Poetry / China

THE POET WANG WEI SEARCHING FOR MEANING AND ENLIGHTENMENT
(AN EXPANDED APPRECIATION OF SELECTED POEMS)

Carlos Miguel Botão Alves*

PROLOGUE

After successfully passing the Imperial Examination and having been awarded the jingshi grade, Wang Wei (°701-†761), a famous poet of the Tang dynasty (618-907AD), became a civil servant and was posted to several remote locations.

A fervent Buddhist, he studied closely the sacred texts. He was a good friend of the poet Pei Di with whom he shared strong intellectual affinities. Recognized in life as a man of multiple talents, historically he gradually acquired the reputation of the ideal personification of a literati - the Chinese equivalent of an European humanist.

His poetical work is imbued by deep philosophical thoughts expressed by a complex semantic structure, the ultimately revealing character of the author as a man of singular ideas and pure simplicity. His strong attachment to the ideas of chan Buddhism and even of Daoism transpire with deep resonance from within the context of his poems.

This short essay analyses a group of poems by Wang Wei written during the eighth century. The selection procedure followed a thematic criterium whose predominant concern was to establish a particular homogeneity within a much larger poetical corpus.

Due to my insufficient knowledge of the Chinese language I am deliberately not addressing the formal structure of the selected group of poems. 1 Closely following Wang Wei's selected poems, this article attempts to explicate the intellectual development of the poet's 'ideas' (sometimes comparing them with works of other Chinese poets and sometimes even with works by Western literary authors in order to bring to light the key lines of his poetical output).

§ 1. INTRODUCTION

Following the ruling establishment of the Han (206-220BC), the early Tang reinstanted a centralised imperial government in China. This centralization gave rise to an unprecedented increase in the Arts. With the passing of time China became progressively open to foreign influences - mainly to Indian Buddhism - simultaneously expanded its culture to the empire's bordering regions, thus developing a sinicization process. Both the first Tang capital Chang'an, and the second capital Luoyang,· progressively became centres of a social élite. From these cosmopolitan centres emerged a prolific class of highly cultured and enlightened literati. With the reintroduction of the old examination system, poetry attained a high degree of refinement, subtlety and sophistication. Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Li Bai, Weng Wei and others were at the intellectual forefront of this 'Cultural Spring'.

Specifically regarding the prevailing themes in Wang Wei's poetry, specially noticeable is the explicit personal involvement of the poet related to all selected themes and motives. This personal involvement expressed by the presence of a 'Self'-- thinking, feeling, brooding, contemplating, etc. - clearly testifies to a flowering poetical lyricism (i. e., En rentrant du Mont Song (Return to Mount Sung)2and Ma retraite à Zhongnan (My Mount Chungnan Cottage)3).

During the Tang this lyricism gained new expressive values. Wang Wei and others selected themes for their poems which deliberately dwelt with the existence of identification between the prosaic narrator and the poem's active protagonist.

Wang Wei, primed in the technique of handling textual construction repeatedly made use of it in order to express his ideology which was much influenced by Buddhism.

Complying with this structure, the poems were presented as an 'act' of the poet's protagonist addressed as much to Nature as to himself, which frequently appear in unison, thus reinforcing the notion of reflective time, figuratively evoked by dusk after sundown, moonlight, the darkness of the night (i. e., "[...] lorsque la nuit tombe dans cet immense labyrinthe / je médite [...]"4), etc. Such qualities which may be considered as 'romantic' poetical facets, were discursive agents of an ideology of evasion rather than commitment. In broad terms, Wang Wei's poetical framework consisted or going beyond the presence of the active protagonist, utilizing constrasting elements which qualitatively portrayed the environment such as the moonlight with its glow and the abyss of the night (i. e., "[...] une crête sépare les paysages / l 'ombre et la lumière jouent dans les valées [...]"5), leading to a contemplative stage of the reader's 'Self' (i. e., "[...] j'ai appris à mediter dans la montagne, en contemplant les frais ciriers [...]"6).

These constants, which through their repetitiveness - maybe overabundant - are present in almost all the poems of the selected group, place the reader in a position so as to appreciate a much larger poetical corpus of the work of Wang Wei. Thus the reader can gain an even deeper understanding of these poems. In some poems were the skillfull formality of the metaphors and the subtly rendered imagery convey a subjectivity which permeates through Nature, (i. e., "[...] la voiture avance au pas de mon cheval / l'eau coule au rythme de mes pensées /je rentre au crépuscule en compagnie des oiseaux [...]"7).

Self-portrait. Attributed to WANG WEI 王維 (°701-†761). Ink on rice paper. In: ABREU. António Graça de Abreu, trans. and notes, Poemas de Wang Wei, (Clássicos Chineses), Macau. Instituto Cultural de Macau, 1993, p.199.

As Meng Haoran (°689-†740), Wang Wei wrote a considerable number of poems with magnificent landscapes, fantastic mountains, imposing rivers, dense forests and secluded territories behind which the sun forever gloriously sets. The poem Réponse au sous-préfet Zhang (In answer to Assistant Magistrate Chang)8 contains all these elements.

The choice of such motives expresses a poetical sensibility which is quite the opposite of the social and political analysis and critical appreciation of Du Fu and Bai Juyi. Wang Wei treatment of themes is remote from "the poetry of the world" where the verses are concerned with contemporary issues. His poems physically and psychologically transport the reader to isolated locations (i. e.: "Dans la montagne déserte, on ne voit pas une âme [...]"9) proclaiming an eulogy of solitude (i. e., "[...] on n'entend que l'écho d'une voix / entrant dans la forêt profonde [...]"10). Ideograms translated as "déserte" ("deserted"), "quitter" ("leave"), "adieu" (farewell), "solitaire" ("solitary"), and "seul" ("lonesome"), are integral to a mood which vividly reoccurs in the poet's semantic universe.

