English Original
long dead
the bones of a beast
decaying tonight
I am nearly choked
as cherry blossoms are falling
White Letter Poems, 1998
Fumi Saito
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
早已死去
一頭野獸的骨頭
今晚腐爛
當櫻花飄落之時
我差點窒息
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
早已死去
一头野兽的骨头
今晚腐烂
当樱花飘落之时
我差点窒息
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 contrast (a violent, decaying world, Ls 1-3 vs fleeting beauty of nature, L5) between the two parts of the tanka is shockingly fresh and poignantly effective, sparking the reader's emotions and reflection on life and death.
ReplyDeleteA fresh and effective tanka on "cherry blossoms" tanka.