first house martins
speckle a cloudless May sky
their cries
and fluttering prayer flags
fill the valley at last light
Bamboo Hut, 1:1, 2013
Sonam Chhoki
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
第一群燕子
點綴斑駁無雲的五月天空
它們的哭聲
和飄揚的祈禱旗幟
在最後的陽光中充滿山谷
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
第一群燕子
点缀斑驳无云的五月天空
它们的哭声
和飘扬的祈祷旗帜
在最后的阳光中充满山谷
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.
This multi-sensory juxtaposition of culturally and symbolically rich images of house martins crying and prayer flags fluttering in the valley is visually and emotionally effective. This is a fine tanka of place (about Bhutan).
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