Friday, October 18, 2013

One Man's Maple Moon: Wild Violets Tanka by Amelia Fielden

English Original
 
those wild violets
you'd nurtured for me
bloomed brilliantly
in the early spring
our friendship died

Excellent,7th International Tanka Festival Competition, 2012
 
Amelia Fielden
 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)
 
你為我培育
那些野生紫羅蘭
燦爛地開花
早春的時候
我們友誼已死
 
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
 
你为我培育
那些野生紫罗兰
灿烂地开花
早春的时候
我们友谊已死
 
 
Bio Sketch
 
Amelia Fielden is an Australian.She is a professional translator of Japanese Literature, and an enthusiastic writer of tanka in English.Amelia has had published 18 books of translations,and 7 of her own work,as well as 2 collections of responsive tanka with fellow Australian,Kathy Kituai,and 2 bilingual  collections with Saeko Ogi. In 2007 Amelia & co-translator Kozue Uzawa were awarded the Donald Keene Prize For Translation of Japanese Literature,by Columbia University,New York, for the anthology Ferris Wheel : 101 Modern & Contemporary Japanese Tanka.

1 comment:

  1. The contrasts between the two parts of the tanka are poignant, and the symbolic meaning of violets (faithfulness) and the unexpected yet powerful closing line add emotional weight and psychological depth to the poem.

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