Rhymes of the Sea

Xu Zhimo, 1925

One.

“Maiden, lonesome maiden,

        why are you lingering

        by the seaside at dusk?

Maiden, just go home, maiden.”

“Oh, no; home I will not go,

        for I love the evening breeze: ” —

        On the sandy beach, in twilight's mist,

a maiden with windswept hair—

                        wandering, wandering.

Two.

“Maiden, windswept-haired maiden,

        why are you hesitating

        by the desolate sea?

Maiden, just go home, maiden.”

“Oh, no; listen to me sing,

        Great Sea, I’ll sing, you accompany: ” —

        Under starlight, in the cold breeze,

a young girl’s clear voice rings—

                        high and low.

Three.

“Maiden, courageous maiden!

        Dark curtains drawn over the sky,

        a violent storm is brewing—

Maiden, just go home, maiden!”

“Oh, no; watch my airborn dance,

        learn from a seagull skimming waves: ” —

        In the depth of night, on the sandy beach,

spun a slender silhouette—

                        twirling, twirling.

Four.

“Listen! The wrath of a mighty sea.

        Maiden, just go home, maiden!

Look! Waves like ferocious beasts.

        Maiden, just go home, maiden!”

“Oh, no; the waves are not here to consume me,

        I love the turbulence of the mighty sea!”

By crashing tides, by glittering waves,

        a panicked girl in a foaming sea,

                        stumbling, stumbling.

Five.

“Maiden, where are you, maiden?

        Where is your clear voice?

Where is your slender frame?

        Where are you, oh, courageous maiden?”

Dark night swallowed the starlight,

        the seaside lost its radiance;

Tides engulfed the sandy beach,

        the maiden nowhere to be found—

                        nowhere to be found!

Original (Sim. Chinese)

海韵^[1]

徐志摩

                一

        “女郎，单身的女郎，

         你为什么留恋

         这黄昏的海边？——

        女郎，回家吧，女郎！”

         “啊不；回家我不回，

         我爱这晚风吹：”——

         在沙滩上，在暮霭里，

        有一个散发的女郎——

                  徘徊，徘徊。

                二

        “女郎，散发的女郎，

         你为什么彷徨

         在这冷清的海上？

        女郎，回家吧，女郎！”

         “啊不；你听我唱歌，

         大海，我唱，你来和：”——

         在星光下，在凉风里，

        轻荡着少女的清音——

                  高吟，低哦。

                三

        “女郎，胆大的女郎！

         那天边扯起了黑幕，

         这顷刻间有恶风波——

        女郎，回家吧，女郎！”

         “啊不；你看我凌空舞，

         学一个海鸥没海波：”——

         在夜色里，在沙滩上，

        急旋着一个苗条的身影——

                 婆娑，婆娑。

                四

        “听呀，那大海的震怒，

         女郎回家吧，女郎！

        看呀，那猛兽似的海波，

         女郎，回家吧，女郎！”

        “啊不；海波他不来吞我，

         我爱这大海的颠簸！”

         在潮声里，在波光里，

         啊，一个慌张的少女在海沫里，

                   蹉跎，蹉跎。

                五

        “女郎，在哪里，女郎？

         在哪里，你嘹亮的歌声？

        在哪里，你窈窕的身影？

         在哪里，啊，勇敢的女郎？”

        黑夜吞没了星辉，

         这海边再没有光芒；

        海潮吞没了沙滩，

         沙滩上再不见女郎，——

                   再不见女郎！  

  ①此诗发表于1925年8月17日《晨报·文学旬刊》。