FIR-FLOWER TABLETS
POEMS FROM THE CHINESE
MAP OF
CHINA
SHOWING
In Black, the Present Divisions and names
In Red, the Ancient Districts &c. referred to in the Poems
(The transliteration used is that of the Post Office)
FIR-FLOWER TABLETS
Poems translated from the Chinese by
FLORENCE AYSCOUGH
Hon. Mem. North China Branch, Royal Asiatic Society
ENGLISH VERSIONS
BY
AMY LOWELL
BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
The Riverside Press, Cambridge
1921
COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY FLORENCE AYSCOUGH AND AMY LOWELL.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
PREFACE
BY AMY LOWELL
Let me state at the outset that I know no Chinese. Myduty in Mrs. Ayscough's and my joint collaboration hasbeen to turn her literal translations into poems as near tothe spirit of the originals as it was in my power to do. Ithas been a long and arduous task, but one which has amplyrepaid every hour spent upon it. To be suddenly introducedto a new and magnificent literature, not throughthe medium of the usual more or less accurate translation,but directly, as one might burrow it out for one's self withthe aid of a dictionary, is an exciting and inspiring thing.The method we adopted made this possible, as I shallattempt to show. The study of Chinese is so difficult thatit is a life-work in itself, so is the study of poetry. A sinologuehas no time to learn how to write poetry; a poet hasno time to learn how to read Chinese. Since neither of uspretended to any knowledge of the other's craft, ourassociation has been a continually augmenting pleasure.
I was lucky indeed to approach Chinese poetry throughsuch a medium. The translations I had previously readhad given me nothing. Mrs. Ayscough has been to me thepathway to a new world. No one could be a more sympa[vi]theticgo-between for a poet and his translator, and Mrs.Ayscough was well-fitted for her task. She was born inShanghai. Her father, who was engaged in business there,was a Canadian and her mother an American. She lived inChina until she was eleven, when her parents returned toAmerica in order that their children might finish theireducation in this country. It was then that I met her, sothat our friendship is no new thing, but has persisted, inspite of distance, f