Heaven My Blanket, Earth My Pillow

by Yang Wan-Li, Jonathan Chaves

Yang Wan-Li (1127–1206) is one of China’s “four masters of Southern Sung poetry.” These poems were written at what could be seen as a low point in Sung an invasion by the Jurchens had forced the Sung to flee to the southern city of Hangchow. But they created at Hangchow a refuge of elegant solitude from which they gazed longingly toward the north, and in this quiet setting, they were able to enjoy the beauties of nature. Many of the poems are perfect verbalizations of the magnificent landscape paintings of the Sung misty, ethereal and luminous. The poetry, however, also holds the annoyances of overwork, aching feet, creaking bones and the pleasures of wine, filling it with humanity and a zest for living.

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1975

Reviews

[Paul H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid overall, though Chaves is definitely one of the most boringly literal translators of Chinese poetry out there. For Chinese/Japanese, at least, it takes a poet to translate a poet. I think it's fair to say that Western scholars have done good translations of Holderlin, Rimbaud, etc., but there's something about the chasm between the grammar/vocabulary of Chinese and English that requires a finer touch.