WELCOME~ The 32nd WORLD CONGRESS OF POETS
Chairman
CHI-LAN TSAI

Biography:
Birthdate: September 9th, 1944

Birthplace:
In a cottage at the old Lokninmng Port (Present day Tainan suburb)

Education:
Tainan Private Chang Jun High School
Richmond Language School, Canada
Honorary Doctorate in Literature, World Academy of Arts and Culture

Associations founded:
1979, Loknimng History Association
1987, Tsukuang Ren-chen Temple Tainan Manjushri Abode
1996, Tai River Writer's Guild
1997 Tai River Magazine Publishing Company
1999, Taiwan History and Culture Camp
2009, Castle Town Taiwanese Language Children Literature Camp

大會會長 蔡奇蘭
Books Published:
1. 1996, 'Sad Songs of the Taiwanese' Tai River Poetry Book Series, September 1996.
2. 1996, 'A Poet's Life', Tai River Poetry Book Series, September, 1996
3. 1998, 'Three Character Classic in Vernacular Taiwanese', Tai River Poetry Book Series, February, 1998.
4. 1998, 'A Brief Introduction of Muddy Castle in Tainan', Tai River Poetry Book Series, March 1998.
5. 1998, 'Taiwanese Vernacular Historic Poetry', Taileh Press, March 1998.
6. 2000, 'A Memoir of My Father (The frontiersman of Taiwan)', Tai River Poetry Book Series, February, 2000.
7. 2000, '300 poems of Taiwanese 7 Character rhyms', Tai River Poetry Book Series, June, 2000.
8. 2001, 'Taiwanese Zodiac songs (Ed. By Wu Chuan-Chi), Tai River Poetry Book Series, October, 2001.
9. 2002, 'Shen the Righteous Man'(Co-Author Liu A-su), Tai River Poetry Book Series, June, 2002.
10. 2002, 'Loknimng Fisherman Poetry', Tainan City Library Press, December, 2002.
11. 2003, 'Hobuey Town History', Tai River Poetry Book Series, April, 2003.
12. 'Lokninmng Fisherman Taiwanese Poetry Songbook', Music by Lin Wen-Lung, Chuang Chun-Rong, Hui-Hsin,
       Performance by Lin Wen-Lung.
會長詩歌分享:

A Girl’s Dream

A word of care, a piece of love
A tip of hill, two sides of sea
The girl's flower blossoms for the first time
Being together with sincerity, cute
Oh Life, in today's world
Why be afraid of accepting such love
Ah, hope, hope
When will you come back again?
a word of care, a piece of love
a piece of handkerchief, wiping the tears
The girl's flower blossoms for the first time
Who would see through the melancholy
Oh life, in today's world
Why be afraid to accept such love
Ah, hope, hope
When will you come back again?
a word of care, a piece of love
a flower of peony, known to none
The girl's flower blossoms for the first time
Waiting for the butterfly to reap
Oh life, in today's world
Why be afraid to accept such love
Ah, hope, hope
When will you come back again?

Written in early morning, June 23th, 1995

Recluses to the farm town

Leaving the city, Coming to the Farm town
The moon reached in, asked
Have you had dinner?
Fireflies hit one another on the road
Your body swings so brightly
Worm of the night calls, time to come into the hall
Icy dew, chills the inside of the wanderer
Ah, ah, beautiful farm town
※  ※
Leaving the city, coming to the farm town
The sun by the hill, hasn't fully woke up
A little of dim light
The star of frigidness embarrassed,
asked me
Out so early?
Wild flowers turn their heads, playing with the wind
Drops of rain, drizzled the inside of the wanderer
Ah! Ah! Dreamy farm town
※  ※
Leaving the city, coming to the farm town
Fields of grass green, made up as bed
White clouds far away
Rainbow by the sky, so long
A lonesome bird asks
Why come back to the farm town?
The seek for power and profit, hurt the inside of the wanderer
Ah! Ah! Recluses to the farm town

Written on October, 12th in Vancouver

PS. A song has been written to the poem by composer Wang Mingte. It has been performed many times by the Taipei Philharmonic Choir led by Dr. Huang Hai-nan during their US tour in 1997, 1998 and 1999. (2001-5-8新註)
An eternal tinder

Remember! Twenty nine years ago
On the east coast of America
The sea cold, the clouds clean
A group of students from Taiwan
Far away from home, the homesickness
For Taiwan's bright future
Together, hand in hand, heart to heart
Lit up the light of the summer camp
Ah! The light became tinder
It burns twenty-nine years and on
Elders! You are proud
Elders! You are proud


