對照: 見61屆同學新舊照片有感 余晃英 2012年10月30日萬聖節前夕於溫哥華
-- 顯誠兄排比中學照片及近照, 相隔五十多年, 見而有感, 用七字句記下感受, 聊博一粲, 順表謝意。
白駒過隙五十秋(1) 少年同學已白頭
新人舊人并肩列 驚呼時遷熱中腸(2)
傷心早逝眾好友 惆悵離群雁未歸
欣慶健者擠滿室(3) 變中不變細端詳
額眉眼臉爍歷練 今貌崢嶸勝往時
猶有駐顏俊如昔 可有妙術薦群英
生於憂患勞儉慣 母校栽培恩義隆
勤修學藝頭角露 風雲際會展所長
吾謀濟世用或廢(4) 窮達市陲各自安
如今望七心澹泊(5) 進守退態任君持
才華無懼年華老 光熱猶護剩蠋明
徜徉山水浮生過 俯仰由己志自由
四海一家思舊侶 有緣聚首增情誼
千里夢回窩打老(6) 泱泱我校華仁風
註: (1)成語: 光陰之逝, 如白駒過隙。
(2)杜甫: 少壯能幾時, 鬢髮各已蒼。訪舊半為鬼, 驚呼熱中腸。
(3)室者, 電子表格程序spreadsheet 也。
(4)王維: 吾謀適不用, 勿謂知音稀。
(5) 論語: 七十而從心所欲, 不踰矩。
(6) 九龍華仁書院位於窩打老道。
On Viewing the Then-and-Now Photos of Classmates ('61 grad.) Yu Fong-ying
Vancouver, October 30, 2012, Day before Halloween
-- Wong Hin Shing’s spreadsheet juxtaposes our school photos with our recent images. The juxtaposition conjures up memories and feelings which I have attempted to capture in the following lines, in the hope of providing some amusement to friends and to thank Hin Shing for the great job done.
The winged horse shot past fifty years in a wink. (1)
And white have turned our youthful heads.
Arraigned in contrast the old and the new,
Who would not be stricken by the swift dying of time? (2)
Those good friends, “passed away,” saddened our hearts;
Those marked “no contact” are like lost migratory birds.
Gladly do we see so many friends crowded in a space. (3)
The unchanged in the changed deserves a close look.
The forehead, eyebrows, eyes and face display culminated experiences;
Today’s distinguished visages surpass those in youth.
Some have kept their features so little changed,
What magic formula can they offer?
Born in hard times, we grew up working hard, thriftily.
Immeasurable was the grace and bounty the school conferred.
With diligence we learned knowledge and skills, making a name this way or that;
As the world heaved, we snatched the chances by our strengths.
Our offerings to the world might, might not have played out. (4)
Meagre or abundant, in city or country, each finds comfort.
Now staring at three score and ten, our hearts grow indifferent and calm. (5)
Each sets his own pace: to advance, to stand, to retire.
Talents survive the ravages of time;
What we give out in light and warmth feeds the remaining candle bright.
Among the hills and seas we shall go, to pass this floating life; (6)
Our own master, we hold dear our freedom.
A family within the four seas, we pine for our mates,
To deepen our care for one another when we meet.
In dreams, we travel a thousand miles, back to Waterloo, (7)
To relive those Wah Yan days and ways, generous and broad.
Notes:
(1) A Chinese idiom has it that time passes as quickly as a horse rushes past a marked line.
(2) Adapted from Tu Fu: “How long can we stay young and strong?/ Greyheads we have both become./ We talked of friends and are stricken to the heart,/ For half of them have passed away” (translation by Li Weijian)
(3) The “space” is the spreadsheet which contains the photos.
(4) Adapted from Wang Wei: “My plan for the world did not work out, but there was no shortage of admirers. “ (my translation)
(5) The Analects: “At seventy, one does as one pleases within the rules.” (my translation)
(6) Lin Yutang translated the book by Shen Fu沈復: 浮生六記 as Six Chapters of a Floating Life.
(7) Wah Yan College Kowloon is situated on Waterloo Road.