再别康橋

This is a translation of the poem 再別康橋 (Zài Bié Kāngqiáo), “Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again”, by the Chinese poet 徐志摩 (Xú Zhìmó). 徐志摩 had studied at King’s College, Cambridge, and wrote the poem on a return visit in November 1928.

The first four lines of the poem are now inscribed on a rock by the Cam.

再别康橋 Zài Bié Kāngqiáo

Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again

輕輕的我走了，

Qīngqīngde wǒ zǒule,

Lightly I leave,

正如我輕輕的來；

zhèngrú wǒ qīngqīngde lái;

as lightly I came;

我輕輕的招手，

wǒ qīngqīngde zhāoshǒu,

I lightly wave goodbye,

作別西天的雲彩。

zuò bié xītiān de yúncai.

to the sunlit clouds in the western sky.

那河畔的金柳，

Nà hépàn de jīn liǔ,

The golden willows of that riverside,

是夕陽中的新娘；

shì xīyángzhōng de xīnniáng;

are brides in the setting sun;

波光裡的艷影，

bōguāng lǐ de yàn yǐng,

their glimmering reflections in the water,

在我的心頭蕩漾。

zài wǒ de xīntóu dàngyàng.

ripple in the depth of my heart.

軟泥上的青荇，

Ruǎnní shàng de qīngxìng,

The waterlilies in the soft mud,

油油的在水底招搖；

yóuyóude zài shuǐdǐ zhāoyáo;

sway splendidly under the water.

在康河的柔波裡，

zài Kānghé de róu bō lǐ,

In the gentle waves of the Cam,

我甘心做一條水草！

wǒ gānxīn zuò yītiáo shuǐcǎo!

I would be a water plant!

那榆蔭下的一潭，

Nà yú yīn xià de yī tán,

That pool in the shade of elm trees,

不是清泉，是天上虹；

búshì qīngquán, shì tiānshàng hóng;

is not springwater, but a heavenly rainbow;

揉碎在浮藻間，

róu suì zài fúzǎo jiān,

crumbling amongst the floating grasses,

沉澱著彩虹似的夢。

chéndiànzhe cǎihóng shì de mèng.

the settling rainbow seems like a dream.

尋夢？撐一支長篙，

Xún mèng? Chēng yī zhī chǎng gāo,

Looking for dreams? Push a punt,

向青草更青處漫溯；

xiàng qīngcǎo gèng qīng chù màn sù;

to where the grass is greener still upstream;

滿載一船星輝，

mǎn zǎi yī chuán xīng huī,

a boat laden with starlight,

在星輝斑斕裡放歌。 zài xīng huī bānlán lǐ fànggē.

singing freely in the glorious light of stars.

但我不能放歌，

Dàn wǒ bùnéng fànggē,

But I cannot sing freely,

悄悄是別離的笙簫；

qiāoqiāo shì biélí de shēngxiāo;

silence is the music of my departure,

夏蟲也為我沉默，

xià chóng yě wèi wǒ chénmò,

even the summer insects are quiet for me,

沉默是今晚的康橋！

chénmò shì jīn wǎn de Kāngqiáo!

tonight's Cambridge is silent!

悄悄的我走了，

Qiāoqiāo de wǒ zǒule,

Quietly I leave,

正如我悄悄的來；

zhèngrú wǒ qiāoqiāo de lái;

as quietly I came;

我揮一揮衣袖，

wǒ huīyīhuī yī xiù,

I cast my sleeves a little,

不帶走一片雲彩。

búdài zǒu yīpiàn yúncai.

not taking even a strand of cloud away.