xwacky | (no subject)

I can't seem to get Cambridge out of my mind. I went searching for the famous poem written by the modern Chinese (romantic) poet 徐志摩 (Xu Zhimo) who studied in Cambridge University in the early 1920s. It's called 「再别康桥」or "Saying Good-bye to Cambridge Again" in English. The poem was written after Xu left Cambridge for home in 1928. I didn't know this when I was there, but in 2008, they put a white marble stone at the back of King's College with inscriptions from this poem to commemorate Xu.

While I was searching for the full text of the poem, I also found a really good English translation of the work from wikipedia.

「再别康桥」

轻轻的我走了，
正如我轻轻的来；
我轻轻的招手，
作别西天的云彩。
　
那河畔的金柳，
是夕阳中的新娘；
波光里的艳影，
在我的心头荡漾。
　
软泥上的青荇，
油油的在水底招摇；
在康河的柔波里，
我甘心做一条水草！
　
那榆荫下的一潭，
不是清泉，
是天上虹；
揉碎在浮藻间，
沉淀着彩虹似的梦。
　
寻梦？撑一支长篙，
向青草更青处漫溯；
满载一船星辉，
在星辉斑斓里放歌。
　
但我不能放歌，
悄悄是别离的笙箫；
夏虫也为我沉默，
沉默是今晚的康桥！
　
悄悄的我走了，
正如我悄悄的来；
我挥一挥衣袖，
不带走一片云彩。

　作者: 徐志摩
1928.11.6 中国海上

And here is the translation (from wikipedia):

"Saying Good-bye to Cambridge Again"

Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here;
Quietly I wave good-bye
To the rosy clouds in the western sky.

The golden willows by the riverside
Are young brides in the setting sun;
Their reflections on the shimmering waves
Always linger in the depth of my heart.

The floating heart growing in the sludge
Sways leisurely under the water;
In the gentle waves of Cambridge
I would be a water plant!

That pool under the shade of elm trees
Holds not water but the rainbow from the sky;
Shattered to pieces among the duckweeds
Is the sediment of a rainbow-like dream.

To seek a dream? Just to pole a boat upstream
To where the green grass is more verdant;
Or to have the boat fully loaded with starlight
And sing aloud in the splendor of starlight.

But I cannot sing aloud
Quietness is my farewell music;
Even summer insects keep silence for me
Silent is Cambridge tonight!

Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here;
Gently I flick my sleeves
Not even a wisp of cloud will I bring away.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's a lovely poem. Too bad I don't speak Mandarin at all. Must be prettier in original. :)

Hee. Thank you sweetie. Yeah, as all translation goes, it's impossible to capture all the subtlety and nuance. The original is more graceful. And I'm ashamed to admit I'm loosing my Chinese skill by alarming degree.

That poem is absolutely exquisite. And I dare say it was exactly what you were thinking when you said your goodbye to Cambridge!

Btw, dearest Jane, thank you so much for v-gift! A red Impala!! \o/\o/

♥

Edited 2010-10-22 05:13 (UTC)

Yes hon. The poem spoke my heart. And I miss the place already. Fortunately I'll be visiting there again soon.

You are welcome about the v-car. Too bad it's not black. Still I'm amused that I keep seeing v-gifts at LJ that make me directly think of Dean. =p

Can't believe I missed this one!

「再别康桥」is one of my personal favorite. Do you know that years later someone actually wrote music to this poem, and the song became a instant hit on campuses across Taiwan?

By the way, another favorite of mine is Xu's Sayonara, also about saying goodbye:

最是那一低头的温柔，
象一朵水莲花不胜凉风的娇羞，
道一声珍重，道一声珍重，
那一声珍重里有蜜甜的忧愁——
沙扬娜拉！

OMG! It's you!!!! The icon is a dead give-away of course. So you have a doppelganger too now, huh? ;-)

Secondly, I can't believe I missed your response until now. *facepalm*

Hee, Sayonara was my introduction to Xu's poems, and it's what made me fell in love with his style, especially with his way of saying goodbye. But his "悄悄的我走了、正如我悄悄的来；我挥一挥衣袖、不带走一片云彩。" is my all time favorite too. The next time I'm in Cambridge, I'm gonna make it my mission to find that marble dedication in King's College!

Right, and practice "挥一挥衣袖" right in front of it, too! Just don't forgot to video tape it ;)

Haha! Don't think I own any floppy sleeved clothes. Time to go shopping... ;-)

Edited 2010-11-27 19:11 (UTC)