I can only imagine the conundrum faced with the Chinese characters in this line, but can poetic license allow you to smooth the English translation like so?
“I’ve had to learn that vulgar hearts
freeze in the night but melt at dawn.”
This ancient poem brought to mind a more recent song from the golden age of country music, the 1950’s song by Stonewall Jackson, I believe: I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water.
Yes, you're right that that line could do with a bit more work. The muddy water vs clear water is certainly an enduring metaphor. I think what's brilliant about Meng Jiao here is that he is clear that he doesn't like the muddy types, but still remains ambivalent about his own clarity. His water is clear, but it's freezing, and at the bottom there's nothing but a mess of rocks.
The Devil is in the details, or is it God, I can’t remember which. Very nice explo.
“For those who care about the details: in one reading the second character of the fourth line is 滑, as it’s written, meaning slippery; in another, it’s an alternate character for 淈, meaning a mess of stuff. The final character of the fifth line, meanwhile, may mean either ford or liquid/melt.)”
Mess of stuff? Like a rocky stream bed? Or a file of rocks at the bottom of a clear conscience?
An intriguing poem with universal sentiments.
I stumbled on these lines:
I’ve had to learn that vulgar hearts
Have night ice form, but melt at dawn.
I can only imagine the conundrum faced with the Chinese characters in this line, but can poetic license allow you to smooth the English translation like so?
“I’ve had to learn that vulgar hearts
freeze in the night but melt at dawn.”
This ancient poem brought to mind a more recent song from the golden age of country music, the 1950’s song by Stonewall Jackson, I believe: I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water.
What an old image.
Yes, you're right that that line could do with a bit more work. The muddy water vs clear water is certainly an enduring metaphor. I think what's brilliant about Meng Jiao here is that he is clear that he doesn't like the muddy types, but still remains ambivalent about his own clarity. His water is clear, but it's freezing, and at the bottom there's nothing but a mess of rocks.
The Devil is in the details, or is it God, I can’t remember which. Very nice explo.
“For those who care about the details: in one reading the second character of the fourth line is 滑, as it’s written, meaning slippery; in another, it’s an alternate character for 淈, meaning a mess of stuff. The final character of the fifth line, meanwhile, may mean either ford or liquid/melt.)”
Mess of stuff? Like a rocky stream bed? Or a file of rocks at the bottom of a clear conscience?
I see you’ve had your hands full with this one.