Poem (Tanka) and the Pictograph - March, 2001 -


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This is an EL (Earth Language) experimental page to enjoy
the image of a haiku/short poem originally in English/Japanese.
When you can't see the Japanese parts, please don't mind and just skip those parts.
地球語の文字や文字絵を用いて詩的表現や翻訳を試みる実験のページです。

Seasonably I pick a Tanka/short poem by Nishioka Tokue*, an immigrant to the U.S. from Japan. I found it in her Tanka group "Shin-Ishokurin" page( in Japanese ):
I'm very glad hearing from the author Nishioka that she likes the EL play.
今月は、日本からアメリカに移民した歌人のグループ「新移植林」代表の西岡徳江さん*の短歌をとりあげさせていただきました。「青春」をどう訳そうかと難しかったですが、いかがでしょうか?

Original Tanka by Tokue Nishioka:

素足にて浜を歩けば青春は春潮のごとふくらみてくる

The meaning in English:

Walking on a beach barefoot,
my youthful energy swells like the spring ocean


In EL:



Symbols in the pictograph:

( beach/浜) ( springtime/春) ( foot/feet/足)
( blossom/開花) ( heat/熱) ( power/力)  ( sea/海)

Symbols in the translation:

{gc (preposition),36(time)}: when(~するとき、すれば)
gd (verb) {05(no),48(cover)}{47,61}(foot){21(heading)41(move)}:
barefoot go: walk barefoot (はだしで歩く)
gc (preposition): on (usually {gc,10(place)} is used for "on",
but 'beach' includes 10, so only gc is okay I think)(場所を示して、この場合「を」)
{{10,42}(sea),11(edge)}: beach(浜)
{34,62}: 'my' in this case, since other noun characters are following it.(私の)
{{66,68}(flower),44(opened)}: blossom(開花)
{36(time),37(nature)}: season(季節)
{51(power),52(heat): energy(活力)
gd (verb) 07(much) gb (conjunction) 07: increase more and more(だんだんふえる)
{gc (preposition),{15(recognized),13(same)}(similar)}: like (as preposition) (~のように)
{17(up){36,37}(season)}: springtime(春)
{10(place),(always) 42(wave)}: sea/ocean (海)

*Email from Ms. Nishioka Tokue (the author):

Wow - this is great! I really enjoyed your interpretation of my piece. Yes,
please do go ahead and use it on your site.
Also, I have several ideas for where your EL could be featured. I am the
editor of an offline Tanka publication (Shin-ishokurin), and I would be
interested in publishing the above poem with your interpretation. I think it
adds creativity to the art of Tanka. I am also involved with a Japanese
Tanka magazine and will inquire about introducing the EL concept and getting
some exposure for you. In addition, I know of a site, Gate 39
(www.gate39.com), which focuses on Japan and Japanese-related news/articles.
I will check with the editor to see if we can't get this in there, too.
Thank you very much!

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