In many verses the notion of solitude and loneliness is strongly related to the concept of enlightenment, (i. e., "[... moi] inconnu des hommes /la lune brillante vient m'éclairer [...]"11). It is in the silence of the environment that the subjectivity of the poems explores and finds its true 'Self', thus indivisible Nature and Man assuming both a metaphysical transcendence. For his own sake, the protagonist must be fully cogniscent of his 'Way', and this implies for Wang Wei a detachment from worldly values (i. e., "[...] je n'aime plus que le calme / les échos du monde ne me parviennent plus /quand je m'interroge [...]"12).

In close relation to this solitude and isolation, shine the notions of "départ"("departure") and "adieu"("farewell"). Detachment from the worldly matters surpassed by transcendent realities. This itinerary which the subjectivity sets for itself without concern for its destiny (i. e., "[...] nous vidons ensemble une coupe de vin/ ami, dites-moi, oú irez vous maintenant? /je l'ignore encore [...]"13) is materialized in the experience which requires a total commitment of existence. Such an itinerary is not merely a voyage in time but implies a mutation of his own self, as on his way (i. e., "[...] des arbres différents [... l'] accueilleront [...]"14). The voyage of Man's essence is a departure with an altered return as its time and space imply transformation.

Implicitly, the indivisible notions of Nature and Man unveil the intuition of a dialectical evolution projected in a progression which is not 'cumulative' - that of the logic of the world - but of 'elevation' - that where the starting point is never coincidental with that of arrival. This intuition is not altogether dissimilar to those of the Socratian dialogues, particularly present in the poem Chant de la rivière des fleurs de pêcher (Song of the Peach Tree Spring). 15

Self-portrait. Attributed to WANG WEI 王維 (°701-†761). Ink on rice paper. In: ABREU, António Graça de Abreu, trans. and notes, Poemas de Wang Wei, (Clássicos Chineses), Macau, Instituto Cultural de Macau, 1993, p.29.

In it Wang Wei expresses an "adieu" ("farewell") - and not a 'au-revoir' ('see you') - to the world. In the Chanson de la fille de Luoyang (A Song of a Girl from Lo-yang)16 the poet makes it clear that he considers worldly possessions as nothing but vain and contingent belongings. Both in this poem as in the La chanson de Xi Shi (Song About Xi Shi)17 the poet considers material goods a hindrance to the fulfilment of 'true' life. The La chanson de Xi Shi is the only one of Wang Wei's poems where an attempt at social critique is expressed through stereotyped and obviously exaggerated formulas, (i. e., "[...] l'encens brûle devant elle / car son époux fréquente toutes les / familles de la ville/ et du matin au soir, elle voit les Zhao et les Li / qui songeait à plaindre la fille de Yue au visage de jade / lorsqu'elle était pauvre, lavant la soie à la rivière?"18). The poet categorically expresses his disdain for honours and riches, so unimportant and transient (i. e., "[...] il faut sans cesse redire au filles de son village/qu'il est inutile qu'elles l'imitent [à Xi Shi] en fronçant les sourcils."19) as the ephemeral " [...]flews de pêcher [...]."20) Wang Wei conceives life as a continuous pursuit of the 'Way' with a disdain for worldly ambitions. For him life is too short and one must continuously press ahead towards the fulfilment of one's ultimate goal: enlightenment. This detachment is an immediate and personal reflection of a deep intellectual awareness which erupts spontaneously in some of his verses (i. e., "[...] la lune brillante vient m'éclairer"21) while in others is apparent through a deeper elaboration (i. e., "Dans la force de l'âge je me sentais de plus en plus attiré vers la Voie /mais ce n'est qu'au soir de la vie que je pus m'installer [...] solitaire / poursuivant des plaisirs connus de moi seul [...]22). Elaborate passages as this attest for the influence of Buddhist philosophy in Wang Wei. Contemporary to the poet, the chan (zen) Buddhist School emphasised the importance of individual meditation as the 'Way' to reach the essence of 'true' reality hidden under this world's illusory appearances.

The poet explores the realms of Nature in opposition to and even detrimental to established worldly values. It is interesting to note that the dichotomy between Nature and worldly established values also became a characteristic of European literature particularly during the nineteenth century Romantic period, although certainly devoid of the Chinese initiatory and esoteric qualities found in the works of Wang Wei.

A Noble Scholar under a Willow. Anonymous. Eleventh century. Ink and colour washes on silk. 61.8 cm x 37.8 cm. Palace Museum Collection, Taichung.

First in John Milton (°1608-†1684) and then in Percy Shelley (° 1792-1822) the lyrical protagonist is enraptured by being a part of its creativity. Wang Wei is sensible to the synchrony between Man - himself- and Nature - his poetry. Les fermiers de la rivière Wei (Peasants by the river Wei)23) clearly expresses his ambitions to life at a 'natural' pace (i. e., "[...] combien j'envie le calme de ce rythme!"24). It could be said that the poet feels so integral to the realm of Nature that both constitute a natural and inseparable unity.

European literature, and particularly Portuguese literature, also express this life's ideal of being in unison with a Nature remote from established worldly values. Francisco Sá de Miranda (°ca 1481-†1558) in his eclogue Basto, eulogises the so-called 'aurea mediocritas'as the vehicle of spiritual liberation attainable through the strict adherence to cultural ideals and the denial of society's trends. Sá de Miranda's pastoral poem presents two symbolic animals: a horse - which stands by moral and spiritual liberation from prescribed social demands -, and a stag - which stands for all those who do not alienate their intellectual freedom.

