2017-08-20

【Declaration】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

      Shadowing downward came dusky evening,

      Wildly the breakers rolled,

      I sat alone upon the shore and gazed

      At the white dance of the waves.

      And my bosom heaved with the sea,

      Deep homesickness yearningly seized my heart

2017-08-20

【Why the roses are so pale】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

              Dearest, canst thou tell me why

              The rose should be so pale?

              And why the azure violet

              Should wither in the vale?

              And why the lark should in the cloud

            &nbs

2017-08-20

【The old dream comes again to me】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

              HE old dream comes again to me:

              With May-night stars above,

              We two sat under the linden-tree

              And swore eternal love.

              Again and again we plighted troth,

          &n

2017-08-20

【German Folksong • Du bist mein, ich bin dein,……】

          Du bist mein, ich bin dein;

          Des sollst du gewiß sein.

          Du bist verschlossen in meinem Herzen;

          Verloren ist das Schlüsselein.

          Du musst

2017-08-20

【On Wings of Song】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

          On Wings of Song,

          Sweetheart, I carry you away,

          Away to the fields of the Ganges,

          Where I know the most beautiful place.

          There is a garden of red fl

2017-08-20

【Pine and Lightning】

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844—1900)

          Over man and animal, I grew too tall;

        Now when I speak - no one speaks with me at all.

          I grew too high and too lonely

          I wait: on what do I wait only?

       &nb

2017-08-20

【Courage】

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749—1832)

            CARELESSLY over the plain away,

            Where by the boldest man no path

            Cut before thee thou canst discern,

            Make for thyself a path!

     &

2017-08-20

【Aiden in English】

        On the first day, we encountered most tourists as Chinese in Heidelberg. It took a while.

        Our Viking Kavsir has docked give-or-take thirty minutes from the actual destination for the past few days. Today, moored in the business city of Mannheim on the bank of the Rhine, it used four busses to transport all 187 passages to Heidelberg, standing at the cradle of the German Romantic movement. Why

2017-08-19

【Hope】

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749—1832)

            Grant that the day's work of my hands,

            lofty Fortune, I may complete!

            Grant that they will not exhaust me!

            No, these are not empty dreams:

2017-08-19

【A Palm-Tree】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

             A single fir-tree, lonely,

             on a northern mountain height,

             sleeps in a white blanket,

             draped in snow and ice.

     &n

2017-08-19

【Life is a mirror】

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844—1900)

            Life is a mirror, 

            and the first thing 

            we strive to pursue is 

            to recognize ourselves from it.

—— • —— • —— 

2017-08-19

【Life's Journey】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

      What laughter and singing! The sun’s rays crossing

      Each other gleam brightly; the billows are tossing

      The joyous bark, and there I reclined

      With friends beloved and lightsome mind.

      The bark was presently wreck’d and shatter’d,

     My friends were poor swimmers, and soon were scatter’d,

2017-08-19

【My day was serene...】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

      My day was serene, my night was happy.

     My people always shouted for joy when I struck the lyre

      Of poetry. My song was lust and fire,

      Has kindled many beautiful clutches.

       My summer is still blooming, but still brought in

    &nbs

2017-08-19

【Consolation】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

            HEART, my heart, no longer mourn,

            Wail no more the weary days,

            Spring will freshen all the ways

            By the winter made forlorn.

2017-08-19

【Loreley • Blackmore's Night】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

     Merrily we sailed along

     Though the waves were plenty strong

     Down the twisting river Rhine

     Following a song

     Legend's faded storyline

     Tried to warn us all

     Oh, they called her "Loreley" 

     Careful or you'

2017-08-19

【The Key】

Friedrich Schiller (1759—1805)

    Wouldst thou know thyself, observe the actions of others.

    Wouldst thou other men know, look thou within thine own heart.

—— • —— • —— • —— • —— • —— • —— • ——

【《锁钥》】

和平使者•席勒(1759生—1805卒)

            你要认识你自己，就去看别人的举动。

        &nb

2017-08-19

【Hymn】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

         I am the Sword, I am the Flame. 

         I have lit you through the darkness; and 

         when the battle began, 

         I fought in the first 

         rank and led you on…… 

        &

2017-08-19

【The Way of the World】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

              He who has already much,

           Finds his wealth increasing faster;

              Who but little, is of all

              Soon bereft by some disaster.

              But if thou hast nothing, friend,

2017-08-19

【Appendix to "Lazarus" • I】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

             Holy parables discarding,

             And each guess, however pious,

             To these awful questions plainly

             Seek with answers to supply us:—

             Wherefore bends the Just One, bleeding

    &nb

2017-08-19

【Aiden in English】

        I guess it isn't possible to go through Europe without seeing castles. Like I've said before, castles are a message of power and wealth. Therefore, anyone with power and wealth had a castle. Marksburg Castle, constructed in 1117, was originally a fortress for protection, not a royal residence. However, going through many years of war, Marksburg had established many defenses, allowing it to escape damage and be the only mediev

2017-08-18

【The Emperor of China】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

             My father was a dreadful bore,

             A good-for-nothing dandy;

             But I’m a mighty Emperor,

             And love a bumper of brandy.

