From tomorrow on, I will be a happy man.
Grooming, chopping and traveling all over the world.
From tomorrow on, I will care foodstuff and vegetable.
Living in a house towards the sea, with spring blossoms.
From tomorrow on, write to each of my dear ones.
Telling them of my happiness.
What the lightening of happiness has told me.
I will spread it to each of them.
Give a warm name for every river and every mountain.
Strangers, I will also wish you happy.
May you have a brilliant future!
May you lovers eventually become spouses!
May you enjoy happiness in this earthly world!
I only wish to face the sea, with spring blossoms.
“Facing the Sea With Spring Blossoms” by Hai Zi (1964 – 1989)
“From tomorrow on” everything will be bright and beautiful. Only if tomorrow comes. We shall not deceived by the bright colour that Hai Zi painted with his poem like the brilliant brush stroke of Van Gogh’s Sun Flowers. I believe the brightness was real at the moment when Hai Zi was writing this poem and when Van Gogh was painting. However, it did not reflect the reality of their life situation. In Hai Zi’s case, his tomorrow did not come. Shortly after this poem is written, he ended his life by lying on railway, he was 25 years old.
Nevertheless, the generous poet has given us this beautiful poem. I love this poem, it lifts my spirit up. The imagination of living in a house that facing the endless sea with spring blossoms blooming, so beautiful.
Tomorrow, the blue sea, warm, happiness and etc. reminded me of a song written by Richard Strauss with John Henry Mackay’s text. The composer Richard Strauss dedicated this song to his wife Pauline de Ahna at their wedding. This song is very beloved that another composer (Max Reger) turn it into piano solo, or cellist wants to sing with the cello, it might be more other versions that I’ve not yet known. Below is the text and music.
And tomorrow the sun will shine again
And on the path that I shall take,
It will unite us, happy ones, again,
Amid this same sun-breathing earth …
And to the shore, broad, blue-waved,
We shall quietly and slowly descend,
Speechless we shall gaze into each other’s eyes,
And the speechless silence of bliss shall fall on us …
“Morgen!” by John Henry Mackay
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Piano solo version:
Cello and Piano version:
The voice and piano version, the original text in German and the English translation of “Tomorrow!”:
https://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/song/1847
The original text in Chinese and the English translation of “Facing the Sea With Spring Blossoms” are taken from: https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E9%9D%A2%E6%9C%9D%E5%A4%A7%E6%B5%B7%EF%BC%8C%E6%98%A5%E6%9A%96%E8%8A%B1%E9%96%8B/273
Good night, dream a beautiful dream with blue sea and bright sun!