Butterfly Dream: Burnt-Out House Haiku by Carol Purington

English Original

edging

the path to the burnt-out house

scarlet tulips

Mann Library’s Daily Haiku, September 5, 2016

Carol Purington 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

通往被燒毀房子的道路

的四週邊緣

猩紅色的鬱金香

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

通往被烧毁房子的道路

的四周边缘

猩红色的郁金香

Bio Sketch

Carol Purington used tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drifted around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

One Man’s Maple Moon: Hermit Thrush Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

The days I did not sing
       the nights I did not dance
             their joy
                     spiraling out of the throat
                           of a hermit thrush

Words as Wings, 2007

Carol Purington 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

這些我沒有唱歌的日子

    這些我沒有跳舞的夜晚

        他們的喜悅

            從一隻隱士畫眉的喉嚨裡

               盤旋而出

                            

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

这些我没有唱歌的日子

    这些我没有跳舞的夜晚

        他们的喜悦

            从一只隐士画眉的喉咙里

               盘旋而出

Bio Sketch

Carol Purington used tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drifted around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

Butterfly Dream: Leafless Tree Haiku by Carol Purington

English Original

leafless tree

its branches full

of setting sun

Haiku Art, 2016

Carol Purington 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

光禿禿的樹

它的樹枝充滿

夕陽

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

光秃秃的树

它的树枝充满

夕阳

Bio Sketch

Carol Purington used tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drifted around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

Butterfly Dream: White Scarf Haiku by Carol Purington

English Original

skating the pond

her white scarf flares backward

into moonlight

Dasoku, 1998

Carol Purington 


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

在池塘滑冰

她的白色圍巾向後張開

飄入月光中

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

在池塘滑冰

她的白色围巾向后张开

飘入月光中

Bio Sketch

Carol Purington used tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drifted around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

Butterfly Dream: Firewood Haiku by Carol Purington

English Original

deep winter

the armload of firewood

chills the kitchen

First Prize, 1992 HSA Henderson Haiku Contest

Carol Purington 


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

深冬

用雙臂抱住的柴火

讓廚房變冷

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

深冬

用双臂抱住的柴火

让厨房变冷

Bio Sketch

Carol Purington used tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drifted around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

One Man's Maple Moon: Globe Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

cool and slippery

under my fingers

the globe

on my daughter’s desk

that spins her away from me

Faces I Might Wear, 2013 

Carol Purington 


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

觸摸到

我女兒桌上的地球儀

我的手指

感覺到涼爽滑溜

它把她從我身邊帶走

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

触摸到

我女儿桌上的地球仪

我的手指

感觉到凉爽滑溜

它把她从我身边带走

Bio Sketch

Carol Purington used tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drifted around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

Butterfly Dream: Winter Solstice Haiku by Carol Purington

English Original

winter solstice

the road narrows

into one-way

Editors’ Choice, The Heron’s Nest, 3:7, September 2001

Carol Purington 


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

冬至

這條道路變窄

成為單向

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

冬至

这条道路变窄

成为单向 

Bio Sketch

Carol Purington used tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drifted around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

Poetic Musings: Hermit Thrush Tanka by Carol Purington

The days I did not sing
         the nights I did not dance
             their joy
                 spiraling out of the throat
                     of a hermit thrush

Words as Wings, 2007

Carol Purington

Commentary: ...The parallel construction of the opening two lines is that of a song. The strong accents on the final words in each line move the poem forward with a sense of “lifting.” The poem’s progression from the general “The days I did not sing” to the specific and beautiful “throat of a hermit thrush” is lilting—almost like a bird in flight. The staggered line arrangement visually assists this sense of movement. If its lines were all aligned left, how different this poem would read!  

