Aust Winner 澳洲长风论坛

[海外逸士]

(The true story was told to me by an old gentleman who was the friend of the hero in this poem.)

(1) The sun was shining warm and bright,



And birds were singing gay and light.



The flowers in bloom, the trees in leaves,



And swallows back to their old eaves.



'Twas Spring again, charming and sweet,----



The season for lovers to meet.






(2) A Sunday in a park in May,



When larks chanting a merry lay,



A young man walking arm in arm



With such a girl of greatest charm.



He whispered sweet words in her ears;



His jokes did make her laugh with tears.






(3) "I say, my dearest Wen," said he,



"Would you t' a party go with me?"



"But when?" she asked, with eyes on Chen;



"Tonight, my dear." he said to Wen.



As they were sitting on a bench,



And he embraced the pretty wench.






(4) So long a time they cooed like dove,



And took a solemn vow of love:



Till women had a beard on chin,



And elephants grew hairs on skin,



Till earth stopped move and stars died out,



Their love'd remain e'er true and stout.






(5) The afterglow in sky now shone,



And twilight found them left alone.



So up they got, and went to gate,



For time would not for men await.



He strolled along with her in street,



And sometimes to some friends would greet.












(6) "Now home for supper let us go."



She said, but he replied, "Oh, no.



If home to sup, we'll be too late;



It's impolite to keep them wait."



So then to restaurant they went,



And chops and soup for her he meant.






(7) The East-Turtles abused and beat



Our hungry people where'er they meet.



The young for life would run away,



But for old men 'twas their last day.



A stream of blood in Nanking flowed



And floated up the slain on road.






( No Yellow Dogs were seen today,



As to the restaurant went they.



But seldom nerves relaxed in fear



That mishap follows bitter tear,



Except when love was talked about,



And lovers had a dinner out.






(9) He called her home for it by phone,



And back at table he sat alone,



For she to toilet for a while



And now approached with a smile.



He ordered pudding, chops and soup;



For himself steak, salad and soup.






(10) They talked and sighed and talked while ate,



Of war, of woe, of servile date.



A Japanese song in the hall



Was sung, but none listened at all.



People ate with faces full of woe;



Each told his grief in voice so low.






(11) A Japanese in uniform



Came in, as talk hot and wine warm.



And how he took a dish aft dish,



At length the last he ate was fish.



Instead of pay, "Bagayalo."



And what was more, a heavy blow.


















(12) The owner, out from counter, bowed;



But Dog is Dog; he trampled and roared



And boxed the owner's nose to bleed,



The blood dripping from it, indeed.



For life the poor man dared not stir,



And saw him out with bows and "Sir!"






(13) When out, and on his back a stone,



He turned and uttered such a groan.



He found himself to face a crowd



With clenched fists and looks so proud.



He's awed and fled like beaten dog



And grunted yet as dying hog.






(14) People gazed within through window glass,



And scruples belonged to their such class.



They only sighed, in distress spoke



Of the event. One made a joke



On flying Yellow Dog and said,



" 'Tis not a pleasure to invade."






(15) When up at last they got to go,



They took a taxi-car and so



In one-sixth hour they reached there.



Their advent caused glad eyes to stare;



When they were shown into the room,



They, then, received the warmest boom.






(16) As introductions o'er, the ball



Began, and guests eighteen in all.



They danced the waltz and danced tango;



They danced and danced in twain and two.



At intervals of rest, some sang,



And through the room their voices rang.






(17) "Encore!" cried all when a young maid



Had finished a serenade.



"Look, how we're making merry, oh,



Beneath the shade of Death!" said Joe,



While servants brought in plates of cake



With bread and bun, all of home-bake.


















(1 While drinking coffee Miss Wen told



Of the event, the poor man old;



Of people outside, how brave and bold,



They made the blood of Dog run cold;



And China's future and her hope



Relied on those as such a group.






(19) 'Twas midnight when the party's o'er.



They took their leave, and out of door



They saw a taxi driving slow;



They stopped the car and in they'd go



Then someone's seen by driver's side;



But as she's in, her face he eyed.






(20) And aft some turns the car went now



Along the wide First Road and how



Was that it ran towards the Bund--



The wrong direction'--they were stunn'd



And asked the driver, got reply



As "Hold your tongue, or dead you'll lie."






(21) Then at the Bund the car stopped short;



Chen's pushed out as quick as thought.



And then the car was driven on



And o'er the Garden Bridge and down



To the Xinya Hotel and then



It stopp’d, and brought her to the den.






(22) She's taken to a room and there



Was left alone to her own care.



A Japanese in uniform



Then came and bore in ugly form.



He came to strip her ★违反论坛条例！★,--oh, you



My readers, must know what'd ensue.






(23) She was a slave in this hotel;



Her body sullied, but to sell



Her soul she wouldn't, and oft with snub



Abused in this Officers' Club,



And sometimes whipped and boxed for fun,



And what to eat, she got a bun.


















(24) Each day she wept and thought of Chen,



"Does still he think of me, his Wen?"



It gave her courage living on;



Her sorrows deep, her face was wan.



She tried escape, once, twice and thrice,



But all in vain, in tearful sighs.






(25) How could she live in hell of fire,



In torment and in dark so dire?



How could she any longer bear



The Brutes; and how could she the snare,



The cage, the hell, the prison break?



But little her power, no means she'd take.






(26) But when would come the light of dawn?



