在某一期的ICB我曾介紹過Annie Lennox給年輕的讀者。 今天我介紹一個我在年輕時就崇拜的詩人歌手－Leonard Cohen。
最近我終於圓了年輕時之夢想：“有一天能親身參與Leonard Cohen的演唱會。” 當得知他要在歐洲舉辦演唱會時，急忙上網 訂了他在柏林演唱會的票。也順便造訪我一直很喜歡的Berlin和 Copenhagen兩個城市。（我鼓勵大家要專注旅行，不要走馬看花，我通常都是在一個城市住一陣子，來真正認識這個城市的文化及一般人的生活。）
回到Leonard Cohen 柏林O2 Arena 的 sold out 演唱會，原來期待都是中年歌迷，很意外的有許多許多年青觀眾。真高興年青一代也開始追尋這種如詩如畫的歌詞及他特殊低啞 呢喃的聲音。（我發覺我更喜歡他現在老年的聲音。）我年輕時就是被他這種唱腔，批判及挑戰主流，充滿意境，有點黑色的歌詞所吸引。詩人所做的歌詞就是如此之豐富。不同的人會被不同的一句話所觸動和感動。
現在一起來欣賞一首Leonard Cohen 的歌“Anthem”。他最有名的歌曲是Suzanne和Hallelujah。
1。請仔細聽讀一遍 “Anthem”. Click Anthem by Leonard Cohen to listen (link will open in new tab or window, if the song doesn’t play automatically, click the PLAY button)
The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.
Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
We asked for signs
the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed
the marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
of every government —
signs for all to see.
I can’t run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
a thundercloud
and they’re going to hear from me.
Ring the bells that still can ring …
You can add up the parts
but you won’t have the sum
You can strike up the march,
there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
That’s how the light gets in.
That’s how the light gets in.
2。有興趣可上網看演唱會的現場錄像。http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvcX5RMBwbk&feature=related
柏林演唱會小小心得：
- Leonard Cohen的長者風範。脫帽向他的樂手一一致敬，並用獨特的句子來介紹他們， 如he is the ambassador of the breath (saxophone player), he is the priest of precision (drummer), he is the guardian of the clock (bassist).
- 他的專注（閉眼），尤其他單膝跪在一位年長的吉他手前，崇拜這位吉他手的樣子。看到他們兩位長者樂手的互動，讓我感動不已。
- 被一位坐在後面的德國觀眾勸告，不要只顧拍照，要用心看，不要用照相機看。（謝謝他的提醒，於是將照相機收起來。）
真希望有更多人開始欣賞Leonard Cohen的歌。我相信他的歌會一直有人唱下去。他是我的英雄。
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
您對這句話 有甚麼回應及感想？
不知您喜歡Leonard Cohen嗎？歡迎分享。
Dear Sze-Chia:
How nice to get to know you here, Sentimental Girl and Daydreamer!
Thank you for visiting this old article I wrote long time ago. You are the lucky few to get to know Leonard Cohen at such a young age.
I also watched I am your man movie at Xi Meng Ding’s movie house. I still remembered that there were only a few audience in the theater. I talked to myself that it was a pitty that this generation of young people did not get the opportunity to know this great artist who is still alive.
This is the reason that I want to introduce Leonard Cohen now.
You would love his book and his drawing.
By the way, I love the way you wrote this comment. It brings back my fun memories when I heard his songs. I am listening his songs now.
Thanks to you.
You are my Daymaker today.
Ping
positive and passive.
reason and emotion.
war and peace.
sadness and happiness.
the opposite things says a harmony.
everything is like a circle and goes to no starts no ends… finally they meet.
i ve seen the movie ‘我是你的男人’ when i was 17. Memories inspired me to share my thoughts…
his romanticism ,his unforgettable love story. he’s sad but he face the life gently…a poet may see a tiny thing as a glimmer.
‘There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
singing the life…always have two sides…everything is not perfect…but its where the beauty lies. perfect is by doing [Parfait!!] 🙂
Everything will pass away… process in mind.
