fireflies
unraveling
the basted night
蛍仮縫いの夜をほどく
drunk
on the uncountable music
of rainfall
雨音数えられぬ音楽に酔っている
these days
my legs are caught between
the long and short hands
近頃は長針と短針に足を挟まれます
wind carving the flame’s image
炎の像を彫る風
face in the photograph,
don’t look at me!
写真の顔よ俺を見るな
after rain
the full moon
sheds its skin
雨上がりの満月が脱皮している
laid out drunk
in the roses
for sky burial
酔いしれてバラの上で風葬される
scattering musical notes on the rainbow
the small birds peck at them
虹に音符を撒き小鳥が啄む
star chart:
a spider nimbly crossing
light years
星座図の光年を蜘蛛がひょいひょい渡る
butterflies drowning
in the rippling peonies
波紋を牡丹に蝶が溺れている
on a windy sleepless night
I know how the pyromaniac feels
風ねむれぬ夜は放火魔と通じあい
staring at the memory
until the flames become clear
炎がすきとおるまで記憶を見つめる
the butterfly being dragged
a parade float for the ants
蝶は曳かれ蟻の祭りの花車
I’m going to water the flowers I saw in my dream
夢で見た花に水をやりにいく
I’m not in my dreams
夢の中に私がいない
smiling with a face that smiles
笑っている顔で笑っている
the light in the mirror
painting over my face
鏡の中の光が顔を塗りつぶす
sunlight on a forest path
scratching the nape of my neck
森の小道の陽あかりうなじ掻きあげている
alive until the paint dried
a butterfly
絵の具がかわくまで生きていた蝶
wet with drops of rain that melt the moon
月を溶かす雫の雨に濡れている
carrying you over
a river of stars
night rainbow
星の川に君を渡す夜の虹
the rainbow bridge vanishes midway
and I fall to the bottom of the dream
虹の橋なかばで消え夢の底に落ちる
shutting the door to my cerebrum
I leave the key inside
大脳の扉を閉め鍵は中に置いておく
tickled by the sun
roof tiles
roaring with laughter
陽にくすぐられ屋根瓦ゲラゲラ笑う
the cloth dries in the shape it was wrung
絞られた形で雑巾乾いている
cast to the bottom of the well
my shadow becomes clear
井戸の底に落した影が澄んでいる
ants lifting up the horizon
a field of flowers
蟻が地平線を持ちあげてゆく花野
ears ringing
in the dark sky
闇の空に耳が鳴る
night opens its mouth
and its voice is the galaxy
夜が口をひらき声が銀河になる
in the glass shard drizzle
I pass a mermaid
ガラス片の霧雨に人魚とすれちがう
night market:
a price tag attached
to the mermaid
夜店の人魚に値札がついている
a raging flame
beats its wings
until it burns out
燃えあがり炎がつきるまで羽ばたく
goldfish swaying to and fro
smell like flowers opening
金魚ゆらゆら花のひらく匂いがする
I open the lid of the jar
and take out the reflected moon
壺のふたを開け映る月を取り出す
I shall be reborn
from my first love’s womb
生まれかわります初恋の胎から
Rozan Takada (1956-2013) became a member of Soun in 1983. He won the Hosai Prize in 2003 and the Soun Prize in 2005. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 57. Not much other information is available about this poet.
Sources:
https://izumi3986.fc2.net/blog-entry-242.html
Entry No. 1 