Anna Yin – Confluence of Chinese & Canadian Poetry Guest Editorial

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Live Encounters Poetry & Writing English-Chinese Edition January 2023

Confluence of Chinese & Canadian Poetry, guest editorial by Anna Yin.

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This special bilingual edition of Live Encounters Poetry & Writing features Chinese poets that I have recently translated from Chinese to English, and Canadian poets from English to Chinese.

My love for both languages and cultural landscapes, Chinese and Canadian, has given me a new perspective of poetry and the bridge that crosses the meridian of language barriers to newer vistas that guides one to the confluence of an enriching vibrant ethos, which is my home.

This year I was glad to bring Yan Li’s Chinese poems with my English translations to Queen’s Quarterly (Canada) and Live Encounters, my translations of Zhou Jun’s poems to Arc Poetry (Canada) and Voice & Verse Poetry (Hongkong), and my Chinese translations of Armand Garnet Ruffo’s poems in New York, Taiwan and New Zealand, etc.

For this edition I have selected eight Chinese poets and eight Canadian poets with a wide range of themes, different styles and unique backgrounds. I hope that through my translations, English-speaking readers will also be able to savor the dark humor and enlightening works of Chen Ming Hua, Yang Xiao Bin and Yan Li. And, perhaps, feel goosebumps from works by Yang Lian, Jiang Xiao Yu and Yen Ai Lin, and sense the unspoken aching from the works of Jian Feng and Zhou Jun.

The Chinese readers, I know, will enjoy the inspiration and vitality from history, culture and nature that I have harvested while translating Canadian poets. Armand Garnet Ruffo and Micheline Maylor taught me how to understand indigenous peoples and nature, Don Gutteridge showed me how to write about great poets in one sentence, Lorna Crozier magically presented “I”, Elana Wolff shared her concern for soul, Lynn Tait revealed “Thoughts on the Afterlife”, Michael Fraser portrayed his “black landscape” and Banoo Zan wrote for girls in Iran. Each of these poets is unique, yet they share a universal concern for the world and humanity, and an outstanding literary merit. I am honored to translate these poems and to share them with you.

Additionally, I want to mention eight is a very lucky number in Chinese culture, especially for the Chinese Spring Festival. We wish poetry brings you joy, wisdom and reflection.  Perhaps you will find some interesting coincidences in my selection of these poems. Yes, I am waiting for you to find out. At least, it seems to me that there is always more waiting to be explored, just as in Mirrors and Windows, an anthology published by Guernica Editions in 2021, which includes my translations of the works of 60 poets.

I thank Mark Ulyseas for offering me this platform to present this unique bilingual edition.

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星子安娜

华语诗和加拿大诗的汇合

这期《现场邂逅诗歌与写作》双语特刊推介我最新翻译的华语诗人(中译英)和加拿大诗人(英译中)诗作。

对中文和英语两种语言以及不同文化景观的热爱，让我不仅对双语诗歌写作获得提升，也让我为跨语言交流找到有效的搭建桥梁方式——引导读者进入双向的丰富多彩的精神世界的汇合，这成为我的基点。

今年，我很高兴把严力的华语诗和我的英文译本推荐到 Queen’s Quarterly(《皇后大学季刊》)和 Live Encounters (《现场邂逅》)，把周珺的诗翻译给加拿大国家级诗刊 Arc Poetry 和香港的 Voice & Verse Poetry，同时也把 Armand Garnet Ruffo 的诗翻译介绍给纽约、台湾和新西兰等世界各地的华人读者。

这期特刊，我选择了八位华语诗人和八位加拿大诗人，他们主题广泛，风格各异，背景独特。希望通过我的翻译，英文读者能品味到华语诗人陈铭华、杨小斌和严力作品的黑色幽默和卓智，感受杨炼、江小鱼和颜艾琳作品的惊悚震撼；体验简枫和周珺的别样表达和无言之痛。而华语读者也将领略我翻译加拿大诗人的收获：比如Armand Garnet Ruffo和Micheline Maylor表达原居民对自然和历史的理解，Don Gutteridge 展示一句话诗意诗人前辈，Lorna Crozier 如何书写“自我”，Elana Wolff如何“灵魂探寻”，Lynn Tait感悟来世，Michael Fraser 描绘“黑人景观”，Bänoo Zan 为“伊朗女性”呐喊。每个诗人各具特色，却有着共同的对世界和人类的关爱和杰出的文学功底。我很荣幸能翻译这些诗，并与大家分享。

此外8在中国文化中是一个非常幸运的数字，特别是春节期间。我们祝愿诗歌带给你快乐、智慧和思考。 也许你会发现我选择的诗歌有一些有趣的巧合。是的，我等待你去发现。至少，在我看来，总有更多的东西等着探索，就像《镜子和窗户》(Guernica Editions在2021年出版的我的翻译集，包括60位中西诗人作品)。

感谢Mark Ulyseas提供这个平台来展示这期独特的双向翻译特刊。

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© Anna Yin

星子安娜 中国出生，99年移民加拿大，是加拿大密西沙加市首屆桂冠诗人（2015-17）, 获 2005 年 安大略省詩人協會詩歌奖，2010／2014 密市文学奖，2013 CPAC专业成就奖以及2016/2017美国诗歌大会奖学金和安省艺术项目奖等。著有四本英文诗集以及《爱的灯塔》双语诗选和《Mirrors and Windows/镜子与窗户》东西诗翻译诗集。安娜诗歌以及翻译发表在多个国际刊物，也被加拿大国家诗歌月和全国公交巡展诗歌以及大学选用。安娜多次在国际诗歌节表演和講授诗歌，承任诗歌评委和策划人。利用自己IT工作经验，2020年安娜开始旭辉文化传媒公司从事编辑翻译出版业务。

Anna Yin was born in China and immigrated to Canada in 1999.  She was Mississauga’s Inaugural Poet Laureate (2015-17) and Ontario representative for the League of Canadian Poets (2013-16). She has authored five poetry collections and one collection of translations:  Mirrors and Windows (Guernica Editions 2021). Anna won the 2005 Ted Plantos Memorial Award, two MARTYs, two scholarships from USA and grants from Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts. Her poems/translations have appeared at Queen’s Quarterly, ARC Poetry, New York Times, China Daily, CBC Radio, Literary Review of Canada etc. She read on Parliament Hill, at Austin International Poetry Festival, Edmonton Poetry Festival and universities in China, Canada and USA etc. She has designed and taught Poetry Alive educational programs since 2011 along with her daily IT job.  In 2020, she started her own small press: surewaypress.com for her translating, editing and publishing services.