One Man's Maple Moon: Silver-Edged Darkness Tanka by Sonam Chhoki

English Original

silver-edged darkness
of the blue pines on the hill
such beauty
the moon pours out on the night
our first-born died

A Hundred Gourds, 2:3, June 2013

Sonam Chhoki


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

覆蓋山丘上藍松樹的黑暗
有一道鑲邊
今夜月光傾瀉
產生如此美麗的景象
我們的第一個孩子去世了

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

覆盖山丘上蓝松树的黑暗
有一道镶边
今夜月光倾泻
产生如此美丽的景象
我们的第一个孩子去世了


Bio Sketch

Sonam Chhoki finds the Japanese short form poetry resonates with her Tibetan Buddhist upbringing.  She is inspired by her father, Sonam Gyamtsho, the architect of Bhutan's non-monastic modern education and by her mother, Chhoden Jangmu, who taught her: “Being a girl doesn’t mean you can’t do anything.” She is the principal editor, and co-editor of haibun for the United Haiku and Tanka Society journal, cattails.