Suddenly from without the closed window,
There came the singing of a lyric song;
The singer must be somewhere down below,
The tune is melodious, the stanzas long.
It came through the evening air,
It came and filled my room up stair;
It came and stirred up my heart’s string,
It was the very presence of Spring.
The singer must be there practicing,
Or she was singing for her amusement;
Or it was for both that she came to sing,
For her tone was untiring and content.
And there was something in her voice,
That was sweet, natural, and sincere,
That had made me moved and rejoice,
For it so pleased my soul and ear.
And in the tune there also was something,
Passions and inspiration it did hold;
Something suggestive rather than telling,
Something implied rather than told.
And I felt how nice life must be,
How happy, hopeful she must be,
That she could sing and be merry,
And could enjoy things of beauty.
Though it was in the eyes of others,
That I saw hope and happiness,
I listened and shared the pleasures,
And seemed to forget my sadness.
Though what appealed to me was the singing,
Rather than the singer or the song,
They helped relieve me of the evening,
And would dwell in my memory for long.
December 29,. 1978 (Friday evening),
Xiamen University
