Wednesday, January 16, 2013

One Man's Maple Moon: Dragon Tanka by Michael McClintock

English Original

the way it looks
like a dragon fallen
from the sky,
this uprooted tree
alone on the moor

Presence, #31, 2007

Michael McClintock


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

像似
一條龍從天上
墜落
這棵連根拔起的樹
孤零地躺在荒野

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

像似
一条龙从天上
坠落
这棵连根拔起的树
孤零地躺在荒野


Bio sketch

Michael McClintock's lifework in haiku, tanka, and related literature spans over four decades. His many contributions to the field include 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 now lives in Clovis, California, where he works 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, are some of his recent titles.

3 comments:

  1. The shift, visual and perceptual, is psychologically effective. And thematically speaking, the opening image adds emotional weight to the poem.

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  2. Michael writes such evocative tanka. Much can be learned from him. Thank you for sharing this.

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  3. Kat, yes, I couldn't agree with you more.

    Here is the link, http://www.tankaonline.com/Notes%20on%20Form%20--%20Michael.htm, to Michael's well-known article, Notes on Form, Techniques, and Subject Matter
    in Modern English Tanka, which I think might interest you.

    Chen-ou

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