English Original
across the sands
the rippling quiet
cloud shadow
The Haiku Anthology, 1999
Michael McClintock
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
穿越沙漠
這漣漪般的寧靜
一片雲影
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
穿越沙漠
这涟漪般的宁静
一片云影
Bio Sketch
Michael McClintock's lifework in haiku, tanka, and related literature spanned over four decades. His many contributions to the field included six years as president of the Tanka Society of America (2004-2010) and contributing editor, essayist, and poet for dozens of journals, anthologies, landmark collections and critical studies. McClintock lived in Clovis, California, where he worked as an independent scholar, consultant for public libraries, and poet. Meals at Midnight [tanka], Sketches from the San Joaquin [haiku] and Streetlights: Poetry of Urban Life in Modern English Tanka, were some of his recent titles.
This haiku is very vivid, but somewhat eerie because the cloud’s shadow creates a rippling effect on the sand. He does something rather unique here by using a water image on land. I can easily see the cloud rippling over the sand like a wave in the hot noon-day sun. The cloud creates a tranquil feeling on this otherwise heavy scene. I suppose the sands could be on a beach as well, but I picture a desert, blazing with heat. In my image, the cloud helps to cool down the bogging heat, keeping the sun hidden for a short while.
ReplyDelete-- "Nature, Sex, and Bluntness: A Look at the Haiku of Michael McClintock" by Adria Neapolitan, accessed at https://www.brooksbookshaiku.com/MillikinHaiku/writerprofiles/NeapolitanOnMcClintock.html