Frontier Taiwan : an anthology of modern Chinese poetry

512 Pages·2001·3.64 MB·English

by  Yeh

Frontier Taiwan
modernchineseliteraturefromtaiwan
Modern Chinese Literature from Taiwan
Editorial Board
Pang-yuanChi
Go¨ranMalmqvist
DavidDer-weiWang,Coordinator
WangChen-ho,Rose,Rose,ILoveYou
ChengCh’ing-wen,Three-LeggedHorse
ChuT’ien-wen,NotesofaDesolateMan
HsiaoLi-hung,AThousandMoonsonaThousandRivers
ChangTa-chun,WildKids:TwoNovelsAboutGrowingUp
Frontier Taiwan
An Anthology of Modern Chinese Poetry
Edited by Michelle Yeh and N.G.D. Malmqvist
columbiauniversitypress
new york
ColumbiaUniversityPresswishestoexpressitsappreciationforassistancegivenbytheChiang
Ching-kuoFoundationforInternationalScholarlyExchangeinthepreparationofthe
translationandinthepublicationofthisseries.
ColumbiaUniversityPresswishestoexpressitsappreciationforassistancegivenbythe
PushkinFundtowardthecostofpublishingthisbook.
ColumbiaUniversityPress
PublishersSince1893
NewYorkChichester,WestSussex
Copyright(cid:1)2000ColumbiaUniversityPress
Allrightsreserved
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
FrontierTaiwan:ananthologyofmodernChinesepoetry/editedbyMichelleYehand
N.G.D.Malmqvist.
p.cm.—(ModernChineseliteraturefromTaiwan)
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
ISBN0–231–11846–5—ISBN0–231–11847–3(pbk.)
1.Chinesepoetry—Taiwan—TranslationsintoEnglish.2.Chinesepoetry—20thcentury.I.
Title:AnthologyofmodernChinesepoetry.II.Yeh,MichelleMi-Hsi.III.Malmqvist,
N.G.D.(NilsGo¨ranDavid),1924–IV.Series.
PL2658.E3F742001
895.1’15080951249—dc21 00–024121
A
CaseboundeditionsofColumbiaUniversityPressbooksareprintedonpermanentand
durableacid-freepaper.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
p 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
contents
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
NoteonTranslation xvii
MapofTaiwan xx
Frontier Taiwan: An Introduction 1
Yang Hua (1906–36) 55
BlackTide(sevenselections)/Heartstrings(twoselections)/
TawnyCottages/SadSongoftheFemaleWorker
Yang Chichang (1908–94) 59
RougeandLips/TheNun/BurningCheeks/
VeinsandButterflies/AutumnSea/Travelogue/PaleSong/
RuinedCity/LoveSong/SeaofFlowers
Qin Zihao (1912–63) 66
DesertWind/Remembering/Seashells(I)/
Gallery/BlackNarcissus/Hair/Seashells(II)
vi contents
Ji Xian (1913– ) 72
CityinFlames/TotheMaybeMan/SongofTimeNo.2/
MyPagoda-ShapedPlan/Star-PluckingYouth/DogHowlingattheMoon/
SevenandSix/CompositioninaWindow/MyVoiceandMyExistence/
Painter’sStudio/WineDrinker/PsychoanalysisofPipeSmoking/
UnfinishedMasterpiece/DeathofAphrodite/Type-BBlood/
BeforeCompletion.One/BirdVariations
Chen Xiuxi (1921–91) 83
GraveSweepingThisYear/Love/Taiwan/
MyPen/MaybeIt’stheWeightofaPoem
Zhan Bing (1921– ) 87
Affair/May/PlantingRiceSprouts/LiquidMorning/
