English Original
by moonlight
through the screen window
my lover climbs
in the darkness
between the sheets
A Hundred Gourds, 1:1, December 2011
Hortensia Anderson
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
月光下
穿過紗窗
在黑暗中
我的愛人爬進
兩張床單裡面
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
月光下
穿过纱窗
在黑暗中
我的爱人爬进
两张床单里面
Bio Sketch
Hortensia Anderson is the author of numerous chapbooks as well as a volume of poetry, Trust. Her work has been published in many oneline and print magazines. Her awards and other honors include: Best of 2002: Haiku in English, The Mainichi Daily News; 5th Annual Suruga Baika Winner; Honorable Mention, Mainichi Contest (2003); Tanka Splendor Awards (2003 and 2004); and Third Prize, Kusamakura (2004).
The buildup to the last line of this visually evocative and emotionally charged tanka is fresh and effective.
ReplyDeleteWhat's left unsaid is at least as potent as what's stated in the tanka.
And my tanka below could be read as its sequel:
love affair:
the rest of the world waits
in the dark
and we entwine our bodies,
half awake, half forgetful ...
Bamboo Hut, Autumn 2015