Monday, April 30, 2018

One Man's Maple Moon: Wolf Tree Tanka by Rebecca Drouilhet

English Original

finding names
for those who came before ...
the branches
of a wolf tree
reaching for the sun

Rebecca Drouilhet


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

找到以前來過之人
的名字 ...
一顆狼樹
的樹枝
伸向太陽

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

找到以前来过之人
的名字...
一颗狼树
的树枝
伸向太阳


Bio Sketch

Rebecca Drouilhet is a retired registered nurse who works as a poetry moderator.  Her work has won awards including a Sakura award in the 2012 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Contest and an Honorable mention in the same contest for 2017 as well as Editor's Choice awards and others. She enjoys reading, word games and spending time with her large family.

1 comment:

  1. The upper verse establishes the theme context while the environmentally significant and symbolically rich image of a wolf tree (very large forest tree that has a wide-spreading crown and inhibits or prevents the growth of smaller trees around it)in the lower verse adds analogical depth to the poem.

    Note: ... If you have ever seen a tree in the forest that seems out of place because it is much larger than the trees surrounding it, you may have seen a wolf tree. A wolf tree is defined as a tall forest tree with large girth and great, spreading branches. Wolf trees are usually surrounded by smaller trees, signifying that the tree was once the only tree in the area and that the smaller trees have grown up years after the wolf tree was established. Many wolf trees are over 150 years old and are a different species then its smaller neighbors. However, it is the structure of the wolf tree that gives it away...

    ...While most wolf trees don’t have much commercial value because of their abundant lower branches and largely hollow structure due to age, these trees are extremely valuable for wildlife. The hollow nature of wolf trees means there are numerous holes in which birds and small mammals can build nests. The large, spreading branches provide squirrels an elevated place to sit and eat while able to keep a watchful eye out for predators...

    -- excerpted from "Wolf trees provide insight into the history of the land," which can be accessed at http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/wolf_trees_provide_insight_into_the_history_of_the_land

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