撰文/Vincent (Soy La Ley古巴爵士樂團團長)哈林文藝復興 (Harlem Renaissance) 在美國歷史上為非洲裔美國人於第一次世界大戰後，以紐約哈林區為中心而發展出在文學、美學、社會、政治層面上，以非裔美人的角度發聲，藉此表達自我意識的存在，以及他們當時在美國社會所遭遇的處境。在 The New Negro-Voices of the Harlem Renaissance 一書中，編者 Alain Locke 在序中說到：
“…the attitude of America toward the Negro is as important a factor as the attitude of the Negro toward America, we have nevertheless concentrated upon self-expression and the forces and motives of self –determination. So far as he is culturally articulate, we shall let the Negro speak for himself.”
從上文中我們可以感受到當時的美國社會，黑人中產階級在受過高等教育後(Locke 本身擁有哈佛大學博士學位)，急於在美國社會中為他們的族群發聲的渴望。而 Langston Hughes 就是在這一波文藝浪潮中最具代表性的年輕詩人之一，因此本文也希望藉由 Hughes 的文學帶大家一窺當時哈林文藝復興的時代氣氛。
Langston Hughes 在1902年出生於美國密蘇里州，曾短暫入學哥倫比亞大學，一年後便決定離開學校專心在寫作上。Hughes 十八歲時在當時黑人文學權威雜誌The Crisis 發表了他的第一首詩 “The Negros Speaks of Rivers”，使他成為黑人文學指標性人物。
1925年，Hughes 因他的作品 “The Weary Blues” 得到了由The Opportunity 雜誌主辦的文學首獎。這首詩所描述的是詩中主人翁在哈林區聆聽一位藍調鋼琴家演唱的經驗，而詩中描寫情境的方式讓讀者充分地感受到當晚的時空和氣氛; 鋼琴手在琴鍵上的一舉一動，似乎零距離地呈現在讀者的想像中。 另外值得一提的是，在詩裡 Hughes 也摘錄了文中藍調音樂家所唱的歌詞：
"Ain't got nobody in all this world,
Ain't got nobody but ma self.
I's gwine to quit ma frownin'
And put ma troubles on the shelf."
這段節錄不只描繪了當晚的音樂氣氛，也把藍調的歌詞及曲式介紹給讀者。在1959年，Langston Hughes 與爵士樂手Charles Mingus 合作了一張由Mingus 譜曲而 Hughes 吟詩的專輯— “Weary Blues” 。而同名作品 “The Weary Blues” 當然也收錄其中。完整的文字也先分享如下，讓大家能先試著感受當時的情境，在3/8的深度講座【推動哈林文藝復興的力量—1920年代黑人文化的啟蒙】中也會帶大家一起現場聆聽這張音樂與詩巧妙結合的專輯。
Langston Hughes: The Weary Blues
Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,
Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,
I heard a Negro play.
Down on Lenox Avenue the other night
By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light
He did a lazy sway ....
He did a lazy sway ....
To the tune o' those Weary Blues.
With his ebony hands on each ivory key
He made that poor piano moan with melody.
O Blues!
Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool
He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.
Sweet Blues!
Coming from a black man's soul.
O Blues!
In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone
I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan--
"Ain't got nobody in all this world,
Ain't got nobody but ma self.
I's gwine to quit ma frownin'
And put ma troubles on the shelf."
Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.
He played a few chords then he sang some more--
"I got the Weary Blues
And I can't be satisfied.
Got the Weary Blues
And can't be satisfied--
I ain't happy no mo'
And I wish that I had died."
And far into the night he crooned that tune.
The stars went out and so did the moon.
The singer stopped playing and went to bed
While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.
He slept like a rock or a man that's dead.
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