Today, I feel especially excited. Five years ago to the day, Poetry Sky offered its first issue, becoming the first bilingual, online poetry journal in the contemporary publishing world of Chinese and American poetry and translation. From February 15, 2005, to February 15, 2010, Poetry Sky has published twenty-one online issues and two bilingual anthologies.

        In Poetry Sky, we find numerous poets representative of and influential in contemporary American and Chinese poetry circles. The journal is an important source and reference in the landscapes of Chinese and American poetry, allowing both poets and scholars opportunities to meet new writers and to discover their work.

        In the fast changing world of our digital era, it is not easy to find a quiet desk. How to keep keen and calm while insisting on the ideal of poetry can be a test of every poet's patience and perseverance. Both Chinese and American poets have felt the shocks of our digital era. Numerous poetry websites have become immersed in this current of shocks. However, it is from such jolts and fissions that poets draw their power and inspiration. Poets borrow ideas from classical and foreign poetry, find inspiration from their experiences, and explore the possibilities of languages and poetry. These explorations sometimes offer very different ways of thinking. As a result, a new poetry emerges, one which brings joys and surprises to its readers. In Poetry Sky, we are dedicated to seeking such new visions, ways of thinking and expressivity in both American and Chinese poetry.

        As the founder and editor-in-chief of Poetry Sky, I am very honored to have the opportunity to read the fine works of our contributors and to work with our editors. I am proud to be your friend. I remain grateful to Dr. Andrea D. Lingenfelter, Professor Timothy Liu, Professor Vera Schwarcz, Professor Dara Wier and Dr. Kyle David Anderson, for their generous help in editing issues of Poetry Sky. I must also acknowledge here the vital contributions of all of our contributors and translators whose dedication and professionalism have made Poetry Sky into a distinguished publication; we acknowledge Robert Bly, Professor Xie Mian, Professor Ziqing Zhang and a number of poets of the old generation who have been caring for Poetry Sky. We also acknowledge the Yale University Library, the Center for Literary Translation at Columbia University, MCLC (Modern Chinese Literature and Culture Resource Center), Leiden University Library, University of Hong Kong Library and all other libraries and academic organizations that have aided our efforts to introduce Poetry Sky to a wider audience. I also remain grateful to the Providence Journal, Xiamen Daily, Xiamen University Weekly, China News Agency and other media outlets for encouraging more poets and readers to participate in our publication.

        A better tomorrow of Poetry Sky is waiting for us. My dear friends, let's fly through the night and reach the dawn together. Let's fly together.

                                                                                                                                 Feb 15, 2010
                                                                                                                                 Providence, RI, US
 

    今天，我的心情特别激动。五年前的今天，全球首家中英诗歌双语网刊《诗天空》在PoetrySky.com上诞生了。

    在《诗天空》，我们可以看到活跃在国际诗坛上的当代中国诗人和当代美国诗人。作为全球首家中英诗歌双语网刊，诗天空（Poetrysky.com)自2005年2月15日创刊至2010年2月15日已出版21期中英双语季刊，并出版了两本双语合集，引起了当代中美诗歌界的很大反响。《诗天空》已经成为当代美国诗坛了解中国当代诗歌的重要参考，也是当代中国诗坛了解美国当代诗歌的重要参考。

    在瞬息万变的数码时代，要找到一张安静的书桌不是一件容易的事。如何保持清醒、敏锐和镇定，坚持自己的诗歌理想，这要考验每一位诗人的耐心和毅力。数码时代对诗歌的冲击，一方面使无数诗歌网站应运而生，另一方面又使诗人们从这种冲击和裂变中得到力量，获得新的灵感。诗人们从传统诗歌和外国诗歌中汲取养份，从个人的独特经验中得到灵感，用不同于前人的思维方式来探寻语言的多种可能性和诗的多种可能性。新的诗歌就此诞生。这给读者带来了愉悦和惊奇。在《诗天空》上，我们可以看到当代中美诗人的新视角，新思维和新的表达方式。

