Tuesday, May 13, 2014

One Man's Maple Moon: Jazz Singer Tanka by Rebecca Drouilhet

English Original

in street lights
the jazz singer alone
at the corner
this winter night breaks
into many shades of blue

Rebecca Drouilhet


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

路燈下
爵士歌手單獨
在街角處
這個冬夜破碎成
許多不同的藍色色調


Chinese Translation (Simplified)

路灯下
爵士歌手单独
在街角处
这个冬夜破碎成
许多不同的蓝色色调


Bio Sketch

Rebecca Drouilhet is a 58-year old retired registered nurse.  In 2012, she won a Sakura award in the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Haiku International.  Her haiku and tanka have appeared in A Hundred Gourds, Modern Haiku, Frogpond, World Haiku Review, Prune Juice, The Heron's Nest, and the Lakeview International Journal of Literature and Art.

3 comments:

  1. The opening lines vividly depict the concrete, physical image of a lonely jazz singer ; then, the image receives its consummation in the remaining lines by direct importation into some interior, emotional nightscape [or mindscape through the connection of the tone and mood [jazz/blues; many shades of blue]

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  2. An extraordinary poem that captures a real sense of loneliness and sadness in a world where most artists have to struggle.

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  3. Harry:

    I couldn't agree with you more.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Chen-ou

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