Five Poems

Abstract

These translations of five poems drawn from different stages in the late poet Hu Xudong’s writing career demonstrate the range and sensitivity of Hu’s poetic vision. From the solitude presented in “Arpoador,” to the humorous yet poignant slurping of noodles in “Empty Chair,” to the joys and challenges of parenthood vividly depicted in “Nature’s Mysteries,” Hu Xudong found inspiration in everything he encountered, and passed that sense of inspiration along to his readers. As Hu put it: “I just want to linger alone in poetry, poetry lingers alone/in the sea, the sea lingers alone in the wind-filled night.”

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hu Xudong

Hu Xudong was a poet, essayist, newspaper columnist, illustrious presenter and interviewer, and a professor in the School of Foreign Languages at Peking University. His poetry collections include The Milk of the Wind and Travel/Poetry. Hu passed away at the age of forty-seven in the fall of 2021.

Eleanor Goodman

Eleanor Goodman is the author of Nine Dragon Island, and the translator of four books from Chinese. She is a Research Associate at the Harvard University Fairbank Center, and a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Her translation of a book of poems by Zheng Xiaoqiong is forthcoming.