Decanonizing the Classic of Poetry: A Study of Legge, Allen, and Pound’s Translations

Abstract

Since its inception, the Classic of Poetry has been endowed with profound cultural significance in Chinese tradition, with its embedded Confucian doctrines constituting the foundational basis for its canonical establishment and enduring preservation. Within the context of global cultural exchange, the transnational dissemination of the Classic of Poetry has inevitably encountered a process of “decanonization”. An examination of the English renditions of the “Airs of the States” by James Legge, Clement F. R. Allen, and Ezra Pound reveals that the degree of decanonization is markedly influenced by factors such as the translator’s identity, ideological orientation, and sociohistorical context. In light of the inherent inevitability of this decanonizing trend, it is imperative for Chinese literary classics to reanchor their value in the source texts, leverage contemporary communicative opportunities, proactively engage with heterogeneous cultures, and assume a more dynamic role within global discourse.