Su Dongpo (1037–1101)

This is the fourth book with Burton Watson in charge of the translation that I read. As I'm absolutely not acquainted with the Chinese language, I'm extremely happy that such jewels were rendered into the english language. For all I know in ancient China heroes were cultural, i.e. no man of war was praised, no person of great conquest. People who set foundations for cultural values and development of civilizational refinement were much respected. Su Tung-P'o was definitely a Confucian ideal: He was punished by the Emperor's ruling party once - by justly siding with the people when his better judgment told him to - and he was right, pardoned later. Yet his forebearance and a sense of righteousness portray a deeply wounded man, whose first beloved wife passed away early. Who was moved from place to place without firm rooting by official governmental decrees. Poems as lifeblood of mawkish uprightness, overcoming the sentiment and moving forth, partially drunk where he reminds of Ommar Khayyam and his praises to wine in the Rubayyat. I envisioned sceneries of his travels in my mind, thinking about all the scrupulously presented annotations by Watson, so that we may acquaint the history and meandres of the times better. A book is an insight into the mind of the author, and a window into his times, all the dust that the dead gathered are alive with poetry. 'Living water needs living fire to boil' - in the words of Su Tung-P'o. Let's share this chalice.… (más)

This is the fourth book with Burton Watson in charge of the translation that I read. As I'm absolutely not acquainted with the Chinese language, I'm extremely happy that such jewels were rendered into the english language. For all I know in ancient China heroes were cultural, i.e. no man of war was praised, no person of great conquest. People who set foundations for cultural values and development of civilizational refinement were much respected. Su Tung-P'o was definitely a Confucian ideal: He was punished by the Emperor's ruling party once - by justly siding with the people when his better judgment told him to - and he was right, pardoned later. Yet his forebearance and a sense of righteousness portray a deeply wounded man, whose first beloved wife passed away early. Who was moved from place to place without firm rooting by official governmental decrees. Poems as lifeblood of mawkish uprightness, overcoming the sentiment and moving forth, partially drunk where he reminds of Ommar Khayyam and his praises to wine in the Rubayyat. I envisioned sceneries of his travels in my mind, thinking about all the scrupulously presented annotations by Watson, so that we may acquaint the history and meandres of the times better. A book is an insight into the mind of the author, and a window into his times, all the dust that the dead gathered are alive with poetry. 'Living water needs living fire to boil' - in the words of Su Tung-P'o. Let's share this chalice.… (más)

This is the fourth book with Burton Watson in charge of the translation that I read. As I'm absolutely not acquainted with the Chinese language, I'm extremely happy that such jewels were rendered into the english language. For all I know in ancient China heroes were cultural, i.e. no man of war was praised, no person of great conquest. People who set foundations for cultural values and development of civilizational refinement were much respected. Su Tung-P'o was definitely a Confucian ideal: He was punished by the Emperor's ruling party once - by justly siding with the people when his better judgment told him to - and he was right, pardoned later. Yet his forebearance and a sense of righteousness portray a deeply wounded man, whose first beloved wife passed away early. Who was moved from place to place without firm rooting by official governmental decrees. Poems as lifeblood of mawkish uprightness, overcoming the sentiment and moving forth, partially drunk where he reminds of Ommar Khayyam and his praises to wine in the Rubayyat. I envisioned sceneries of his travels in my mind, thinking about all the scrupulously presented annotations by Watson, so that we may acquaint the history and meandres of the times better. A book is an insight into the mind of the author, and a window into his times, all the dust that the dead gathered are alive with poetry. 'Living water needs living fire to boil' - in the words of Su Tung-P'o. Let's share this chalice.… (más)

This is the fourth book with Burton Watson in charge of the translation that I read. As I'm absolutely not acquainted with the Chinese language, I'm extremely happy that such jewels were rendered into the english language. For all I know in ancient China heroes were cultural, i.e. no man of war was praised, no person of great conquest. People who set foundations for cultural values and development of civilizational refinement were much respected. Su Tung-P'o was definitely a Confucian ideal: He was punished by the Emperor's ruling party once - by justly siding with the people when his better judgment told him to - and he was right, pardoned later. Yet his forebearance and a sense of righteousness portray a deeply wounded man, whose first beloved wife passed away early. Who was moved from place to place without firm rooting by official governmental decrees. Poems as lifeblood of mawkish uprightness, overcoming the sentiment and moving forth, partially drunk where he reminds of Ommar Khayyam and his praises to wine in the Rubayyat. I envisioned sceneries of his travels in my mind, thinking about all the scrupulously presented annotations by Watson, so that we may acquaint the history and meandres of the times better. A book is an insight into the mind of the author, and a window into his times, all the dust that the dead gathered are alive with poetry. 'Living water needs living fire to boil' - in the words of Su Tung-P'o. Let's share this chalice.… (más)