Translations of Chinese poetry by a modernist master
POUND, Ezra. Cathay. London: Elkin Mathews. 1915.
8vo. Original wrappers printed in black, outer edge untrimmed; pp. 32; minimal toning to wrappers and paper stock; a few minor spots to text, else fine.
First edition, limited to 1000 copies.
Cathay is a collection of Chinese poetry translated by Pound, “for the most part from the Chinese of Rihaku, from the notes of the late Ernest Fenollosa, and the decipherings of the professors Mori and Ariga”. Rather than direct translations, Cathay offers adaptations (what Robert Lowell would later describe as “Imitations”), aiming to capture the essence of the original poems. The collection had considerable influence, introducing Western readers and writers to the aesthetic and philosophical qualities of Chinese poetry.
Gallup A9.
#2120005