Godless Horse by Oguma Hideo (無神の馬 / 小熊秀雄)

My nothingness
was a basket full of remorseful strawberries
As I ate them, I laughed, wept, became angry
and the morning sun was simply rising in the sky

Being in love is like a shell
that clings to your back and won’t let go
Love is an eternally delightful burden

A horse let loose in the streets
Oh, that is my godless horse
hair fatiguing and unsightly thick
standing calmly in an unlit meadow.

私の虚無は
悔恨の苺を籠に盛つてゐる
私は喰べながら笑ひ泣き悲しみ怒り
朝日が昇るとけろりとしてゐた

愛するものは貝殻のやうに
脊中にしがみついて離れない
愛は永遠の喜ばしい重荷だ

街に放された馬
ああ　それは私の無神の馬だ
毛皮は疲労して醜く密生し
光のない草地に平気で立つてゐる。

NOTES:

Oguma Hideo (1901-1940) was a Japanese poet, critic, children’s writer and manga author from Hokkaido. After working several odd jobs, including being a watchman at a poultry farm, Oguma started working as a newspaper reporter in 1922. It was around this time that he started writing poetry. He became established as a poet in 1935 with the publication of his collected poems.

無神 — lit. “no god,” or, in other words, “godless” or “atheist.” However, it could also refer to 無心 — lit. “no heart/mind,” or, in other words, “at one with the natural world,” or “enlightened.”