PS. On July 2nd, 1998, I travelled from Vancouver, BC to Philadelphia to take part in the Taiwanese American Conference (East Coast). Dr. Chen and his wife picked me up at the airport.
On the way there, Dr. Chen told me that 29 years ago, the Taiwanese students who were blacklisted by the KMT regime were forbidden to return to Taiwan. Frustrated, Dr. Chen Tang-shan (later Mayor of Tainan County), Dr. George Chang Tsan-hung (later Mayor of Tainan City), Dr. Tsai Wu-Hsiung (Director of Taiwan Centre of International Affairs) along with other Taiwanese Americans jointly lit the light on this summer camp. The camp is held every summer for 29 years and is now the biggest camp of such in the US.
I was deeply touched and wrote this poem. It was later put to music by Taiwan Indigenous composer Hayu Yudaw, performed by Taiwanese American choir on the Taiwan's night.

 

Taiwan sprouts anew

Party turnover, touched the world
Berry trees sprout in the winter
Muddy River, as I heard,
has slowly turned white
Acacia Hill, snows early this year
Southern Taiwan is the holy land of Democracy
New Party Legislator is down to one
Gang lords now sit behind bars
One China, one Taiwan, negotiation is fine
The ancient legends has it,
emperor will rise from Muadao
Hey, President Abian, Please be well
Ah! What a beautiful Taiwan
Ah! Taiwan sprouts anew


Written on January 9th, 2001, at Wanliao Gitsao hall.

PS 1. Taiwan prophet Attorney Chuang Po-lin, published an article 'new sprout on rich soil'(Jan 8th, 2001). The supernatural phenomenon described by him was rather exciting. This prophet of Taiwan is also my senior in the Taiwanese poetry circle. Therefore, I wrote a modern poem to answer him.

PS 2. This poem was published on the 180th issue of Taiwanese Literature Magazine

Penglai Demigod Island Song

My hometown Penglai Island
It was built by the eight demigods
Around it are the bubbly white sea
The beautiful Taroko Gorge
Ah! Hualien Port, reflects the sea wave
Alishan Mountain, surrounds by the clouds
Sun Moon Lake, has the mountain
upside down
Ah! Ah!
Sing the mountain songs, ease the homesickness
※  ※
My hometown Penglai Island
Hardworking are the hometown folks
Cow farmer on the South plain
Indigenous girls dancing
Ah! Tea-picking songs, praise one another
Taiwanese opera, tell the filial deity
Tainan City, plenty of historical sites
Ah! Ah!
Sing the mountain songs, ease the homesickness
※  ※
My hometown Penglai Island
Each season is unique with great weather
Banana, pineapple and honey peach
Camphor is the famous produce
Ah! Fried rice noodle, fresh oysters
Dantsu Noodle, great soup
Sailei Rice, chewy and thick
Ah! Ah!
Sing the mountain songs, ease the homesickness

Written on December 31st,1998, at Vancouver.

PS. I met Mr. and Mrs. Lin Kin-fei with the through Reverend Chuang Chun-rong. Over the talks, Mrs. Lin asks me to write a song for the "Penglai Choir". I wrote it soon after I returned to Fisher Drive residence.
Castle Town Song

(一)
Tainan was a castle town
Seven shoals walk with the moon
Anping sunset cast shadow on the
single sail
Lok-ni-mng port is front courtyard
Hey! Hey!
Mazo Temple, gongs drum
Five ports, ships anchor
Tai River, shadows reflect
Chikan Tower, known to all
Ah! I love Tainan the castle town
Ah! I would fight for castle town
(二)
Tainan was a castle town
Hardworking are people's names
By the age sixteen, kids walk the grand rites
Tis fortunate to live in Tainan
Hey! Hey!
Phoenix trees, everywhere
Dantsu Noodle, midnight run
Rice cake, mother's love
Oyster pancake, red bean pie
Ah! I love Tainan the castle town
Ah! I would fight for castle town

Written on December 7th, at Tainan Manjushri Abode

Bilong Mountain Town

Storm hits, Let's go
Walk to Bilong and hear the rain
Red tiles, green hill
Tobacco house, ancient town
A stream of river, reflects shadow
A couple of poultry, silently eats by
the house
Ah! Listen to the rain by the misty bridge
Ah! Ah! I love Bilong the mountain town

Written on August 9th, 2000, at Jhonglihe Memorial Hall, Bilong.

