The Old Man Who Does As He Pleases

Rating:
Summary: Poems and journals of a lively and lovable old rascal.
Review: THE OLD MAN WHO DOES AS HE PLEASES : Selections from the Poetry and Prose of Lu Yu. 126 pp. New York and London : Columbia University Press, 1973. ISBN 0-231-03766-X (hbk.)

Burton Watson has always struck me as an eminently civilized scholar and as a fine translator. Unlike certain others, he wears his scholarship lightly, and doesn't overburden the text with extraneous matter. His many translations from Chinese and Japanese Literature are of uniformly high quality, and are well worth having as they are books one often returns to.

Lu Yu (1125-1210) was an amazingly prolific poet, and left behind almost 10,000 poems as well as a variety of prose writings. His poetry is characterized by occasional spasms of intense patriotism, but mainly by a carefree enjoyment of life. Hence his literary name 'Fang-weng' or 'The old man who does as he pleases.' He adopted this name as a gesture of defiance after being dismissed from his official post for "drunkenness and irresponsibilty." This image of a lively and lovable old rascal is borne out by the poetry.

The present book offers a selection of sixty-three of Lu Yu's poems which provide us with glimpses of the poet's daily life. Here is a brief example, with my obliques added to indicate line breaks :

"My medicine's crude, yet the old farmer / swears it really works. / my poems are shallow, yet the mountain monk / has immoderate praise for their skill. / Cakes in pockets, with packets of tea / they come to pay me a visit. / What harm if in the midst of loneliness / we have one little laugh ? (p.59).

Besides the poems, Watson has also included translations of excerpts from Lu Yu's famous 'Diary of a trip to Shu' which was written in 1170 and describes the sights along the Grand Canal, the hair-raising experience of sailing through the Yangtze gorges, and the temples, shrines, and scenic spots he visited when travelling to take up the position of vice-governor of the province of K'uei-chou. This is a truly marvelous travel journal, and presents us with a vivid picture of life in central China in the twelfth century. Here is a brief passage selected at random which described an event Lu Yu witnessed in the Ch'ien-tao 6th year (1170 A.D.) 12th month :

"25th day : I watched the troops staging a mock battle on the water. There were seven hundred large warships, each ... fitted out with walls and turrets. Their flags and pennants shone brightly, their gongs and drums clattered and clanged as they raced back and forth, crashing through the huge waves as swiftly as though they had wings. Thirty or forty thousand people came to watch - it was in fact one of the most spectacular sights in the world" (p.100)

In addition to a typically interesting and informative Introduction, and his usual light annotations to all selections, Watson has also provided a useful map of 'Places Important in the Life of Lu Yu,' along with some bibliographical information. The book is small 8vo in size (6 by 8.5 inches), beautifully printed on excellent paper, stitched, and bound in full cloth.

Lu Yu was a unique and interesting figure, and anyone who cares for Chinese poetry in English is certain enjoy this book.