Fascination

It fascinates me that after my June 13th post about a critic's cruel words concerning the suicide of the poet Hart Crane, an amazingly prolific Chinese poet name Fan Jinghua is prompted to write a warm and sympathetic poem about Crane:

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2009

Fan Jinghua: And the ship kept going...

　　　　And the ship kept going…
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　To Hart Crane

The goblet, half-emptied with wine and salty wind, was left on the rail by a lifesaver,
　marking where you fell over like a sword, and the ship kept going…
You waved a stop hand to the monolithic white building, gone and determined
　as an irretrievable wreck, but the roles you’d stopped acting are still onstage,
　　your haunting lines sparkling a repertoire of players;
Now in a tipsy-topsy penthouse on a distant sea bed, you dance
　with your grandma and all the women acquaintances,
　　to the gentle blue sound against the small sky roof that wakes no human voices.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　June 18, 2009

Note: I am reminded by George's posting in his blog and write this poem. Crane has been one of my favorite poets.


　　　　　　而船继续航行……
　　　　　　　　　　　　　致哈特- 克莱恩

那酒杯，半空，装着酒与咸涩的风，留在船舷上，救生圈旁，
　　标注你翻身坠落之处，如一把剑，而船继续航行……
对庞大的舷上建筑挥了挥空手，你去了，就决然而去，再不会被人寻回的沉船，
　　而你不再扮演的角色仍在台上，台词的阴魂刺激着一批又一批倡优的灵感；
在海床上摇摇欲坠的亭子间里，你拉着你外婆和所有相识的女眷
　　跳舞，小小的天窗上蓝色的细声醉人，那绝非人类所能制造。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2009年6月18日