Serendipity

Autumn awaits, summer blossoms
I walk the earth with serendipity
A bush of flower wanting you to pick
A drop of tear swallow back inside
Moon! Oh Moon!
How do I define serendipity?
Seeing but with no end is such a pity
Ah! Young girl, I don't know
Ah! Young girl, tricked by serendipity


Written upon return from China, August 22nd, 2000.


The Kite

September, fly the kite
White dew has passed
Autumn follows by
Kite, oh Kite!
Why so quiet? What makes you sad?
A long string on your foot
Is it that you can't be with the loved ones?
Is it that you can't meet with the
loved ones?
Ah! Ah! I'd rather be a kite without a string
Ah! Ah! Break the string and freely fly

Written on September 9th, 2000, by the house of Mr. Chen Kuan-shue, the Han Classics master in Pingtung.

 

Reincarnated Love

Xian castle, makes me sad
Rainy night, view the stars
Hand in hand, love goes on
The single moon, by the sky
You ask me, how to meet?
Since Tang dynasty, Thousand years
Return to Xian, old dream ends
I ask the sky, will dream complete

Written on September 19th, 2000, at Xian Castle, Xian, China.

An unforgettable smile

Your smile, like the spring breeze
Blows into my heart, ripple my lake
Hypnotize me, drive me insane
Gave me immense power
Let me run like a pawn piece
Ah! I must write a poem to tell you
Your smile
Forever and ever
Live in my heart

Written on December 12th, at the backstage of Michael J. Fox Theater

Anping Song

Anping Port, ships raise sail
Old castle, four long centuries
Seven shoals, seven dreams
Shiny moon lights on Tai River
Ashore, is Chikan
All Chikan villagers are Pinpu Aborignals
Ah! Anping ancient port, Taiwan's window
Ah! Build Anping, so to set sail again
Hey! Hey! I am a happy Anping folk

Written on January 31st, 2002, at Wanliao Gitsao Hall.

PS. The poem was written for the upcoming firework displayed on the second day of Lunar New Year, 2002. I also wrote a couplet "Anping Fishing port firework, Castle town fly together" to celebrate the event.
台灣通緒記 (西元前二四六~西元一五五七)

台灣最早叫島夷 島夷二字出尚書 尚書出版秦朝時 秦距今二仟餘年
第二古名叫東鯷 出在漢書地理志 東鯷每年來會稽 朝貢稱臣拿白旗
第三古名叫夷州 夷州出在沈瑩手 臨海水土志伊修 伊是東吳兮太守
記載台灣沒霜雪 草木不死無染病 四面是山少平地 眾仙快樂笑嘿嘿
第四古名叫流求 隋煬帝派兵征收 朱寬陳稜大出手 土人押回中國囚
這款霸道不長久 隋朝政權短短休 上天處罰有理由 台灣寶地不可搶
隋朝至宋六佰冬 記載台灣沒半項 尋遍古籍白費工 證明台灣是番邦
番邦寫入諸番記 番記出版南宋時 南宋距今九佰年 諸番記載有兩篇
趙汝适寫番生食 袒裸盰睢毗舍耶 原始生活睡豬舍 掠人取頭漢人驚
樓鑰撰寫攻媦集 平湖二字文獻入 台灣沒名較不及 兩地不通皆獨立
又寫生番攻平湖 軍兵被殺土土土 盡刈所種沒留步 大罵 毗舍耶可惡
南宋滅亡換元朝 辦理鹽稅島民繳 巡檢司媽宮地標 台灣代誌無半條
元朝滅亡換明代 台灣出現慢慢來 第一周嬰有了解 所著東番記有載
指出安平近內海 台江海灣好所在 討掠漁船連帆排 漢番東洋有往來
漁貨鹿皮交易開 無主管轄鬧猜猜 台灣當時無人管 周嬰命名叫台員
閩書作者何喬遠 又將台員改大員 台員大員音同款 最後為何叫台灣
原因出在何喬遠 喬遠著書自己反 鏡山全集文學味 作者喬遠愛歌詩
台灣二字有詩意 海灣曲線像長絲 風吹長絲風景美 蓬萊仙島太神奇
明朝打開伊神秘 世界各國注意伊 十六世紀中期後 日本倭寇開始鬧
勾結海賊用大炮 中國沿海被困擾 明朝官員管無效 海賊泅過黑水溝
台灣變成海賊巢 明軍炮擊追不到 公元壹伍伍柒年 台灣山脈青青青
藍天白雲浪平平 葡萄牙船行海墘 花鹿伴子在溪邊 世外桃源初次見
船上水手感謝天 水手向天笑哈哈 喊出喔福爾摩沙 美麗之島響天下

公元2002-6-17,寫於府城園寮居草堂