Remind me a beautiful saying…
”Toy-like people made me boy-like,
Where have all the flowers gone long time passing.”[ 荒謬人間，非兒戲不可 繁花褪盡，時間飄逝】from one of my favorite band Massive Attack.
i would like to read his book:Beautiful Loser
And after all i am just a sentimental girl…daydreaming…
Sze-Chia*
Dear 若水:
This blog is for people who are ready and willing. When you are ready, things will flow your way.
I am glad that you like Leonard Cohen. He is my childhood idol. If you like it, please google him and get to know him better.
As you noticed, I put a Positive Psychology News Daily as a link to this site. So far, I have no one commenting this site yet. I subscribed the English version. It is a dose of positive emotion to me whenever I read this short essay.
Let’s live a life based on 1%. 🙂
Love,
Ping
朱老師您好，
我是在八月底讀人會曾經跟您有一面之緣的心理系小生。
一直都沒得找到這個地方，其實在當時讀人會結束時便想
來造訪這裡。終於還是讓我找到了。:)
平常也常聽各種音樂的我，在聽了Leonard Cohen後，
感受到是一種智者低語、隱晦地訴說著人生之嘆。
當時您所說的Positive Psychology後來我也在敝校圖書館
找到，正開始閱讀中。
對於You votes what you buy. 的理念，也是我一直以來所
奉行的。
“支持那些值得支持的商家，就算一百塊錢只花在它身上一塊錢也好。”
或許就是這樣子吧？
好的店以及品牌真的需要一般人民的支持，
哪怕只是一年買個一兩次？
不好意思，說了些和這篇文章並無太大關聯性的話，
但還是很高興能夠發現這裡!
在這裡我看見了許多很棒的生活點子!
感謝您能夠把這個留言看完 =)
Best wishes
Dear Daniel:
Thank you for taking the initiative to let me know how you are feeling. You have made the fist step to get to know yourself. Now, you know you can reach out and express your thoughts elegantly.
Please remember that your love of guitar and singing will be with you forever. You should continute this creative process.
We have passion because we always to creative things.
Well, as I said in the talk that night. The best thing we can do is to make sure we will not repeat the guild trip to our children, one day when you become a parent. We need to break this cycle through our generation. My daughers can live a life they choose because I decided long time ago, I will stop putting too much pressure to my children. Be the change you want to see in the world. ( Gandhi’s famous quote)
Lifelong learning and book reading indeed are the best ways to create your own destiny. However, you still need to find your own strength and utilize this strength for somthing bigger than yourself. We may not good at examine based school system. However, we need to learn how to learn new knowledge through reading by ourselves.
Please engage with your parent and tell them that you know they want nothing in the world than seeing that you are happy. Please tell your parent that you are happy with the choice that you have made now. Please tell your parent that you will need to learn the lessons your way.
Be strong and happy,
Ping
Thank you for all the kind words. I enjoy the positive energy that you all gave me that night too.
朱老師,
你好, 我是參予今天遠見雜誌在台中金典酒店舉辦演講的聽眾
聽著你講述你與女兒相處的故事
特別是在談到你支持她的選擇及看法
你給了她簡單的擁抱
我聽到這
內心有著很深的感動
父母對子女的方式
不是就應該如此嘛
或許23歲的我
所經歷及體會的並沒有那麼樣豐富及深刻
但我心裡卻是有很深感觸
謝謝您在會後的對話
給了我兩個擁抱
it’s warm and nice.
我身為長子
從小身上有著父母無形的期望與壓力
雖然他們沒有常掛在嘴邊
但我是感受的到的
如今我也算是個成年人
也遇到了很迷惘的時期
我曾經在更年輕的時候有過夢想
當一個吉他手
彈奏著我愛的音樂
傳達我想說的
但像這樣的夢想
是不是因為時代的關係
總是會被壓抑 抹殺
父母總是說
讀書是唯一你能有好未來的一個途徑
我相信讀書是好的
我也喜歡接觸更多知識
但是
父母有點強迫式的勸說
似乎讓我對讀書這件事
越來越卻步
或許是我想法不太正確
只是今天的演講讓我有了些想法
anyway
thank you, Teacher Chu.
Dear 路上風景:
You are too humble. Leonard Cohen will always work for our smiles as he told us so often.
In a way, I agree with you that it is so difficult to translate his clean verse with verbose Chinese.
Well, I still think you have a special talent with Chinese words.
