Tagore seemed to attach much importance to this trip. He brought with him an entourage of teachers of the Sentiniketan University, including Mr. Sen, an authority on Sanskrit, Mr. Bose, the painter, and Mr. Tagore's own Boswell, a Briton named Mr. Elmhirst who was his secretary. Sentiniketan University was founded by Mr. Tagore himself. It was often called "Tagore's International University." In Sanskrit, Sentiniketan means "Solitary Village." More often than not, the teachers and students of the university held classes in the shadows of trees. Permeating the campus was an atmosphere of liberalism.
In 1924, many of Mr. Tagore's works such as "The Crescent Moon" and "Chitra" were available in translated Chinese versions. The works had inspired Hsu Chih-mo, an outstanding poet, and his friends, to organize the "Crescent Moon Society" in Peiping. It was followed later by the appearance in Shanghai of the "Crescent Moon Society," "Crescent Moon Bookstore" and "Crescent Moon Magazine."
On May 8, 1924, Mr. Tagore observed his 64th birthday in Peiping. His friends there got together and held a celebration. The main program was the staging, in the English language, of his play "Chitra." Miss Lin Hui-ying, daughter of Lin Chang-min, played the leading role of Chitrao Mr. Lin and Mr. Hsu also got themselves into the acting. That pleased the old master immensely.
The saddest moment for Mr. Tagore, during that visit as far as we could see, was when the leftist youths of China (influenced by the three-year-old Chinese Communist Party) chose to oppose his lectures. They distributed leaflets in the lecture halls. The leaflets were quite uncomplimentary, indeed. One of the lectures was held at the Chen Kuang (True Light) Theater. I was invited to be the moderator. I introduced Mr. Tagore to the public and requested the listeners to respect his right to freedom of speech.
From left to right: Painter Li Lin-chia's rendition of Tagore inspecting the Great Wall; giving Lake in Hangchow in the company of Hsu Chih-mo (right) and Dr. Chiang Monlin (left). (File photo)
Mr. Tagore told me one day: "You have listened to my speeches. You also have read my manuscripts. They say I am against science. Isn't it a fact that in each of my speeches there are passages eulogizing science?" I told him not to worry, least of all to despair. I said: "It is a matter of emphasis. Your lectures are so poetic and so much devoted to the spiritual freedom of man that the listeners are apt to forget your laudatory references to modern science. When we talk to a great number of people, we cannot but be misunderstood unwittingly by some or misrepresented intentionally by yet others. As the Chinese saying goes, it is impossible to please everybody at the same time."
Therefore, on the eve of his birthday, I presented him with a scroll on which was written my poem "Parinamana." I acquainted him with the general idea of the poem. He knew I was trying to console him with it, and asked me to translate it into English for him to keep as a souvenir. Parinamana (meaning "Return to Earth") is a school of thought in Mahayana Buddhism ("The Great Vehicle") insisting that even those who have attained the status of Buddha should go back to the world and work for the multitudes.
Henry Pu Yi at that time was still living in his Peiping palace. Informed by the royal tutor, Reginald Johnston, that Mr. Tagore wanted to have a look at the palace, the former emperor invited Mr. Tagore and his entourage into the Forbidden City for tea.
On another day, the Tagore party also had a chance to visit the Great Wall and the Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty.
a lecture at the Chen Kuang Theater in Peiping, with Dr. Hu Shih on his left; touring the West and in the company of Dr. Chiang, paying a visit to Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty in Nanking. (File photo)
Mr. Tagore's second trip to China was in 1928 or 1929. (I am not sure which). He passed through Shanghai during his travels and went ashore for a few hours to visit Mr. Hsu. (Mr. Elmhirst seemed to be with him, too). I happened to be in Shanghai at that time. So I took my son Chu-wang to see him. The old man took a group picture with us. The picture included Chih-mo, his wife, Lu Hsiao-man and Mr. Elmhirst. The ship sailed the next morning. We went to the dock to see him off.
Mr. Tagore wrote his poems and essays in Bengali. In fact, all his works were in the dialect of Bengal. His success has made Bengali the most popular "literary language" of India. The old master, therefore, had in his heart a soft spot for China's "pai hua" (plain language) movement in literature. He liked Mr. Hsu the most, treating the Chinese poet like a kinsman;
Parinamana
Hu Shih
(I was in a train from Tsinan bound for Peiping on October 1922 when the Parinamana chapter in the Sutra of Hua Yen inspired me into writing this poem.)
Through the oppressive storms has he come,
And already attained the summit of the mountains
Where peace and beauty comfort him,
And the stormy rains threaten him no more.
He turns his head towards the valley below,
And remembers the comrades he has left behind
In that dismal valley shrouded by thick clouds
To endure the gloom of the storms.
He cannot bear the thought of parting with them;
But he is weary of the winds and the rain. "There may be hailstorms; too,"—
Says he on the summit of the mountains.
Lo! he is coming down the mountain path,
Walking towards the valley shrouded by the thick storms.
"Rain or hail, come what may!
What they can endure I can also!")
(On May 8, 19211, the 64th birthday of Indian poet Tagore, friends of Peiping's Crescent Moon Society held e celebration in his honor. I wrote this poem on e scroll end he requested me to translate it into English. I did tho best I could as above.)