10 thoughts on “from Spring Songs (11)”

1. Mary Tang May 8, 2015 at 11:48 pm

   Is ‘pitcher’ a jug or a baseball glove?

   Reply ↓
   1. Jeff Schwaner Post authorMay 9, 2015 at 7:31 am

      More like a jug or vessel, in this case.

      Reply ↓
      1. Mary Tang May 10, 2015 at 4:39 pm

         I used the word ‘ti’提, meaning ‘to lift’ as in water from a well, or ‘to carry water’.
      2. Jeff Schwaner Post authorMay 10, 2015 at 4:51 pm

         Oh, I think that works nicely here.
      3. Mary Tang May 10, 2015 at 5:07 pm

         I also took the last word from the translation; it’s not necessary.
2. St Brigid Press May 9, 2015 at 10:18 pm

   Love this, Jeff.

   Reply ↓
   1. Jeff Schwaner Post authorMay 9, 2015 at 11:02 pm

      Thanks Emily!

      Reply ↓
3. Mary Tang May 10, 2015 at 4:36 pm

   Reblogged this on Life is But This and commented:
   My Chinese translation of Jeff’s charming poem:

   from Spring Songs (11)
   11.
   Upstairs in my old house I find a bat
   在我老家樓頂我發現有一隻蝙蝠
   sleeping off a warm May morning
   睡了一個暖和的五月清晨
   I usher the cats from the room
   我將貓兒們送出門外
   open the windows and let him rest
   開了窗讓它安眠
   Toward dusk I come back his eyes are open
   近黃昏我見它已張開了眼
   so I gather him up in a pitcher and in slow
   我便將它提起，用慢
   motion pour him into the cooling air
   動作讓它傾出那個漸涼的天空

   (c) Mary Tang 2015

   Reply ↓
   1. Mary Tang May 10, 2015 at 10:13 pm

      Finding a bat is a great good fortune as the words ‘bat’ and ‘good fortune’ share the same sound in Chinese.

      Reply ↓
4. Mary Tang May 15, 2015 at 12:40 am

   My latest edition of the translation has the audio of my reading in Cantonese attached.
   在我老家樓頂
   我發現有一隻蝙蝠
   睡了一個暖和的五月清晨
   我將貓兒們送出門外
   開了窗讓它安眠
   近黃昏我見它已張開了眼
   我便將它提起，用慢動作
   讓它傾出那個漸涼的天

   Reply ↓