-- excerpted from Introduction to The Tanka Anthology by Michael McClintock

Note: You can read the full text here, "To the Lighthouse: Introduction to The Tanka Anthology by Michael McClintock" (Reprinted by kind permission of the author, from The Tanka Anthology, edited by Michael McClintock, Pamela Miller Ness and Jim Kacian, published by Red Moon Press)

One Man's Maple Moon: Black Vase Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

With one finger
I rub scum from the neck
of a black vase --
it doesn't match my wardrobe,
the scarf he brought from Paris

Ribbons, 9;3, Winter 2013

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

用一根手指
將黑色花瓶頸上的浮渣
抹掉 --
他從巴黎帶來的圍巾
和我的衣櫃不相匹配

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

用一根手指
将黑色花瓶颈上的浮渣
抹掉 --
他从巴黎带来的围巾
和我的衣柜不相匹配


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington uses tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drift around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

One Man's Maple Moon: September Rain Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

September rain
and a few wine-dark leaves
tumbling
into a day
of shared loss

Moonbathing, 9, Fall/Winter 2013

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

九月雨
和一些酒黑色樹葉
翻滾掉落成為
共同喪失生命
的一天

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

九月雨
和一些酒黑色树叶
翻滚掉落成为
共同丧失生命
的一天 


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington uses tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drift around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

One Man's Maple Moon: Funeral Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

That funeral
I can attend only in heart
this bouquet
of the marigolds she loved
they last so well

red lights, 5:1; January 2009

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

只在我心裡
參加了那個葬禮
她所喜愛
的這束萬壽菊
保持新鮮甚久
   
Chinese Translation (Simplified)

只在我心里
参加了那个葬礼
她所喜爱
的这束万寿菊
保持新鲜甚久


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington uses tanka to capture flashes of natural loveliness and psychological insight that drift around her rural New England home. Her second collection of tanka, Faces I Might Wear, was published in 2013.

One Man's Maple Moon: Curfew Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

Bath towels
tug against the clothesline –
13 candles
and a long argument
about her curfew

bottle rockets, 31, August 2014

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

浴巾
緊扯著晾衣繩 --
十三支蠟燭
和一場有關她宵禁
的冗長爭執
  
Chinese Translation (Simplified)

浴巾
紧扯著晾衣绳 --
十叁支蜡烛
和一场有关她宵禁
的冗长争执


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington belongs to a farm family whose routines are shaped by seasonal context, and her tanka, both their natural imagery and their emotional shadings, emerge from this lifelong grounding. Faces I Might Wear is her newest collection.

One Man's Maple Moon: Unfinished Scarf Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

The phone lines
that should carry your voice
sag with ice…
this unfinished scarf,
I never could get the tension right

Ribbons, 9:3, Fall 2013

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

應承載你聲音
的電話線
被冰壓得下垂...
這個尚完成的圍巾，
毛線之間從未有適當的張力

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

应承载你声音
的电话线
被冰压得下垂...
这个尚完成的围巾，
毛线之间从未有适当的张力


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington belongs to a farm family whose routines are shaped by seasonal context, and her tanka, both their natural imagery and their emotional shadings, emerge from this lifelong grounding. Faces I Might Wear is her newest collection.

One Man's Maple Moon: Digital Sea Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

a heron hides
its legs in the shallow pond
I wonder
can a woman lose herself
in the digital sea

Gusts, 18, Fall/Winter 2013

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

蒼鷺隱藏
它的腿在淺水塘
我想知道
女人會迷失
在數位大海裡嗎？

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

苍鹭隐藏
它的腿在浅水塘
我想知道
女人会迷失
在数位大海里吗？



Bio Sketch

Carol Purington belongs to a farm family whose routines are shaped by seasonal context, and her tanka, both their natural imagery and their emotional shadings, emerge from this lifelong grounding. Faces I Might Wear is her newest collection.

One Man's Maple Moon: Snowflakes and Rosemary Leaf Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

Snowflakes spangle
the greenhouse windows --
I pinch
a fragrance of summer
from the rosemary leaf

Gusts, 18, Fall/Winter 2013

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

溫室窗戶裝飾
金光閃爍的雪花 --
我緊緊握住
來自迷迭香葉
的夏日芬芳

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

温室窗户装饰
金光闪烁的雪花 --
我紧紧握住
来自迷迭香叶
的夏日芬芳 


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington belongs to a farm family whose routines are shaped by seasonal context, and her tanka, both their natural imagery and their emotional shadings, emerge from this lifelong grounding. Faces I Might Wear is her newest collection.

