& say
Hello Snoopy!
Here’s an excerpt from an article “Snoopy Shaped Island Emerges after a Volcanic Eruption in Japan” – New York Daily News by David Harding:
Good grief, Charlie Brown!
A volcanic eruption in Japan has caused an island to form that looks like Snoopy.
The new landmass was created in the past few weeks in sea some 620 miles south of the Japanese capital, Tokyo.
Volcanic activity created new land, which merged with an existing island and, incredibly, bears a remarkable resemblance to the cartoon dog.
(December 2013)
The following poem was written 25 years（！） ago by Japan’s premier poet, Shuntaro Tanikawa. He is also the translator for all things Snoopy & Peanuts cartoons into Japanese.
I have seen you
You were once shaped like a big box, quite plain.
I have touched you.
Your flesh had a slight temperature
I do not love you nor do I fear you.
You are likely to continue to get craftier.
You are likely to continue to get smarter.
All the while I will remain as is, the same old me.
Rather annoying and irritating
unable to let go of such trivial thoughts, yet unable to dump you.
Even if I know nothing of binary number system,
I still remain to be your programmer
I keep inputting the most boundless ridiculous ideals, hopes and dreams
until gushing flood of information washes away all our secrets,
to where us humans have no choice but to stare deeply into our naked bare souls.
– by Shuntaro Tanikawa
(translated by ME)
What’s the title of the above poem?
“My Dear Friend, the computer” … Of course.
我が友コンピューターに
僕はきみを見たことがある
きみは大きな箱のように単純な姿をしていた
僕はきみに触れたことがある
きみにはかすかだが体温があった
僕はきみを愛してはいないが怖れてもいない
きみはますます巨きくなるだろう
きみはますます利口になるだろう
でも僕は僕のままだろう
しゃくにさわるとか虫が好かぬとか
相変わらずそんな小さな業すら捨てきれずに
だが二進法について何ひとつ知ってなくても
僕もきみのプログラマーだ
僕はきみに入力する 途方もない理想を
情報の奔流がすべての秘密を洗い流し
人間が自らの裸の心を
ただそれのみをみつめざるを得なくなるまで
– 谷川俊太郎
