Monday, May 19, 2025

One Man's Maple Moon: Flesh Tanka by Sanford Goldstein

English Original

the flesh clings
tighter still
as if to tell me
this world is smell,
is touch

At the Hut of the Small Mind, 1992

Sanford Goldstein 


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

肉體
仍然緊貼在一起
彷彿在告訴我
這個世界充滿氣味,
一切都是關於觸摸

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

肉体
仍然紧贴在一起
仿佛在告诉我
这个世界充满气味,
一切都是关于触摸


Bio Sketch

Long ago, Sanford Goldstein wrote haiku, but decided to focus on tanka. His latest books, three in two years, have each said this would be his last. The Tanka Society of America renamed its international tanka contest for him in 2015; and he has been called the grandfather of tanka in English. 

1 comment:

  1. Sanford's tanka effectively builds, line by line, to a thematically significant and multi-sensorily rich ending that reveals the theme of the "embodied experience [through one's senses, Ls 1,4, and 5] of the world"

    FYI: "The 'embodied experience of the world' refers to the way individuals perceive and interact with their surroundings through their physical bodies. It's about understanding how our senses, movements, and bodily feelings shape our understanding of the world. This concept is central to embodied cognition, which suggests that our thoughts, perceptions, and emotions are deeply intertwined with our physical existence and interactions with the environment. "

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