前言
從文學角度看，詩歌是一種抒情言志的文學體裁，《毛詩大序》記載“詩者，志之所在也，在心為志，發言為詩。”從社會角度看，呂進的觀點是“詩來源於生活。詩是生活大海的閃光。把詩與生活隔開，就無法認識詩的內容本質。”從心理角度看，北塔提出“詩歌是一種心理清潔劑，能淨化心靈。”
作為詩歌愛好者的我們，詩是我們咀嚼生活過程中吐掉糟粕後留下的精華。也許我們咀嚼的是櫻桃，留下的便是一首甜詩；也許咀嚼的是一顆檸檬，留下的便是一首酸詩，也許咀嚼的是一枝黃連，留下的便是一首苦詩。生活不是一維空間，是多維空間。所以咀嚼生活不僅咀嚼我們自己每天身體所在的空間生活，更多的是咀嚼身體之外精神的多維空間。也許我們會和古人對話，也許我們會對名勝沉思，也許我們會對花草吟唱，也許我們會對月亮傾訴，也許我們會對友人懷念，也許我們會對逝者哀嘆，也許我們會對神佛祈言，也許我們會對家人祝福……每一首詩都是從心裡流淌出來的一首歌。或古體、或填詞、或新體，也許詩的節奏不是很強，也許詩的韻律不是很準，也許詩的結構不是很嚴，也許詩的技巧不是很嫻，但是每一字每一句都是發自內心的呼喊，都是富於情感的吟唱。
在當今“跨文化”社會中，文化跨越了不同國家與民族界線，不同民族、國家及群體之間的文化流動交融，改變了傳統思維，創造出一種新文化，我們是跨文化交際的受益者。作為本詩集作者作者之一的我----經天，是一個在中國長大的孩子，就讀於美國哥倫比亞大學，文化的差異和衝突讓我的心靈受到一次次衝擊，衝擊引發我一次次思考，思考一次次凝練出28個字，字字猶如一個個重音符敲打著我的脈搏。如“韶華易逝情難斷”、“少年何懼亢龍悔，卷土重來傲英豪。”
作為本詩集的另一個作者雲水音，我多年從事比較文學和比較文化研究，多次短期或長期出訪美國、英國、加拿大等國家，欣賞異國文化的同時，不停反思自己國家的文化，更覺得有責任通過分享自己的情感讓更多中國文化走出去，走進人們的心裡。如“端午抒懷”，再如習作填古詞。
為了保證詩文的英文翻譯質量，我們邀請哥倫比亞大學教授阿黛拉·J·龔德克女士潤色，她從英語為母語的角度感受詩句的寓意，必要時會和我們確定翻譯的寓意。阿黛拉·J·龔德克女士是哈佛大學的政治哲學博士，任教於哥倫比亞大學國際公共關繫學院，繼續教育學院和地球研究所。
本詩集編排分為上下兩部分，上部為經天所作，有一種高屋建瓴的氣勢，下集為雲水音所作，有一種柔風細雨的綿長。詩集中英文對照，書法謄抄，畫片相配，全詩詩情畫意。讀本詩集不僅給中國讀者帶來享受，對英文讀者也是一種精神與視覺享受。
本詩集還得到美國奧本大學馬克·O·巴尼特教授的幫助，得到中國詩人北塔的鼓勵，以及康玉傑先生的協助，在此表示深深的謝意。特別值得一提的是詩集得到作者家人的鼎力支持，本詩集的出版就是的回報。
經天於美國紐約
雲水音於中國北京
2015年6月18日
Preface
poetry,
from the perspective of literature, is a writing style meant to express
emotions and reveal aspirations. As recorded in the Great Preface of Mao Poems “Poems are where aspirations lie. When
they lie in the heart they are aspirations, and when written they are poems.” From the perspective of society, Lv Jin observes that “Poems come from life. Poems are flashes in the Sea of Life. If poems
are separated from life, no essence is left in them.” From the perspective of psychology, Bei Ta believes that
“Poems cleanse the
mind and purify the heart.”
As
friends of poetry, we think of poetry as what is gained after we have contemplated
life. From aspects sweet as the strawberry, we may gain a sweet poem; from
those sour as the lemon, we may gain a sour poem; and from those as bitter as
gall, we may gain a bitter poem. Life has not just one dimension but many,
including not simply a physical but also a spiritual dimension; so the
contemplation of life pertains not continuously to our bodies but extends to
the spiritual world beyond them. We may talk to the ancients, meditate on
resorts, sing to the plants, confide in the moon, long for our friends, lament
for the dead, pray to God, or cherish our families. Every poem we write flows
from our hearts. It may be written in an ancient style, perhaps with new
lyrics, or in an entirely new style. There may be no strong rhythm, no strict
meter, no exact structure, or no precise technique, yet every word and every
line arises from the depths of our hearts and sings with rich emotions.
In
today’s globalizing world,
many cultures stream through nations, regions and communities. Traditional
thoughts and habits change as this happens, and new culture is the result. We
benefit from intercultural communication, which can refresh and invigorate our
views. I, Welkin, one of the two poets whose work is presented in this book,
grew up in China, and am currently studying at Columbia University in New York
City. I have experienced cultural differences and even culture shock repeatedly,
which has led me to focus strictly on the use of twenty-eight Chinese
characters in every poem, this practice helping to maintain my sense of
stability. Each character strikes me as a critical note in a musical score. For
instance,
“Easy for the youth to be gone,
Not easy for the love to be done.”
and
for another instance,
“But no fear of failure when young,
If down rise up again to prove them
wrong. ”
Gloria,
the other poet whose work is presented in this book, has studied comparative
literature and culture for several years. Whether long or short, my visits to
the United States, Britain, Canada and other parts of the world have drawn me
to contemplate my own culture. At the same time, I have felt
a
responsibility to make my culture known to others by sharing my thoughts and
feelings by way of poetry, for instance,Lyric on Dragon Festival, and some poems in the ancient rhythm.
To
ensure the quality of the English versions of the poems, we invited Adela J.
Gondek, who teaches at Columbia University, to revise our translations of them
into English. She senses the meaning of the poems by contemplating our
translations and asking us to clarify them, as needed. She then writes a
revised
version in English, which is her own native language. Adela teaches public and
environmental ethics at Columbia University. She holds a PhD in political
philosophy from Harvard University.
The
anthology consists of two parts, the first written by Welkin in an assertive
way, and the second by Gloria, in a lyrical way. Each poem is presented across
four pages: the Chinese version and the English version occupy two pages; then
follow the Chinese version in calligraphy together with an artist’s image related to the poem. This
anthology is intended for the spiritual, intellectual and visual enjoyment of
both Chinese readers and English readers, and for any others who would like to
see the design of our work.
The
anthology has benefited from the assistance of Mark O. Barnett, a professor at
Auburn University, the encouragement of Bei Ta, a Chinese poet, and the help of
Yujie Kang, a Chinese artist. We wish to express our deepest gratitude to them.
We would also like to thank our families for their strong and constant support.
As the writing has been for us, so for them the publication of our poems is a
great joy.
