I've started working with a friend in Brazil, who's also into Chinese poetry, on translating the 二十四詩品 Twenty-Four Kinds of Poetry, a work attributed to 司空圖 Sikong Tu, into Portuguese. I don't know much about Sikong Tu, and it seems like there's not a lot known about him in the first place, even among Chinese sources. He does have one of the few two-character surnames in China, which is cool.
The only English translation of his work that I've found is by Herbert Giles—yeah, that Giles—and while it's a product of its time, it's nice having it for comparison. Anyway, I figured I'd share my rough English version of the fourth poem in the series. In the future I'll add more, though I'll probably hold off on the Portuguese versions until Paulo and I figure out what the hell we're gonna do with them.
Enjoy!
微臣
史大偉
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沈著
司空圖
綠杉野屋，落日氣清
脫巾獨步，時聞鳥聲
鴻雁不來，之子遠行
所思不遠，若為平生
海風碧雲，夜渚月明
如有佳語，大河前橫
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"Deep in Thought"
Sikong Tu
In the space between green firs, sunset and clear weather
Head bare, walking alone, when I heard the sound of birds
The geese have not arrived, and she is far away
My thoughts bring her closer, as they have all my life
Blue-green clouds on the sea breeze, bright moon on nighttime islets
You speak fine words, the Yellow River before you running west to east
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