Wei Ji - Fan Sin-biu's Poetry Collection

Because there is sun, shadows appear Only in darkness, do we know we saw That sea, those mountains, those people I cannot say I love them Sometimes I detest them, sometimes I hate them More often, I am indifferent We wave with our shadows Gently stirring the hidden currents below Making the next high tide feel a little different Goodbye sea, goodbye mountains, goodbye people Not a parting born of love But a parting for the sake of love ——〈Waving Hand〉 Flipping through a book, I came across the commentary on the "Wei Ji" hexagram, which says, "The little fox nearly crosses, wetting its tail." The analogy of a small fox struggling to cross a river and getting its tail wet is truly vivid. The water is deep, the legs are short; it is naturally dangerous to force a crossing. It is better to wait. The ability to wait indicates that the right moment is ahead. The river is not always turbulent, and the little fox will grow; patience is key. ——〈Afterword: Wei Ji, Not Ji, Mmm Ji〉 Why write poetry? Fan Sin-biu has used two and a half volumes of poetry to try and answer this question, tentatively arriving at the following answer: "Whether to write poetry or not, why to write it, and how to write it—these questions, at this time and place, inevitably carry a sense of questioning or reflecting on one's stance. However, when recalling the process of poetry approaching me, how I examined and pondered it, experienced and felt it, I can never consolidate it into 'one' unshakeable discourse. To be frank, writing poetry for me is purely out of curiosity. I hope to understand more of others' unique landscapes through practice. As for how unique my own landscape can be, that is a matter of secondary importance." ——〈Public and Private of Poetry〉 Since retiring from his university teaching post, Fan Sin-biu has remained active. Following the publication of his essay collection "Truth is Illusion" last year, he has now released another collection of his poetry. This book is considered the author's second and a half volume of poetry. His previous works were "Mechanics" (1999) and "Dark Flight" (2006), and it has been nearly twenty years since his last poetry collection. Works not published in collected form over the past two decades are included in this volume. "Wei Ji" is divided into five sections, including four sections of new poems and one section of classical-style poems. It continues the format of his previous two works while simultaneously showcasing the various possibilities of poetic expression. About the Author Fan Sin-biu Honorary Research Fellow at the Hong Kong Literature Research Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and retired professor from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature. His research interests include Hong Kong literature, modern prose, and Jian'an literature. He has authored academic essay collections such as "Truth is Illusion: An Analysis of Hong Kong Prose and Non-fiction Writing," "Listening to the Noise: Newspaper Supplements and Hong Kong Literary Production (1930s-1960s)," and "Clarity and Spirit: A Reconsideration of Jian'an Literary Studies." His creative works include "Launching Rockets," "Dark Flight," and "Mechanics." He has also edited "A Compendium of Hong Kong Literature 1919-1949, Prose Volume 1" and "A Compendium of Hong Kong Literature 1950-1969, Prose Volume 1," among others.