Twenty-Nine Goodbyes

This singular anthology presents 29 different translations of Tang poet Li Bai’s poem “Seeing Off a Friend.” Beginning with Ezra Pound’s famous (and dubious) 1915 version, which Billings bemoans set expectations for what Chinese poetry in English “should” sound like, he sheds light on the intricacies of Chinese verse through his commentary on each subsequent translation. His highly informative observations take the form of short essays, which are often amusing, as when he critiques a stilted line in Pound’s version: “The tone wavers between authenticity and a bad fortune cookie.” By attending closely to each version, Billings is able to highlight various aspects of the original, such as when he praises Gregory Whinchup’s translation for “how closely it follows the rhythm of the Chinese line. This not only gives it a lovely pacing but also drags the reader closer to the author—and yet so peacefully we hardly notice.” Over the course of the anthology, the reader develops a deeper appreciation for the original poem’s formal beauty and its translators’ ingenuities. The result is a fascinating initiation to the delights of Chinese verse. (Dec.)