English Original
coming to
a bombed place
I feel pity
for the simplicity
of karatachi flowers
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
省視
一個被轟炸的地方
卡拉奇花盛開
我為它的簡樸
感到可惜
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
省视
一个被轰炸的地方
卡拉奇花盛开
我为它的简朴
感到可惜
Bio Sketch
Saito Mokichi (May 14, 1882 -- February 25, 1953) was a psychiatrist and one of the most successful practitioners of the new tanka. In 1913, he published Shakko (Red Lights), a book that created a great impression not only on tanka poets but also on the literary world in general. In 1951, he received the Order of Culture.
Ls 1&2 depict a gloomy scene to set the tone and mood of the tanka while the statement in Ls 3-5 says something significant about the speaker's attitude towards life after the disastrous war.
ReplyDeleteFor more about Saito Mokichi's war tanka see selected tanka in "Cool Announcement: Memorial Day Gift, The Prism of Mokichi," accessed at http://neverendingstoryhaikutanka.blogspot.com/2014/05/cool-announcement-memorial-day-gift.html
FYI: Culturally speaking, "karatachi flowers (quince flowers) often symbolize fertility, love and life. When a baby is born in the Balkans and other parts of the world, a quince tree is planted. And its raw fruit is a source of food.