Regarding Classical Korean Poetry Translated From Chinese

The Moonlit Pond: Korean Classical Poems in Chinese by Sung-Il Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Because of the huge impact of Chinese culture and classics on Korean literature, educated men and women across centuries and dynasties spoke and wrote Chinese as a matter of course. This collection of poetry was written by Korean poets (mostly members of the learned class of government officials) in Chinese. According to the author in the introduction, Korean poets not only used the Chinese language but the "resources and conventions of classical Chinese poetry," including formats as well as themes. But the author cautions the reader: "Despite apparent similarities which echo classical Chinese poetry in form and content, Korean classical poetry in Chinese has its own unique tradition."

I'm not qualified to judge these words, though I tend to believe them and find the evidence persuasive. What I can judge accurately is my reaction, which is that this collection is emotional and evocative and touching. There is something about a poem of longing, of pining for a missed loved one, that connects minds across hundreds of years, or even a thousand years, in a poignant way. Simple imagery made of a wonderful mix of commonplace and exotic--rain on the mountains is familiar; the whisper of wind in the bamboo is, for me, exotic--which gives it a freshness and vitality that I love.

So, Korean poetry, translated from Chinese to English. Hmmm. Sounds harder than it is.

One finds the very human words of a woman left behind in the time of war (16th Century):

Last night, geese flew crying in the autumn frost;
Rising from sewing for my love, I climb the high pavilion.
From the front so far away, news cannot reach here;
Alone, I lean dizzy at the railing, while worries fill my heart.

And the wistful words of a retired 15th Century general:

The white horse neighing in the wind is tied to a willow;
The general's sword remains in the sheath, for there is no war.
Before he has done his share, he has grown old;
In his dreams, he treads the mountainous front in deep snow.

No doubt, lacking much of the cultural context, I am missing the meaning of some of the symbols and most of the literary allusions, but this collection is enjoyable and rewarding even without that. It's the humanity found here--the friendship and ambition and hope of men and women of long ago, so often couched in the language of nature imagery--that I most admire, and recommend to other readers of poetry.

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