English Original
when a petal
is laid on its back
how heavy
the leg chains
on the zoo elephant
White Letter Poems, 1998
Fumi Saito
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
當一片花瓣飄落
它的葉背躺在地上
動物園裡的大象
它的腿鏈
是多麼地沉重
当一片花瓣飘落
它的叶背躺在地上
动物园里的大象
它的腿链
是多么地沉重
Bio Sketch
Daughter of a military officer who was noted for his verse-writing talent, Fumi Saito began writing poetry in the traditional 31-syllable tanka form in her early teens. Her first book of tanka, Fish Songs, published in 1940, immediately established her as a brilliant young poet. She was inducted into the Japan Art Academy in 1993 and invited to serve as meshiudo (a position similar to the Poet Laureate's) at the Imperial Palace in 1997.
The contrasts, thematic, visual and emotional, between the two parts of the tanka are poignantly effective, and the opening image of a fallen/dead petal could be read as a foreshadow of the tragically foreseeable fate of this suffering zoo elephant.
ReplyDelete