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William Dolby

Classical Chinese Translations and Research

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7. Ma Chih-yüan's Complete San-ch'ü-aria Poems

 

Book Details

These various translations occurred throughout Bill's career but were finally pulled together into this paper-backed, self-published work in 2004. This work represents the 7th of 33 of the Chinese Culture Series.

In 2016 a new edition was published

  • Paperback: 278 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2 edition (16 Dec. 2016) by Straightback Publishing
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1541145488
  • ISBN-13: 978-1541145481
  • Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.5 x 22.9 cm

Please contact us on availablity of this work

The free poems of the Chinese playwright and poet Ma Chiy-yuan (13th century AD) include some of the very best of the times, and indeed some unmatched elsewhere. This is the first complete translation of his poems, and for many of them the first Western language translation. He has a wide range of topics: Love, dropping out from society, lending a favourite horse, a unique description of fast calligraphy in action, the fragility of dynasties, political failures and successes, scenic vignettes, and others. The poems are written in the most spontaneous-feeling multi-level style of Chinese verse, and are resonant with many allusions to other literature, and to history and myths, this book providing extensive background elucidations for the extra depth and intricacy which the use of allusion involves. The poems further give us a vivid glimpse of the attitudes and philosophy of a poet in China under Mongol rule and at the time of Marco Polo's descriptions.