Stufen - Hermann Hesse, 1941

Wie jede Blüte welkt und jede Jugend
Dem Alter weicht, blüht jede Lebensstufe,
Blüht jede Weisheit auch und jede Tugend
Zu ihrer Zeit und darf nicht ewig dauern.
Es muß das Herz bei jedem Lebensrufe
Bereit zum Abschied sein und Neubeginne,
Um sich in Tapferkeit und ohne Trauern
In andre, neue Bindungen zu geben.
Und jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne,
Der uns beschützt und der uns hilft zu leben.

Wir sollen heiter Raum um Raum durchschreiten,
An keinem wie an einer Heimat hängen,
Der Weltgeist will nicht fesseln uns und engen,
Er will uns Stuf' um Stufe heben, weiten.

Kaum sind wir heimisch einem Lebenskreise
Und traulich eingewohnt, so droht Erschlaffen,
Nur wer bereit zu Aufbruch ist und Reise,
Mag lähmender Gewöhnung sich entraffen.
Es wird vielleicht auch noch die Todesstunde
Uns neuen Räumen jung entgegensenden,
Des Lebens Ruf an uns wird niemals enden ...
Wohlan denn, Herz, nimm Abschied und gesunde !

As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever.

Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.
In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.

Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.
The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
If we accept a home of our own making,
Familiar habit makes for indolence.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking
Or else remain the slaves of permanence.
Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.
So be it, heart: bid farewell without end.

(Translated by Richard and Clara Winston)

阶段 - 赫尔曼•黑塞, 1941

正象花都要枯萎、青春都要
让位于老年，一生的各个阶段，
各种智慧、各种德行，也都有
它的盛时，不能保持永远。
我们的心，对任何生活召唤
都要准备告别过去，迎接
新的开始，以便勇敢愉快地
屈从于另外一种新的约束。
新的开始都具有一种魔力，
它保护我们，帮助我们活下去。

我们要欣然跨过一片片空间，
对任何地方，不当作故乡留恋，
世界精神不愿意束缚我们，
它要让我们一级级提高、扩展。

我们对某种境遇刚感到舒服，
过得安逸，就有松劲之虞，
只有准备出发启程的人
才能摆脱麻木不仁的习惯。
哪怕残废的时刻会把我们
重新送往那些新的空间，
生活也不会停止向我们召唤……
好吧，心啊，告别吧，保持壮健!

(译者姓名不详 - 所以若译得不好可不关我的事哦!)

Happy Birthday to me

Another year, another birthday. I never really like to festively celebrate anything though I do make wishes. The one of this year is, like every other year, to stay happy and healthy. So do I wish you, whoever you are ;)

Free Hugs Campaign

Don't understand why people often can't simply enjoy their lives, making everything so difficult. Maybe just because we are so different? I love sun when it's sunny, like rain when it's rainy. Try to enjoy every moment I spend. Don't take live too seriously - you will never get out of it alive. Simply, be happy! Life is too short to be in trouble. Seize the day. Love yourself; love the others.

China

I was often asked how China is. It's a country I don't know that well myself - too many places I haven't been - actually I can count where I have been with one hand. Saw a video yesterday by chance, aroused my ardor... oh, I must see the country. Here is it. (I have to warn you in advance: the video is a bit kitschy !)

Paradise Holidays ... almost

I will not recount our last days as they are not really interesting, full of stress while considering the possible recovery of our passports and the purchase of another ticket for Yilin to get back to Vienna. At the end all went well, and both of us returned safely.

What was really a discovery for me was the fact that I loved so much doing nothing or almost nothing for two full weeks. Before I always wanted to discover the place where I traveled, or I felt I was wasting my time. I always believed that I was not a beach type of guy. However, this time I enjoyed so much to relax in the company of Yilin. The scenery was beautiful, the food (lots of seafood actually) was excellent, though more expensive than you would imagine on an island east of the African Coast, and most and foremost the coast where we were in the North was offering an incredibly beautiful scenery I would not stop enjoying. I became so lazy that I suggested Yilin not to move to the east coast like we had planned, and we eventually stayed another week in the same hostel, where we ended up having our stuff stolen ;-( Moreover, I had brought a pile of books which I devoured during the sunny hours of the day. So apart from our last days which were somewhat spoiled by this theft of our personal belongings, it was just perfect.

As for the national parks, that was cool too. It's kind of strange to feel you are the one in the zoo for once, but then when you think over it, I guess this is the way it should be and not the opposite. So, yes it's kind of magic to see elephants, lions, giraffes and so many other species in their natural biotopes, where men, if left without protection might just become a prey...

Now, more seriously, one of the most important problem on this island is the corruption of the local government which does not redistribute the wealth acquired from tourism to the population. Education, I was told by NGO people working there, is faltering and development is at an all time low. And mainland Tanzania has to cope with similar problems. But compared to neighbouring countries, Tanzania is pretty stable. It's just a pity they cannot take stock of this advantage.

Tanzania Photos

Just back from Africa - several days later than planned. Two days before the departure, our passports and some other stuff were stolen from the safe of the hostel we resided in Zanzibar. Of course cash is gone, but fortunately we got our passports back - the thief posted them back to the hostel manager... tschja, what can I say?

Somehow I don't feel like to write much today (have to get myself prepared for the new semester), just want to post the link of our holiday photos which you may be interested in. Our trip was otherwise wonderful though costly. The first week was in Arusha and the last two weeks in Kendwa. Tanzania, a country worth going - with a travel insurance with full coverage.

I like Chinese - Monty Python