Willow Leaves
Lyrics in the Manner of the early Chinese Poets
John Irvine (1903-1965)
Chiang Yee (Preface)
William Mullan & Son
The Talbot Press Limited
Belfast
1941
This volume will mark the ninth I have read by Irvine. I stumbled upon this author. I was reading one of the Vision Books for young readers, Irish Saints by Robert T. Reilly, and there was an excerpt of a poem from A Treasury of Irish Saints A Book of Poems. It was really intriguing and after reading that first volume I made it a mission to try and track down everything Irvine published. At first my dyslexia had me thinking it was John Irving, and I have read a few of his fiction books. But some quick searching put that idea to rest. This author John Irvine lived from 1903-1965. This volume was originally published in1941.
About the author on a site with information about Irish authors states:
“John Irvine was born in Belfast and published several collections of poems: A Voice in the Dark, 1932; Willow Leaves: Lyrics in the Manner of the Early Chinese Poets,1941; Lost Sanctuary and other poems among others. He edited The Flowering Branch: An Anthology of Irish Poetry Past and Present.”
Another online description of the author states:
“Irvine, born in Belfast, published about six collections of lyrics between 1932 and 1954, mostly from small presses in Belfast and Dublin. He also edited an anthology of Irish poetry, The Flowering Branch.”
This book begins with a dedication To Seumas O’Sullivan with deepest admiration and Gratitude. The quote the volume begins with is:
"'If you have two loaves, sell one and buy hyacinths for your soul."
-Chinese Proverb.
We are informed in the preface:
“The postman's ring wakened me and I found that he had brought me a typed copy of a collection of poems. I began to read them one after another and thought that they were translations of Chinese poems. My tiredness vanished, my mind became fresh and my thoughts sped far away. Then I investigated the origin of these poems and was puzzled to find that they had been written by an Irish poet, John Irvine, in the manner of the early Chinese poets. It was indeed a surprise to find that an Irishman could write poems m our manner. I have often been told that the Irish and the Chinese have many points in common both in character and feeling. Were these poems a proof? They appealed to my feelings as harmoniously as many good translations of our ancient poems, and I can imagine that Mr. Irvine's inner world has not been changed either by the present war.”
And further it states:
“The little fl.at where I read the poems for the first time is no more in existence, but although I have in the meantime been turned out of my living space several times, I have always carried them with me and have borne in mind that I was to write something about them. Indeed it is too difficult for me to explain them. Poetry is the voice of the human heart, and the poems in this volume have spoken in harmony with my heart in many ways. What need of explanation?”
The preface was written in 1941 and makes a number of references to the War going on at the time. And it shows poetry to be a stabilizing force in the world, no matter the circumstances. Like Mr. Lee I find that these poems stay with the reader, as do all of those I have read by Irvine. The poems in this volume are:
Preface
Transience
The Poet
The Gardener
To Li-Po
The Trysting Place
Nocturne
Dusk
Loneliness
We Are As Dust
The Sorrow Of Ming Huang
Spring
Wu
To Yuan
The Soldiers
Drinking Alone At The New Year
Morning
The Dancing Girl
The Unforgotten
Impatient For The Spring
Meeting With Friends
Music At Dusk
Cheng
Farewell
I enjoyed this ninth collection of poems that I have read from the pen of Irvine. The one bio above mentions 6 collections of poems but I have found 9 listed below, 3 other works, also 6 volumes Irvine edited of other poems. And a note further down indicates another previously unaccounted for volume edited by Irvine. A few sample poems from this volume are:
The Poet.
Li came from a village of Chang-Chou
In early time when Yang-ti sat on the Dragon Throne.
He was a sociable man and a poet
Nor worried overmuch regarding examinations,
Which were necessary to obtain the appointment
His parents desired for him in the provincial
Government. His onetime neighbour Feng,
From the same village, was now a personage
Of power under the Emperor. Although a
Foolish man, vain, jealous, and inclined
To much self-esteem, (his kinsmen were in
High places), Li eventually obtained a minor
Appointment but never rose in favour.
His parents were bitterly disappointed
And his father died, believing him a failure.
All this was many centuries ago . . .
The Emperor is remembered only for his excessive
'Indulgences: his gardens are desolate,
His pavilions dust. Feng the man of power,
Long since forgotten;
The works of Li are reverenced throughout the land,
His songs are immortal.
An Emperor, though his armies
Be as numberless as the blades of grass,
Is a passing shadow,
His governors the echo of a voice . . .
But a poet is a wanderer from the *Purple Hills.
THE TRYSTING PLACE.
A faint wind stirs the cherry trees.
The dew lies heavy on the grass.
The herdsmen pass.
I linger by the Eastern Gate:
Till suddenly a shadow falls
Aslant the walls.
I heard him not, so soft he came,
Nor saw his coming from the hill.
Oh heart be still!
SPRING.
Day long the merchants sell their silks.
The spring-delighted swallows pass.
A child lifts up his hands to catch
The petals falling on the grass.
FAREWELL.
Songs they have made, but every song has ending.
Their lutes are silent now and laid away,
The parting cups are empty, lamps extinguished,
The singers gone like shadows in the night.
I hope those four poems give you a feel for the collection. In many ways it feels like his other works, but there is the hint of the new. Some of the poems have footnotes about the characters or places, or historical figures in the works. The poems vary from one stanza to several, but all poems are contained on single page. I read a few of them a couple of times before moving on, yet again, and sent two of them to friends. It is a moving collection to work through on a cold winter evening, over a large mug of tea. There is a note of thanks to the Dublin Magazine for permission to reprint several of the poems.
I was able to track down a copy of this thanks to the National Library of Ireland. The NLI has all volumes I have found written by Irvine and 5 of the 8 edited by him. I am now trying to hunt them all down. These poems were very enjoyable, and I am certain they would be to you as well, if you give them a chance. We are also informed 10 of the poems in this volume are reprinted with permission. I will note the introduction has left me trying to track down some of the works of Mr. Chiang Yee to read.
If you can track down a copy to read it is well worth it! Another great collection of poems I can easily recommend it.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by John Irvine:
A Voice in the Dusk Lyrics
By Winding Roads
Fountain Of Hellas: Poems From The Greek Anthology
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
Two Poems
Voces Intimae
…
Edited by John Irvine:
A Christmas Garland - as J. Pennington Irvine
The Flowering Branch: An Anthology of Irish Poetry Past and Present
The Poems of Robert Burns
The Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson
The Poems of Tennyson
The Poems of Thomas Moore
…
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