Tanka Translation 96: Taeko Kuzuhara

96  Taeko Kuzuhara（葛原妙子）

朱き空より遮断機しづかに降（お）りきたり自転車あまた押しとどめたり

akaki sora yori shadanki shizukani orikitari jitensha amata oshitodometari

                                from the crimson sky

                                a crossing gate quietly down

                                and it stops

                                numerous bicycles

 

口中に一粒の葡萄を潰したりすなはちわが目ふと暗きかも

kôchû ni hitotsubu no budô o tsubushitari sunawachi waga me futo kuraki kamo

I crush a grape

inside my mouth

that is when my eyes

become dark

 

 

他界より眺めてあらばしづかなる的となるべきゆふぐれの水

takai yori nagamete araba shizukanaru mato to narubeki yûgure no mizu

 if I look it

 from the other world

 water at dusk

should be a quiet target

 

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

Tanka Translation 96: Sataro Sato

95  Sataro Sato（佐藤佐太郎）

冬の日といへど一日（ひとひ）は長からん刈田に降（お）りていこふ鴉（からす）ら

fuyu no hi to iedo hitohi wa nagakaran karita ni orite ikou karasura

                                even in winter

                                one day can be long

                                crows fly down to rest

                                in the rice field after harvest

いちはやく若葉となれる桜より風の日花の二三片とぶ

ichihayaku wakaba to nareru sakura yori kaze no hi hana no ni, san-pen tobu

on a windy day

from a cherry tree already

green with  leaves

a few petals flying

                               

夜更けて寂しけれども時により唄ふがごとき長き風音

yoru fukete sabishikeredomo toki ni yori utau ga gotoki nagaki kaze-oto

                                lonely at late night

                                but sometime  I hear

                                a long sound  of a wind

                                as though it is singing

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

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

Tanka Translation 93: Shuji Miya

93  Shuji Miya（宮　柊二）

昨夜（よべ）ふかく酒に乱れて帰りこしわれに喚（わめ）きし妻は何者

yobe fukaku sake ni midarete kaerikoshi ware ni wamekishi tsuma wa nanimono

late last night

my wife screamed at me

coming home badly drunk…

who is she?

 

新しきとしのひかりの檻に射し象や駱駝はなにおもふらむ

atarashiki toshi no hikari no ori ni sashi zô ya rakuda wa nani omouramu

a light of the new year

to their cages

I wonder what an elephant and a camel

think?

 

わが歌は田舎の出なる田舎歌素直賢明（すなおけんめい）に詠（うた）ひ来しのみ

waga uta wa inaka no de naru inaka-uta sunao kenmei ni utahikishi nomi

my  tanka is a song

of a yokel from the countryside

I have been composing

with honestly and sensibly

 

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

Tanka Translation 92: Kuniyo Takayasu

92  Kuniyo Takayasu（高安国世）

わが前の空間に黒きものきたり鳩となりつつ風に浮べり

waga mae no kûkan ni kuroki mono kitari hato to naritsutsu kaze ni ukaberi

a black thing comes

to the space In front of me

while changing into a pigeon

it floats in the wind

 

北側の人なき室はいつ来ても航きゆく船の如く風鳴る

kitagawa no hito naki heya wa itsu kitemo ikiyuku fune no gotoku kaze naru

whenever I come to this empty room

in the north side of a house

the wind makes a noise

like a ship on a voyage

 

 

ゆるくゆるく過ぐる病院の一日よ忘れいし生命の速度と思う

yurukuyuruku suguru byôin no ichinichi yo wasureishi inochi no sokudo to omou

a day at the hospital

passing slowly, slowly

I think this is the speed

of life I forgot

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