1 Poem by Liu Bannong

How Can I Refrain from Missing Her, the Fair

In the sky some faint cloud is drifting around,
And some breeze is wafting over the ground.
Ah!
The breeze gently stroking my hair,
How can I refrain from missing her, the fair?

Of the sea dream the moonbeams,
Of the moonbeams the sea dreams.
Ah!
At this silvery night with honey-tasting air,
How can I refrain from missing her, the fair?

Slowly floating the blooms on the flow,
And slowly swimming the fish below.
Ah!
What are swallows talking about in the air?
How can I refrain from missing her, the fair?

In cold wind wave the withered boughs,
In the dusky twilight the wildfires arouse. 
Ah!
Some cloud in the western sky remains red there,
How can I refrain from missing her, the fair?

London, Sept., 4, 1920


About the author:

Liu Bannong (1891—1934), whose originally named Liu Shoupeng, and also Liu Fu, was a native of Jiangyin County, Jiangsu Province. He took part in the Xinhai Revolution in 1911. He was an editor at Zhonghua Book Company in 1913, and editor of New Youth in Beijing in 1917. He went to study in Britain in 1920, and to France in the next year. He got his degree of Litt.D at the University of Paris. After his return to China, he was a professor at Peking University, Sino-French University, and Furen Catholic University [Beijing], successively. His major works include A Collection of Vulgar Poems, A Collection of Galloping Poems, and Selected Poems of Liu Bannong (collections of Poems).  (Tr. by Yang Xu）                                                      

教我如何不想她
         -- 刘半农

天上飘着些微云，
地上吹着些微风。
啊！
微风吹动了我头发，
教我如何不想她？

月光恋爱着海洋，
海洋恋爱着月光。
啊！
这般蜜也似的银夜，
教我如何不想她？

水面落花慢慢流，
水底鱼儿慢慢游。
啊！
燕子你说些什么话？
教我如何不想她？

枯树在冷风里摇。
野火在暮色中烧。
啊！
西天还有些儿残霞，
教我如何不想她？

                          1920年9月4日  伦敦

作者简介：
刘半农（1891—1934），原名刘寿彭，又名刘复。江苏江阴县人。1911年参加辛亥革命。1913年任中华书局编辑。1917年任北京《新青年》编 辑。1920年赴英国留学，次年转赴法国，1925年3月获巴黎大学文学博士学位。回国后历任北京大学、中法大学、辅仁大学教授等职。主要作品有：诗集 《瓦釜集》、《扬鞭集》、《刘半农诗选》等。