The Flowering of Modern Chinese Poetry
Translated by Herbert Batt and Sheldon Zitner
Introductions by Michel Hockx
Welcome to our website, with resources for students and teachers.
Quick Links:
-- Links to original Chinese texts of our poems
-- A detailed reading list for study and research
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Michelle Yeh
University of California, Davis
"The Flowering of Modern Chinese Poetry provides a comprehensive picture of the rise of modern poetry in vernacular Chinese and its first golden age from the 1910s to the 1940s. An enjoyable read for anyone interested in understanding Chinese modernity through the lens of poetry."
Christopher Lupke
University of Alberta
"What makes The Flowering of Modern Chinese Poetry indispensable and unprecedented is its coverage: fifty of the most important Chinese poets of the first half of the twentieth century, several of them women…The anthology allows both the novice and the expert to enjoy the founding moments of modern Chinese poetry in their full splendor as no previous book has done."
The May Fourth Movement of 1919 launched an era of turmoil and transformation in China, as newly-arrived Western ideas and Western-style education encroached on ancient Confucian traditions. The Republican period (1919-1949) witnessed an outpouring of poetry in a bold form and style that were entirely new to China, written in the common people's language--baihua ("plain speech").
The Flowering of Modern Chinese Poetry presents a selection in English translation of over 250 poems by fifty poets, chronicling the astonishingly rapid development of vernacular verse in mid-twentieth century China. Michel Hockx introduces the historical and literary contexts of the various schools of vernacular poetry that developed throughout the period. Each selection of verse begins with a sketch of the author's life and literary career.
Introducing English readers to master poets who are virtually unknown to Western audiences, including a number of women authors, this collection attests to the courage, sensitivity, and imagination that have sustained the Chinese people through the upheavals of three millennia.
Herbert Batt taught English in China for eight years and has translated several collections of modern Chinese fiction.
Sheldon Zitner (1924-2005) taught English literature at the University of Toronto and is the author of several volumes of poetry including Before We Had Words and The Asparagus Feast.
Michel Hockx, author of many books and articles on modern Chinese poetry, is currently Director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies and Professor of Chinese Literature at the University of Notre Dame.
The Flowering of Modern Chinese Poetry presents a selection in English translation of over 250 poems by fifty poets, chronicling the astonishingly rapid development of vernacular verse in mid-twentieth century China. Michel Hockx introduces the historical and literary contexts of the various schools of vernacular poetry that developed throughout the period. Each selection of verse begins with a sketch of the author's life and literary career.
Introducing English readers to master poets who are virtually unknown to Western audiences, including a number of women authors, this collection attests to the courage, sensitivity, and imagination that have sustained the Chinese people through the upheavals of three millennia.
Herbert Batt taught English in China for eight years and has translated several collections of modern Chinese fiction.
Sheldon Zitner (1924-2005) taught English literature at the University of Toronto and is the author of several volumes of poetry including Before We Had Words and The Asparagus Feast.
Michel Hockx, author of many books and articles on modern Chinese poetry, is currently Director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies and Professor of Chinese Literature at the University of Notre Dame.