This Horatian heritage becomes repeatedly materialized in the poems of Luís de Camões (°ca 1524-1580) where the idealization of a 'natural' lifestyle is designated by the words "terra" (lit.: 'earth', or 'land', and in a more generic sense, the 'world'). 'Mountain' may be considered Wang Wei's equivalent key word for this concept because of its ominipresence and literation in his poems. Although some analogies are to be found between the work of Chinese poets and selected European and Portuguese writers, major differences are immediately evident. For instance, in Wang Wei a 'natural' lifestyle is to be in the continuous pursuit of the 'Way' as expressed by the Daoist master Lao Zi· in his Dao De Jing, · is a sublimation of worldly values in order to reach a transcendental realm -thus, a positive motivation. On the other hand, in the poems of Luís de Camões a 'natural' lifestyle is determined by the conscience of the absurdity of human life - thus, not a positive motivation but the choice for a less positive fate achieved via stoic behaviour.

Wang Wei equally prescribes to the 'ideal' of a bucolic lifestyle devoid of excesses, with the greatest of moderations, and orientated towards the pursuit of cultural and pastoral activities (i. e., Les fermiers de la rivière Wei (Peasants by the River Wei). 25

Instead of the 'sea' - a Chinese traditional symbol of 'agitation' - Wang Wei's 'idea' of a bucolic lifestyle implies one's immediate and direct participation. Such an ideology does not exist in the poems of Camões, because Wang Wei's tangibility of idealised unity obviously derives from the Daoist predicaments and teachings of chan Buddhism. The Chinese poet achieves fulfilment with the contemplation of Nature (i. e., "[...] l'eau reflète les joncs et les roseaux / mon coeur est tranquille, en paix / calme comme cette rivière pure/ah! m'installer ici sur un gros rocher et pêcher jusqu' à la fin de mes jours!"26). He 'dreams' of nothing else more than a continous presence in the forests where he finds rest and becomes detached from himself, thus fully participating in the idealised unity with Nature. In this 'natural' environment remote from the echo of worldly concerns which he adamantly refuses (i. e., "[...] les échos du monde ne me parviennet plus [..]"27), he asks no more than a fusion of his being with the surroundings, this fusion in itself becoming the vehicle of his 'Way'.

Early Spring. KUO HSI 郭熙 GUO XI 1072. Hanging scroll. Ink and colour washes on silk. 159.6 cm x 103.0 cm. Palace Museum Collection. Taichung.

Following the teachings of the ninth century Lin-chi and Tsao-tong Schools of thought which aimed at convincing the initiated that any conscious reality of a conceptualization is false, and at leading him beyond the mere concepts, Wang Wei wanted to become the "[...] hôte de la montagne de l'est [...]"28 and to become an erudite of contemplative life (see the poem Adieu a Qiwu Qian qui rentre chez lui après avoir echoué aux examens impériaux (Farewell to Ch'i-wu Ch'ien who is returning to his home after failing his examinations). 29

The relevance of dialogue as a method to reach enlightenment should also be emphasised (i. e., "[...] lorsque la fantaisie me prend, je m'en vais, solitaire/ [...] parfois je rencontre un vieillard dans la forêt/ nous sourions, nous bavardons, nous oublions de rentrer." 30). Example of this expanded dialogue are the poems exchanged between Wang Wei and his friend Pei Di. In fact, Pei Di answered in verse to Wang Wei's poems dedicated to the landscapes of the valley of Wang. In Adieu (Farewell)31 Wang Wei returns to the device of an effective dialogue between himself and the reader. In this dialogue he openly reveals his previously described life's 'ideals'.

The idealisation of the 'aurea mediocritas' was also celebrated in China by the famous poet Tao Qian· (°365-†427). After a successful career as a civil-servant, he renounced all and retired to the remote countryside where he spent the rest of his days exclusively dedicating himself to poetry. Nature was also to become the solace of the society's disillusioned nineteenth century Portuguese writer Alexandre Herculano.

The Chant de la rivière des fleurs de pêcher (Song of the Peach Tree Spring)32 contains all Wang Wei's ideals previously described. In this work, the poet compromises lyricism to the narration in order to elucidate the theme's messages.

The poem describes the allegoric history of a fisherman who entering a cavern, finds another world where people tend the fields and speak "[...] l'ancienne langue des Han [...]",33thus expressing the respect felt during those times by the ancient Han empire and the desire to follow its teachings after four-hundred years of successively chaotic governments. Harmony reigns in such a place - this 'other world' - and the newly established contacts with foreigners are friendly. But, notwithstanding the perfection of this government, the fisherman becomes nostalgic for his people, but incapable to reenter the cavern, can not return home.

As an introduction to the voyage of initiation the poem begins with a discussion on the subject of Nature, the poet stating that no attempts should be made to alter the path of the 'Way' or the destiny of Nature, and inviting the reader to participate in the ectstatic contemplation of a mountain ("[...] le pêcheur se laisse glisser au fil de l'eau, charmé par la montagne printanière [...]"34 ).

There is an astonishing parallelism between the theme of Wang Wei's poem and the cavern Plato (°427-†348BC) described in The Republic. While containing all the fundamental aspects of Wang Wei's poetical style, the Song of the Peach Tree Spring also enhances the pursuit of the 'Way'; that it should be effortless and natural (i. e., "[...] il ne se rend pas compte de la distance/il flotte jusqu'au bout du torrent [...]"35), an itinerary leading to the other world of the Immortals and thus to another life's dimmension (i. e., "[...] anciennement ils habitaient tous à la source de la Wuling / arrives dans un autre monde [...]" 36).

The poet does not put forward an unbelievable and unrealistic realm, but creates in the reader the desire to participate in a utopia with the obvious pedagogic intention of making tangible all 'abstractions', notions and concepts.

All similitudes between Wang Wei's poetical, idealised realm and his contemporary Chinese world were meant to implicitly determine to whom the poets' message was addressed.

