English Original
jasmine tendril
stretching in an upward spiral
I too
grasp for a hold
on the future
Honorable Mention, 2009 World Tanka Competition
André Surridge
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
茉莉花的卷鬚
螺旋式伸展
向上
我也是
想一把抓住
未來
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
茉莉花的卷须
螺旋式伸展
向上
我也是
想一把抓住
未来
Bio Sketch
André Surridge was an award-winning playwright and poet who immigrated to New Zealand from Yorkshire, England in 1972. He was President of the Playwrights Association of New Zealand from 1998-2000. Widely published, some of his awards included: 1995 Minolta Playwriting Award, 2007 Elizabeth Searle Lamb Award, 2008 Tanka Splendor Award, and 2010 Jane Reichhold International prize. And his first collection of haiku and senryu, one hundred petals, was critically acclaimed in 2019.
Through the use of "too" in L3, a simile is effectively established between the two parts, Ls 1&2 and Ls 3-5, of the tanka.
ReplyDeleteAnd visually and emotionally evocative and symbolically rich Ls 1&2 enhance the thematic strength of this uplifting simile.