“Helen's Last Long Notes" - A Poem

Author: Joey Zhou

Translated from Chinese by: Joey Zhou

Music: YouTube link - https://youtu.be/yF9lw_YmuDk

Author Notes: "When I wrote this poem in 2017, I was really listening to a piece of light music called "Life Is Like Summer Flowers" repeatedly. There are piano and strings in the music, the drum beat is pronounced, and the violin at the end of the music is very expressive.

This piece of music reminds me of ancient Greek myths, such as Helen, The Iliad, and Homer. In short, there are many things in the scope of ancient Western culture. I must admit that when I was a child, my father who was a mathematics teacher, taught me stories of ancient Greek mythology at the dinner table. This is why I have knowledge of Western classical culture. However, when I started to write poetry, I studied and recited a large amount of ancient Chinese poetry, such as the nearly 3,000-year-old Pre-Qin Book of Songs.

I think this poem, which I call a musical poem, is due to a lot of Western classical rhythms permeating the melody. Something I would call "neoclassical", but nothing that I deliberately wrote to be that way. When listening to music, I go with the flow.

I'm sorry, but I can't find the the music that I wrote for the poetry any longer, so I am replacing it with this music about flowers. I hope it doesn't distract everyone's thinking about the poem.“

Come...

push away

windows

Hand in hand, walk together, run towards the boundless sea...

Come...

raise your hand

cheers

Welcome to the glow of the sun!!!

Come...

run

Embrace the hero who has returned in triumph

A thousand sails are over

Farewell to Sparta;

All ready to go

Off to Troy...

Who is it?

Ringing the harp of memory?

The song sounds...

Who is it?

Arousing the awakening of the Trojan horse?

Buzzing...

Behold, the shores of the faithful

Waving to us...!

Look, the two armies confront each other, thousands of boats are ready to go

Are you going to prepare for a bloody fight???

Suddenly, Homer played the most unbearable vibrato:

"Oh Helena"

Whimper, whimper, whimper...

Finally

The sea floats Helen's last long note...

Come, come, come

push away

windows

Go hand in hand to the boundless sea...

Come, come, come

raise your hand

cheers

Welcome to the glow of the sun...

Come, come, come

run

Embrace the returning hero...

Borrow

Who rang the harp of memory?

The song is on!

How to ask

Who wakes up the Trojan horse?

The voice is full of people!

Looking into the distance, by the coast, good men and women

Waving to us...

Looking into the distance, the two armies confront each other, thousands of ships set off

Ride through the waves...

Pause for a moment

The music slows down

Far or near

Two drums

Shake Tianze

Finally achieved the most beautiful harmony time and time again...

Who is it?

declared

"Dream Time"...

Who is it?

swan song

A whimper, boundless...

Turn out to be

In the brightest light, the rhythm continues...

Under the brightest blue sky, hundreds of sailboats racing...

The harmony is still progressing layer by layer

again

Return again and again, ten thousand voices in unison...

Turn out to be

In the brightest cheers, the singing sounded

In the clearest sea, the blue waves are rippling

The harmony is still coming and going

Riding the wind and waves again and again

The climax keeps coming...

Suddenly, Homer sings the loudest psalm:

The Iliad

Who is it?

Played again on the clearest keys

melodious sound...

Who is it?

graceful strings

The soul-wrenching vibrato again and again...

Finally

Floating from the sea, Helen's last great long note...

(Written on 01/01/2017 in Los Angeles, California)

The Beverly Arts News is sponsored by JH International Art Institute