Monday, July 25, 2011

Literature: Translations of Wang Xiaobo's Prose "An Unique Pig Who Goes His Own Way"


I really like Wang Xiaobo's prose. Unfortunately, some of his most insightful writings have not been translated into English. With my moderate literary skills I have decided to correct that injustice and allow more people to have access to this man who has the ability to express the profound in such simple terms. Personally, I find his writing style to be similar to that of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's or the prose of Tagore if the reader is familiar with these works, in other words, they are simple stories that express some truth which is most often ignored if someone just says it directly.

I have translated one of his prose since I know you can learn something from it. Like many of his writings, the story is simple but the meaning is far deeper:

When I went out to the countryside back in the day, I fed pigs and herded cattle. If there were no one around, these two kinds of animals would still know how to live. They would wander around idly, eating or drinking when needed. When spring comes, they'll make love. Just like that, their lifestyle is very simple, lacking anything to take advantage of. The arrival of man gave their lives certain arrangements: every cow and every pig now has a purpose. For most of them, this new lifestyle was quite sad with the former working in the fields while the latter growing meat for slaughter...

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Literature: Years of Tears

January's wind is your sigh to
Blow like a lost love while
February's creeping approach
Steps lightly to caress me
March's resplendent spring light
Gives me respite to forget with
April's blooming flowers to
Cast a field of fragrance but
May's rain is your tears to
Remind me of the past that was
June's verdant fields has me
Think of idyllic summer days but
July's sun is your glare to
Feel your flaming temper and
August's thunder only rumbles with
Memories echoing which never died
September's coolness is your resolve to
Drop the thought of I for me to wait as
October's falling leaves sheds memories of
Each thought dropped until gone to have
November's night blanketing my memories to
Leave me to reflect the serenity of
December's snow falling silently asleep but
Only to be ruffled again by January's wind