    作为《诗天空》的创办者和主编，我要深深地感谢五年来与我们风雨同舟的诗人、教授和译者朋友们，我为与你们为友感到自豪。我为自己能够有机会与你们交流，感到非常荣幸。《诗天空》作者和译者、译者和编者、编者和作者的交流在中美、中西诗歌交流史上写下了亮丽的一页。我要感谢安德丽尔(Andrea D. Lingenfelter)博士，刘悌摩(Timothy Liu)教授，薇拉-施娃茨(Vera Schwarcz) 教授，达拉-维尔(Dara Wier)教授，安凯德博士（Kyle David Anderson）为《诗天空》所做的有关编辑工作。感谢本刊的作者和译者五年来对《诗天空》的大力支持。尤其是我们的译者们对《诗天空》的发展作出了很大的贡献。他们在诗歌翻译上的不懈追求，使处于不同语言和文化背景的中美诗人们对诗有了更深的理解。感谢诗评家谢冕教授、翻译家张子清教授、美国诗人罗伯特-布莱等顾问团成员和老一辈诗人们对《诗天空》的关注和指导。感谢耶鲁大学图书馆、哥伦比亚大学翻译中心、MCLC、荷兰莱顿大学图书馆、香港大学图书馆等一批欧、美、亚、澳当代文学名录和资料库对《诗天空》网刊的介绍和链接，感谢《普罗维登斯日报》、中国新闻社、中国新闻社福建分社、《厦门日报》、《厦门大学报》、诗生活等媒体对《诗天空》的评论和介绍。

    今天是虎年大年初二。在此，让我代表诗天空非盈利机构向所有关注、支持《诗天空》的老师、朋友们拜年。我相信《诗天空》的明天会更好。亲爱的朋友们，让我们一同穿越黑夜,让我们一起到达黎明。让我们一起飞翔！

        The business of publishing poetry is capricious & shaky; online journals and hard copy anthologies appear and wither like wild mushrooms in the forest. A fifth anniversary is a rare and wonderful occasion, something to be celebrated. Poetry Sky has built a bridge made of poems stretching from one side of our planet to the other, and in so doing has helped two cultures grow a little closer. Congratulations on five terrific years. Long may you continue.

                    ——Tom Chandler Poet Laureate of Rhode Island emeritus

    《诗天空》是广阔的，它连接着所有人的心灵。诗的美好、睿智和永恒，让我们在阅读的瞬间通向生命的过去、现在与未来。诗歌是不朽的。

            ——祝贺《诗天空》创刊五周年

                    ——林莽 中国作家协会《诗刊》编委、《诗探索》作品卷主编、中国诗歌中心专职研究员

        In cosmological terms, five years is a bat of an eye, but in the life of the Internet, it is an eternity. For the past five years, the online journal Poetry Sky has been presenting an eclectic array of poetry presented in Chinese-English/English-Chinese bilingual versions. It has published the work of Chinese language poets from a variety of backgrounds—Hsia Yu, Hsia Ching, Yan Li, Quek Yong Siu, Yidan Han, and many others—and original poems by Czeslaw Milosz, Vera Schwarcz, Richard Brautigan, and Tom Chandler, to name but a few, side by side with their Chinese translations. Poetry Sky is unique web journal that offers space for the dialogue between the oftentimes very distant worlds of Chinese-language poetry and English-language poetry. I congratulate Poetry Sky and its founder and editor Yidan Han on their fifth-year anniversary and wish them continued success.

                    ——Kirk A. Denton Professor of Chinese Literature (The Ohio State University)
                        and editor of Modern Chinese Literature and Culture

        Ho, look, we poets are climbing up to talk with the Muse on the top of Jacob's ladder, Poetry Sky, built up by Yidan, a poet of great strength. It is also a jam-free bridge for Chinese and American poets, who can visit each other in any place and at anytime, "a privilege that marks a dramatic meeting of cultures" and poetries.

    如果《诗天空》是怡丹搭建的天梯，我们这些诗人正攀登它，去与缪斯攀谈。如果它是怡丹为中美诗人、文化和文学交流建造的无交通阻塞的大桥，中美诗人正随时方便地跨越它，互相访问，互相切磋诗艺。我们珍视《诗天空》，不仅是因为它是第一家在世界诗坛已经产生广泛影响的双语诗歌网络杂志，设计得美轮美奂，赏心悦目，栏目多，参考价值大，而且是因为主编的审美趣味高雅而先锋，既具有启迪智性的学术水准，又富有浪漫的想象力。正值《诗天空》创刊五周年之际，我们祝愿它越办越好，越来越可爱可亲，成为世界诗人的挚友。

                    ——Ziqing Zhang Professor of Nanjing University
                        张子清 南京大学教授

        Poetry Sky is an extraordinary forum for stretching the boundaries of poetic craft beyond one culture, one language, one way of seeing the world. By bringing together contemporary poets who write in Chinese and English, a synergy occurs that has resulted in very fine work over the past five years. It is no metaphor to say that this journal has created a genuinely new space, well titled as Poetry Sky.

