KYOKO ADANIYA-BAIER
TANKA 1)
oomisoka kagaribimaitobu keidai ni imoto to susuru atsukiamazake
Bamboo torch sparkle at the place of the
shrine where my little sister and I drink (hot) sweet rice wine 2)
Mangetsuno hikari kagayaku natsuzorani jasuminnioite
nakichichiomou.
In the radiant full moon of the summer sky jasmine scent and the thought of my deceased/departed father A
genre of classical Japanese verse from the Heian period, 'tanka' meaning short poem. Tanka consists of five units (often treated as separate lines when translated)
usually with the following mora pattern: 5-7-5-7-7. The 5-7-5 is called the kami-no-ku ("upper phrase"), and the 7-7 is called the shimo-no-ku
("lower phrase"). Tanka is a much older form of Japanese poetry than haiku. |