A Poetic Space 诗 的 空 间

ChatGPT's poetic answer to “What do you think of ancient Chinese poetry”.

Amidst misty mountains, a temple bell tolls— tranquil echoes linger.

诗

In Chinese, the word “诗 ” (shi, poem) means the language that expresses through thoughts from the heart.

A Poetic Space

Translating Ancient Chinese Poetry with lines.

Shuang Wu

Maryland Institute College of Art

MFA Graphic Design 2023

Introduction

Background Research Statement

The River of Silver by Wang Keqing (960AD-1279AD)

The first piece of literature I read as a child is a collection of ancient Chinese poems. Even before I learned to read Chinese, my family taught me many ancient poems and I memorized all of them. Growing up with traditional Chinese art and literature, I discovered my art aesthetics through Chinese poems, painting, and calligraphy. I always loved the color contrasts and the simple line forms in Chinese paintings, and the minimal language expressions in Chinese poems.

No matter where I traveled, a phrase or two from these poems I used to read would pop up in my head. Soon, I realized the true beauty of ancient Chinese poetry travels over thousands of years, inviting readers to resonate with and observe landscapes through the eyes of an ancient Chinese poet.

In Chinese, the word “诗”(shi, "poem”)means the language expresses the thoughts from the heart, and the expressions in ancient Chinese poems are not perfectly translatable into any other languages. Deeply rooted in Chinese culture and history, ancient Chinese poetry relies on wordplay, metaphor, and allusions that do not share the equivalent in other languages, especially in the western language system. Also, Chinese characters carry a significant meaning that cannot be translated into other languages. The structure of ancient Chinese poetry contains rhyme and tonality that adds an extra layer of complexity to the translation process.

Snowy River by Liu Zongyuan (773AD-819AD)

The beauty of language structure in ancient Chinese poems transcends time and space, inviting readers from any era to reimagine the poems.

Unlike other languages, Chinese does not have a system of time tenses. Therefore, the absence of the tense frees these poems from the specific time in which they were written, and conveys a sense of the eternal presence.

Unlike other languages, Chinese does not have a system of time tenses. Therefore, the absence of the tense frees these poems from the specific time in which they were written, and conveys a sense of the eternal presence.

Often intertwined with Chinese painting, even audiences who are unable to read Chinese still experience the visual impact behind the painting. Additionally, ancient Chinese poetry's abstract approach and portrait technique are unique from any other literature. The writers often imply personal, political, and religious symbols behind the poetic landscape with the touch of a few characters. The famous ancient Chinese calligrapher, poet, and painter, Zhao Mengfu, painted Twin Pines, Level Distance along with poems, to imply his political view in foreign-ruled China through pines. He also wrote a personal statement and poem to explain his visual approach to this painting. His work is an example of emphasizing the importance of poetry in Chinese painting and it continued to shape the cultural identity of China.

Christie’s wrote an article titled The Role of Poetry in Chinese Painting in its Asian art auction preview. The article highlights the integral relationship between poetry and painting in Chinese culture, which Chinese poetry is combined with painting as a way to express deeper emotions and cultural values. The artists often include poems on the painting as inscriptions, adding context and meaning to the work. The calligraphy can almost be treated as a graphic composition in the painting. In Chinese painting, the use of white space means the addition of poetry enriches and balances the composition without overcrowding it. Even those unable to read Chinese characters are able to

appreciate the visual effect of the poetry as an integral part of the painting’s composition. (Christie’s, 2016.)

In the book Purpose and Form on the Translation of Classic Chinese Poetry, Dr. Idema states the challenges and approaches to the translation of classic Chinese poetry. The purpose of translation is determined by the intended readers and scholars from western literature backgrounds find it difficult to translate the deeper meaning and simplicity of Chinese poems.

Zhao Mengfu,Twin Pines, Level Distance. China, Yuan dynasty, 1271 to 1368.

Coming from a background and language structure completely opposite to Chinese literature, the western scholars are more familiar with the glorious Greek god mythology rather than the simple, zen-centered ancient Chinese fairy tales that end within a few characters. In Dr. Idema’s writing, I learned that if one sees it as the translator’s mission to translate the explicit message of the text in its own words and not necessarily its meaning, Chinese classical poetry is not all that difficult. (Idema, 2019).

