Monday, July 26, 2010

A chance of moonlight

I can't remember the first time I crossed paths with this book but when I read it recently, felt like I was discovering it all over again. I was deeply moved by some of the illustrations. The one below is something I liked a lot. The book is by Taiwanese author/illustrator - Jimmy Liao, titled '向左走,向右走'(Turn left, turn right).

The story started with the first stanza of a poem by Polish poet, Wislawa Szymborska:

They're both convinced
that a sudden passion joined them
Such certainty is beautiful
but uncertainty is more beautiful still.


On this page, it goes like this:

7月20日 雷雨过后的夜晚,月亮特别皎洁。
July 20 That night after the thunderstorm, the moon was exceptionally clean and white.

迷宫般的城市, 听不到呼唤, 找不到方向。
The labyrinth-like city, cries unheard, directionless. 

I have a feeling that almost everyone will experience something like the imagery above at some point in their lives. The overwhelming uncertainty. How dreadful when one is in the depths of it.

And yet, there is always this possibility, that something is yet to happen, just round the corner, might happen. Might not. Yet, just might. Will you be able to embrace the beauty of it?

Picture taken from here
Translation attempted by me (hope I wasn't too far off!)

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