Poetic China 14: Chen Yi has two poems on Indonesia

Editor’s note:

To make China better understood by global audience, our column “Poetic Yunnan” has been renamed as “Poetic China”. Since Yunnan poetry is part of Chinese poetry and 13 editions of “Poetic Yunnan” has been rolled out, we take “Poetic China 14” as the new start.

Wang Ning, secretary of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee led a Yunnan friendly delegation to Indonesia for a visit from May 15 to 18, and the visit coincides with the occasions of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Indonesia and the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.

Through the visit, Yunnan has increased its exchanges and cooperation with Indonesia in agriculture, tourism, education, culture, economy, and trade, while contributing to the China-Indonesia friendship. For the special occasion, we roll out two poems by Chen Yi.

Chen Yi (1901-1972), also named Zhonghong, was born in Lezhi county, southwest China’s Sichuan province that neighbors Yunnan. He served as Chinese foreign minister from 1958 to 1972.

 

Chen Yi (right) and his wife Zhang Qian

I
yìn ní sòng
印尼颂

yìn dù ní xīyà
印度尼西亚，
yáng yáng hǎi guó xióng
洋洋海国雄。
sān qiān xīng dòu bù
三千星斗布，
fēi yà wǎng lái tōng
非亚往来通。
fǎn dì shù shì jì
反帝数世纪，
sī mín bǎi zhàn gōng
斯民百战功。
zhǔn zé zhāo tiān xià
准则昭天下，
jīng shén zhòng wàn lóng
精神重万隆。

Ode to Indonesia

Indonesia is a country of the ocean,
A giant lying among huge waves.
Three thousand islands dotting like stars,
Make tracks between Asia and Africa.
Fighting imperialism in past centuries,
People won victory through hundreds of battles.
Now the Principles are known worldwide,
The Bandung spirit should be most cherished.

Culture ABCs:

a. Poem I is taken from Chen’s longer poem Journey to Six Countries, with the title added by the editor. Here is the background of the longer poem: In October and November of 1964, Chen led the Chinese government delegation to attend successively celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the Algerian Revolutionary Uprising and the 7th anniversary of the full independence of Cambodia, and visited Indonesia, with stopovers in Pakistan, the United Arab Republic and Myanmar.

 

Cover of the book Selected Poems of Chen Yi from which the poems are taken

II
fǎng wèn yǎ jiā dá
访问雅加达

yìn dù ní xī yà
印度尼西亚，
zhī zhù zài nán tiān
支柱在南天。
biàn dì qīng qīng cuì cuì
遍地青青翠翠，
sì jì zá huā yán
四季杂花妍。
huán bào qī qiān dǎo yǔ
环抱七千岛屿，
kòng zhì liǎng yáng tōng dào
控制两洋通道，
dú lì shuǐ zhōng jiān
独立水中间。
dǎ bài qīn luè zhě
打败侵略者，
chuǎng pò diān fù guān
闯破颠复关。

zì mín shì
自民视，
zì mín tīng
自民听，
hǎo kāi duān
好开端。
yī píng zì lì
依凭自力，
zài bú yāng qǐ bié rén lián
再不央乞别人怜。
qián jìn qī wú hòu tuì
前进期毋后退，
yǒng bú wǔ rén zì wǔ
永不侮人自侮，
wài wǔ bú néng qián
外侮不能前。
gǎn zǒu hé píng duì
赶走和平队，
qì shì zhuàng rú shān
气势壮如山!

A Yunnan cultural and tourism event is held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 15.

Visiting Jakarta
The country of Indonesia,
The pillar supporting the southern sky.
Green grass and trees everywhere,
Flowers bloom in all seasons.
It embraces seven thousand islands,
It commands traffic between two oceans.
Standing proud among vast waters,
It has defeated aggressors,
And foiled subversive plots.

See as the people see,
Hear as the people hear,
This is a good start.
A country relying on its own strength,
Never begs mercy of others.
Go forward and never retreat,
Never bully others or insult oneself,
Foreign interference will get nowhere.
Drive out the Peace Corps,
The people's power is invincible!

Culture ABCs:

a. Poem II was written in April 1965.

Source: Selected Poems of Chen Yi (Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press); editing by Wang Shixue