Some Lesser-Known Poets of Classical China

The renown of the poets represented in this sampler has grown in recent years as scholars have re-evaluated the works contained therein and, in some cases, redefined such notions as "good," "bad," "mediocre," and "poetry."

Boi Tsu (497 B.C.E. - 423 B.C.E.)

Boi Tsu (whose nom de plume was "A Boi Named Tsu") was born and raised in the eastern province of Hejiang. For several years, he was court poet to the provincial minister until he was caught pilfering some joss sticks. As a result, he lost his court position and spent the rest of his days at the local joss stickery as a joss stick quality control engineer. He died bitter and penniless.

Good Dog

I have a canine*
His name is Tsu.
I will wager five yuan
He is a good canine, as well.

*Some translators render this as: "I have a dog."

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Fei Reh (437 B.C.E. - 323 B.C.E.)

Fei Was born to bitter and penniless parents in Kangding, the capital of the province of Xikang in what is now Sichuan. Due to her considerable beauty as a young woman, she was able to attract many suitors. Her parents consented to her marriage to a scion of a joss stick fortune. She was stingy, however, and her parents died bitter and penniless.


Kangding

Sweet and sour Pork slaughterer to the World (and parts of Tibet),
Joss stick Maker, Stacker of Rice,
Player with bullock carts and the Nation's joss stick Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
Kangding, City of the Big Shoulders.

They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I
Have seen your painted concubines under the moon lanterns
Luring the farm boys.

Pigtailed boys,
Shoveling the raw materials for joss sticks,
Wrecking the finished joss sticks,
Planning new joss stick formations,
Building, breaking, rebuilding (yes, joss sticks),
Laughing!
Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of
Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be sweet and sour pork slaughterer to the World
Joss stick Maker, Stacker of Rice,
Player with bullock carts and the Nation's joss stick Handler.

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Bai Wei (163 C.E. - 15 C.E.)

Wei Was born to wealthy industrialist parents. He aspired to be bitter and penniless because he thought this would sharpen his artistic skills. In an effort to shed his wealth, he Founded the Way of Wei School of Thought, sometimes referred to as the Bai the Wei School of Philosophy. Though he did achieve a state of penilessness and bittertude for a period, his poems (popularized by a famous singer of the day -- Fihn Seh No Truh) kept him in silk to the end of his days.

I Have Accomplished All Mai Wei

And now the end is close at hand
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I will articulate this clearly
I'll argue my case, I am certain to win it
I have lived a full life
I have travell'd each and ev'ry path, such as stone paths, dirt paths, and paths made of crushed joss sticks
And I have done ever so much more than this
I have accomplished all mai wei.

Regrets, I have had a small portion
So small, indeed, that I shall not speak of them.
I have done that which was required and completed my task without exception.
I have planned each course, each carfeful step along the bai weh.
And I have done ever so much more than this
I have accomplished all mai wei.


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Hoi San (60 C.E. - 65 C.E.)

San (or "Uncle San," as he was known to his nephews and nieces) was most active during the War Between the Provinces, referred to by historians as the Civil War. When hostilities broke out between northern and southern provinces, the armies of the north (the "Blues" after their blue-tinted armour) tried to quell the rebellion of the southern armies (or the "Greys," for the color of their horses and shields). "Uncle San" (a figure on stilts with a long white beard) popularized by brush paintings of the period, came to symbolize the nation itself. The historic San, made wealthy by the sauces that he preserved in clay jars, travelled the countryside, rallying the bitter and penniless peasants to national unity. His song "Water Chestnuts," is regarded as the unofficial anthem of the War.

Water Chestnuts

Sitting by the roadside on a summer's day
Chatting with my comrades, passing time away
Lying in the shadows underneath the trees
Goodness, how delicious, eating water chestnuts.

Water chestnuts, water chestnuts, water chestnuts, water chestnuts
Eating water chestnuts
Goodness, how delicious,
Eating water chestnuts.

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Pincus "Ming" Mandelbaum (dates unknown)

Scholars are not in agreement as to whether Mandelbaum belongs in this category. Some have suggested that he wasn't even Chinese. Others have pointed to tell-tale signs to the contrary, such as his overwhelming affinity for egg rolls, beef with broccoli, and Moo Goo Gai Pan; his business acumen (he owned a string of joss stick factories), and his family-centric ethos (his mother-in-law lived with him, his wife and children for years, and was said to rule the household with an iron fist).


Mother in Law

Greetings, citizens of Bejing.
It is gratifying to be among you again.
This is one of the dearest places to me.
Thank you, my friends, Thank you.

I have come here on this night to sing some words about my Mother in Law.
Ahh, the sound of one hand clapping.
I Thank you, rickshaw driver in the front row.
I sense the rest of you are not amused.
I shall now accelerate the pace.

Mothers in Law.
This subject has, perhaps troubled us all deeply.
Pinyin (nu?)
Am I not right?
May I see a collection of upstretched hands?

Who among us has not heard this this song?
May I see a collection of upstretched hands?
We all have a song to sing about our mothers-in-law.
Am I not right?
Am I not right?
That is all that I am saying.

Is there one among us from Hunan?
Ah, I see there are many among us from Hunan.
A beautiful place, Hunan
I sojourned a year there with my mother in law one day.
Thank you, my friends, thank you.
You are too kind.
I shall be among you each day this week.

I arrived at this place on
a bullock cart from Kangding, City of the Big Shoulders
They gave me a small sack of water chestnuts to eat and nothing more.
But I could not open the sack. Does it matter? Is a sack of water chestnuts a fit meal? I ask you.
When, in our glorious history, did it become acceptable to serve water chestnuts on a bullock cart?
I long for the time when dim sum could be obtained on the Kanding-to-Bejing cart.
Those were indeed days. One might say, they were THE days.
Am I not right?
Thank you, my friends.


But they showed me how to secure a strap so that I would not tumble from the cart. This, at the least, they did well (as though I did not know already how to use the bullock cart strap). Who amongst us does not know how to use the bullock cart strap? A Mongol, perhaps.
Am I not right?

And speaking of my mother in law,
If she were to move away from here
One would think I would shed more than one tear
But one would be incorrect.

Allow me to say about my mother in law.
When I say "no," she must say "yes."
All this I know, I need not guess.
I would go east if she went west.

And yet the Gods would say:
She brought forth your wife, she is your guest
You must not leave her in distress.
Thus, like a nice Chinese boy, I must do my best.

I shall have made for her the finest dress,
God forbid she should die bitter and penniless

Thank you, my friends
You are too kind.
I shall be among you each day this week.
You are beautiful.
And we shall have lunch together.