             These glorious draughts all others surpass

             In

2017-08-18

【Changeling】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

          A child with monstrous pumpkin head,

          Grey pigtail, and moustache light red,

          With lanky arms and yet stupendous,

          No bowels, yet with maw tremendous,—

          A changeling which a Corporal

          Into our cradle had let fall

  &

2017-08-18

【The Tendency】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

             German bard! extol our glorious

             German freedom, that thy lay

             May possess our souls, and fire us,

             And to mighty deeds inspire us,

             Like the Marseillaise notorious.

             Be

2017-08-18

【The Return Home • 60】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

      Too fragmentary is World and Life;

      I'll go to the German professor, who's rife

      With schemes for putting Life's pieces together,

      Whereby a passable System’s unfurl'd;

      Ragged nightcaps and dressing-gowns keep out the weather,

  &n

2017-08-18

【The Anniversary】

Heinrich Heine (1797—1856)

             Not one mass will e'er be chanted,

             Not one Hebrew prayer be mutter'd,

             When the day I died returneth,—

             Nothing will be sung or utter'd.

             Yet upon that day, it may be,

2017-08-18

【Aiden in English】

        Mom and I visited many castles and palaces, from the Romanesque to Gothic styles, on the previous Danube Viking Cruise. Every other day or so, a new king or wealthy family would be brought up during the tour, each with another empire and a pool of wealth. Usually, they built castles, and most of these aristocrats were German. That is why Germany's countryside is commonly known as a fairy tale. It should more accura

2017-08-17

【On the Portrait of His Imperial Majesty. Ferdinand the Third.】

Joost van den Vondel (1587—1679)

When Joachim Sandrart van Stokou, out of Vienna, in Austria, honored me with his Majesty's portrait, adorned with festoons and other ornaments.

【Deus nobis haec otia fecit.】

       The Sun of Austria uplifts his glorious rays

       From shadow-glooms of art to bless each wondering eye.

       Behold him on his throne, high tower

2017-08-17

【Vondel's Lucifer • ACT III】

Joost van den Vondel (1587—1679)

        Now the angels are divided: the rebellious demand “justice”; the loyalists speak up for continued obedience to God’s will, as whatever He ordains is right.

        Michael, aroused by the “tumult and dispute” of the contending angels, comes to find out what is going on.  He listens to what the rebels have to say but orders

2017-08-17

【Vondel's Lucifer•ACT IV】

Joost van den Vondel (1587—1679)

        Gabriel and Michael discuss the outbreak of the war. God has weighed mercy against righteousness and has decided in favor of self-defense.  So they arm themselves for battle.  Meanwhile, Lucifer and his supporters have taken the offensive and are confident of victory.  He promises to exchange the “hated tyranny of heaven” for a “state of freedom” (impl

2017-08-17

【The Argument】

Joost van den Vondel (1587—1679)

        Lucifer, the Archangel, chief and most illustrious of all the Angels, proud and ambitious, out of blind self-love envied God and His boundless greatness; he also became jealous of man, made in God's image, to whom, in his delightful Paradise, was entrusted the sovereignty of the earth.

        He envied God and man the more when Gabriel, God's H

2017-08-17

【Vondel's Lucifer】

Joost van den Vondel (1587—1679)

• Doth fate decree that I must fall. Of rank and honors shorn, Then let me fall; but fall with this my crown, Upon my brow, this scepter in my grasp.

• With my own retinue of faithful troops, And with these many thousands on my side, thus to fall brings honor and shall shed.

• Nor hardship dire, Nor yet disaster nor anathemas.

• Shall I intimidate, or tame.

• Here is my Fatherland.

• Let all yield, Who will, not one foot shall I ever retreat.

——

2017-08-17

【Aiden in English】

        I'm an American Chinese, so I instinctively have grown a tolerance for disgusting cheeses. I love its greasy, unhealthy texture as you swallow, feeling life ebb away with every bite. I swear, Americans are the dumbest creatures on earth. They ask themselves: why are we getting fat? Maybe they shouldn't ask that question around a McDonald's table munching on three Big Macs. But certainly, cheese is a large p

2017-08-16

【Totally White Room】

Gerrit Kouwenaar (1923—2014)

        Let’s make the room white one more time

        one more time the totally white room, you, me

        It won’t save time, but one more time

        make the room white, now, never again later

2017-08-16

【A Happy Childhood】

Gerrit Kouwenaar (1923—2014)

     Vergeet je wel eens je vaders klok op te winden?

     Ja, ik vergeet wel eens mijn vaders tijd te vergeten

    Draag je wel eens een ooglap een strohoed een vadermoorder?

