By Tan Xi
Morning blossoms fade by dusk, fleeting as a white steed’s shadow. Life moves swiftly, with hurried steps and passing faces. Looking back, the youth once carried dreams as vast as spring’s meadows, hearts set on golden honors, enduring years of diligent study, their pens shaping the world, their aspirations boundless. Today, those same youths see their names inscribed on the雁塔 (a symbol of academic success), unrestrained as the open sea, unafraid of gathering storm clouds, toasting the east wind with wine. The years ahead will witness the close of three high school years, like the moon setting at dawn, and the beginning of a new voyage at Yunnan Normal University.
The sorrow of parting swells as the sun dips low; a chant of farewell points eastward to the horizon. Goodbyes are a solitary journey made together. All gatherings must end. Reflecting on three years of high school, we recited lessons beneath cherry blossoms in early spring, sweated on sun-scorched soccer fields, laughed through chilly autumn breezes during every break, and lined up for hot water while snowflakes drifted outside the window. Perhaps one day, I’ll stumble upon an unsolved math problem, furrow my brow, and realize those late-night study sessions are long gone. A pang of loss strikes—“I’d buy osmanthus wine to relive those days, but it’s never the same as youth’s fleeting joy.” Mountains and rivers behind us, the banquet of our shared time now rings its closing bell. We know parting is life’s unavoidable lesson, and in this graduation ceremony where dreams take flight, countless farewells transform into heartfelt wishes for reunion at the summit. A single line—“Fear not the road ahead lacks friends; the world knows your name”—speaks more than volumes.
Three rains converge, winds and clouds stir across the land; meeting is an unseen force gathering momentum. Grateful for Yunnan Normal University’s embrace, three years have led to this serendipitous encounter. Farewell is not an end, but meeting is the start of all things: winter meets spring, bringing warm sun; poetry meets wine, birthing distant horizons; I meet Yunnan Normal University, charting a new course for my dreams. “As the south blooms in splendor, we meet again in the season of falling flowers.” For the sake of our ideals, we shoulder our bags, willing to leave home, crafting prose as vast as mountains, writing brilliance with our pens, encountering new vistas, venturing into wider worlds. On Yunnan Normal University’s stage, one dream after another blossoms along its thriving path. From distant corners we come, having traversed separate landscapes, yet choosing to gather here—fate’s unseen hand at work. We do not know when we’ll meet, but we stand ready for every possibility. Sincerity can split metal and stone; thus, meeting Yunnan Normal University is both a long-planned homecoming and an opportunity poised to unfold.
Though the Northern Sea is vast, it can be reached by soaring on the wind. Though the morning sun has passed, the evening glow is yet to come.
Parting comes because youth, clad in bright attire and riding spirited steeds, finds the path of ideals still unfolding. Our meeting was once marked by fervent vows and noble pursuits—cleansing the murky and uplifting the pure—a refusal to let our golden years slip away.
As we walk upon the cultural soil of Shida, the surroundings grow unfamiliar, and relationships become more diverse. Yet, our horizons broaden, and our vision expands. The dividends of education manifest in our generation. We are not weary travelers rushing through the dust, but steadfast dream-chasers with unwavering steps.
The past is beyond recall, but the future remains full of promise. May we all encounter better versions of ourselves at Shida.