Xi Murong- A blossom tree

[timmo]

Hi again, well last night my girlfriend introduced me to a new poet, Xi Murong or to be more specific her poem " A blossom tree."

She gave me the translation into English taken from a newspaper so I would be very keen to compare that version with any others. Difficult though even through Google to find any copies of this, or any others in English.

Would anyone be able to help?

The translation I have begins:

May Budda let us meet in my most beautiful hours,

I have prayed for it for 500 years...

I this the generally accepted translation of this poem?

Thanks as usual,

With regards,

[skylee]

I think you may be able to find more information if you search for 席慕容 or "xi murong" (remember the double quotation marks). I have found these from a random search -

How can we chance upon each other

At my most beautiful moment?

For this scene,I've begged Buddha, 500 years nonstopping,

For the fate we can be interweaving.

Buddha hence changes me into a tree,

Standing by a road you'll be passing,Blossoming, discreetly, under the sun:

Every flower is my previous life's yearning.

When you trek near, listen carefully:

The trembling leaves are my longing passion.

But you pass, you pass carelessly,Leave, behind you, the tree that's shedding.

Dear, the sheddings are not petals at all,

But my heart, my withered heart, crying!

(from http://members.fortunecity.com/gaycenter/stories/s0008.html)

May Buddha let us meet

in my most beautiful hours,

I have prayed for it

for five hundred years.

Buddha made me a tree

by the path you may take,

In full blossoms I“m waiting in the sun

every flower carrying my previous hope.

As you are near, listen carefully

the quivering leaves are my waiting zeal,

As you pass by the tree

without noticing me,

My friend, upon the ground behind you

is not the fallen petals but my withered heart.

A Blooming Tree

By Xi Murong

How could I make you meet me

At the moment I was the most beautiful? For this

I’ve prayed to Buddha for five hundred years,

For the predestined romance he could grant us.

So Buddha turned me into a tree,

Growing by the road you would pass,

Cautiously in full bloom in the sun,

Each flower was a wish I cherished in my pre-existence.

When you come up, please listen carefully,

The fluttering leaves are my zeal in waiting.

Yet as you pass me over,

Behind you ,falling around the ground is

Oh, Friend, not petals

But my broken heart.

---- Translated by Wind Gu

[timmo]

Thanks very much skylee. Nice to read the contrast between the three.

[skylee]

What a beautiful poem ->

一棵開花的樹

如何讓你遇見我

在我最美麗的時刻　為這

我已在佛前求了五百年

求祂讓我們結一段塵緣

佛於是把我化作一棵樹

長在你必經的路旁

陽光下慎重地開滿了花

朵朵都是我前世的盼望

當你走近　請你細聽

那顫抖的葉是我等待的熱情

而當你終於無視地走過

在你身後落了一地的

朋友啊　那不是花瓣

是我凋零的心