English Original
soundless rain --
the names of the fallen
come out of the stones
Plum Afternoon, 2017
Kristen Deming
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
無聲的雨 ...
一個個死者的名字
從石頭上顯現出來
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
无声的雨 ...
一个个死者的名字
从石头上显现出来
Bio Sketch
Kristen Deming was an accomplished haiku poet and lover of literature. Her haiku collection, Plum Afternoon was a finalist in the Haiku Society of America's Merit Book Award in 2017. As a past president of the Haiku Society of America and active member in the haiku community in Japan for many years, one of Kristen's enduring contributions to the haiku communities around the world was a weekly poetry column in the Japan Times called "Haiku Moments" that she co-wrote with a Japanese colleague for six years, helping to open the world of haiku to English speakers and to give glimpses of Japanese culture through the lens of haiku.
The buildup to the last line is thematically, visually, and emotionally poignant. Realistically speaking, it's unlikely that the rain in L1 is "soundless" because raindrops falling on the "stones (as makeshift graves" of the fallen in L2) can create a pitter-patter sound; however, symbolically and emotionally speaking, L1 functions like a symbol of silent tears for the fallen in Ls 2&3 of this "middle-of-the-story" haiku, a reminder to the world of the senselessness of war.
ReplyDeleteMost importantly, "poetry lies" its way to the "truth." -- John Ciardi