Sunday, May 19, 2019

One Man's Maple Moon: Grieving Tanka by Richard St. Clair

English Original

refuge at home
in a steady cold rain
puddles everywhere
and the sky growing dark
as if it knew my grieving

Atlas Poetica, 17, Spring 2014

Richard St. Clair


Chinese Translation (Traditional)


避難在家
一場源源不斷的冰冷大雨
到處都是水坑
而天空漸漸變暗
好像它知道我的悲傷

Chinese Translation (Simplified)


避难在家
一场源源不断的冰冷大雨
到处都是水坑
而天空渐渐变暗
好像它知道我的悲伤 


Bio Sketch

Richard St. Clair (b.1946), in addition to an accomplished poet, is a recognized composer of modern classical music, performed widely. His poems -- not only haiku but also tanka and Western forms such as sonnet -- have appeared in many important venues. He is a Shin Buddhist in Massachusetts, USA.

1 comment:

  1. Richard's tanka effectively builds, line/poetic phrase by line/poetic phrase, to an unexpected yet visually and emotionally poignant ending that reveals the theme of grief. And on second reading, these evocative images, "steady cold rain" and "the sky growing dark," successfully carry symbolic significance.

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