only hears the Yellow River's flowing water cry tsien tsien.
At dawn she takes leave of the Yellow River,
In the evening she arrives at Black Mountain.
She doesn't hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,
She only hears Mount Yen's nomad horses cry tsiu tsiu.
She goes ten thousand miles on the business of war,
She crosses passes and mountains like flying.
Northern gusts carry the rattle of army pots,
Chilly light shines on iron armor.
Generals die in a hundred battles,
Stout soldiers return after ten years.
On her return she sees the Son of Heaven,
The Son of Heaven sits in the Splendid Hall.
He gives out promotions in twelve ranks
And prizes of a hundred thousand and more.
The Khan asks her what she desires.
"Mulan has no use for a minister's post.
I wish to ride a swift mount
To take me back to my home."
When Father and Mother hear Daughter is coming
They go outside the wall to meet her, leaning on each other.
When Elder Sister hears Younger Sister is coming
She fixes her rouge, facing the door.
When Little Brother hears Elder Sister is coming
He whets the knife, quick quick, for pig and sheep.
"I open the door to my east chamber,
I sit on my couch in the west room,
I take off my wartime gown
And put on my old-time clothes."
Facing the window she fixes her cloudlike hair,
Hanging up a mirror she dabs on yellow flower powder
She goes out the door and sees her comrades.
Her comrades are all amazed and perplexed.
Traveling together for twelve years
They didn't know Mulan was a girl.
"The he-hare's feet go hop and skip,
The she-hare's eyes are muddled and fuddled.
Two hares running side by side close to the ground,
How can they tell if I am he or she?”

Translation from The Flowering Plum and the Palace Lady: Interpretations of Chinese Poetry. By Han H. Frankel, Yale University Press, 1976

Chinese Poets － Confucius

Confucius

Confucius, (551-479 B.C.) Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher. Confucius’ thoughts and interpretation of classical texts gained the sanction of the Chinese state and his works became highly influential in Chinese government and society.

Confucius was born and died in the state of Lu. He lost his father at the age of three and grew up in straightened circumstances, under his mother’s care. As a boy he liked to set up sacrificial vessels and to imitate the gestures of ritual. At the age of nineteen he married, and a son and two daughters were born to him. His relations with his wife and children were without cordiality. He was a large man of great physical strength.

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”

“To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.”

― Confucius

Chinese Poets－Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu (6th Century B.C.) also known as Lao Tse, Laotze, Laosi, Laocius) was a poet and philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching. This is a body of mystical writings giving an insight into ultimate reality. The Tào Té Chīng forms an important basis of Daoism.

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

- Lao Tzu

He attracted many followers, but he refused to set his ideas down in writing. He believed that written words might solidify into formal dogma. He wanted his philosophy to remain a natural way to live life with goodness, serenity, and respect. He believed a person’s conduct should be governed by instinct and conscience.

He believed that human life is constantly influenced by outside forces. He believed ‘simplicity’ to be the key to truth and freedom. He encouraged his followers to observe, and seek to understand the laws of nature; to develop intuition and build up personal power; to use that power to lead life with love, and without force.

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”

- Lao Tzu

How do you learn foreign language?

When you move to a different country or region, learning the local language will help you to communicate and integrate with the local community. Also if your partner or friends speak a different language, learning that language will help you to communicate with them. It can also give you a better understanding of their culture and way of thinking.

Nowadays more and more companies need many different kinds of workers who can communicate in different languages and understand other cultures. So it’s necessary to learn a foreign language. That’s why I post the Chinese poetries on my Blogger. It can help foreigners to learn Chinese.

Maybe some foreigners think it’s hard and bored to learn Chinese, because Chinese is so difficult. I agree with that. So maybe to those people who want to learn Chinese, you can learn some Chinese poetries first. Firstly the poetries are shorter than the essays. Most of them are less than 100 words. Secondly you also can learn some Chinese cultural. Can you imagine when you hang out with your friends or your boss, how surprised they are if you can read them some Chinese poetries?

I also did a research on my Facebook page and Twitter about “how do you learn foreign language” and I got some comments. Most people learn the foreign language because they get to a new environment. They are forced to communicate with people who live there and understand their culture. Young people would like to take online class or onsite class. Older people prefer to learn the foreign language by themselves.