But let us consider the utopian facets of this poetical structure where peace and harmony prevail: "[...] ils cultivent des champs et des vergers/ quand la lune brille sous les pins, la calme régne dans leurs enclos [...]. "37All men which inhabit such an utopian place no longer remember the realities of the 'other world' of the Immortals ("[...] ces hommes on fui de la société [...]"38); perfection lies in the distance between these two realms and it is this same 'distance' which gives great impetus and appeal to the voyage. In reality, perfection is in the conscience of all those who inhabit utopia; those who have lost all memories of the established worldly values of the beyond.

Those who embark on the voyage will be transformed because they will become participants of a completely different and novel set of realities. The perils of the journey symbolize all the dangers endured by those in pursuit of the 'Way' ("[...] puis la montagne s'ouvre il voit une plaine immense/de loin [...]"39).

This division - utopia versus reality - has been present since the times of Plato and it is present in the traditional Western concept of tangibility with similar notions and values put forward by Wang Wei. By analogy, the 'aurea mediocritas' equally is the utopian place of the Chinese poet.

In Pei Di's poem Adieu à lui (Farewell to Him) can also be found a reference to the Song of the Peach Tree Spring, already eulogised by Tao Qian. This poet described the journey to the cavern as an ascetical 'Way', which in Western terms could be considered as elevating Man's consciousness to a state of mind which in literary terms is described as a place of perfection - the 'other world', or that of the Immortals.

It is curious that the fisherman does not notice that he has reached that 'other world' of the Immortals ("[...] le pêcheur ne comprend pas qu'il est chez les Immortels, dans un lieu secret [...]"39). Perhaps he was not yet sufficiently enlightened to reach such a stage?! Anyway, what is certain is that all men progress towards enlightenment according to their own capacities, visions, and notions of this world. The firsherman's capacity for hindsight might never allow him to attain the utopian dimension. He understands tangible beauty but at that stage he is at he can not yet grasp the relevance of the pursuit of the 'Way', finding only solace by recalling memories of the past ("[...] il pense à son pays, à son foyer, aux liens qui l'attachent au monde[...]"40).

Wang Wei's poetry seems to be a plea to discard mundane affairs in order to search for the 'Way' (literally illustrated as a deep incision in the mountain; the serenity of reality; the erratic path alienated from the 'natural' progress of events ("[...] à present, il se souvient d'avoir pénétré dans la montagne profonde / Mais quel bras de ce clair torrrent conduit à la forêt perdue dans les nuages[...]"41).

"En quel lieu chercher?"42("No one can tell which may be / the spring of paradise".) Where is the answer? Obviously in ourselves, reenacting in this life the long voyage of the initial sages...

Translated from the French by: Dominique Kress

dites-moi, devant ma fenêtre

les pruniers sont-ils déjà en fleurs?

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit.. p. 125.

Three poems [the second poem]

You've just come from my village

You must have news of my village -

That winter plum outside her curtained window -

Tell me, had it flowered when you left?

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro.. Wang Wei:

Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.46.

Pensant à mes frères au Shandong, le neuvième jour du neuvième mois

Je suis un étranger vivant seul en pays étranger

chaque jour de fête, je pense encore davantage à ma famille

je sais que mes frères, là-bas, graviront une hauteur

chacun portant un rameau de cornouiller -sauf l'absent.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 125.

Remembering my brothers east of the mountains on the ninth of the ninth month

Here I am alone in a strange place a stranger

And always this festival revives thoughts of my people

From far I know my brothers are climbing some high place

All crowned with dogwood their number one short.

In: ROBINSON. G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei: Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books 1973, p.105.

Adressée À Pei Di de ma villa sur la Wang

Les montagnes froides tournent au vert et au bleu

les eaux d'automne ont coulé tout le jour

appuyé sur mon baton, devant la porte de ma chaumière

j'écoute les cigales dans la brise du soir

les derniers rayons de soleil s'attardent sur le gué

une fumée s'élève, toute seule sur la colline

je viens de te croiser, ivre comme Jie Yu

chantant à tue-tête - un vrai Monsieur Cinq Saules.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 126.

For P'ei Ti, while we were living quietly by the Wang River

Cool hills more deeply green

Sound of Autumn streams all day

We lean on our sticks outside my rustic door

And listen windward to cicadas of evening

Sun still sinking over the ford

Up from the village single fire's smoke

And here's another Chieh-yü drunk

Madly singing in front of Five Willows.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei:

Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p. 109.

Soir d'automne dans une hutte de montagne

Le pluie est à nouveau tombée sur la montagne déserte

la fraîcheur du soir annonce déjà l'automne

le clair de lune filtre les sapins

une source de limpide coule sur les cailloux

cris et rires dans les bamboos - le lavandières rentrent

les nénuphars s'agitent au passage des barques de pêche

qu'importe si l'herbe printanière est flétrie

puisque vous êtes ici avec moi, roi des amis

vous me questionnez à propos de succès et d'échecs?

écoutez-au loin, sur l'estuaire, un pêcheur chante!

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit.. p. 126.

Autumn evening in the mountains

After the rain

that covered these mountains

the night air

smells of fall

the moon gleams

away long needle-pines

rushing softly across its rocks

the creeks

glitter

bringing their laundry home

through the bamboos

women chatter

a firsherman poles his boat

through the heavy lotus leaves

swaging

the spring flowers

and their heavy odors

are gone

NOTES

Translator's note: The following poems comprise all those which have been selected by the author to support the theme of his essay, excluding those of which excerpts are quoted in the text which appear indexed to the citations.

Due to discrepancies between the French and English translations of Wang Wei's poems originally written in Chinese, all quotations of the poet's works are given in this English text as presented in French by the author of the article.

Extracts of Wang Wei's poems quoted by the author and repertoried in the following notes, are underlined and contextualised in each corresponding poem, in full. For comparative reference, whenever possible, an English version of the same poem follows the French version.

1 L'ermitage des cerfs

Dans la montagne déserte, on ne voit pas une âme

on n'entend que l'écho d'une voix

entrant clans la fôret profonde: une ombre se glisse

on la voit apparaître sur la mousse verte.

