"Fields and Gardens" Poetry: Poems Beyond City Walls
Ancient Chinese poets, often from the educated upper class, frequently had ambitions to serve the emperor and secure government positions to realize their political aspirations. However, these ambitions were not always fulfilled. Instead, some chose to live as recluses in the countryside or embrace rural life, leaving behind many poems that reflect life outside city walls. These poems are considered part of the “Fields and Gardens” poetry genre, which celebrates the contemplative nature of rural life away from urban centers. In this article, we have translated two poems from this category.
饮酒 Drinking Wine 陶渊明 (Author: Tao Yuanming, 4th century) 结庐在人境, Build hut at man place 而无车马喧。 But no carriage horse noise 问君何能尔? Ask you possible can like this 心远地自偏。 heart far place naturally remote 采菊东篱下, pick chrysanthemum east fence under 悠然见南山。 far leisurely see south mountain 山气日夕佳, mountain air sun set lovely 飞鸟相与还。 fly bird each other and return 此中有真意, this inside have true meaning 欲辨已忘言。 want explain already lost words
Translation: I built my hut in a world of men, But there’s no sound of carriages and horses. You ask me how this is possible. When the heart is far away, surroundings become remote. I pick chrysanthemums by the east fence, And idly gaze at the southern mountain. The mountain air is so beautiful at sunset, As the birds fly home together. There’s true meaning in this. I want to explain, but I’ve already forgotten the words.
游山西村 Traveling to a Village West of the Mountain 陆游 (Author: Lu You, 12th century) 莫笑农家腊酒浑,no laugh farm family winter wine murky 丰年留客足鸡豚。ample year keep guest enough chicken pig/meat 山重水复疑无路,mountain layers water repeat doubt no road 柳暗花明又一村。willow dark flower bright again one village 箫鼓追随春社近,bamboo flute drum chase follow spring sacrifice near 衣冠简朴古风存。clothes hat simple rustic ancient style exist 从今若许闲乘月,From today if allow leisure take advantage of moon 拄杖无时夜叩门。lean on walking stick unscheduled night knock at door
Translation: Don’t laugh at the murky winter wine in a farmer’s cottage In the good years there’s enough chicken and pork for guests There are so many mountains and with the way the river twists, you think there’s no road And then, dark willows, bright blossoms, another village appears. Pipers, drummers, chasing and following each other, the spring sacrifice is near. Farmers’ straw hats and simple, country clothes, the old way of life is not forgotten. From now on, please allow me to take advantage of a full moon, Leaning leisurely on my cane, I’ll knock on your door some evening.
Translation notes: The first poem was written by Tao Yuanming, who is sometimes considered the father of Fields and Gardens poetry. Tao lived during the late Eastern Jin dynasty, a time when the Jin empire faced constant external military threats from the north and internal rebellions, leading to frequent wars, civil disorder, and violence. Consequently, some educated upper-class individuals, like Tao, became disillusioned and no longer wished to serve in the court. Instead, Tao chose a reclusive life and wrote many poems about his experiences in the countryside. This poem exemplifies the Field and Garden style. It is set not in the wilderness, but in “the world of men,” yet its subject is natural beauty and contemplation. Much Fields and Gardens poetry is Taoist, and at least one translator has gone so far as to translate the penultimate line as: “Within this natural scene lies the artistic mood necessary for creation, and the real meaning of the Dao.” We translate this poem much more literally than this, but we agree that this line of translation sums up much of the spirit of this poem and of Field and Garden poetry generally. The meaning reflected in the last couplet is very similar to the last couplet of “Painted Zither,” which we have also translated. Both couplets point to the ineffable nature of life. The second poem was written by Lu You, a poet from the Southern Song dynasty. Although this poem belongs to the Field and Garden school of poetry, as it describes a pleasing natural landscape, it deviates slightly from the Field and Garden tradition, which generally focuses more on the contemplative aspects of rural life. The emphasis in this poem is on the rural people rather than the rural surroundings, and the overall effect is one of happy engagement rather than contemplative withdrawal. The second couplet has long been famous for its encouragement of perseverance toward an uncertain goal. In fact, it is so famous that Secretary Clinton recited it in 2010 during her remarks at the Shanghai World Expo. The translation she used is as follows: “After endless mountains and rivers that leave doubt whether there is a path out, suddenly one encounters the shade of a willow, bright flowers and a lovely village.” We chose to use the second person rather than the third to increase the sense of intimacy. We do not describe the village as lovely since “lovely” is not in the original. Other translations of this poem have been more literal than ours, though, at least with regards to the final line in which they accurately state that the proposed visits are “unscheduled” or “out of time.” We hope that this idea of a spontaneous visit was adequately implied in our version. We felt that words such as “unscheduled” were a little clumsy and out of place in the English version of the poem.