        Being a contributing editor for Poetry Sky has enriched my life and work greatly. Professionally, I teach Chinese history. On this site, I learn with a fresh ear. For example, working on poems written after the Siquan earthquake brought me closer to the heart of the events--quite literally--than all the journalism I read and all the facts I taught in class at Wesleyan University. That is the gift of poetry, and also the opportunity for a contributing editor in Yidan Han's great project.

                    ——Vera Schwarcz Professor of East Asian Studies at Wesleyan University

        The insightful words of our Founder and Editor-in-Chief remind me of one of my favorite classical works on how to write poetry. Almost two thousand years ago, Lu Ji described in his treatise “On Literature” the place of the poet in the universe, nestled somewhere between his books and the phenomena of the universe:

        “Standing erect in the center of all, the poet views the expanse of the whole universe, and in ancient masterpieces his spirit rejoices and finds nurture.”

        The premise of classical Chinese literary writing and enjoyment is that the poet and the reader somehow magically compose together in a sentimental bond across verbal imagery. This quasi-mystical communion was something that I was delighted to experience the first time I read an edition of Poetry Sky. The poets featured in this wonderful journal have provided not only beautiful words and images but a conduit through which to experience life anew.

        Continuing his ars poetica, Lu Ji describes the emotional flight of the poet through the natural world:

        “As with the fallen leaves in autumn's rigor his heart sinks in grief, so is each tender twig in sweet spring a source of joy.

        In frost he finds sympathy at moments when his heart is all frigid purity, or far, far, into the highest clouds he makes his mind's abode.”

        It has and will continue to be my pleasure to accompany Poetrysky's writers on their journey's through the material worlds of element and text.

    我们《诗天空》创始人有深刻见解的话让我想起一本我特别喜爱的关于古代诗艺的作品。约两千年以前，一个伟大的知识分子陆机在他的《文赋》中描写了诗人在文学与宇宙中所处的特殊位置，曰：

    伫中区以玄览，颐情志于典坟。

    在古代中国，写诗，以及享受诗这两种活动的一个重要的前提是：通过一首诗的词语意象，作者和读者共同塑造一个神秘的感情关系以达到一起撰写作品的现实。我第一次在网上读到《诗天空》时，特别喜欢体会这种近乎神秘的交流。这份优秀期刊的诗人们不但提供了优美的语言和意象，而且提供了一个能够唤醒生活的管道。

    陆机后来描述诗人在大自然中的感情经历，曰：

    悲落叶于劲秋，喜柔条于芳春。

    心懔懔以怀霜，志眇眇而临云。

    我曾经跟诗天空的作者们探讨元素和文本的物质世界。我期待未来也能够有更多机会跟随他们探索世界。

                    ——Dr. Kyle David Anderson
                        安凯德博士

    《诗天空》不是一个官方资助的团体，以其有限的财力和人力，在中美诗歌交流方面做得非常出色，吸引了全球各地的华语诗人和一些著名的美国诗人的热心参与，确是难能可贵。

    值兹《诗天空》出版五周年之际，我衷心期望它能十年、廿年、卅年，甚至更久地持续下去，使它的影响力，日益扩大，为吾国及世界诗坛，作出贡献。

    我也希望《诗天空》除每季按时出版网刊以外，也能赓续及扩大地出版个人诗集(包括双语)，以及选集、合集等，以广流传。在人力、财力充沛后，盼能恪力推行进一步的文化传播活动。

                    ——夏菁 寄自美国科罗拉多

    一个偶然，我发现了富于诗情画意的一本诗刊，尽管她是以虚拟形式出现在读者的面前。那一刻欣喜，我记得我写下这句话：我非常惊喜地知道這世界上独一无二的 《诗天空》！ 我欣赏神奇而美妙的英汉双语版诗歌网刊。

    恭贺2010年2月15日PoetrySky创立5周年！

                    ——森道哈達 蒙古國立大學教授

    《詩天空》詩刊創刊五週年紀念

            詩天空藏無盡

                    ——紫鵑 台灣《乾坤詩刊》現代詩主編

    祝贺《诗天空》创刊五周年!