JAEGER, Georgette, trad., L'Anthologie de Trois Cent

Poèmes de la dynastie des Tang, Beijing, Société des

Editions Culturelles Chinoises, 1987, p. 124.

Deer Park

Hills empty, no one to be seen

We only hear voices echoed -

With light coming back into the deep wood

The top of the green moss is lit again.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei:

Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.28.

Poème

Vous arrivez, Monsieur, de mon pays natal

vous savez tout ce qui se passe au village

stick around anyway

old friend

for the beauty of the fall.

In: YOUNG, David, Four Tang poets, Wang Wei... [et al.], "Field Translations: series 4", Oberlin/Ohio, Field, 1980, pp. 30-31.

Adieu à l'envoyé Li qui part pour Zizhou

Dans les dix mille vallées, les arbres effleurent le ciel

les milles montagnes résonnent de l'écho du coucou

une nuit entière de pluie à la montagne

et cent cascades s 'écoulent de la cime des arbres...

les filles de Han offrent un tribut de la toile de coton

les hommes de Ba se querellent à propos de champs de taros

Wen Weng leur a enseigné notre culture

mais qu'avez-vous besion d'exemples des sages d'autrefois?

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 128.

Good-bye to Li, Prefect of Tzuchou

In endless valleys trees reaching to the sky

In numberless hills the call of cuckoos

And in those hills half is all rain

Streaming off branches to multiply the springs -

The native women will bring in local cloth

The men will bring you actions about potato fields

Your revered predecessor reformed their ways

And will you be so bold as to repudiate him?

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei:

Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.106.

De la montagne des Immortels au Pavillon du bonheur, sous la pluie printanière - Harmonisation d'un poème de l'empereur

La Wei s'enroule des remparts de Qin

les montagnes jaunes encerclent toujours les palais des Han

le char orné de sonnailles passe devant les mille saules de la porte sud

la route du palais est une masse compacte de fleurs

sur un haut toit de la Cité interdite, deux phénix dans les nuages

le feuillage printanier abrite de la pluie les foyers du peuple

maintenant que les cieux sont cléments, Sa Majesté part en tournée officielle

ce n 'est pas une simple promenade pour admirer le paysage.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 130.

Written at Command in reply to the Emperor's springdetaining poem on the distant spring view in the rain, on the way from the Magic Palace to the Pavilion of Joy

The river Wei of itself encircled Ch'in's frontiers with its bends

The Yellow Mountains of old surrounded Han's palace with their slopes

The imperial carriage passes far out from the willows at the Immortals" Gate

From the high portico He looks back at the flowers in His park

In the clouds the Imperial City and the Pavilion of the Twin Phoenixes

In the rain the spring trees and the habitations of His subjects-

He uses the positive elements to rule as the time requires

He does not make this Pogress because He values the beauty of things.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro.. Wang Wei: Poems. Harmondsworth, Penguin Books. 1973, p.57.

2 En rentrant du mont Song

La claire rivière s'étire, longue ceinture mince

tandis que la voiture avance au pas de mon cheval

l'eau coule au rythme des mes pensées

je rentre au crépuscule en compagnie des oiseaux

des remparts en ruines dominent le vieil embarcadère

la montagne automnale baigne dans le soleil couchant

du mont Song, ce fut une bien longue descente!

rentré à la maison, je fermerai la porte.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 127.

Return to Mount Sung

The river ran clear between luxuriant banks

And my carriage joged along on its way

And the water seemed to flow with a purpose

And in the evening the birds went back together -

Desolate town confronting an old ford

Setting sun filling the autumn hills

After a long journey, at the foot of Mount Sung

I have come home and shut my door.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei:

Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.88.

3 Ma retraite à Zhongnan

Dans la force de l'âge je me sentais de plus en plus attiré vers la Voie

mais ce n'est qu'au soir de la vie que je pus m 'installer

dans les collines du sud

lorsque la fantaisie me prend, je m'envais, solitaire

poursuivant des plaisirs connus de moi seul

je marche jusqu'au torrent, je le remonte jusqu'à la source

je m'assieds et contemple les nuages qui se forment

parfois je rencontre un vieillard dans la forêt

nous sourions, nous bavardons, nous oublions de rentrer.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 129.

My Mount Chungnan Cottage

Since middle age I've been

a most enthusiastic Bhuddist

now that I'm old I've settled

here in the mountain country

sometimes I get so happy

I have to go off by myself

there are marvelous places

I alone know about

I climb

to the source of the stream

and sit

to watch the rising mists

sometimes I come across

an old man of the woods

we talk and laugh

and forget to go home.

In: YOUNG, David, Four Tang poets, Wang Wei... [et al.],

"Field Translations: series 4", Oberlin/Ohio, Field, 1980, p.34.

4 Vers le temple de la richesse des parfums

Je ne trouve pas le temple de la richesse des parfums

longtemps, j'erre dans les cimes ennuagées

nulle trace de sentier dans cette ancienne forêt

d'où vient le son des cloches, au loin dans la montagne?

une source murmure sur des rochers aigus

la lumière froide du soleil filtre entre les pins verts

lorsque la nuit tombe dans cet immense labyrinthe

je médite pour conquérir le dèsir, ce dragon empoisonné.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 128.

Passing the temple of accumulated fragance

I didn't know the way to the temple

so I walked miles

among the cloudy peaks

walked through primeavel forests

no path

not even a footprint

deep in the mountains

I heard a bell -

where did it come from?

then a little stream

gurgling

among gigantic rocks

even the color of sunlight

looks cool

coming through bluegreen pines

at dusk I knelt

next to a small

deserted lake

meditating

to chase away

the poison dragon of emotion.

In: YOUNG, David, Four Tang poets, Wang Wei... [et al.], "Field Translations: series 4", Oberlin/Ohio, Field, 1980, pp.38-39.

