English Original
lingering grief ...
the scent of grandma
on the porch
where star jasmines
used to bloom
Hemapriya Chellappan
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
揮之不去的悲痛 ...
奶奶的味道
縈繞在門廊上
這是星星茉莉
曾經盛開過之處
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
挥之不去的悲痛 ...
奶奶的味道
萦绕在门廊上
这是星星茉莉
曾经盛开过之处
Bio Sketch
Hemapriya Chellappan is an engineer turned writer. When she isn't daydreaming she writes haiku, sketches landscapes, hums old songs, practices puns and makes excellent tea.
L1 sets the theme and tone of this heartfelt tanka while the implicit simile employed in Ls 2-5 effectively enhances the meaning of L1.
ReplyDeleteAnd it might be interesting to do a comparative reading of the following grief tanka:
this grief
not the grief expected
no tears
just miles of sand
and endless desert
Spring's First Caress, 2015
Brian Zimmer
The following ranka could be read as a sequel to Hemapriya's:
Deletea light rain
upon leaf mulch --
an old grief
mingles with the scent
of late autumn
Simply Haiku, 7:2, Summer 2009
Carole MacRury