Tanka Translation 94: Fumi Saito

94  Fumi Saito（齋藤　史）

おいとまをいただきますと戸をしめて出てゆくやうにゆかぬなり生は

oitoma o itadakimasu to to o shimete deteyuku yô ni yukanunari sei wa

not as easy as saying

“I will resign” and close the door behind

when I leave

… a life

 

あなたまあおかしな一生でしたねと會はば言ひたし父といふ男

anata maa okashina isshô deshitane to awaba iitashi chichi to iu hito

when I would meet him again

I’d like to tell him he had

such a strange life

 … a man who is my father

 

するすると夕闇くだり見て居れば他人の老いはなめらかに来る

surusuruto yûyami kudari mite oreba tanin no oi wa namerakani kuru

watching darkness at dusk

down smoothly

old age belonging to the others

comes easily

 

from “Gendai Tanka No Kansho 101” (Appreciation of Contemporary Tanka 101) edited by Ken Kodaka, Shinshokan, 1999, Tokyo, Japan