saying good-bye to cambridge again

--by xu zhimo

再别康桥 徐志摩

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 heap 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

help:

rosy: adj.蔷薇色的, 玫瑰红色的

shimmering: adj.微微发亮的

sludge: n.软泥, 淤泥, 矿泥, 煤泥

leisurely: adv.从容不迫

duckweeds: n.[植] 浮萍

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。