Click here to download a list of Books and
Articles for Further Reading and Research
Articles for Further Reading and Research
Click here to view a Youtube
reading of some of our poems
reading of some of our poems
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PIONEERS
Hu Shi 胡适 Liu Dabai 刘大白- Turtle 龟
- The Tracks of Tears 泪痕之群, 21
- Spring in the Air 春意
- Autumn Evening on the River 秋晚的江上
- A Child 小孩子
- As the Sun Slides Down behind the Mountain 当太阳滚过山去
- The Cage of Reality 现实与幻想
- If I Weren't Such a Coward 假若我不是一个弱者
- Conflagration 火灾
- A Night Walk Through Jurimatsubara 夜步十里松原
- Snow on the Emei Mountains 峨嵋山上的白雪
- A Confrontation with the Moon 对月
- Taking All By Storm 战取
- The Iron Virgin 铁的处女
- No Forgetting 不忘
- A Token of Remembrance 纪事赠小弟冰季
- Myriad Stars (繁星)10, 28, 48, 95
- Spring Rivulets (春水)24, 25, 33, 66, 105, 112, 118, 153, 169, 182
- Paper Boats 纸船
- Thoughts of Love 相思
- Don't Trample This Flower 别踩了这朵花
- After the Rain 雨后
- A Small Fish 小鱼
- Distraction (怅惘) 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 12
FORMALISTS
Xu Zhimo 徐志摩- On Hearing the Ritual Chant of Repentance at Tianning Temple, Changzhou 常州天宁寺闻礼忏声
- The Paradise of the Poor 一小幅穷乐园
- Beggar, It Serves You Right! 叫化活该
- Sayonara 沙扬娜拉一首
- Beside a Mountain Path 在那山道旁
- Coincidence 偶然
- I Cannot Tell 我不知道风是在哪一个方向吹
- The Rebirth of Spring 春的投生
- Dusk: Six Views from a Car Window 车眺
- Acknowledging Sin 领罪
- The Oriole 黄鹂
- Farewell to Cambridge 再别康桥
- On the Bus 车上
- Wandering Cloud 云游
- Go 你去
- A Gathering of Chrysanthemums 忆菊
- Pondering 玄思
- A Little Brook 小溪
- Red Beans (红豆), nos. 9, 10, 14
- The Laundryman's Song 洗衣歌
- Stagnant Water 死水
- Perhaps: an Elegy 也许
- The Last Day 末日
- I Wanted to Come Home 我要回来
- The Deserted Village 荒村
- One Phrase 一句话
- Statement under Oath 口供
- Silent Night 静夜
- The Serpent 蛇
- Sweet Dream 甜蜜梦
- May 五月
- The Soul of Shanghai 上海的灵魂
- Snake 蛇
- Sonnet 1: Deep Down We Are Preparing 我们准备着
- Sonnet 2: Whatever We Can Shed 什么能从我们身上脱落
- Sonnet 4: Edelweiss 鼠曲草
- Sonnet 5: Venice 威尼斯
- Sonnet 12: Du Fu 杜甫
- Sonnet 16: We Stand on a Lofty Mountain Peak 我们站立在高高的山巅
- Sonnet 18: Occasionally We Have Spent an Intimate Night 我们有时度过一个亲密的夜
- Sonnet 26: We Tread Our Daily Path 我们天天走着一条小路
- Sonnet 27: From a Stretch of Formless, Overflowing Water 从一片泛滥无形的水里
- In Dedication 1 有赠(一)
SYMBOLISTS
Li Jinfa 李金发 Yao Pengzi 姚蓬子 Lin Huiyin 林徽因 Fei Ming 废名- Assorted Poems 杂诗 1, 3
- The Dressing Table 妆台
- A Pot of Flowers 花盆
- Street Corner 街头
- To a Friend at the End of the Year 岁暮怀人 (二)
- Autumn 秋天 (ALT)
- Beneath the Moon 月下
- Cypress Grove 柏林
- A Prophecy 预言
- Night Scene (i) 夜景(一)
- The Clouds 云
- Our History is Rushing Forward (i) 我们的历史在奔跑着(一)
- North China is Ablaze (iv): Cities 北中国在燃烧, 四部: 市
- Rainy Lane 雨巷
- Homesick for the Sky 对于天的怀乡病 (ALT)
- My Memory 我的记忆
- Soon Old Age Arrives 老之将至
- A Fly in Autumn 秋蝇
- Come Here to Me 到我这里来
- Thoughts of a Wayfarer 旅思
- Village Girl 村姑
- White Butterfly 白蝴蝶
- With My Injured Hand 我用残损的手掌
- Inscribed on a Prison Cell Wall 狱中题壁
- To Endure as a Witness (ii) 等待(二)
- Impromptu: At the Tomb of Xiao Hong 萧红墓畔口占
- A Demon's Serenade 魔鬼的SERENADE
- Cast to the Earth 投
- Let the Current Take It 寄流水
- A Friend and Cigarettes 朋友和烟卷
- Disjointed Lines 断章
- Untitled No. 1 无题一
- Untitled No. 4 无题四
- Untitled No. 5 无题五
- Train Station 车站
- The First Lamp 第一盏灯
- To Maybe Man 致或人
- Burning City 火灾的城
- Autumn on the River 秋江即景
- The Star-Snatcher 摘星的少年
- The Lost Telescope 失去的望远镜
- Bird Variations 鸟之变奏
- A Locust Leaf 一片槐树叶
- Pipesmoking Psychoanalysis 吃板烟的精神分析学
- Gold Gate Sorghum 金门高粱
- The Death of Aphrodite 阿富罗底之死
- Incompletion: One 未济之一 (See p. 120.)
