English Original
two pebbles
and the river’s song
this willow
dancing the same way
you always did
(for Martha Magenta)
Love: The British Haiku Society Members’ Tanka Anthology, 2020
Brendon Kent
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
兩顆鵝卵石
以及河流的歌聲
這棵柳樹
像往常一樣隨風起舞
你一直都是這樣
(獻給瑪莎‧瑪金塔）
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
两颗鹅卵石
以及河流的歌声
这棵柳树
像往常一样随风起舞
你一直都是这样
(献给玛莎‧玛金塔）
Bio Sketch
Brendon Kent lived in Botley, an old countryside village in Southern England (circa 890 A.D.) Born in the late 50's he had written poetry for many years preferring the "short forms." Brendon's haiku/senryu were published worldwide in many leading books and journals. He was a member of the British Haiku Society.
Functioning like as an extra line, (for Martha Magenta), contextualizes the tanka as a tribute to the poet and haiku writer Martha Magenta known for her "nature-driven minimalist poetry" (for more, please visit visit the embedded link).
ReplyDeleteThe structure and tone of this tanka reflect her aesthetic and effectively use minimal natute imagery (Ls 1-3) to evoke grief, remembrance, and the "continuity of nature" after her passing (Ls 3-5). The tanka turns gently from nature to personal loss without breaking the imagery, making the homage feel organic.
The natural landscape depicted in the tanka doesn’t just reflect emotion; it becomes the medium through which the memory is kept alive (L5).