Twenty-Nine Goodbyes - Timothy Billings

Twenty-Nine Goodbyes

An Introduction to Chinese Poetry
Buch | Hardcover
224 Seiten
2024
Fordham University Press (Verlag)
978-1-5315-0835-7 (ISBN)
24,90 inkl. MwSt
An engrossing, witty introduction to classical Chinese poetry through twenty-nine translations of a single poem
A primer for those with no previous knowledge of Chinese, this book introduces readers to the fundamentals of classical Chinese poetry through twenty-nine ways of understanding a single poem. “Seeing Off a Friend,” by the great Tang poet Li Bai (701–762) has long been praised for its vividness, subtlety, and poignancy. Anthologizing twenty-nine translations of the poem, Timothy Billings not only introduces the poem’s richness and depth but also the nuanced art of translating Chinese poetry into European languages.

A famous exemplar of “seeing off poetry,” which was common in an empire whose literati were continually on the move, Li’s poem has continued to fascinate readers far removed from its moment of composition, from the Victorians, to Ezra Pound, to contemporary translators from around the world. In talking us through these linguistic crossings, Billings unpacks the intricacies of the lüshi or "regulated verse poem," a form as pivotal to Chinese literature as the sonnet is to European tradition.

This book promises to transform its readers, step-by-step, into adept interpreters of one of the most significant verse forms in Chinese literary history. Billings’s engaging teaching style, backed by a lightly worn but deep scholarly engagement with Chinese poetry, makes this work an indispensable guide for anyone interested in poetry, translation, or the cultural heritage of China.

Timothy Billings is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Middlebury College, where his expertise spans classical Chinese literature and Shakespeare. Billings has edited and translated three award-winning bilingual critical editions that draw upon Chinese sources: Victor Segalen’s Stèles / 古今碑錄 (with Christopher Bush), Matteo Ricci’s Essay on Friendship / 交友論: One Hundred Maxims for a Chinese Prince, and Ezra Pound’s Cathay / 耀. His work bridges the gap between Eastern and Western literary traditions and enriches the study and appreciation of classical Chinese poetry and its influence on global literature.

Introduction | 1

1 “Taking Leave of a Friend,” Ezra Pound | 4

2 “A Farewell,” Herbert Giles | 8

3 送友人 (Seeing Off a Friend) | 12

4 Categorical Comparatives, with Wang Li | 16

5 “Sending Off (a) Friend(s)” | 20

6 “Le depart d’un ami,” Judith Gautier | 24

7 “Saying Good-Bye to a Friend,” Amy Lowell and Florence Ayscough | 28

8 “Adieu,” W. J. B. Fletcher | 32

9 “Valedicit amico,” Angelo Zottoli | 36

10 “Geleit,” Alfred Forke | 40

11 “Taking Leave of a Friend,” Obata Shigeyoshi | 44

12 “Je reconduis un ami,” Bruno Belpaire | 48

13 “Le chanson d’adieu,” Jean-Marie Guislain | 52

14 “Farewell to a Friend,” Henry Hart | 56

15 “A Farewell to a Friend,” Witter Bynner and Kiang Kang-hu | 62

16 “J’ai reconduit mon ami . . . ,” Tchou Kia Kien and Armand Gandon | 66

17 “Saying Farewell to a Friend,” Robert Payne | 72

18 語譯 (Paraphrase), Xu Zhengzhong | 76

Digression: Peng 蓬 vs. Peng 篷 | 82

19 “Farewell to a Friend,” Adet Lin | 86

20 “Taking Leave of a Friend,” Innes Herdan | 90

21 “Farewell to a Friend,” Xu Yuanchong | 94

22 “taking leaves (1),” “parting friend,” Harry Gilonis | 98

23 Tonal Balance: Ping 平 and Ze 仄 | 102

24 “Seeing Off a Friend,” Jonathan Stalling | 106

25 “Seeing Off a Friend,” Gregory Whincup | 110

26 “Seeing Off a Friend,” Edward Chang | 114

27 “Seeing Off a Friend,” Red Pine / Bill Porter | 118

28 Yinsong: In Song | 122

29 “Seeing Off a Friend,” Timothy Billings | 130

Epilogue: What’s in a Name? The Sonnet | 152

Acknowledgments | 163

Notes | 165

Credits | 177

References | 179

Erscheint lt. Verlag 3.12.2024
Zusatzinfo 1 b/w illustration
Verlagsort New York
Sprache englisch
Maße 127 x 203 mm
Themenwelt Literatur Lyrik / Dramatik Lyrik / Gedichte
Geisteswissenschaften Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft Anglistik / Amerikanistik
Geisteswissenschaften Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft Literaturwissenschaft
Geisteswissenschaften Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft Sprachwissenschaft
Sozialwissenschaften
ISBN-10 1-5315-0835-9 / 1531508359
ISBN-13 978-1-5315-0835-7 / 9781531508357
Zustand Neuware
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