Yoshida Kenkō, Tsurezuregusa
for Caroline Going on a journey, whatever the destination, makes you feel suddenly awake and alive to everything. There are so many new things to see in rustic places and country villages as you wander…
Category: Classics
Reading Du Fu
Some friends and I are reading Du Fu in David Young’s translation. Here’s what Ye Xie (1627-1703) had to say about him– “Take any one of Du Fu’s poems, or even one line, and everywhere…
2015 Chinese Poets in Translation Reading Group
Chris Wallach and I are starting a reading group in 2015 with the aim of reading one of the translations each month of such poets as Wang Wei, Han-Shan, Li Ch’ing-chao, Tu Fu, Su Tung-p’o, Bo Juyi,…
Reading/713 (Master Chu)
In reading, you must keep your mind glued to the text. Only when every sentence and every character falls into place have you done a good job of thinking through the work. In general, the…
Appreciating Arthur Waley
for my multilingual friends and lovers of literature Notes on Ivan Morris, ed., Madly Singing in the Mountains: An Appreciation and Anthology of Arthur Waley Related Books Ezra Pound, The ABC of Reading; Anne-Marie Schimmel,…
Opening up Minds
Tariq Ali on Hugo Chavez: I remember sitting next to an elderly, modestly attired woman at one of his public rallies. She questioned me about him. What did I think? Was he doing well? Did…
Ancient Song by Li Po
Chuang-tzu dreams he’s a butterfly, And a butterfly becomes Chuang-tzu. All transformation this one body, Boundless occurrence goes on and on: It’s no surprise eastern seas become Western streams shallow and clear, Or the melon-grower…
Twin Verses
The Dhammapada chapter 1 Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draw it. Our life…