From Idema’s point of view, I decided to focus on translating the abstract meaning behind the poems rather than the literal one, experimenting with all different kinds of visual methods, and seeking solutions that can clearly explain to the audiences about the core message behind the chosen ancient Chinese poems.

Although replicating the entire poem in another language is not possible, the abstract meaning behind each poem is shared in all cultures. Thus, I decided to explore the translation of ancient Chinese poetry through the form of graphic design.

My thesis, A Poetic Space, is an immersive visualization of a selection of nature-related ancient Chinese poems, utilizing simple line design, sound creation, and typography in a physical, private space. I design beyond the literal language and re-translate the poems in a 2D landscape through my lens, welcoming the audience to step into the world of ancient Chinese poetry. It has been a real challenge in the literature field for me to translate these poems, but ancient Chinese poetry has certain traits that invite artists and translators to approach and make good use of reaching as close as possible to its true expression.

In a Cabin on Lotus Hill on a Snowy Night by Liu Changqing (709AD - 785AD)

My thesis, A Poetic Space, is an immersive visualization of a selection of nature-related ancient Chinese poems, utilizing simple line design, sound creation, and typography in a physical, private space. I design beyond the literal language and re-translate the poems in a 2D landscape through my lens, welcoming the audience to step into the world of ancient Chinese poetry. It has been a real challenge in the literature field for me to translate these poems, but ancient Chinese poetry has certain traits that invite artists and translators to approach and make good use of reaching as close as possible to its true expression. Although replicating the entire poem in another language is not possible, the abstract meaning behind each poem is shared in all cultures.

In a Cabin on Lotus Hill on a Snowy Night (Liu Changqing )

逢雪宿芙蓉山主人（刘长卿） under the sunset, distant mountains move 日暮苍山远， in the freezing air, the snowy cottage collapses 天寒白屋贫。

I intend to translate the abstract landscape within ancient Chinese poems with a modern approach. In one of my visualized poems, In a Cabin on Lotus Hill on a Snowy Night (AD 777), the poet Liu Changqing portrays the story of his “couch-surfing” experience in a small cabin on Lotus hill. The whole poem takes place in an isolated small cabin on the top of a mountain. However, it is difficult for foreign readers to reimagine this traditional Chinese painting scenery, which can be seen in many Chinese landscape ink paintings to express the sense of solitude and respect for boundless mother nature.

The phrase says “By the wattle gate, I hear dogs bark.” What is a wattle gate? It might be unfamiliar to most non-Chinese audiences. The wattle gate is a traditional Chinese painting symbol; it is a gate that is made of firewood, often implying the low social status of the household. The poet also uses “hear”, which means he imagines the scenery rather than seeing it.

In the second phrase, Liu writes “In the wind and snow, I have come back home at night”. When I read this line, I view this scene as a lonely man wearing a long raincoat made of bamboo, slowly walking into the warm cabin, against the whole frame of wind and snow. The wind is howling, and the tiny person covered in white opens the gate. In the poem, Liu sits inside the cabin, hearing the dog welcoming the owner in the darkness.

At that moment, we are the poet himself; We feel, see, and hear everything he experiences. The lens draws from macro to micro, and illustrates the simple movement of the owner within the touch of five characters. And that is the beauty of ancient Chinese poems.

...by the wattle gate, I hear dogs bark 柴门闻犬吠， in the wind and snow, I have come back home at night. 风雪夜归人。

The scene in In a Cabin on Lotus Hill on a Snowy Night also exists in many time periods and spaces. In daily life, when we hear the door squeak and our dogs start to bark, we know someone has come back home. When we walk in the snow, we share a similar experience of walking against the cold when it is windy. Our bodies feel heavy, our hands cold, and we cannot wait to open the door to the warm home. These personal memories and sensual feelings are shared in all cultures and languages. When we read this poem, we are not only imagining the poet’s perspectives but also seeing the landscape through the lens of the returning host.

Simplicity is the key.