"PEASANTS AND SOLDIERS" POETRY
Yin Fu 殷夫 Feng Xuefeng 冯雪峰- Qingming Festival 清明日
- Songs of Spring (ii) 春的歌 (二)
- A Poem from the Mountain 山里的小诗
- The Song of Soul Mountain 灵山歌
- Song of the Hill Country 山地的歌
- from She Too Will Kill 她也要杀人
- One Rifle, One Zhang Yi 一杆枪和一个张义
- The Old Horse 老马
- Rickshaw Puller 洋车夫
- Workmen Resting at Noon 歇午工
- Refugees from Famine 难民
- The International Cemetery 万国公墓
- A Goddess 神女
- The Top 螺旋
- The Execution Ground 刑场
- Home Leave 他回来了 (See no. 6)
- A Grave 坟
- Stagnant Water 死水
- An Arrest 捉
- Diaphanous Night 透明的夜
- Dayanhe 大堰河--我的保姆
- Old Man 老人
- Beggars 乞丐
- The North 北方
- The Street 街
- He Dies the Second Time 他死在第二次
- Autumn Morning 秋晨
- The Wilds 旷野
- A Pond in Winter 冬天的池沼
- Burdens 抬
- Gambling Men 赌博的人们
- A Young Man's Journey 少年行
- On a Chilean Cigarette Package 在智利的纸烟盒上
- Winter in the City 都市的冬
- To Pawn an Arm 当胳臂去
- Before the Troops Marched Off 出发之前
- from Yan'an in July 七月的延安
- Old Soldier 老兵
- Governor Yan Xishan's Collector of the Grain Tax 阎锡山的催粮人
THE NINE LEAVES POETS
Mu Dan 穆旦 Du Yunxie 杜运燮- The Well 井
- Moon 月
- Bivouac 露营 N.B. On this site the poem appears under the title 夜
- A Common Soldier Left Dead at the Side of the Road 被遗弃在路旁的死老总
- The Season's Mournful Face 季节的愁容
- Language 语言
- Last Performance 最后的演出
- Yellow 黄
- To Xingzi 给杏子
- A Knight's Love: a Dialogue 骑士之恋
- Pulsation 律动
- Left Behind 遗留
- A Painting of Running Water 流水图
- The Web of Images 群象
- Idle Chat 絮语
- Isolation 划分
- Crossing Paths 交错
- Writing in Chinese 文字
- The Radio Strangles Spring 无线电绞死春天
- Weavers of Nets 结网的人
- The Sculptor 雕塑家
- Spring Comes to One Sick of Logic 逻辑病者的春天
- The Unknown Me 陌生的我
- Spring Song of Youth 青春之歌
- The Pearl and the Seeker after Pearls 珠和觅珠之人
- On Reading a Midsummer Biography 盛夏的传奇
- The Walls of the Ancient City of Gaochang 高昌故城头
- The Long Cry of the Peacock 孔雀长鸣
- Moth 飞蛾
- A Porcelain Bas Relief of Bhodidharma Walking across the Sea 达摩立像瓷雕
- After an Illness 假若到那样一天
- What the Painted Eyebrow Sings 画眉的表达
- The Sound of Footsteps 足音
- Golden Rice for Threshing 金黄的稻束]
- Forest 树林
- Meeting at Night 晚会
- A Village in Early Spring 村落的早春
- Dipping My Feet in the Water 濯足
- Two Lotus Flowers: on a Painting by Zhang Daqian 荷花 (观张大千氏画)
- Wild Beasts: a Painting 兽 (一幅画)
- Apparition on a Winter Afternoon: a Painting 冬日下午
- The Student 学生
- A Glance 一瞥
- Drought 旱
- Tree 树
- Horse 马
- Portrait of an Imperial Maid of Honor by Wu Guxiang 云鬟照春 (清朝画家吴谷祥的一幅仕女画)
- Silkworms 蚕
- The Wings of Swans 天鹅的翅膀