                    ——谢冕 北京大学教授

    五年来，《诗天空》一直在读者心中看到自己的影子，听见自己的回音。

    它是无垠的天空。它缀着云彩，挂满星星；它放飞想象的蝴蝶，点燃红霞的火焰，铺开纯净的蔚蓝。

    它是幽深的路径。它细碎的脚步由一首首诗组成；它漫游情思缱绻的密林，与小草和野花倾谈，在岁月的琴弦拨出柔美悠长的乐音。

    它是灵魂的祭坛。它将丰满的爱和鲜活的灵献在坛上，目视那一缕缕馨香之气，冉冉上升的烟，自由飞翔的鸽子。

                    ——梁元 寄自美国加州

    《诗天空》创刊五周年誌庆

            诗林含馥郁
            艺海汇英华

                    ——雲鹤 寄自菲律宾

    自由的天空，飞翔的诗情。

                    ——昌群 寄自山东青岛

        Birds found their native soil in Poetry Sky and warble poetry all day long. They sleep on pillow clouds filled with fluffy words through the night. The architect of Poetry Sky, Yidan, a poet, and also a night watcher, torching light to we poets to spread our wings and soar.

                    ——Grace Lim from Oregon

        At rainbow's end find poets' den.
        Across the sky hear echoes whence.

    夢幻虹橋聚詩興
    心聲天宇盪空靈

                    ——鄧洪基與冬菱 寄自新加坡

    與綠音共勉

    詩貴在靈氣

    難得默默耕耘雙語詩
    老幹新枝 抽芽
    進步中
    走學院路
    希望再進步
    在一方詩天空

    詩是思絲

                    ——魯竹 寄自柯羅拉多高原

    熱賀詩人綠音主編
    《詩天空》創刊5周年

    詩
    已從第一個五年提昇
    且必攀登第二第三個五年
    更甚會飛越第無限個五年

    天
    穹上的北斗 機艙外的燈火
    屋檐下的冰柱 寒風裡的牽掛
    或遠或近或淡或濃

    空
    中的您 架構了一爿
    東方與西方相知相遇
    相互驚艷的 喜悅

        In Celebration of the 5th Anniversary of Poetry Sky

        THE POETRY
        Has improved from the first five
        Climbing up to the second five-year and the third
        For good, so give me another big high five

        THE SKY
        Of stars, the light out of the cabins
        The ice pole under the roofs and the cold breeze hanging out
        All seem so far, so good, so deep, yet so catching

        THE POETRY SKY
        That belongs to you has been building high
        A masterpiece between the west and the east,
        A fun piece of joining surprise

                    ——風笛詩社零疆界笛人仝致賀
                        Translated by YUZHONG

        Birds found their native soil in Poetry Sky and warble poetry all day long. They sleep on pillow clouds filled with fluffy words through the night. The architect of Poetry Sky, Yidan, a poet, and also a night watcher, torching light to we poets to spread our wings and soar.

                    ——Grace Lim from Oregon

    祝贺《诗天空》创刊五周年!

    花开

    天空
    竟是这般
    辽阔

    惊喜的小花们
    争著
    把每一片花瓣
    都伸展到
    极
    限

        A FLOWER BLOOMING

        What a vast sky

        The inspired little flowers
        joyfully stretch each and every petal
        to    t  h  e    f  u  l  l  e  s  t
        e
        x
        t
        e
        n
        t

                    ——非马 (William Marr) 寄自芝加哥

        John Keats once wrote "I believe in the Truth of the Imagination and the Holiness of the heart's affection." Poetry Sky exudes the truth of imagination with a creativity that is religious in its fervor. In ancient Greece, the poet, not the priest, was the oracle of the divine. Poetry Sky continues this mission. Soaring into the sky, the language of poetry uplifts the spirit and reminds us that we come from the stars. Congratulations!

                    ——Mary Ann Eiler from Chicago