English Original
do lament
when you fly in the sky
above this country --
geese heading south
on a rainy evening
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
應該感嘆
當你駕駛戰機在這個國家
的天空中飛行 --
一個下雨的晚上
一群大雁南下
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
应该感叹
当你驾驶战机在这个国家
的天空中飞行 --
一个下雨的晚上
一群大雁南下
Bio Sketch
Saito Mokichi (May 14, 1882 -- February 25, 1953) was a psychiatrist and one of the most successful practitioners of the new tanka. In 1913, he published Shakko (Red Lights), a book that created a great impression not only on tanka poets but also on the literary world in general. In 1951, he received the Order of Culture.
The contrasts (thematic, emotional, and visual) between Ls 1-3 (the you in L2 who drive a warplane heading north to invade China) and Ls 4&5 ( a group of geese that migrate south for the winter) of this subtle yet sociopolitically conscious wartime tanka is poignantly effective.
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