5 Le mont Zhongnan

Près de la capitale impériale, le mont Taiyi

rejoint la chaîne qui s'étend jusqu'à la mer

les nuages blancs se rassemblent derrière moi

entrant dans le brouillard bleu, je ne vois plus rien

au milieu, une crête sépare les paysages

l'ombre et la lumière jouent dans les vallées

désirant trouver un abri pour y passer la nuit

j'interroge un bûcheron sur l'autre rive.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p.127.

The Chungnan Mountains

T'ai-i nearly touching the Citadel of Heaven

Chain of hills down to the edge of the sea

White clouds closing over the distance

Blue haze - nothing comes into view

The central park transforms the whole tract

Dark and light the valleys, each way distinct -

If I want a lodging for the night here

Across the river there's a woodman I may ask.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei:

Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.69.

6 Dans ma retraite sur la Wang, après une grosse pluie

La forêt déserte est gorgée de pluie, la fumée s'élève avec peine

on cuit des légumes et du millet pour les travailleurs des champs de l'est

des hérons blancs survolent les marais inondés

un loriot jaune chante dans le sombre feuillage de l'été...

j'ai appris à méditer dans la montagne, en contemplant les frais ciriers

à manger sous les sapins des graines de fougères trempées de rosée

vieux campagnard, j 'ai renoncé à tous les honneurs ici-bas

pourquoi donc les mouettes me craignent-elles encore?

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p.130.

Written at my house hear the Wang River at a time of incessant rain

Incessant rain, silent woods, smoke rising slow

From fires cooking dinner for the men on the land to the east

Vast vast water fields where the white egrets fly

Dark dark the summer trees where the yellow orioles sing

In the hills I study in peace watch the morning mallows fade

Fast under the pines pick the dew's new sunflowers

These old countrymen and I are equals now -

And need even the seagulls still mistrust me?

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei: Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.51.

7 See: Note 2.

8 Réponse au sous-préfet Zhang

Au soir de ma vie, je n'aime plus que le calme

les échos du monde ne me parviennent plus

quand je m'interroge, je n 'ai pas de plan précis

rien que le désir de retourner dans mes anciennes forêts

le vent qui souffle dans les pins dénouera ma ceinture

la lune de la montagne brillera sur mon luth

et rentretrez le long du lac du Phénix, les ornements de

jade tintant à votre ceinture.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 127.

In answer to Assistant Magistrate Chang

In my late years I only like

Tranquillity, the world's affairs

No longer exercise my mind

Which I now find unpolicied.

Back into the old woods where

Pine winds flutter my loose sash

Hill moon lights me at my lute -

This is all my knowledge. If

You ask me for a principle

Of poverty and riches, listen

The Fisherman's Song comes clear to the shore.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei: Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.97.

9 See: Note 1.

10 Idem.

11 Le pavillon des bambous

Dans le massif de bambous dense

je pince du luth en chantonnant

dans la forêt, inconnu des hommes

la lune brillante vient m'éclairer.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 124.

Bamboo Grove House

I sit alone in the dark bamboos

Play my flute and sing and sing

Deep in the woods where no one knows I am

But the bright moon comes and shines on me there.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei:

Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.31.

12 See: Note 8.

13 Adieu

Descendus du cheval, nous vidons ensemble une coupe de vin

ami, dites-moi, où irez-vous maintenant?

je l'ignore encore, me répondez-vous

j'irai me reposer dans les collines du sud

ne me demandez pas en quel lieu je me rends

j'errerai en compagnie des nuages blancs.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 126.

To see a friend off

Dismount and drink this wine.

Where to? I ask.

At odds with the world:

Return to rest by the South Hill.

Go. Go. Do not ask again.

Endless, the white clouds.

In: YIP Wai-lim, Hiding the Universe: Poems by Wang Wei, New York, Grossman, 1972, p.53.

14 Adieu à Qiwu Qian qui rentre chez lui après avoir échoué aux examens impériaux

Il n'avait pas d'ermites au temps de l'âge d'or

les hommes brillants et doués étaient à la Cour

vous êtes venu ici, hôte de la montagne de l'est

ne vous contentant pas de cueillir des simples au village

vouz avez fait un long voyage jusqu'à Porte d'Or

qui dira que vous n'avez pas tenté de servir?

pour passer le jour du Repas froid sur les rives du Yangzi et de la Huai

vous avez fait faire des vêtements de printemps à la capitale et à Luoyang

j'ai preparé du vin pour vous sur la route de Chang 'an

nos cœurs battaient à l'unisson, et nous devons nous quitter!

vouz partez sur ce bateau aux rames en bois de cannelier

pour arriver bientôt à votre porte de bois de ronces

des arbres différents vous accueilleront

une ville isolée brillera au loin dans le soleil couchant

bien que vos projets ne se soient pas réalisés

ne pensez pas que vos qualités soient méconnues!

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., pp. 131-132.

Farewell to Ch'i-wu Ch'ien who is returning to his home after failing his examinations

There are no hermits in this age of enlightenment -

Now "flowering spirits" crowd to serve at court!

Thus you, too, native of the Eastern Hills

Were lured to leave the solitary life of herb gathering.

Still, had you attained the golden age of your dreams

Who then would say that avid ambition was wrong?

Somewhere between the Yangtze and the Huai you spent the Festival of the Cold Meal;

In between the capital and Lo-yang you stiched your spring apparel.

Now you turn homeward from Ch'ang-an; we bring out wine to bid you farewell.

Kindred spirit, now our ways must separate.

You will float lightly along the cinnamon oars.

Too soon you will reach your own thatched door;

The distant woods will have compassed your familiar way:

The silent city wall will gleam welcome in the dusky sun.

Although your ambition failed out of fulfilment,

Never doubt but one friend knows the mournful music of your soul!

In: CHANG Yin-nan - WALMSLEY, Lewis C., Poems by Wang Wei, Tokyo, Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1958, pp. 144-145.

