Sino Zeal

In class, we read Matsuo Bashō 's work, Oku no Hosomichi ( Narrow Road to the Interior ) (1694). He is a famous Japanese Edo period poet and considered a master of haiku poetry. His work is truly beautiful, capturing amazing scenes and feelings in his verse. However, this lead our (Chinese) Comparative Lit teacher to talk about the origin of haiku poetry and how Chinese poetry influenced the style. Haiku originated from Chinese jue ju , or curtailed verse in its form. And this is how jue ju came about: China in the post-Han era also absorbed inspiration from Buddhism and writings from India that were translated from Sanskrit into Chinese. Buddhism gained strength in China as disorder increased and the domination of Confucian thought diminished. The first major sign of this influence on literature was the adoption of elements of Sanskrit poetic structure, which resulted in two new Chinese verse forms: jue ju (curtailed verse) and lü shi (regulated verse). Both of the verse forms...

江碧鸟逾白 江碧鸟逾白 山青花欲燃 今春看又过 何日是归年 jiāng bì niǎo yú bái shān qīng huā yù rán jīn chūn kàn yòu guò hé rì shì guī nián The river: blue-green like jade. The bird: perfectly white. The mountain: green. Flowers yearn to burst open. This spring: I watch it pass again. Which day shall I return? Original poem composed by Du Fu. Translation by Elizabeth Paich, 2009. Originally Posted: 2009.

春望 国破山河在 城春草木深 感时花溅泪 恨别鸟惊心 烽火连三月 家书抵万金 白头搔更短 浑欲不胜簪 Spring View The country is broken. The mountains and rivers are here. The city's spring is deep with grass and trees. Moved by the moment, flowers are splashed with tears. Detesting parting - a bird startles the heart. The flame of the beacon fires has continued for three months. Family letters are worth ten thousand gold. Scratching the white hair on my head, it's thinning, and cannot hold a hairpin. Originally composed by Du Fu. Translated by Elizabeth Paich, 2009. Originally Posted: 2009.

迟日江山丽 春风花草香 泥融飞燕子 沙暖睡鸳鸯 chí rì jiāng shān lì chūn fēng huā cǎo xiāng ní róng fēi yàn zǐ shā nuǎn shuì yuān yāng Mountains and rivers - Beautiful under the slow sun Spring breeze - The fragrance of flowers and grasses The mud has thawed - Sparrows fly Warm sand - Mandarin ducks sleep Original Poem Composed by Du Fu Translation by Elizabeth Paich, 2009. Originally Posted: 2009