The book Silent Ecstasy: Ye Zhi's Poems and Echoes was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the birth of Irish national treasure poet Ye Zhi. Taking Ye Zhi's 30 poems as a contrast between Chinese and English, and combining with 33 paintings, the publishing house intends to create a reading experience with pictures in poems, poems in paintings and poetic feelings.
I chose a quiet night to open this book, trying to find my happiness in the structure of this novel.
The binding design is exquisite and creative, the paper texture is simple and simple, and the form of large page inserts is very interesting, which seems to linger in a small exhibition under the touch of reading.
Below the pictures of 33 prints, the author's story is attached: how Ye Zhi's poems inspired his artistic inspiration and how to appreciate the combination of poetry and prints. While enjoying the printed works, the English version of Selected Poems was also displayed, and the full-text translation of the poems belonging to Selected Poems was attached. These poems are inserted into the pictures of works created by different artists in an independent format, forming a very three-dimensional special effect.
Rereading Ye Zhi's poems in such a novel way will be disturbed, and naturally there will be a little rational thinking. People will pay attention to translation and other people's feelings ... Perhaps because they have experienced so many things, the feeling of pure youth, romantic thoughts, trembling heartstrings and joy of reading poems in their early years can't be found back now.
And Ye Zhi, who "lived as a man I wanted but couldn't get", is still, forever, so romantic and charming.
I just want to look back at this poem from time to time and dig up some scattered and forgotten flash moments when I was young, which is enough.
At the same time, it is also interesting to pay attention to the comments of some readers.
Some critics say that all the English poems compiled are excerpts and are worth the money. However, this is really a work mainly showing artists inspired by Ye Zhi, with different emphasis, which I don't think is harsh.
Another commented that the poem innisfree appeared three times only because different artists had feelings for it. Doesn't this also prove how touching innisfree is?
Then we'll talk about translation. The translation of foreign literary works is a kind of re-creation, and poetry, especially rhythm and prosody, is difficult to grasp.
When you are old, the phrase "only one person loves your pilgrim's soul" has deceived many girls' hearts, "sleeping by the fire". Even if you only look at the language, it is hard to say that you are not fascinated by some young artists, but the original text is actually a simple "full sleep" and "nodding by the fire". Therefore, translating poetry can be said to be a very difficult re-creation.
Think of a counterexample of translating Chinese into English. Pound called Li Bai's English name Li Po, and wrote his poem A Journey into a Letter from the Wife of a Jianghu Merchant, which is very poetic.
Fu Hao's translation grasps the external form of Ye Zhi's poems as a whole, which is close to the original intention. But to be honest, compared with other foreign literary works, poetry should read the original text to match its unique artistic conception. It is suggested that the reading order should be the artist's explanation-translation-English poems, which will be more comfortable.
Appreciation: (Attached: two translated versions)
Lake Foley Island, Inniss
I'm leaving for Foley, Inniss,
There, a cabin was built with clay and Vitex negundo.
I'll have nine rows of beans, a bee hive,
Living alone in a noisy glade.
I will find peace there, because peace is coming slowly,
Slip from the veil of dawn to the place where crickets sing;
Midnight is silent, noon is purple,
Evening is full of cardinals' wings.
I'm going to get up and leave now, because day and night
I heard the lake patting the shore;
When I stand on the road, or on the gray sidewalk,
I heard it in my heart.
Ye Zhi.
1. Fu Hao (translated)
Now I want to get up and leave, freely, Inniss.
Build a hut there with branches and mud;
I want to plant nine beans and raise a box of bees there.
Living alone in a clearing buzzing with bees.
I'll get some peace, and peace will slowly drop to zero.
From the veil of the morning sky to the place where crickets sing;
The water there sparkles at midnight, and the purple sparkles at noon.
The evening sky is woven with the wings of cardinals.
Now I have to get up and leave,
Because, day and night, I always hear the sound of the lake licking the shore;
Standing on the road, or stepping on the gray sidewalk,
I can hear the sound of water lingering in my mind.
2. Yuan Kejia (translated)
I'm going to innesfair island.
Set up a hut and a mud house;
Set up nine rows of bean racks. A row of bee nests.
Living alone, listening to bees singing in the shade.
I will find peace, it will slowly fall,
From the fog to the place where crickets sing;
Sunny at midnight, purple at noon,
In the evening, the cardinals' wings are flying everywhere.
I'm leaving, because I heard
The sound of water beats against the lake day and night;
Whether I'm standing in the driveway or on a dark sidewalk,
Everyone hears this voice in their hearts.