English Original
we lie together
like a knight and his lady
in a tomb effigy ...
only the rise and fall of the covers
shows we are still of this world
Wind on the Heath, 2020
Naomi Beth Wakan
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
我們睡在一起
就像是躺在雕像墳墓中
的騎士和他的夫人 ...
只有毛毯的上下起落
證明我們仍然屬於這個世界
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
我们睡在一起
就像是躺在雕像坟墓中
的骑士和他的夫人 ...
只有毛毯的上下起落
证明我们仍然属于这个世界
Bio Sketch
Naomi Beth Wakan is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Nanaimo (2014–16) and the Federation of British Columbia Writer’s Inaugural Honorary Ambassador. She has published over fifty books. Her most recent book of essays, On the Arts, came out in 2020 (Shanti Arts). Her trilogy, The Way of Tanka, The Way of Haiku, and Poetry That Heals was published by Shanti Arts in 2019. Wakan is a member of The League of Canadian Poets, Haiku Canada, and Tanka Canada. She lives on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, with her husband, the sculptor Elias Wakan.
The contrasts (tomb effigy vs a king-sized bed suited for a couple; death vs life; past ve present ...) between the two parts of this "fresh yet thought-provoking relationship" tanka spark the reader's emotions and reflection on an intimate/spousal relationship evaluated in the context of [this] life and death[/afterlife].
ReplyDelete