Thursday, August 15, 2013

One Man's Maple Moon: Crow Tanka by Sonam Chhoki

English Original

almost dark
a crow searches the grass
in a dry field . . .
no sign of impending death
in his last voicemail message

Simply Haiku, 10:2, Winter 2013

Sonam Chhoki


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

幾乎黑暗
在乾燥的田野一隻烏鴉
搜尋綠草
在他最後的語音留言
沒有跡象表明即將到來的死亡

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

几乎黑暗
在乾燥的田野一只乌鸦
搜寻绿草
在他最後的语音留言
没有迹象表明即将到来的死亡


Bio Sketch

Born and raised in the eastern Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, Sonam Chhoki has been writing Japanese short forms of haiku, tanka and haibun for about 5 years. These forms resonate with her Tibetan Buddhist upbringing and provide the perfect medium for the exploration of  her country's rich ritual, social and cultural heritage. She is inspired by her father, Sonam Gyamtsho, the architect of Bhutan's non-monastic modern education. Her haiku, tanka and haibun have been published in poetry journals and anthologies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, UK and US.

1 comment:

  1. The upper verse successfully sets a scenic/emotive context while the lower one conveys the thematic concerns of the poem. And a simile is subtly established between the two parts of the poem.

    ReplyDelete