Lately I’ve become fascinated with classical Chinese protest poetry.
There’s a great book out called 中国文人的非正常死亡 (“The Unnatural Deaths of Chinese Literati”) which follows the cases of Chinese writers, poets, and historians who pissed off the wrong eunuch and subsequently found themselves exiled, castrated, tortured, or minus a head.
It starts with the story of Sima Qian (~145 BCE – ~90 BCE), the Han-dynasty historian who picked the wrong governmental faction to back, and, faced with a choice between beheading and castration (considered a more horrible punishment), chose castration so that he could finish his work on the 史记 Records of the Grand Historian. It ends with Wang Guowei (1877 – 1927), a poet, scholar, and professor at Qinghua University, who was hounded by the corrupt Guomindang regime until he committed suicide by diving into the Kunming Lake, on the grounds of the former Imperial Summer Palace outside Beijing.
Also included is Su Dongpo (1037 – 1101), generally considered the greatest poet of the Song dynasty, who was as bad a judge of political ascendancy as Sima Qian. So he got his ass exiled to successively more remote posts, and died, the story goes, at 天涯海角, “the fringe of the sky, the edge of the sea.”
Su continued writing poetry in his exile. Apparently figuring that he didn’t have much else to lose, he wrote quite a few snide, rebellious poems, like “Xi’er Xizuo,” “Wishes for My Son,” which goes something like this:
In raising children, all would hope for wit;
But I, whose life was ruined by cleverness,
Wish only for my boy to be a lout.
He’ll rise to Minister with no distress.
Chinese people are often very curious about the outside world. As a foreigner in China, you’ll get asked all kinds of questions about your homeland; these range from incredibly dull inquiries into, say, the price of cars to interesting discussions of the basic values and characteristics of a country. Quite often, you’ll walk away from such a conversation feeling good about having served as, essentially, an ambassador of your home. Sometimes you just walk away feeling tired.
It is especially tiring to be an American these days.
The big question – and not just in China – is “my God, what is your government doing?” And “how could these guys get elected?” And (sometimes) “why don’t you just overthrow them?” And these questions were tiring for me because I really had no answers.
As my father pointed out, one of the central tenets of leftist political philosophy is that people will be smart enough to act in their own interests, and it’s more than a little bit crushing to see – as evinced by the polls that show Bush and Kerry at neck and neck – that it isn’t actually the case.
Last night, I went to watch the first Kerry-Bush debate in South Philly. It was being shown on a projection screen in a public park, and there was quite a large, cheerful crowd there to watch. People brought chairs and chips and sodas, and whenever Kerry finished a remark, they cheered. When Bush opened his mouth, they booed, hissed, and pointed out, among other things, that he’s a “chuckleheaded moron” and “the idiot son of an asshole.”
It was heartening, I guess.
I can’t get behind Kerry. I mean, yes, I’ll vote for him, but nothing would give me more pleasure than going into the voting booth and voting for a better write-in candidate, like “Ralph Nader” or “my ass.”
The Democratic party is holding the left hostage and saying, in effect, “we didn’t get the message in 2000 when you voted for Nader, and we’re just going to keep ignoring you. Who else are you going to vote for?” And I’ll play along this time, but it won’t happen again.
Bai Juyi (772 – 846) is one of the most famous Tang dynasty poets. Unlike Su Dongpo and Sima Qian, he died a natural death with all of his parts intact – remarkable, given that he wrote stuff like 轻肥 “Fine Furs and Fat Horses.” The title is a reference to Book 6 of the Analects of Confucius, which is itself a remarkable passage. I like to think of it as Confucius on tax reform; it goes:
Zi Hua was sent on a mission to Qi, and Master Ran asked for grain for Zi Hua’s mother. The Master said: “Give her a pot-full.” Ran asked for more. The Master said: “Give her a measure.” Master Ran gave her five bushels.
The Master said: “Chi went to Qi, riding sleek horses and wearing fine furs. I have heard it said that a good man helps the needy; he does not make the rich richer.”When Yuan Si was made a governor, someone offered him 900 [measures] of grain, but he refused. The Master said: “Is there no-one among your people who would not be glad of it?”