Seven-ColoredTime/LiquidFlowsIntotheCupoftheHeart
Zhou Mengdie (1921– ) 92
Caltrops/DiaryofaBeliever/Mendicant/Prisoner/
NineLines/OntheFerry/TwelfthMonth/
SixthMonth/Mountain/Polydactylism
Huan Fu (1922– ) 103
WalkingintheRain/Forest/CarrierPigeon/WildDeer/ExcuseMy
Rudeness/FindanHonorificforMosquitos/Shadow/Incident
Lin Hengtai (1924– ) 110
Philosopher/Books/LandscapeNo.1/
LandscapeNo.2/Traces(1–8)
Du Pan Fangge (1927– ) 116
Rebirth/PaperPeople/BeyondtheMulberryTree/
UnderthePomeloTree/Womb
Luo Fu (1928– ) 119
Chimney/DeathofaStoneCell(fourselections)/
BeyondtheFog/Fish/GoldDragonTemple/
TheWoundofTime/SharingaDrinkwithLiHe/BecauseoftheWind/
TheCricket’sSong/MetaphysicalGame/MailingaPairofShoes/
Contents vii
BeijingSycamores/FuneralforaPoem/
IBuyanUmbrellaJusttoLoseIt/SilentPumpkin
Luo Men (1928– ) 135
TheFourStringsoftheViolin/Shrapnel—Tron’sMissingLeg/
Window/AWildHorse/WhereLightLives/
RunningAway/TheOldManSellingFlowerPots/
TheCity—SquareExistence/Umbrella/YearsofPoetry/
ReadjustmentofTwentieth-CenturySpaceforExistence/
WhoCouldPurchasetheHorizon?
Rongzi (1928– ) 144
ToMorning/NoMoreBlossomsFlyinOurCity/AGreenLotus/
Umbrella/WhenAllLivingCreaturesGoBy/TheInsectWorld
Xiang Ming (1928– ) 149
DawnatProsperityCorner/Tumor/Ivy/
TheSettingSunonManilaBay/Possible/RollingaSteelHoop
Yu Guangzhong (1928– ) 154
WhenIAmDead/TheDoubleBed/GreenBristlegrass/
IfaWarIsRagingAfar/Nostalgia/WhenNightFalls/
TheCrystalPrison/ATaleontheHill/Evening/
TheSpiderwebs/ThePearlNecklace/
WhatIstheRainSayingThroughtheNight?/TheLangloisBridge
Guan Guan (1929– ) 164
CousinRat/TheRavenousPrince/LongStreet/
TalkingAboutthe‘‘EmperorQianlongTripitaka,
CarvedonKnot-FreeUnblemishedSlow-CuredBlocks
fromPrimePearTreesFelledinWinter’’
Shang Qin (1930– ) 171
TheAnthill/TheLadder/TheMapleTree/TheGloves/
AFaun’sAfternoon/Giraffe/OverdrawnFootprints/Pigeons/
TheDog/TheMosquito/ElectricLock/Moonlight/
TheCatWhoWalksThroughtheWall/
Snow/Rooster/RailroadCrossing
viii contents
Zhang Mo (1931– ) 186
ASongwithNoMelody/IAmaGlassofUnlimitedVolume/
OdetoaShabbyRoom/ShaketheHead,WagtheTail:
ASeven-storiedPagoda/TheFuture:FourVersions
Ya Xian (1932– ) 190
Umbrella/ShrineoftheVillageGod/FuneralParlor/
TheMountainGod/Babylon/SpringDay/
TheBuckwheatField/ShipRats/TheBeggar/
RedCorn/Salt/Florence/TheMonastery/
Abyss/TheCatholicNun/TheColonel/
Diva/Andantecantabile/Courtyard/
SongoftheOrdinary/ResurrectionDay
Xin Yu (1933– ) 211
TheSongoftheSoil/TheZanzibarLion/ALeopard/
SeenatShunxingTeahouse/TheSpeechofStones
Zheng Chouyu (1933– ) 217
LifeintheMountains/Mistake/InDreamland/
WateryLane/BuddhistChant/Skylight/
StoppingataMinorStation/StillLife/Morning/
Afternoon/PureClarity/BorderInn/
TheTempleBull/GuestsofSnow
Bai Qiu (1937– ) 225
Armchair/Sky/Cry/Weight/
