Hushed
Star of Water rotates in laquar black darkness
no friends or family nor kin around, an isolated lonely star it is
Surprisingly, the planet earth rotates without so much as spilling any drop of its water
Striking is one photograph capturing such an image
Struck by epithany of sorts – blue star of water taking up residence, in space so isolated all alone
Compared to people in the old times who had not seen this photo, surely seeing this photograph should evoke a definitive change in our consciousness, our awareness shifts
an enlightenment, no?
but
our reaction described as nonchalant at best
Distanced just so from the sun, which apparently is why the water is retained as it swirls
spinning all the while a ball of fire at its core
such an impossible mystery
and a miracle is – this Blue Star
Memory of tremendous flood remains in our collective subconsciousnes
giving birth to the legend of Noah’s Arc
Yet if only the noble were chosen and the good selected, to survive the great flood, the current predicament of those children and grandchilden, Noah’s decendents, give doubts to the origin story
Never deviating its course from the orbit
Never once fallen off its course like a death star
embracing abundant lives full of fertility and yet
at all times a bit… lonesome
a loner is this Star of Water
humans, miniscule at a cellular level,
infinitesimal at a molecular level and yet destined to be integral to earth,
Seems no wonder, humans being lonely is stating such an obvious,
probably best not to state such an obvious truth
Noriko Ibaragi (translated by K. Tsuyama)
Month: August 2024
宇宙の漆黒の闇のなかを
ひっそりまわる水の星
まわりには仲間もなく親戚もなく
まるで孤独な星なんだ
Hushed, Star of Water rotates in laquar black darkness of our universe
no friends or family and kin around, an isolated lonely star it is
生まれてこのかた
なにに一番驚いたかと言えば
水一滴もこぼさずに廻る地球を
外からパチリと写した一枚の写真
Surprising to one, the planet earth rotates without so much as spilling any drop of its water, one photograph capturing such a shot from above
こういうところに棲んでいましたか
これを見なかった昔のひととは
線引きできるほどの意識の差が出てくる筈なのに
みんなわりあいぼんやりしている
an epithany of sorts – blue star of water taking up residence in such lonesome spot
Compared to people in the old times who had not seen this photo, surely seeing such a photo should evoke a defenitive change in consciousness
but
we are rather blase
太陽からの距離がほどほどで
それで水がたっぷりと渦まくのであるらしい
中は火の玉だっていうのに
ありえない不思議 蒼い星
Distanced just right from the sun, which apparently is why the water swirls
all the while a ball of fire at its core
such an impossible mystery
is this blue star
すさまじい洪水の記憶が残り
ノアの箱舟の伝説が生まれたのだろうけれど
善良な者たちだけが選ばれて積まれた船であったのに
子子孫孫のていたらくを見れば この言い伝えもいたって怪しい
Memory of tremendous flood remains
to give birth to the legend of Noah’s Arc
Yet if only the noble and good were selected to survive, the current predecament of those children and grandchilden, Noah’s decendents, give doubts to the legend
軌道を逸れることもなく いまだ死の星にもならず
いのちの豊饒を抱えながら
どこかさびしげな 水の星
極小の一分子でもある人間が ゆえなくさびしいのもあたりまえであたりまえすぎることは言わないほうがいいのでしょう
Never deviating from the orbit never fallen off its course like a death star
embracing lives abundant with fertility
and yet a bit lonesome, this star of water
humans, miniscule at a molecular level here on earth, being lonely is stating such an obvious, probably best not to state that obvious
(ポケット詩集Ⅲ 童話屋より)
Would AI do a better job translating literary work as well ? I wonder … how disconnected we may feel if one no longer ponders what the poet felt when she penned her thoughts on paper in the first place decades ago … if AI can do it all, how would she feel ? I am of course asking a rhetorical question and yes stating the obvious. Should I state the obvious?
An Ode to the Summer Stars
So bright you are
glorious abundant stars shower, a downpour across the night sky
Antares, angry red, the brightest star of Scorpion
Forever the target to Saggitarious’ steady arrow
Indus, where might you be, as
the Swan flys gracefully over the flow of milky way
Deneb, a first star shining its tail on a long necked swan
Andromeda, still a cursed captive,
Corona Borealis, still awaiting its king to adorn the crown
star speckels, comets, namesless particles of dust, shine upon us
such is the boundless beauty
I no longer desire jewels on this earth as
I have seen your beauty in our galaxy and beyond
this universe
Noriko Ibaragi (translated by K. Tsuyama, summer 2024)