LAST LORD LEE (a translation
of his poems)
BY KOH HO PING AND CHANDRAN
NAIR
(Woodrose Publications,Singapore 1975)
The poems of Lee Hou Chou, the last Emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty of China were translated from the Sung Edition by Koh Ho Ping and Chandran Nair, two close Singaporean friends in the 70's. Koh also an accomplished Chinese poet and artist (the cover was illustrated by him) did the direct translation from the Chinese language while Nair,the poet, added the poetic touch in the English Language. The translations were done over a period of many months of nocturnal discussion. On publication the book was the subject of a very serious seminar by an august Chinese cultural society which concluded that "while the translation was not technically perfect and accurate in some poems, the book was acceptable and a welcome poetic contribution", much to the relief of the two translators.The poem below was believed to be the reason why Lee Hou Chou was forced to drink poisoned wine. It was taken as a show of resistance to the Sung Emperor who had defeated him in battle and brought him prisoner in 974 (with the title Duke Lee the Disobedient) to Peking.
flowers in spring
and the autumn moon
have all
gone
unnoticed.
how much do i know
how much do i care?
last night, yet
again
the rough east wind
blew chill in my little attic.
old country
i cannot bear recall
of bright
moonlight
curved balustrade and jade podium
old feeling remains
though decor like some cosmetic
changes a familiar face:
lord,ask me
ask me if I still care.
all terrestrial and mortal wish
a melting river in the spring
flushes to the east.
Footnote: It is also believed that"the rough east wind" in the second stanza was a reference to
the Sung Emperor who often visited the concubines of the ex-emperor,Lord Lee.