Saturday, April 20, 2013

Butterfly Dream: Creek Haiku by Michael McClintock

English Original

my guest departs ...
the waters in the creek
louder and clearer

Modern Haiku, 39.2, 2008

Michael McClintock


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

客人離開後 ...
小溪的水流聲
響亮而清晰

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

客人离开後 ...
小溪的水流声
响亮而清晰


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.

5 comments:

  1. The contrasts between before/after the departure and presence/ absence of the sound of waters are emotionally effective. The use of two comparative adjectives could be read an indication of the speaker's state of mind.

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  2. Interesting...I sensed anger in this one.

    marion

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  3. Marion:

    Your reading interests me a lot. I read L3 mainly as the expression of a sudden sense of quietness.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Chen-ou

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  4. I see the contrasts in the scene and find humor. It's as if he's saying, "My guest talks more than a babbling brook."

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    Replies
    1. Hi! Tzod:

      I like your concluding comment. Thanks for sharing.

      Chen-ou

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