Minmin's reply to Xu Zhimo's Leaving Cambridge poem

In June 2012 I was involved in a BBC Radio 3 "Between the Ears" episode about Xu Zhimo's Leaving Cambridge poem. One of the listeners was a biochemist named Minmin who had recently arrived at Cambridge, and the programme inspired her to write her own Chinese poem about taking up a post at LMB. Here is that poem, with pinyin annotation and a rhyming translation I made (2015) in the same style as the one I made of Xu Zhimo's poem.

踏上Tàshang 康桥Kāngqiáo

Stepping aboard Cambridge

Minmin 作zuò 于yú 聆听língtīng BBC radio 3 “Between the Ears” 有关yǒuguān 徐志摩Xú Zhìmó “ 再别康桥Zài Bié Kāngqiáo” 节目jiémù 之后zhīhòu, 2012 年nián 6 月yuè 30 日rì

Written by Minmin after listening to BBC Radio 3's ``Between the Ears'' programme about Xu Zhimo's ``Leaving the Revisited Cambridge'', 30 June 2012

惊喜Jīngxǐ 的de 我wǒ 来lái 了le,

正如zhèngrú 我wǒ 恍恍huǎnghuǎng 的de 梦mèng；

我wǒ 缓缓huǎnhuǎn 地de 移步yíbù，

融入róngrù 眼前yǎnqián 精致jīngzhì 的de 缤纷bīnfēn。

Delighted now I reach the Cam

as dream'ly slow I stroll;

Melt into the grandiose

diverse and delicate whole.

杨柳Yángliǔ 婀娜多姿ēnuóduōzī,

绿荫lǜyīn 下xià 的de 小船xiǎochuán 清波qīngbō 荡漾dàngyàng;

怦然心动pēngránxīndòng 的de 我wǒ,

黯然ànrán 青春qīngchūn 小鸟xiǎoniǎo 的de 远航yuǎnháng。

’Neath the graceful willows' shade

the punts on ripples sway;

my anxious heart restirs its ebb

where youth's sail'd bird once lay.

河边Hébiān 驻足zhùzú 的de 我wǒ,

思绪sīxù 拍pāi 湿了shīle 脸颊liǎnjiá;

人地生疏réndìshēngshū 的de 我wǒ,

茫茫mángmáng 不知bùzhī 何以héyǐ 为wéi 家jiā。

Hosts of thoughts that moisten cheeks

at Cam-side pause my roam;

These strange surrounds and populace

just how can be my home?

花丛Huācóng 边biān 的de 椅凳yǐdèng,

温暖wēnnuǎn 环抱huánbào 我wǒ 形xíng 单dān 的de 孤寂gūjì;

手shǒu 捧pěng 书卷shūjuàn 的de 恬静tiánjìng,

晰xī 听tīng 落叶luòyè 偶偶ǒuǒu 吹chuī 离li。

A flower-bordered bench in warmth

hems in my lonesome look;

I hear but puffs of fallen leaves

and tranqu'ly clutch my book.

是Shì 梦mèng? 是Shì 幻huàn? 还是Háishi 迷人mírén 的de 异地yìdì?

悠悠Yōuyōu 几许jǐxǔ 不可思议bùkěsīyì;

辗转zhǎnzhuǎn 踏上tàshang 康桥Kāngqiáo,

似sì 一yì 条tiáo 小舟xiǎozhōu 驶向shǐxiàng 结构jiégòu 生物shēngwù 的de 发源地fāyuándì。

A dream? a tale? exotic land?

How inconceived the flight

of wand'ring step adrift this place

life's engines saw the light.

阅读Yuèdú 实验室shíyànshì 辉煌huīhuáng 的de 历史lìshǐ,

感叹gǎntàn 科学kēxué 飞速fēisù 的de 发展fāzhǎn;

置身zhìshēn 如此rúcǐ 骄傲jiāo'ào 的de 殿堂diàntáng,

目mù 染rǎn 并bìng 激发着jīfāzhe 执着zhízhuó、探索tànsuǒ 和hé 向往xiàngwǎng。

To enter such an honoured lab

Of yore and yonder strides

infects the eyes to yearn and dig

and find what nature hides.

幸运Xìngyùn 的de 我wǒ 来lái 了le,

正如zhèngrú 我wǒ 久久jiǔjiǔ 的de 梦mèng；

我wǒ 静静jìngjìng 地de 抬头táitóu,

欣然xīnrán 开始kāishǐ 明天míngtiān 的de 新生xīnshēng。

Privilig'd now to board the Cam

fulfilling longtime dream;

with calm I start the morrow's life

as joyfulness I beam.

This poem and its translation had their first public reading by Minmin Yu and Heidi Leroy-Short at the wedding of Silas Brown and Yun Wen Chen on 14th March 2015 (postponed from 17th February due to visa issues) in the Brooke Room at Cambridge.