Here we are again on New and Ancient Paths with Poetry and Tea.  We carry the voices we heard at the Spring Blossom Party into summer.  The event itself was an inspiration in every way. Amidst our celebration, we performed aloud a poem of tea, translated into many languages.  We, so moved by its beauty, we felt we had to share. Here, we leave you the poem and its translations. 

Why Tea?
by Robin Lampman
 

Tonight under cherry blossoms
with a cup of tea
we celebrated spring.
Over tea tonight
people from warring countries talked,
old and young talked.
People of different faiths shared their faiths, their fears
and people of faith in almost nothing shared theirs, too.
People of different political persuasions and the unpersuaded talked.
Poets and physicists had conversations about the vastness of the universe.
Tea people even talked with coffee lovers.
People speaking different languages
invented language.
We were as borderless as butterflies.

I overheard someone ask,
“Why tea?”
And someone answered,
“We need the comfort
of our brotherhood, our sisterhood, our fatherhood, our motherhood.
Most of all the comfort of our humanhood.”
Their four hands hugged their tea.
They bowed and smiled.

Someday
a million years from now
I’ll remember this and say.
“Once there was a world
and I was part of it.”

Refrain in many languages

We celebrate the singing and the song.
We wait for tea, we let it steep.
We pass the joy of spring along.
A shallow cup of tea goes  deep.

In Arabic
Translated by Laila al Ghamdi

 نحن نحتفل نجتاز فرحة الربيع والأغنية
ننتظر شاي نتركه ينقع
نجتاز فرحة الربيع
كوب من شاي ضحل عميق

In Homeric Greek
Translated by Henne Van Campen

 τῑμάομεν ἀείδοντον καί λίνον
ἀναμένομεν βρῦν, ἐάωμεν βρῦν ἀλιβατον
δώσομεν κᾱλον ἄνθιου παρά
ἄλεισον βροχθώδης καταβαίνει

In Chinese
Translated by Eleanor Lee

 我們同聚一堂唱這首歌。
等茶候，泡茶後。
我們把春天的喜悅傳出。
淺淺的一杯入茶深。

 In French
Translated by Joyce Maio

 Célébrons et chantons!
Les feuilles de thé sont ajoutées et nous les laissons infuser
Partageons la joie que le printemps nous apporte
Malgré une tasse de thé peu profonde, elle remplie nos cœurs et son esprit

In Russian
Translated by Eduard Boguslavsky

 Мы с удовольствием поем,
Чай кипит и мы ждём.
Вместе кайфуем–весна!
В маленькой чашке, глубина.  

In Japanese
Translated by Maria Takeuchi

 ともに歌い、詩でことほぐ
茶を淹れ　葉が開く刻を待ち
春の歓びを紡ぎゆく
ささやかな一杯の茶から深い趣へ

 Tomo ni utai, uta de kotohogu
Cha wo ire    Ha ga hiraku toki wo machi
Haru no yorokobi wo tsumugi yuku
Sasayaka na ippai no cha kara fukai omomuki e

In Spanish
Translated by Enmy Uribe

 Celebramos canto y la canción
Esperamos el té, dejamos que remoje
Le damos a todos la felicidad de la primavera
Un vaso de té poco hondo, es muy profundo

In Korean
Translated by Hyun-Jung (Sonia) Yoon

 우리는 노래와 노래로 축하합니다.
우리는 차를 기다리고 차를 우러나게 합니다.
 우리는 봄의 기쁨을 함께 전달합니다.
 얕은 차 한 잔은 깊음이 있습니다.

In Farsi
Translated by Sina Jasteh

ما سرود و آواز بهار را جشن میگیریم
ما از چای درس صبر میگیریم
سرور بهار را به هم هدیه میدهیم
چونکه در پیاله ی کوچک، معنای ژرف میبینی

In Georgian
Translated by Kristina Bajunaishvili

 სიმღერას აღვნიშნავთ
ჩაის ველოდებით, ვაცლით
გაზაფხულის სიხარულს ვიზიარებთ
პატარა ჭიკაშიც დიდი სიღრმეა

In Ukrainian
Translated by ena Drozd

Святкуємо і співи і пісні.
На чай чекаєм, щоб смачніше стало
Передаємо радість навесні
Щоб дрібна чашка глибину дістала

in Plattdeutsch
Translated by Benjamin Schultz

 Wi fiert dat Singen un dat Leed.
Wi töwt up Tee, wi laat hüm trekken.
Wi gäwt de Fröhjaahrsfreud wieder mit
een Schköddel Tee, dat geiht deep.

Remember your thoughts are welcome here in any language.  Please send them to us for publication.