fireflies flicker
and light up the field ...
who will weave
a thread of light
into the dark of my night?
Praniti Gulyani
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
螢火蟲閃爍發光
照亮了整個田野 ...
誰將會編織
一線光芒
進入我的漆黑夜晚？
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
萤火虫闪烁发光
照亮了整个田野 ...
谁将会编织
一线光芒
进入我的漆黑夜晚？
Bio Sketch
An avid practitioner of the Japanese short forms of poetry, Praniti Gulyani aspires to become a full time writer when she grows up. She has published a print collection of haiku, and an ebook of haibun, both of which have been reviewed by world renowned haiku poets.
The contrasts (at the moment vs in the future, natural vs human, pastoral scene vs inner mindscape, ...) between the two parts of the tanka are visually and emotionally poignant, and in "light" of the prefatory image of fireflies, the concluding rhetorical question concerning the speaker's "dark night" effectively enhances a sense of loneliness.
ReplyDeleteThe following works well as a sequel or response tanka:
Deleteas if
there was magic left
in this world
the syncing little lamps
of fireflies in the field
The Right Touch Of Sun, T2017
Michele L. Harvey