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Elegance and Escape: Translating Xu Zhimo A poetic reflection on longing, beauty, and the art of translation This four-part video series offers a deep, meditative look at Xu Zhimo’s "Listening to a Wagner Opera," a little-known 1923 poem that pulses with emotional intensity and cross-cultural resonance. Through reading, reflection, and behind-the-scenes insight, translator Shelly Bryant invites you into the delicate process of interpreting a work that is itself a response to another – Xu’s lyrical homage to Wagner’s operatic grandeur. Along the way, we explore: The tonal and emotional arc of the poem The tension between fidelity and resonance in literary translation Xu Zhimo’s life, artistic influences, and the cultural moment he inhabited How longing becomes language – and how beauty becomes a form of escape The program culminates in a live session (replay included) titled Romantic Tragedy, Artistic Struggle, and the Language of Longing, where we unpack the emotional core of the poem and discuss what it means to translate across time, language, and feeling. Whether you're a lover of poetry, a student of translation, or simply someone drawn to the quiet force of words, this program offers a contemplative space to listen, feel, and reflect.
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