Ten Letters to a Young Poet Author: [Austria] Rainer Maria Rilke Publisher: Tianjin People's Publishing House

"If spring is to come, the earth will bring it about little by little, and the least we can do will not make the creation of God more difficult than the earth is for spring."

In addition to his vocation as a poet, Rilke was also an indefatigable letter writer; he wrote countless letters throughout his life that were more intimate and beautiful than these ten. But these ten letters are naturally formed, with a beginning and an end; they are addressed most to young people. In them, he discusses poetry and art, love between the sexes, seriousness and cynicism, sadness and doubt, and the difficulties of life and work - these are all issues that often fluctuate in the hearts of young people. ... When I first read this small volume of letters in the spring of 1931, I felt that every word seemed to flow out of my heart and flow back into my heart. I felt a sense of satisfaction and excitement. I couldn't help but translate one letter after reading it, in order to send it to a friend far away who could not read German.

——Feng Zhi

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)

German poet who also wrote in French

Born in Prague, lived in Munich and Berlin, and in Italy, Scandinavia and France

He has written many books, including poems, novels, and letters.

Representative works include "Duino Elegies", "Sonnets to Orpheus", "Letters to a Young Poet", etc.

Died of leukemia and buried in Switzerland

Translator:

Feng Zhi, whose original name was Feng Chengzhi and whose courtesy name was Junpei, was a native of Zhuozhou, Zhili (now Zhuozhou, Hebei). He was a modern poet, scholar, and translator.

Feng Zhi went to Germany to study in 1930, and studied at the University of Berlin and Heidelberg University, majoring in German literature, and also studying philosophy and art history, and obtained a doctorate in philosophy. After returning to China, he served as a professor at Tongji University, Southwest United University, Peking University, and director of the Institute of Foreign Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Feng Zhi's poetry is elegant, melancholy and philosophical; his academic style is rigorous and truth-seeking. Lu Xun praised him as "the best lyric poet in China". He has won many awards including the German "Goethe Medal", "Grimm Brothers Literature Award" and "Grand Cross" Medal.

His major representative works include: the novel "Wu Zixu", the essay collection "Landscape", the poetry collections "Songs of Yesterday" and "Collection of Sonnets", the translations "Ten Letters to a Young Poet" and "Selected Poems of Heine", the academic monographs "Biography of Du Fu" and "Selected Academic Works of Feng Zhi".