花朵传送

Multimedia artist Tan Swie Hian recently donated more than 6,000 of his collection of books, manuscripts, artworks and artifacts to the new National Library. When the new National Library is completed, a section will house “The Tan Swie Hian Collection”。 This is the speech Mr Tan gave at the donation ceremony.

　　Giving is a way of sharing. The fragrance wafts far and wide when the flowers are passed round. And certainly, as Hada Bejar said, “The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.” I have decided to donate my whole collection of books, manuscripts, artworks, and artifacts to the new National Library.

　　This is in line with the objective of the My Library Movement launched today： to do my humble part to help bring knowledge to life, making it real and inspiring for all Singaporeans. Knowledge is a living thing to be shared among people, as it does not belong to a dusty shelf. And shared joy is double joy.

　　I have 6000 books. Many a volume has a story behind it. The thin copy of the thesis on Baudelaire's Cat , jointly written in French by Roman Jakobson and Claude Levi-Strauss, which I had been searching for years, was found in a small bookshop in Paris. The now defunct Methodist Bookstore in Singapore helped me get most of the English translations of Kierkegaard's works. By the Side of Mr. Gandhi , a biographical account by Gandhi's only Chinese disciple, Shanti Zeng, who was a first-generation Singaporean journalist, was eventually autographed by the author during my first and last meeting with him. A friend flew in from Indonesia bringing to me the poetry of Chairil Anwar. I bought the autobiography of Ravi Shankar in India. My many trips to China enabled me to collect such extremely rare and ancient publication as the Yuan/Ming edition of Commentaries on the Four Books by Zhu Xi. And anthologies of poet friends Henri Michaux, Eugene Guillevic, Marin Sorescu, and Ya Xuan.

　　Among the donated items, there are also artworks of artist friends such as Arnaud d'Hauterives, Wu Guan Zhong, and Pratuang Emjaroen； calligraphy by Fan Zeng Xiang, Qi Bai Shi, and Li Ke Ran； a photo by Chin-San Long； three seals by Master Hong Yi； a Song Yue-Ware celadon Avalokitesvara figurine； a Tang ink-slab and an extra large ink-stick made by the greatest ink maker of the Ming Dynasty, Cheng Jun Fang.

　　When the truck carrying my whole collection was pulling out of the carpark of my studio, Ms Jennifer Yin of the NLB urged me to quickly take a last look at it. Suddenly I felt somewhat sad to part with the collection I have put together following forty years of efforts, love, and passion. But it was like marrying off my beautiful daughter. Knowing that she was off to a great family, I felt relieved.

　　When Somerset Maugham decided to quit writing, he thought to himself,“Thank God, I can watch a sunset without having to think how to describe it. I meant never to write another book.” It is not yet my case. “The Tan Swie Hian Collection” in the new National Library will be a space where I'll meet young Singaporean artists, writers and public members, discussing with them how not to fall asleep when the sun rises.

多元艺术家 陈瑞献 把6000册藏书，数十本创作手稿和数十件艺术珍藏品捐献给新建的国家图书馆；新馆落成后将特设“陈瑞献藏室”展示。这是他在珍藏捐赠仪式上的讲词。

　　给予是分享的一种方式。花朵让人传送，花香扩散愈远。诚如贝嘉所说：“花香常留在送出玫瑰的人手中。”我决定把我收藏的全部书籍、手稿、艺术品以及工艺品都捐赠给新建的国家图书馆。

　　这符合今天发布推行的“我的图书馆计划”的宗旨：尽我的一点绵力，参与把知识带入生活，使之成为所有新加坡人都可得到启发的现实。知识是可供分享的活体，它不属于尘封的书架。分享的欢喜是加倍的欢喜。

　　我有6000本藏书。许多书的背后都有一段故事。雅各生和利维斯·史特劳斯以法文合著的有关波特莱尔的诗《猫》的薄薄一本评论，我寻搜多年，最后才在巴黎的一家小书店找到。已经停业的新加坡一间卫理书店，帮我买到大部分齐克果著作的英译本。

　　《在甘地先生左右》是甘地的华人弟子曾圣提撰写的传记，作者是新加坡第一代新闻记者，我在与他第一次也是最后一次的会面时请他在书上签了名。我的一位友人特从印尼给我带来凯里尔·安华的诗集。我在印度购得拉维·桑卡的自传。多次造访中国，我得以收藏至为稀罕的古籍，如元明间刻本 ，朱熹撰写的《四书集注》。还有我的诗友亨利·米梭，纪亦维，马林·索列斯库以及痖弦的诗集。

　　在捐赠的藏品中，也有艺术家朋友如奥得里夫、吴冠中和柏拉衷的画作。有樊增祥、齐白石和李可染的书法；一张朗静山的摄影；三方弘一大师的印章；一尊宋越窑青瓷观音像；一方唐砚以及一方由明代最伟大的制墨家程君房特制的御墨。

　　当装载着我所有的收藏的大卡车，正开出我画室的停车场时，国家图书馆管理局的殷玲催我再看一眼。我猛省我用40年的心血和热爱征集的藏品将离我而去，一时我有点感伤。然而，这就像把漂亮的女儿嫁出去一样。一想到她嫁了一户好人家，我也就感到释然。

　　当毛姆决定封笔，他对自己说：“老天，这下我可以欣赏日落，而不必去想该怎样来描写了。我的意思是说，不再写书了。”这还不是我的情况。设在新国家图书馆的“陈瑞献藏室”，将是我会见新加坡年轻艺术家、作家和公众的一个空间，用来跟他们讨论当太阳升起时，该怎样才不会睡着。