Burton Watson (1925–2017)

This is the fourth book with Burton Watson in charge of the translation that I read. As I'm absolutely not acquainted with the Chinese language, I'm extremely happy that such jewels were rendered into the english language. For all I know in ancient China heroes were cultural, i.e. no man of war was praised, no person of great conquest. People who set foundations for cultural values and development of civilizational refinement were much respected. Su Tung-P'o was definitely a Confucian ideal: He was punished by the Emperor's ruling party once - by justly siding with the people when his better judgment told him to - and he was right, pardoned later. Yet his forebearance and a sense of righteousness portray a deeply wounded man, whose first beloved wife passed away early. Who was moved from place to place without firm rooting by official governmental decrees. Poems as lifeblood of mawkish uprightness, overcoming the sentiment and moving forth, partially drunk where he reminds of Ommar Khayyam and his praises to wine in the Rubayyat. I envisioned sceneries of his travels in my mind, thinking about all the scrupulously presented annotations by Watson, so that we may acquaint the history and meandres of the times better. A book is an insight into the mind of the author, and a window into his times, all the dust that the dead gathered are alive with poetry. 'Living water needs living fire to boil' - in the words of Su Tung-P'o. Let's share this chalice.… (mais)

I don't know that I have the energy to write a review like this book *deserves* -- but I'm stunned no one has reviewed it! Just gobsmacked. This is a ~600 page survey of Japanese poetry from (I think) the oldest things there are to the work of poets born well into the 20th century. It feels pretty comprehensive, and it runs from things that are so ... I don't know, elemental ... they're hard to connect with, through loads of haiku, hokku, renga, tanka and so on, loads of which are wonderfully evocative of the natural world, to ... well, very modern stuff. You *won't* love everything presented here, but you *will* come away enriched, thrilled anew with poetry's possibilities, and curious about a culture where poetry seems ... ah, I dunno, *important*? I ordered my copy used, and to my irritation I got a copy with a broken spine, that has chunks of pages falling out. Normally I'd unload a book like that, but this one is so good I'm going to keep it (and probably replace it with a better copy). Get it!… (mais)

This book contains the "inner chapters," not the entire Chuang Tzu, but generally considered the essential and least corrupt chapters. It's one of my favorite books, and after reading Watson's translation I'm unable to read anyone else's - it's wonderful (and there are quite a few weak versions, and weaker paraphrases). Of the Chinese classics I've read this is not only the most subtle and profound, it's sometimes absolutely hilarious. His parodies of Confucianism are a riot, his magical unrealism is timeless, his man dreaming he's a butterfly - or is it the other way around? - the useless tree that's preserved itself so long by being useless, not like all those fructiferous trees .... It's a rare combination of inane silliness with serious reflections on human nature, existence, nature and metaphysics (if that's the right term).… (mais)