I am seeking a clear statement to explain how the simple nature of lines is able to translate classic Chinese poetry through animation. In the book Chinese Poetry and Translation: Rights and Wrongs, Purpose and Form on the Translation of Classic Chinese Poetry, written by Wilt L. Idema, I found Dr. Idema’s statement helps me to define the important components of translating classic Chinese poetry; however, it also complicates my initial visual approach to the translation of my thesis project.

Inspired by the simplicity of ancient Chinese poems and its intertwined relationship with landscape Chinese painting, I decided to abandon all the complicated, literal drafts I created before, and dive into the world of lines in the black and white abstract landscape.

I designed In a Cabin on Lotus Hill on a Snowy Night with fast-moving typography and grid lines, re-create the imaginary landscape with sound recordings of the opening door and barking dog.

Plum Blossom by Wang Anshi (1020AD - 1086AD)

At the same time, I wanted to jump out of the stereotypical impression of ancient Chinese poems and translate the abstract landscape within these poems with a modern approach.

Sketch

Zine

Motion

Moon in the sky 望江南 天上月

Moon in the sky, like a lump of silver. 天上月，遥望似一团银。

Deep into the night, wind is getting stronger. 夜久更阑风渐紧。

Blow away the moon cloud for me. 为奴吹散月边云。 Reflect on my heart breaker. 照见负心人。

Ah, Moon - and Star! by

Emily Dickinson

But, Moon, and Star, Though you are very farThere is one farther than youHe is- more than a firmamentfrom Me So I can never go!

At the beginning of time, I explored coding and motion mapping to create dreamy, flowing visuals that align with the scenes in these poems.

I explored with diverse poetic selections and finally decided to select a series of nature focused poems. Speaking of design, I created interactive graphics for my poems.

Soon I realized that this was not the direction I was looking for – I wanted a visual path that emphasized simplicity in ancient Chinese poem, while also translating the abstract landscape directly to the viewers with movement.

I created River Snow, a poem about solitude and loneliness. The line writes like this:

River Snow portrays an empty nature scene you can often see in Chinese paintings, with mountain silhouettes on the far horizon and a river going through the mountains. No bird in the sky, no man in sight, just a small boat floating on the frozen river. The fisherman sits on the boat, fishing nothing from the river but snow.

This poem is an expression of solitude.Immediately, I think of designing one single line for this poem, curving and moving the line slowly and accompanying it with very precise, delicate typography with human breathing. And that is where I started to add more poems based on the line concept, creating sound design and freeing the type in each frame.

From hill to hill, there is no bird in flight 千山鸟飞绝，

From path to path, there is no man in sight 万径人踪灭。

A lonely fisherman afloat 孤舟蓑笠翁，

is fishing snow from a lonely boat. 独钓寒江雪。

Live performance by Ciarra Walters, MICA MFA Photography + Media & Society 2024

Growing up, my artistic path has always been influenced by ancient Chinese poetry. The beauty of these poems lies within their simple structure and expression. Ancient Chinese poetry transcends time and space, inviting the audiences to reimagine the landscape anytime.

Bibliography

Idema, W. L. (2019). 4 Purpose and Form: On the Translation of Classical Chinese Poetry. In Chinese poetry and translation: Rights and wrongs (pp. 89–110). essay, Amsterdam University Press.

Zhao, M. (n.d.). Twin Pines, Level Distance. Metmuseum.org. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/ collection/search/40508

Liu, J. J. (1979). Time, space, and self in Chinese poetry. Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR), 1(2), 137. https://doi. org/10.2307/823502

Christie’s. (2016, November 25). The role of poetry in Chinese painting. Christie’s. Retrieved from https://www.christies.com/ features/The/role/of/poetry/in/Chinese/painting/7941/1.aspx/ lid/1/sc/lang/en

Special Thanks

Mentors

Jennifer Cole Phillips

Ellen Lupton

Kristian Bjonard

Abraham Burickson

Sukyun Lee

Benjamin Olshin

Collaborators

Vivek Thakker

Ciarra Walters

Valentina Soto

Qiushi Wang

Shan Deng

Lianghong Ke

Jiazhao Chen

Naige Guo

Life Savers

Vivek Thakker

Melvin Thomas

Morgan Frailey

Katie Okeefe

Junyi Zhu

Yuying Chen

Hrishikesh Birodkar

Thanks to my family, friends and the MFA Graphic Design fam. I love you all.