One Man's Maple Moon: Baby Brother Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

Weeks isolated
      from those without the virus
My baby brother
      learning to take steps
My body learning not to walk 

Wind Five Folded: An Anthology of English-Language Tanka

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

幾個星期
      與那些沒有病毒的人隔離
我的小弟弟
      開始學習走路
然而我的身體學習不走路

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

几个星期
      与那些没有病毒的人隔离
我的小弟弟
      开始学习走路
然而我的身体学习不走路


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington is at home in the hills of western Massachusetts. She writes about seasonal and emotional rhythms, exploring connections between the worlds inside us and the worlds our bodies interpret. Her works have appeared in English-language haiku/tanka publications, both print and online, and they have won recognition in international contests. She has published three books of tanka: The Trees Bleed Sweetness, A Pattern for This Place, and Gathering Peace.

One Man's Maple Moon: Fireworks Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

The staccato of fireworks
from the neighbor's field
      we sit in coolness
             emerging stars punctuate
             the words we haven't said

June 2003 Poem of the Month, Christian Science Monitor Online

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

來自鄰居田地
的斷續煙花聲響
坐在陰涼中
逐漸浮現的星星標示
我們尚未說過的話

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

来自邻居田地
的断续烟花声响
坐在阴凉中
逐渐浮现的星星标示
我们尚未说过的话


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington is at home in the hills of western Massachusetts. She writes about seasonal and emotional rhythms, exploring connections between the worlds inside us and the worlds our bodies interpret. Her works have appeared in English-language haiku/tanka publications, both print and online, and they have won recognition in international contests. She has published three books of tanka: The Trees Bleed Sweetness, A Pattern for This Place, and Gathering Peace.

One Man's Maple Moon: Sharp Knife Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

Her sharp knife quick
to peel, core, slice the red apple
    we talk of childhood fears
          how I blocked my ears
          against the fairy tale

First Prize, 2012 Tanka Society of America  International Tanka Contest

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

她鋒利的刀​​快速地
將紅蘋果去皮，去核，切片
    我們談論童年的恐懼
            我如何擋住了耳朵
            拒聽童話

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

她锋利的刀​​快速地
将红苹果去皮，去核，切片
    我们谈论童年的恐惧
            我如何挡住了耳朵
            拒听童话


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington is at home in the hills of western Massachusetts. She writes about seasonal and emotional rhythms, exploring connections between the worlds inside us and the worlds our bodies interpret. Her works have appeared in English-language haiku/tanka publications, both print and online, and they have won recognition in international contests. She has published three books of tanka: The Trees Bleed Sweetness, A Pattern for This Place, and Gathering Peace.

One Man's Maple Moon: Pussywillows Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

Pussywillows
in a vase without water
so they'll last
      the story my grandmother
      told only once

Second Place, 2004 TSA International Tanka Contest

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

美洲小柳
放在沒水的花瓶
這樣他們便可以生還
       這個故事我的祖母
       只說了一次

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

美洲小柳
放在没水的花瓶
这样他们便可以生还
        这个故事我的祖母
        只说了一次


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington is at home in the hills of western Massachusetts. She writes about seasonal and emotional rhythms, exploring connections between the worlds inside us and the worlds our bodies interpret. Her works have appeared in English-language haiku/tanka publications, both print and online, and they have won recognition in international contests. She has published three books of tanka: The Trees Bleed Sweetness, A Pattern for This Place, and Gathering Peace.

One Man's Maple Moon: Puddles Tanka by Carol Purington

English Original

After heavy rain
enough puddles on my path
to flash back at me
all the faces
I might choose to wear today

Ribbons, 2:4, Winter 2006

Carol Purington


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

大雨過後
足夠多的水坑在路上
映照出我今天
可能會選擇
穿戴的面孔

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

大雨过後
足够多的水坑在路上
映照出我今天
可能会选择
穿戴的面孔


Bio Sketch

Carol Purington is at home in the hills of western Massachusetts. She writes about seasonal and emotional rhythms, exploring connections between the worlds inside us and the worlds our bodies interpret. Her works have appeared in English-language haiku/tanka publications, both print and online, and they have won recognition in international contests. She has published three books of tanka: The Trees Bleed Sweetness, A Pattern for This Place, and Gathering Peace.