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Lost in Translation or Gained in Creation:
Classical Chinese Poetry Re-Created as English Poetry1
Roslyn Joy Ricci
Centre for Asian Studies
University of Adelaide
Introduction
The well-known Robert Frost2 witticism that ‘poetry is what disappears in translation’
is only valid if poetic translation aims to produce a ‘perfect re-creation of the original,’3
however, I suggest that successful translators re-create poetry in another language as opposed
to translating it into a second language.4 The aim of re-creating poetry is to attempt to produce
the same reader-response as the original poem did. This generic formula holds true in the
specific case of Chinese poetry re-created as English poetry. I use the term ‘re-created’ for
poetic translation because literal translation of poetry struggles to produce the same reader
response as the original poem does.
1 ‘This paper was presented at the 15th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of
Australia in......
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Approximate Pages: 16 (260 words per double-spaced page) |