What an eloquent tribute to calligraphy and poetry.
I prefer the second translation, as I feel "to soak the night in breeze' follows smoothly from the previous line. Stephen Owen has the first three lines as
'A good rain knows its appointed time,
right in spring it brings things to life.
It enters the night unseen with the wind'
which of course is a great translation - it's Owen - but I love the way you have "When spring bursts forth imminently" - this line rings with rhythm and the onomatopoeic
sounds of 'imminently', almost sounding like raindrops gently dripping.
(And i like your translation much more than Owen's)
The way you describe the process of calligraphy and the 气 in the writing is fascinating. Could you share who wrote these elegant words?
What an eloquent tribute to calligraphy and poetry.
I prefer the second translation, as I feel "to soak the night in breeze' follows smoothly from the previous line. Stephen Owen has the first three lines as
'A good rain knows its appointed time,
right in spring it brings things to life.
It enters the night unseen with the wind'
which of course is a great translation - it's Owen - but I love the way you have "When spring bursts forth imminently" - this line rings with rhythm and the onomatopoeic
sounds of 'imminently', almost sounding like raindrops gently dripping.
(And i like your translation much more than Owen's)
The way you describe the process of calligraphy and the 气 in the writing is fascinating. Could you share who wrote these elegant words?