15Chant de la rivière des fleurs de pêcher

Le pêcheur se laisse glisser au fil de l'eau, charmé par la montagne printanière

de deux côtés, les rives sont bordées de pêcheurs en fleurs

Assis, admirant les arbres roses, il ne se rend pas compte de la distance

il flotte jusqu'au bout du torrent, et voit soudain des hommes

il s'enfonce dans une grotte sombre et tortueuse

puis la montagne s'ouvre, il voit la plaine immense

de loin, il ne distingue qu 'un massif d'arbres et de nuages

en s'approchant, il voit des milliers de maisons parmi les fleurs et les bambous

des bûcherons lui disent leur nom, ils parlent l'ancienne langue des Han

ils sont vetûs comme on l'était sous la dynastie des Qin

anciennement ils habitaient tous à la source de la Wuling

arrives dans un autre monde, ils cultivaient des champs et des vergers

quand la lune brille sous les pins, le calme règne dans leurs enclos

quand le soleil perce les nuages, les chiens aboient, les coqs chantent

surpris par l'arrivée de l'étranger, les hommes se pressent autour de lui

chacun l'invite, lui demande d'où il vient

chaque matin, ils balaient les pétales de leurs seuils

chaque soir, pêcheurs et bûcherons rentrent le long de la rivière

ces hommes on fui de la société, ils se sont séparés du monde

ont recherché les Immortels et ne sont jamais revenus

dans leur retraite, lequel d'entre eux se souvient des affaires du siècle?

les étrangers ne voient au loin qu 'une montagne nue unnuagée...

le pêcheur ne comprend pas qu'il est chez les Immortels dans un lieu secret

il pense à son pays, à son foyer, aux liens qui l'attachent au monde

il ressort de la caverne sans se soucier d'observer le paysage

il compte dire adieu à sa famille et revenir un jour

il a dejá accompli une fois ce long voyage, il ne se perdra sûrement pas...

comment saurait-il que les pics et les vallées peuvent changer d'aspect?

à present, il se souvient d'avoir pénétré dans la montagne profonde

Mais quel bras de ce lair torrrent conduit à la forêt perdue dans les nuages

le printemps arrive, toute la rivière est pleine de fleurs de pêcher

mais il ne retrouve pas la source cachée - en quel lieu la chercher.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., pp.135-137.

Song of the Peach Tree Spring

A fisherman sailed up a river he loved springing in the hills

On both banks peach blossom closed over the farther reaches

He sat and looked at the red trees not knowing how far he was

And he neared the head of the green stream seeing no one

A gap in the hills, a way through twists and turns at first

Then hills gave on to a vastness of level land all around

From far away all seemed trees up to the clouds

He approached, and there were many houses among flowers and bamboos

Foresters meeting would exchange names from Han times

And people had not altered the Ch'in style of their clothes

They had all lived near the head of Wuling River

And now cultivated their rice and gardens out of the world

Bright moon and under the pines outside their windows peace

Sun up and among the clouds fowls and dogs call

Amazed to hear of the world's intruder all vied to see him

And take him home and ask him about his country and place

At first light in the alleys they swept the flowers from their gates

At dusk fishermen and woodmen came in on the stream

They had first come here for refuge from the world

And then had become immortals and never returned.

Who, clasped there in the hills, would know of the world of men?

And whoever might gaze from the world would make out only clouds and hills

The fisherman did not suspect that paradise is hard to find

And his earthly spirit lived on and he thought of his own country

So he left that seclusion not reckoning the barriers of mountain and stream

To take leave at home and then return for as long as it might please him.

He was sure of his way there could never go wrong

How should he know that peaks and valleys can so soon change?

When the time came he simply remembered having gone deep into the hills

But how many green streams lead into cloud-high woods -

When spring comes, everywhere there are peach blossoms streams

No one tell which may be the spring of paradise.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei: Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, pp.34-37.

16 Chanson de la fille de Luoyang

Le fille de Luoyang habite la maison d 'en face

elle ne paraît guère avoir plus de quinze ans

son mari monte un cheval pie dont le mords est en jade

ses servantes lui présentant du hachis de carpe sur un plat d'or

on peut voir son pavillon rouge et son boudoir peint

entourés de pêchers pourpres et de saules verts

lorsqu'elle sort, un dais de soie couvre sa voiture embaumée des sept parfums

lorsqu'elle rentre, des éventails précieux l'abritent jusqu 'aux rideaux ornés de sept fleurs

son mari, riche et noble, dans toute la force de sa jeunesse

est fastueux, prodigue, surpassant Jilun

il aime son Jade vert, il lui enseigne la danse

il offre à ses amis des abres de corail

l'aube s'annonce lorsqu'ils éteignent les neuf flambeaux

ces neuf lumières douces qui s'envolent en pétales de fleurs

ils n 'ont pas fini leurs ébats, il n 'y a plus de temps pour les chants

dès qu'elle est à nouveau parée, l'encens brûle devant elle

car son époux fréquente toutes les familles de la ville

et du matin au soir, elle voit les Zhao et les Li

qui songeait à plaindre lafille de Yue au visage de jade

lorsqu'elle était pauvre, lavant la soie à la rivière?

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., pp. 133-134.

A Song of a Girl from Lo-yang

In the house across the street lives a maiden from Lo-yang,

Tender with youth, perhaps fifteen years - or a little more.

Her maids serve her delectable carp on a golden platter.

Everyone can see her painted towers, her vermilion pavilions,

Gracefully draped with peach trees and green willows.

When she emerges from her private chamber she is ushered into a coach redolent with seven fragances.

Jewelled fans welcome her return to her nine-flowered curtained apartment.

Her lover, rich and noble, audacious and dauntless, in the spring of his youth

Control his steed with a bridle set with jade.

How he swaggers! His boastful airs outdo even those of Chi-lun!

