English Original
this acupuncturist
inserts countless needles
on my back
accurately detecting
my deeply rooted sorrow
red lights, 5:1, 2009
Kozue Uzawa
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
這位針灸師
在我背上
插入無數的針
準確地檢測出
我深沉的悲傷
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
这位针灸师
在我背上
插入无数的针
准确地检测出
我深沉的悲伤
Bio Sketch
Kozue Uzawa is a retired university professor. She works as editor of the English tanka journal GUSTS. She composes tanka both in Japanese and English. She also translates Japanese tanka into English and co-published Ferris Wheel: 101 Modern and Contemporary Tanka (Boston: Cheng & Tsui, 2006), and Kaleidoscope: Selected Tanka of Shuji Terayama (Tokyo: Hokuseido Press, 2008). Ferris Wheel received the 2007 Donald Keene Translation Award for Japanese Literature from Columbia University.
The shift from the relief of pain (Ls 1-3) to the acknowledgement of grief/sorrow (Ls 4&5) is unexpected yet poignantly effective.
ReplyDeleteFYI: "Acupuncture points are believed to "stimulate the central nervous system." This releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes may stimulate the body's natural healing abilities. They may promote "physical and emotional well-being."