goldfish – Page 57 – Goldfish Odyssey

Natural light is a rare commodity in the city, especially in winter months. Finally, the sun peeked through my windows. I took a walk up the hill to Fort Tryon Park. The blue sky, the gentle breeze and the blooming spring bulbs all reminded me of the beautiful verses of Eduard Mörike:

Er ist’s

Frühling läßt sein blaues Band
Wieder flattern durch die Lüfte;
Süße, wohlbekannte Düfte
Streifen ahnungsvoll das Land.
Veilchen träumen schon,
Wollen balde kommen.
Horch,
von fern ein leiser Harfenton!
Frühling, ja du bist’s!
Dich hab’ ich vernommnen!

It is him!

Spring lets its blue ribbon
Fluttering in the air again;
Sweet, familiar scents
Touch the land tenderly full of presage.
Violets, already dreaming,
Wish to bloom soon.
Listen!
from afar the faint sound of a harp!
Spring, yes, it is you!
It’s you I’ve heard!

Originally part of Maler Nolten, a romantic novel, this poem is simple yet full of actions. The narrator sees the bright color, smells the sweet air, senses the flowers eagerness to come out and hears the heavenly sound of the harp. It has inspired numerous composers. The most well-known and frequently performed musical settings were by Robert Schumann and Hugo Wolf.^[1]

Both composers let the piano carry out the fluttering blue ribbon: Schumann with a dotted descending scale, shaking gently by the repeating chords in the right hand; Wolf with weaving triplets which lasted throughout the main section of the song. Schumann’s melody has a folk-like character, while Wolf’s vocal line forms a longer and more sustained ribbon floating above the piano part. Interestingly, both composers chose to extend the celebratory acclamation with a long coda. Schumann repeated the final verses with quicker motion. Wolf simply let the piano run free with excitements.^[2]

Er ist’s! I will let the music and photos tell the story.

^[1] Schumann’s 1849 setting was included in his Liederalbum für die Jugend (Songbook for the Young), Op. 79. The collection also contains songs such as “Marienwürmchen” (“Ladybird”) and “Der Sandman” (“The sandman”). Wolf’s 1888 setting was the sixth piece in Gedichte von Eduard Mörike (Poems of Eduard Mörike).
^[2] Er ist’s; Robert Schumann: Barbara Bonney, soprano; Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano;
Er ist’s; Hugo Wolf: Diana Damrau, soprano; Stephan Matthias Lademann, piano

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series A Bigger Pond

Ms. 陳紀彝 Chen Chi-Yi was our beloved Principal at Wesley Girls’ High. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, she held Masters of Education and Sociology from Columbia University. Before founding and leading the school, she devoted her time in women’s affairs and was a parliamentary member of R. O. C. A classmate and close friend of Madam Chiang Kai-Shek, she was a loyal supporter of Madam’s. But she never joined the Nationalist Party.

Originally from Canton, educated in English, speaking Mandarin didn’t come naturally to her. So, she rarely gave long speeches. Weekends before exams, she would send us home with encouragements. And, she would always say: “好好溫書, 不要’liaw’[撈？]冰箱.” We all found it funny. Although I never compared notes with my friends, I believed that she meant to say: “Study hard. Don’t keep going to the refrigerator searching for junk food.”

The other mantra of hers was: “作一個堂堂正正的中國人.” “Be a dignified Chinese person.” She said it with such sincerity and conviction that we knew she didn’t just use it as a slogan. And, she quietly set a perfect example for us.

Like many ladies of her generation, she wore traditional qípáo (旗袍 or cheongsam in Cantonese)^[1] regularly. These long dresses were form fitting and rigid. However, they always seemed slightly loose on Principal Chen. Her upright posture made her small physique seemed imposing. I don’t remember ever seeing her laughing out loud. But there was often gentle smile on her face when we greeted her.

Never married, she treated us as her children. A few of our teachers were graduates of the first classes from the school. There was an apparent closeness between them and Principal Chen. By the time we were in school, there were too many of us for her to know everyone of us by name. But she paid close attention to our well-being. She ate dorm food with us daily. When time allowed, she would walk around the classrooms, observing us. Every time I spotted her passing by our classroom, I would sit a little straighter and try a little harder to focus on the lesson.

For many—including some of my relatives—Wesley was an “elite” school. I never quite knew what defined “an elite school.” Most of us were from middle class families. We all shared duties to keep our classrooms and bedrooms clean. Everyone, on rotation, is responsible to keep the common area in good shape. Twice a year, we had cleaning contests. All the screens and windows were removed and scrubbed. Every corner of the classrooms would be wiped spotless. Principal Chen would make sure that we did everything properly and that we worked safely.

I was in the Principal’s office a few times. (I don’t remember the exact reasons for being there. . .definitely, not for anything bad.) The set up was elegant but simple—exactly like the person at the desk. It seemed only yesterday that I bowed gently to greet her.^[2]

^[1]The Evolution of Quipao
^[2]Principal Chen retired in 1975 and passed away on February 16, 1990.