And he likewise lavishly bestoes upon his friends precious coral trees.

He loves his maiden with the passion of Ju-nan for his famed concubine, Greed Jade. He teaches her to dance.

They are never through playing together until the breeze of the glimmering dawn looks out.

The nine mystic candles behind the water-sweet window

Leaving spirals of violet smoke in flowery wisps.

She has no time to practise songs,

Elegantly dressed, delicately perfumed, she waits for him the whole day long...

But from morning till night he goes from the homes of Chaos to the houses of the Lis,

To his boon companions in town, likewise wealthy and nobly born.

Who now would pity the girl from Yüeh River with a facelike translucent jade

Who when poor and humble washed silk at the source of the stream!

In: CHANG Yin-nan-WALMSLEY, Lewis C., Poems by Wang Wei, Tokyo, Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1958, pp.152-153.

17 La chanson de Xi Shi

Alors que la beauté joue un si grand role ici-bas

comment Xi Shi demeura-t-elle si longtemps inconnue?

un matin, ele lavait le linge au torrent de Yue

le soir, elle était la favorite du roi de Wu

qui l'aurait apreciée dans son obscurité?

à présent, comblée d'honneurs, elle brille de tout son éclat

elle se fait habiller par ses suivantes

sans se donner la peine d'attacher elle-même ses vêtementsde gaze

sa grâce naturelle s'épanouit à la faveur de son seigneur

aux yeux duquel personne d'autre n'existe

elle ne fréquente plus ses compagnes de jadis

celles-ci ne peuvent l'accompagner dans le char royal

il faut sans cesse redire aux filles de son village

qu'il est inutile les l'imitent en fronçant les sourcils.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 133.

Song About Xi Shi

Her beauty casts a spell on everyone,

how could Xi Shi stay poor for so long?

In the morning she was washing clothes in the Yue River;

in the evening she was a concubine in the palace of Wu.

When she was poor, was she out of the ordinary?

Now rich, she is rare.

Her attendants apply her powders and rouge;

others dress her in silks.

The king favours her and it fans her arrogance.

She can do no wrong.

Of her old friends who washed silks with her

none share her carriage.

In her village her best friend is ugly. It's hopeless

to imitate Lady Xi Shi's cunning frowns.

In: BARNSTONE, Tony - BARNSTONE, Willis - XU Haixin, Laughing Lost in the Mountains: Selected Poems of Wang Wei, Beijing, Panda Books, 1989, pp.143-144.

18 See: Note 16.

19 See: Note 17.

20 See: Note 15.

21 See: Note 11.

22 See: Note 3.

23 See: Note 2.

24 Les fermiers de la rivière Wei

Les rayons obliques du soir éclairent faiblement le village

bœufs et moutons rentrent dans les pauvres ruelles

un vieux paysan attend son jeune berger

appuyé sur son bâton, près de la barrière de ronces

cris de faisans, épis mûrissant

vers à soie endormis sur les rares feuilles de mûrier

les fermiers rentrent des champs, pioche sur l'épaule

au passage, ils s'arrêtent pour bavarder

combien j'envie le calme de ce rythme!

je soupire en fredonnant le chant Shi Wei.

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 133-133.

Peasants by the River Wei

Slanting light making the village shine

Hers and flocks returning along the lanes

Old peasants thinking of the sheperd boys

Leaning on sticks and waiting at cottage doors

Pheasants calling where the wheat is growing strong

Silkworms sleeping now few mulberry leaves are left

Labourers shouldering hoes come in

And exchange glance and an easy word -

Here is the peace and seclusion I long for

And I intone the Soldiers' Lament.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei: Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p. 125.

25 Idem.

26 Le Torrent vert

Lorsque je vais à la source de la Fleur jaune

je marche le long du torrent vert

il serpente en dix mille méandres dans la montagne

à vol d'oiseau, il n 'y a pas cent li

quel vacarme il fait en roulant sur les cailbux,

mais quel silence dans la profondeur des pins!

tournoyants, les marrons d'eau flottent

limpide, l'eau reflète les joncs et les roseaux

mon cœur est tranquille. en paix

calme comme cette rivière pure

ah! m'installer ici sur un gros rocher

et pêcher jusqu'à la fin de mes jours!

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p.132.

The Green Stream

To get to the Yellow Flower River

I always follow the green water stream

Among the hills there must be a thousand twists

The distance there cannot be fifty miles

There is the murmur of water among rocks

And the quietness of colours deep in pines

Lightly lightly drifting water-chestnuts

Clearly clearly mirrored reeds and rushes

I have always been a lover of tranquillity

And when I see this clear stream so calm

I want to stay on some great rock

And fish for ever on and on.

In: ROBINSON, G. W. trans. and intro., Wang Wei: Poems, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1973, p.49.

27 See: Note 8.

28 See: Note l4.

29 Idem.

30 See: Note 3.

31 Adieu

Je t'ai accompagné jusque dans la montagne

le soir était tombé lorsque je refermai ma barrière

le printemps reviendra l'an prochain fleurir l'herbe

mais toi, roi des amis, reviendras-tu aussi?

In: JAEGER, Georgette, op. cit., p. 124.

Parting

I watch you travel slowly down the mountain

And then the sun is gone. I close my thatched door.

Grasses will grow green again next spring;

But you, beloved friend, will you return?

CHANG Yin-nan - WALMSLEY, Lewis C., Poems by

Wang Wei, Tokyo, Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1958, p.47.

32 See: Note 15.

33 Idem.

34 Idem.

35 Idem.

36 Idem.

37 Idem.

38 Idem.

39 Idem.

40 Idem.

41 Idem.

42 Idem.

* M. Phil., by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Secção de Lisboa (Portuguese Catholic University - Lisbon Section).

Lecturer in the Universidade de Macau (University of Macao), Macao

Researcher on the History of South-East Asia and the Portuguese presence in the Orient.

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