Chinese farewell poetics in Ezra Pound’s “Taking Leave of a Friend”

This article explores the interplay of qing (emotion) and jing (landscape) in Ezra Pound’s rendition of “Taking Leave of a Friend” from his collection Cathay. Building on the legacy of Ernest Fenollosa’s translations and notes, Pound transcends traditional linguistic translation to reiterate the aesthetic simplicity and emotional depth of classical Chinese poetry. Through an in-depth analysis of Pound’s innovative translation techniques and his creative interpretation of Li Bai’s original poem, this article posits that Pound not only respected but re-envisioned the source material for a Western audience, crafting a novel poetic expression. This research enhances our understanding of Cathay as both a continuation and a transformation of Chinese poetic traditions, affirming Pound’s role as a transformative figure in early 20th-century English poetry.