China and the West

Ezra Pound and Zeng Baosan.
Ezra Pound received a Chinese book from his parents some time before March 1, 1928.
Miss Thseng [Zeng Baosan] visited Pound in Rapallo before May 17 and helped him to 'decipher' the poems.
Letter from Ezra Pound to Isabel Weston Pound ; 1st March, 1928.
"Dorothy is up a mountain with a returned missionary. Yes, Chinese book arrived, very interestin' [sic], returned missionary promises us a descendant of Confucius in a month or so, who will prob. Be able to decipher it."
Letter from Ezra Pound to Glenn Hughes ; May 17, 1928.
"Conferred with descendant of Kung and Thseng-Tsu just before leaving Rapallo. "
Letter from Ezra Pound to Homer Pound ; May 30, 1928.
"Translation of Chinese poems in picture book is at Rapallo. They are poems on a set of scenes in Miss Thseng's part of the country. Sort of habit to make pictures and poems on that set of scenes."
Letter from Ezra Pound to Homer Pound ; July 22, 1928.
"Will try to copy out those Chinese poems for you sometime, when thermometer is lower."
Letter from Ezra Pound to Homer Pound ; 1st August, 1928.
"I copied out these Chinese poems two days ago, but don’t know whether I can trust you to return copy, you have horrible habit of taking copies etc. If I fix up a printable version later I DON'T want rough draft left about. "
Letter from Ezra Pound to Homer Pound ; 1st September, 1928.
"Given infinite time I MIGHT be able to read a Chinese poems, thass [sic] to say I know how the ideograph works, and can find 'em in the dictionary or vocable. BUT I shd. scarcely attempt it unless there were urgent reason. Also some of the script in that book was fairly fancy… Four you book, Miss Thseng, descendant of Kung read out the stuff to me. Am perfectly able to look up an ideograph and see what shade it can give, etc. BUT it iz a matter of time. Wd. be no point in it. No I am not a Sinologue. Don't spread the idea that I read it az easy as yourapeann langwudg."