按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
A Portrait
How shall I write of you； little friend；
To my father on the River of Serenity？
I will tell him of your twenty yellow curls
Tumbling in a cascade about your shoulders；
Your bright mouth and fine brow；
Lit by yet brighter eyes；
Where fireflies dance；
How in your cheeks you hold
The colours of the flower before its leaves unclose；
How the tones of your voice； sounding in my ears；
Float before my eyes like strings of lanterns；
How； when I look closely upon you；
I see my thoughts like a white river in your eyes；
How； as I walk down the street where you have trod；
The very stones are to me the smiles that you scatter as you pass。
How your look thrills my heart as a guitar thrills to the touch。
And I will tell him that you are not for me；
For you are white and I am yellow；
Unless； perchance； shame and disgrace fall upon you；
As it falls upon some girls of this quarter；
And your neighbours and friends pass by the other way。
Then； perhaps； it would be permitted to me
To render service to you。
On a Saying of Mencius
That was well said of Mencius：
The misfortunes of one are the entertainment of many。
When Prosperity attended the occasions of this person；
And his heart smiled within him；
He was regarded and received on all sides by his fellows
With attitudes of dignity and expressions of mandarin…like solemnity；
And his laughing heart could fetch no smile
To the faces of those about him。
But when； on a recent manifestation of evil spirits；
He was hailed before those in authority
And commanded to pay very many taels；
For the fault of possessing some morsels of chandu； the Great Tobacco；
And his heart was heavy and dark as a raincloud within him；
He was received on all sides
With attitudes of mirth and expressions of no…gravity。
Dockside Noises
There are in Limehouse many sounds；
A hundred different sounds by day and night。
The crash and mutter of the dockside railway；
The noise of quarrel； the noise of fist on face；
My country's songs； guitars； and gramophones；
The noise of boot on stone；
The noise of women bargaining their flesh；
The noise of singers in the ships；
Sounds of threat and sounds of fear；
Blasts of hammer and steel and iron；
The scream of syren； the wail of hooter；
The clangour of angry bells；
The boom of guns； the clatter of factories；
The panic of feet； and malevolent words。
All these sounds I know； and they disturb me not。
The sound that is to me most terrible；
That snatches slumber from me；
Is the sound that is most common：
The scream of a child at night。
Reproof and Approbation
Because I gave a piece of silk
To my friend of the golden curls；
One （may the dogs devour him） threw a stone at my window；
And hooted and jeered and made base noise with his mouth。
Nay； worse； this son of a sea…slug （may his line perish）
Hurled hard names at my friend；
Calling her Tart； and Flusey； and Tom； and； as we walked together；
Cried： ‘Watcher； Nancy； who's yer friend with the melon face
And the bug…eaten cabbage…leaf on his head？'
The lean and scurvy dog that slinks about Pennyfields
Flew in great fear at sight of this reprover of our doings；
And came to me； and rubbed itself against my shoe。
The Feast of Go Nien
We are now in the Pepper Month；
And soon will come the Feast of Go Nien。
Then I will pay my debts； and gather in my dues。
I will walk in the great procession；
And afterwards I will hang up my devil…chasers
And will proceed to the restaurant of Ng Tack；
And drink spring wine with him and meet my friends。
That evening I shall eat of the best：
Of chicken cream and pigeon in soy…ed；
With a brown noodle of pork and prawn；
And a curry of fish and a large Chung Goun；
Sweet onions； and black eggs and chow chow。
And when we have done；
We will have cakes and tea； and music and songs；
And call in our white friends to sit with us。
For this one day we shall be each to the other；
What the other would desire。
Perhaps it is well that this day
Occurs but once in the year's calendar；
For if we always so behaved； one to the other；
There would be no business done。
Directions for Making Tea
In making tchah for table； each man has his own way。
Some serve it dashed with lemon； and some with bamboo shoot；
And some with sugar； in the English way；
And some with spot of sam…shu。；
But when one offers tchah to distinguished visitor；
One offers the noble suey sen； and flavors it
With the dried bud of the noble chrysanthemum。
Consider these verses； little friend；
As cups of suey sen
Flavoured with the buds of the flower of all flowers。
Of Inaccessible Beauty
Ladies in elegant silks and laces
Have come at times to my insignificant shop；
For pieces of jade； or banners； or curious cuttings of ivory。
And I look with insufferable emotion
Upon their roseleaf skin；
And breathe the soft scents that flow from their garments；
And long to soothe their lily…fingered hands。
In their presence
I am seized with longings unutterable；
And am filled with a sickness of my present unkind estate。
But then I remember
That Beauty's not always a star；
Not always remote； not always in lofty places；
Chrysanthemum…clad and lily…sheathed；
But often lies in the hedges
And peeps from street…corners
And lurks shyly behind broken doorways。
And I think upon the kind and considerate beauty
Of the maid with the golden curls；
And her patched； uncoloured robes of common cloth。
And with a change of mood I charge the elegant ladies
Three times the value of the articles chosen；
And thus tear from their flowery bodies
Pieces of their billowing silk
To deck the less fervid beauty of my friend。
Night and Day
The waters of the river flow swiftly at Limehouse Hole；
Past wharves； and ugly gardens；
Past beautiful steel ships and tawny sails；
Past clamorous factories and broken boats and bells。
Throughout the day these things are one
One body of dire endeavour。
But when the evening introduces the night；
This thing is broken into a thousand delicacies；
And the warm notes of night
Make happy discord of the day's harsh harmonies。
Of a Night in War…Time
Upon a night I sat behind my shop；
In happy talk with casual company：
The upright Ho Ling； the grave Cheng Huan；
And the round…bodied and amiable Sway Too； of my own country；
Together with the maid of the golden curls；
A sad…eyed seaman from Malay；
And two pale Englishmen； Bill Hawkins and Jack Brown。
We sat beneath the lantern； and drank our tchah in fellowship；
And spoke of this and of that。
And the moon rose and mated with the soft smells of my store；
And brought forth a spirit that spoke to us
Of things forgotten or lost； or long despaired of。
Friendship bound us together； and we sat late；
Glad of the night； and each glad of his companions；
While men in another land
Wrought horrors upon their fellows beneath this moon；
Drunk with the wicked words of the wicked lords of men。
A Love Lesson
Last night I dreamed of the maid with yellow curls。
She came to me in the room above my shop；
And we two were alone； freed from the laws of day。
I held her then to myserlf。
I took from her her clothing； garment by garment；
And watched them fall about her feet；
White petals of a flower。
And I drew from her to myself her thoughts； one by one；
As often I had wished； till all of her was mine。
Then I was sad； for nothing was left to love。
And I quickly clothed her again； garment by garment；
And gave her back her thoughts； one by one；
And awoke in joy。
I was glad that the dream was a dream；
And that all of her was not mine；
For I had learned
That love released from bond； and unburdened of its fetters；
Is love no longer。
A Rebuke
Excuse me； Mister； if I enter a gentle protest
About the manner in which you comport yourself
When taking the air about the streets。
For； looking at you； one would form the opinion
That you were a man of much worth and nobility；
That you were high in officialdom；
A councillor of the king or a learned judge；
Or one whose piety and wisdom
Had marked him out to sit above his fellow。
One would think thus to see the swinging arms；
The slow protuberant belly she