English Original
the moon
straying into my night
like a lost lover
stirs in me again
long silenced caws
A Hundred Gourds, March 2015
Alegria Imperial
straying into my night
like a lost lover
stirs in me again
long silenced caws
A Hundred Gourds, March 2015
Alegria Imperial
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
月亮
遊蕩進入我的夜晚
像是一個迷路的情人
再次激起我內心
悠長的沉默啼聲
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
月亮
游荡进入我的夜晚
像是一个迷路的情人
再次激起我内心
悠长的沉默啼声
Bio Sketch
Alegria Imperial, a former journalist in the Philippines, started writing haiku and other short Japanese poetry forms a few years ago. Her works have since been widely published, some gaining awards. Her first collection is an e-chapbook, counting star-bones, of 20 contemporary haiku. She immigrated to Canada 12 years ago.
Unlike the traditional role of the moon in waka/tanka poetry as a mood setter, a tone enhancer or the witness to love and promises, that of the moon in Alegria's evocative tanka is a "lost lover" (L3) that stirs in [the speaker] "long silenced caws." (L5)
ReplyDeleteEnhanced by the use of a simile, her take on the personified moon is emotionally fresh and effective, and her verb choices, "straying," "stirs" and "silenced," add psychological depth to the tanka.
And my tanka below could be read as a prequel to hers:
at the edge
of a winter dream
I reach for her ...
my love in white
there, but not there
Honorable Mention, 2019 World Tanka Contest