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Katou's poems and verses in classical Chinese



This page provides my poems in "kanbun", or classical Chinese.
If your computer is equiped with Japanese environment and you can read Japanese language, please view this page, where I translated my classical Chinese works into today's Japanese language.
European scholars continued writing classical verses in Latin for centuries after the ruin of Roman Empire. The scholars in eastern nations around China also have been writing poetry in classical Chinese for several thousand years. Although I am not a Chinese, I am also able to write verses in Classical Chinese language.

I am not good at writing English, but for example, I translate one of my verses into English. Below: the translation of my work "RU MENG LING"

When I came to pass the square in front of "Tian'anmen"
All was silent in the shadow of the sunset, then
As an alien, I wonder if I could pray for THEM
But I remember the victims lest the dead should die once again
YOU did dream of freedom till you met your doom
"People's Heroes Memorial" stands like your tomb
Soldiers in green watch golden skies which would thunder and boom
With their eyes burning in deep and dark anger: I don't know for whom?

In Beijing,1990. Toru KATOU.




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