(10 haikus of Kyoshi Takahama, translated by Satoshi Kinoshita)
(71) 川を見るバナナの皮は手より落ち (S9. 1934)
(kawaomiru banananokawawa teyoriochi)
(Trnslation A)
a banana peel
fell from a hand,
I watch the river
(Translation B)
the banana peel
fell from my hand,
I watch the river
(Note) This original haiku does not tell that the hand is whose one.
(72) 一を知つて二を知らぬなり卒業す (S10. 1935)
(ichioshitte nioshiranunari sotsugyohsu)
(Literal translation)
graduated,
knowing one
but not two
(Translation A)
students are graduated,
knowing one
but not two
(Translation B)
knowing one
but not two_
he graduates from a school
(Note) In this original haiku, the subject is omitted and unknown. This haiku seems to be made in assosiation with a proverb which means the following: A sage knows 10 upon hearing one.
(73) 椿まづ揺れて見せたる春の風 (S10. 1935)
(tsubakimazu yuretemisetaru harunokaze)
a camellia
first shakes to show
spring breezes
(gyobetsuiru mizuofumaete mizusumashi)
a whirligig beetle treads
on the water where
fish and turtles live
(75) 道のべに阿波の遍路の墓あはれ (S10. 1935)
(michinobeni awanohenrono hakaaware)
pathetic!
on the wayside,
a tomb of ’awa’ pilgrim
(76) 白牡丹といふといへども紅ほのか (T14. 1925年)
(shirobotan toiutoiedomo benihonoka)
white rose,
so called, but
slightely tinged with red
(shinryohno odorokigaoni kitarikeri) or
(shinryohnoodoroki kaoni kitarikeri)
(Translation A)
the cool of early autumn
appeared as the look of
a surprised person
(Translation B)
a look of surprise
in the cool of
early autumn
(Translation C)
a person having
a look of surprise
agaist the early autumnal cool
(Note)
Depending on how you take the conbination of words and the meaning of ‘の (=no)’, the original haiku can be translated in various ways as described above. ’の’ is a postpositional word, functioning as an auxiliary to the main word '新涼'.
(78) 鴨の中の一つの鴨を見てゐたり (S11. 1936)
(kamononakano hitotsunokamo-o miteitari)
I gazed at
only one of
the wild ducks
(79) 古綿子著のみ著のまま鹿島立 (S11. 1936)
(furuwatako kinomikinomama kashimadachi)
my departure for an abroad
in an everyday wear_
old ’watako’ clothes
(suzumeramo hito-o osorenu kuninoharu)
spring
in the country where
sparrows also fear no people
Click here to see back numbers (61~70).