Bai Juyi’s poem, which draws its title from this passage, is even more current. It goes like this:
Full of pride, they fill the road,
their saddled horses shining on the dust.
I ask a passerby who they might be;
he says they’re trusted advisers.
The ones with vermillion cords are high officials;
The ones with purple ribbons, probably generals.
Proudly they go to the regimental feast,
Passing by on horseback like clouds.
Goblets brim over with nine kinds of wine;
The finest foods from sea and land spread over the table.
For fruit, they peel Dongting tangerines;
For mincemeat, they slice up Tianchi fish.
Stuffed with food, they feel sated and merry;
Blissed with wine, their spirits soar higher than ever.
This year there was drought-famine south of the River,
And in Quzhou starving men ate one another.
Comments 34
Maybe we need a protest poet literati class in the US. Sharpen your stylus–the current dynasty in the US may demand loyalty oaths, but as yet no beheadings or castrations, so your nads are safe for the time being.
I think all the Tang poets were disgruntled, frustrated politicians to some extent. Some were better at masking it than others. I wish I had shipped my 全唐诗 with me. I’ve been meaning to take a closer look at 寒山, because actually, I’m a low-level underappreciated government official myself, who ‘pased the exams’, so maybe I should practice what I preach.
Posted 03 Oct 2004 at 9:13 am ¶brendan, on the subject of protest poetry, any good specific recommendations for me to start with?
Posted 04 Oct 2004 at 11:56 am ¶Roy – I’ve decided that Bai Juyi and Li Shangyin are my two favorite Tang poets. And Li didn’t even write any political poems; he just backed the wrong horse.
Yosh – Bai Juyi (/Po Chü-i/Bo Juyi, depending on the translator’s choice of Romanization) wrote quite a lot of subversive stuff. Consider “The Red Parrot,” translated here by Arthur Waley as “The Red Cockatoo” –
There’s also an incredible poem, entitled “The Old Man with the Crippled Arm,” translated pretty well here. And one of Bai’s most famous poems was “The Old Charcoal Seller,” translated here.
I haven’t seen much modern stuff that I thought was very good – I’m generally a stickler for, you know, scansion, meter, rhyme, literary ability, and things like that – but a lot of Bei Dao’s stuff is excellent. There’s at least one volume of his stuff available in the States, in pretty good translation like David Hinton.
Posted 05 Oct 2004 at 5:46 pm ¶Hi, I just stumbled on your site while looking for HSK information. I attend BeiDa too. I’m an international student. I just finished a year at Notre Dame and I’m spending a semester here. Yes, I’m an international student at Notre Dame too (which is not a happy situation to be in especially if you are an undergrad). I was so upset that cable TV at Shao Yuan #9 didn’t show the debate. I didn’t know you could watch it somewhere else. I’d love to be able to watch the third one. Can you tell me where it’s going to be held? THANKS!
Posted 13 Oct 2004 at 1:11 pm ¶I just want to say a thank you for sharing Second Hand Rose’s music on your site. As you said, they are awesome!
Before I came to your site, I had only heard track # 3 and #6 from the same album that you got the mp3s from. I like both of songs very well because of its originality and the Chinese folk elements that were infused in modern rock music. The lyrics for #3 are actually quite funny – it’s a social satire in musical form.
Posted 17 Oct 2004 at 5:19 am ¶Entirely coincidentally, I thought you might be able to help me find a book.
I’m looking for “Eight songs for a western string instrument” (aka. “Songs of the Clavichord”?) written by Father Matteo Ricci upon his 1601 visit to Beijing. I’m interested in the music notation as well as perhaps an english translation of the text.
I don’t know where to look or if I’m just being silly even trying to find it, but I figure you’re a better shot than Google. :)
Posted 18 Oct 2004 at 1:36 pm ¶Hello Brendan. I was interested in your comments about Chinese people asking you you about life in your country. I’m from Ireland and i once spent a summer working on what they call the (New) “Jersey shore”. I had a great time, met a lot of nice people, it was interesting to be there and i really came to appreciate how Americanised we are on this side of the Atlantic. But I was often amazed at how little knowledge many Americans have, and how many misconceptions they have, about the rest of the world. It’s a real a contrast with people like yourself. As George Bernard Shaw used to say “More power to your elbow.”