And when would rise the sun of morn



To chase the darkness from the earth



And bring to China all the mirth?



But when could she from lair be free,



And when could she her dear Chen see?






(27) When came to himself, poor Chen found



He's lying at the Bund on ground.



He got on feet and looked around;



There reigned a silence and no sound,



And nowhere could the car be seen,



And therefore he was sad in spleen.






(2 He got to home in sorrows deep,



And couldn't have just a wink of sleep.



And earlier than the sun, went he



To see and tell her family



Of the misfortune; hearing this



Her parents cried in bitterness.






(29) The whole household at door did peep;



For their young Miss they helped to weep.



The sight of others' tears just made,



As thinking of his pretty maid



With sweetest smile and lovely blush,



His grief profound, his tears in gush.


















(30) And now a solemn vow he took:



From Hell to Heaven he would look



For his beloved, her darling lass,



E’en if he ought to go, alas!



Through fire and water, through a mound



Of dynamite till she be found.







(31) Her father sent his men in quest



Of his sole daughter east and west,



While everywhere through town Chen sought



For her, his sweetheart, but he brought



To her old parents no good news,



And his endeavors of no use.






(32) He did his best to search and seek,



From day to day, from week to week,



And month aft month, and year aft year,



For her who was so near and dear



To his poor heart, but all in vain.



He failed, but he began again.






(33) But where could she at present be?



And yet did she now think of me?



Did she suffer, and did she weep?



Did she her cheeks in tears oft keep?



And how did she fare, bad or well?



Alive or dead? But none could tell.






(34) And night aft night, on bed he turned;



And bitter parting he had learned.



His love for her was put to test;



And he had neither sleep nor rest,



As thinking of her day and night,



And she to him like ray and light.






(35) And how could he his dear one save,



From tiger's den, or devil's cave,



Or from the fiercest dragon's claws,



Or from the ugly monster's jaws?



But where was she was still in doubts,



And how he'd find her whereabouts?


















(36) Her image occupied his head,



And heavy was his heart like lead.



So long as she was out of sight,



He really lost his appetite.



He now became so thin and lean,--



Too thin, too lean, as never seen.






(37) His mother said, "Forget your Miss,



Or you will die of lovesickness.



I know a pretty girl Miss Liu,



And she's the right damsel for you."



"If find her never in this world,



I'll marry her then in next world."






(3 As firm he stood where he was right,



His mother wanted, day and night,



Amuse her only son and sought



Beguile him from his plaintive thought.



But his unlucky star he cursed,



And he refused to be diversed.






(39) Indeed his sorrows were so great



That no pastime at any rate



Could help forget his rooted woe



And heal his broken heart, and so



Her father gave him same advice,



But he refused with deepest sighs.






(40) Time went in hope and agony,



In seeking, waiting anxiously,



Till came the year of Forty-Five



To bring us spring and joy, and drive



To their old home those Japanese;



And freedom now to our Chinese.






(41) Chinese people sang and danced so gay



To celebrate the victory day.



Though Chen enjoyed the public glee,



In his own distress yet was he.



Where's now his Wen? Was she alive?



And this year she was twenty-five.


















(42) She'd borne the tortures, oh, for years,



The insult and despite with tears.



She waited with impatient pain



In hopes to see her Chen again.



But now at last there came the day



She's free and able to go away.






(43) But sweet and bitter mixed in life.



Had he another taken to wife?



Had he forget his sacred vow,



Desert'd his love he loved before?



If so, she's ready to forgive;



She knew that he couldn’t lonely live.






(44) If not so, what would she then do?



Would she be married to him? No.



She thought of her lost maidenhood;



She'd bring him disgrace and no good.



Unworthy of his love now she's;



She wish'd him woo her mother's niece.






(45) The essence of a true love is



Self-sacrifice for other's bliss.



She wanted planning for his weal,



Because her love for him so real,



Though herself happy life denied



And sacrificed, or for him died.






(46) When home she got, to the surprise



Of her parents, and then their sighs



Were turned into the joyful tears,



Aft parting for so many years,



For they had given her up for dead;



Now through the house the good news spread.






(47) Then all the household came to meet



Their still young mistress and to greet.



And what she suffered then she told;



The tears she shed the sea couldn't hold.



But how's her Chen? She'd like to know.



And married? The reply was, "No."


















(4 Chen learnt this news and hasten’d there,



But she wouldn't see him and declare:



He should another marry; since



She was polluted, she must wince



And give her place in heart of his



Now to another pretty miss.






(49) But Chen insisted, and remind



Her of her vow, and he didn't mind



What then she had been forced to yield,



But winner was her soul on field;



If yet her heart belonged to none,



To him she's still the dearest one.






(50) Yet she refused; and he did stay



In sitting-room, wouldn't go away



For three whole days; and to insist



On seeing her, he couldn't exist,



He said, if she wouldn't keep her vow;



Without her how could he live now?






(51) Her parents came up to persuade



Their daughter with the help of maid,



And told her of what Chen had done,



And by degrees her heart was won.



Her resolution softened then,



And down she came to see her Chen.







(52) At last the lovers met again



Aft many years of parting pain.



Their wedding took place on March First.



What lots of food! The guests would burst!

They drank the health to the young pair



And welfare till they grew white hair.

[苑眉]

好长啊，花了些时间才看完了。

虽然结局是美好的，但过程却是忧伤的。。。

谢谢逸士老师的长诗！