Japan Society of Fairfield County
Tanka(14)
by Dr. Ikuko Anjo Jassey
ひたひたとノミを振えるわが父のまあるき背なは懺悔のかたち
hi ta hi ta to no mi o hu ru e ru wa ga chi chi
no ma a ru ki se na wa za n ge no ka ta chi
My father
his back rounded
working his chisel
an embodiment
of repentance
一陣の風に抱かれて舞うさくらあの世この世が一つになる夜
i chi ji n no ka ze ni da ka re te ma u sa ku
ra a no yo ko no yo ga hi to tsu ni na ru yo
The evening
cherry blossoms dance
embraced with a gust of wind
This world and another one
becoming together
oneness
時は春 白蝶黄蝶戯れてマンボにチャチャチャ世は事もなし
to ki wa ha ru shi ro cho o ki cho o ta wa mu
re te ma n bo ni cha cha cha yo wa ko to mo na
shi
Spring
White butterflies dance
the mambo and the cha cha
playfully with yellow butterflies
Peacefulness is the world
この頃のわたしを例えて言うなれば半透明のじゃが芋の皮
ko no go ro no wa ta shi o ta to e te i u na re
ba ha n to o me i no ja ga i mo no ka wa
A potato skin
semi-transparent
so to speak
on recent days
it’s me
乳房が揺れるその度痛むのは傷跡ばかりではないのです
chi chi hu sa ga yu re ru so no ta bi i ta mu
no wa ki zu a to ba ka ri de wa na i no de su
My right breast
shaking at times
pain I feel
hardly a scar it is
but something else
白萩のこぼれる月夜の庭にでて母は静かに泣いていました
shi ra ha gi no ko bo re ru tsu ki yo no ni wa
ni de te ha ha wa shi zu ka ni na i te i
ma shi ta
Mom
crying silently
in the yard
under the bright moon
white flowers of a bush clover
falling down one after another
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