Here's the link of my Facebook: www.facebook.com/ilovechinesepoetry

Please join me to discuss how do you learn foreign language and do you have any good idea about it?

Tian Jing Sha * Qiu Si

Tian Jing Sha * Qiu Si

天净沙· 秋思

English version 1:

枯藤老树昏鸦, ku teng lao shu hun ya,

Autumn Crows hovering over rugged trees wreathed with rotten vine― the day is about done.

小桥流水人家，xiao qiao liu shui ren jia,

Yonder is a tiny bridge over a sparkling stream，and on the far bank，a pretty little village.

古道西风瘦马。gu dao xi feng shou ma。

But the traveler has to go on down this ancient road，the west wind moaning，his bony horse groaning，

夕阳西下，xi yang xi xia,

Trudging towards the sinking sun，

断肠人在天涯。duan chang ren zai tian ya.

Farther and farther away from home.”

This version is not like a true poem but story-like.

Version 2:

Tune to Sand and Sky

― Autumn Thoughts

Dry vine,old tree,crows at dusk，

Low bridge,stream running,cottages，

Ancient road,west wind,lean nag，

The sun westering，

And one with breaking heart at the sky’s edge.”

These nine nominal phrases conveys the nine images in the form of nine Chinese nominal phrases which is much alike in form. 

Version 3:

Tune-----Tian Jing Sha

Withered vines hanging on old branches, Returning crows croaking at dusk.

A few houses hidden past a narrow bridge, and below the bridge quiet creek running.

Down a worn path,in the west wind. A lean horse comes plodding.
The sun dips down in the west，

And the lovesick traveler is still at the end of the world.

This version more faithfully and smoothly expresses the original idea.

Chang E -----The Lady In The Moon

Chang E

嫦 娥

云母屏风烛影深,

yun mu ping feng zhu ying shen,

长河渐落晓星沉.

chang he jian luo xiao xing chen.

嫦娥应悔偷灵药,

chang e ying hui tou ling yao

碧海青天夜夜心.

bi hai qing tian yeye xin.

English versions1: 

The lady in the moon

Behind the mica screen, in shadows deep, a candle flickers.

The Milky Way has faded, and the Morning Star decline.

Chang E must regret having stolen the magic elixir—

In that blue Ocean of a sky: endless thoughts, night after night.

Version 2: 

To the Moon Goddess

Upon the marble screen the candle-light is winking,

The Milky Way is slanting and morning stars sinking.

You’d regret to have stolen the miraculous potion,

Night after night you brood o’er the celestial ocean.

In the first line, “影” in original poem is only mentioned in the first version. In fact, “shadow” in the original poem doesn’t truly mean “shadow” in English in that shadow is formed when the light can not pass through the object. In the original poem, no other object is mentioned, so “shadow” is the light of the flicker of the candle.

The second line adds gloom and upset to the desolation. “渐(gradual)” is very important because it implies that the poet is awake all night. The first version uses present perfect which has changed the intent of the poet while the second employs the present progressive that better conveys the underlying meaning.

As for the third line, the poet associates himself with Chang E—the goddess in the moon in that they both pursue noble and unsullied spirit yet exacerbate the loneliness and distress. The second version is stating in the tone as if the poet was communicating with Chang E—“you’d regret to…”, which is more likely to blame rather than compare himself to her.

In the last line, the poet compares the sky to a blue sea (“碧海”) which is very vivid. “碧海”and “青天” are in fact the same image of the vast sky. “Blue ocean”and “sky” in the first version are to display the images in the original poem, understandable and very loyal. “Celestial ocean” used in the second version, meaning “of heaven; divine”, presents the      original images well while leaving readers vast room for imagination.

In this seven-character quatrain (七言绝句), the rhyme is /en/ in pinyin (though the last character is end up with /in/, they are actually the same in ancient times), and is in conformity with the “aaba”, the most popular rhyme scheme. The first version does not apply rhyme since the rhymes of the four lines are all different (/s/, /n/, /ex/and /t/), so it has failed to present the sound beauty of the original poem in this sense. 

Classical Chinese poetry has its distinct beauty of form in that Chinese characters are  all the same in size, making the poem orderly and beautiful, which is impossible to realize in English. As a result, the basic standard of the form beauty is to keep the translated version of a poem conforming to the original poem in terms of the number of lines. The two versions all have all retained the form of four lines, loyal to the original poem.