Geese/Canary/Vine/
TheSquare/SilentGecko
Ye Weilian (1937– ) 231
Fugue/PastichesfromTaiwanCountryside(fourselections)/
Quest/TravelinginSpring
Lin Ling (1938– ) 239
AftertheShowIsOver/TheManWhoKnockedattheOutpost/
NonmodernistLyricism/ForLinLing/
TwoorThreeHomeRepairsinSpring
Contents ix
Xiong Hong (1940– ) 245
ThinkingwithFire/DarkAssociations/
I’mAlreadyonMyWaytoYou/Jar/Ripples/Life
Yang Mu (1940– ) 250
News/Footsteps/FlowingRiver/IntheMidnightCornfield/
Screen/TheSecondRenunciation/FloatingFireflies/
Etudes:TheTwelveEarthlyBranches/LettheWindRecite/
Zeelandia/Solitude/ForbiddenGame(1–4)/
SomeoneAsksMeAboutJusticeandRighteousness/FrostatMidnight/
ForNoReason/TheTraveler’sHeart:AVariation/
ThePropositionofTime/ATale/Solitude,1910
Zhang Cuo (1943– ) 279
AutumnReminiscence/TheDistanceofWinter/
WordsofaGooseCatcher/InImitationoftheAncients/
TheSecretGarden
Wu Sheng (1994– ) 285
RiceStraw/RainySeason/PrefacetoVignettesofMyVillage/
TheLand/AnimalSpiritTablet/IntheWoodsofaForeignCountry/
IWon’tDiscussItwithYou/TheWorstThingAboutWritingPoetry
Li Minyong (1947– ) 292
MementooftheDeceased/PrisonerofWar/AspirationofPoetry/
TiltingIsland/DeathReport/ReadingPoemsonaLate-NightAirliner
Luo Qing (1948– ) 298
TheInvisibleMan/Heaven’sRevenge/TheAvengingGhost/OnceMore
LookingoutattheDeepBlueSeaAfterLookingoutattheDeepBlueSea
ManyTimesBefore/Co´rdoba/IRefuse/PleaseJustWink/Quatrain
Su Shaolian (1949– ) 310
Beast/PeelingaPear/Photocopier/MixedBlood/ShadowBurial/
SleepDeeply,Shore/ThatHorseLikeMoonlight
Jian Zhengzhen (1950– ) 316
Secret/OntheGreatWall/Memory/ReadingaLetter
x contents
Bai Ling (1951– ) 321
ChildhoodYears,PartI:The1940s/Spring’sBriefVisittoTaipei/
LipRouge/Kite
Ling Yu (1952– ) 325
SinceYouCan’tAdvanceYouCan’tRetreatEither/
NamesVanishedfromtheMap(fiveselections)/
TheFamilyofAcrobats/Freeze-FrameintheMidstofWar(twoselections)
Chen Yizhi (1953– ) 336
TaiwanRains/Broken-downFamilyTree/Thinking,Worrying(I)/Whale/
AnAlzheimer’sKindofLove/EntombedWarrior
Du Ye (1953– ) 344
Frog/Snowfield/VermilionCabinet/AWish/UniversalLove,NotWar/
LiBai/TheTilapiaintheSky
Chen Li (1954– ) 350
TheLoveroftheMagician’sWife/TheLoveSongofBuffettheClown/
InaCityAlarmedbyaSeriesofEarthquakes/
ListeningtoWinterreiseonaSpringNight/TheRiverofShadows/
TheEdgeoftheIsland/Microcosmos(tenselections)/
AutumnSong/TheWarSymphony/Formosa,1661/
Dialogue/ButterflyAir/Tunnel/
OntheIsland/Composition
Yang Ze (1954– ) 369
FugueofViolenceandMusic/
UnderaScorchingSun,aStiflingNoon,IStared/
ThisistheSpringofCynicism/
RainyDay—Women#12&35/
ClearDay—Women#12&35/
outsideisthesnow/NightlyHomecoming/
LifeIsNotWorthLiving/LetMeBeYourDJ
Luo Zhihcheng (1955– ) 378
Father/DarlingLetters(fiveselections)/TheWolf/
TheGreatRainsof’93/TheBookstoreofMyDreams