I am alone
with the sound of rapids
constantly churning
tonight the river
will not sleep
Night Sky, 2000
Thelma Mariano
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
我獨自一人
伴隨不斷湧動
的急流聲音
今晚河流
將不會休息
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
我独自一人
伴随不断湧动
的急流声音
今晚河流
将不会休息
Bio Sketch
Thelma Mariano is the author of Night Sky: a Selection of Tanka Poetry. She lives in Montreal and has published her tanka in literary journals as well as in various anthologies including Fire Pearls and Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka.
The speaker's state of mind/sense of unrest tinged with loneliness is effectively conveyed through this riveting image of the river "rapids/constantly churning."
ReplyDeleteNote: Many thanks to John Wisdom for getting permission for me to translate and post Thelma Mariano's heartfelt tanka.