Zhiqiao (Kate) Jiang

on translating Haizi

I chose this poem by Haizi not only because its depiction of “loneliness” deeply resonated with me, but also because of its imagery and rhythm, both of which I tried to preserve in my translation. 《日记》 (“Diary”) opens with the scene of the poet writing to his sister from the desert in a rainy and lonely night. The imagery of him standing alone facing the vast prairie just struck me when I was reading the poem for the first time. Haizi’s loneliness further develops as he describes that everything else is growing yet he owns nothing. The poem ends with my favorite line as the poet abandons his usual praise of nature and care of creatures. Rather, Haizi shows us a more personal and vulnerable side of him — a younger brother who misses his sister badly in a lonely desert.

One of my main challenges in translating this poem is knowing what is important and what is not. For the second line in the second stanza, “悲痛时握不住一颗泪滴,” some translations that I have found were stressing on translating 颗, a measure word for small round objects. But to me, the most important information in the sentence is the verb 握, which means “grip.” “Grip” is not a verb that is typically associated with tears; we normally say “wipe one’s tears.” The phrase “gripping one’s tears” includes the idea of the measure word 颗 since it implies the metaphor that his teardrops are like glass balls. This imagery vividly depicts how hard the poet cries since his sadness materializes into something solid that can be grappled. “Grip” also reflects the pain that he is experiencing as he tightens his fingers and makes a fist.