I just want to share the following websites with all Leonard Cohen old and new fans.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2004/sep/17/2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk7DOe5EGgM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byU2wBRShs0&feature=related
Hotel Chelsea #2 he sings with just an acoustic guitar. It is amazing.
Ping
謝謝M與ping認同我對Anthem這首歌的抒感
但是我想我被過度寄望了
我並無法適切地翻譯出Leonard Cohen這首如詩般的歌詞
即使我曾經翻譯出版過我的專業領域中的書籍
據我所知
Leonard Cohen 對於他的歌詞總是斟酌再三
一次次修改到他覺得臻於成熟才公諸於世
因此對於他的詩
如此出自一個天才小說家,詩人,歌者的詩
我覺得最好的方式是讓它永遠是一首詩
而不是一堆觸目驚心的文字
不懂為何會觸目驚心嗎？
當我上網搜尋了一下是否有Leonard Cohen 之中譯歌詞
其實很少
但….
還是看到了”Ring the bells that still can ring”翻成”有鍾堪鳴直須鳴”
所以我想大家可以分享對Leonard Cohen 歌曲的情境與意涵
卻不必去中譯他的歌詞
雖然
我蠻想試試看若我真的翻成一堆觸目驚心的歌詞
Leonard Cohen 這位老紳士會不會衝到咱們這小島來找我算帳？
Dear M:
Thank you for your suggestion. Actually, I was thinking the same thing. 路上風景 is the most qualified person to translate this great song into Chinese.
路上風景, what do you think? I dare you. 🙂
Ping
I will put your new Chinese translation side by side with the English lyrics. Leonard Cohen will be smile at us.
Dear 路上風景:
Can I salute you? You are a better interpretor than me. Thank you for your contribution. I think your words will touch lots of peers in this blogsite. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
It is our imperfection in human nature that will make us human and create infinite possibilities.
As one of the comments I found in Youtube said it so well:
“This song made me realize my flaws will bring me strength and clarity. ”
It is this kind of songs that forces us to search inside and be touched and live again. I don’t know what the spiritual experience is but I know it is a privilege to hear this great poet singing this song from his soul. I was touched with tears in my eyes. I told myself that I will store this feeling and experience in a special place in my heart. Thank you, Leonard Cohen, for giving me this wonderful memory in my life.
He is 74 years old now. He is so sexy and one can’t helped by attracted by his gentle manner, zen-like energy and mesmerizing voice and words.
Please spend some time on youtube and read those comments from his loyal fans. Leonard Cohen has been my childhood hero. I didn’t understand what he sang during that time. I just like his black clothes, cool face and intoxicating voice. I listened to him for a period around 1988 when I came back to Taiwan. Most recently I was re-introduced to him by a dear friend of mine. I am now getting older and hopefully wiser to appreciate his wisdom words even more.
It is my hidden agenda to plant a seed to introduce Leonard Cohen to the young generation of music lovers. Hopefully, one day when they are ready, they will appreciate this great poet’s song.
Some people said Cohen’s song is dark and gloomy. I think his songs are inspiring because he exposes the despair and opens the new window for us to imagine and to hope. His words reach into our deepest fear and bewilderment.
I cannot find a good video for this song from youtube. Please let me know if you like his other songs: I’m your man, secret life, tower of songs….
Thank you for sharing your brilliant mind.
Love,
Ping
Dear 路上風景
You really capture the essence of this song. Would be great if you could translate the whole song into Chinese so more people can be touched by Leonard Cohen’s poetic words.
我覺得如此如智者與哲人般的歌者,如此低沈沙啞的嗓音,如此詩般的文字,
很極致地訴說了人生的真實—-人並不完全自由,like the holy dove that will be caught,
bought and sold again and again….
也訴說了人生也從來並不完美—-常常只剩一堆碎片,只能儘量去拼湊可能的完美,by adding
up the parts, but not having the sum…..
但是即使如此
以Leanard Cohen 的年歲與歷練
他該有資格告訴我們—–人生總是要”盡其所能”,Ring the bells that still can ring,
忘了那個凡事要完美的堅持吧,
學習”殘缺”要教我們的哲理,There is a crack, a crack in
everything.
因為從殘缺中才學習到”智慧” That’s how the light gets in.