When Arthur Sze translates classical Tang dynasty poetry into English, he writes Chinese characters by hand, slowing himself to the pace of brush strokes and gaps. This deliberate resistance to speed is central to the craft of the US’ 25th poet laureate, and reflective of his belief that poetry must be treated with care if it is to cross borders with depth intact.
Sze only translates poems he loves; by his count, he’s done just 75 translations over a five-decade-long career. “I don’t work on…