Two Senryu 川柳

D. Brink 2007

            

        1

春の民草刈りながらお見通し

In cutting the grass the people

   in spring see to the future

春天的除草透亮著遠方的願景

        2

アザミ野のわらび段々顔見上げ

In a field of thistles the ferns

    gradually find their way

   荊棘裡過貓的臉龐漸顯曲直

[Thanks to Huang Shih-Yi for the Mandarin translations

and David Jiang for help with transcultural imagery.]

haiku 俳句

let in this morning

our kitten still tracks the dew

through cold wooden rooms

露の朝猫の足跡床に染み

walking the dry fields 

returning from the station

the year's first sun

初日の出 駅から歩く枯れ野原

in the tall grasses 

a boy collecting crickets – 

the hazy moon

少年は草にコオロギ朧月

is he still waiting

on the hill along Snake Pond –

the wind in the pines?

丘の上まだ松風に雄蛇ヶ池

(Appeared in Tinfish)

Three Senryu ・ 3川柳 ・ Lost in Translation

 

1.

The boy liked to roll in waves
filling his clothes with sand
and walk in spring rain

子の服が浪砂にまみれ雨遊ぶ

 2.

Crabgrass rising in my lawn,

the retired fireman smiles crossing the street

草茂る鎌持つあやじ暇の笑み 

3.

Behind the building the summer moon hides for the long windy night

風が吹くビルに隠れて月涼し

(Tacoma 2003; Tamsui 2012; photos by D. Brink; thanks to Prof. Horikoshi Kazuo for help polishing the Japanese versions)

川柳: 階段をねちねちステップダンス好き

階段をねちねちステップダンス好き

(lit. tr.: Nagging about the stairs while liking to step dance)

Bag of Senryu 川柳袋

Asaoka Shinji 浅丘真治 (Dean Brink 包 德樂)

Japanese originals with English translations

雑題 miscellaneous topics

停電へ手を取り合ってお手洗い
The power out, holding hands going to the restroom.

背広着た今日は行かない喫茶店
Wearing a suit today, not going to the usual café.

張りの無い世に懐かしい雷親父
In a lackluster world, how nice to see a thundering old man again.

言い訳を捜しながらも爆弾し
While searching for excuses dropping bombs.

国と神いえども兵の民営化
Though saying “god and country”
privatizing the army.

アメリカも「暗い谷」への夢遊病
America can also sleepwalk into a “Dark Valley.”

砂原に掘った凹みにさくら植え
In gaping holes dug in the desert
planting cherry trees

眠れない夜に付き合う屋根のリス
Sleepless night
meeting the squirrel on the roof.

Topic:「軽い」light (adj.)
軽く屋根登る狸の手にブドウ
Nimbly climbing
on the roof, in the raccoons hands
grapes.

Topic:「迷う」 become confused
迷い込むカフェの出会いで恋芽ばえ
Meeting in the overflowing café, love blossoms.

Topic:「招待」 invitation
一人だけ招待されて板ばさみ
Stuck
with only one of us
invited.

(2003)