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Thirteen Lyric Poems by Chu Hsiang 1hmsIated by Bonnie S. McDougall
Chu Hsiang *ml (J904-1933), also known as Chu Tzu-yuan rVi:, was
born in Anhui province. After his graduation from Tsinghua UniVersity he
received his further education in the United States, where he studied Western
literature at Lawrence University and the UniVersity of Chicago. In 1930 he
returned to China .and took up a teaching post at Anhui University. Two years
.later he resigned his post and began a wandering life. He drowned himself in the
Yang-tse River on December 5, 1933.
While an undergraduate Chu Hsiang began writing poetry in the ver­
nacular. His works were mostly published in Literary Magazine Y.:um~. Short
Story Magazine 'h~,M ~ and the literary supplement of Ch'en Pao !t¥9.. His
poems and other writings were published in various collections including
Summer
The Wilderness ~1f, The Stone Gate ErtJ, Essays j)c1!t_, and
Letters To Ni-chun From Overseas ilti91-*'fig.
Besides being a poet of some renown, Chu Hsiang was also known as a
critic. His studies of literature and his own experience as a practising PQet
enabled him to write sensitive criticisms of poetical works by Hsu Chih-mo
and Wen I-to.
Chu Hsiang was also a pioneer in the translation of Western literature into
Chinese. His translations include: Contemporary English Short Stories, The
Songs of Dambovita (a collection of Rumanian folksongs), and Myrtles (a
collection of translated poems by Western poets).
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RENDITIONS 1984
A. FIVE POEMS FROM SUMMER (1925)
Enjoying the Coolon a Dark Night
A pity I'm not a young girl, Unworthy of this veil of breezes and flower fragrance. Recalling the Western Garrison
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crimson sunset gleams on the tips of the autumn wu-t'ung, wall's shadow under the wu-t'ung darkens the loneJy hut; crows wrangling on the branch lower their weary caw, spinning wheeJ in the window whirs in a weary monotone. Happiness
The clouds in the evening sky Turn frolll golden to purple; And would, it seems, turn further, Unprepared for engulfment by the Dark. Morning
Morning: A ten-foot shadow on a golden road. The Bird Leaves the Wood
The bird leaves the wood, The still, empty wood; .Joy quits my heart, o desolate, my heart.
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RENDITIONS 1984
B. EIGHT POEMS FROM THE WILDERNESS (1927)
A Life of Light'
Light and I go into the world together, When light goes I also close my eye's: Light always shines on me. When the sun rises I also awaken, I sink into the waves of sleep with it as well: The sun shines in the centre of my movements. The full·moon steals through my night window, The crescent moon brightens the weeds on my grave: Moonlight shines on my life's repose. 29 March 1926
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Bury Me Bury me in a lotus pond, Where waterworms trail by my ears, And fireflies glow and darken On emerald lotus-leaf lantems-
Bury me under lantanas, Where dreams are ever filled wi~h fragrance­ Bury me under the peak at Mount T'ai, Where the wind sobs past lonely pines-
Else bum me into ashes, To scatter o'er. the river at spring tide, Where I shall drift with fallen flowers To a land that no one knows. 2 February 1925
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RENDITIONS 1984
Nocturne
Moon, do not shine so bright,
On my half-empty nest;
I crave the darkness of the' night
To hide my loneliness.
Wind, do not· freshen.
Stirring a sigh through the grass;
I fear that the cold will beckon
Memories of warmth from the past.
Dew soaks my nest,
I am seized with trembling;
Hunter, do not rest,
I long for an ending!
30 May 1925
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Spring Breeze
Spring breeze. 0, spring breeze,
Here is what you should do:
Be like a mother
Caressing her child.
Spring breeze, 0, spring breeze:
Here is what you would do;
Cover with kisses
The maiden's smiling face.
Spring breeze, 0, spring breeze,
Here is what you mayn't do:
Bring tears to the eyes
Of a poor old man.
30' March 1926
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RENDITIONS 1984
There is a grave
There is a grave,
Weeds cluster in front of the grave,
There is a grave,
Wind crawls through the weeds like a snake.
There is a glow-wonn, Darkness surrounds on all sides, There is a glow-worm, Blinking its bean-like fires.
There is a strange bird,
Hidden in a huge tree,
There isa strange bird,
Whose cry is wild and free.
There is a
Peeping behind
There is a
Sinking behind
yellow moon,
the dark clouds,
yellow moon,
the deep hills.
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17 August 1925
Rainscapes
Many are the rainscapes that I love: The trickles down the window in a spring night's dream; The patter of urgent drops on plantain leaves; Threads that caress my cheeks like fog; The stonn that pours from lightning flashes-
But the sky before the rain comes I love best of all. Despite the grey· it glows with transparent light~ Pregnant with a silent expectation. And from the clouds, I know not where, Drifts a bird's shrill cry. 22· November 1924
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Memories
The pale sunset glow Disappears at the blink of an eye. All disturbance is stilled, All commotion quiet. . Deep in dreams a crow Croaks as the wind passes; The silent evening tide of Peace Has submerged the town. Street lamps shed a rosy light, An eagle sweeps down from the ramparts, Mount Chung drowses, violet, In a hlanket of twilight mist. -..;.
Along silent streets and lanes,
In the· shade of mansion walls,
Comes the clack of a bamboo tube:
It's the New Year sweetmeats seller.
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15 May 1925
The Pawnshop
Beauty has opened a pawnshop
Specialising in hearts;
When the owners come for redemption
The doors are closed fast.
15 October 1925
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Special-Issue
Poetry a~d·poetics
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Chung-shu, Arthur Cooper, A.C.Graha11).
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Hci~kes, James Hightower, D.C.Lau
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AUtumn 1984
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