Japan Society of Fairfield County
Tanka(6)
by Dr. Ikuko Anjo Jassey
風吹けば風に水見れば水になり消えることだけ思いていたり
ka ze fu ke ba ka ze ni mi zu mi re
ba mi zu ni na ri ki e ru ko to da
ke o mo i te i ta ri
When I felt the wind
I longed to be the wind;
When I saw the water
I longed to be the water
Just thinking to disappear
悲しみの後ろにぴたりと寄り添いて出番待ってる安らぎがある
ka na shi mi no u shi ro ni pi ta ri
to yo ri so i te de ba n ma tte
ru ya su ra gi ga a ru
Right behind grief
Waiting is a peace of mind
Waiting its turn to appear
Always
子を産まぬ女は女にあらずとはあなた男よ軽薄過ぎないか
ko o u ma nu o mi na wa o mi na ni
a ra zu to wa a na ta o no ko yo ka
ru su gi na i ka
A woman without a child
is not a woman, do you say?
Aren’t you too shallow, sir?
己が身の生まれ育ちは恥にあらずばまあるく削った話はできぬ
o no ga mi no u ma re so da chi wa
ha ji ni a ra zu ba ma a ru ku ke zu
tta ha na shi wa de ki nu
No shame on my birth
or my upbringing;
So I don’t talk of myself
better than who I am
たんぽぽが上向きすみれが横を向く人生いろいろあってもいいじゃないか
ta n po po ga u e mu ki su mi re ga
yo ko o mu ku ji n se i i ro i ro a
tte mo i i ja na i ka
Dandelions look up to the sky;
Violets turn aside
That’s all right
So many people, so many lives
かくれんぼ 隠れたままで人生を終えるのもよし 真っ赤なとんぼ
ka ku re n bo ka ku re ta ma ma de
ji n se i o o e ru no mo yo shi ma
kka na to n bo
Hide-and-seek
Hiding yourself—
A way to live your life
A red dragonfly
風に叩かれ人に踏まれて強くなる青麦のような人生がある
ka ze ni ta ta ka re hi to ni hu ma re
te tsu yo ku na ru a o mu gi no yo
o na ji n se i ga a ru
On wind-whipped
On people-treaded
Green wheat plants getting stronger
Such a life there is
縺れいし心の釣り糸ほぐすごとコスモス揺れる夕焼け小焼け
mo tsu re i shi ko ko ro no tsu ri i
to ho gu su go to ko su mo su yu re
ru yu u ya ke ko ya ke
Cosmos swaying gently
as if they would untie
fishing lines tangled in my heart—
An evening glow
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