We were discussing this poem the other day. Thinking back, it’s one of the first times I really thought deeply about poetry. I mean, I enjoy reading poetry, perhaps pondering about such works monthly, but this one felt surprisingly nice.
Perhaps it’s because of its simplicity. In fact, I don’t think it loses any of its practical value after being translated into English (although the literary value probably decreased significantly).
English:
When I was a child,
Nostalgia seemed a small stamp:
“Here am I
And there ……my mother.”Then I was a grown-up,
Nostalgia became a traveling ticket:
“Here am I
And there……my bride.”During the later years,
Nostalgia turned to be a graveyard:
“Here am I
And yonder……my mother.”And now at present,
Nostalgia looms large to be a channel:
“Here am I
And yonder……my Continent!”
and Chinese:
小时侯 乡愁是一枚小小的邮票
我在这头 母亲在那头
长大后 乡愁是一张窄窄的船票
我在这头 新娘在那头后来啊乡愁是一方矮矮的坟墓
我在外头 母亲在里头
而现在 乡愁是一湾浅浅的海峡
我在这头 大陆在那头
It was written by the Chinese contemporary poet Yu Guangzhong about half a century ago. If you were to look at the historical context, you would think that this is some sort of political propaganda, but it really isn’t. If you haven’t, don’t read about its background, otherwise, it might ruin the poem.
There are also many Chinese songs with lyrics from this poem. You may listen to them if you wish, but I found it weird and uncomfortable after having set a “mental tone” for what this poem should sound like.
Professor Yu wrote this poem at a very young age. He told us that, as a matter of fact, it took him less than 20 minutes to write this poem.
I guess that’s part of its beauty: when you jot down the essence of your inner self without thinking, not worrying about what you write, ignoring “main ideas” or literary techniques. Maybe occasionally changing the wording to reflect that mental picture being painted. Avoiding all that formalism.
And, thinking about this, it’s funny how I prefer formalism in mathematics, while I despise it in literature. Hmm.
I’ve taken 10 minutes to write up to this point, so it’s rather incredible how Yu did this in 20 minutes. Of course, one might mention the ancient Chinese poets, many of whom (based on historical records) could hastily jot down a magnificent poem in a matter of minutes, or even seconds.
I’m not going to argue with that. They’re very talented. I’m not. We’re not. But, the thing is, there are major differences between poetry in the past and contemporary poetry. And, I think poetry changed for good.
Not that the old literature is outdated or ineffective, but because it has implanted a structure into people’s minds, formed a consensus about the usage of allusions, imageries, and connotations; ones that do exist naturally, makes it easier to form more “elegant” poetry, with a certain speed and consistency, so that one can write about specific events, emotions, and reflections on the spot.
Whereas contemporary poets do not follow these rules. And, it should reduce the effort required both by the reader and the poet, while also giving the poet greater freedom of expression and allowing for more thought-provoking writing sessions.
And, there’s another thing; for contemporary poems, we really don’t need to care about what the poet thinks; none of that exhausting poetry analysis picking on each word and device. Contemporary poems may be based on certain events or emotions, but there’s no need to focus on such narrow characteristics when we have lots of room for thought and imagination.
I do feel that imagination corresponding to contemporary poems easily becomes philosophical. Many seem to carry big and meaningful messages, even if unintended. That’s what happens when imagination is driven by emotion.
Back to this poem. The translation, although largely accurate, is highly imprecise. There should be an adjective “narrow” describing the ticket, “stout” describing the tombstone/grave, and “shallow” describing the channel.
What do you notice? Big things, small words. Maybe part of this thought is imposed by the literary qualities of the original Chinese text, but anyway, it really shows how weak and submissive we are as human beings. Can’t do anything, even for seemingly insubstantial problems. And, how humans are easily hurt by these problems, invisible to the physical world and often generated by humans themselves.
The problems are increasingly significant; ones resolved by a stamp, by a ticket, by death, and, by the collective sacrifices of a society. These problems aren’t big. They lie within us, they exist because we are human beings, because we are creatures with intellect, with emotion, with identity.
Starting with problems that can be described solidly, with physical implications, with foreseeable solutions. They become more abstract, the descriptions blurred, the solutions unclear. Those solutions that seem closest to others are the farthest from us.
Life is inevitable, and death is too. They’re weak. They’re tragic. Life is a tragedy.
