Sunday, January 26, 2014

One Man's Maple Moon: Usual Dream Tanka by Johannes S. H. Bjerg

English Original

the usual dream:
my house grows
extra rooms
as I walk through it --
for once the sky is green

Johannes S. H. Bjerg


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

尋常的夢:
當我在房子裡走移動時
它增長了
額外的房間 --
僅此一次,天空是綠色的

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

寻常的梦:
当我在房子里走移动时
它增长了
额外的房间 --
仅此一次,天空是绿色的


Bio Sketch

Born in 1957, Johannes S. H. Bjerg is a Dane writing in Danish & English simultaneously. Writing mainly (hai)ku. Main blog: 2 tongues / 2 tunger. Instigator and co-editor of Bones - a journal for contemporary haiku. Included in New Resonanse 8, Red Moon Press, 2013.Books: Penguins / Pingviner - 122 bilingual haiku (English and Danish) in 2011 through Cyberwit, India. Parallels, English language short verse, Yet To Be Named Free Press, England, 2013. Threads / Tråde bilingual haiku, Createspace 2013, Notes 10 11 -12 / Noter 10 11 -12, bilingual (solo) linked verse, Yet To Be Named Free Press, England, 2013. Paper Bell Lessons / Papirklokkebelæringerne, bilingual haiku, Createspace, 2013.

1 comment:

  1. Thematically speaking, the opening and closing lines (the "'usual' dream" vs "for once' the 'sky is green' ") form a dialectical relationship, and the dream content is creatively expansive. This tanka reminds me of the stories told by Johannes' fellow countryman, Hans Christian Andersen, Father of the Modern Fairy Tale.

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