DOI Artikel:
Davies, W. H.: Editorial
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29343#0010
To which Ah Me replied “Pooh Bah, no
damn-ee good-ee.”
“But surely,” I insisted, restraining my excite-
ment—“surely you would not go so far as to
say that Pooh Bahis no bloody good?”
To which Ah Me replied in a firm voice, and
without the least hesitation “Pooh Bah, no
bloody good-ee.”
Saying this, Ah Me went to his bookshelves
and, taking down a small volume of his own
work, opened it at a certain page and, pointing
to a short lyric, said in a quiet voice “Look-ee
a little while-ee at the book-ee.”
The little poem brought to my notice was
called“ AThought”; and,although the Chinese
atmosphere is entirely lost in my translation,
I feel certain that the philosophy will be clear
to everyone.
W'hen I look into a glass,
hMyself h my only carej
But I look^ into a pool
For all the wonders there.
JVhen I look into a glass,
I see a fool:
But I see a wise man
When I look^ into a pool.
“I gather from this little poem,” said I, “that
Pooh Bah is too self-conscious, and that seems
to be the fault of poets in every country,
including Great Britain and Ireland.”
Hearing this, Ah Me nodded approval, and
said in a calm, deliberate voice, “Pooh Bah, he
look-ee in the glass-ee too much-ee. Pooh
Bah, no good-ee. Pooh Bah, no damn-ee
good-ee. Pooh Bah, no bloody good-ee.”
Not wishing to take up any more of Ah Me’s
valuable time, I said good-bye, butnot before
he had given me an original poem in manu-
script. I flatter myself at having captured some
of the spirit of the original, although my
knowledge of Chinese is not much to be proud
of. This is the poem, which, I hope, will add to
the great number of Ah Me’s western admirers.
When I had met Fe Fie the twentieth time,
She put me to confession day and night:
Did I like woman far above all thmgs,
Ordidthe songslmakegive more delightf
“ Disten^you sweeter flower than ever smiled
In Aprils sunny facef I said, at last—
“ The voices and the legs of birds and women
Have always pleased my ears and eyes
the mostd
Andsaying this^ I watchedFe Fie with care,
Not kjiofftng would my words offend or
please;
But, laughing gayly, her delighted breasts
Sent ripples down her body to her knees.
6
damn-ee good-ee.”
“But surely,” I insisted, restraining my excite-
ment—“surely you would not go so far as to
say that Pooh Bahis no bloody good?”
To which Ah Me replied in a firm voice, and
without the least hesitation “Pooh Bah, no
bloody good-ee.”
Saying this, Ah Me went to his bookshelves
and, taking down a small volume of his own
work, opened it at a certain page and, pointing
to a short lyric, said in a quiet voice “Look-ee
a little while-ee at the book-ee.”
The little poem brought to my notice was
called“ AThought”; and,although the Chinese
atmosphere is entirely lost in my translation,
I feel certain that the philosophy will be clear
to everyone.
W'hen I look into a glass,
hMyself h my only carej
But I look^ into a pool
For all the wonders there.
JVhen I look into a glass,
I see a fool:
But I see a wise man
When I look^ into a pool.
“I gather from this little poem,” said I, “that
Pooh Bah is too self-conscious, and that seems
to be the fault of poets in every country,
including Great Britain and Ireland.”
Hearing this, Ah Me nodded approval, and
said in a calm, deliberate voice, “Pooh Bah, he
look-ee in the glass-ee too much-ee. Pooh
Bah, no good-ee. Pooh Bah, no damn-ee
good-ee. Pooh Bah, no bloody good-ee.”
Not wishing to take up any more of Ah Me’s
valuable time, I said good-bye, butnot before
he had given me an original poem in manu-
script. I flatter myself at having captured some
of the spirit of the original, although my
knowledge of Chinese is not much to be proud
of. This is the poem, which, I hope, will add to
the great number of Ah Me’s western admirers.
When I had met Fe Fie the twentieth time,
She put me to confession day and night:
Did I like woman far above all thmgs,
Ordidthe songslmakegive more delightf
“ Disten^you sweeter flower than ever smiled
In Aprils sunny facef I said, at last—
“ The voices and the legs of birds and women
Have always pleased my ears and eyes
the mostd
Andsaying this^ I watchedFe Fie with care,
Not kjiofftng would my words offend or
please;
But, laughing gayly, her delighted breasts
Sent ripples down her body to her knees.
6