温哥华赞
曹小莉
蓝宝石的山岗，
顶戴着冰雪皇冠，
起伏连绵，
横桓在你的北方。
戴着花环的民居，
披着云雾的大厦，
森林吐出氧气和清芳，
环抱着碧玉般的海湾。
你不是巴黎，
那俯视世界骄傲的公主，
吸引着万千络绎不绝的朝圣客。
你不是伦敦，
那风华绝代世袭的皇妇，
让世人追忆大英帝国的过往荣光。
你不是纽约，
金融财富，声名权力的集中地，
人群追逐着各自的地狱和天堂。
你不是北京，
摩天大楼崛起在宫墙之外，
空气中回响着二十世纪末的杂音。
你就是你，
豆蔻年华，妩媚清新，
来自世外桃源的仙女，
当世界十年前发见你惊人的美丽，
求婚者把多少珍宝奉献在你的眼底。
只有在夜幕降临后，
你才戴上那稀世的钻石珠串，
让水晶般的璀灿高悬山上，
为路人指明朝北的方向。
在蓝色的惆怅中，
有人抱怨你多雨的季节；
在绿色的和声中，
我却讴歌你的细雨和风。
南加州标榜阳光灿烂，
你可曾捧过那五年不雨的焦土，
在不毛的火焰山中穿行，
看烈日烧焦了碧绿群山。
我感谢碧诗省多情的雨水，
它永远让温哥华云遮雾绕，
没有醉人的淅淅雨夜，
哪来花重温城的壮观。
我在空气中捕捉，
银铃般的声响，
玉兰高擎着巨大的酒杯，
遥遥向我作春天的礼让。
我在花树上收集，
云霞般的色彩，
樱花带着羞涩的泪花，
纷纷扑向大地的胸怀。
我在心中搜寻，
珠玑般的文字，
可是在那水洗过的蓝天上，
映照着我无法形容的向往。
我站在城市高地极目远望，
温哥华，
在你起伏的丘陵上，
郁郁葱葱是百年老树，
星星点点是红瓦白墙，
滔滔滚滚是涌入的金钱，
沸沸扬扬是沉默的声浪。
愿财富不要洗去你的纯真，
愿纷争不要侵扰平静，
愿差异不要造成隔阂，
愿这一切不要夺去你的亲和力，
让凡人可望而不可即。
让每一个人，
无论他是世代居住，
还是刚来的新移民，
都献上一片爱心，
为我们自己，为后代子孙，
留下一片和平的净土之地。
一九九三年
Ode to Vancouver
Shirley Sue -A-Quan
Sapphire mountains
Crowned with ice and snow
Gently undulating
Spanning the northern horizon
Houses wearing garlands of flowers
Buildings enveloped in cloud and mist
Forests releasing oxygen and fragrance
Embrace a jade-colored ocean bay
How different from Paris -
A beautiful though arrogant princess
Gazing down upon the world
Attracting tens of thousands of worshiping tourists
How different from London -
A royal lady with a rich heritage
Full of elegance and beauty
Recalling the past glory of the British Empire.
How different from New York –
A massive center of fortune, fame and power
With crowds of people
Pursuing their paths to Heaven or Hell.
How different from Beijing –
Where skyscrapers stick out among the ancient palaces.
Noises of the changing millennium
Echo through the air.
You are your own self
Flowers budding in early Spring
Pure and fresh
Like fairies coming from the land of Peach Blossoms
When the world suddenly discovered your abundant beauty
So many precious gifts were presented by courtiers.
When the curtain of night descends
You display a rare diamond necklace of light
Crystals glittering high on the hill
Guiding the way for passers-by
When in a melancholy mood
Some have complained of excessive downpours
But from the verdant harmony created
I sing the praises of your gentle breezes and frequent drizzles
Southern California boasts of the sunshine
But have you touched the parched soil
Or traveled through the semi-desert
With mountains baked brown from the scorching sun?
Because of the abundant rain
Vancouver is forever green.
After the evening showers
We see the garden city blooming with flowers
I try to capture in the air
The echo of the silver bells.
Magnolias hold up huge wine cups
Saluting me in a Spring toast.
I try to imagine in the trees
The rosy clouds
Cherry petals with tears of joy
Return to the embrace of the soil
I search my vocabulary
For words like pearls and gems
In the blue water-washed sky
To express my indescribable praise
From a high spot in the city I look at the horizon.
On Vancouver’s hills that rise and fall
I see hundred-year-old trees like a sea of green
With new white houses topped with red roofs
Reflecting a growing flood of money
Coming wave after wave.
I hear silent voices murmuring here and there
Sometimes a trace of gray clouds
Appears in the clear sky
Causing my heart to beat faster for you
I wish that wealth would not displace innocence
Disputes would not disturb the peace
Differences should not cause estrangement
I wish that in a harmonious environment
All people can express themselves in a beautiful chorus
Everyone, whether long resident or newcomer
Should devote tenderness and love
To create for ourselves and future generations
A peaceful and prosperous land
