English Original
old memories
like tangled fish
hooks
impossible
to pick up only one
without all the
others
First Place, 2008 Tanka Society of America International Contest
an'ya
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
古老記憶
像纏結的魚鈎
不可能
只拿起一個
而不擾動其他的魚鈎
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
古老记忆
像缠结的鱼钩
不可能
只拿起一个
而不扰动其他的鱼钩
Bio sketch
an'ya is a haiku
and tanka poet who has been published in over 60 foreign languages, and
appeared in places and publications worldwide. If you would like to read more
of her works and a complete biography, please visit
https://sites.google.com/site/existencearts/
Judges’ Comments, which can be accessed at http://tankasocietyofamerica.com/Contest2008.html
ReplyDeleteAphoristic, to be sure, but appropriately so and a wonderfully apt choice of image and metaphor, an’ya’s poem caught and kept our attention. The poem’s imaginative leap from “old memories” to “tangled fish hooks” carries remarkable force; it may not be a pretty image but it is, without doubt, a psychologically valid one, conveying both the character of fish hooks and the mixture of pleasure and pain that is human memory. There is nothing fancy here; the tone is matter-of-fact. It is a classic poem of the singular, durable image.
This sharp yet apt "fish hook" metaphor acknowledges three things: 1) It hurts; 2) It will hurt even more to take it out; and 3) it's "impossible/ to pick up only one [fish hook]/without all the others."
ReplyDeleteJust started following your blog. Saw it on Issa's Untidy Hut. Lovely work that you highlight and comment on. Such a nice find! Andrea
ReplyDeleteAndrea:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouraging comment.
Chen-ou