The poignancy of our nation’s ANZAC centenary was reflected at the Confucius Institute’s Autumn Poetry Evening, held at Wellington Library on 22 April.

The poignancy of our nation’s ANZAC centenary was reflected at the Confucius Institute’s Autumn Poetry Evening, held at Wellington Library on 22 April. Two talented Millennials - poet Ya-Wen Ho, and Victoria University PhD student and poet Liang Yujing - shared their poetry on the struggles of bilingualism, roots and heritage, amidst seasonal and personal change. The appreciative audience also enjoyed the poems of Chinese New Zealand poet Gu Cheng and the Tang dynasty ‘greats’ - Bai Juyi, Du Fu and Li Bai. The warm autumn evening closed with Canadian doctor John McCrae’s haunting World War One poem, ‘In Flanders Fields’, read in English and Chinese by Vera Xu of Wellington.

In Flanders Fields (在佛兰德斯战场) John McCrae 约翰.麦克雷

3 May 1915, Ypres

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 在佛兰德斯战场上，罂粟花随风摇动

Between the crosses row on row, 开满十字架林立的的每一寸土地

That mark our place; and in the sky 这就是我们居住的地方—墓地。

The larks, still bravely singing, fly 勇敢的云雀仍在天空中翱翔

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 枪炮的轰鸣盖过了它们的歌唱

We are the Dead. Short days ago 我们死了。几天之前

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 我们还活着，感受着黎明和晚霞

Loved and were loved, and now we lie 爱着，被爱着， 现在我们死了

In Flanders fields. 长眠在佛兰德斯战场上

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 继续去和敌人战斗吧：

To you from failing hands we throw 从我们垂下的手中

The torch; be yours to hold it high 接过火炬，并把它高高举起

If ye break faith with us who die 如果你背弃我们的遗愿

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 即使罂粟花开满了佛兰德斯

In Flanders fields. 我们也不能安息

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