Hsu Chicheng. Blooming Poetry Flowers: Selected Poems by Hsu Chicheng (Chinese – English). Translated by Zhang Zhizhong. Chongqing City: The Earth Culture Press (USA), 2012. Pages 382. Price CNY 50.00, US $ 25.00. ISBN 978-0-9637599-6-2 / E.009
Hsu Chicheng’s Selected Poems volume seeks to present his poetic excellence or, as the poet would like to say, “a new starting point” in his life after the 70s. Hsu Chicheng has been writing poetry for the past five decades, celebrating nature and humanity: his poems represent the native landscape, idyllic life and human values with respect for Chinese tradition and culture:
“-I am determined to dedicate myself to human beings
And I don’t care if you eat my flesh or drink my blood “(p. 361).
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“The fire of the force will never be extinguished
And it will burn more savagely, savagely … “(p. 359)
Since I don’t know Chinese, I can’t say if he also follows traditional Chinese poetic forms and styles, but he is modern in his perspective and true to his personal experiences and vision. As it points out in its preamble:
“My pieces are written with more blood than ink. Humanism is the basic point of my writing; with the usual themes of the countryside, landscape and nature, to praise the sunny side of human life and to push people towards go ahead, in order to finally bring benefit to my readers … Over the past 50 years, the Taiwan Poetry Forum has been a lively scene: various styles and various schools of poems. But I do not follow any other school than my own. own pastoral school. in my own way, tilling my own land, sowing my own seeds and cultivating my own crops … “(p. 13)
Obviously, Hsu Chicheng writes with commitment. His poetic sensitivity is rooted in nature, the sea and rivers, hills and mountains, winds and rains, fields and agricultural activities, docile birds and domestic animals, the sincerity and simplicity of the people of the countryside. , their honesty and tolerance, and the hardships of rural and urban life, etc. He is also aware of the transitions experienced at different times in his career as a teacher, journalist, military judge, and post-retirement activities as a poet, translator, and editor. His poetic imagination exudes a sense of history.
Although he endures challenges of diverse socio-political nature and ups and downs in his own life, his visionary orientation is “self-centered” despite the disappointing foreign political and economic climate. The fighter in him exhorts: “Hold on to the will / Never let go of the target / He is not afraid of bitterness / He is not afraid of loneliness / He will go his own way alone / To tread the roughness even / To dispel the mist / Walk out of the winds and the rains / To embrace the sun “p. 357), just as the meditator rejoices in him: “Sitting in silence / The stillness is here / The stillness is with me / Only two: her and me” (p. 369). Hsu yearns for peace and enjoys it through inner stillness “deep in the night.” In fact, poetry is your spiritual aspiration and fulfillment.
At 73, Hsu rejoices in hope and faith:
“There is nothing wrong with retirement
There is nothing wrong with dusk
I can still paint
–Though he’s painting the glow
You can paint better “(p. 165)
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“Now it’s getting dark! Twilight is coming
What is the length of the long lane ahead?
Is the lane smooth or difficult to walk?
Despite the uncertainty
Despite tiredness and difficulty walking
Without stopping and without rest
One’s courage must be taken with both hands
To appreciate and draw the colorful glow of the sunset “(p. 475)
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“He still does not give up his hope
He’s on the search without sparing any effort
… (p. 367)
Hsu loves glitter (p. 355) and sees hope in winter, “Never lose faith / And wait patiently” (p. 353), as he puts it. For him, getting old is a blessing, a new opportunity:
“This time to be more firm and firm
Spiritually oneself must be completely remodeled
To overcome body aging
To carry the burden of the years
Walking in scorching heat, severe cold, and winds and rains.
To cross myriads of hills and streams, as well as potholes in roads … ”
(‘Seventy years like spring’, p. 351)
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“We lift our heads and overlook, waiting for another world
We lift our heads and overlook, waiting for another spring ”
(‘Reappearance’, p. 347)
Hsu Chicheng, as a sensitive observer of self, others, and nature, expresses a free spirit with awareness of the cycle of change and memories of childhood, growth, and aging. His poems are as genuine as his silver hair and they keep the fire of hope and faith alight (cf. pp. 333, 299, 271, 257).
The literal word-for-word translation of poet editor Zhang Zhizhong, it seems to me, successfully shows the growth of Hsu’s mind and personality and places him at the forefront of contemporary Chinese poetry. He is ably joined by a couple of other translator poets, namely Yang Zongze, Yang Xu, and Hsu Chicheng himself, who translate some of the best poems in the collection. I also feel that with their careful reading of Hsu’s poetic texts and / or their presentation in real contexts, Zhang Zhizhong and others have helped open up new spaces in Chinese poetry, be it from mainland China or from Hong Kong and Taiwan. The translators deserve congratulations for their expert interpretation of Hsu’s inspiring and refreshing texts and contexts.
