lnhammer: the Chinese character for poetry, red on white background (Default)
lnhammer ([personal profile] lnhammer) wrote2022-09-13 06:48 am

In the “Jade Terrace” Style #8, Quan Deyu

My empty room, the candle snuffed—
Behind gauze curtains, time to sleep.
Cried out, I long to slash my guts.
Wisdom—that man doesn’t know it.

玉台体 之八
空闺灭烛后,
罗幌独眠时。
泪尽肠欲断,
心知人不知。

This one’s a little different from the previous “lonely lady” poems. Lost in translation: she’s “alone” inside the bed-curtains. Tricky bit: the last line has a bunch of possible alternate readings, including “my heart knows but that man doesn’t” or “my heart knows what that man doesn’t” or “my heart, people don’t know it.” Suggestions welcome.

---L.
sartorias: (Default)

[personal profile] sartorias 2022-09-14 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
I think it's more interesting read male.
sartorias: (Default)

[personal profile] sartorias 2022-09-14 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
No, male POV. (I haven't matched your translation with the Chinese--which I usually have to do one or two characters at a time, I am such a tyro) just reading the English.
sartorias: (Default)

[personal profile] sartorias 2022-09-14 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
YES! At least, I find that has slightly more punch?

I'm slowly reading James J. Y. Liu on Chinese poetry now--slowly because I am aware that I am almost as stupid with poetry as I am with math. (And Chinese poetry has elements of both, at least in my cheese-holes excuse for aa brain.)
sartorias: (Default)

[personal profile] sartorias 2022-09-14 04:27 pm (UTC)(link)
The Art of Chinese Poetry. Unfortunately the Chinese is transliterated in Wade-Giles, which plays havoc with my dyslexia, and traditional characters, making it especially slow going. Worth it, though.