Sunday, July 19, 2015

One Man's Maple Moon: Tides of Life Tanka by Thelma Mariano

English Original

more willing now
to move with the tides
in my life
I hear the rhythmic creaking
of an old tree in the wind

Ribbons, 3:3, Autumn 2007

Thelma Mariano


Chinese Translation (Traditional)


現在更願意
順應我生命中
的潮汐起伏
我聽到一棵老樹在風中
吱吱嘎嘎的節奏聲

Chinese Translation (Simplified)


现在更愿意
顺应我生命中
的潮汐起伏
我听到一棵老树在风中
吱吱嘎嘎的节奏声


Bio Sketch

Thelma Mariano won a number of international Tanka Splendor awards in the last 15 years and has published tanka in literary journals around the world. She lives in Montreal near the rapids of the St. Lawrence River, which often inspire her. She is also an author of contemporary women’s fiction.

1 comment:

  1. Thelma's tanka employs a traditional construction of S/L/S/L/L with the pivotal L3, and it is structured into two parts (the main statement with a philosophical bent and the evocative image replete with resonant details) that work well with the word choice and imagery. And there is a metaphoric relationship skillfully established between the two parts of the poem, inviting the reader's further reflection on the main statement stated in the upper verse.

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