{"id":37833,"date":"2023-07-28T19:09:09","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T15:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=37833"},"modified":"2023-07-28T19:09:09","modified_gmt":"2023-07-28T15:09:09","slug":"merci-a-clifford-ng-kwet-chan-le-poete-qui-nest-plus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/merci-a-clifford-ng-kwet-chan-le-poete-qui-nest-plus\/","title":{"rendered":"Merci \u00e0 Clifford Ng Kwet Chan le po\u00e8te qui n\u2019est plus"},"content":{"rendered":"
Remembrance<\/u><\/span><\/h5>\n

By Sister C\u00e9cile Leung<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

First I would like to offer my sympathy to Nicolas, Chlo\u00e9 and to all those grieving the loss of a brother, a brother-in-law, an uncle, a friend, a colleague, the poet, the long time contributor to Mauritius Times<\/em>, the engaged citizen who cared enough to share in black and white relentlessly ideas and hopes.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the late 1950s, more than sixty decades ago a young Father Henri Souchon launched the movement of ‘L\u2019Entit\u00e9 mauricienne’ calling to unite the diverse ethnic communities of the island. Clifford Ng Kwet Chan, then a young professional, was invited to voice the concerns and hopes of the Chinese community on the podium where representatives of all communities were given the opportunity to share ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is how I came to know Clifford as one of those driven by the altruistic ambition of making the world a better place. I left Mauritius in the early sixties and missed the opportunity to follow more closely Clifford\u2019s subsequent interventions and engagement on social issues. Clifford became known not only as \u201cl\u2019homme engag\u00e9\u201d but also as a poet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Only some French terms can express my perception of Clifford the poet: c\u2019est \u201cl\u2019homme au c\u0153ur pur\u201d ; his vision of any given event takes him to its \u201cessence\u201d which he would then succinctly put into words. For example, when Nicolas came into the life of Clifford and Th\u00e9r\u00e8se his spouse, he wrote about the \u201cpoint\u201d which made possible the formation of the triangle. Thanks to Clifford I came to understand that poetry is not a play with words but rather a distillation of the meaning of life. It takes a certain asceticism and purity of the mind and heart to touch this core.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Saturday July 1st, barely a month before he left us, I had the privilege of paying Clifford a visit, he was seated and received me with his usual kindness. As I had voiced some concerns in our conversation, his last words in Hakka were conciliatory, in translation: ‘don\u2019t worry, I will see to it.’ He was still the visionary looking \u201cbeyond\u201d with a steady gaze.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clifford, you are now reunited with Th\u00e9r\u00e8se, the other point of the triangle, you will surely watch over the point left behind. Rest In Peace “en contemplant l\u2019Absolu, l\u2019Essence de toute vie dont tu as essay\u00e9 d\u2019en saisir et de nous partager quelques bribes durant ta longue vie de po\u00e8te\u201d. Merci de nous avoir entra\u00een\u00e9s dans ton sillage, aujourd\u2019hui le c\u0153ur endolori il nous reste \u00e0 regarder plus haut et te voir dans l\u2019\u00e9toile de la nuit en faisant notre deuil.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Sister C\u00e9cile Leung, Associate Professor Emerita
\n<\/strong>Chicago, USA<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Clifford Ng Kwet Chan \u2013 1932-2023<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Kwet Chan! A name that will shine forever!<\/span><\/p>\n

Teacher, philosopher, and gentleman,<\/span><\/p>\n

A true person all respect and admire!<\/span><\/p>\n

A confirmed patriot that did his share<\/span><\/p>\n

And a lot more, with his heart, mind, and pen<\/span><\/p>\n

For the independence of this country!<\/span><\/p>\n

We had at Neptune Club in Chinatown<\/span><\/p>\n

A jolly band of hopeful young fellows<\/span><\/p>\n

That dreamt of rebuilding the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

We looked to him the teacher and poet,<\/span><\/p>\n

Steeped in the lore, values and traditions<\/span><\/p>\n

Of Hakkas in Meixian, to show the way!<\/span><\/p>\n

Man of duty! Man of Honour! We thank<\/span><\/p>\n

Heaven and Earth that brought you in our lives!<\/span><\/p>\n

Joseph Tsang Mang Kin
\n<\/strong><\/span>Floreal<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Mauritius Times joins Sister C\u00e9cile Leung and Joseph Tsang Man Kin to express our deepest condolences to Nicolas, son of Clifford Ng Kwet Chan, and other relatives during this time of grief.<\/span><\/p>\n

Educator and poet, Clifford had been a long-time contributor to this paper, and he was particularly well known for his usually short and succinct poems which were published in our columns as from the early 1960s. Societal issues, education, Chinese culture and traditions, life in Mauritius were the subjects he wrote about quite often to the delight of so many of our readers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wilhelm von Humboldt said that the aim of existence is a distillation of the widest possible experience of life into wisdom. There\u2019s only one summit in life – to have taken the measure in feeling of everything human.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you, Clifford for having taken the full measure of human experience and for passing on the wisdom to us through your poems.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 28 July 2023<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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