English Original
a husband paralyzed
my old mother blind
on both sides
this evening of life
I enter autumn
White Letter Poems, 1998
Fumi Saito
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
丈夫癱瘓了
老母親雙眼失明
雙方親戚都是如此
生命的這個夜晚
我步入秋天
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
丈夫瘫痪了
老母亲双眼失明
双方亲戚都是如此
生命的这个夜晚
我步入秋天
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.
A good choice of words and images -- "paralyzed, blind, evening of life, and autumn" -- not only creates a vivid emotional landscape, but also captures the feeling of approaching the later stage of life.
ReplyDeleteAnd the central line, on both sides [of relatives who are paralyzed and blind], successfully adds emotional weight to the tanka.