The Swallow of Langmu Si & Climb Up High and Gaze Into The Distance

Translator’s Statement

The translator’s task is not merely to translate words, but to convey meaning and allow the new work to sing. I trust the poet’s words and phrasing, and seek to maintain that in the English, but at times I stretch beyond so the new poem has the depth and poignancy of the original.

A Hua’s poetry often invokes nature as a foil for human shortcomings. The purity of nature in “Climb Up High and Gaze Into The Distance” is enticingly near… “I almost touch the clouds”. In its bird’s eye view of life, the poem wonders “could there be love in the mountains”, muses how life might be among beings free of “false affections… or greed”, mirroring classical Chinese ideals of nature as a refuge from worldly corruption. A faint sadness weaves through the poem. The speaker sees herself apart from those around her who “chase grand mountain views”, preferring the less flashy “greens of the moss”. But there’s a subtle surprise in the final line, a twist in perception. To convey this, I extend 新鲜’s common translation (adj, “fresh”), include its other possibilities (i.e., vivid, uncommon), and add “reassure” in the English. Doing so makes clear in the poem’s final words there may still be a chance of connection after all.

“The Swallow of Langmu Si” contrasts spirituality with modernity: a small bird represents a humble soul choosing to live a quiet life over the modern hustle bustle. It mirrors the Zen; in stillness one may find inner wisdom. In its last line a direct translation reads like a maintenance manual: “a high-powered motor filter was installed”. To maintain the sense of a powerful device at work, and the contemplative nature of the poem, I use “hums” and “discernment”. The English leans better towards the idea that living a quiet life cultivates a spiritual “filter” that can sort out worldly “noise”.

The beauty of A Hua’s poetry is its accessibility. She uses plain language and precise natural imagery to talk about the mundane tragedies and triumphs of ordinary lives. At the same time, her work is infused with the centuries rich canon of Chinese literature and Buddhist teachings. All of us can recognize our lives in her words. Her poetry touches our shared humanity and helps us imagine how to face the uniquely human challenge of living with dignity in an imperfect world.