Chinese Poem- Translated by A Z Foreman

Poems Found In Translation: “Wen Yiduo: Stagnant Water (From Chinese)” Wen Yiduo: Stagnant Water (From Chinese) Posted: 08 May 2016 03:11 PM PDT A perhaps ill-advised attempt at translating a poem from modern Chinese, which I don't know that well.  I tried to use an anapest-differentiated version of iambic pentameter for the rather ingenious metrical pattern that appears to be used here. Stagnant Water By Wén YÄ«duō Translated by A.Z. Foreman Here lies a ditch of hopeless stagnant water, Fresh breezes can't breathe half a ripple from its skin. Better just junk your copper scrap metal here Or dump the leftovers from dinner in. Perhaps the copper will turn emerald green And in rusting cans peach blossom petals will bloom. Then let grease weave out a film of silken gauze  And microbes brew up clouds of colorful brume. Oh let the dead water ferment into green liquor Abrim with floating pearls in its white foam Sweet little pearls that, laughing, turn into large pearls And burst when the liquor-raiding mosquitos come Thus may a ditch of hopelessly dead water Still boast some lively brightness where it lies If the frogs cannot tolerate the desolation Hear croaking song from stagnant water rise! Here lies a ditch of hopeless stagnant water. It's really no place for Beauty to keep state.  Better let Hellion Ugliness cultivate it And see what kind of world it will create. The Original: 死水　　　　　　　　　Sǐshuǐ 聞一多　　　　　　　　Wén YÄ«duō 這是一溝絕望的死水，　Zhè shì yÄ« gōu juéwàngde sǐshuǐ, 清風吹不起半點漪淪。　qÄ«ngfÄ“ng chuÄ« bùqǐ bàndiÇŽn yÄ«lún 不如多扔些破銅爛鐵，　Bùrú duō rÄ“ng xiÄ“ pò tóng làntiÄ›, 爽性潑你的剩菜殘羹。　shuÇŽngxìng pō nǐde shèng cài cángÄ“ng. 也許銅的要綠成翡翠，　YÄ›xÇ” tóngde yāo lÇœ chéng fÄ›icuì, 鐵罐上鏽出幾瓣桃花；　tiÄ›guàn shàng xiù chÅ« jǐ bàn táohuā; 再讓油膩織一層羅綺，　zài ràng yóunì zhÄ« yÄ« céng luōqǐ, 黴菌給他蒸出些雲霞。　méijÅ«n gÄ›i tā zhÄ“ng chÅ« xiÄ“ yúnxiá. 讓死水酵成一溝綠酒，　Ràng sǐshuǐ jiàochéng yÄ« gōu lÇœ jiÇ”, 飄滿了珍珠似的白沫；　piāo mÇŽnle zhÄ“nzhÅ« shìde báimò; 小珠們笑聲變成大珠，　xiÇŽo zhÅ«men xiàoshÄ“ng biànchéng dà zhÅ«, 又被偷酒的花蚊咬破。　yòu bèi tōujiÇ”de huāwén yÇŽopò. 那麼一溝絕望的死水，　Nàme yÄ« gōu juéwàngde sǐshuǐ, 也就誇得上幾分鮮明。　yÄ›jiù kuā déshàng jǐfÄ“n xiānmíng. 如果青蛙耐不住寂寞，　RúguÇ’ qÄ«ngwā nàibuzhù jìmò, 又算死水叫出了歌聲。　yòusuàn sǐshuǐ jiàochÅ«le gÄ“shÄ“ng. 這是一溝絕望的死水，　Zhè shì yÄ« gōu juéwàngde sǐshuǐ, 這裡斷不是美的所在，　zhèlǐ duàn bùshì mÄ›ide suÇ’zài, 不如讓給醜惡來開墾，　bùrú ràng gÄ›i chÇ’u'è lái kāikÄ›n, 看他造出個什麼世界。　kàn tā zàochÅ« gè shénme shìjiè.