Tanka Poem by Hiroshi Homura 穂村弘

05 Mar 2012

Tanka is a short poem 短歌. It is one of the traditional forms of Japanese verse. Recently, a friend asked me to read this one by Hiroshi Homura and I haven’t been able to forget it.

 

elephant’s dung in the savanna

listen to me

I am drowsy, heartbreaking

terrifying, lonely

 

Original Japanese:

サバンナの象のうんこよ聞いてくれだるいせつないこわいさみしい

sabanna no zô no unko yo kiite kure darui setsunai kowai samishii

Translation by Faye Aoyagi