Listening All Night to the Rain: Selected Poems of Su Dongpo (Su Shi)
Original Lyric Poem Calming Wind and Wave (定風波):-
莫聽穿林打葉聲, 何妨吟嘯且徐行;
竹杖芒鞋輕勝馬, 誰怕? 一蓑煙雨任平生;
料峭春風吹酒醒, 微冷, 山頭斜照卻相迎;
回首向來蕭瑟處,歸去, 也無風雨也無晴。
Stop listening to the rain pattering on leaves,
Why not enjoy a stroll, and sing your heart out?
Giving up the horse for sandals and a cane – who would mind?
A straw cloak may be all I need in misty rain.
The spring breeze wakes me up from drowsiness – a bit chilly.
The setting sun warms me though with embracing rays.
Turning back, still mindful of that cold and wretched place.
Now that I have arrived – home at last,
Nothing stirs me any more, the glaring sun, the wind or the rain.
Su Shi (苏轼), also known as Su Dongpo (苏东坡), lived from 8th January 1037 to 24th August 1101. He was a prominent figure in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) as well as a poet, calligrapher, writer, painter, gastronome, pharmacologist, and statesman. His father Su Xun (苏洵) gave him the name Shi (轼) after an ornate armrest usually fixed on the front section of Chinese carriages, as a reminder to the boy to pay heed to how he appeared in public.
Likewise, his father named his brother Su Zhe (苏辙) after wheel tracks left by carriages, to imply that the boy should leave a good impression on others and in his life. Apart from his given name, Su Shi was also known by his courtesy name Zizhan (子瞻), meaning “little forward-looking one”, and his pen-name Dongpo Jushi (东坡居士), meaning “east slope householder”. However, he is most commonly referred to as Su Dongpo.
As a statesman, Su Shi was a significant political figure in the Song Dynasty. He was associated with historian and politician Sima Guang (司馬光), and went against the New Policy Party led by Wang Anshi (王安石), a notable Chinese economist, statesman, chancellor and poet. Known for his expressive style, Su Shi’s writings provided clarity of understanding for Song Dynasty topics such as travel and the iron industry. Both his father and brother were also famous scholars.
In addition, Su Shi’s poetry enjoyed a long period of popularity and influence in China, Japan, and other nearby countries, as well as in English-speaking parts of the world through translations by Arthur Waley and others. In the field of Chinese arts, Su Shi is often thought to be “the leading personage of the 11th century”, and had a famous Hangzhou dish named in his honour, Dongpo pork.