I wondered why the blankets were so lacking,
And then I saw my window brightly glow.
With night long gone, I knew we had deep snow,
For through the calm the bamboo trees were cracking.
Translation © A.M. Juster
- Translation
Night Snow by Po Chü-i
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This lovely translation reminded me of something the novelist Can Xue, who writes in both languages, said about translating from one to the other: “Chinese is abstract, concise and veiled. English is clear, fluid and direct.”
People often fail to realise that rhyme is a very significant feature of Chinese poetry. As well as a regular rhythm. Largely because people will insist on translating Chinese poetry into free verse. This simple, unpretentious, but very workmanlike, translation makes up for that.