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Which Chinese and Japanese works did Ezra Pound translate or adapt?
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Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound, photograph by Alvin Langdon Coburn, c. 1913.
Ezra Pound translated and adapted several significant works from Chinese and Japanese literature, largely utilizing the literary remains of the Orientalist Ernest Fenollosa.1
His notable translations and adaptations include:
- Chinese Poetry: Pound published Cathay (1915), a collection of early Chinese poetry, and later released The Classic Anthology (1954). Additionally, he translated works by Confucius, specifically The Great Digest & Unwobbling Pivot (1951).12
- Japanese Drama: He published two volumes of Japanese Noh plays between 1916 and 1917.1
These translations were instrumental in introducing Eastern literary traditions to a broader Western audience and deeply influenced Pound's own creative output, including his long poem, The Cantos, which frequently draws upon the history and philosophy of ancient China.2