KATAWA: It's OK To Smile And Laugh

To Further The Furthest

Title : The Furthest Distance in The World (also known as The Flying Bird and Fish)

"Perhaps this is for the best..." she muttered softly, as her dark eyes gazed at the surrounding even darker room.

The moon was up high on the night sky, yet none of its motherly love managed to reach her.

The neighborhood crowned her with the title 'Living Widow'. Her husband was alive and kicking, but she had been alone since their marriage. Well, to be honest, it was even a miracle that they managed to get one.

Right after the marriage, the husband was forced by his family to manage a branch company in United Kingdom, alone. UK was a faraway foreign land to her, which she could only dream of.

It had been five years since then.

Shall we call it a modern story of 'A King and A Pauper'? Add some essences of soap opera and that will be a perfect diary of her life. Ermm, minus birth secret.

She brought the kitchen knife closer to her arm. Its rusty appearance fooled people of its sharpness. For years, it had been butching meats and loaves. Cutting a fragile hand of a fool lady named Jellie was of course, a small matter.

But then, her phone rang. It was the husband. Weakly, she murmured, "Rommie...".

"Jellie.."

"The furthest distance in the world isn't between UK and our hometown, but..."

The furthest distance in the world is not the distance between opposite poles of the world,
It is that you don't know that I love you when I stand in front of you

The furthest distance in the world is not that you don't know I love you when I stand in front of you,
It is when I cannot say I love you when I love you so madly

The furthest distance in the world is not that I cannot say I love you when I love you so madly,
It is that I have to bury it in my heart despite the unbearable yearning

The furthest distance in the world is not that I have to bury it in my heart despite the unbearable yearning,
It is when we cannot be together even when we love each other

The furthest distance in the world is not that we cannot be together, when we love each other,
It is when we turn a blind eye to it despite knowing true love conquers all

The furthest distance in the world is not the distance between two distant trees,
It is when branches cannot depend on each other in the wind despite growing from the same root

The furthest distance in the world is not when branches cannot depend on each other in the wind,
It is when the trajectories of stars cannot cross even when the blinking stars look at each other

The furthest distance in the world is not when the trajectories of stars cannot cross,
It is when they are unable to find each other after crossing trajectories

The furthest distance in the world is not being unable to find each other,
It is when we are doomed not to love even when we coincidentally meet

The furthest distance in the world is the love between the bird and fish
One is flying in the sky, the other is looking upon the sea

Note 1 :

The poem is said to be written by Rabindranath Tagore. However, some people claim that it was written by a novelist Xiaoxian Zhang. Since it's not like I'm going to get awards for discussing this, I'll just leave it at that.

There are many translated versions of this poem. However, I prefer this one the most.

Still remember when I say that this poem is also called 'The Flying Bird and Fish'? It's because of the last stanza;

The furthest distance in the world is the love between the bird and fish
One is flying in the sky, the other is looking upon the sea

A love between a bird and a fish. Simply speaking, this is akin to an impossible love. It's just like asking you to marry your cute little kitten. Meowww~

Perhaps that's really the furthest distance in the world?

However, in 2005, a kid wrote a poem which resonated well with this poem. So, I call these two poems long lost brothers.

It's called 'The Fish Who Loved A Bird'. And since this post is getting long, I'll post it on the chapter.

Thanks.