Saying Goodbye to
Cambridge Again
Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here
Quietly I wave goodbye
To the rosy clouds
In the western sky
The golden willows
By the riverside
Are young brides
In the setting sun
Their reflections
On the shimmering waves
Always linger in the depth
Of my heart
The floating heart growing
In the sludge
Sways leisurely under the water
In the gentle waves
Of Cambridge
I would be a water plant
That pool under the shade
Of elm trees
Holds not water
But the rainbow from the sky
Shattered to pieces
Among the duckweeds
Is the sediment of
A rainbow like dream
To seek a dream
Just to pole a boat upstream
To where the green grass
Is more verdant
Or to have the boat
Fully loaded with starlight
And sing aloud
In the splendor of starlight
But I cannot sing aloud
Quietness is my farewell music
Even summer insects
Keep silence for me
Silent is Cambridge tonight
Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here
Gently I flick my sleeves
Not even a wisp of cloud
Will I bring away