Cathay

by Ezra Pound

"Cathay" by Ezra Pound and Bai Li is a collection of classical Chinese poetry published in 1915. Working from Ernest Fenollosa's posthumous notes despite knowing no Chinese, Pound created fifteen bold translations that are considered less strict renderings than new works in their own right. The poems explore themes of separation, loneliness, and the soldier's experience, using vivid imagery to convey unspoken emotions. These groundbreaking translations helped establish modernist approaches to literary translation.