Posted 21 Oct 2004 at 5:54 pm ¶I also meant to ask, most of the O’Kanes I ever came across originated in South Derry (Gleann Con Catháin – the Valley of Kane’s Hound by coincidence). It’s obvious that you have an Irish connection so please forgive the nosiness, but where did your people come from?
Posted 21 Oct 2004 at 6:08 pm ¶Eoin – good call; my dad’s family is from Buncrana; they operated P. O’Kane & Co. liquor distributors out of Derry for a couple of generations.
Posted 21 Oct 2004 at 6:14 pm ¶Учи албанский, сука!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 4:33 am ¶УЧИ АЛБАНСКИЙ
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 4:55 am ¶ПОКАЙСЯ
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 4:58 am ¶Ты заебал! … Когда нахуй выучишь албанский ???
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 4:59 am ¶УЧИ АЛБАНСКИЙНАХ!!!!!!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:00 am ¶Lean albanian!!!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:00 am ¶Ты кагда сцука выучишь албанский нахъ ?
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:01 am ¶ПИЗДЕЦ ТВОЕМУ САЙТУ, УЁБОК!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:04 am ¶LEarn Albanian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:08 am ¶learn albanian! it’s all you need in your life!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:10 am ¶Учи албанский, сцука! В окупации пригодица – будеш палицаем!!!!!! Беспезды!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:13 am ¶Post in you Journal “Я знаю Албанский. Беспизды”
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:15 am ¶Albania Foreva!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:16 am ¶зря ты так Брэндан… зря ты не позволяешь нам учить тебя албанскому в своем LJ… будем здесь учить ))
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:18 am ¶Брэндон, ты последняя ссука. Открой комментарии!!!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:19 am ¶open the comments in your LJ
Never! remember it! Never mess with russians and albanians even in internet!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:20 am ¶and post in your stupid LJ
Отъебитесь бляди, я уже выучил албанский!
Never! remember it! Never mess with russians and albanians even in internet!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:20 am ¶and post in your stupid LJ
Отъебитесь бляди, я уже выучил албанский!
Отъебитесь бляди, я уже выучил албанский!
Posted 22 Oct 2004 at 5:25 am ¶who would have ever thought that Albanians are such boring losers? Oh yeah, the whole world, which is why most people can’t even tell you where the fuck it is.
Posted 23 Oct 2004 at 12:03 pm ¶brendan- long time no talk man. how are things going for you across the globe?
Posted 23 Oct 2004 at 6:46 pm ¶感谢你这儿有阿瑟韦利英译的《红鹦鹉（商山路逢）》，要不然我真不知道要到哪儿去找。英文明白易懂，可难免失了原味，添了那么多连词形容词副词代词，韵脚全无。你读过《罗素自传》中关于这首诗的那个段落吗？还有，你这么擅长中国诗歌，可否相告杜甫《曲江二首》有没有翻译，如果有，里面的那句“花边高冢卧麒麟”是怎么翻译的，又是怎么解释的呢？
Posted 23 Oct 2004 at 11:05 pm ¶Arthur Waley give other people no place to interpret this poem by his translation.
Posted 23 Oct 2004 at 11:19 pm ¶УЧИ АЛБАНСКИЙ. СЦУКА БОКЭЙН!
Posted 30 Oct 2004 at 11:47 am ¶I’ll kick your ass, motherfucker!!!
I much prefer for the last line of “Fine fur and Fat Horses” This summer in the state of Qu / People are eating people” Don’t know if that helps anyone.
Posted 31 May 2008 at 2:42 am ¶Hi, Jesse — thanks for commenting!
“The state of Qu” doesn’t seem right to me, as this is being written during a unified era — hence ‘Quzhou’ as a place-name. For “people eating people,” I suppose it’s just a matter of preference — “men eating men” seems to me more shocking than “people eating people,” though I’ve got no better grounds on which to argue than that. I will say, though, that if I were going to translate this poem again now, I’d do it very differently in other areas.
Posted 05 Jun 2008 at 6:07 am ¶Post a Comment