Learn Ancient Chinese Poetry
Why Ancient Chinese Poetry?
There are more than several reasons why readers of ancient Chinese poetry in English come to this site and others. Obviously these translations are not written for people with native Chinese language skills. They are written for the non-Chinese speakers and readers, as well as for the ABCs, that is the American Born Chinese. Or more inclusively, the foreign-born Chinese.
Learning about another language, history, culture and society is not only interesting and informative, but perhaps the most powerful reason is that it illuminates and widens one’s knowledge and appreciation for the society and culture one was born into, as well as an appreciations for the cultures of the world.
The wisdom and insights that pour forth from the poems of the ancient Chinese are just as revealing today as they were back then. These poets and philosophers faced the same basic challenges that have faced humankind since the beginnings of recorded history, and probably even before. For them, they had to find ways and solutions for living and working within the challenges of oppressive, as well as enlightened regimes. The criminality, corruption, political intrigues, and lack of virtue they often experienced were nothing unique or extraordinary. A large minority of their poems and writings reveal their struggles in dealing with these dark and powerful forces. In typical Chinese fashion, the solutions most often found were not confrontation, but in moving around them, like river water flowing around a large boulder, as described by The Way (Dao) (Daoism of Laozi and Zhuangzi). Life was too precious for them to give up by trying useless and violent remedies. So, they condemned immorality and injustice often, but indirectly, through the historical allusions and metaphors that are carefully and intentionally placed within their poems.
For a more complete appreciation, perhaps simply look at and review the categories I have set up. These include poems of family and friends; love of beauty and arete; embracing the beauty of our natural world including the seasons, flora and fauna; the times and trials of warfare; travels to and from government assignments and their hometowns; departure poems from family and friends because of their travels; social satire after witnessing the injustices, as well as political satire when trying to navigate around the dark and oppressive forces both within and outside the imperial palace; appreciation of what goes into the knowledge of living a good and purposeful life (savior faire); times of seclusion during vacations and retirements; and finally the transitory nature of life during the time of maturity and the aging process.
Larry Elder was born and raised near Los Angeles in Southern California. He graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in History and Sociology. After some world travel, he began his study and reading of American, British, and English-translated poetry. With the purchase of Sunflower Splendor, a large anthology of ancient Chinese poetry, his fascination of Chinese poetry, literature and culture began.
Larry’s work careers have included years working for the federal government and in public education. In 2001 he graduated with a Masters Degree in Speech and Language Pathology from CSU Chico. Since this time he had been a licensed and practicing Speech and Language Pathologist. He retired in 2020.
Ning Qinzhong (Aling) was born, and spent her early childhood in a small town in Jilin Province, China. She began her formal education and graduated from a high school in the city of Xitang, Zhejiang Province. She then graduated from college with a major in Chinese at the Hangzhou Normal School in Hangzhou, China. Ms. Ning lived for several years in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province. She is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Wuyu, and English.
In 2004 Larry and Aling met in Zhongshan. That summer Larry taught English in the city library, and they were married during this time. They have been translating ancient Chinese poetry ever since. Both Larry and Aling have traveled widely throughout China. They currently live in Southern California with their daughter.
This website is dedicated to bringing ancient Chinese poetry to the modern English reading public. We expect our readers to be both foreign-born Chinese and non-Chinese who want to develop their awareness and appreciation of traditional Chinese literature and art. Along the way, we hope to inform and inspire, not only with the artistic aspects of the poems, but also bring in Chinese visual arts, historical, linguistic, cultural and political contexts, and even some travel pictures. Although discussions, notes and commentaries will be included, this site is not meant to be scholarly. In the end we seek to provide popular and important ancient Chinese poets and poems for your edification and enjoyment.
New Developments:
In September 2022, I began the project of editing and adding more commentaries to my poem entries. This project also includes adding the new categories of : “The Selected and Best of ______” to more easily direct my readers to the poems that I feel have the qualities that deserve the category’s name.