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Eliot Weinberger, The Life of Tu Fu, New Directions, 2024. 64 pgs.

A flying goose dropping out of formation; the world seen through the eyes of a wren; memories of civil service exams; the horrors of war and famine; corpses lying by the roadside; the thoughts of wise men of old; a woman mending clothes for someone who will never return. These are the images that form the substance of Eliot Weinberger’s poetry—a body of work that stands independently while evoking the life and legacy of Tu Fu 杜甫 (712–770), one of the greatest Chinese poets. Tu Fu lived through deeply tragic times, and his poems, rich in humanity, capture both sorrow and joy.

Weinberger writes, “This is not a translation of individual poems, but a fictional autobiography of Tu Fu derived and adapted from the thoughts, images, and allusions in the poetry.”

I am deeply moved by these poems, which capture the essence of life with remarkable clarity. Reading and rereading them has provided me with profound comfort. True to his vision, Weinberger preserves the Wade-Giles romanisation system instead of adopting modern Pinyin. This decision holds personal significance for me, as it mirrors the way I first encountered Chinese poetry through Arthur Waley’s translations. For me, it will always be Tu Fu, not Du Fu; Li Po, not Li Bai; Po Chü-i, not Bai Juyi.

How to cite: Morales, Juan José. “A Fictional Autobiography: Eliot Weinberger’s The Life of Tu Fu.” Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, 30 Nov. 2024, chajournal.blog/2024/11/30/life-of-tu-fu.

Juan José Morales is co-author of Painter and Patron: The Maritime Silk Road in the Códice Casanatense and The Silver Way: China, Spanish America and the Birth of Globalisation, 1565-1815. He has co-edited the poetry anthologies Desde Hong Kong: Poets in Conversation with Octavio Paz and Quixotica: Poems East of La Mancha. His writing on history, arts, and culture has appeared in the Asian Review of Books, The South China Morning Post, Caixin, and The Diplomat.

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