Saturday, April 7, 2018

One Man's Maple Moon: Small Death Tanka by Alan Summers

English Original

a small death
the cracked shell
of a snail
now this delay
at the train station

The Strand Book Of International Poets, 2010

Alan Summers


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

微不足道的死亡
一隻蝸牛
破碎的外殼
此時在火車站等候
這個延遲的班車

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

微不足道的死亡
一只蜗牛
破碎的外壳
此时在火车站等候
这个延迟的班车


Bio Sketch

Alan Summers, Japan Times award-winning writer, is the President of the United Haiku and Tanka Society. He enjoys French and Indian cuisine; and scrambled or poached eggs with spinach for breakfast. His latest book Writing Poetry: the haiku way was published in 2017.  Blog: http://area17.blogspot.com

3 comments:

  1. The poignant contrast between the two parts of the tanka and the symbolic significance of "cracked shell" and "train station" spark the reader's emotions and reflection on life, death and the things in between.

    The journey in between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life takes place.

    ― Barbara De Angelis

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  2. Alan's thought-provoking "small death" tanka reminds me of another fine tanka on a similar issue:

    a gnat’s smudge
    on my forearm --
    the smallest death
    i have known this year
    but typical

    William Ramsey

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  3. Dear Chen-ou Liu,

    Many thanks for your translations, and comments.

    The tanka comes from a direct experience treading accidentally on a snail towards the down ramp of my then local train station in Bradford on Avon.

    I learnt later that day that someone had been killed on the rail track, which might have been someone taking their own life deliberately. I did a lot of growing up that day.

    The poem first gained accepted by my professor of poetry during my Masters who normally does not like 'short' poetry.

    It has been anthologised four times, and I'm hoping a further time later this year.

    a small death
    the cracked shell
    of a snail
    now this delay
    at the train station

    Alan Summers
    Publication credit: Blithe Spirit vol. 20 no. 4 December 2010

    Anthology credits:
    Mosaic (Bath Spa University 2009)
    The Strand Book Of International Poets 2010 (ed. Imran Hanif and Jane Lee ISBN: 9781907340062)
    Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka Vol. 3 (MET Press 2010, ISBN 978-1-935398-27-1)
    140 And Counting (Upper Rubber Boot Books 2011) ISBN 978-1-937794-04-0)

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