[NPM] today's poem
Now that it is April, it is time for NATIONAL POETRY MONTH. Which means daily poetry posts, and probably a lot less journal space devoted to whining! It is basically one of the highlights of my lj year (...man, that is a really dorky thing to say).
As in the past, I am keeping my poetry posts public, and anything longer than about the length of a sonnet will go behind a cut. You are, of course, always welcome to defriend me or filter out if you don't like these posts.
To begin with, here's one from the Chinese Book of Songs (Shi Jing). It makes me think of the English ballad of "The Three Ravens" even though they are not really very much alike at all, except that there is a dead doe and a knight in both of them (I suppose that counts for something).
Ezra Pound also translated this one, but I don't like Ezra Pound.
In the wilds is a dead doe
Anon. Chinese, ~10th-6th c. BCE; trans. Arthur Waley*
In the wilds there is a dead doe;
With white rushes we cover her.
There was a lady longing for the spring;
A fair knight seduced her.
In the wood there is a clump of oaks,
And in the wilds a dead deer
With white rushes well bound;
There was a lady fair as jade.
"Heigh, not so hasty, not so rough;
Heigh, do not touch my handkerchief.
Take care, or the dog will bark."
*Click here for the Chinese text.
As in the past, I am keeping my poetry posts public, and anything longer than about the length of a sonnet will go behind a cut. You are, of course, always welcome to defriend me or filter out if you don't like these posts.
To begin with, here's one from the Chinese Book of Songs (Shi Jing). It makes me think of the English ballad of "The Three Ravens" even though they are not really very much alike at all, except that there is a dead doe and a knight in both of them (I suppose that counts for something).
Ezra Pound also translated this one, but I don't like Ezra Pound.
In the wilds is a dead doe
Anon. Chinese, ~10th-6th c. BCE; trans. Arthur Waley*
In the wilds there is a dead doe;
With white rushes we cover her.
There was a lady longing for the spring;
A fair knight seduced her.
In the wood there is a clump of oaks,
And in the wilds a dead deer
With white rushes well bound;
There was a lady fair as jade.
"Heigh, not so hasty, not so rough;
Heigh, do not touch my handkerchief.
Take care, or the dog will bark."
*Click here for the Chinese text.