鄧永鏘（DavidTang） 中國會、上海灘創辦人
"Iloveyoumorethanyesterdayandlessthantomorrow".WhenIreadthesewordsforthefirsttime,Ismiledandrepeatedthemtomyself.AndIsmiledagainandmadesureIwouldnotforgetthem.Thatistheeffectofwords.Andbecausewordsdonotmovenorrunaway,wecanpauseandlookatthemandrepeatthemtoourselves.Wecanenjoythemmore—muchmorethan,say,thetelevisionorthecinemawhenthefilmcarriesonandwemissthemomentstoreflecton.
Ifyoulovewords,youwillloveEnglishwordsandyouwilllovepoetry—beautifulpoetryoflove.IrememberlearningbyheartagreatdealofpoetryandShakespearebeforeIeverunderstoodthemproperly.Buttheirsoundswerewonderful.AndIknewIwasreadingsomethingwonderful.Onoccasions,IwouldcomeacrossapoemIwouldunderstand.Thosewouldbecomemyserendipities.AndIwouldreadthewordsagain,andagain,andagain.WordsthatweresobeautifulthatIsimplywantedtocommitthemtomymemory.
Iwasjustl5whenIwenttoEnglishboardingschool—scaredstiffthatIcouldnotspeakEnglishwithalltheotherboys,andfrightenedtodeaththatIwouldbebullied.ButwhenIcameacrosspoetry,allwasforgotten,andIfeltalmostasifIhadfoundthesecretwithwhichtoprotectmyself—knowledgethatcouldnotbescared,norbullied,norstolen,nortakenaway.Iwouldurgeyoutoreadthesewordsagainandagain,andmemorizethem:
HadItheheavens'embroideredcloths,
Enwroughtwithgoldenandsilverlight,
Theblueandthedimandthedarkcloths
Ofnightandlightandthehalf-light,
Iwouldspreadtheclothsunderyourfeet:
ButI,beingpoor,haveonlymydreams;
Ihavespreadmydreamsunderyourfeet;
Treadsoftlybecauseyoutreadonmydream.
Goon:readthewordsagain,andagain.Aren'ttheybeautiful?It'sYeats.HewasamasterIrishman.TheIrishhaveawaywithwordslikenoothers.Afterreadingthissimplepoemofhis,Iwantedtoreadmoreandmoreofhisworks.Iboughthiscollectedpoemsandhaveneverstoppedreadingtheminthelast35years.
Andthat'sthebeautyofpoetry—goodpoemsareinterwovenwordswhichhavemeaningsthatareglimpsedatandsavoured.Theyalsocreateanatmosphere,amoodandoftenafeelingoftenofnebulousunderstanding—sometimesnotentirelyclear,oftenambiguous,butalwaysfascinating.T.S.Eliotis,forme,ageniusofwords.Hisworksaredifficulttograspbecausetheyaresoakedinreferences（根據）.Butevenifyoudon'tknowthereferences,justtrythesoundsfromhiswords:
Letusgothen,youandI,
Whentheeveningisspreadoutagainstthesky,
Likeapatientetherizeduponatable;
Letusgo,throughcertainhalf-desertedstreets,
Themutteringretreats,
Ofrestlessnightsinone-nightcheaphotels,
Andsawdustrestaurantswithoyster-shells:
Streetsthatfollowlikeatediousargument,
Ofinsidiousintent,
Toleadyoutoanoverwhelmingquestion......
Oh,donotask"Whatisit?",
Letusgoandmakeourvisit.
Please,pleasereadthosewordsagain.Andemphasize,ifyoucan,allthoseconsonants.Aren'ttheyfullofmysteryandrhythmandbeauty?Youdon'tevenhavetounderstandthem.Forme,readingoutaloudthewordsissufficientenjoyment.
Icangoon,andon,andonaboutthemagicoftheEnglishwords.Itmakesmesicktoread,asIdidintheSCMPthisweek,thatsomeonehasyetagaincomeoutwithsomedubiouspollsthatprovethatEnglishstandardinHongKonghasfallen.Ijustwishedpeoplewouldstopcomplainingandjustgoorsendeveryonetothelibraryandgeteveryonereading.Readingpoetryisnotonlyhugelysatisfactory,butalsofunandenjoyableandrefined.AnditwillhelpyouimproveyourEnglish—Icanpromiseyouthat.Whocanfailtobeexitedbybeautifulwords?MycurrentfavouriteisbyanotherIrishman:LouisMacneice.Iadorethisatmospheric
poem:
Andlovehungstillascrystaloverthebed,
Andfilledthecornersoftheenormousroom;
Theboomofdawnthatlefthersleeping,showing,
Theflowersmirroredinthemahoganytable.
Omylove,ifonlyIwereable,
Toprotectthishourofquietafterpassion,
Notrationhappinessbutkeepthisdoorforever,
Closedontheworld,itsownworldclosedwithinit.
Butdawn'swavestroublewiththebubblingminute,
Thenamesofbookscomeclearupontheirshelves,
Thereasondelvesfordutyandyouwillwake,
Withastartandgoonlivingonyourown.
Thefisrsttrainpassesandthewindowsgroan,
Voiceswillhectorandyourvoicebecome,
Adrumintunewiththeirs,whichalllastnight,
Likesapthatfingeredthroughahungrytree,
Assertedouronenight'sidentity.
Poetry,Iloveyoumorethanyesterdayandlessthantomorrow!