     Nee, ik draag een gedicht op, een zomer van bladgoud

     Schrijf je wel eens de laatste lippen om te verwoorden?

     Ja, ik ontcijfer een kus van bemodderde rozen

2017-08-16

【Song of the Western Countries】

Jan Arends (1925—1974)

                I 

                write poems

                like thin trees.

2017-08-16

【Aiden in English】

        Today marks our last day of the Viking pre-cruise. So far, the entire adventure has focused on the Netherlands, specifically the area around Amsterdam. While there is much to explore, Amsterdam sets up something more significant, and I think it is time to move on. But not before seeing the most popular Dutch Golden Age art piece at Rijksmuseum: The Night Watch.

        I'm not sure why the N

2017-08-15

【I】

Jan Arends (1925—1974)

                    I'm fifty

                    years old

                    and I’m not

           &nbs

2017-08-15

【Aiden in English】

        No, we're not in New York City. Haarlem, with two a's, is still in the Netherlands. However, like Brooklyn and the Coney Islands, they are places in the Netherlands. History shows the Dutch explorers traveling to North America and discovering the Hudson River, including many areas around it. Luckily, a colonial rebel known as the American Revolution (1765-1783) came through, and we don't have a New Amsterda

2017-08-14

【Aiden in English】

        Once again, it was Day One of another crazy adventure through one river. One moment ago, I was still standing in line, waiting to board one tiny AA plane to fly across one not-so-tiny ocean from one place to another. Granted, one would not care as much as we do about one continent if the continent wasn't Europe. The Rhine River is one of the most significant rivers in the world. Its importance lies not within the w

2017-08-10

【Aiden in English】

        Time for debate. The big-boy, try-hard pants are on, and yet I still feel as if everything was unprepared. Today marked the beginning of a great adventure to a long series of competitions and brutal tests through many opponents to reach the end goal: a championship win.

        I was placed in the intermediate division due to my age bracket and lack of experience. However, my slig

2017-08-04

【Aiden in English】

        I got Lyle as my partner, which already made my day. But more than that, today was a great day of learning. From now on, it would be a fast, downhill ride, and every lesson had to be worth spending energy and time on. I also suddenly realized how little time I had to prepare this case.

        As time continued to click toward the final debate, every second seemed to weigh a bit h

2017-08-03

【Aiden in English】

        There has yet to be a relaxing day at this Capitol Debate Camp. And it is true, the debate takes up most of your attention. Yes, we've had certain days where the camp has given hours of free time, but today was a field trip to Colonial Bowling. It was a time to kick back, relax briefly, unwind, bowl, and play laser tag. However, I don't care whether the camp gives us these fun days or more studying: I

2017-08-02

【Aiden in English】

        I must say, it feels delicious to start debating now. I love it. The entire camp up to this point has been essentially note-taking and minimal public speaking. However, there is a saying that the best way to learn is to go for it. And today was a leap of faith in a particular direction.

        We started the day with a normal class of note-taking and questions, eventually making

2017-08-01

【Aiden in English】

        The debate is entertaining. I love it a lot. But the complete and utter depressing thought of learning is around every corner. Today, I had little excitement. The stark truth is that this camp is essential to a specific class in school, learning about the debate system and the spirit.

        Today was a school day. I went to a classroom, took tons of notes, and asked tons of ques

2017-07-31

【Aiden in English】

        The debate has begun. The debate meetings' arguments, competitive spirits, and stressful situations have begun. And the fun has already started.

        I want to say that my debate experience was entirely lacking in the past. However, that did not relate to my public speaking. Granted, every Chinese-speaking contest was quite a disappointment for me. But thanks to the many classes I

2017-07-30

【Aiden in English】

        My current experience with debates has been uneventful, unsuccessful, and tedious. Best of all, none of it was my fault. The only way to completely … feel the atmosphere, competitive attitude, and torturous, hair-pulling, nail-biting stress was to enter a camp: a sleepover, ten days of nothing but debate, and some stress-relieving activities.

        I will say that preparing for this camp

2017-07-26

【Aiden in English】

        “Stevie, can you please hurry up? Dinner’s almost ready, and you still need to clean yourself.”

        “Alright, yeah, yeah. I’m coming, Ma,” an exasperated Steven replied. He always felt slightly annoyed when his mother called him sweetie. Besides, he had just turned nineteen a few months ago.

        “I’m on my way,” gasped Steven, clinging to a tree

2017-07-11

【National Song】

Sándor Petőfi (1823—1849)

        Hungarian on his feet, home is late!

        It's time, now or never!

        Should we be prisoners or free?

        This is the question, choose!

        To the god of the Hungarians

        We

2017-07-11

【I would be a branch】

Sándor Petőfi (1823—1849)

       A branch I’d be if you would be its bloom,

         A bloom I’d be, if you, its dew.

         I’d be the dew if sunlight – 

         You would love me daily.

         My heart, if vaults of darkness you would be

  &nbs