Overview

This book contains twenty-four poems composed in classical Chinese by Rhee Sukho, a Korean scholar of classical Chinese literature. Most modern Korean men of letters write in Korean. But there still are a few who compose in classical Chinese, of whom Rhee Sukho is one. This literary activity, though confined to a few trained in the scholarship of classical Chinese studies, manifests their zeal to maintain and preserve the scholarly tradition of reading and writing in classical Chinese. Rhee Sukho, a Korean scholar of classical Chinese literature, is one of the few who still compose poems in classical Chinese. Sung-Il Lee, who has translated the poems into English, is an admirer of the poet's scholarly career. Though he has not received a formal training in the scholarship of classical Chinese, he confesses that he felt obligated to translate the works of one whom he admires as man and poet.

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9798385222681

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Reviews

"""This collection could have been entitled Epiphanies. Each poem in it kindles a sudden insight in the reader, a new perspective. The book is a triumph for both the poet and his skilled translator."" --Robert E. Bjork, foundation professor of English, Arizona State University ""Rhee Sukho's poems in classical Chinese, as translated by Sung-Il Lee, capture our imagination through imagery and lyricism, with the background sound of water dripping from and onto bamboo leaves and the whispering mist amidst the trees and stones of the mountains of memory. Reading this book is a trilingual, cross-cultural treat that spans great distances and even greater time periods."" --Stanley H. Barkan, publisher, Cross-Cultural Communications ""Sung-Il Lee's enthusiasm for translating important Korean poetry into English highlights his dedication to making such literary works more widely available to the international community. Nine Peaks is another remarkable foray, with Lee delving into the poems by Rhee Sukho, whom the translator respects as a poet and scholar."" --Danna R. Messer, managing and acquisitions editor, Arc Humanities Press ""This is highly formal verse, often four couplets in two stanzas, sometimes five to seven characters per line, which express life's mysteries and the power of lament. Also, there are journeyings where peach blossoms bloom and which invoke the spirit of mountains. Lyricism gives way to social critique and autobiographical narratives where students, teachers, husbands, and fathers reflect on mountains, fading hills, the setting sun. This is poetry expressed in tight forms and ably translated."" --John M. Hill, professor emeritus of English, US Naval Academy"

Author Information

Sung-Il Lee, who has translated the poems, is professor emeritus of English at Yonsei University. He is the author of Beowulf in Parallel Texts (Cascade, 2017), Counting the Stars at Night (Resource, 2022), and White Village (Resource, 2023).

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